The Last Grimm_Red's Hood

by H. L. Wampler

  “Why are you stubborn?”

  I just turned and started walking away, I didn’t need a babysitter.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I wanted to hate that he was trying so hard and being so stubborn, but it was just so damn hard. He wasn’t the type of guy a person hated. He wasn’t the sort to stay mad at. I wasn’t the type of girl to put up with stalkers though.

  “You know, stalking is illegal,” I said climbing the stairs of the newspapers building.

  “It’s not stalking if you know I’m with you.”

  “I can get a restraining order against you,” I said reading the directory near the front door.

  “It would never be granted.”

  “You’re creeping me out.”

  “Someone has to protect you and convince you to do what you have to do.”

  “I don’t have to do anything,” I said walking to the front desk of the advertisement department. I handed over the sheet of paper and a billing receipt.

  “Come on,” he grabbed my hand, and drug me off through the building back into the cold.

  “Kidnapping is illegal to,” I said.

  “I’m not kidnapping you.”

  “Where are you taking me then?”

  “To get some lunch and talk.”

  “I don’t want to go to lunch with you.”

  “Will you just talk to me?” he asked.

  “That’s okay. I’m ordering out and eating in my office,” I grumbled.

  “No. You are sitting down with me, and we are talking,” he hovered over me, staring down into my eyes.

  I felt like I was two inches tall. I felt like a child being scolded for misbehaving; I let him drag me into an Au Bon Pain that was a few blocks away. Connor sat across from me, slowly stirring his coffee. I stared at him. I was so mad and frustrated. He just would not leave me alone.

  “Are you going to listen now? Or sit there and give me dirty looks the entire time?”

  I thought for a bit. I really didn’t want to listen to anything he had to say. I didn’t even want to look at him, but I relented. Plus I wanted time to eat my Panini.

  “You have five minutes,” I grumbled while taking a bite of my sandwich.

  “Alright, I think I can do five minutes,” he sat there, not talking, “Are you going to eat while I go through this?”

  “It’s my lunch hour, so yes, I am.”

  He sighed deeply, obviously annoyed, but I ignored it.

  “I know you’re upset and confused. This is a big deal, it’s dangerous, and you’ve been thrown in the middle of it all. You don’t want to believe any of this is true, and I don’t blame you. But you have to, Abigail, you’re the only hope.”

  “I’m not this mighty hero you think I am. I’m just me. Just Abigail,” I protested.

  “Yeah, you're just a girl with the ability to read beings into and out of stories. You are a Grimm, guardian of the realms.”

  “That is so ridiculously ludicrous. This isn’t some fantasy movie, Connor. This is real life. Real people are dying all around us. This is something for the police to handle. Not me.”

  Chomp, chomp, chomp. I tried chewing as loudly as possible.

  “The police cannot deal with this sort of problem. This is not a police matter,” he said trying to keep his voice low.

  “Problem? I think it was a problem when wolves invaded downtown Pittsburgh. This, whatever it is, has surpassed problem. Frankly it is a seriously fucked up situation that I want no part of. Yesterday was more than enough to last me a life time.”

  “Abigail, it’s the fairy tales. Do you think cops are going to believe it?”

  “You don’t know if the cops would believe this? How can you expect me to believe any of it?”

  “Why is it so hard to believe? Are you that close minded that you can’t even entertain the thought that something so amazing can exist? You saw the wolf. You saw the man change. How can you doubt that?”

  “Oh so it’s okay for cops to be that close minded, but not me? Connor, this is all so unbelievable. Another world? I mean, come on, if the shoe was on the other foot, would you believe me?”

  He sat there silently, diverting his eyes to the cold coffee.

  “Exactly,” I lifted my own cup to my lips, but paused, “How do you know about all of this anyways?”

  He stopped sipping, and looked at me like a deer caught in headlights.

  “Well? How do you know everything? I mean if this is supposed to be so hush-hush, why do you know?”

  “I didn’t tell you?

  “No, Connor, you didn’t,” I replied coldly.

  “Oh, okay,” he let his eyes dart back to the mug again, and quit talking.

  “You know, this no way to get me to believe your bullshit. You need to be honest with me.”

  Sighing heavily he lowered the mug, “I’m from the fairy tale world. Okay.”

  “What?”

  “I’m, well, simply, I’m the huntsman. That’s how I know about all of this.”

  “I’m sorry, the who?”

  “From the story Little Red Riding Hood, the huntsman who saves Red and kills the wolf? I’m him.”

  “Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that I’m supposed to believe you are the huntsman?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, huntsman, then how is it that we ended up working together?”

  “Fate? Luck? That really was a coincidence,” he shrugged his shoulders.

  Why is he being so nonchalant? He is acting like this is no big fucking deal.

  “Fine, then chalk it up to fate,” I licked my lips and thought for another second, “If you’re the huntsman, from a fairy tale, does that mean you aren’t real?”

  “Yes I’m real. I just don’t belong here.”

  “How long have you been here?” I asked staring into his young face.

  “Sixteen years.”

  “And, exactly, how old are you?”

  “Twenty-one.”

  “You’ve been killing the evil wolves since you were five?” I asked incredulously.

  “No, my father was the huntsman before me, and his father before him. It’s passed down in my family like your duty is. When the evil was brought here, it somehow figured out a way to bring out the evil in other stories. My father and I ended up getting sucked through the story too.”

  “Sucked through the story?”

  “Yes. It was weird. One minute we were walking through the woods, the next there was this weird tunnel thing that just sucked us through it and we ended up here. ”

  “You don’t know how it happened? Or who?”

  “No. It took us a while to figure out that was the Great Evil, but I do not know who it is.”

  “The Great Evil? Who is this great evil? What is it?”

  “Yes, the unquestioned leader of all bad things in the fairy tale world. She’s the queen. One woman proclaimed herself the undeniable queen of all fairy tales. She’s the same person in most stories, just different names. That is one thing your ancestors had wrong. They didn’t realize she was all the same person.”

  “That is interesting. Since you’re the huntsman now, does that mean…” I let my voice tail off.

  “My father is dead? Yes, he was killed a few years ago.”

  “Oh.”

  “Believe me now?”

  “Not completely,” I muttered.

  “What else can I say or do to get you to listen?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Abigail, you have to listen.”

  “Look, Connor, I’m sorry, but I can’t buy all of this; the crazy letter that was supposedly written by my dad, the books, the attack, and now you. That is a lot to process in such a short amount of time.”

  “I do know. You don’t think my entire life hasn’t been chaos? My mother has no idea my father is dead or that I’m alive. I’ve been on my own, struggling to survive, and save as many people as I can from those wolves since I was fourteen,” he said.

  I hadn’t
thought about what he had gone through. His struggle has been going on for a lot longer than mine. I felt like such an asshole.

  “Hypothetically, if I believe you, what do I have to do?”

  “Find who is behind all of this and stop them.”

  “How do I find that out?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “That’s awesome, Connor. I have no way to figure out who the Great Evil is.”

  “Maybe read through the books your father left for you. Maybe there is something in there.”

  “Okay, we’ll try that.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah, we. You got me into all of this, you’re helping me.”

  He looked up at me in stunned silence. He must have thought that since I was finally agreeing to do this that he was off the hook for helping. That wasn’t going to happen. There was no way I would go at evil shape shifting wolves and some mysterious evil one my own. I stared back at him intently. I wasn’t going to back down. If I was going to help, and believe all of this, someone was going to be there. So it may as well be the one person who knew all about this craziness.

  As we left the small café, heading back to work, things were silent. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts; I almost forgot Connor was right next to me. I had no idea where to even start with my new found problem. Do I go after the leader of this crazed shape-shifting wolf pack? Or try and find this Great Evil? The clouds had let up a bit, and the sun was actually shining. Okay, it was shining as much as it did in the winter. I was so lost in my own mind, that I didn’t notice Connor reaching for me. As he grabbed onto my arms, turning me to face him, I glanced up into his smoldering eyes. We stood there, quiet. Even with the silence, it was like he was speaking a million words with his eyes. They were begging and pleading. The snow whipped around us. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. It was like he hypnotized me, trapped me there in his gaze. The howling wind was nothing more than background noise against my pounding heart. The cold wind swept around my body like a lover’s embrace. I could tell from the gleam in his eyes, so bright yet somewhat dangerous, he wanted me to do something foolish. He wanted me to initiate the first kiss. I reached my hands up, and stroked his cheek before finally running my fingers through his hair. Masculine and spicy, his scent invaded my senses. I glanced at his lips, only inches from my own. The only thing left to do was tilt my head back, and stand on my tip toes to let our lips touch. I closed my eyes, pursed my lips, and tried to push him away, which only made him pull me in closer. I wanted him. No, I craved him. Every fiber of my being quivered under his touch. My body ached to be his. I had never had such a wanton need for one person before. He had created such intense feelings in me. There was such a burning desire that I knew could never be. This was a forbidden love.

  He was the forbidden fruit.

  “We can’t,” I whispered longingly in his ear.

  “Why? There is nothing stopping us.”

  I pushed more, finally breaking his grasp. My legs felt like Jell-O, and small shudders rocked my body. I longed to be in his arms, but he wasn’t going to be around forever.

  What the hell am I doing?

  “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.

  “What are we doing?”

  “Nothing right now, but I would like to kiss you,” he reached out for me.

  “I know that, but why? I’m supposed to be mad at you.”

  “Are you?”

  “Not when you act like this.”

  “Like what?” he cooed while nibbling my ear.

  “Connor, stop. There is so much going on, should we even get involved?”

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  I stared into his blue eyes, the longing and want in them made me want to say no, but I knew I had to say yes. He wasn’t from here anyway. Once all was said and done, he’d be leaving and I would be alone again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “I don’t know if we’re allowed to do this.”

  “Who’s here to stop us?” he asked.

  “Aren’t there rules or something?”

  “I don’t think anyone expected people from our worlds to be attracted to one another.”

  “I don’t see how this could be allowed.”

  “Why not?” he asked.

  “You’re from another world, Connor. If it weren’t for some freak accident, you wouldn’t even be here.”

  “But I am.”

  “For how long though? Don’t you plan on going back once this is over?”

  He just pulled me closer to his body, holing me tight, “Don’t worry about that right now.”

  “I don’t want to get attached to you, and you leave,” I whimpered.

  He said nothing. I knew he wanted to go home, and I couldn’t blame him. The problem with that was I didn’t want to send him back. We stood there for a few long moments, embracing each other. Neither of us saying what needed to be said, neither of us wanting to let the other go. But we knew that it couldn’t last. I knew he would be another man to disappoint if I let him. The tears welled in my eyes, and slowly slid down my cheeks. It was so ridiculous for me to get this worked up over a guy I’d met a few short days ago, and has since been driving me insane. Something about him though kept me there. I didn’t want the embrace to end. I didn’t want him to go back to being a fairy tale. I wanted to keep him real. I wanted to keep him with me. He had to be mine. The crazy feeling was so foreign to me. I wasn’t an attention crazed person. I hated this so much.

  “Let’s run away together. Somewhere nobody will find us,” I mumbled while burying my head into his chest, ignoring the fact it was a completely crazy thought.

  “We can’t, Abigail. We have to stop the wolves and the Great Evil.”

  “Let’s let them go. They’ve been just fine all this time.”

  “People are dying, Abigail. Things are not fine. We can’t let wolves run free to eat people.”

  I knew he was right. I couldn’t go on knowing that people were walking around wearing red hoods, and risking being eaten by some crazy shape shifting person. I did not want to admit that he was right. I knew he was, but I did not want to admit it.

  “We need to get back to work,” he said rubbing my arms.

  “I know.”

  The day went by slowly. I did whatever I could to stay in my office. My mind wasn’t on my work. I felt so distracted, and nothing I did could make me focus on the mountain of paperwork that sat on the corner of the desk. I threw my pencil down and put my head in my hands. I sat there a few moments before looking up. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice the large, white box tied with a red ribbon sitting on the small sofa. Not moving from my chair, I stared at it; not entirely sure if it was really there or not. I knew it wasn’t there this afternoon when I left for my errand, and it definitely wasn’t there this morning. Who had been in my office, and why would they bring a gift here? I better open it! I got up, and headed across the room. I sat next to the box and looked for a card. A small white envelop was tucked into the ribbon on the front.

  “What is this?” I said to myself quietly, “Abigail Grimm. Well at least I know it’s for me.”

  The mystery gift wasn’t super heavy. About as heavy as a winter jacket would be, but why would someone send me a jacket?

  I tugged at the satin ribbon and let it fall to the floor. Cautiously I pulled the lid off the box and placed it on the sofa. Inside laid a soft, velvety fabric. It was an amazingly beautiful shade of red with tiny red and white gemstones swirled around the outside of it. I pulled the fabric out and realized it was a long cape. The lining of it was a very shiny, brightly colored red. I held the cloak out in front of me to examine it closer. I looked around to make sure nobody was peeping in my window. Once I was sure that I was really alone, I swung the cloak onto my shoulders. The fabric was even softer than it looked. It felt so right on. I twirled in little circles letting the fabric envelope me.

  “Where did you get that?” a surprised voice asked behind me
.

  I spun to see Connor’s shocked face.

  “Connor!” I gasped.

  “Abigail, where did that cape come from?”

  “I don’t know. It was sitting over on the sofa when I got back.”

  “So you just tried it on?” he asked steadily raising his voice.

  “My name was on the little card attached to the box,” I bent over to get the card for him.

  “Of course it is! Don’t you see what’s going on?” he shouted knocking it out of my hand.

  “What is wrong with you?”

  “Aren’t you even a little curious to know who sent you a red cloak?”

  “Maybe a little,” I mumbled while swishing the beautiful garment around my feet.

  “She must have found out who you are and where you are.”

  “Who?” I asked not really paying attention.

  “The Great Evil. The woman who is causing serious hell around here right now.”

  “How do you know it’s a woman?”

  “All the villains in fairy tales are women,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “All of them?” I asked skeptically.

  “Well, a majority,” he stared at the cape tied around my neck, “Did that card say who it was from?”

  “No, it had my name on it. Someone left me a present.”

  “So you thought to put it on? How do you know it’s not from the great queen?”

  “It’s pretty. Look at the sparkles!” I said running my hand along the gems on the back.

  “Yeah it’s pretty. It’s also an amazing replica, maybe even the real red riding hood cloak.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I am the huntsman.”

  “You’ve been here for sixteen years.”

  “I saw it all the time as a kid. It’s not something you just forget. Now take that thing off.”

  “I don’t want to,” I stated flatly.

  “You have to, Abigail. Who knows what has been done to it.”

  “Nothing has been done to it, Connor. It’s just pretty red fabric someone mysteriously left here as a gift for me.”

  Connor lunged forward, grabbing for the twisted cord that kept the cape attached to me. I desperately tried getting away from him, but it was no use, his lunge was longer than my trip backwards. He managed to grasp one of the cords and tugged on it. The neat little bow at the front of my neck came undone, and the cape slid off my shoulders. I stood there looking down at the sparkling, crumpled heap at my feet and suddenly felt so naked. The clothes I had on felt like nothing. I dropped to my knees grabbing at the cloak fiercely trying to get it back on. Connor grabbed it out of my hands, and threw it across the room where it lay in a corner like a discarded rag. He clutched my wrists together and drug me to my feet.