Never talk to strangers. Never pity the monsters.

The young girl mumbled in her sleep. It was another nightmare. No matter how hard she tried, it was impossible to ignore the nasty howling outside the boarded-up windows. She was finally awake. Again.

Two emerald-like eyes opened and immediately glanced at their surroundings. It was the same dark hollow room she fell asleep in. Luckily, the girl didn’t need a candle to see in the dark. Many years of lurking and hunting in the dark made her able to challenge any cat. Or, maybe, it would be more appropriate to say any monstrosity?

A sudden shriek made her jump out of bed in an instant. She didn’t even notice how her tattered crossbow fell into her hands, already charged with a steel bolt. Listening carefully, the girl sighed with some relief and dressed into her hunting clothing. There was only one thing that made it unique –an emblem with her name on the chest. “Red Hood,” that’s what the text said.

It’s been a while since someone ever called her like that. The red cape from her childhood years now was used as a blanket and a pleasant memory. However, it did not protect her from the nightmares she faced each moment of her life. But that didn’t matter. Now, she was Red, the fierce monster hunter. All her family was gone since the fiends appeared, so the only thing that kept her going was revenge. The young huntress longed to find that one monster who stole her parents.

Dressed all in black, it was hard to tell whether she was there or not. It looked like she was one with the black void covering the world at night. Only one thing distinguished the huntress from the darkness. It was the flash of the metal from her crossbow reflecting moonlight. Those who saw it were already gone.

The wind was howling. Red opened the door carefully and peaked out. Yes, it was midnight. Let the hunt begin!

The Little Girl lived in a house all surrounded by an impassible forest.

Tonight the young girl had to cleanse the world from at least two monstrosities. That was her plan to keep the area around her house safe. Somehow, the monsters felt her presence and always crawled close to the shattered village. Some even acted as if they were home, trying to enter the ruined houses and light candles. Red didn’t hesitate to get rid of them. Monsters are monsters, so she thought.

Like a true huntress, she became one with her surroundings. She heard every move, felt every glance, saw every flash of light. Darkness was her best friend, the one and only in this derelict world. Several minutes had passed before the first target was found.

Red climbed a nearby tree as if she were a squirrel. Knowing these tricks was what helped her survive. The crossbow was already charged and aimed. All the huntress had to do was pull the trigger. She waited for the best moment observing the monstrosity.

It was a beast with thick black fur. Rounded horns ornamented the head while the hands had claws sharp as knives. The creature seemed to be sleeping, although Red heard it scratching something. Dense clouds covered the moon. Time to shoot.

With a silent crackle, the crossbow bolt pierced the creature’s head. The monstrosity fell, defeated with a single blow. Red figured a long time ago that horned fiends had a significant weak spot –the back of their head.

She climbed down the tree and approached the body to ensure it was silenced for good.

“Something is not right. Why is there human blood here?”

The girl looked closely. It was definitely the beast’s blood. Was it because it ate a human? Probably, that would be the most reasonable explanation.

Moonlight shone once again. Red looked down at the ground. It appeared that the creature was holding a stick with its massive paws. One end of the stick left a scratch on the ground. Looking closely, Red saw that it was a drawing. Something in a circle resembling a living creature with weird writing around it. All the huntress could make out was “I miss…”.

She suddenly felt like she was being watched. Her gaze instantly fell on the creature’s eyes. They looked moist. Was it the fiend who drew the picture and looked at her? The girl shrugged her shoulders. It was common knowledge that people with many evil deeds constantly turned into monstrosities. However, she had never heard of anyone becoming human again. It was impossible. A monster is a monster. That’s it.

Red returned to her ramshackle house before dawn. The hunt was successful. Although the huntress felt like she was being watched all the time, she shook off this numbing feeling. Nothing could see her. All creatures were dead, and not a single human soul could be around the area.

Her house was a single room which was a kitchen and bedroom simultaneously. Such an approach helped her keep more warmth in the building. The climate got colder with each day, so every bit of warmth was valued.

The huntress changed into her “home clothing,” the only difference of which was the colour and absence of her name on it. Red took an apple from a basket near her bed. It still looked edible. She was lucky enough to live near a forest with many fruits and berries. Otherwise, she would end up eating the disgusting meat of her prey. She fell asleep with the apple core in her hand.

Grandmother, what big eyes you have! Your hands, your teeth!

Another day. Another nightmare. Once again, she dreamt of her grandma, a realistic vision dispelled with the same howling from the previous night. Red felt like she was missing something very important, maybe even a detail of great value.

Doubts aside, she prepared for tonight’s hunt. Once again, the young girl was dressed in her hunting clothing. She took five crossbow bolts with her. Something told her she would need more than two this time. The loud shriek in the proximity of Red’s ramshackle house confirmed her worries. It sounded like the one she’s been hearing for the last several nights. It looked like the perfect opportunity to end them.

The monster slayer rushed out of the house, following the echoing sound. For sure, the source was near. Another roar made it clear: a beast was near the center of the ruined village. Red ran at full speed into the ruined square until she saw a human-like creature. The girl couldn’t believe her eyes. Staring in astonishment, she realized that the being wore the clothes of her grandmother. The shape was similar as well.

“Grandma, is that you?” the girl asked.

The beast, previously minding its own business, raised its head. For a moment, it seemed that the was some intelligence in its eyes. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop it from attacking the girl.

“No, I will not kill you!” Red shouted. She decided to knock out the creature to find a way to study it. Could it really be her lost grandmother?

After several minutes of fighting, the beast was worn out. The young huntress was lucky she was fast enough to dodge all the attacks. After all, she was trained to hunt creatures like these, so it wasn’t supposed to be a challenge. Losing was not an option. It would cost her life.

Red pulled the monstrosity, her potential grandmother, into her home. She tied it up just in case it tried to attack her once again. The girl looked attentively at the clothes on the monster. Yes, they were just the right size and colour. There could be no doubt that this being must have been her relative in the past.

The cunning Wolf lived nearby.

“Would you mind if I joined the party?” a suspiciously sweet voice inquired.

Red jumped out of her thoughts, trying to reach her crossbow, and then looked at the door. A human was standing in the doorway. There were definitely too many surprises for this night.

“Who are you, and where do you come from?” she asked the stranger. The last time she’d seen a living human was two years ago.

“Oh, I’m a hunter, just like you, searching for monstrosities to kill. You see, I have a bone to pick with them. Maybe some meat, too. I see you’ve already got a decent catch!’

“I don’t understand whether you’re joking or not. Still, who are you?”

“I was once called the Big Bad Hunter for getting rid of some gigantic monstrosities. Not even the bones were left, if you know what I mean,” winked the weird man.

It was then that Little Red saw his skin tone that looked as if it was covered in black ink. The colour of the monstrosity’s fur was absolutely the same.

“Why are you here? Are you alone?” Red couldn’t stop worrying. She felt something was wrong and slowly leaned toward the crossbow. The monster near her side was already awake, watching both humans chatting.

“I’m hungry, and you look delicious, darling. Your friend over there looks even more delicious, so how about you share a morsel with me?” smiled the man, showing his true nature. Sharp, beast-like teeth were seen through that smile. He was on the way to becoming a monster himself.

Step by step, the so-called hunter approached Red. She took her crossbow and charged it. Surprisingly, the man didn’t care. Either hunger has driven him crazy, or he knew something she didn’t. Bid Bad Hunter ignored the girl and came up to the tied monster. He licked his lips as if already tasting the meat he could get from killing it.

None of the humans knew the beast could tear the ropes with ease. It was a matter of a second before the man ended up in its mouth, being completely devoured. Red was saved for the moment, but what should she do with the monster?

Suddenly, the monster choked and spat. Its face changed in an unexplainable way, seemingly becoming a bit more human-like.

“Red, is that you? I don’t understand what happened…” spoke a familiar voice from the beast’s mouth. It was the voice of the girl’s grandmother.

 The Hunter came and saved the Little Girl.

“Grandmother, is that really you? Why are you a monster? How did this happen?!” screamed the girl in a stunning shock, hoping to wake up any moment. She was glad to hear a familiar voice, but it wasn’t so good from the monster’s throat.

“My dear child, I’ve killed many people in search of food. I didn’t notice how I became this… being. But I do remember eating this man. He tried to hunt me before and failed. Big Bad Hunter was no true human; he was on the way to becoming the same as me. But I killed for actual food while he made people his food. Maybe, I cleansed my soul by saving your li…”

A loud sound pierced the air. Red didn’t manage to react as several holes appeared simultaneously in her old wooden house wall. Those were from enhanced crossbow bolts. She knew whom they were aimed at: the monster who appeared to be her grandmother. It was too late to save her. Red had to think of herself.

In an instant, a man in a hunting suit entered the house. He saw the dead body, shouted something in an unknown language, and left. Surprisingly, the “hunter” didn’t notice Red. The girl felt something warm running down her leg. One of the bolts hit her leg. It was a stream of crimson-red blood, coloured in the same way her cape was when she was a child. A sense of weakness pierced Red’s body.

She heard a familiar voice. “Grandma, is that you?” mumbled the young girl. The sun was already rising. It was time to rest in peace. Another hunt awaited her, many other souls waiting to be cleansed. But would she be able to cleanse hers?

THE END

Anastasia was shocked when she began reading the earliest retellings of Little Red Riding Hood. She did not expect them to be so violent and cruel. But when it came her turn to retell a fairy tale, she chose a dark retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Anastasia purposely left the end of her tale open ended because she wanted to “emphasize the main character’s perplexity and uncertainty about the future.”