Little Red Riding Hood - Grimm's Fairytale Retold

Well, it's time for a fairy tale - but not the way you think!  Chuck has asked us to write a Grimm's Fairytale the way we think it should be told; in on of 20 ways... I think I matched mine with Urban Fantasy.

Red hung her mozetta up on the hook by the door, “I’m back!”

“Oh, good.” Her Grandma’s voice was so musical, “Did you happen to buy the fresh parsley, Red?”

“Yes, it was on sale.” She picked up the elephant grass basket from beside the door filled with fresh fruit and veggies and pocketed her car keys as she walked through the small house.  Her Grandmother was the only person in her life now her folks were gone; killed in a freak plane crash over Greece some years back now.

“Wonderful.” The old woman turned from her stove with her famous apron on, “Just put that basket on the chair there, and… oh, doesn’t it all look lovely!”

Grandma always had her hair set in tight curls and her plump body made her appear clumsy, but she was anything but!  Red loved her Grandmother dearly and they both enjoyed being around each other; so the young woman spent a lot of time with her grandparent, now she was widowed.

“I only get the best for you.”

She gave her grand-daughter a tight, wicked grin, winking, “You don’t have to, you know.”

“I know, but I want to.” Red sat down at the counter as she poured herself a mug of tea from the large kettle and settled in and watched her Grandma cook them both dinner for the night.

A few days passed by and Red hadn’t heard from her Grandma.  So, she thought to pop by her house on the way home from work.  She pulled up in the little driveway in her red Fiat that lunch time and found the house locked up tight.

This wasn’t like her Grandmother at all.

So, she found the key in her glove compartment she always kept with her for the place and approached the house, opened the door and called out, “Hello?  Grandma?”

“I’m here dear…” a shaky voice called from upstairs.

“Oh, shit.” She mumbled rushing up the steps to her Grandmother’s bedroom, thinking the worse… she had pictures of her dear Grandma in a crumpled heap in the bathtub, next to her bed, unable to get out of her bed! 

Red didn’t know which was worse!

As she turned the corner and into the bedroom, she found a gun in her face of an intruder, “Crap!”

“Well, hello there.” His voice was deep, like a wolf’s growl, “I didn’t know Grammie had relatives.”

“Please don’t hurt her, she’s all I’ve got.” Red begged, “She’s my only relative alive.” Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision as she crumbled in front of the man, “And I’m all she’s got.”

Doubt clouded his face for a moment – and a moment is all she needed – as Red race forward and shoved the muzzle of the gun up to the ceiling!  The intruder pulled the trigger, making it fire! 

From the street, Hunter heard a shot from Mrs. Gardner’s house.  He spotted Red’s Fiat parked in the driveway and the front door wide open.  Something was wrong.  He race across the road as he pulled out his phone and called the police for help, then sneaked inside hoping to surprise whoever it was holding a gun to both the ladies.

“Now, sit down and shut up!” the man shouted levelling his gun at both women.  He glared at Red, “That wasn’t a smart move.  You made me waste a round.” As he turned, he was confronted by Hunter standing directly behind him, “Who the hell are you?”

“Actually, I think it was a very smart move.” He smiled, “That shot caught my attention.  And who am I?” he pulled out his badge, “I’m a cop.”

The intruder tried to push him out of the way, but Hunter was faster by none as he quickly disarmed the man, punching him hard, catching his gun and letting him fall to the floor as the sounds of the sirens began to fill the air from outside.

“Hunter, how good is it to see you.” Grandma sighed, “Have you met my grand-daughter?”

“I’ve seen you around, Red, but we haven’t officially met.” He smiled as he stayed with the two ladies while the other police personnel carted the intruder away, “We’ll need a statement down at the station.”

“I can give one to you right now.” Grandma sniffed, “That rotten little rodent kicked my door in, thinking I wasn’t home, then when he found I was, he accosted me!” she sighed, “Thank goodness Red happened by when she did, but she nearly became a casualty too.”

Red held her Grandmother’s hand, “Then, I did a dumb thing and jumped at an armed person…” she shook her head as she looked down, then smiled looking up at Hunter, “And then, Hunter, you came along.”

Red hadn’t realised just how hot this guy was!

“Say…” he smiled after all the police business had been over and done with, “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

Grandma Gardner smiled from her kitchen sink as she watched the day turn to night, listening to the two of them chat at the door, “What a lovely man he is.”

“Well, nothing… why?”

“Want to catch some dinner and a movie?” he asked.