What we do in the Shadows!!!

She walked along the path with a spring in her step and a song in her heart, which she hummed as she went along. It was joyous day and nobody was going to take it way from her. 

She, all radiant and sweet, decked in all red. From the ribbons in hair, to the shoes on her feet, all that she wore was of the colour red. Little Red, that’s what they called her, and she didn’t mind it all, cause what could be better than red, unless you were dead. But she was alive and happy, and joyous as a little girl could be. And though it may seem  she was all by herself, she had her shadow to keep her company.

So she hopped and she skipped, with joy in her step, humming and whistling as she went, her shadow always staying a step ahead.

Now the path led through the woods that had posters and signboards warning people of the creatures that roamed. But she didn’t fear them, cause as long as she had her shadow with her, there was nothing to fear. So she continued cheerfully on her way. 

Now the forest had old gnarly trees that provided thick cover. Most of the path was dull and gloomy, with a chill, save where the sun managed to break through the trees, in the bargain creating weird shadows, just like creepy hands reaching for you. 

Now Little Red felt the chill too, so she pulled her little red hood  tighter. “Stay with me my dear shadow”, she whispered to herself, “Please don’t leave me and go.”

Now behind the tree lurked the Big Bad Wolf, who had been following her from the moment she set foot in the woods. 

He was the Big Bad, that the posters had warned off, and even had a bounty on his head. 

Now it had been a while since he had a meal, and the sight of lLittle Red and her picnic basket would surely make quite a satisfying meal.

Just then he stepped on a dry branch causing quite the jarring crack, alerting Little Red, who froze in her tracks.

“Who goes there?” She said, trying to muster all the fierceness she could cram in her voice.

He, a shape shifter, transformed into a woodsmen, and came out from his hiding behind the bush. “It’s just me, a lowly woodcutter”, he said, “Scavenging these parts for dried branches to keep my family warm and fed!”

“Oh, bless my little red heart,” said Little Red, “you gave it quite a start! For a moment I thought you were the Bug Bad, that those poster and signboards warned of. From the looks of it, he seems like quite the notorious character.’

“Is it, so?” He said, with a big grin on his face, feeling mighty pleased of himself. “I am sure he’s quite the fierce beast, at least that’s what I’ve heard. But what’s a pretty little thing doing in these woods, all by herself?” He asked her.

“Oh I’m off to meet my grandma, who hasn’t been keeping too well,” she said innocently, “I got these yummy treats that I am sure will lift her spirits and make her feel better”.

Now he was well versed with these woods and knew about the cottage , but didn’t know it was inhabited. This sure was his lucky day, appetisers, main course and desserts. It was rarely he had a three-course  meal.

“You better be off then,” he said, trying hard not to sound very pleased, “you don’t want to get caught in these woods in the dark!”

“No dear, no!” She said anxiously, “I better be off then. You take care and I hope to see you soon!” 

Saying this, she went off on her way, humming happily. He waited for a while, and transformed into the big bad wolf. He took a shortcut that he knew, reaching the cottage before lLittle Red could.

He crept through an open window and crawled through the hall. He went from one room to another, but there was no one at all. He sniffed the furniture and drapes and covers, to find grandma scent, to try to figure out where grandma went. But he couldn’t find any scent at all, and the cottage was all bare. It seemed like that no one had lived there.

So he wondered if Little Red was playing him for a fool. 

Just then he heard her voice, coming down the path, and he began to panic as he was not sure where to start. He didn’t know what grandma looked like, so he had no time to transform into she.

At the moment he heard a knock, and jumped right into bed, wearing a bonnet, which he had found, to cover his head.

“Come in, my child,” he said, trying not to give himself away. Staying in the shadows.

“Hello grandma, I hope you’re feeling well?” Said she, moving towards the bed cautiously, “I got you some goodies, that will make you feel better”.

“God bless you my child.  So come closer my child,” said he, “so that I can have a better look of thee.”

So she went a little closer to the shadowy figure on the bed. There was something very strange  about its head.

“Grandma, what big ears you have”, she finally said.

“All the better to hear you my child,” he said, trying not to sound irritated.

After a little while, once again lLittle Red asked, “Grandma, what big eyes you have.”

Now he got all the more irritated, and sneered at her, “All the better to see you”.

Finally, she said, as she came close to bed, “Oh grandma, what big and sharp to teeth you have!” 

“All the better to eat you”, he growled, finally giving up the charade.

However, she managed to dodge his attack, and went screaming out of the room.

He chased her around the furniture, dodging the things she threw. Finally managing to corner her, from where there was no escaping him.

“You can run, you can scream, you can even try and hide, but there’s no one going to save you from being my meal” he said menacingly,  as he pounced  towards the figure that was crouched in the corner. 

And then something very strange happened. He couldn’t move! It was as if he was frozen midway.

“It’s so easy to be menacing when you think you are all big and strong”, said Little Red with a wicked smile. “It’s easy to underestimate your prey and get all caught up in a false bravado, when you have all that brawn! But what happens when the tables are turned!”

She pulled a dagger from under cloak.

“Put me down!”, he screamed, “and I’ll show you how the tables are turned!”

She threw her dagger at him. It missed him, and suddenly he was set free. “Oopsie! Looks like you missed! Now there’s no  stopping me from having my main course!”

He once again pounced towards her, but this time he went totally cold. He turned ashen, balled over, scared and chattering, and whimpering.

“Who said I missed!”, said little red, with a smirk, “I hit what I meant to hit! And who said I was alone, as long as my shadow is with me, I am never alone!”

As she said this something strange happened, her shadow came and joined her,  holding that of the big bad wolf.

“What’s a beast without his shadow, naked and all alone, and a scared mouse!”, she said, putting her dagger back in its hilt.

Later that day, the town’s Sheriff found the the big bad all bound up with a note that read “With love from Little Red. P.S.: You know where to transfer the bounty amount!”