Warning: This is only a rough draft, it has not been edited yet. Also note, this is just my boredom so I took a common character everyone should know and used her to tell a different story. If you can figure out the lesson behind this not yet completed story, props to you. Lil' Red Let me tell you a story of a girl who lived in the middle of nowhere, call her Lil Red if you please. Such a girl walked miles to town to trade eggs for milk and bread. She wore a brown coat that came to her knees as it bellowed in the wind. Everyone stared and the boys would howl as she walked past, her daily trip to town seemed better than the last. The town folk usually kept the distance, calling out names as she strolled by; "Go home wolflet, your kind isn't welcome here." Yet, they never refused eggs from her grandmother's farm. She had gotten used to the screams and the cries of fear in the night. It was her mistake that led to this. She couldn't get control over the curse that held her hostage. She first changed when she turned 16, a beautiful white wolf took place. Still, every day she’ll walk the miles and deal with being outcasted. -------------------------------------------------- I walked into town one sunny morning my brown coat draped over my basket of eggs. The boys would howl and crack jokes yet I continued on her way. I smiled and waved at the one friend I had, he went by the name of Jack. He was kind and didn’t judge me the way those around him did. With his shaggy blonde hair, green eyes and stood at a horrifying six feet and eight inches. Jack was kind, he knew that there was something special about me. I could see it in his eyes but he didn’t know what I was. I had always wondered why he didn’t believe the townsfolk when they told him, but something told me that he was different. “Hey, Red I’m over here!” His voice was as sweet as heaven and his eyes were full of kindness. I still couldn’t get over the fact that he had chosen to be my friend, stuck up for me when I couldn’t do it myself, and he was there for me when I thought all was lost. I saw his expression and I knew it well; he was hiding something from me and usually it was something I could never repay him. He knew too well that I hated being given something that I could not return the favor. Yet, he always replied with: “One day, when I ask something of you just answer it with a yes and everything will have been repaid.” He never asked anything of me, only how many eggs I brought with me that day. Every day I would come and meet Jack and he would take my basket and leave for about an hour. Every day he came back with bread and milk and I never asked who he traded with, I was grateful that he would do it for me. The people of Edington hated me so that if I attempted to trade my eggs they would laugh and send me away. I believe that the people knew these eggs came from me but they never rejected Jack. He was the sweetest man anyone had ever met, having just recently turned 18 the town had thrown a party for him. A party that I was forced to watch from the hills a half mile away as they refused to let me in. It didn’t bother me though, after his party he came and found me in our secret hiding place; waiting to give him his birthday present, a bracelet gran helped me make out of scrap leather. “I know that face Jack, what have you done this time?” I smiled at him, climbing on the wagon to sit at the end of it. It was a tall wagon, my short five feet five inch self had to practically jump to be able to get on it. Usually Jack helped me up but today I wanted to prove that I didn’t need a man to help me with anything. “Oh nothing that you don’t deserve.” He walked over to the front of his wagon and pulled out something red and folded up into a square. I wondered what it was before he shook it out and I knew. Jack, oh Jack, what am I going to do with you? And what would I do without you? If only you knew how much I love you, but I am too afraid to tell you. So, I’ll just sit over here smiling like an idiot as I hope my cheeks aren’t turning red. “Jack! Oh, Jack, I cannot accept it. You know me better than that, something like this would make me feel terrible.” I sighed looking at the red coat, it would come down to my knees like my brown one would, with black loop buttons and a giant hood. It was beautiful and looked like something that Jack couldn’t afford. I knew he was having trouble making ends and that his farm wasn’t doing as well as it should be for this time of the year. We have had a drought for the past month and his crops were dying. “I know you better than you think, but this is something that I’ve been saving up to get you for a while now. And I won’t take no for an answer, so get your butt over here and try it on before I look like an idiot.” He shook the coat to make a statement and I laughed while obeying. The jump off the end of his wagon seemed to come like second nature these days. I watched him shake the coat again as I came up to him, he towered over me but it didn’t matter. He was perfect in my eyes and nothing he did could change that fact. I held out my arms as he slid the coat over my arms and felt him let go as it fell into place. It was perfect, everything about it fit exceptionally well. The arm length was wonderful, not too long and not too short. The length of the coat was wonderful as it stopped right above my knees. And lastly, the giant hood sat square in the middle of her back. He had reached up and flipped the hood over my light brown hair and I turned to look him dead in the eye. Glaring him down I then smiled twirling around. “So how does it look?” He didn’t have to say anything for me to understand how I looked, his facial expression was enough and I instantly knew I looked good in it. Our silence was broke by a handful of boys a few feet away. “Owwoooo! Look what the wolf brought in, look out Jack you might be her next meal.” They howled and cheered, snickered and leered, it was enough to make me mad and Jack grabbed onto my waist to pull me in. This was his normal; when the townsfolk would push me to the edge he usually pulled me into an embrace to keep me from going after them. There wasn’t much I could do, wasn’t much I wanted to do. The wolf thought otherwise; she was hungry and the thought of their necks dripping over her snout made her anxious for the next full moon. No, I cannot be thinking this way. I can’t keep thinking about how wonderful it would feel to rip into these people. To show them that they cannot harm me anymore. They are just people, they might anger and annoy me but I have to be better than them. You have to be better than them Red, it’s the only way you will survive. What was Jack saying? Shoot, I should have been listening to him. But he was probably saying something along the lines of “Don’t worry about them Red, they aren’t worth your time.” or asking me how many eggs I had today. Jack shook me out of my thoughts as I watched the boys laugh their way to whatever place they were going. It still angered me to see that they could be so judgemental; were they jealous or was it out of fear? He still had his hands on me, they felt wonderful but I knew it wouldn’t last as he didn’t feel the same way. If only I could tell him that I had fallen in love with him. Of course, no one would accept the fact that the farmer fell in love with a wolf. They would harass Jack and make him feel as bad as I do. I couldn’t let that happen, no matter what Jack was always there for me and I wouldn’t make him go through what I go through daily. He was always looking out for my safety, dragging him through this hell would be a crime against nature. “Earth to Red, this is Jack speaking, is anybody present?” He poked my nose, grinning before ruffling my hair. It was adorable to see him grin like a schoolboy even after the rude comments minutes earlier. Part of me wanted to kiss his cheek as thank you for the coat but the practical part of me told me not to. I glared at him as I ran up to give him a bear hug. I squeezed with all my might and laughed as he started poking me in the back trying to get me to let go. This was how our friendship worked; he would say something and I would reply with something he called “wolf like.” I believe Jack knew that I was a wolf yet he didn’t want to come to terms with it. He accepted the fact that every full moon I would tie myself up in the shed a mile away from gran’s house. He found me one day, naked in the shed, ever since then after the moon went down he would come and bring me food and clothes. Jack would always be there when I would run to his house in the middle of the night because boys would sit outside my window throwing rocks. “I’m here, just too busy thinking about how I’m doing to eat you for dinner to reply.” He busted out laughing, sitting down on his wagon he wiped away tears from his eyes. “Give me those eggs. While I’m gone I want you to sit here and think about how you are going to eat me. When I get back I want to hear about it in full detail, down to the ingredients you will use to cook me.” I watched him walk off to wherever he goes to trade my eggs, he turned the corner and I climbed back onto his wagon to wait for his return. I decided I would take a nap while I waited. I was dreaming and I knew I was dreaming. But it was a dream that I didn’t want to come out of. Jack and I were laying on a blanket out in his fields while Jerry, his dog, was running around us trying to get us to play. We were laughing as something Jerry did and he reached over to pull me closer to him. I rested my head on his chest, his musky forrest cologne came off him in giant waves. I always loved the way he smelled and I wondered if he bathed in pine needles to get the scent to stay on him. I was too embarrassed to ask him however, I just took in a deep inhale and closed my eyes. He held me tighter as I started to fall asleep on him. “I love you Red, you make me the happiest man in the world.” I hear his words in my ear before he picked me up and we started walking back towards his house. It was getting chilly out and I knew he would probably start the fire. We had made it back to his house and the smell of bacon breezed through. It made my mouth water just thinking about it, Jack always knew what to cook for dinner. Tonight I assumed we were having bacon, potatoes and eggs from the smell of bacon being slow cooked. Tomorrow was the full moon and Jack had the chains by the front door, I nearly tripped over them when walking in. Jerry ran in behind us and plopped down on his bed by the kitchen entrance, his breathing was the only other sound besides the bacon cooking. It was his dinner time and he stared me down before I went over to fill his food bowl. Jack was back in the kitchen pulling out the bacon and potatoes from the oven as I walked in. “Jack, I can cook the eggs. How would you like yours?” I walked in over to the stove, pulling out the cast iron skillet from the cabinet. I also grabbed the container of eggs from the fridge while waiting for his reply. “Whatever you want love is fine with me.” I smiled at him as I cracked two eggs open to scramble them. He came over and wrapped his strong arms around my waist and laid his head on my shoulder which is when I remembered to tell him the good news. “Jack, sweetie, I have to tell you something.” I paused turning around to look him in the eyes. “I know this will come as a shock to you, but I missed…” My dream ended abruptly as I was being shook awake, someone was shaking me and it didn’t make me feel very happy. Who in their right mind would wake me up, the only person who could do such was Jack. Anyone else try and wake me up will get a fist to their nose, believe me it has happened before. “Red! Hello! Red! Will you wake up for christ sake!” It was Jack and he was shaking me pretty hard now. I wondered what the emergency was because usually he would have just let me stay asleep. There was screams everywhere and something wet was in my hand, it didn’t feel right and I knew it wasn’t raining. I feared to look at what it was but I had a feeling that I already knew. “What Jack, what is going on?” I finally peeked over at my hand and to my amusement it was exactly what I thought it was; a human heart. I knew one day someone would try to do something like this, I just didn’t think today would be the day. Everything started falling in place; the sirens, the screaming, and the threats. I could hear their boots fall heavily on the ground and their guns being loaded. Every part of me told me to run but I was frozen there in place, still coming to realize that someone is trying to frame me. I couldn’t believe someone is trying to get me killed but it didn’t surprise me. I knew that the people here didn’t like me, it was only a matter of time before someone tried anything. “They think you killed a kid named Fredrick, his heart was cut out of him. I know it was cut out of him and not ripped out because you ripped out one of my cattle’s hearts one day. This one was cut because of all the sharp edges. But they still think you did it, I assume that’s his heart in your hand. Whoever did it has done a swell job making it look like you did. There’s blood on your face and it’s all over your sleeve. Come on, Red, say something. We have to get you out of here. We have to get you somewhere safe.” He was pushing me under his wagon blanket now, I was still frozen from shock. I didn’t have to say anything for him to know it wasn’t me, but I still couldn’t get words to come out of my mouth. I couldn’t find the strength to speak so I didn’t, I sat there and tears came crashing down my face. I heard him climb up into the front and tap his reins as his horse, Midnight, galloped off in the opposite direction of his farm. “Where is she! Where is the wolf! Find her!” I could hear the Mayor of Edington scream at the top of his lungs. I shivered at the memory of when I changed one full moon on my 16th birthday. That was the day that my life changed and I was singled out as a monstrosity. I could remember it almost as easily as I can remember every detail on Jack’s face, it came crashing back from the pit I buried it in. It was a beautiful night out and the town of Edington had hung banners and balloons around the city in the colors of red, white, and black. They were my favorite colors and somehow the town knew it, I came believe granny had told them. I walked in that night with Jack by my side, we have been friends for ages and he always seemed to think we would always be friends. Jack was my neighbor across the fields, his father was a farmer and wasn’t doing very well. Jack had started taking over work for his father and the skinny boy I knew started filling into his tall frame. He started to get a tan and his shaggy blonde hair that was always curly framed his muscular face. The sun did wonders on him and he knew it, all the girls in town wanted him and he shunned them away saying “There is only one girl for me but she doesn’t know it yet.” I had always assumed that the girl he was talking about was Jess Perry; black hair that came to the middle of her back, eyes the color of the sea, and a wonderful height of five ten. She was the only girl that could deny Jack and it was a sin to deny him. “Happy Birthday Red!” The townsfolk would say to me as I walked by on my way to the courtyard. That is where Jack told me to go to ask he left me at the gates to Edington. He had said “Meet me in the courtyard but follow the balloons, do not take any other path.” And that is what I did, the countless of people who popped out in front of me to offer me a rose or dance around me was amusing. But I knew they were probably just doing it to stall me as I knew Jack probably had something up his sleeve. I had finally made it to the last part before the square as I got stopped by a group of people who started to sing. They were singing “Happy Birthday” to me, after each person was done they all handed me a rose and let me finally walk out into the courtyard. There in the midst of it was a giant cake half the size of me and Jack was found right behind it with a giant grin on his face. I walked up to him them dropping the almost two dozen of roses in my hands on the table as I gave him a hug, tears streaming down my face. “Happy Birthday Red.” He had whispered in my ear and he turned me around to look at the giant cake he probably had to save up for months to buy. It was beautiful; three tier white frosting caking with black flowers and red vines. I had never in my life seen something more beautiful and delicate that I was afraid to eat it. If I could have I would have saved it to look at it for the years to come. But as I was cutting into it with the knife Jack presented that’s when the pain started. I doubled over dropping the knife onto the ground and Jack quickly came up to see if I was alright. I heard him run off to go get the doctor that was sleeping three streets over which is when I felt it. It felt as if every fiber in my body was bursting and I dropped to my knees, my teeth were screaming. I reached up to feel them and as I did I could see white hair sprout on the back of my hand, my teeth were longer and I felt my canines touch my lips. It wasn’t possible as my mouth was open but as soon as it started it ended. I had slouched over and felt my entire body go through pain that lasted less than twenty seconds. There was a gasp among the crowd and I looked up at them, but it was different now. Everyone was taller than I was and I could hear everything much clearer. I knew there was something wrong and I walked over to the fountain and peered inside. But what I saw staring back as me was the moment I knew that I would never be normal again. Instead of my light brown hair and light green eyes I saw a white wolf with dashing blues eyes. I couldn’t believe it and as I sat down to look up I saw the full moon shine. It was when I hear Jack’s voice coming closer that I ran out of town as fast as my wolf legs would carry me. I didn’t want him to see me like this, I didn’t want him to know about it. I raced home to find granny sitting on the porch and she knew instantly who it was. It was later that I found out the gene was hereditary and that granny was praying that I didn’t carry it. Turns out that I did but she smiled and told me it was going to be fine, we would get through this. “Jack, I’m sorry that I had to be such a bad friend. You don’t deserve having to run out of town because of me. I can understand if you stop and tell me to get lost and to never see you again. I wouldn’t want to see me either after all the things I have put you through.” I was whispering but I knew he could hear me. I knew he was listening intently on me to make sure he caught whatever I had to say. I still didn’t know where we were going but I had an idea and that was good enough for me. "You are not a bad friend, Red. Don't ever say that again because you and I both know that you are the best friend anyone could ask for." He turned off the road and stopped. I heard him jump down and walk over to the end of it and peek under the blanket. "I think you're safe to come out now, they didn't follow me out of town." He pulled the blanket back and sat next to me on the end pulling me to lean against him. I knew where we were, a place hidden from sight because of all the trees. The path to get here was overgrown with shrubs that you would have to be on foot to even notice it. It was our secret hiding place, just being here made me feel safer. “Why don’t you run from me like the rest do? Why don’t you call me names like they do? You would have every right to do it and I don’t blame you, I’m a freak because of my parents and I will always be a slave of the full moon.” I sighed heavily laying my head against his hard chest, the feel of his muscles under me was comforting. I knew he worked hard to be in the shape he was as I knew he took pride in his work. But Jack could have any girl he wanted yet he chose to stay around with me. I could never understand it and I believe I never want to either. “Because I am not like the other people, I look at you and see a beautiful lady who will grow up to be astonishing. I see a woman with what she thinks is a problem and I think it’s a beautiful flaw...” He was playing with my hair and it started to put me asleep; he was still talking but I dozed out of consciousness. It smelled of smoke, like the burning of pine trees and cedar. I knew that smell but I couldn’t place it. I was running from the screams, I was running from the noise. Or was I running toward it? It didn’t matter, there was someone important that needed me, I could feel it. I was running on all fours, my white paws hitting the ground and picking up again. I recognized this area of the woods but where I recognized it wasn’t coming back to me. A voice rose up from the sea of voices. My brain knew who it was but I couldn’t place a name to it. “You can’t kill her! She is still a person even if she takes a different shape one day a month!” I could make out what he was saying just barely over the waves of others in protest. But who was it? Who was he talking about and why? A woman screamed then and my instincts roared with flame, I knew who that was and so did my wolf half. She knew who was screaming; gran was in trouble and it didn’t sound good. I ran faster than I have in my life coming up to granny’s house I saw the townsfolk surrounding it with torches in their hand. Grandma’s house was on fire and she was stuck inside banging on the doors that were boarded closed. I jumped through the crowd of people, snipping at the legs of those I ran through. Getting closer I could see Granny in the window looking at me. I was going to jump through the burning window to try getting her out. She knew my plan and shook her head saying something that I couldn’t understand. I assumed it was “Don’t come in, it’s what they want. I love you Red.” I sat there and howled as the fire consumed her and my home. Someone came up behind me and patted my back. “It will be ok Red, I will take care of you.” It was that voice again, the voice that I knew and he was whispering in my ear. It gave me shivers and I stood to shake it off when another voice boomed over the others. “Get her! Capture her! Don’t let her get away!” I looked up at the person speaking and growled. My fur standing up and my sharp teeth were showing, he looked afraid but instead pulled a long butchers knife from his belt. “Go, Red, you know where to go. I will meet you there in the morning.” The voice scratched between my ears and I bolted off behind the house. Taking a left I sprinted off towards the hills, the humans would never catch me. I wasn’t afraid they were going to but I didn’t slow down. I ran as hard as I could, my lungs screamed to stop but I kept going till I reached the top of the hill. I could see the town from my perch, I sat back and let out a long sad howl before I curled up and waited. I woke up startled and Jack sat up quickly, looking around he let out a sigh of relief. Sometime while I was asleep he had pulled me farther into his empty wagon and had me laying on his chest with the blanket wrapped around us. It was night now, meaning we had slept for at least four hours. Sweat was dripping off me in buckets as I shivered from the cold night wind. “What, what is it Red? Did you have a nightmare or something? Everything will be ok, I promise.” He pulled me in closer to him as we sat leaning against the side rails. “Do you smell that?” I ignored his question as the air around us was filled with burning cedar and smoke. I prayed that my nightmare wasn’t coming true as I looked up into the sky. Sure enough there was the moon. “Shoot, tonight is the full moon. Please, you need to leave.” I screamed as I felt the moon come to it apex and the change washed over me. I threw off my red coat and quickly went about taking off my clothes in fear for ruining another set. Granny would be furious if I ruined another as we didn’t have the money to buy new ones until next month. “I am not leaving you, it’s time I saw what my future wife would become each month.” His words startled me but I couldn’t find the breath to say anything as another groan of pain escaped my mouth. It didn’t hurt as much as it did the first time, but it still hurt to the point where I cried. The transformation lasted less than a minute, within seconds I was on all fours as my white fur took place of skin. I sneezed from the intense smells of forest around me. The smoke I smelled earlier was heavily dominant in my nostrils, I had a sense that my dream was about to come true. Glancing over at Jack, my wolf instincts kicked in and I motioned for him to follow me. I assumed he understood as he quickly ran to the front of his wagon to unhitch it and he jumped onto his horse as I ran in front of it. His horse, Nightmare, a beautifully powerful horse took me in quickly and figured I wouldn’t hurt him as I ran off into the distance, following my sense of smell towards the smoke. Jack was on my tail riding Nightmare bareback as Nightmare snorted. “That as fast as you can go little wolf?” Nightmare was flaunting as he closed the distance between us to run alongside of me. “I don’t know ponyboy, how do you fare in the forest?” Dashing off into the woods I heard Jack groan as a branch slapped him in the face as Nightmare snorted. “Is this is? I can do this in my sleep.” “Don’t be so stuck up pony because these are my woods. Watch your step, I wouldn’t want you to fall or anything. Not that I would care, I am more worried about what would happen to Jack.” I spotted a tree coming up as I jumped over it, Nightmare followed suit as Jack was laying on his horse's’ neck hanging on for his life. We were making fast progress and I could smell the smoke getting denser, we must be close. “Red, if I survive this I might end up killing you myself.” I could hear Jack laugh as I rounded the next corner and slowed down. I recognized the house; my nightmare was coming true. Gran’s house was being burned down as the townsfolk were leering, they were screaming and laughing in their pride of thinking that I was with Gran in the inferno. I could hear them talking amongst the crowd saying they were happy I was gone. Some were worried what they did was wrong as Gran didn’t deserve this. A select few were talking quietly, they were worried that I wasn’t in the house that was burning down, they were worried that I was getting ready to kill them.