This weeks Flash!Friday themes were based on the Grimms’ Fairy Tales. I chose Little Red riding hood and transformation as my themes this week. There was an optional photo prompt which I chose not to use, but while I was browsing Wikipedia for a refresher on the Red riding hood fairy tale I stumbled across this image which was perfect for my story, so I’ve included it here just for fun!
Little Red Riding Hood (1881) by Carl Larsson
Basket case
The girl skipped playfully through the woods, her white cape wrapped carefully around her head. The basket she carried looked heavy.
Out of the shadows a gigantic wolf appeared, blocking the path. He growled menacingly, “Where are you off to?”
The girl skidded to a halt and stared at him quizzically. She said, “Wait, did you just talk?”
The wolf hesitated, “Of course I did, how else am I going to find out where you’re heading?”
“But you’re a wolf. Wolves can’t talk.”
“Clearly they can, or how do you explain this? Can we get back to my previous question?”
“You seem awfully concerned about my destination. My Mother taught me not to talk to strangers in the woods. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
The wolf put his almighty paw up to his face and sighed, “You’re really ruining this. There’s a certain way I like to do things. It doesn’t work if I don’t know where you’re going. You’re almost as annoying as those darn three pigs with their new underground bunker.”
The girl just shrugged, “Sorry, but I’m not telling you squat. Now I really must be leaving.”
The wolf stepped forwards, teeth bared, “I suppose I’ll just have to eat you here then, instead of beating you to your destination and disguising myself as the intended recipient of that basket.”
The girl giggled, “Really? That was your plan? That’s an awful plan! We’re literally alone in the woods right now, wouldn’t it be much more sensible to just pounce on me here?”
“If you insist.”
“Well if you want what’s in the basket, I’m happy to oblige.” Little white riding hood reached in and pulled out the shotgun. She cocked it with one hand, “Such a shame, I only just got the blood out of this cape…”
