Lori pulled out a fragment of mirror from her pocket. ‘Fine. But you will never escape this winter wonderland.’ The mirror grew until it was the size of Snow. ‘The only way in is through here, and the only way out is to leave through this mirror’—she paused for effect—‘with your true love!’
Snow swung her sword through the air, and Lori turned into black mist. Hook lunged at Snow. She plunged the sword into his stomach.
She then turned to Stilt. ‘You.’ She laughed. ‘You’re a pain too. You’re going to help him guard the mirror,’ she said, turning him into a caterpillar.
She looked at the mirror and tried to smash it but did nothing so much as even dent it. ‘Croon, Tide, we need to find everyone left in Neverland.’
Croon looked around. ‘Doesn’t look much like Neverland anymore,’ he said as everything turned into the oddest colours. Some of the leaves turned purple and orange, and the toadstools grew to four times their size. ‘It’s a wonderland.’
‘Wonderland, it is,’ Snow said with ferocious eyes. ‘And I am its Queen of Hearts!’
Want to learn more about Red’s childhood?
HOODED RED
Sanity is, insanity does, forever is long enough,
Lurking in the woods is a creature so tough
He is not bad; he is not good.
He is trapped in a world which the only thing that matters
Is a girl in a red hood.
CHAPTER ONE
Ruby was picking primroses in the garden. The small shack, which she, her father, and two brothers called home, sat in the centre of the enchanted woods. Every tree glistened in the sunlight, giving everything a magical feel. Each leaf more vibrant than the previous. The garden, in which a well sat in the centre, was littered with beautiful primroses, bluebells, and daisies. Her grandmother, who lived in another shack not far from their home, was her favourite person in the world. Unfortunately, a witch had placed a curse on her grandmother.
Her grandmother craved the flesh of her family. Fortunately, for Ruby, she was not blood family.
She remembered little of her younger years. All she knew was that she grew up near a palace in a far land. When her mother and father died from pox, Jorim and his wife, Penny, adopted her.
Jorim cared for the wolves of the forest. Ruby heard them howl as they approached the garden. They protected her and the family. In exchange, Jorim treated their wounds, fed them, and gave them shelter in a homemade stable of sorts.
A wolf appeared by their garden one evening. The moon came out, looking bright and clear against the starless black sky, and illuminated the wolf’s features. It looked unlike any other wolf she had encountered. On all fours, it rose until it was standing on its hind legs, taking on a human-like stature. Ruby froze. Its black piercing eyes were fixated on Ruby’s. Its fur was grey and matted, and its canines were yellow and dripping with saliva. She felt a cold breeze dance down her spine until every hair on her body was standing erect. Panicked, she took a few steps back, but then the wolf opened his mouth and spoke. ‘I need help.’
His voice, gruff and menacing, was enough to show that he should not be trusted.
‘Wolves cannot talk,’ Ruby replied. She stood in the same place and eyed the special bagged herbs that hung from branches, circling the garden. They kept evil away.
‘I’m special … like you.’
Ruby furrowed her dark eyebrows. ‘I am not special.’
‘Oh, but you are,’ the wolf said and leaned against a tree. ‘I have been watching you.’ The wolf licked his lips. ‘You are kind; you help others. But,’ he said, holding up a finger, ‘you have a dark side too, especially for someone so young. I watched you take pleasure in killing the ants. When you dropped the rabbit down the well to drown.’
‘No,’ she cried. ‘It was an accident. I never meant to kill Mr. Puddles.’
The wolf grinned mischievously. ‘I saw you laugh as he struggled.’
Ruby shook her head vigorously. ‘No, I didn’t. It was an accident.’ Tears fell down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her tummy. She was so cold. Her brothers took all of the rags and blankets for themselves, leaving Ruby cold all the time. Her father and grandmother were the only two who showed Ruby any affection.
‘You hate your brothers,’ the wolf said, still grinning.
‘I will not help you, ever. I am going to get my father.’
The wolf’s expression darkened. He was dangerously close to losing his temper but could do nothing while the herbs were up. Jorim made sure that only he, Ruby, and the brothers could touch them.
‘You are cold,’ the wolf said. Ruby carried on walking back to the shack. ‘I can make all of this go away; including your brothers,’ the wolf shouted after her.
‘How?’ Ruby turned, shivering.
‘I’ll make sure they leave this forest.’
Ruby’s lip quivered. ‘I don’t want them to get hurt.’
The wolf smiled a sinister smile that unnerved Ruby. ‘I promise that nothing will happen to your brothers by my hand. I will not harm them.’ He pricked his finger and blood dropped onto a leaf. He pushed the leaf onto the border of the garden. Ruby edged her way closer to the leaf. Everyone knew that a blood promise was the most binding contract in all the lands. Cautiously, she stretched out her hand and took the leaf. She was thankful the wolf didn’t grab her hand in the second it was over the safety of the border. Pricking her own finger, she held it over the leaf then stopped the blood with her other hand. ‘First, before I do this. If I let you in, you must not harm me.’
The wolf held up his hands and nodded. ‘I will not harm you, little one.’
‘And I want something to keep me warm.’
‘Of course. I have a red cloak I can give you.’
Ruby looked up at his eyes. Swirling grey circled the pupils, like souls swimming in a pool of black. ‘What do you want in exchange?’
‘I want one meal and a binding friendship from you. I miss having company. Also, I want the rest of the wolves locked up when I come.’
Ruby nodded and let the blood drip from her finger and onto the leaf. The two blood drops swirled, glowed darker, and then dissolved into nothing.
‘It is done,’ she whispered. A knotted feeling in her tummy showed up with force. The wolf, back on all fours, ran off to get the cloak and make his preparations, and Ruby was left feeling sick.
When she walked back into the shack, her brothers were asleep on the floor, both snoring loudly. They were big men, both nineteen and more muscular than Jorim was, and all they cared about was getting out of the forest and making coins. Ruby had hoped they’d have left by now, but still, they stayed. Jorim was asleep in the back room, and she was still so very cold. She tried to take one of the many blankets that Crone, the biggest brother, had wrapped around him. She tugged and panicked when she heard him groan.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Crone asked nastily.
‘I’m so cold,’ she admitted. She was shaking.
‘Not my problem.’
‘I’ll tell Daddy,’ she said.
‘He hasn’t believed you all this time, so why would he now? Plus, if you tell him, I will throw you into the fire and make it look like an accident,’ he promised and went back to sleep. She curled up in a damp corner and tried to sleep.
CHAPTER TWO
The wolf returned the following day. Crone was tending to wolves in the stable, and her father was cutting wood. Grin, the second brother, was probably still asleep.
‘Come with me. If the wolves sense me here, they will kill me,’ he said. Ruby hesitated but then remembered their blood promise.
‘I must take some biscuits and jam to Grandma anyway. Would you like to come with me?’ she asked.
He nodded. She ran back inside and packed a small weaved basket with some delicious biscuits that Jorim had made for her. Jorim couldn’t see his mother due to the curse but always passed messages and gifts through Ruby. She found her father, kissed him
on the cheek, and walked out of the safety of the garden. As promised, the wolf did nothing to try to harm her but simply walked next to her for the journey.
‘My father and mother died from pox,’ Ruby informed the wolf. She had learned that the wolf was called Redell, but she called him Red for short.
‘My mother and father died too. But they were killed by a woodcutter,’ Red said.
‘No.’ She gasped. ‘Anyone we may know?’
He shook his head. ‘No.’
‘I have always felt like I don’t belong here. Father and Grandma love me very much, but they are the only ones.’ She hung her head and walked at a slower pace. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever be favoured as much as his real children are.’
Red walked on hind legs, towering over Ruby. He looked down at her and cooed, ‘Poor, Ruby.’
She pouted. ‘You’re the first person who’s listened to me.’
He nodded and smiled as kindly as he could. ‘You deserve to be treated better.’
A little shack came into view; next to it was a large apple tree, and a small path that curved to the left, passing a rose bush.
‘We’re here. You must stay out here, Red. She’ll freak if she sees you.’
‘Of course, my dear.’
Ruby stepped into the shack and put the basket down on the table. Unknowing to her, Red watched through one of the small windows. ‘Grandma,’ she shouted.
‘Ruby,’ her grandma exclaimed and embraced Ruby in a tight hug. She fiddled with her grey hair, removing the pink rollers, and pulled off her apron. ‘How’s your father and brothers?’
‘Fine,’ Ruby said and smiled.
‘Crone still giving you grief?’ she asked, trying to sound sympathetic, but she could hardly believe that her favourite grandson would act the way that Ruby made him out too.
‘Still being horrible, but it’s okay. I’m sure he will stop soon.’
‘Of course,’ her grandma said and ruffled Ruby’s dark brown hair. Ruby looked up at her grandma patiently. Her eyes shone a deep blue, melting her grandma Vera’s heart. ‘Would you like a cookie, dear? Some warm milk?’
Ruby nodded, giving Vera a toothy smile.
‘Grandma, you know the herbs that Father put up. Do they only keep away evil things?’
‘No, dear.’ She laughed. ‘Has your father not told you?’ Ruby shook her head, and Vera sighed. ‘Many years ago, your father had a daughter. He named you after her, actually. You were called May.’
Ruby gasped. ‘He never said.’
‘No, well, it’s not mentioned anymore. The incident left all of them heartbroken.’
Vera wiped a tear from under her eye and continued. ‘Two wolves, cunning as they were, had a son. They needed to feed him. These two wolves were special. They were immortal. However, they must feed on human flesh once every ten years; if not, they die. Well, they needed to eat and so did their son. He was only a cub, poor little thing, didn’t know what he was doing.’
‘What was his name?’ Ruby gulped, all of a sudden feeling a little lightheaded.
‘Redell, I believe.’
Ruby put her hands over her mouth and closed her eyes. ‘Everything okay, dear?’
‘Fine, Ruby lied. ‘So what happened?’
‘Well, our little Ruby was picking flowers in the garden and wolves captured her and then …’
Vera tried to hold back tears. Ruby finished the sentence. ‘Ate her.’
‘Yes,’ Vera said. ‘Well, your father went on a rampage. He took his axe and removed the heads of both of the wolves. He went to kill Redell, but as he was only a pup, he let him go free. Thought he would die in the cold weather anyway.’
Ruby pushed her milk and biscuit away, no longer feeling hungry. ‘What does this have to do with the herbs?’
Vera smiled. ‘They’re to protect you all, sweetie. Not from all evil things, that is impossible, but from one evil. Redell, the cub, he survived. Taken in by the same witch who put the curse on me. They made a deal, so the whispers said, and it was for revenge.’
‘He wants to kill us?’
‘I believe so.’
After the conversation, Ruby ran out of the shack and past Redell, who looked livid. He’d heard the conversation through the window. He ran after Ruby. ‘Ruby.’
‘You lied to me!’
‘No, please, you must hear me out.’
Ruby turned and pushed the wolf away. ‘No, the deal is off.’
‘You cannot break a blood promise.’
‘If I do?’ she asked.
‘You die,’ he said and shrugged. ‘Your call. Either go back home and don’t let me in, or hear what I have to say.’
‘Fine, what is your side of the story?’
***
After an hour, Ruby couldn’t help feeling sorry for Red. He’d told her of how he struggled to stay alive in the harsh snow. How the witch had taken him in. He said that when she tried to make a deal with him, he left, not wanting to be a part of it. For the deal involved killing Jorim. He said that he understood why Jorim murdered his parents, and that he would have done the same if he’d had children and someone had killed them.
He finished with, ‘I just want someone to take care of me. It’s been a cold winter. Now that I am no longer under the witch’s protection, all I wanted was some food and a friend.’
Ruby bit her bottom lip. ‘You did promise not to hurt them.’
‘I did.’
‘Okay, deal’s back on. But you must not keep any more secrets from me.’
‘Yes, of course. Oh, also, here.’ He handed her a bright red cloak.
‘The cloak you promised me; ah, it’s so warm,’ she proclaimed as she draped it over her shoulders. It reached down to her ankles, and the hood covered her long dark brown hair.
‘It’s magical. Your brothers will not be able to take this from you. It’s one of the most powerful objects in all the lands.’
‘Where did you get it?’
‘I stole it … from the witch when I left. There is a catch,’ she raised an eyebrow. ‘You must always wear it, no matter what. Promise?’
‘Promise.’
CHAPTER THREE
One of the wolves, a snowy white one named Jarsa, walked out of the stable majestically. Ruby stroked her fur. Jarsa was her favourite wolf, and Ruby was Jarsa’s favourite human. Ruby took off her brown shoes and massaged her little feet, which were covered in blisters from the long walk.
‘Ruby,’ Crone’s voice boomed across the garden to the wall where they sat. ‘Come here.’
‘Come on, Jarsa.’ Ruby sighed. ‘Back into the stable.’
The white wolf left, and Ruby stumbled back into the shack, struggling to walk on her aching feet. Her brothers stood by the fire. Ruby looked around for her father.
‘Where’s Father?’
‘Where’s Father?’ Crone mimicked in a high-pitched tone.
‘He’s gone out,’ Grin shouted.
‘You’ve been a naughty girl, haven’t you?’
‘What, no?’ Ruby panicked, hoping they hadn’t caught on to her plan.
Crone growled. ‘We told you to make our beds, clean the fireplace, and clean the dishes while Father was gone this morning.’
‘I had to go to Grandma’s. Anyway, those are your jobs,’ she protested.
‘You should have stayed to do them. And where did you get that cloak? Stole it, I bet, you horrible, stinking little leech.’
‘I did not steal it,’ Ruby said, tears brimming in her eyes.
Crone’s fist landed onto Ruby’s stomach, knocking the air out of her. She coughed and cried. ‘Stand up,’ he spat. She didn’t and sat there shaking.
‘You are disobedient,’ he said, landing another punch, this time on her leg. ‘A liar,’ he said with another punch. ‘And a thief,’ he shouted, this time punching her back until she was a shivering mess lying on the floorboards. ‘Tell Father anything about this, and I will kill you! Little brat,’ he said as they both walked away.
She wept onto the dirt and tried to stand up. After half an hour, she managed to reach the fireplace.
Crone walked back in. ‘Get that fireplace done before he gets back.’
Through blinding tears and extreme pain, she managed to get half of the fire cleaned out.
Jorim walked in the door and hung up his coat. ‘Why are you cleaning the fireplace?’
She tried not to break down, but she couldn’t help it, and melted into a hysterical mess on the floor. He ran over and picked her up.
‘Ruby, sweetheart, tell me what’s wrong.’
She looked over his shoulder and saw Crone looking at her evilly. If looks could kill …
‘I fell over,’ she lied. ‘On the way back from Grandma’s and fell on some rocks.’
‘Are you hurt?’
‘I’ll be fine.’
Crone stepped forward. ‘I already checked her over, Father. She will be fine. I gave her some medicine, too.’
Jorim smiled. ‘You’re a good boy, Crone.’ Ruby gritted her teeth. He looked past Jorim and gave her a look that said ‘this won’t be your last.’
CHAPTER FOUR
Ruby made her way into the woods, leaving behind the dimly lit shack and her snoring brothers.
She crossed her legs and pulled her cloak around her tighter, weeping into its velvet fabric. ‘Ruby.’
‘Red.’
They said nothing but instead sat in silence. She noticed that he too was covered in bruises; she could just about make them out underneath the light grey thinned fur. ‘What happened to you?’
‘You.’
She went to speak but thought better of it. Had that blood promise done more than just made them friends?
‘I want them gone,’ she said, angry now.
He nodded. ‘I agree. It is time.’
‘Red …’ she started.
‘Yes, little one.’
‘I trust you,’ she admitted.
Journey to Neverland (Haunting Fairytales Series Book 2) Page 15
