The owls never hooted twice in the same place in this part of the woods. Mother never told me the meaning behind this whenever she sent me to Grandmother’s house, and today was no different.
Mother gave me the basket full of bread and wine to bring to Grandmother since she’d gotten too old to leave the house. I didn’t see why I had to do it; there were other capable people in the village. At least I had an excuse to wear this nice coat Mother made. Red. She said it brought out the highlights in my hair, win-win.
The forest had a clear-cut path to an old house deep within its trees, but somehow I’d gotten led astray. It was probably the newly bloomed flowers that I’d never seen before. Their petals stretched toward the patches of sunlight, blanketing the ground, called to me. After several minutes of plucking and smelling them, I heard it. An owl perched on a nearby tree, eyes like torches in the dimming light. They turned to look at me with foreboding wonder.
Hoot.
I gathered up my basket and newly picked flowers and traced my steps back to the path. I’d left around mid-morning, but the canopy of leaves and branches swallowed the bit of light that guided me.
Hoot.
I whipped my head around; the owl never moved, only turned its neck to face me again. Never in the same place twice.
Yep, I was lost.
I’d heard stories of what lurked in these trees, especially under nightfall. A monster, they said.
The Wolf.
No one’s seen him, only condolences for those who’ve gone missing for far too long. That was why Mother was adamant about me staying on the path. Those old people in town probably told us to keep us away from the forest’s real beauty, like these flowers. Mother probably knew I’d get distracted, so she told me the story to make sure I didn’t keep Grandmother waiting; she could die at any moment.
Once I got back to the worn trail, I realized I hadn’t strayed too far. I continued following the barren way until I heard twigs snap behind me. Nothing to worry about; animals have made this land their home also. If I turned around, I might see something unpleasant. I took careful steps forward and got my bearings. I’m more than halfway to Grandmother’s house. As long as I didn’t wander again, I’d be there in no time.
***
The basket weighed my arm down, so I sat at the trunk of a nearby tree to take a short break. I eyed the contents and considered swiping a little of the bread. Grandmother wouldn’t miss any of this, would she? She probably couldn’t properly chew anyway. Mother should have packed something softer. If anything, I was doing both of them a favor. I tore off a morsel and nibbled on the slightly warm bread. One bite turned into several, and half of the bread was gone. Oh well, I was the one who had to make this journey, and Grandmother wouldn’t know how much bread she was supposed to get anyway.
“Weren’t you saving that for someone?”
A deep voice startled me, and I whipped my head around to see where it came from. No one. I knew I heard someone; maybe I was still a little groggy from the bread...and the sips of wine. I rested against the tree again but was interrupted by something colliding with the basket. Acorns littered the ground near me, and when one hit my forehead, I knew someone was close.
“Who’s there?”
Out of the shadows came a pair of brown boots, scuffed and worn and dirty. My eyes traveled upward, and a man stepped into the slivers of light sliced across the forest floor. I grabbed the basket to shield myself instinctively. His lips curved into a dangerous smirk as he took a few steps forward and crouched in front of me.
“Where you headed?”
Mother always warned me about talking to strangers but never said anything about them being this...no. He could be trying to kill me, and I shouldn’t be concerned with how tight his shirt was underneath his cloak. “I’m—I’ll be on my way. Don’t worry about me.”
I waited for him to move, but he shifted every time I did. What was I supposed to do? Everything in me knew to run away, forget about Grandmother starving or whatever she was doing, and make it back home. He stepped back, and I used the opportunity to stand and get back on the path, but the man circled me.
“If you head back now, it’ll be dark. You never know what could be watching you.”
He stopped in front of me and narrowed his eyes. His cloak shrouded most of his face, but crystal-like blue glowed in those depths. Leaving may prove harder than I thought. “That’s...um—I really should…”
“What’s your name?”
Why did he have to start with a tough question? I hadn’t formulated an exact sentence, and now he wanted to know my name. If I dropped the basket, I could outrun him back home, but my feet wouldn’t move, and I was still transfixed on the clear sea in front of me. He could be a lost traveler in need of assistance; who was I to deny him help?
That’s what I told myself anyway.
“It’s Red.” I choked out an answer and blinked after my eyes burned. “What about you?”
The stranger ignored my question and reached for my hood, holding the fabric between his fingers. “Like your hood.”
Warmth emanated off his fingers and nearly scorched my skin. I wanted to lean into the source of newfound comfort, but he took his hand away and held it behind his back. He circled me once more and stopped behind me.
“What are you doing?” Not that I minded him being close to me, but his silence was a little creepy.
“Why don’t you be a good boy and get to wherever you’re going before the sun sets. These parts are dangerous, and it would be a shame if something happened to this pretty little face.” He brushed the back of his finger against my skin, and I forget why I was in the forest in the first place.
He blended into the shadows again, and I stood there, clutching the basket and catching my breath. I shouldn’t be this enamored with someone whose name was still a mystery. For all I knew, he could be the Wolf, but he didn’t harm me. Was that a good sign? I guess he wouldn’t kill everyone he met. I glanced around, definitely not hoping to catch sight of him again before I resumed my trip toward Grandmother’s house.
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