A Little Red

 A little red.

When she coughed now into her handkerchief, there were small spots of red. She knew she was lucky to have lived these past sixty years but she hoped to hang on long enough to see her granddaughter married to a kind man. 

She had been making due with meager portions of vegetable stew. Klaus, the fourteen year-old son of the Taubers, the farmers that lived a couple miles from her cottage, came by to check on her twice a week. Two days ago, he heard her rattling coughs and said he would tell her family about her illness. She told him not to worry himself or to worry her family. 

She knew that her daughter, Cecilia, would likely send “Little Red” to check on her. Cecilia would not be able to make the trek herself, having suffered a broken leg last year after their bitter mare kicked her. The woods were a dangerous place especially in the winter. The idea of something befalling her “Little Red”, in her red cloak, in those dark woods was more unbearable than the thought of her own death…

Sophie huddled under the pile of quilts, trying to shake off the chill and the dark thoughts.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang at the door. Hmmm. She expected a knock from either Klaus or Little Red would have been more timid…

Mustering what was left of her strength, she sat up on the side of her bed. She gingerly placed her feet into her slippers and shuffled toward the door. 

“Red, is that you?.”

She did not hear her granddaughter’s voice. Instead she heard heavy breathing on the other side of the door.

“...Klaus…?” 

There was no response. Just the breathing. 

Sophie had reached the door. She pulled the door slightly open, cold air blasting through the crack in the door.

BANG!

Sophie fell to the ground on her side, all the air forcefully leaving her lungs. She tried to sit up on her elbows and peered at the door. All she saw in the doorway was black fur, teeth, red eyes...she could not scream as the beast rushed toward her...