Chapter 1: 1.1 Wolf’s Preparations

The dark brown wolf wrangles the long bones together and tries to conceal them in the already overflowing bathroom closet. He finally manages to latch the door after fighting a near avalanche for several minutes. He sighs and slides to the floor with his back to the door. “Geez,” he complains. “That was almost not worth the effort. But at least that’s done now.”

     He walks into the adjoining bedroom, its walls adorned with a cheap paneling that encloses a smell of antique furniture. He stops at the quilt laden bed to take the old woman’s clothes and begins putting them on. He slides one leg into the pair of sleeping pants and begins to hop as he tries to get the other one in. After a fierce struggle, he looks over his shoulder to see the waist band pinning his tail. He shakes his head, takes them back off, then tosses them behind the headboard. He slides the gown over his head then looks to see his tail making the back ride up. “Meh, close enough.”

     He walks back into the bathroom, a large iron tub to one side and a single sink vanity to the other. A grimace crosses his face as he smacks his lips and flicks his tongue. “Ugh, I hate that overripe taste of eating the elderly.” He squares on the mirror as he places a sleeping cap on his head, then nods to himself. “Not bad, not bad. I’ll definitely get you this time little girl.” He pauses, closes his eyes, and lays his ears flat as he entertains thoughts of finally being able to eat Little Red Riding Hood. “I just need you to get close enough. This time, I’ll devour you for sure.” He nods to himself as he looks over the elderly woman’s clothes. He brushes his long hands down the front of the gown as he thinks back to his previous encounters with the red-hooded girl. “You’re always so damn fast. It makes no sense. Why couldn’t I ever catch you?”

     His lip curls into a snarl as he remembers all the near misses. “Am I getting slower?” He shakes his head and massages the sides of his face with his palms. “No, no, it was just bad luck but today that luck is all used up.” He nods sagely at his own logic.

     His ear twitches and he focuses his attention in a direction. “Footsteps. She’s getting close.” He frantically looks about, making sure everything in the bathroom is in order. Bloody hand prints mar the sink, the closet door, the door frame into the bathroom, along with several spatters and smears along the floor leading into the bathtub and closet. He turns to the sink and uses his elbow to wipe at a solitary drop of blood before shaking his head. “Shit. There’s no time.”

     He heads back into the bedroom, pulling the bathroom door closed behind him. He turns, finding more blood along the wooden slat floors and spattered on the beige curtains across the room. His gaze turns up to see a spray on the ceiling. “That was some crazy high blood pressure. She probably should have seen a doctor about that.” He shakes his head, trying to focus again.

     He crosses the room and pulls the curtains closed. He doubles back, stopping and staring at the light switch for a moment. He then breaks into a run as he frantically looks for the circuit breakers. He finally finds it behind a door in the laundry room and cuts the power. He rushes back to the room and notices he left the front door open. He can now see the girl coming up the drive so decides to leave it. He dashes back into the bedroom and leaps into bed.

     The front door screeches as it swings the rest of the way open. The sound of a light switch toggling pierces the quiet of the dark cabin. “Grandma,” the girl calls out. “I brought you that bread and wine.”

     The wolf pulls the covers his mouth to conceal a toothy grin. The bedroom door finally swings open and the girl steps through.

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