Red Riding Hood stepped onto the mossy path. A wolf dropped from an oak branch, landing with a soft thud. He held out a basket of shimmering mushrooms. 'For your grandmother,' he said. She thought the mushrooms glowed like tiny lanterns, but the wolf's eyes were too bright. She accepted the basket, but her fingers stayed away from his.
Red Riding Hood squinted at the basket. The mushrooms hummed a low, buzzing note that made her teeth ache. She tipped the basket into a bramble bush. The wolf's ears flattened against his head, and he let out a soft whine. She turned and walked away, the brambles tearing at her dress. She thought the world was full of silly tricks.
Red Riding Hood followed a ribbon of sunlight through the trees. The wolf reappeared, this time holding a crumpled paper. 'The shortcut,' he said, tapping a winding trail. She noticed his claws were clean, unlike the muddy paws that had dropped from the branch. She took the paper and nodded, but kept her distance. She wondered why he kept trying.
Red Riding Hood unfolded the map. It depicted a cheese wheel with an X on the rind. The paper smelled of pine needles. She burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the trees. The wolf snatched the map back and disappeared into the underbrush, his tail flicking in embarrassment. She thought the world was full of silly tricks.
Red Riding Hood pushed open the cottage door. The room was dark except for a single candle on the windowsill. In the bed, a figure wore grandmother's nightcap, but the toes peeking out were hairy. She felt a shiver run down her back, but she told herself it was just the draft. She stepped inside, her boots clicking on the wooden floor.
Red Riding Hood stopped. The candle flame flickered, casting long shadows. 'Grandma?' she whispered. The figure sat up, revealing a wolf's snout. The wolf lunged. She stumbled backward, her heart pounding. She thought this was the wolf all along. But she didn't scream. Instead, she grabbed the rolling pin from the corner.
A net swooped down from the doorway. The hunter, broad-shouldered and grizzled, swung it over the wolf. The wolf tripped over a rolling pin and crashed into a stack of firewood. The hunter chuckled. 'That's the third one this month,' he said. Red Riding Hood gasped, then smiled. 'Thank you,' she said.
Red Riding Hood gasped. The rolling pin clattered across the floorboards. She rushed to the corner closet and pulled out her grandmother, who had been hiding with a broom. The hunter helped the grandmother to a chair. 'I hid because I heard a noise,' grandmother explained. Grandmother's hair was messy, and her nightcap was crooked.
Red Riding Hood poured tea from the kettle. Her grandmother wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. The hunter nodded, then slipped back into the forest. 'Come back for tea anytime,' grandmother called. He waved without turning around. The cottage smelled of chamomile and woodsmoke. Red Riding Hood felt her cheeks flush with pride.
Red Riding Hood sipped her tea. It tasted of chamomile and safety. Outside, an owl hooted. The cottage felt warmer than before. She thought about the wolf, the map, and the rolling pin. Then she decided it was just another Tuesday. The fire crackled in the hearth, sending sparks up the chimney.