The Devil's Lettuce

When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden he had but two rules for his creations to follow. He had placed them in this magnificent paradise, where food and nature were abundant and the world knew no sin. Evil nor temptation nor sin existed and life would be pure bliss for the two if they followed the only two rules that their creator gave them. In this paradise there existed a field of herbs and called The Magical Pasture and a tree of abundant fruit called The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They were allowed to enjoy all the herbs of this land and eat all the fruits and foods that Mother Nature offered them besides the herbs from The Magical Pasture and the fruits from The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This seemed like a very reasonable proposal when all the abundances they were allotted were taken into account. Adam and Eve agreed to these rules and lived in perfect harmony and bliss. That was until they encountered the serpent.

“The herbs of The Magical Pasture can take you to another world and experience powerful visions” the serpent hissed at them. “God tells you to stay away to limit your power and keep you from flourishing as you should.”

 Adam and Eve did not know what to make of this news. God, their creator, loved them and could not possibly want to do them harm. On the other hand, something about the serpent was drawing them to listen to him, and they started to become curious about what this field had to offer them. The serpent promised them that nobody would find out and that it would not harm them. Adam was the stronger willed of the two, and rejected the serpent’s notion despite the power of manipulation he had used on him. Eve followed suit in rejection; but inside she felt a deep urge to do what the serpent had told her. The thought of the pasture consumed her for days and she was torn on what she should do.

One day as Adam slept, Eve crept away from their dwelling and wandered into the garden in search of the mysterious serpent. She hissed for him in hopes of gaining his attention. As if she was willing it to happen, the serpent magically appeared. 

“Yes my dear” he hissed at her “what do you call me for?”

“These herbs in The Magical Pasture that you speak of, how do I unleash the power that you say they possess?” Eve asked eagerly.

“My darling you must pick the buds off of the plants, and then you must grind these up until they are in many tiny pieces. Then you must roll these into a leaf off of one of the trees. Once you do this you must start a fire and light the rolled leaf by it. Once the end is lit, put the other end to your mouth and puff on it. You will inhale the smoke and exhale. This will give you access to the power within.” The serpent was grinning wildly and knew that he had convinced Eve to disobey God’s orders. He knew this herb would lead to apathy and the loss of ambition and had even given it his own pet name of “The Devil’s Lettuce”.

Eve disembarked with the serpent’s instructions solidified in her mind. She followed his steps one by one, and finally smoked the herb from The Magical Pasture. She instantly felt confused and relaxed. Everything seemed to be in slow motion but she did not mind. She actually found it pleasant and continued to smoke the rolled leaf until there was nothing left. She felt as if she had never felt before, and it was at this moment that God came to her.

“My child” he spoke to her sadly. “I forbade you from the herbs of this field and you have disobeyed me by the works of my nemesis Satan the serpent, who represents all the evil and sin that I wish to shield you from.” His tone grew in anger as he progressed. He collected himself and spoke solemnly “However I am a merciful, forgiving God and I will forgive you as you did not eat off of Thee Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. As long as you abstain from this act I will forgive this transgression and allow you and Adam to continue to live in paradise in The Garden of Eden."

Eve was overjoyed at God’s mercy and felt horrible for succumbing to wishes of Satan. Her and The Father parted ways and she went to journey back to Adam. For a reason she couldn’t produce she started to feel an unnatural hunger that she had never encountered before. Her body was telling her that she needed to eat and she needed to eat now. She searched for food but in the dark it was hard to find. In the distance she could see the shiny golden fruit hanging from The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and she was instantly drawn to their delicious glow. She forgot all about what God has just told her and ran to the tree as fast as she could. She grabbed the fruit two at a time and ate them savagely until her heart was content, cackling in pleasure as she filled her insatiable appetite.

It was then that Adam showed up to the tree—awoken by a strange sound in the night he had noticed Eve’s absence and feared the worst. He could not believe his eyes. The pure woman he loved was betraying God’s orders right before his eyes and appeared to be relishing in it. As much as Adam loved God, he loved Eve just as much and wanted to understand why she would do what she did. He sprinted to The Magical Pasture and rolled up a fatty. When he finished smoking the blunt he felt the same relaxation and hunger that Eve had encountered and joined her at The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and filled his appetite with forbidden fruit. This enraged God beyond belief that both of his creations had disobeyed both of his only rules. However as an all knowing and all merciful God he knew that Eve’s first transgression led to her second; and that Adam’s actions were done out of love to Eve. By eating the fruit they introduced natural sin to the world and the knowledge of good and evil. However God allowed them to remain on Earth with the condition that these herbs be restricted. They told God that these herbs were not all bad, and that if used in the right way could have a purpose on the Earth. God agreed and said that this herb should be illegal for humans to use unless it has a medicinal purpose for them. This has led to countless debate throughout the years and it can all go back to Adam and Eve. 

Red and the Trickery by Kelsey Osucha (Final copy)

Red and the Trickery

There once was a very well known young lady named Rya. However, in her town she was not known by this name, everyone called her Red. This was due to the fact that she had long, beautiful, vibrant red hair. She also always wore red clothes to match, with coordinating red lipstick and ruby red shoes. Red was so well known because she was the granddaughter of the richest woman in all of the land. Grandmother lived alone in a gorgeous highly secured cabin privately set far into the woods. Red and grandmother were the best of friends. Red went to visit grandma as many times a week as she possibly could. In order to reach grandmother’s house she had to travel a path in which she was very familiar with all by herself in the woods. However she was not fearful, for she was a strong and independent young woman. Grandmother’s house had the highest security system that you could ever imagine. Not even a machine gun could make it through the walls. It was known by all that Red was the only person alive that knew grandmothers security code to enter her house. Grandmother trusted Red with all of her soul.

Now you see, it was every teenage girls dream in town to become a model. All over girls longed for the opportunity to someday pursue their dreams. They even held modeling clinics together so that one-day, if they ever got the chance, they were prepared. Red was the leader of this club and had the greatest passion for modeling.

In the village there also lived a family of wolves, that no one associated with and everyone tried their hardest to avoid. All that was left of the family was 4 brothers. Their parents passed away in a hunting accident years prior and after that accident occurred the boys were never the same. They became evil wolves that hated all humans and wanted nothing but revenge. They were vicious young wolves that were feared by all.  The oldest brother was by far the most evil 4 brothers.

The Eldest brother, Walter the wolf, knew everything that was going on around town and knew everyone’s personal business. Walter was the only brother who was old enough to support his siblings, and was struggling day by day to do so. Knowing that grandmother was filthy rich and that Red dreamed of being a model, he came up with a twisted plan that was extravagant, so he thought…

Red was home alone on a warm summers day while her parents were at work. Her mother always told her every day to never open the door for strangers while she was home alone. Red was practicing her runway walk when suddenly… 

(Knock, knock, knock)

“Who goes there?” called Red from inside her house in the heart of the village.

“It is I, Sir Walter Watson. You may not know me, but I am the President of a modeling agency called Surely Beautiful; maybe you have heard of it?”

Red quickly fluffed her hair, checked her make up, and stood tall and confident as she flung open the door. Standing in front of her was the most handsome man she has ever laid her eyes upon. He was tall, dark, and well groomed in his suit and tie.

“Nice to meet you sir.” she said, shaking the man’s hand. “My name is Rya, but people call me Red. How did you discover me?” wondered Red.

“Ahh very wise question young lady. You see, I ran into a very sweet woman this past week at the market; she told me she had a beautiful teenage granddaughter who had wanted nothing more than to get the chance to model. After she showed me your picture I knew we needed to add you as a member to our team.” said the man.

"How flattering sir, I would be honored to be a part of your agency and to pursue my dreams with Surely Beautiful. Let me just go call my mother and make sure this is okay.” proclaimed Red.

“Oh no my dear!” called the man quick and loud. “That will not be necessary. Your grandmother has already spoken to your mother and she has given full permission.”

The man gave specific instructions for Red to follow, he said, “simply run along quickly. You don’t need to bring anything but yourself. Please leave your cell phone at home, as well as any other personal belongings. Make sure not to speak a word to anyone of this opportunity, for it will be a surprise.  Please bake a cake, our cameramen enjoy cake very much so and would love a small treat. Don’t forget chocolate milk is their favorite as well!” he said.

Overwhelmed with all that has been thrown at her, going through countless different emotions, Red simply nods yes to the handsome gentlemen standing at her door.

“Oh and one more thing.” said the man, handing Red a piece of paper. “Here are the directions you must take in order to get to our agency building. Leave your house promptly in a half hour. We will be seeing you soon my dear.” and off walked the man quickly pulling away in his car.

Red had not a clue what to think of what had happened. She felt as though this seemed too good to be true and was worried to trust the man’s word. But then she remembered her grandmother had referred her and her mother had given full permission. She quickly baked the cake, grabbed the directions, and headed on her way.

Walter Watson was indeed not named Sir Watson at all; in fact, his name was Walter the wolf. Walter had the ability of transforming himself into a handsome gentleman, of whom he called Sir Walter Watson. The wolf knew that if he approached Red as Sir Watson, pretended to be part of a modeling agency and told her that her mother and grandmother gave her permission, that he could surely trick the girl into his evil plan.

Skipping down the path feeling elated, she began to notice that she was familiar with her surroundings as she looked around.

“This is the way I take to grandmother’s house, the agency must be right around the corner from her house and all this time I never knew it!” thought Red.

Out of nowhere a big, scary wolf popped out at Red. “Hello my friend!”  she said to the wolf with no fear at all.

When this didn’t scare Red enough, the wolf sent out another brother to scare Red in order to hurry her along the path. This time, two wolves had approached Red.

“Oh my goodness you startled me, have a good day men.” Red said as she continued to skip along.

 However, this time she had become slightly nervous. So the oldest brother sent in yet another wolf brother to scare Red and make her run right to grandmother’s house. Sure enough, out jumped the third wolf with his two other brothers, growling with their awfully large teeth showing, chasing Red as fast as they could run. Red had never been so frightened in her entire life. As she was running away she decided to run to grandmother’s house in order to get to safety. As she approached the house the three wolves ran off, leaving Red frantically entering grandmother’s security code as fast as she possibly could. Little did Red know, Walter the wolf was hiding in grandmother’s bushes waiting for Red to open the door so he could sneak in with her.

Surprised to see Red, grandmother said “My dear what a pleasant surprise I was not expecting company.”

Throwing the cake and milk down on the table she said “Grandma I am here because I am in great trouble, I was chased by three vicious wolves in the woods and”…

Before Red could even finish her sentence the evil wolf had jumped through the door and attacked grandmother. Right in front of Red’s eyes she had to watch her grandmother get ripped to shreds by the wolf.

The next thing she knew she was waking up in a daze. The last thing she remembered was seeing her grandmother’s life get ripped away from her by a ferocious beast. With tears streaming down her face as she was gaining her vision back, she realized she was strapped to a chair. Out of her blurred vision she saw the wolf packing all of grandmother’s money, jewelry, and valuables into a large duffle bag.

 In a soft, sad voice Red had whispered, “why are you doing this?”

Quickly turning around the wolf explained to Red that there was really no Sir Walter Watson after all, that he transformed himself in order to gain Red’s trust and get her to unlock grandmother’s house. He told her that there was no modeling agency and everything was simply a lie in order to trick her. He explained why he needed the money to support his family and that he chose grandmother because she was an easy target and the richest of them all.

 Thinking through all these thoughts and realizing exactly who the wolf was, Red became disgusted that she had fallen for this trick, and infuriated that because of it, it caused the dearest person to her, her life. As her anger grew, so did her strength. Ripping herself free from the ropes, Red charged at the wolf with a knife that was lying on the counter. Decapitating the bad wolf, Red stood over his dead, bloody body in shock.

She had defeated the wolf and given him what he deserved.

What happened to the grandmother and Red was nothing short of a tragedy. Every day Red found it more difficult to cope with her grandmother’s loss. The big bad wolf was dead, and the three other brothers were locked in prison for life.

Red was the only person grandmother had included in her will. It specified that all her money and everything she owned went to her granddaughter Rya. Needless to say, Red had inherited all of her grandmother's riches. With these funds, she decided to start up her own modeling agency in which she named Granny’s. She was the president of this organization and gave all young girls the chance they had always hoped for to fulfill their dreams.

Red learned her lesson that mother always told her to never open up the door for strangers when she was home alone. The people of the village were inspired by Red’s strength and courage. They also admired her for taking the wolves out of their town so they no longer had to live in fear. Red and her family were then able to live a comfortable life knowing they were safe, but they missed grandmother more with every day that had passed.

Wolf Pack! by Eric Schlegel

          There was once a pack of Wolves who lived together in a forest. They had a camp set up right on the edge of the forest and they spent their days hunting and searching for food to bring back to the others. These wolves pride themselves on their survival skills and their ability to hunt and gather food not just for themselves, but for the entire pack. Jared, who was considered the alpha male of the pack once took a stand before his fellow wolves and said

                           

                              "Everybody, we must swear that when we hunt we hunt for each other, and that we will now make it a point to not return to camp unless we have some type of food to bring to the rest." 

"All those who agree, say I."

Everybody including Brian, one of the younger wolves who always seemed to rise above the rest of the pack when it came to hunting and gathering repeated "I"

"The forest is running out of food quickly, and the best chance for survival is by standing together as one and helping each other out. Whatever type of meat you find roaming around in this forest must be killed and brought back to camp" said Jared.

Mickey, the agitator of the pack would always try to get under Brian's skin before he went out to hunt.  There was nothing that he would have loved more than to see Brian fail at doing something that he is really good at because when it came to hunting for food Brian always did just a little bit better than Mickey. The next morning Brian, Mickey, and a few of the other wolves set out to hunt and right before Brian was about leave Mickey ran right by him, pushed him over and yelled

"Try to catch something today, Loser"

Brian was never one to instigate a fight, he always knew that Mickey was jealous of him and he knew what Mickey was trying to do when he did that, so he just ignored it and kept his mind set on hunting. As he began his hunt he went off on his own to find whatever he could to bring back to the camp. It turned out to be a pretty slow day, there wasn't a whole lot of prey being spotted for Brian to hunt.

Later that day Brian finally came across something he spotted moving in the distance. As he got closer and closer he realized the creature he spotted was in fact human. A young woman dressed in a red coat walking through the forest with a basket in her hand. When Brian first spotted her his initial instincts were to kill her, but as he got closer he realized how beautiful he thought she was and immediately second guessed his actions. He continued to walk towards her and as soon she spotted him she reached for the knife she was carrying in her basket.

"I'm not here to hurt you I swear" he said

"My name is Brian, What is yours?" he asked

she replied slowly "Megan......... My name is Megan"

As the minutes past her comfortability level got stronger, to the point she let go of the knife and started talking more smoothly than she had been. After a while of talking to her Brian found out she grew up on a small ranch right outside of the forest, she loves animals being outdoors, and red is her favorite color. As they were talking, laughing and getting along with each other so well Brian then knew that he couldn't follow along with what he and the other wolves agreed to do, which was to kill every creature in site and drag the bodies back to camp to be used as food.

"So what are you doing out here in the woods by yourself?", asked Brian.

Little Red replied, "I am on my way to my grandmothers house to deliver her some goods. She lives all the way on the other side of the forest and it was quicker for me to walk straight through rather than walk all the way around."

"Walking around in this forest alone is dangerous, why don't you let me walk you there just so you get there safe."

"It's alright I have made this trip before, I am certain I can handle it"

"You can't ever be to sure though, I have lived in this forest a long time and there are many predators out there and will attack if they see a creature walking a lone Please let me walk you there."

"Well........... Ok then", said Little Red

So they began walking down the road towards her Grandmothers house. They only had a few miles to go but they got there just before Sunset. As they walked up to the door together, she turned and thanked him for walking her there.

"No Problem", he replied 

"If you're ever walking through the forest again and are in need of an escort just yell my name, and I come running".

Little Red smiled at him and turned to go inside. Just as Brian turned around to head back to his hunt he  noticed something moving in the trees, and as quick as he could he pounced on whatever it is was that was moving. As he was about to kill it, he recognized the face of the creature he had caught. It was Mickey. Mickey, feeling that Brian was stunned a bit to see that it was him immediately swiped him in the face with his paw, and as soon as he got up yelled

"Traitor!"

"I can't wait to tell everyone at camp about this" 

Before Brian had a chance to say anything, Mickey ran off back to camp. Later that night when Brian returned the whole pack was there waiting for him. Jared, the leader of the pack went up to him and said 

"What happened tonight Brian? Why haven't you returned with any food for the pack?"

Brian replied, "I just......"

" I know what happened Brian, I know you lead a young female human to her grandmothers house in the woods, instead of killing her for food like you swore you would do. How could you betray us like that?" said Jared

Brian replied again, " I just couldn't do it"

"Well Brian, lucky for you I'm feeling rather generous and am willing to give you another shot to redeem yourself. Tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn you and Mickey are going go back to this house. You're going to kill both the girl and the old lady, and you are going to bring their bodies back to us. If you come back without those bodies Brian, you will be serving yourself as a replacement".

"Understood," said Brian

When Dawn came around, and it was time get up and get ready for the hunt, Brian received a rather rude awakening from Mickey. 

"Time to go....... Unless you're afraid to do it," said Mickey

Brian, ignoring him once again got up and got himself ready to go. At this point he was certain he did not want to go through with this. However, instead of causing a scene right at camp and risk waking up the rest of the pack, he devised a plan in his head to lead Mickey away from the campsite before turning on him. As soon as they got there they stopped for a brief second to scope the house. Mickey then turned to Brian and asked him

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go", replied Brian

As they began to move in Brian cleverly got himself into position where he could catch Mickey off guard so he could attack. Once the opportunity had presented itself he immediately pounced on Mickey and killed him. But not before Mickey let out one final Roar, one which woke up both the female and the grandmother. As they both came out screaming to what they saw had happened, Brian instructed them both to pack up everything they could in the next five minutes and he would lead them out of there. He knew that the other wolves would be showing up here very soon and that he had to get them out of there as fast as he could. 

As Brian lead them out of the woods, he heard the sound of roars in the distance. He knew he had got them out of there just in time. He also knew that he was alone from there on out and would have to fend for himself from then on. He knew what he did was right and he had no regrets with his decisions.

The Red Witching Hour by Colleen Wagner

The Red Witching Hour

By Colleen Wagner

            A long, long time ago, there was a village that was shrouded by a thick forest. It was hard to find and few residents ever ventured outside of it. The only real evidence that it ever existed was from the stories that people told about it. Some people thought that the stories were just used as teaching tools to scare young children from misbehaving. Other people say that the stories are real factual events, no matter how far-fetched they may seem. The real believers will tell you that if you listen carefully during the witching hour, you can still hear the voices of trapped souls howling to the moon.

            In this village, there lived a young girl who was known by the people as Red. She was rich, beautiful, and mysterious. She had long brown hair, fair skin, a slim figure, and green eyes. Her eyes were so green that they would remind anyone who saw them of emeralds. The most surprising and yet important feature to remember about Red was that she was young; too young. When children began to grow taller and hit puberty, Red would just stay the same and enjoy her childhood. Some people just ignored it and figured she was a late bloomer, nothing strange about it. Other people would avoid her and swear that there was something unnatural about her looks and her youth.

            Red was the granddaughter of a powerful figure in the village, Regina Esmeralda Dullum. No one remembers what happened to Red’s parents, just that they were no longer alive and that Red lived with her grandmother in the biggest house in the land. Although no one had set eyes on her in many years, Regina weighed in on all important decisions about the town. A messenger would deliver documents to the house, Red would sign for them, and her grandmother would look over them and send in her decision. Once Regina’s decision was sent in, no one on the council ever opposed it.

            What few people knew about Regina was that she was a powerful witch. She would use her magic to remain youthful and vanquish foes. The reason no one ever opposed Regina was because they were afraid of her turning them into a horrible beast, a werewolf. They would be a man by day and a blood lusting wolf by night. One time a council man wanted all of the local shops in the village to plant trees in front of their stores to make the town more aesthetically pleasing. Regina did not approve of this idea and when he still pressed the issue, she turned him into a werewolf. She did this for decades every time she decided someone was a nuisance.

            One afternoon, when Red was returning home to her grandmother’s house from collecting flowers, she ran into a young man. He was handsome, with dark hair and deep blue eyes. He was well build with a small scar over his right eye. He asked Red, “Where are you off too today young lady?”

            She responded, “Home to my grandmother’s house. Have we met before sir?”

            The gentlemen responded, “We have not, but I believe that I am an acquaintance of your grandmother. Your grandmother is Regina, right?”

            “That’s right.” Red responded. “And how do you know each other?” she asked.

            “We are old friends, from a long time ago.” The gentlemen told Red with a glint in his eye. “Would you mind if I walked with you to her house? I was just on my way to pay old Regina a visit.”

            Red was curious and agreed that they could walk together. As they walked they chatted about the weather and the village, but both dodged and avoided questions that were about themselves. When they arrived at Regina’s house Red invited the stranger inside. She made tea for the both of them and they sat in the parlor as they waited for the other to say something. Time passes quietly as it grew darker outside. Finally the stranger said, “Red, is your grandmother coming down any time soon?”

            Red responded, “She might. She does not move the way that she used too. If you want, I can take a message to her and bring you back a response.”

            The stranger looked out of the window, up toward the sky and responded, “No, that won’t be necessary. I have waited this long, I can wait a little bit longer.”  

            Red looked at him suspiciously. She turned to him and asked, “What are you waiting for Derick?”

            Derick looked at her and ask, “How did you know my name.”

            “You told it to me earlier.” she responded.

            Derick stared at her and replied, “No, I didn’t. In fact, I made a point not to tell people my name many years ago. There is power in names.”

            He looked around the room and began to realize what was going on. In the kitchen, there was one chair at the table. Not enough food for more than one person. The house was huge, large enough for a large family to live in, but there was only one coat on the hook by the door. Only one set of shoes on the floor, and no evidence that anyone else inhabited the house.

            He turned to Red, his deep blue eyes large and full of shock. “Red. R. E. D. Regina Esmeralda Dullum! You are Regina! You used dark magic to keep yourself young! You have been fooling everyone! No one else lives here taking care of a little girl! You have been fooling the whole village making them think that an old woman and her grandmother live here. You have been controlling the town all the while you have been parading around as a child!”

            Red looked at him with a wicked smile, her green, emerald eyes sparkling in the now moon light. “Yes Derick,” she said. “I fooled you, like you tried to fool me. Pretending to befriend a little girl in order to come seek revenge on me. Pathetic! I know why you came here. You figured that if you killed me, maybe the change would stop. Maybe you wouldn’t have to become the hideous beast I turned you into all those years ago. A desperate man’s choice! But here is what you don’t know. The kills you make as werewolf, keeps me young. Those souls that you have taken to feast on their bodies have helped make me invincible! While you think you tricked me into letting inside my home, I tricked you into coming into my trap! When I kill you and eat your heart, the heart of my first transformation, the first man I ever turned into a wolf, I will live forever!”

            Derick turned Red and said, “While you were so focused on luring me in, you forgot to make sure that you were not followed! I did think that I was tricking the granddaughter of the wicked Regina to let me into her home, but I did not think that it would be such an easy fate to kill her. I brought friends. You may recognize them!”

            By this point, the moon had risen to its fullest height and the witching hour had begun. As Derick and Red stood staring at each other inside the stale cold house, howling began to rise outside of the house. The howling of the wolves.

            “Do you think you can take me down?” Red asked. I am more powerful than all of you, what is more important, I control you!”

            “Not when you have ingested water from springs that lay beyond the forest. Water that you have not inflicted with contamination to enslave the people. That water stunts your power. Not for long, but long enough. I slipped it into your tea in case you possessed the same dark magic that your supposed grandmother had. Now I am glad that I did. You have no power. You took everything away from us, now we will have our revenge.”

            The handsome young Derick then walked into the moon light and transformed into a wolf as a pack of more than a hundred other werewolves burst into the house.  They surrounded Red, bit her, scratched her, and tore her skin off. A shriveled old woman with skin hanging off her bones was revealed under her disguise.

            Red looked at Derick the wolf and said her final words, “When you are the alpha of a pack, always be ready for someone to try to over throw you. When you think you are the trickiest person in the room, you may be the one getting tricked.”

            Red was then killed by the very werewolves that she created. They then burned down her house in hopes of destroying all of the dark magic that may be forcing the beasts to change from form to form.

            Before they could get out, a few of the wolves fur got too close to the flames and caught fire. In hopes of putting it out they ran into the forest, but the lack of rain that summer only made the grass and the trees catch fire. The whole village burned down, and many story tellers will say that there were no survivors after the disaster. But if there were no survivors, where did the stories come from?

            If you hear a howl during the witching hour, stay inside and know that making enemies and seeking revenge can lead you down a dangerous trail.

Red Turn: by Brianna Mathis

Red Turn

Once upon a time  in a peaceful village there lived a young girl called Red Riding Hood, She got the name from always having a red cape with a hood everywhere she went.was the most adorable and kindhearted girl in the whole town, with her long blonde her, sapphire eyes that shine like diamonds, glowing fair skin, rosy cheeks she looked like an angel sent from heaven. If she sees anyone in trouble she will go out her to try and help them, whether  she knew you or not.

One day, Red and her mother lefted the village to go visit her grandma to have a nice family dinner. When they arrived they quickly took notice that the Flower garden in front of the brick house looked like it had not be watered in days.


" That's strange, Mother always kept her garden looking beautiful." said Red's mother.


" Do you think something is wrong Mother?" asked Red Riding Hood.
Red's mother patted the 13 year old on her head gently. " I hope not , Let's not waste time out here wondering." said Mother.


"Mother?" Are you there?" Its me and Red." said Mother as she knocked on the wooden door,seconds pasted but there was no answer. Red bend down to the welcome rug near the door and lifted it up to reveal the spare house key. she picked it up and handed the key to her mother, she unlocked it and the two enter the house.


"Mother?" called Red's Mother, The living room was dark but the fire in the fireplace kept it well lit but there was no sign of grandma. Red put the basket of food on the the dining table and walked to the kitchen to see if her grandma was there baking cookies and she just didn't hear them because of her bad hearing.


"Grandma?" called Red Riding Hood. Just like the living room the kitchen was empty as well.


" Maybe your grandmother is her room taking a nap in her room." said Mother. they made their way down the hall to grandma;s room. Mother stepped forward and knocked on the door.


"Mother, are you in there?" called Red's mother. there was silents, Red and her looked at one other wearing the same worried expression. Mother opened the door to find the room dark with just the afternoon light glowing throw the window. On the other side of the room laid grandma on her bed sleeping. which brought relief to both Red and her mother. They walked over to her, she was softly snoring. Red giggled at how adorable how her grandma slept.


Mother gently shook grandma to wake up. " mother, mother, wake up." she said. the old women started to open her eyes to see her daughter and her little granddaughter standing above her.


" Well hello there girls." said Grandma happily giving them both a big smile.


" Hi granny." greeted Red Riding Hood as she hugged her.


" Hello Mother, are you ok? we noticed that your garden was not looking nice as you always have them, and you wouldn't be napping around this time either." said Mother.




" Oh, well I have been feeling a little over the weather this past few days." said Grandma


" Well its a good thing we came by today isn't?" said Mother as she looked at Red.


" Yep." said Red.


" Now Red I'm going to make a nice hot bowl of soup for grandma to help her feel better, but I need to you go  down the stone path near the house to the  big oak tree. It has herbs that I use for the soup." said Mother


" Ok mother." said Red. She turn around and started walking to the living room but stop when her mother called her. she turned to see her mother walk over to her.


" I want you to go to the oak tree and back, don't go anywhere else, and don't talk to people you don't know ." said Mother

" Yes ma'ma." said Red. she walked outside and put her red hood up on her head and went her way to the oak tree.


Once she got the herbs for the soup, she was making her way back when she saw this tall young man leaning against a tree. he had on white shirt with black pants and boots. his hair was dark brown hair and his eyes were green as the grass. He looked at her with smirk.


" Well hello young lady, its a nice afternoon isn't?" asked the man. Red just looked at him for a second and she thought he looked very handsome as she began to blush.


" Um,y-yes it is." said Red looking down at the ground as the young man continued to stare her with that handsome smirk.


" What do you have there?" asked the Man


" Oh, these are herbs for my sick Grandma." said Red still looking at ground not looking at the dreamy eyes of the man. He walked over to her, seeing this Red started to walk forward to the way to her grandma's 
house.


" Herbs huh, well that is very nice of you." said the man as he walked along side her. Red blushed even more.


" Hey does your grandma live in a brick house?" asked the young man. Red stopped then turned to the man in surprise.


" Y-Yes, How do you Know?" Asked Red.


" I sometimes go over her house to check on her. there are a lot of things that can happen to a women her age." He said smoothly while flashing her a grin.


" Oh, well that is very kind of you." said Red smiling at young man. " Not only is his good looking but kind too." Thought Red.


" Yes I was  my way to check on her When i saw you, your grandma never told that she had such a cute granddaughter." said the young man as he touched her cheek. Red looked at the young man in the eyes and she has never seen such a beautiful peer of eyes in her life.


" O-Oh, t-thank you." said Red Riding Hood as she was lost in his eyes still. The young man still holding her cheek give her a kind smile.


" You know I never got your name young lady, what is it?" asked the man

" R-Red." stutter Red. for some reason she felt like her body has gone numb.


" Red, nice name, is it because of this hood you have? asked the young man touching the hood on her head.

" Yes, b-because I like to wear it, my father give it to me before he died." said Red


" Oh, sorry to hear able that." said the young man


" It's ok, I still have my dearest mother and grandmother." said Red. she then looked at the sky to realize that she has been gone long then she have been. " Oh dear, I must get back before my mother gets worried." she said. she turned to rush back to her grandma's when something grabbed her arm stopping her in her tracks. she turned and looked up at the young man.


" Wait, why don't w both go so that way I can help out." he said.
Red looked unsure. " Um, I don't know about-


" Its okay your grandma knows me so there should not be a problem." he said stopping Red from declining his offer. Red still looked unsure but if her grandma knows him then her mother won't be that mad.


" Ok," Red said smiling at him.


" Good then." the young man said smirking at her.
Red took a second to stare at the man, he was so young and handsome, his voice made her weak in the knees. " I um, you never told me your name." she said.


" I didn't?" he said playing dumb


" No you did not." Red said giggling. the young man stepped closer to her until he was in front of her. He brought his hand down and tilted her chin up. Red stared into his eyes finding herself lost again with her body having that numbing feeling.


" Well miss Red you don't have to worry about not knowing my name because you will remember it for the rest of your life as my mate." He said with a monster of a grin. showing her his suddenly  razor sharp fangs.
Red wide eyed and shocked looked at him in confusion." W-What?" said Red


The young man's green eyes started to glow. " My name my love is Fang."


Red's sapphire eye's suddenly went completely blank as Fang put the young girl under a trance. He smirked evilly as his plan was a success. When Red and her mother were on their way to visit grandma Fang had followed them without them knowing.When he saw Red Riding Hood he wanted her as his mate. Seeing her all alone out here was his chance and he took it. He looked at his mate-to-be and decide to put his final plan into action.


" My love I do think its time we go have dinner at your grandma's don't you?" asked Fang. Red says nothing as she is still in a deep trance. " Well I think before we go will I should get you ready for dinner." he said as he put down her hood to reveal her neck. The Sun begin to set just as Fang brought down his mouth on new Mate's neck, marking her as his and sealing her fate.
********
" She has been gone for to long," said Red's mother as paced in the living room after she finished cleaning the house while she waited Red to come back with the herbs. her mother sat in her rocking chair knitting.


" Are you going to look for her?" asked grandma


"Yes, she has been gone to long, I told her to get the herbs and come back." said Mother as was about get her coat. Suddenly the door slam open, scaring the two women. there standing at the door was a young man who looked like he was in his early 20's, also standing next to him was Red Riding Hood.


" Oh thank god Red your ok." said Mother as she started to walk to her but stopped when she noticed that something was wrong with her daughter. Her beautiful eyes  were no longer Sapphire, instead they were dark green. She also had a emotionless look on her face.


" Red, are your ok?" asked Mother in worry. Grandma looked at Red then at the young man.

" Who are you?" asked Grandma in confusion. Red's mother look at him  and give him a questing look as also.


" Oh me, my name is Fang." said Fang. " Me and my mate are here to have dinner." He looked at them with hunrgy eyes.


" Y-YOUR MATE." yelled Mother as she look at her daughter putting her arms around Fang, snuggling into his stomach.


" Yes, She is mine." Fang said smirking madly at the women. he put Red's Hood back to reveal a bite wound on her neck. " Beautiful isn't it?"

" YOU SICK MONSTER, GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER.!!" said Mother as step forward to the couple.She stop When Red let go of Fang to stand protectively in front of him growling in anger  at her mother. Red's mother took a stand back in shock.

" Red, sweet heart, its me mommy." said Mother

Red continued to growl at her. Fang looked proud. " Sorry mommy, but Red doesn't know you nor that old hag anymore.The only  thing that she knows right now is that it's dinner time and you two are looking very tasty right." Fang and Red eye's started to glow bright green, as this was happening their faces and arms became hairy, teeth becoming fang, hands became hairy with claws, and pointy ears. Standing before the two women are horrifying looking Werewolves.

Mother and grandma both to stunted with fear to move as they stare fearly at the growling young monster that used to their darling Red Riding Hood. Fang step next Red looking at their prey.

"Red my dear, I think its time for dinner." Said Fang as the two wolves leaped and pounced on their prey.
*************

After their feast, Fang and Red left to begin their new lives together as mates that terrorizes and prey on others for their thrill.

THE END




































































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