Red

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window.

It was a welcome sight for she was lost, thirsty and hungry, and so very cold. It was late December. She should be home, helping prepare the holiday dinner. There would be no feast this year, unless it was she...a feast for the hungry wolf who was surely following her tracks, waiting for her to fall.

She knew all about the wolves. She had grown up in these woods and the stories had haunted her since childhood. Children disappeared from their yards, women went missing while hanging clothes on the line, men who ventured too far into the woods while deer hunting or chopping down trees for firewood were never seen again. Their bodies never found, no traces left behind.

Though none of the townspeople had ever seen a wolf, they often heard a low growling just over their shoulder. Upon turning, no beast was ever there. Some claimed to hear a rustle in the bushes that seemed to follow them as they quickly returned home, yet the wolves remained unseen. Others had glimpsed glowing yellow eyes in the darkness, and what else but a wolf would have eyes like that. For generations, the stories had kept young children from wandering out of their yards and wolves remained the subject of nearly all their nightmares.

That morning, she had only meant to gather an armful of wood for the fire and check on the chickens, but a glimpse of red moving quickly through the trees had caught her eye. It must be a child from the nearby village, out gathering a yule log for the fire. The child appeared to be darting through the trees as nimble as a young fawn.

Her fear of wolves had always stopped her from crossing the boundary from her parent’s little farm into the menacing dark woods, but she ran after the young child anyway, her fear abated by her curiosity. It made her forget her task and drew her further into the woods than she had ever been before. It was already dusk before she realized she was hopelessly lost.

She glimpsed a faint light just ahead in the trees and upon drawing closer, she saw it was a small cabin with the faint glow of a candle burning in the window. It looked to be abandoned, and surely no one lived this deep in the forest, and yet, the light beckoned her to draw closer, seek shelter, escape this bitter cold night. Surely some kind soul had lit that solitary candle and would offer a cup of warm tea to a scared and weary traveler. A bit of bread, a soft bed and protection through this dark, cold night. Perhaps she would find the child dressed in red, or her mother who would offer her a warm meal, a father who would help guide her back home upon daylight.

The wind stirred through the branches as she ran to the cabin door. It was slightly ajar yet looked as if it had not been fully opened in a very long time. She could see a thick layer of dirt and leaves littering the floor. The soft glow of candlelight caused shadows to dance across the room and took her a moment to adjust her eyes. "Hello?" she called out, but there was no answer. She gave the door a hefty push, and stepped inside.

The glow from a small candle gave off just enough light to illuminate the inside of the cabin. It dripped wax onto the sill and down the wall, pooling at the foot of a little woodstove in the corner, waiting to be lit with a box of kindling by its side. An old iron kettle hung from a hook on the wall. Against the wall was a bed, covered with a quilt and pillows. As she slowly turned surveying the rest of the room, she saw a rocking chair in the darkest corner, piled high with furs. She thought she glimpsed a movement, ever so slight, and wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

In disbelief, she watched as a face slowly began to appear from under the pile of furs, an apparition coming to life in the form of a very old woman. She looked ancient, as old as the forest itself. Deeply wrinkled, the old woman’s appearance took on more the look of a wild animal than a human. The grandmother’s body was taking form, defining bone in her skeletal frame, wrapped in the fur of a wolf.

She felt something brush past her, lightly touching her skin, and all the hairs on her body became electrified. Terror flooded through her body. She felt it again. This time, a lick on her cheek. She whipped around, frantically searching the room for the source of the touches. A nibble on her neck. She turned to run to the door but it slammed shut before she could reach for the handle. Golden eyes peered at her in the uneven flickering of the candle’s flame and she heard a growl. But it was not a wolf...it was a girl, dressed all in red, her lips curled in a snarl.

"We’ve been waiting for you," growled the little girl in the red cloak. The old woman licked her lips and grinned with a mouthful of long, sharp teeth. A barely audible whisper came from her mouth..."dinner."

There are things much scarier than wolves deep in the forest.