There once lived a wolf in a forest, deep within a cave atop the hill. In the outstretched forest, he had to himself his only companion, his wife, whom he loved dearly. She would accompany him on hunts, catching the finest prey, from mighty moose and bison to the appetizing hares. She was quick, cunning, and the very best of hunters. The wolf would follow her lead through their hunts and always have great luck. They always slept with full bellies under the moonlight at the day’s end, talking to each other till they fell asleep.

One day the wolf’s wife realizes she carries a new life in her belly, whom she’ll need to care for and feed. Upon hearing this news, the wolf is ecstatic and wants to celebrate the coming of his newborn. With no daylight to lose, he rushes into the forest to catch a mighty elk for his wife. And so he goes off, deep into the woods, to find the best catch.

His wife waits patiently for him under the sunlight out near the cave entrance. Time passes by slowly, but he is late to come back, until  it is almost noon. This has the wife worried, and she decides to look for him. Thoughts are rampant in her head, and she couldn’t help thinking of worst-case scenarios, imagining her husband in harm’s way. But she shakes her thoughts, clears her head and heads off after him.

As she tries searching far and wide on her way through the forest, she comes across a path that leads to a cottage nearby. The cottage belongs to a woodcutter who lives with his mother.

The woodcutter is feared and hated by the animals of the forest. He occasionally hunts, mercilessly hunting animals and birds of all kinds, taking pride in it. And she knows it would do her good to avoid his sight. She is about to leave, but she notices a young girl, fair as the moon, wearing a red dress, with a basket in her hand approaching her. The wolf is ready to take flight, but the red riding hood grabs a piece of red meat from her basket and offers it to her.

The wolf’s wife, famished by now, does not dare to reject her kind offer. Her belly growls, and so does the life within her. She draws closer to the young girl, and as their eyes meet, the little girl whistles and the wolf hears a loud bang, her belly now covered in red.

A red canvas is drawn across her lower belly. She is barely able to move and aches in pain. Her wound is deep and starts bleeding. She makes haste to run away, back to her home, but the woodcutter follows her, shooting at her, frustrated at not being able to kill her in one fell swoop.

She doesn’t look back and runs as fast as she can while whimpering in pain and losing balance intermittently, only to balance herself again. By the time she gets deep into the woods and near her home, the woodcutter has left her tail, and she can no longer hear his screams of agony from losing his prey. She walks slowly towards her home, limping here and there, losing consciousness as she goes. By the time she reaches her cave, she is alerted by a presence, but a familiar scent passes her nose, and she is finally relieved of the danger following her.

The Wolf comes back from his hunt with the mightiest of a catch. He battles an elk for hours without aid, finally bringing it down to its knees. Dusk is now upon him, so he decides to carry the meat from the elk back home. It’s a long and tiring journey back home. But he keeps wondering about the expression of joy on his wife’s face when she sees his mighty catch. When he reaches the cave, he finds no one home and starts to worry sick and howls for her. As he begins to do so, he catches a whiff of her scent and hurries towards it. Relieved to see his wife, he leaps towards her, overjoyed at her return and shuffles around her but then picks up another scent, entirely unwelcome on his lover, and his amber eyes shine ever so brightly.

The wolf notices that his wife is bleeding from under her belly. She is badly injured and in pain. He asks her to lie down, save her energy, and inquires about the cause of her grim fate. She tells him about her encounter with the Little Red Riding Hood and the merciless woodcutter. How she was offered a piece of meat by the little girl, catching her off guard and leading to being shot in the belly.

The wolf looks at her guiltily for leaving her side when she needed him most. But she reassures him that it wasn’t his fault but rather her folly that brought about this state. She is now at death’s door, and she barely has much time left. She feels life fading away in her with every moment passing by. The wolf lies down by her side to give her company as she whimpers, breathing slowly. He kisses her slowly, licking at her wounds, but she gently closes her eyes and finally fades away into eternity. The wolf howls till dawn, with red, amber eyes and his heart aching, but his head, set on taking revenge.

The next day the wolf buries his wife near the cave and is on his way to find the woodcutter’s house. He runs down the hill and tries to track the woodcutter’s scent, but in a forest so deep, he has barely any luck. Deep in the woods, he walks a path and comes across a young girl wearing red, with a basket in her hands. He identifies the young girl as the Red Riding Hood, which her wife described but does not dare to do anything yet to keep her for last.

He approaches her, changing his persona into a nice friendly wolf, and asks her cunningly where she is headed. She hesitates to answer at first but eventually tells him she’s going to her grandmother’s to drop off an apple pie that her mother made.

He asks her if he can race her and see who’s the fastest among them. Red Riding Hood loves challenges and decides to take him on as she points towards the direction of the cottage, which is their destination. The wolf, quick on his feet, sets off and leaves her in his dust, reaching the destination hours ahead.

The wolf finds himself in front of a beautiful cedar cottage near a waterfall, up high in the mountains. He can hear the woodcutter singing from the shed nearby—busy cleaning his gun, readying himself for his next hunt.

The wolf decides to let him be for now and sneaks past him into the grandmother’s house. The grandmother is weak and old, barely able to move. She spends most of her time in bed by the crystal window, where she can look out at the waterfall and down at the beautiful scenery from the hill. The Wolf notices her gazing out, distracted by the birds chirping outside. So he takes this opportunity, sneaks up behind her, and digs his claws into her stomach, and she lets out an agonizing scream before finally making her meet her end. The cry echoes through the forest. The woodcutter rushes inside, brings his gun with him, and hurries through the stairs to his mother’s room.

When the woodcutter reaches his mother’s room, it is far too late, as the floor is painted red with blood. His anger reaches its height, and he screams for her murderer to face him, frantically looking for him in her room. As he walks around the room, he hears a slow growl from her mother’s closet; realizing it might be a wild animal, he approaches it carefully and slowly, opening both the doors, searching for signs of the murderer, but finds nothing. But when he turns around, the wolf springs at him from atop, digs his teeth deep into his throat, bringing him to the ground. He tries to free himself and struggles, but the wolf’s hold is as sure as death and taxes. The woodcutter finally breathes his dying breath and is no more. The wolf howls in joy and eventually finds some peace. But almost, as he is left with one more to kill to bring upon retribution. The wolf drags their bodies, stuffs them into the closet, and he grabs the grandmother’s clothes. He gets into bed in the woodcutter’s room as this one is now painted red. He wears her clothes, her cap, and her slippers and now patiently awaits his final prey.

The Red Riding Hood finally arriving at her grandmother’s house, gasping for breath, knowing she has lost the race against the wolf. She is worried the wolf might have harmed her family, so she shouts out for her grandmother, but she only hears silence at first. Then a voice from upstairs calls to her to join her. She asks the little girl to join her in the woodcutter’s room.

She is confused to find her grandmother, not in her room but her son’s, and inquires about it.

To which the wolf disguised as the grandmother responds, “Your dear uncle has been away on travels for days, so missing him today I decided to sleep in his bed instead to bathe in his scent.”

But oh how the Wolf was lying through his teeth, as he despised his odour so very much. This clears the little girl’s suspicions, and she brings over the basket with the tasty apple pie over to her. At which the grandmother asks her to place it over the window sill and join her in bed. She proceeds to do so and takes off her shoes.

As she is about to get in, she notices the abnormal proportions on her grandma and questions her. “Grandmother! What big ears you have,” she says, as she edges closer to him.

“The better to hear you with,” replies the wolf.

“But Grandmother! What big nose you have,” she says again.

“The better to smell the delicious apple pie with, dear,” he says.

And lastly, she asks, “But grandmother! What mighty sharp teeth you have”.

And this time, the wolf answers frighteningly, “The better to take my revenge with,” and plunges on her. And the Red Riding Hood meets her end.

The wolf howls one last time before he heads back home. He doesn’t make a long, sad, crying sound, but a sound filled with contentment and retribution. He hurries back to his home and finds his wife’s grave. He places his head on her grave, kisses it, and goes into a deep slumber beside her

Ahmed chose to reverse the roles of protagonist and antagonist in this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. He did this to increase the reader’s sympathy for the wolf in this story. By retelling the story in this way, Ahmed said he was able to sympathize with the character of the wolf and he hopes his readers will look at the story through a different lens as well. 

Costume design was late to set

The petticoats aren’t ready yet

The golden locks aren’t crimped and curled

With snaky tendrils still unfurled

Blue contacts laid for buttery eyes

The backdrop, even bluer skies

Is hoisted up and into place

And lighting cast ‘mong rental space

And counted thrice are wooden beds

With pillows for three furry heads

The prop department cooked the mush

And makeup donned their shears and brush

For caged up in the trailer lot

Thrice counted bears whose roles were sought

‘Gainst mini, little child-star fits

Clashed freely ‘gainst the writers’ wits

Whose culmination through the years

Brought many children’s eyes to tears

So set the stage again today

And thrusts the reader to the fray

ACTION

Goldilocks: (with wonderment) Oh three porridges, oh three beds, I’m choosy where I put my head. I took so long to flounce on in, through lovely forest where fairies din. And through the sunny morning time, my words so easily do rhyme. I seek out sustenance in tow, in places I do love to go. There’s nothing scary lay ahead, but fitting not within a bed.

“Hey, where’s the cue, I cannot see

Where in the script the bears all flee.

You’re telling me these things can’t speak

Whew, get away my co-stars reek!

A knife! No spoon? What script is this?”

“Oh that’s too close, damn bears, step back!

God! Decency you grossly lack!”

Goldie stabbed out blindly thrice

Her shoes now bloody red

A crew aghast and cold as ice

And oops is all she said

Victor chose to retell Joseph Cundell’s “Story of the Three Bears” in poetic form. One of his goals with this retelling was to have Goldilocks take on the role of antagonist. He was inspired to “use structure and dramatic shifts to give the reader a sense of familiarity only for it to change to unsettling.”  He did this through creating one cycle of calm and fear into his story wherein the bears should be fearful of the child. He then shifts to a sing-song, rhyme scheme reminiscent of traditional fairy tales. Finally, he closes his poem with an ABAB rhyme scheme to bring the reader out of the fairy tale wold and into real life. He also intentionally shifted the last lines of the poem to frantic dialogue to remind the reader of danger little Goldilocks poses to the bears and crew and ends with a child-like “oops.”

Once upon a time, in a deep dark forest, there lived a family of wolves. There was a Mama and Papa Wolf who had three children occupying their den. Peevish was the name of the oldest boy, and Churlish was the middle child; she was the biggest wolf of the pack. The lastborn was Little Robbie Wolf, so timid and kind. He was the runt of the litter; an outcast some would say.

Their days consisted of hunting and gathering and they would sew up branches and leaves for shelter. The children were learning how to survive for when the time came that they would leave the den.

Churlish was only a year from moving out. She was an experienced hunter who would brag about her accomplishments. Leaving the den was not based on age, but on skill. She was a mean wolf alright. She would bully her brothers and prove their weakness with her success.

Peevish would complain and whine to Mama and Papa, always crying wolf (no pun intended). They would comfort him with reassurance, reminding him of his accomplishments and strength he had.

As for Little Robbie Wolf, he would never sulk or boast. He knew he wasn’t as strong or as mighty as his siblings. He failed greatly at hunting, not even able to catch a mouse. He was sad that nobody thought he was big and brave, feeling left out and alone. He was very quiet and in his thoughts, usually being left to do the sewing out of all the duties. Mama and Papa were not as proud of him, compared to his siblings, and did not talk to Little Robbie Wolf much. He felt ashamed and embarrassed to be a part of his family.

One day, Churlish was out hunting, like any other ordinary day. Although this time she did not come back with a deer as usual. She came back with a story. She claimed that she came across a little girl with a red cap, roaming the forest alone. The girl was on her way to her grandma’s, which was about twenty-five kilometres away from the den. For a wolf, twenty-five kilometres isn’t very much. Churlish described her plan to beat the little girl to the grandma’s cabin, eating the grandma for an appetizer, then the little girl for the main meal. She told the girl to pick some flowers for her sick grandma, trying to buy some time. Humans were not popular in the forest where the wolves lived, so this was a very big deal. Churlish was about to run off to execute her plan when there came a small voice from the corner.

“Wait,” Little Robbie Wolf nervously uttered. He had found a moment of courage.

The family of wolves were in shock and taken back from the word that was expelled from his muzzle.

“What is it?” Mama Wolf asked.

“I want to go instead. I want to try and hunt these humans.” Little Robbie Wolf was looking down while talking.

Everyone in the room burst out laughing, tears were coming to their eyes. Not even Mama and Papa could hold in their howls. The idea of Little Robbie Wolf hunting, let alone humans, was very comical.

With a belittling tone, Churlish belted, “How stupid can you be? You can’t even hunt a mouse, let alone humans.”

Little Robbie Wolf knew that he wasn’t blessed with a tall figure or big teeth, but he wanted to try and prove his determination and dedication to being a wolf. Although he had mastered building a shelter, he had yet to take on real hunting, and this would be a perfect test.

Mama and Papa caught on to Robbie’s train of thought and hushed the laughter.

“Let him go. Let’s see how strong and brave he really is,” Papa said.

Peevish interrupted with his moans and groans. “What? You’re letting him go? Why not me? This isn’t fair! I never get to do anything exciting.”

Mama patted his head to calm him down. Churlish was furious. “Fine. He’ll be sure to fail, and when he does, he’ll be turned into stew, or better yet, a rug.”

Little Robbie Wolf gulped at the thought of that image, but he could not back out now.

He quickly kissed Mama and Papa goodbye, as the girl in the red cap was surely almost to grandma’s house. He set off, looking back at the den once more as it became smaller and smaller. He never looked back.

Little Robbie wolf was scared as he entered the dark woods, but he was committed to his word. The thought of having to hunt humans made him feel sick and insecure.

“What was I thinking? Hunting humans? I’m not strong enough, let alone brave enough to do such a thing,” Little Robbie Wolf muttered to himself.

But as he carried on through the forest he came across a bush with huge leaves. He couldn’t help but notice the shape of the plant, replicating his ears, but much larger. He then had a brilliant idea. Robbie wanted to be bigger and stronger, scaring the people he would hunt. He would do anything to prove his worth to his family. He gently plucked two leaves from the bush, holding them up to his ears.

“Perfect,” Little Robbie said with a big smile.

Using his sewing skills, he carefully sewed each leaf to his fur that sat in front of his ears.

He hurried along to grandma’s house as he was running out of time. He could smell the sweetness of the little girl with the red cap, as she would have been the only person in the forest. He started to pick up speed, as he did not want to disappoint his family. He started to run, smelling the smoke from grandma’s chimney when he noticed something from the corner of his eye. A huge pile of sticks were sitting in between the trees to the right.

Robbie screeched to a halt, investigating the pile. Once again, wanting to prove his strength and bravery, he thought bigger teeth would help him. He grabbed four sticks, breaking each in half, placing them up onto his gums, over his real teeth. It was a little uncomfortable but he couldn’t help but grin and let out a growl of pride. Robbie was elated with confidence. He wished that his family could see him now, big teeth and all.

All he needed now was thicker fur, and a bigger frame, but time had run out. The girl would be arriving at grandma’s cabin soon. Little Robbie Wolf bolted as fast as he could the rest of the way, not stopping for anything else.

He eventually saw the cabin and smoke, slowly creeping over the fence, towards the door. Little Robbie couldn’t believe his luck. A bear hide was sitting in front of the door as a welcome mat. He didn’t think twice, wrapping his body with the dark, coarse hair. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window. He could barely recognize himself. He looked mean and scary, something he had never truly felt within. The needle and thread he put through his ears were stinging, his gums were throbbing, and the bear hide was very itchy. He focused on the plan and how perfect this was all turning out. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

The grandma yelled, “Hello, who is it?”

In his best little girl voice, Little Robbie Wolf answered, “It is your granddaughter, the one with the red cap.”

“Oh, of course, darling, I’ve missed you so much. C’mon in. The door is unlocked.” Grandma was very excited to see her granddaughter.

Little Robbie was taken back. Nobody has ever spoken to him with such kindness. His thoughts were distracted by the painful accessories he had attached to his body. He could not take it anymore. He leapt towards the door and ran to the grandma, swallowing her in one bite.

Robbie Wolf, who was not so little now, was very full. He felt pride, guilt, happiness, and sadness all within one thought. He couldn’t believe that he had actually hunted a human, all in one bite too. His family would be so proud, yet he felt ashamed. She was a sweet woman, with love and life, undeserving of death.

He smelled a sweet smell towards the door. He looked out of the window to see the little girl approaching the cabin. Robbie Wolf panicked, jumping into the bed. He hid under the covers hoping she wouldn’t notice her missing grandma. The little girl pushed open the partially opened door.

“Grandma? Are you okay?” She could tell something was off.

Robbie Wolf, in his best grandma impersonation, let out a lie. “Oh yes, dear. I was hot, so I opened the door to let the breeze in.”

“Oh! Well, I brought you some bread and flowers to help you feel better.” The little girl with the red cap was getting closer to the bed where Robbie lay.

The wolf could not believe how kind and sweet these humans were to each other. He started feeling really guilty about eating the girl’s grandma and taking her identity. He didn’t want to prove anything anymore. He wanted the little girl to leave.

“Thank you, dear. Set them on the table. I am tired and need to sleep now. I am sure you want to start heading back home now before it gets too dark,” Robbie said, thinking fast.

The little girl laughed. “Home already? I just got here! I want to take care of you. I let Mother know that I will be staying the night. Do not worry.”

Robbie gulped. “I have no room for you tonight. Only this bed, for me.”

“Don’t be silly, Grandma! We always sleep beside one another when I stay the night.” The little girl took off her red cap and started to tidy the cabin, while also arranging the flowers and preparing the food.

“Are you feeling okay, Grandma? You don’t seem like yourself today,” asked the little girl, worried about her grandma’s health.

“Oh yes, I am fine. I am just very tired today.” Little Robbie was sweating. Not only from the bear hide and blankets but from lying to the innocent girl.

“I’ll be over in a minute with a snack and a cuddle!” The girl shouted over dishes clanking and the running tap.

Robbie Wolf panicked. How would he disguise himself as her grandma? The extra accessories were not helping his case.

As the little girl finished the chores, she started walking over to where Robbie Wolf lay. He pulled the blankets over his head, hoping she would not notice anything out of the ordinary. But of course, the smart, little girl noticed.

“Oh Grandma, what big, hairy arms you have!”

“Really?” Robbie Wolf had never been complimented on the size of his arms before. Remembering he was supposed to be a grandma, he quickly responded in a way he thought would be authentic.

“All the better to hold you with, my dear.”

“Grandma, what big ears you have!”

“Oh, um, all the better to hear you with, my dear.” Robbie was surprised by all the compliments the girl was giving him.

“And Grandma, what big teeth you have!” The mention of his teeth made Robbie Wolf remember the pain he was feeling. He let out a sad howl and started to cry. The girl didn’t know where her Grandma was, or what to do.

After some time, she asked if the wolf was okay.

“I am so sorry,” pleaded Robbie Wolf.

“Where is my grandma? I miss her and I want to see her now. I will have to get her rifle and shoot you if you do not tell me.” The little girl was not taking chances as she already had an intuition of where her grandma was.

“I am sorry, this is not me. I want to be kind, like you and your grandma. I tried to be a real wolf, hunting and all, but I just feel ashamed.” He started to rip out his stick teeth and green ears.

“Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you came here.” The little girl’s eyes started to water.

Robbie Wolf took off the hide and wiped his wet eyes. “I know, I am sorry.”

“I want my Grandma. Being sorry doesn’t change anything.”

The wolf was now looking quite bare and remorseful.

Robbie Wolf had an idea. “I ate your grandma in one bite, she should still be alive!” He growled and coughed a few times. In a matter of minutes, the little girl’s grandma was spat up onto the ground. She was wet with slobber, and a little shaken up, but alive at that.

“Oh, Grandma! Are you okay?” The little girl ran to her.

The grandma looked up at the wolf in fear. “Yes, dear. Go get my rifle. This is a monster of a wolf.”

Robbie Wolf looked at the ground feeling guilt-ridden and disgusted with himself.

The little girl listened to her grandma, but as she passed over the rifle, she couldn’t bear the thought of harming this wolf.

Robbie Wolf, who was back to his original little self now, looked scraggly, with big eyes. He was scared to die.

The little girl interrupted her grandma’s aim. “Wait!” she cried.

Little Robbie Wolf, who was wincing while awaiting his death, looked at the little girl in disbelief.

“What’s wrong, darling?” Her grandma was surprised at the objection.

“I don’t think he deserves to die. He looks lonely and regretful. Maybe we can talk to him and hear his story first. We can decide what to do after we listen to his side of the story.” Grandma agreed.

They all sat down, admiring the flowers and eating the bread. They listened, cried, and laughed at the stories Little Robbie Wolf told them. He talked about his family, their roles, his life, and his dreams.

By the end of the night, the grandma and the little girl had made a new friend. More importantly, Little Robbie Wolf had made two new friends; people who were accepting of who he was and who he wanted to be.

Little Robbie Wolf lived with the grandma, taking care of her on the days when the little girl with the red cap couldn’t.

They lived happily ever after; that is until Churlish came roaming the woods one year later.

Helen decided to twist the classical story of Little Red Riding Hood into a tale about a under developed wolf who learns that listening to people is more effective than violence. She also played with gender stereotypes making Robbie a character that “goes against ‘manly’ norms” and his sister (Churlish) the strong, hunter of the family. Helen said that when she started writing the story, she didn’t think about the message behind it but is happy that several messages emerged by the time she finished it. 

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.”