Red part 1

The crunching sound the snow made beneath my boots sounded deafening. Alone in the woods, I wandered a path that was leading somewhere, but I wasn't quite sure where anymore. I knew where I wanted to end up, but now I was turned around. Every snap of a twig made me jump out of my skin. I pulled my cloak tight to me. 'It's just an animal,' I assured myself, ' just a squirrel looking for nuts perhaps, or maybe a racoon. Yeah, that's it.' I kept walking. The basket on my arm was beginning to feel like it was weighted down with bricks, not a simple cake and little pot of butter. I stopped, looking up at the sky. The sun was starting to dip below the horizon making the snow covered trees cast eerie shadows across the path.

"Screeech!" Without warning a large brown owl ascended from a tree, snow falling in cascades to the ground. I jumped, startled by the owl's cry in the stillness. I exhaled sharply, realizing that I had been holding my breath. I chuckled to myself, trying to alleviate the anxiety that was built up in my chest. I switched my basket to my other arm, pulled up my hood and continued down the trail.

Just up ahead I saw billows of grey smoke and began to smell a wood fire. Something was cooking. The aroma of roasted meat wafted past my nose and my stomach growled loudly. How many hours has it been since I'd eaten? I expected to be at grandmother's house by now, with a hot kettle of tea and bowl of stew, not wandering aimlessly in the forest. Perhaps this stranger in the woods could direct me on the path to take to grandmother's village, and would allow me to warm myself by the fire. Maybe this stranger would even be kind enough to share a bite of their game. With this thought I quickened my pace, and hurriedly headed in the direction of the fire.

As I came into view of a large clearing, a soft glow from a campfire washed the ground. I could see a campsite was set up with a metal pot and spit over the fire, clothing hung from a line, and a small lean-to of sticks and a blanket were propped against a large tree. A man, grizzly in appearance, with long thick black hair and unkempt beard, sat on a log next to the fire. Wearing only a set of long underwear and big brown boots, he was a rather odd sight. Taking a big bite out of a piece of meat, juice ran down his beard and he wiped it away with the back of his dirt crusted hand. I attempted to clear my throat, hoping to let him know of my presence without startling him. No sound came out, that didn't matter, as if he sensed my presence, he sniffed the air and looked directly at me. I stepped back. A pair of the most piercing blue eyes I had ever seen, stared at me quizzically.

"What's a young girl like you doing out in the woods after dark?" His voice was low and gravelly. "Mighty...unsafe. There's animals out here, ya know."

"Yes, sir. I have just lost my way. I was on my way to my grandmother's village and got a bit turned around. Now I am cold, hungry and in need of some directions." I smiled and stood up straighter.

"Where are you trying to go? he said "Only then can I tell you if I know how to get there." The man sniggered to himself. I took a step forwards and ducked under the line where his clothes were hanging to dry. I noticed large brown stains on them, then glanced back at the meat on the spit over the fire. It must be hard to be a hunter I mused. So messy.

"I need to get to the Village of Charles," I stated. "Have you been there? Do you know how to get there?"

"I have indeed. It's not far, just over that big hill over yonder." He pointed a filthy finger and I turned to see the hill he was referring to. "Actually if you want to stay the night, I can take you there myself in the morning." He tilted his head towards his lean-to, "There's plenty of room for the both of us." A smarmy smile appeared and he began to lick his greasy lips. My stomach churned. I was hungry and cold, but the idea of staying the night with such a man turned my stomach. I glanced over at the lean-to and a brightly colored quilt caught my eye. Tucked under the flap of a black blanket was a little bed, and on it lay a quilt that looked way too feminine and clean to belong to this man. A tingle began to form in the back of my mind. A memory from last time I had visited my grandmother. I could see her bedroom, clean and tidy with a beautiful, bright and colorful quilt at the end of the bed. I couldn't recall the particular colors or design on Gran's blanket and surely there must be many like it! I put the thought aside and noticed the stranger glaring at me. Somehow his eyes had seemed to change, from a bright piercing blue to almost black. I knew it had to be my mind playing a trick on me, or the cast of the light, but a shiver ran up my spine.

"No thank you mister..." I paused, waiting for him to fill in the blank.

"Wolfe." was his short reply, "Thomas Wolfe"

"Well, no thank you Mr. Wolfe, if the village Charles is just over that hill, I should be able to reach it within the next hour. I really do not want my grandmother to worry." I gathered up my basket which felt significantly lighter now that my arms had had time to rest. I was much more comfortable now as well, simply being close to the fire had warmed me. As I turned on my heel in the direction of the hill, I smiled. Soon I would be enjoying a lovely meal with my Gran, and cozy by the fire, perhaps even cuddled up with her bright colored quilt.

I could see the little puffs of smoke coming from chimneys before I made it over the hill. The village Charles was just up ahead. I was out of the forest now and practically skipping! Putting my odd encounter with Mr. Wolfe out of my mind I was thankful when my feet began hitting cobblestones instead of dirt. I had made it! Now I was passing the flower shop and bakery, the Chemist and the tailor on my way to Gran's. The oil fueled streetlamps were dull, but provided much more light than I had had in the forest, so I was grateful.

The little stone house with forest green shutters and window boxes was dark as I arrived. I knew it was late, but not even the porch lantern was lit. Expecting my arrival, Gran would surely have left at least a candle burning for me, right? Looking up at the chimney, I noticed no happy plumes of smoke showing a fire was warming the house. Although odd, I expected to find Gran had just run out to the market, or over to a friends house last minute. There would undoubtedly be a note explaining everything. However, when I got to the front door, it was cracked. It was such a small crack though, as if on her way out Gran had shut, but not pulled the door completely closed. I pulled the door open and poked my head inside.

"Hellooo? Grandmother? Are you here?" I forced a sing-song voice. Nothing. Complete stillness. I walked farther into the house, setting my basket on the floor. In the darkness nothing seemed amiss. I located the oil lamp that Gran left on the mantel and the matches next to it. Pulling out a single long match I struck it hard against the hearth. Spark; the match flickered and lit. The small flame illuminated the dark room revealing the small living room and kitchen space. I lit the lamp and blew out the match, tossing it into the empty fireplace. I looked around the room; Grandmother's rocking chair and reading table were undisturbed. A book lay open on the reading table, a small piece of ribbon lay on top to mark her place. I moved on, walking into the small kitchen. A basket with some fruits and vegetables sat on the counter, as if she had just gotten them from the market. Next to the basket was a long loaf of crusty French bread, wrapped in newspaper. A headline caught my eye as I tore off a piece of the bread to eat. 'Mysterious deaths and gruesome murders continue...' the headline read. I crunched down on the bread and crumbs sprinkled all over the counter. The bread was stale, not fresh like I had thought. Setting it back down, I picked up the lamp and walked in to Gran's bedroom.

Seeing the bed, made up, looking warm and soft, suddenly I was overwhelmingly tired. My eyes felt heavy and although Grandmother had left no note, I was sure that I would find her laying in bed next to me when I awoke in the morning. I removed my red cloak and hung it from the hat rack near the bedroom door. I walked back over to the bed and pulled back the covers. What a long and exhausting day it had been, I couldn't wait to see Gran and share the delicious cake and butter I had brought. I climbed into the bed, wondering what fascinating story Gran would have to tell me in the morning about what called her out of the house tonight. I pulled the covers over myself and began to drift off to sleep. One thing in that moment I hadn't noticed in my exhausted state, was that as I pulled the covered over myself, Gran's quilt was strangely absent, just like Gran.

To be continued...