The Rose and the Beast

In the dead of night, you can hear the howls as it creeps around the land, waiting for it's next meal to blindly fall into it's paws. It prowls around the den where the animals lye. It begins to close in on it's target when a girl enters the barn with a bucket. The beast was thrilled for He thought that she was an easier target, for she was so small and fair. What He did not expect was how beautiful the girl was and when He saw this all he could do was stare. Her long silky black hair that went down her back ending at her bottom, her little black slippers that were tied ever so gently, and her long red coat with a hood that hugged her head. Her skin was as white as the snow on the meadow and her eyes were a deep black. As He grazed upon her beauty, He could not understand why he was so captivated by her, something was happening to Him that he could not understand. But was it? His eyes began to roll into His head. He leaned forward and when he did this, he snapped a branch. The girl looked up, He ran from the barn.

The next day, the girl went outside the barn where she had encountered the noise the night before. She began to examine the ground when she saw a print, she leaned down to move the leaves that were around it when she saw a human handprint. Before she could examine it closely her farther came from the barn.

"Little Red, what are you doing?" he called.

"Oh nothing father, I am just making sure the barn animals den is closed up tightly before nightfall!"

"Alright Red, I want you in the house. Mama made supper and you know its not safe after nightfall. In you go."

He pushes her lightly into the house and closes the door. As night begins to fall Little Red grabs her bucket of food that waits at the door, when she goes to exit the house her father stops her.

"I don't want to you going out there tonight. Stay inside tonight my dear."
"Father, I like feeding the animals at night. It's peaceful."
"Little Red, that is enough. I have spoken and that is the end of it. I shall take on your duties for tonight."
"But father..."
"Rose I said enough. Now go."

Little Red did not understand her fathers concerns for she did not know that he could see something that she could not. There was something waiting in the barn.
When Little Reds father did not return, she decided to go out to the barn. When she slid open the door, there were no candles lit. She began to walk through the aisle when she see's her dad's hat lying on the ground. She picks it up and when she did this, she heard the very same snap from the night before. When she turned around, she was face to face with a man. His clothing was ripped, his hair was ratted, but his face was extraordinarily handsome. Any other girl would have been frightened, but not Little Red.

He spoke to her kindly: "What's your name girl?"
"My name is Rose,but everyone calls me Little Red."
"Little Red? What are you doing out in your barn so late?"
Little Red replies quickly, "I should be asking you that question. What happened to your cloths?"
"I was attacked by a wild beast, I was taking shelter in your barn until dawn which is when I would take my leave."
"Where would you be heading?"
"You ask a lot of questions Red, I like that."
She began to blush at his comment and he saw this.
"Are you hungry?"
"Not anymore."
Not taking notice, she continued... "Where are you from?"
"A land far from here. It's an island with beautiful trees, grass as high as your waist and bodies of water that have the most unkindly creatures."

rose does not answer, she could not help but let her eyes wander, for she was not the only one with wandering eyes. He continued, "Come sit with me? You look a bit... Cold."

She hesitated and then proceeded to walk towards him. She sat next to him and he pulled a blanket from the hay. They laid together for a while until she fell asleep and when she awoke he was gone.
What Little Red did not know was that her mother and some men from the village had been out looking for her and her father all morning. When she came from the barn, she looked dirty and had stall bedding all over her clothing. Her mother was sitting on the patio when she caught sight of her daughter. She ran to her, crying.

When she sat down her mother began to speak, "Rosa, I don't know what to do or how to even gather the words to tell you this."

Little Red was beyond confused and had not the slightest clue what was wrong with her mother, but she answered her right away: "Mother what is it?"
She hesitated and then proceeded, "You father... Was found in the woods. He was mauled by some kind of animal."
Her eyes filled with tears. She ran from her mother, screaming after her. She ended up in the woods alone, lost, and dusk was approaching. She fell weak and laid down.
Little Red woke up to being carried. When she raised her to look it was the man from the barn and when they met eyes, he smiled. Before she even noticed they were back in her barn. He looked her and before she could make out anything to say, he interrupted her by saying; "And what were doing in the woods? Alone."
"How did you find me?" he replied, "Luck?"
"What is your name?"
"Christopher"
"Who are you, really?"

As he was about to answer, the barn door slid open and her mother entered with all the men in the village. Her mother screamed for her to step away, but before she could Christopher knelt down and let out a huge growl. His clothes tore from his body, fur began to cover his body, his mouth turned into a snout, his ears began to point, his eyes blackened. Little Red could not believe what she was seeing... He looked back at her for a moment and then stood on two legs to let out another howl. As the men began to close in on him, he pounced forward, climbed up the wall, and crashed through the window into the night. The men chased after him and Little Red was left alone with her mother.

"That man, is a beast of the unknown. He is evil."

She kissed Little Red's forehead and walked from the barn into the house. Even though Christopher has taken the life of her father. She could not find the strength to hate him. There was something that drew her to him that she could not understand.
She laid awake in her bed, she could not sleep. She got on her red hood and walked out to the barn. She grabbed her bucket and walked into the stables. She began to pet the horses and when she opened the stall, she heard a familiar snap. She turned her head toward the door where a shadow crept in  from the night. She smiled and began to walk forth.