Little Red Riding Hood: Nightmare

People called me Little Red Riding Hood. Ever since my Grandmother gifted me with the lush, vibrantly colored, silky garment, it became my favorite clothing- I wore it almost every day without exception.

People called me cute little Red Riding Hood. Whenever I went past anyone's front porch, they would wave at me and smile, making small conversations. You might think that I had no siblings: many people seemed to think so, since my sister was so different from me. She was almost like another mother, protecting, loving, selfless. People almost never thought of us as sisters.

She would always smile when I came back home from the numerous errends mother would send me on, having a glass of milk in her hands, a plate of chocolate chip cookies, and a reassuring pat on my shoulder for a job well done.

"Juliana," she would crouch to my eye height- "you know I love you."

I would always smile back, jumping into her outstretched arms, cuddling into her, taking in the fragrance that was wrapping around me. "And I love you too."

I had no significant memory of my parents, only that they used to send me on endless errands, tiring me out constantly, before they died, quite abruptly: burned alive in a fire- no one knew how it had started.

- - - - - -

I opened my eyes, hearing the apperent dripping of the fat raindrops splashing down on the ground, beating down on my roof.

That was weird. I thought I'd seen sunlight beaming in through the window when I drifted off to a blissful nap.

I hurried to the hanger, where my only overcloth hung- my Red Riding Hood. My fingers fumbled, and it slipped to the floor, pooling there as if it were a puddle of blood. Pretty.

Reaching for it, I sighed. It seemed so alive.

Stretching, yawning, my mouth open wide, I step to the door- although I heard still the pitter patter of the rain, the sun shone into my eyes, almost blinding me.

I honestly knew nothing of what was happening to me. Recently I began hearing voices of those who were passed in the vacant house where no one lived besides me; I smelled smoke often from foods that weren't even close to being burnt; this was the third time that I'd heard rain, and had the sun shine into my eyes, having me reel back from the pain.

The rebounding question every day was this: why did people around me slowly die, one by one?

The house was calm, pacifying, almost: I had lost any family I'd had last year. My sister.

She was the only human being that, perhaps, I had affection for- everybody else could go die in a hole, for all I cared.

She loved me, and I loved her back. And so she had to be taken away from me. I lost her abruptly: one moment, she was hugging me; after I blinked, she was staring up at me, glassy-eyed, her face contorted into a scream.

It'd been a year since she passed. I knew that tears should spring to my eyes, but my mouth kept curling up into a smile. Even when my body is filled with immense pain- as if it's being engulfed by flames, scorching, burning, I keep on smiling.

Now, I- I'm-

creak

-Scared of myself.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you, Juliana!"

"Didn't I tell you to not open the door without my permission."

"Sorry, sorry, Juliana, are you mad at me?"

"Shut up, unless you want me to rip that snout of yours to shreds."

Jek winces a bit, but comes closer to me, smiling like he stuffed a bunch of butter in his jaw.

Why did this idiot of a wolf visit every day?

"I heard that werewolves live quite long? If you don't want to lose your life right now, get out."

I'd tried to sound as threatening as possible, but he comes closer yet, smiling like an idiot with butter stuck in his ears as well as in the corners of his jaws.

His arm slithered around my waist, his feral animal scent washing over me. "Hey, look here, Juliana. I don't know how our relationship turned this way-" he crouched a little to put his face right in front of mine- "but if you keep acting like this, it's not very -- anymore."

A flame of anger sprouted in my stomach, and my face, my hands, everything burned like it was engulfed in an inferno. "You're really telling me that? You don't even have a sense of morality? Oh, I guess it's because you're half stupid. Think of all the people you killed. You even murdered my sister. How do you even have the nerve to stand in front of me right now?!

"My word! Juliana, you're suspecting me too?" He straightened up abruptly, his yellow eyes flashing.

"It's not only suspicion, it's probably a fact." I spat, pushing him away and taking refuge in my room.

The attempt to get away proved to be futile, however: Jek rushed in after me, grabbing my shoulder, pressing it down so that it hurt.

He pushed me against the wall, his face drawn back in obvious furiosity.

"Let. go." Gritting my pain as to not scream out from the pain, coming in little spasmic waves from my spine, I try to be brave, courageous.

"Let go now." It felt like my spine was already crippled.

"Do you think," he started, breathing hard from his fury, "I'm always going to be by your side, Juliana?"

I snorted. "I don't need you."

"Oh, really now? I was the only one by your side all along, even when you were doing those.. psychopathic things, I was by your side. You shouldn't be treating me like this." His voice growled at the end, a deep, throaty rumble emitting from his neck.

"Let go and talk- you're hurting me- please-" I winced, tears coming to my eyes, sharp pain shooting up my back.

He flinched, quickly letting go, a mix of emotions painted on his face after hearing my dying voice.

"I can't always trust and wait for you." His voice sank down into a softer tone, a wistful expression taking over his infuriated face.

"You.. you can't get away from me anyway."

"Wake up from your dream."

"What are you talking about."

"Think, miss Red Riding Hood."

His wolfish lips curved into a bitter smile as he traced his fingers over my lips.

He only called me Red Riding Hood on special occasions- he'd called me that before, multiple times, but I couldn't remember when or why.

"I can't wait on you forever."

A chill ran down my spine. I was terrified. For what reason? I didn't exactly know.

Why was I so scared?

"I was beside you even when you were doing those psychopathic things."

Was it because he knew what I didn't know? Something important..?

Or, the fact that even he was going to leave me too? "I don't love you, Red Riding Hood."

A nightmare.

Just a nightmare.

A bloody, horrifying nightmare.

* * * * * *

-

"Good-bye, Jek."

"Juliana, wake up! You're even going to get rid me from your side?"

"Shh. Be quiet."

"Red Riding Hood. You can't live without me."

"Oh, really?" I cocked my head, a smile creeping on to my face.

"We'll see about that."

I pushed the blade in, twisting it, sticking it further into the soft flesh.

The silver blade spread with red, more vibrant, more saturated as seconds went by.

"--iful."

"Beautiful."

I peered down at Jek's body, growing cold, losing its warmth to the unmerciful floor, my mouth turned up in a stange happiness.

"Jul..ia..na.."

Dead.

Even Jek.

Everyone. Dead.

I killed him.

I'm alone.

"Ha..ha ha.."

Me.

"Hahaha."

Me?

"Juliana, stop. Why are you doing this?"

"Good-bye, sister."

"Juliana! Julian-"

Me.

I did.

* * * * * * *

It rained.

For the first time, it rained- for real.

It couldn't wash away anything, my tears running down my cheeks, the thin vein of blood trickling down my neck-

My mouth was still smiling, even though, for the first time, I cried.

All a nightmare.

Everything.

A really...

Horrifying nightmare.