Red Riding Hood Ch. 01

Daisy West wasn't afraid of anything. She lived in a peaceful little village called Manchester. Well, it was peaceful until a year ago. A year ago, the killings had started. Many people suspected the strange creature up in the caves behind Rocky Falls. Manchester was deep in a huge forest that many sections. The section that little Manchester was in was called DeWulf. Daisy absolutely did not believe in the wolf. But her sister, Riley, did. There was a man in Manchester called Connor that had four deep huge scratches across his face and boy, did he have a story to tell. A werewolf had attacked him, he claimed, and he was the lucky one that survived. Daisy couldn't believe his nonsense. Daisy was pretty much a loner, her used to be "friends" had become irritating fearful little prissies. Daisy, Martha and Quen had been friends since they were newborns but after they became scared of the "Big Bad Wolf" Daisy had disowned them.

"Morning Daisy," A friend of Daisy's that had a straight head about the "Wolf" that Daisy had not disowned, Kim, fell into step with her. Kim was a remarkable gentleman with good manners and was sometimes irritating with his politeness. He had light brown hair and charming light green eyes with a hint of blue. He was a good friend and would stand up for Daisy when she was accused of something she did not do.

"Hallo Kim," Daisy replied.

"It's cool out this morning," Kim said nonchalant.

"Yea. Late autumn is near," Daisy smiled at him.

"Wanna go collect pebbles?" Kim smiled back.

"Sure! If I find a really cool one I'll go give it to Papa," Daisy started toward the river. Kim fell in stride beside her. The river was low and still. A slight breeze ruffled the cats tails and the reeds. Daisy almost felt something was watching her. Kim kneeled down by the river and put a hand in, scooping and bringing out pebbles. He went through them until he found a shiny silver one. He gave it to Daisy. She turned it over in her fingers. It was shaped almost like a bullet but a mangled bullet.

"Hmm. Odd," Daisy murmured.

"What is odd?" Kim asked, leaning over to examine the strange silver object.

"It's almost... bullet shaped..." Daisy said thoughtfully.

The wind got even stronger and Daisy shivered. She still felt eyes on her from across the river, they had not left. She looked over, into the trees. Nothing was there. Kim got even closer to the river, looking down.

"See something?" Daisy asked. Kim pointed. Daisy scooched over and looked down. Slitted amber eyes were staring back at them. Daisy whipped around. A huge black wolf with menacing amber eyes was glaring down at them. Daisy felt her heart stop. Kim was paler than the white picket fence surrounding the Church. With a rumbling growl in it's chest, it stepped even closer...

Gasping Daisy shot up, grasping the sheet in a tight fist. The wolf wasn't real...! She panted until her heart slowed down and she carefully crawled out of bed, trying not to wake her sister. On quiet feet she padded to the kitchen area and took the ladle, dipping it into the water pail and taking a drink. A wolf the size of a draft horse? Nonsense! Daisy started when a gun went off outside. She walked over to the window.

"The wolf! The wolf! It's killed again!" She heard men shouting through the door. Heavy footsteps sounded behind Daisy. She looked behind her. Her father was putting on his coat and reaching for the lantern.

"Watch over your sister," Dayton told Daisy as he reached above the door for his gun, nestled in the gun rack.

"Yes Pa," Daisy replied.

Daisy's mother, Sarah had died during childbirth. Daisy and Riley had lost a little brother. Ma and Pa were going to name him Dag. Daisy, being the oldest, still remembered her Ma. She had usually smelled like wildflowers and loved to dance. She laughed and smiled a lot. Daisy was eighteen and a half, Riley was fifteen. It was high time Daisy got a man but she hadn't found one she loved. Most of the boys in Manchester were already married and the ones left were pups. They were still growing into their paws. The oldest, Kim, was nineteen but he and Daisy wanted to stay friends. If they got married it would feel very weird. Daisy sighed and her breath fogged the window glass. She was afraid of who her Pa wanted her to marry because he was rich. Lord Ambrose.