Red & The Wolf

Red and the Wolf

by Taisha Pagani

There once was a story, so twisted but true,

about a Nana and her grandchild & what to do.

The granddaughter always curious; always a question.

Looking for ways to learn a good lesson.

“I promise Nana, just one more story and off to bed I go,

Just make it a good one as I lay my head low,

onto the pillow so soft here with me

and you can fill my head up with sweet pleasantries”.

“Very well then my child”, replied the nana so.

“Just one more and off to bed you go.

Now let’s see, I think I’ll start with Red and the Wolf.

Once in an old village, just down below,

lived a pack of wolves & their family so.

Villagers were so scared of their bright glowing eyes,

of course not to mention those long howling cries”.

“Oh no!” gasped the granddaughter with her eyes wide open,

she sat and stared, not moving, but frozen.

“The children had been warned, that wolves were slick n sly,

could appear at your door as a human and tell you a lie.

Then of course you’d let him in and please think the worst

we’ll be peddling down the road, followed by a horse-pulled hearse.

Nonetheless, there was a young girl in the village, sweet at sixteen,

whose lips were red as berries, and she was yet to be redeemed.

She was quite adventurous, with slighted, if any care,

as she traveled to her sister’s, at dusk, on a dare”.

“Red!! Now you know it’s too late to travel thru the forest, another day dear,

for who knows what’s lurking in the dark, close and near.

But Red didn’t listen and off she went,

grabbing her basket of goodies and her pocket knife so,

Bundled up in her red cloak, “Off I go!!”

As Red approached the forest and the branches crackled under her feet,

she hesitated slightly, hoping nothing scary to greet.

As Red’s cloak skipped through the white sand,

indeed she found herself in trouble she did land.

For as the wolf’s snarl and glare came her way,

she fell to her knees and begin to pray.

“Why, foolish girl!! Why do you pray?!” sneered the beast.

“For my lord to keep my soul as you divulge in your feast.

The wolf whimpered, defeated, laid in the snow,

He whispered, “I won’t kill you, I’ll let you go,

Under one condition and you will be the hero and keep your village free,

If you come back to the castle and fall in love with me.

“Oh no!! Nana!! That doesn’t sound smart,

Why’d he’ll tear her to pieces and rip her apart!!”

“Ah child, relax by the fire, this tale won’t be gory

Just be patient and wait for the story.

For it won’t be long as the wolf said this:

“Now please, I beg of you, just one sweet kiss.

The village shall no longer live in fear

I will even offer protection afar and near.

Come with me at once and let me love you

As you should love me and then to transform

me into what I should be.

I’ll make you the happiest the rest of your days,

Just come with me Red, please don’t pull away.”

And in a trance she followed him down the hill, further, further down

To where she couldn’t hear the villagers no more, not even a sound.

No one ever heard from Red again, although a red cloak was found.

Dirty and bloody, shredded on the ground.

The villagers imagine and tell tales about Red’s danger

And what the consequences are, when you talk to strangers.

The Diary of Hilda

Samantha Andermanis

Survey of Word Literature

November 16, 2012

Fan Fiction

The Diary of Hilda

A Fan Fiction of Lu Xun’s Diary of a Madman

There were once two sisters who did everything and anything together. Wherever Blair went Hilda followed, and vice versa. Being friends with them while growing up was challenging just because I always felt like the third wheel. They had these inside jokes that I never could understand, or the fact that they just sometimes knew what the other one was thinking. When I turned 13 that’s when my world crashed and my parents told me I was moving to Texas, because my father received a job offer that was too good to lose. I always kept in contact with Blair, and years later I received an e-mail stating Hilda became sick. She stated that she was okay and although she had this paranoia she was offered a position as a teacher in a small school district. During the time of Hilda’s sickness she kept a diary that Blair reads. This is the “Diary of Hilda” and its text creates the major points of the story. The diary explains Hilda’s increasing obsession with owls which she thinks will take over the world. Hilda’s convinced that sooner or later she’ll be attacked by them.                

November 1^st, 1966

The light shining off the small crescent shaped moon and onto my window is so beautiful tonight. I haven’t seen such a bright big moon since Blair and I were little. We use to lie on the roof and watch the sky after our parents went to sleep.

November 4^th, 1966

I remember in high school earth science learning about the moon, and the different shapes it makes throughout one month. I know for a fact though that a moon isn’t supposed to go from a small crescent to a full moon in just one day. Well can someone explain to me how there is a full moon tonight, when just yesterday the thinness of the moon was so unreal. As I rubbed my eyes to truly see if this was real an owl came swooping down and I felt the feathers touch my face. I felt as though my heart flew out of my mouth, and as if I was going to drop dead instantly. I ran so quickly back in the house that I’m pretty sure I smelt smoke coming from my sneakers. I hopped in bed, locked my windows, and covered my head with blankets and made myself fall asleep.

November  5^th, 1966

I can never fall asleep when it becomes so dark out. The thought of those creatures coming out at night worries me so much that I’m constantly pacing back and forth and sweating profusely. I get all itchy and can’t seem to stay focused.  No one can truly understand what one goes through during something like this. I lie in bed waiting for the moment that my mind will stop racing and I will then be able to fall asleep. Time can only tell when that’ll happen.

November  6^th, 1966

In the morning I looked out my window to make sure there were no owls in sight.  As I saw that the coast was clear I gathered my belongings and headed to the car. It was a beautiful fall morning, and I was starting my Christmas shopping early this year. I knew that Blair loved antiques and so I drove to Alley of Antiques, right on the corner of Bailey St. I’ve only heard of the store by word of mouth, and while looking at the display window I thought I’m bound to find something for Blair. As I walked up I opened the door that seemed to be hundreds of years old and making every type of crackling noise possible. There were also bells dangling on the top to allow the workers in the store to know who was entering or leaving. The lady behind the cash register greeted me with her head bowed down saying hello. I was curious as to why she didn’t look at me. I walked around the antique shop but wasn’t seeing anything that came across that I knew Blair would love. So I walked up to the cashier asking if she had any old fashion cameras in the store. Blair’s always been in love with cameras and capturing memories with photos. As soon as she looked at me, these extremely large brown eyes made eye contact with me. Tiny beak like nose was plastered on her face, as well as bushy eye brows and bushy hair. I dropped what I had in my hand and my heart was racing. I tried not looking at her while asking if they had any old fashioned cameras. She said “Oh yes right behind me actually, we have a 1920’s camera”. Instead of turning her entire body around I saw her head spin. Immediately the image of an owl came across. I felt as if my body went numb, and the only thing I could do was leave. As I was quickly leaving the store porcelain owls seem to have been everywhere. I hadn’t noticed any of them when I walked in the store. I quickly started to run to my car, and as I ran owls were attached to people’s bodies left and right. I felt as if I was in a night mare. I quickly unlocked my car, and sat in the driver’s seat. I took a sip of water and tried to calm myself down. Everything seemed to go back to normal. I felt as if I was in a movie and flash backs were occurring.  I had no desire to drive anywhere else so I thought it’d be best to drive home. As I drove by Alley of Antiques I saw the creepy cashier lady outside the store flapping these feathers that looked like wings. I shook my head to clear my mind and focused on just getting home.

November 7^th, 1966

During the next few days I’ve taken a step back, re-evaluating what I’ve seen and what’s happened to me. Suppose that woman in the antique shop wasn’t part human part owl. Suppose I just didn’t get much sleep the night before and was thinking worse things possible? I mean peoples imagination take things to a whole new perspective right?  As I take a seat and breathe in and out  I feel as if my heart beats drops.

November 8^th, 1966

Owls are famous for eating insects, worms, frogs, lizards, and small birds. Owls can also kill animals their size or even larger. Who can’t say an owl can’t kill a human? The thought of owls’ perhaps swooping down and having their deep sharpened claws just rip someone up is possible. No one thinks the way I do, nor wants to hear what I have to say. They think it’s funny and they mock me by frightening me with owl like figures, toys, and stuffed animals. They don’t realize that the population of these animals are increasing, and increasing fast. They will soon take over the world, and then they’ll kill each and every one of us. I don’t want to be the one to say I told you so, but it might possibly be. How are you supposed to be the hero in this situation to save people’s lives? How are you supposed to stop this increase of owls when no one believes they can cause harm? I think it’s quite disgusting that no one has any sort of worries towards what’s going to happen in the world.

November 9^th, 1966

Radio stations are blowing up as well as news channels. This nonsense talks about the world ending and how the Mayan calendar seemed to be taking over, pish posh my dad said at our weekly Sunday dinner. “That’s impossible to think the world is going to end! Are people really going to believe these idiots”, dad said after taking a bite full of mashed potatoes. I of course blurted out that the world should end for owls. Those damn creatures should just be taken off this earth. Dad immediately grilled me and told me to knock it off. Why can’t anyone in my family just be helpful with my situation, and not belittle me? I hope one day they’ll be on my side!

November 10^th, 1966

Today was the day! Today is the day that in everyone in town is going crazy, moping around, crying, and saying their final goodbyes. When that clock strikes twelve tonight the world will end and everyone will just be wiped off this earth. Just another thing to be freaking out about, am I just over reacting?

November 11^th, 1966

Rise and shine, I am alive! I lived through this so called “world ending”. Part of me knew that the world would still be in existence, but hey a girl’s got to worry about things like that. So I spent my day off of work cleaning around the house, and setting up decorations. I played Christmas music, burned off some delicious candles, and stood in my pajamas and enjoyed my morning. I thought it was strange that I haven’t heard from Blair. I mean we talk on the phone every morning before we each have to leave for work. Maybe she just forgot, or maybe she had a busy morning that she couldn’t call me? An hour went by, and after trying to call her multiple times I got this funny feeling in my stomach. So on went the boots, and I grabbed my coat. I walked to the car and immediately I had this weird feeling. It felt like the area around me was a ghost town! I drove through town and no one was to be seen. Where is everyone I asked myself? This is bizarre. I made it to Blair’s house and her car was in her drive way. That’s strange because she always drives her car to work, even though work is just down the street. The feeling in my stomach got worse and worse. No family member or friends was answering their phones. I’m beginning to think that this was some sort of trick! This wasn’t funny, and I started becoming very afraid. The world couldn’t have ended and I was the only one left in town right? No, no, no that’d be just plain silly. By this time the sun was setting, and my mind is going crazy. How is this possibly happening? What’s going to happen to me? I turned on the TV and there was nothing, zip, zilch, nada. What the hell is going on I thought to myself? I’ve got to get out of Blair’s house and get to the police instantly. I run to the car and all around my car are owls surrounding it. This can’t be real! At this moment I kicked and kicked these creatures out of my way to get to my car. I even ran some of them over! But after terrorizing these animals, they seem to have come back to life.

November 12^th, 1966

Police stations were locked, lights shut off and no one in them. How could this be happening? How am I the only person existing in this place right now? Back in the car I go, headed home speeding down the windy roads. I sprint inside and run straight to the bed room. I hop in bed, throw the covers over and cry for hours. How am I supposed to live life with no one existing? However there are my worst nightmares existing with me? I’m going to go crazy. There’s no way I can live my life like this. It’s just physically and mentally impossible. This sickness has taken over my body and I think I just want it to continue and take me away.

November 13^th, 1966

A few days later Hilda made it into the news. She over dosed on her medicine which led to her death. Hilda never received the notification that the town was in a state of emergency and that everyone was too evacuate. Hilda never received that information causing her to think the world had really ended. All that was left of Hilda was her diary right till the very end before her death.

Voices in my Head

Story adopted from the short story: Diary of a Madman

              

Bullying is a touchy subject now a day.  On the news all you hear about is how a child was being bullied so bad that they have took their own life.  Bullying is not an issue that we should be taking lightly but it is something we should be trying to put a stop to.  Kids should not have to go through out their school day or any day being picked on and harassed by others.  It is just not fair to them; they do not deserve it, just because they may be a little heavier than some or different in other ways.  It's good to be unique and your own person but now day’s kids just don’t believe that.  If you are not a jock or one of the popular individuals in your class than your life may be hell.  Why others think it is okay to bully others we will never know.

                Joe and David are best friends in high school they are both freshman.  As you can imagine they are very nervous for their first year in the high school.  What will happen to them? Will they be liked and fit in or will they be the kids that everyone picks on?  These types of questions are what ran through their heads constantly.  On the first day of school Joe and David discovered that they had many classes together, except for the most important one and that would be lunch.  Joe was very concerned about this he had no clue where he was going to sit but David just figured he would make new friends without a problem and it wouldn't be that big of a deal.  David’s thoughts were right he fit right in with all the football players he even took up football and became a starter for the varsity team.  But what was going to happen to David and Joe’s relationship?

                Joe felt out of the loop and left alone, he felt everyone was constantly talking about him.  When he thought he could go to his best friend since elementary school and talk to him he discovered he had lost a friend.  Joe wondered many time in his head if there was a purpose for him here.  He questioned his living every day.   He had no clue how he was going to find another friend that could compare to David.  The first couple weeks were rough, Joe had no friends and he had no one to sit with.  He felt like he was all alone and would be forever.  Until one day when these three boys went up to him and asked if they could sit with him.  Joe replied "yes!' he finally was going to have friends and be able to feel good about himself.  He thought everything was going to turn around and that he finally wouldn’t be lonely anymore.  Joe has never been bullied before so he wasn’t sure what it felt like.  What he did not know was that these three boys were not his friends, but they were just messing with him and teasing him to make themselves feel better.  Although they did not let him realize this until a few months have went by, and Joe started to feel down about himself.  He did not talk to anyone and he was not even communicating with his own family.  Joe missed out on a lot of family events and hid in his room a lot.  His parents were very concerned with him and did not know what was bothering him.  They never talked anymore but they just figured he was stressed out from school and had a ton of homework all the time and he just wasn't use to it.

                The real truth was that Joe was being bullied not only by the football players but by his best friend, or what he thought was his best friend. The football players have changed David and he was starting to bully others.  It seemed that David had almost forgotten he was even friends with Joe at one time because sooner than later he started teasing him along with the others.  They would hit him, call him names, and even knock his books out of his hands while they were walking down the hallway.  What did Joe do to deserve this from one of his good friends?  Joe was not a jock, he did not participate in any other school activities, and he kept to himself most of the time.  Joe figured if he just stayed quiet and almost just blend in with others than he wouldn’t be talked about.  Every time he turned the corner or walked into class and heard whispering he immediately thought it was about him.  Even if it wasn’t he put it in his head that it was.  Voices in his head told him that he would never be liked and that he was the talk of the school. 

                 What Joe really needed was a friend to be there for him but there was no one.  Sure he had acquaintances but they were not friends he could trust.  He would not trust anyone ever again after what David did to him.  He just figured everyone was like that and that everyone was out to make his life miserable.  When other fellow students would say "hi" or "what's up" Joe ignored them, he just thought they were there to tease him and bully him around.  Joe was starting to feel worse and worse about himself; he did not know how he was going to go on every day with no friends and feeling like this.  But who could he talk to? His parents but then he would feel like a baby and they would just think he is over reacting.  Everyone was against Joe and no one wanted him around he believed.  He had voices in his head each day telling him he did not belong on this world and then others saying he did.  Joe didn't know what to believe.  He did not have any friends so what was the point.  One day Joe did not show up to school and the day after that.  He was absent from school for a month straight.  Students were starting to wonder what had happen to him; even David was realizing how bad he treated him and wondered if he was okay.  When David tried to call him, Joe’s parents said he could not come to the phone and that he was busy.   Joe left a note on his desk in his bedroom explaining to his parents why he was going to take his own life.  He explained that he had no friends and he just couldn’t take the voices in his head anymore.  No one wanted him here and he had no purpose to be here anymore.  He was being bullied and picked on every day in his life.  The last line stated “I love you both, and will miss you terribly, but know I will be happier after I do this.” When his mother read this she was in tears, how could her son believe there was no one here for him?  His parents loved him and gave him everything but that was just not enough.  What David and the others did not know was that Joe had tried to take his life by over dosing on pain pills, but he did not succeed.  Thank god that his father had walked in on him and took him straight to the hospital to get care for his son.  After they had Joe stable they then brought in a therapist to talk to him.  The truth came out; Joe did not have any friends lost his best friend David.  He was being bullied and had no one to turn to or talk to.  His parents took him out of that school and put him in a private school, where Joe seemed much happier and made new friends.  Joe never talked to David again and went on with his life, he ended up going off to college and becoming a successful business man. The voices in his head finally ended.  David on the other hand will always have the thought in his head about what happen to Joe.  David felt really guilty about what he had done and knew it was wrong all along.  He just wanted to fit in, but what he almost did was kill his own friend or what used to be his friend.

                   Bullying is not a joke.  After reading this diary about Joe I hope that everyone realizes how much we impact each other’s life.  Society is changing each and every day and bullying issues are even becoming a problem in colleges.  Make and change and put a stop to it.  If you see someone being bullied stick up for them and be a friend to them.  Sometimes they just need that one person to say "hey I'm here for you."

Behind The Eyes

 BEHIND THE EYES

alternative fiction of company of wolves

 Elizabeth woke up sleepy eyed in her pasture of blankets and pillows. She lifted the blanket up off her body and placed her feet onto to the ground beneath her. She shuffled into the bathroom and splashed cold water onto her face. As soon as the water hit her face, her senses began to awake. She looked at herself in the mirror and ran her fingertips through her vibrant red hair, pulling it back with a rubber band, letting soft curls hug the sides of her face. She brushed her teeth and followed by applying her favorite lipstick, labeled Ruby Red. Elizabeths phone began to ring from her bedroom and she made her way to pick it up, a soft voice began to speak when Elizabeth answered  

“ Hi Red, are you on your way over? “

Elizabeth’s favorite color since she was a young girl was red. Her favorite sneakers were red, her favorite crayon was red, and ladybugs were her favorite animal. Elizabeth would collect the red leaves from the forest trees near her grandmothers house, and they would press them between two thin sheets of glass to capture to radiant color. Elizabeth always found it sad that the beautiful colors of the fall leaves lasted for such a short time before they dwindled into nothing. As she got older, she found a way to analyze things that average people would look over. There was something about that specific color that allured her. To Elizabeth, red symbolized a fiery heat and warmth, along with a sense of danger. Red was in association with life and vitality, it embraced the focus to the essence of life and living with the emphasis on survival. Red portrayed lust and passion, and managed to stimulate deeper passions within her, as well as others. Due to Elizabeths passion for the color, her family and friends began to call her red when she began wearing her red sneakers with a red jacket or shirt every day. When Elizabeth got old enough she colored her hair red, and the nickname remained. 

Elizabeth, confused by her grandmothers question sprung her eyes to her calendar hanging above her bed. Sure enough, Sunday September  3rd was circled with a note saying “Lunch with Grandma.” 

“Yes Grandma, sorry I woke up a little late this morning, but i will be heading over soon.” 

“Okay.” She replied “I will see you soon! Be safe!”

“I will” Elizabeth said. “I am going to walk through the forest, I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t had much time to take in the beauty of the season.” 

Elizabeth and her grandmother said their goodbyes to each other and Elizabeth dressed herself. She put on a pair of faded blue jeans, and a black sweater, along with a vibrant red scarf and her classic “Red” sneakers. She walked out the front door and down the road on a cool autumn day. The sunshine was bursting into the leaves and sending an electric scene of red, orange, and yellow. She walked to the end of the road and entered the park that led into the forest. As she walked she quietly sang songs to herself, and took in the purifying crisp air only the woods could provide. As she walked deeper into the trees, she heard the sound of dry leaves on the ground being crunched quickly beneath ones feet, the sound became more clear and she saw a dog running near to her. It was a beautiful golden retriever, who had a forest green color labeled “Hunter”. Hunter said hello to Elizabeth with a wagging tail and kisses on her hands. Elizabeth crouched down to pet the pup and used the silly voice that came out of her when she got excited 

“Hey buddy! Where did you come from?”

When she looked up her eyes looked into the person who was standing in front of her. Gazing into a pair of eyes is a wonder. Elizabeth got lost and drowned in the depths of them. Now she knew why they said that eyes are the windows to the soul. They had an appeal that drew her. Their remarkable shade of brown, were enchanting, warm, and full of life.

“Sorry, I usually don’t see many people this deep into the woods, so I let Hunter off of his leash. He loves making new friends.” 

Melody blushed, embarrassed that he may have caught her puppy voice

“It’s okay, I love dogs! I’m walking to my grandmothers house, she lives over the bridge.” 

“Would you allow me to have the honor to walk you there?”

Elizabeth nodded her head in a shy manor and they began to walk together.

“So what’s your name?”

“Max. What’s yours ?”

“My names Elizabeth, but you can call me Red.”

Elizabeth was nervous and giddy around Max. He was very attractive. Older, but not too much older. He was clean shaven and tall, wearing a red flannel jacket that Elizabeth was very fond of. They walked together and talked about their interests, to find they were extremely similar. As they got closer to the house Max slipped his hand to intertwine with hers. Max,  Elizabeth, and Hunter happily arrived to her Grandmothers house. 

Elizabeth walked with Max to place Hunter in the fenced area with her grandmothers bull dog. As they walked around the house, Elizabeths grandmother came out of the house and onto the porch. Her face showed an instant sign of relief as soon as she saw Elizabeth. Her grandmother said frantically 

“Thank goodness! I was worried sick”

Elizabeth and Max walked up the stairs and Elizabeth grabbed her hand and held it in hers. 

“Why grandma? Everything is okay! Sorry it took me so long, I met Max and his dog Hunter on my way here . He is in the fenced area with Rocky.”

Elizabeths grandmother invited them in and she turned on the television. Max and Elizabeth took a seat on her grandmothers floral couch. A sketch of a bearded man came up on the television for reports of harassing women, violating them, and leaving them alone , across the forest about 35 miles from Elizabeths grandmothers house. Elizabeth became frightened and immediately turned towards Max and squeezed his hand. 

“ I think you should stay here tonight Elizabeth, I don’t want you walking home through the forest alone.” Her grandmother said.

Elizabeth agreed and they gathered at the table. Elizabeths grandmother asked him endless questions about his family, and himself in general. Usually, this would be embarrassing to her; but Max didn’t seem to be bothered by it, and Elizabeth was intrigued with his responses and the sound of his voice. The shine that came through his eyes, framed with bold sweeping eyelashes made her weak to the bone. As they finished their meal, Max began to clean up the table insisting that the women relax. They moved back into the living room and Max sat beside Elizabeth holding her hand in his and brushing his fingers softly alongside her arm. He looked at her and smiled, receiving a smile in return. She was head over heels for this guy that had stolen her heart in a matter of a very short period of time. His shirt that lie beneath his jacket fit him perfectly so his rounded shoulders were visible. The went outside together and sat beside the water, Elizabeths grandmother knitting on the porch nearby. They skipped stones together, and the words Max were speaking began to become unclear. She couldn’t seem to focus on what he was saying due to the overpowering emotion his presence caused her to feel. He grabbed her chin and slowly brought her face closer to his. She had been gifted with another opportunity to look into his eyes, as she watched them begin to close. He sweetly kissed her on her lips and smiled sweetly when he pulled away from her. Elizabeth had butterflies in her stomach and was full of bliss. They spent the day by the water playing with the dogs and holding each others hands. He pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead. He made her feel special, and made her radiate happiness. The day went by quickly and the sun began to set. They went inside and started a fire, Hunter and Rocky were barking outside when Elizabeths grandmother sincerely asked

“Max, could you let the dogs in? It’s too cold for them out there !” 

Max smiled at Elizabeth and responded to her grandmother 

“Yes, of course I can.”

Max left the room and Elizabeth went into the kitchen with her grandmother who was beginning to make a pie. Elizabeth urged her grandmother to sit down and that she would do the rest and put it in the oven for her. She agreed and sat down, Elizabeth looked out the kitchen window and saw Max chasing Hunter around the backyard. Elizabeth put the pie in the oven and ran to get his jacket to bring outside for him. As she was running she heard something drop behind her but she was to eager to bring Max something to keep him warm. Elizabeths grandmother sat on the couch and was deeply focused on the news station playing on the television. The reporter announced that the identity of the man had been found, after speaking with victims he was well known in other areas along the coast but yet to be caught. The described him as a handsome young man, age 23, last seen wearing a green camouflage hat with a beard. His name was Logan Kane. A commercial came on the television and Elizabeths grandmother went into the kitchen to check on her pie in the oven. She looked outside to see Rocky and Hunter, but not Elizabeth or Max. She walked down the hallway to the backdoor when she found a camouflage hat on the floor, with a wallet wrapped inside. Suspiciously she opened it to see a drivers license with the name Logan Kane. A photograph identical to that of the one shown on the news just moments prior to this. He rushed towards the door, and yelled for her grand daughter but there was no reply. All the response she received was the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind. 

Little Red Rest Stop

Little Red Rest Stop

By: Brandon Cox

via etsy.com

“Grandma, I’m glad you are okay!” Little red riding hood said.

Grandma replies, “I’m glad to see that you are okay too! I was worried we’d die in there.”

“Let’s get out of here Grandma, You know what they say, wolfs don’t travel alone.” Little Red said.

They decide to get out of the Grandma’s house and flea to the big apple which is only a 6 hour drive.  They hop in the car which Grandma hasn’t touched in years because she always had a lovely granddaughter bringing her supplies.

“Grandma, you do know how to drive, right?” Little Red said worried.

“Yes darling, of course I do. Out of the two of us I am the one with the driver’s license.” Grandma exclaimed.

            They are in such a rush to leave from being frightened for their life. They don’t know where the wolves may be hiding so in a frantic rush they don’t pack the necessities they may need for this long of a trip. Although, with Grandma not touching her car in years, she doesn’t realize that the wolves have made a home in the trunk of her car.

“How long is this trip going to be?” Little Red asks.

“Long enough for you to feel safe and not worry about wolves being around us.” Grandma says encouragingly.

“I have to get gas in a couple hours anyways. This car is a gas hog. When we stop to get gas, we’ll get food from McDonalds too.” Grandma states.

“I love McDonalds Grandma!” Little Red says excited.

“You have to eat healthy though, I can’t have your mom yelling at me for letting you eat all those fatty foods.” Grandma says.

“Grandma, I don’t see mom around us, So as long as you don’t say anything I won’t either.” Little Red says in hopes of getting to eat the good un-healthy food.

As the women drive on, the wolf ponders in his head the plan of action he is going to take to get revenge on them for killing his mom.

"Muahahahahaaa as soon as they stop, they won't even suspect a thing. As soon as they turn their backs they are mine. They have no chance. Once and for all. I will get revenge for my mother. Nobody kills my mother and gets away with it. We have taken over her car, next will be that lovely home that she desires oh so much. Muahahahahaaaa."

Now getting back to the women. Little Red is beyond bored with Grandma playing her cassettes with music on it that can date back to the 1930's. Little Red with the boredness that overwhelms her decides she is just going to sleep until she has to get up at the rest stop for gas and food. On the good side Grandma playing the music takes her mind off of just about being killed by a wolf and feels a safer and safer the further away she gets from her house.

As they travel along the closer and closer they get to the rest stop, the more anxtious the wolf in the trunk gets, and the safer Grandma feels. Grandma has to tap on the breaks kind of quickly when a deer pops up on the highway in front of her. With the sudden jolt of motion it wakes up Little Red from the deep sleep she encountered for roughly two hours.

"Grandma, what was that?" Little Red said shocked.

"Oh honey, That was just a deer, don't worry at all. We are fine." Grandma explained.

"Why was it on the highway?" Little Red questioned.

"It wasn't trying to get away from a hunter that was trying to kill it for it's meat." Grandma still explaining.

"Why would someone ever want to kill something if it hasn't done any harm to them?" Little Red said confused.

"Some people just feel the need of having that power, and feeling that sensation of killing something." Grandma said with a little attitude because she is just bothered by Little Red asking all this.

"That hunter won't go after us though would he?" Little Red continued to question.

"No Little Red, Him and us are all humans and if humans did that to someone that'd be murder and you can get in very big trouble for that." Grandma said with quite an attitude as in hopes for Little  Red to stop asking questions.

"It's good to know that he can't harm us without him harming himself. Is that the rest stop up ahead?"
Little Red again asks another question not realizing how annoyed Grandma is right now.

"Yes, yes it is. Get your coat on, it's a little chilly outside and I can't have you catching a cold while your with me, your mom would just flip!" Grandma says with all her might to shut her up.

"Alright Grandma, Can do." Little Red stated.

As they pull in to the rest stop, Grandma decides that the sounds in her stomach are more important to take care of than getting gas. She figures her car can wait for her to be full. They pull in and they find a parking spot in the middle of two semi's and she thinks that nothing will happen to her vehicle while it's parked there while her car is facing away from the building. On the downside when she gets out of the car she has to bend over to tie her shoe. It strangely untied itself while she was driving.

As she was bent over tying her shoe, that gave a window for the wolf hiding in the back to sneak out. And him seeing that chance he took it and out he went. Grandma didn't even notice. The wolf ran and hid behind the car and waited for the chance to pounce. As soon as he heard both car doors shut he knew it was time and just had to wait. With the wolf not making a peep, both grandma and Little Red pass the wolf without acknowledging that he was even there. And the wolf takes his chance and pounces on Grandma once and for all to take out the stronger out of the both of them. In a panic, Little Red tries to help her Grandma but is too weak to do any help. Grandma is swallowed whole by the wolf and with Little Red right there trying to fight him off, makes it much easier for the wolf to grab her and eat her too. And that's exactly what he did. He grabbed her and ate her whole too.

After he makes sure that they are both nice and digested in his stomach, he hops back into the vehicle, goes over and gets gas with the money that Grandma was going to use for food, and drives back to her house where he met up with the rest of his family. They are overwhelmed at the success that he had and they lived happily ever after in what use to be called "Grandma's House".


Picture from- http://www.etsy.com/listing/69794800/little-red-riding-hood-giclee-print-of?ref=pr_faveitems&atr_uid=10977778

Originally from: Something to hitch meat to by Nalo Hopkinson

A confusing life & lesson learned

 by Jennifer Morales Vega

                    Via: http://wallpaper4me.com/wallpaper/Spiky-Demon-Monster/    

That night Artho ventured into a dark alley to take the precaution against having anyone see him and discovering his new power.  Artho lift his hands up to the point where they were in front of his eyes, he slowly started directing one of his  fingers of his right hand and carefully made a click on his left arm, while imagining what he would become: would he become some kind of superhero with big muscles and having everybody love him?.....
  Then something happened…  his shoulders and arms started growing spines, his fingers and toes were swelling up, his clothes started ripping and his shoes seemed to be getting tighter and tighter with each second.  His respiration started getting heavier and faster.  He lifted his now deformed hands in front of his eyes trying to understand what was happening when suddenly his skin started to change color to what seemed to be mushy mud mixed with blood.  He then started to quickly panic and tried double clicking himself as to change back into his normal human form, but it wasn’t working as to how it did when he would click a door handle or the walls in a building to change a design...
  Artho started running down the street to head home, people who saw him would start screaming monster and run away from him.  He then realized he was creating too much panic so he headed for another dark alley.  He waited for a few hours until it was about four in the morning.  He then came out of there when the coast seemed to be clear and walked down the sidewalk when his reflection appeared in front of a store window. He put his hands on his face and tried to get closer to his reflection.  He stared at himself for a while and repeated the words he heard people scream by the sight of him, “a monster”.  Suddenly... a familiar voice said, “well, do something about it then”.  Astonished he looked at the little girl not believing he was seeing her as if she had nothing to do with what was happening to him.  Suddenly Artho said, “you!” “it’s all your fault!” “ If you hadn’t given me this power, this would’ve never happened”.  The little girl let out half a smile and said, “ you’re only like this because you want to, I never told you to change yourself so others would like you or accept you when in reality you’re the one who had to work on the way you viewed yourself”.  She then disappeared into the mist early morning leaving Artho to think of what she had said.  A few days passed and finally he understood what the little girl had meant.  Without noticing he started thinking less and less of himself just because a few people decided to discriminate him.  As he realized that only what he thinks of himself matters, he started changing back to his normal human form without him even noticing.  He walked up to the corner store expecting people to scream and run away from him, but instead the old man at the register said, “ good morning Artho”.  Artho looked at this man astonished and touched his face realizing that his normal self was back, he sighted with relief and realized that the power of changing things with just a click wasn’t in him at all, it was just the little girl trying to open his eyes to the world one way or the other and this was the way she wanted Artho to learn from his own mistakes.       
picture retrieved from: http://wallpaper4me.com/wallpaper/Spiky-Demon-Monster/

Here today gone tomorrow

Here today gone tomorrow

Modern Fan fiction: based on short story “How The World Was Saved” by Stanislaw Lem

Kevin, middle aged man who was seen as a philosopher by many for his constant questioning of society and the world for the way human beings lived their life. His best friend Tyler was a well-known contractor that thrived on inventing new technology that would somehow change the world for the better and would keep his name in lights and to remain known as a very successful man.  They often debated over priorities and saw the way of the world from two completely different views. Kevin always felt that growing technology to him was damaging the world more so than helping it and as each new generation grows and a new generation follows they would become more and more materialistic and less realistic. Tyler was the exact opposite in the sense that new technology was the way of the world and with money and power you would live happier. They would often spend afternoons on a mountain side, Kevin reading a book and Tyler developing his next great prototype arguing over the meaning of life 

Kevin: what are you working on Tyler?

Tyler: I can’t say much until it’s complete but life from this machine on will be much easier. This machine will lead to even greater machines that will eventually make everyday life like a day at the beach.

Kevin: how could a machine make life that much easier?

Tyler: Just come over tomorrow and check it out and I’ll prove to you how this advancement will be the single greatest thing to happen to this world.

Kevin went home that night and pondered what would happen if something so essential to life wasn’t there one day and all the reliance on technology would soon mean nothing for survival. If the world could be inhabited millions of years ago without this technology what’s the big need for dependence on it now. Would human beings even know how to survive on their own without grabbing a cell phone and googleing answers? He eventually fell asleep and dreamt that all technology in the world didn’t function. Everyone woke up one morning to no electricity and had to learn to survive on just the knowledge they had.  The morning came and he was anxious to see the next greatest thing that Tyler had created but still couldn’t shake the thought of his dream of what would happen to the world with no technology. He made it to Tyler’s secret lab underground at his home and instantly demanded to see what had been created.

Kevin: okay. Where is it?

Tyler: first I need to explain what it is. This machine can control the solar system from the temperature from the sun, to when the sun shines, to what kind of weather I want for the day. For example today’s weather forecast is calling for not a single cloud in the sky with zero percent chance of rain. Now look outside and tell me what you see

Kevin: it’s pouring and it was just completely sunny only minutes ago. But I’m not convinced that was your machine that changed the weather.

Tyler: fair enough. If you could choose the act of weather for the next 10 minutes what would you want it to do?

Kevin: I want it to snow. But since it was just 75 degrees I don’t think it’s going to happen.

Tyler: it’s snowing right now.

Both move towards the window to look outside and see nothing but snowflakes falling from the sky. Taken back from amazement, Kevin stands speechless

                Kevin: that’s a serious machine, how does it work?

                Tyler: that’s a secret that nobody can know but it’s the greatest advancement in technology and it’s completely fail proof.

                Kevin: what else can this thing do?

                Tyler: it can do whatever you want it do that has to do with weather and the solar system.

                Kevin: that’s dangerous Tyler. Not only are you messing with millions of years of evolution but if something were to happen to that machine the entire world would be in danger.

                Tyler: trust me. There is nothing to worry about.

The two began to discuss the pros and cons on how the world would be with this new technology and just as they were going to turn the machine off the sun went black. The entire world was surrounded by darkness and instantly began to drop slightly in temperature.

                Kevin: what did you do? That’s not funny Tyler. The sun is more important than anything

                Tyler: I didn’t do anything and now the machine is stuck and won’t work. I don’t know how to fix this.

                Kevin: we have to do something! The entire world depends on this

                Tyler: You cannot tell a single soul about this. I’m getting out of here.

They both left the machine and ran outside to find friends and neighbors standing outside wondering what happened to the sun. They acted as if they had no idea and hoped this was all a bad dream. Within days the entire world began to freeze over. Nearly half of the world’s population had died and the other half was soon next. Eventually the entire population of the world was dead and all because of a malfunction in technology.