Red Riding Hood

Disclaimer: I do not own "The little red riding hood".

The hunter and the wolf were staring into each other eyes. The first to blink would be the first to show weakness. They fought a mental battle for power over one another. There would be no winner. No loser. Only a survivor.

The wolf snarled from the back of his throat. The hunter cracked his neck without taking his eye of his opponent.

I watched the two of them with horror. Any moment now, one of them would attack. And I could do nothing but to watch. I didn't know who would win the fight. The wolf got teethes and claws, while the hunter was armed with a knife in his right hand and a rifle on his back. Both man and animal got highly sharpened reflexes. There was no telling, who would be the survivor.

I switched position, but as I did, I knew I made a mistake by thinking that I couldn't tricker the fight. A twig under my foot cracked, but that was all it took. In seconds a shiver went through the wolf's and the hunter's bodies, before the prepared their weapons and ran towards one another. Ran toward death… and life.

Do you want to know the worst part about standing powerless on the sideline?

I didn't know whose side I was on…

Chapter 1

I woke up gasping and sweaty from the nightmare, that has been haunting me the last 17 years. Oh well, not all my life, but as long as I could remember, that nightmare has haunted me. That's also why I don't do sleepovers. I tried once, but that didn't end well, because it turns out; sometimes I scream when the hunter and the wolf run towards each other.

I ran a shaking hand through my long, dark blond hair, before getting out of bed. Even though I have had that nightmare through so many years, I still didn't know why it affected me this much afterwards. But I knew what could make the ghosts from the nightmare go away.

A cold shower.

The water streamed down my body, leaving goose bumps. As my shivers worsened and the water started to feel like broke glass, I slowly turned on the heat, but only enough to make my blue lips get their normal colour back and make it possible for me to take. Then I washed my hair and scrubbed my entire body in my favorite soap with the scent of mango.

With a sight I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Soon I was dressed and went to the kitchen, just to find my mother bottom up a glass of Piña Colada. Who knows how many of those she has managed to consume already. I looked away from my drunken mother and went straight to the fridge.

"It's empty" my mother mumbled as I reached for the handle, but I opened it anyway only to verify my mother's words.

I would have to go shopping after school then. Good thing I still got some of last month's paycheck stashed away from my mother's grasp, or else she would have spend all the money I've earned, on alcohol.

I went to my room, not even looking if my mother followed or not. She still had enough rum and other ingredients to make another ten glass' of Piña Colada, so she wouldn't come looking for me, especially not in my room. She hasn't been in there since I was about 13 years old.

I found the small screwdriver, that I had in the mug I kept my pencils and ball-point pens in. It didn't look suspicious there, and was easy to get, if I would ever be in a hurry. If I ever needed to get away for real. But I couldn't leave my mother behind. She couldn't take care of herself, and grandma – our only living relative – was too old to take care of her alcoholic daughter.

I moved my stool to the wall, stood on it and started to unscrew the air shaft. I only needed to unscrew two of the corners, before I had access to the shaft where the money was hidden. It was sad how little there was left, but luckily there would be enough for both gas and shopping. I closed the airshaft and put the screwdriver back in the mug, before leaving my room.

"I'm off! See you later, mum!" I called, not expecting any response, before taking on my red jacket and worn out snickers.

I had my own car, even though it was hard to believe, that it could even drive. It relieved me every time it started, but even if it was such a piece of junk - as my mother loved to tell me - she could still have the audacity to "steel" it. I had to hide the keys too, it was ridicules! I didn't use to hide car keys and money from my mother, but it was something I had to do. Once I came home from work, and forgot to take the keys out of my jacket pocket and I was called by the hospital in the middle of the night that my mother has been drunk driving. I sighed at the thought. It was really frustrating that I had to be so careful around my mother. I was sick and tired of being the adult one. It was a good thing that I had grandma. I could always go to her, if I had to much of my mother's immaturity and alcoholic habits. Even though grandma lived in a cabin out in the woods and was quite far to drive, that would never stop me from going to visit.

As the bell rang, I hurried towards my classroom. I had physics in the first period and that was not exactly something I looked forward to. The only upside to this dreadful class, was that my best friend would be there.

I quickly spotted Charlie at our table. As soon as he saw me, he smiled warmly and waved. I returned the welcoming smile and sat beside him.

"You look like shit… again. You know that thing people need to do every night, what's it called again? Sleep! You really should try that some time" he mocked with a friendly smiled. I rolled my eyes. If I had a penny every time I heard that, I wouldn't have to live in this tiny mountain town. Money or not, when I finished high school I would leave this town. My mother would have to take care of herself, and she would probably not do a very good job with that, but that was just too bad. The only thing that would make it difficult to leave here was my beloved grandma. She had a caretaker with her some of the time, but she could easily get lonely if I wasn't there to visit her as often as I did now.

I pulled myself out of my chaotic inner monolog as the teacher – Joseph Hernandez – walked in and demanded our attention.