If You Go Down to the Woods Today

***She might never have put on her Little Red Riding Halloween costume had she known she'd get trapped in the Haunted Forest with a big bad werewolf. But maybe her innocence will save her. Maybe the man behind the monster has a soft spot for lost little girls who find themselves scared and alone in the woods. And maybe, before the night is out, the shy student will have found the kind of happily ever after that surely only exists in fairy tales...***

Katherine hadn't specifically meant to go to a Haunted Forest. She had thought it was just going to be a few Hallowe'en-themed ornaments hung among some trees that she could take a photo with to prove she'd been getting out of the house. Instead she found herself suddenly in the middle of a place meant to terrify and thrill. All she could think about was how much she regretted going in there alone.

It was her first year at university and she had been determined to go out and try new things to prove to her parents that she really was now grown. September had gone by without a single outing and October had looked to go the same way, so when she'd seen the poster for the Haunted Forest she had mustered up her courage and decided to do it. She had dressed herself up as Little Red Riding Hood and had boldly entered the Haunted Forest alone only to immediately realise her mistake - this was not a safe place to go alone, it was specifically designed to be scary! So now here she was, stuck in the middle of a forest where nobody would even be concerned to see a frightened fairy tale character clutching at her basket and staring wild-eyed out into the darkness.

Katherine took another tentative step forwards, trying to catch up with the large group just ahead of her who seemed far more at ease with the thought of being frightened than she was. But she was stopped in her tracks by a werewolf who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and proceeded to sniff the air in front of her. As he stood up terrifyingly tall in front of her and prepared to howl, her nerve suddenly deserted her altogether and she threw her empty basket at him and bolted, running headlong back the way she had come, too scared to care what anybody else might think.

She glanced back, paranoid the werewolf was in pursuit, and barrelled straight into a man who was dressed like he had had some kind of terrible accident. She started to hyperventilate, her brain no longer able to process what was real and what wasn't as she staggered backwards into the very man she had been trying to escape.

The werewolf had followed her. Not in a terrifying pursuit, but to make sure the girl was okay. People usually loved it when he pulled himself up to his full height and howled. He put a calming hand on her shoulder and knelt down. "Shh, it's okay. None of this is real. I'm not a real werewolf! And do you know how you can tell?" He looked around as though double checking that nobody was listening before leaning forwards and pulling down his mask, putting his fingers on his lips as he did so as though it were some big secret.

Katherine giggled despite herself. While her breathing was still uneven, things felt a little less scary than they had. She reached up to his mask and tentatively stroked it. "Not as scary as it looks?"

He nodded, putting his hand over hers to squeeze it. "Not as scary as it looks."

She blushed and bit her lip. "It was so scary in the forest alone." Her words felt more like those of a child, but it was like she'd lost the ability to be anything other than a terrified little girl. She squeezed his hand tighter. "I don't like it here alone." Her words were urgent as her eyes got wider at the sudden realisation that there was still more of the forest to get through. "I don't like it here alone! I don't like it here alone!" Her voice was raising in an almost hysterical fashion as she rocked both and forth, gripping the man's hand tightly as tears blurred her vision. "Please, I don't like it here alone."

The werewolf looked between the girl and the forest. He could easily take her back the way she'd come, but then the medic would want to look her over in the crowded little tent full of squealing kids who'd cut their finger or grazed their knee. That wouldn't help her very much. There was therefore only one realistic way out - to complete the forest. He looked down at her with concern. If she had been terrified of his werewolf he dreaded to think how the chainsaw-wielding zombies would go down.

He patted her back reassuringly. "Shh. It's okay. You're not alone - see? You've got me! And a big, strong werewolf's gonna beat almost anything in a fight!"

She wrinkled her nose and biffed him lightly on the shoulder. "But you're not a werewolf! You said!"

He grinned. "I know that, and you know that, but they don't know that, do they?" He pulled down his mask again.

Katheine tugged at his wrist. "But, b-but werewolves can run pretty fast. How will I keep up with you?" Her eyes filled with tears again, her lower lip trembling. "P-please don't leave me here alone!"

He smiled softly and squeezed her hand. "I promise. Now, it's time to mount your noble steed so that I can rescue you from this fate worse than death!"

She giggled again. "Not a noble steed - a noble wolfy!" Without really thinking she climbed onto his back, clinging onto him as he straightened to his full height. "Wow! It's really high up here! I'm really tall!"

He laughed. "You are! Now, are you ready to also be really fast?"

She giggled and nodded, lightly kicking her little heels against his sides as though to spur him on. "Yes! Fast, fa-ah-ah-ahhh!" As she spoke he bolted forwards.

The werewolf smiled. He had successfully got her so caught up in fantasy that the other actors they passed no longer phased her - although he could feel her cling tighter to him each time one of them looked in her direction.

He continued to run until just before the chainsaw zombies, where he slowed. "Okay, Little Red. Up ahead is our toughest challenge yet. A horde of zombies have got their hands on some chainsaws and they don't really know how to switch them off! But they're slow and we're-"

"-Fast!" The girl enthusiastically interjected. "We're fast, fast, fast, fast, fast! Fast like a werewolf!"

The man grinned. "Very good. Now, do you think I should howl, just to be sure they know who's on top?"

She tilted her head for a second before nodding vigorously. "Yes - scare them with your scary howl. Then all will flee and we'll be free!"

He laughed and patted her leg. "Exactly. But do you know what? The more people who howl, the scarier it will be. Do you think you can join in as well?"

She bit at her lower lip shyly. "But...but I'm not bold like a werewolf."

He smiled and reached up to tickle her sides. "Oh but you don't have to be bold to howl. You just need to feel the howl inside of you and then let it out. Do you feel a howl building up inside of you?"

She squeezed herself up against him, clearly thinking hard as she concentrated on whether or not she could feel a howl inside of her before suddenly grinning and sitting upright. "Yes! Yes - I feel the howl!"

"Good, then after three we're gonna howl and remind those zombies that however scary they look, we're not scared of them. One, two, three..."

Howl!

They both howled in unison, drawing a few surprised looks at the sight of Little Red Riding Hood riding a wolf and enthusiastically howling her heart out.

The man grinned. "Good job! And now, we chaaarge!"

Katherine bounced against his back in excitement as the werewolf charged forwards. She gripped him tighter as she saw the scary zombies but found she didn't feel half so scared of them from high atop the man's back.

It took a little bit of clever dodging to avoid the reaching arms and noisy chainsaws, but they eventually emerged triumphantly, the first to beat the Haunted Forest that night.

The werewolf kept the girl on his back as he slowed his pace to a walk, whispering a quiet word to one of the other staff members before heading towards the actors changing area.

With the forest in full swing nobody else was around in the tented staging area. The man knelt down and set the girl back on her feet. "So, what did you think of your first Haunted Forest?"

She blushed and squirmed a foot against the floor. "How did you know it was my first?"

He laughed. "Because I rather suspect that if you'd done one before you wouldn't have come back!"

She blushed more deeply and nodded. "Yeah - but that was before I had a friendly werewolfy to help me." She reached her hand out to pet his mask again. "Thank you for helping me."

He smiled and patted her head. "You're welcome, cutie. But remember, I'm not a real werewolfy. Would you like to help me remove my mask again?"

She nodded uncertainly. She took a few seconds to gather her courage and then slowly pulled at his mask. She caught sight of his manly face in the light and accidentally let the mask ping back into place. "Oh but I-"

"Shh, it's okay." He pulled his mask off the rest of the way and handed it to her. "Today we braved wicked witches and ghoulish ghosts, insane inmates and vicious vampires, and well, zzzombies! - I think you can brave one more slightly scary thing." He smiled kindly at her.

She clutched the mask. "Not as s-scary a-as it looks?" Her words were a gasped whisper, her wide eyes on his.

He took her hand and rubbed it up against his cheek. "I may not be cute and shy like you, but I'm definitely not as scary as I look." He petted her cheek affectionately. "I'm James, by the way."

She giggled and hid behind his mask. "I'm cute and shy!"

Before any more could be said, there was a noise at the entryway. "James! Is that your dulcet tones I hear? You may have dodged me before, but here there's nowhere to evade the inevitable Zombie massacre." A man ran in and threw the sticky red contents of a bucket, homing in on the werewolf mask the girl was still holding.

As the thick, blood-like substance dripped over her face and dress, all she could do was stare down at herself in horror as her clothing slowly soaked up the liquid, making it look like she was one of the undead because surely nobody could experience such a terrible accident and live.

The girl looked helplessly up at the werewolf, the thick substance seeming to coagulate as it dried in surprisingly realistic patches.

The zombie burst out laughing. "You should see your face!" He struck a pose. "Marcus, Master of the Macabre strikes again! I know I was aiming for 'Wounded Werewolf,' but I think Little Undead Riding Hood is definitely better - after all, edgy is what the punters want these days."

The werewolf put a protective arm around the girl. "Not this punter!"

The zombie paused, a look of genuine regret crossing his face. "Oh! You're not one of the team?" He stepped forwards to try and wipe up the fake blood but the girl recoiled. He glanced awkwardly up at James. "Yeah, um, so, it might be a bit of a nightmare to wash all that off. How was I supposed to know - it's supposed to only be staff in here. I thought I was getting you, man!"

The werewolf stood up and put his hand on his zombie friend's shoulder and started to guide him towards the door. "It's okay, I've got it from here. Go back and join your crew - I'm sure the other punters can't wait for your particular brand of mayhem!"

The girl had held it together while the zombie was around, but as soon as he left she broke down sobbing. She held up the now fake blood-stained werewolf mask. "I'm so s-s-sorry. Your precious mask. It's all ru-u-uined."

The werewolf took his mask back from the girl. "Oh, he was hoping to get a lot more than my mask. I just wish it had been a more effective shield for you." He tossed it to one side. "But remember - not as scary as it looks. It's all just make believe. Pretend."

She shivered and nodded. "But the b-blood looks so r-real." She looked up at the man with tears still in her eyes. "And he said it won't easily wash off?"

"It just needs something with a little more cleaning power than water. Fortunately I have some rubbing alcohol back at my house. It's just across the road. It's how I got this job, actually. The coordinator was looking for somebody tall and then there I was. All I had to do was howl and the job was mine - easiest money I've ever made!"

The girl looked up at him in disbelief. "You were hired just because of your height?!"

The man laughed. "Yep! They needed somebody who fitted the suit the last guy wore."

The girl giggled. "I don't think they'd hire me for my height."

He grinned and squeezed her stained cheek. "Nope - they'd hire you for your cuteness!"

The girl looked down at herself again, suddenly remembering her current predicament. "Oh but I look all mangled! Little Red Riding Mess."

The man laughed and removed her red cloak to bundle it around her. "Well, fortunately I know just what to do with messy little girls." He picked her up in his arms.

"Oh! Another adventure?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yep - we're going on a quest to clean up the poor damsel in distress."

Keeping her bundled up in his arms the werewolf carried her the short distance from the staging area to his house.

In his house he put her down on a kitchen stool and set about finding a bowl, some cleaning cloths and his rubbing alcohol while she watched on in fascination. He then began to gently but firmly rub at the fake blood on her face. He held up the reddening cloth to her. "Look - you'll be clean in no time!"

She breathed a little sigh of relief. "Thank you, James. I thought I was gonna be dyed forever red!"

He smiled. "That's okay - I'm here to look after you. Although it does remind me that your cute and shy self never shared your actual name!"

She blushed beneath the special effects makeup. "Oh! Um, it's Katherine."

"Katherine...that has so many fun nicknames - Kathy, Katie, Kitty, Kat."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "I could be a Kitty?"

He laughed. "You are a Kitty! Hello, Kitty!"

She made a face and swatted at him. "Hey!" She giggled. "Oh but 'Kitty' - I like that! I like that very much!" She kicked her legs happily beneath her.

The man continued to work at removing the fake blood from her hair, face and neck.

After quite a bit more rubbing he put down the final cloth. "There we go - all done! Your clothes will need a wash, but it no longer looks like you failed to escape the chainsaw-wielding zombies at the end of the Haunted Forest!"

She bit her thumb shyly and shook her head. "But it's not all done - I could feel it dribble down my dress."

The man petted her head fondly. "True. Would you like me to clean up even the hidden places?"

She nodded shyly, her breathing quickening.

"Okay - arms up. The first thing we need to do is get you out of that messy dress."

She nodded and raised her arms, squirming a little as she quickly found herself only dressed in a white top, little white knickers and long white socks. She looked down at herself, fingering the places on her chest and legs where the red dye had soaked into the fabric. "I got really messy."

He nodded and looked down at her socks, pulling them off her legs before rubbing away the red staining left behind. "True - but I'll get you cleaned up in no time and then I can give you a nice soothing bath while I wash your clothes, how about that?"

She gasped slightly, squirming in nervous arousal. "I-"

"Arms up for me. I can't have you sitting there in a stained top."

She raised her arms more nervously, aware she only had a white bra on beneath. Her breathing quickened as her face and chest flushed at her sudden state of near undress.

The man smiled. "Good girl. Now let's see if we can't clean you up properly." He picked up another cloth and with one hand steadying her back he started to clean her chest.

She squirmed the whole time but didn't try to stop him, her breathing now in gasped pants.

He rubbed her back soothingly. "But little girls can't have a bath while still wearing their underwear. That would be silly, wouldn't it?"

She blushed more deeply but nodded. "Yes - especially when it needs to be washed along with everything else - it's all red, especially right here." She pointed at her right breast, her fingers trembling slightly.

"Oh - did Daddy miss a spot?"

She squeaked slightly at the word, her face flushing hotter. "I-"

He nodded and moved his hands to the back of her bra. "I think he did. So it's time to get you out of this messy bra so that he can get you all cleaned up." He unfastened the bra slowly.

Even though she was only about an A cup, the bra didn't fall away immediately. She looked up at the man nervously.

He smiled at her as he pushed the thin straps of her bra down her shoulders so that it fell onto her lap. "Good girl. Yes - you were right that I'd missed a spot." He picked up another cloth and slowly rubbed it down her chest towards her breast, getting her used to the feeling of his hands on her body.

She put her hands on his as he rubbed the cloth over her breast, squeezing as though to extract bravery from him as she sat topless for what was clearly the first time in her adult life.

He squeezed her hand back. "Good girl. All clean. Now all we need to do is get you out of your underwear so that I can put all your messy clothing in the wash." He picked her up from the stool and set her down on her feet. "Would you like me to help you wriggle out of them?"

She nodded, her hands self-consciously hugging across her chest.

He knelt down in front of her, his head almost level with hers even kneeling. With gentle movements he slowly hooked his fingers into the sides of her waistband before sliding her underwear down her slender legs to reveal a cute little mass of light-coloured curls.

While James wanted to pause to look at the petite figure he had uncovered, instead he picked her up to his hip and then bent to gather up her clothing. Now wasn't the moment.

Kitty clung to the fur of the man's costume, watching from her perch high up on his hip as he first started the washing machine going and then went to run a bath.

He sat down on the bathroom chair and set her in his lap as the bath started to fill and the b*bbles rose. He ran his hands over her back and sides, normalising touch as she fidgeted and jittered nervously. He smiled. "Well aren't you all cute and squirmy for Daddy!" He moved his hands under her arms and started to tickle her.

She squealed in surprise, wriggling at the tickling and trying to get away even as she giggled in breathless delight.

He laughed and continued to tickle her, his hands now tickling her tummy and the soles of her feet, leaving her so fully distracted from her nudity that she no longer felt as self-conscious.

"Oh! O-oh!" She gasped, struggling to find breath as he continued to tickle and tease her.

He smiled and patted her head. "Feeling better?"

She instinctively hugged herself tightly against him. "Better, Daddi-oh!" She buried her suddenly bright red face against him.

He chuckled and petted her head. "Looks like your bath is ready, cutie." He picked her up as he stood, testing the water before slowly lowering her wriggling body into it until she was more or less hidden by the b*bbles.

James watched her for a second as she acclimated to the water. "Good girl - that wasn't so hard, was it? Now, I just need to step out a second to change out of my werewolf outfit so it doesn't get wet."

She looked at the costume he was still wearing in sudden realisation. "Oh! Yes - you don't want to matte your fur!"

He laughed. "Yep - but I'll be back quicker than you can howl!"

She giggled. "That can't possibly be true! Hooow- Hang on, let me see. Hooowww. No, not like that - ho-"

As she concentrated on her howl the man made his way to his bedroom to change. He smiled to himself at her attempts to howl. He may well have lost his seasonal job scaring people, but he'd gained himself a very cute Kitty pup!