The Big Bad Wolf
Light flecks of snow nuzzled into my thick ginger coloured locks, forcing me to pull up my hood to cover myself up from the cold. The day had been bright and sunny, but as darkness approached, the weather turned more sinister. The ash white gravel crushed under my feet, a lonely sound that accompanied me down the steep hill.
Damian’s large cabin was in view, a few bright lights shining through his open windows that assured me he was home. Our separation earlier had been rather awkward, both of us conflicted with unsaid words. Where do we go from here? was communicated through our eyes alone and unfortunately, I could not come up with an answer.
A few hours of solitude in my bare cabin was enough to knock some sense into me and I ended up texting Damian to see if the invitation to dinner was still open. Fortunately enough it was, which leads me here, trailing down the dangerous roadside with an unnerving orange glow from the autumn sun illuminating my pathway.
I abandoned the roadside for the soft patch of dirt, watching the snowflakes fall over the dewy grass only to melt a few seconds later. It was cold enough to snow, but not enough for it to last. In another month this rugged field would be covered in a thick layer of ice, but for now I could simply walk through the high grass with certain ease.
The sky was enchanting in a way, a deep fusion of fluorescent pink with a pale shade of blue simply hovering over Damian’s cabin. I almost wish I could take a picture of it, or maybe even paint it so that the image could be engraved in my memory forever. The problem with Damian was that I was so amazingly attracted to him, but I couldn’t fight back the flurry of red flags that there was something seriously wrong with him. I had known him for a day really; no, technically two, but already I could sense how attached we were to one another.
But the red flags, I thought, and even when I shook my head in denial, I could not put that part of my mind to rest.
There was something wrong with Damian; something strange. The light over his front porch flickered on, bringing me back to the present moment. He was probably busy preparing dinner for me, all too excited that we should spend the evening alone. I knew we would have to talk about what happened earlier, a sensitive subject since Damian was so insistent on ignoring my questions. He could not ignore me forever, at some point Damian will have to reveal the truth.
I trudged down the high hill, searching for a comfortable pathway that would take me to the front of his house. The last of the bird calls sounded through the air to signal the end of the day; the wind biting through my puffy black coat to make my hands numb from the cold. I pushed the straw basket behind me, hoping it would be enough to block the frigidness of the head wind.
I’m nearly there, I thought, before I hopped over one large grey rock to another, only to land on the solid ground just outside of the front pathway of his house. Bending low I brushed away any residue of the high grass, plucking it off my dark stockings so I would look more presentable.
Damian would get a shock, and I was all too eager to see his expression. Giddy, I lightly jogged towards the front door, hopping up the steps two at a time before I knocked on it loudly. I took a step back, pulling down my hood and adjusting my hair quickly. A tiny smile played upon my lips as I held the basket in front of my waist, arranging the fake flowers to my liking as I waited for the door to be opened. It felt like a full minute went by before I finally heard the lock sliding open one by one, and then the familiar creaking as he inched it back slowly.
“Trick or treat!” I yelled out once Damian came into view. I bobbed on my toes excitingly, too anxious to see his reaction to my costume. “Do you like it?”
He looked at me without blinking, almost numb by the sight of me.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked nervously, and then pulled my red hood over my head so he could get the picture. “Guess?” Damian swallowed hard, making his Adam’s apple rise up-wards. His mouth opened partially, but no words would come. “Do you want a hint?” I piped up quickly.
“I thought it would be obvious.” My hood was pulled down with an overwhelming sense of disappointment. “You don’t like it.”
Damian finally blinked, and then I noticed how much sadder his face had become.
“You don’t,” I surmised. “I thought it would be fun. Its Halloween tomorrow, but I don’t know if I will be here for the whole day and I thought …” My straw basket lowered itself past my waist and then I let it hang on the right side of me.
“What are you doing out here, little girl?” he asked in a deeply sonorous voice. I perked up instantly, realizing he knew who I was dressed up for Halloween all along.
“I’m on my way to see my grandmother,” I teased, which brought a shadow of a smile to his face. “Who lives through the forest, near the brook.” Damian shook his head at me, somewhat pleased to find I knew the nursery rhyme so well. I took a step forward, barely hovering over the threshold of his doorway before I added, “could I come in?”
“Is that wise?” he drawled out cunningly. “Aren’t you a little scared?”
“Well, you aren’t a wolf, are you?” Damian closed his eyes at my words, shaking his head in silent disagreement. “And you’re not dressed as my granny.”
“No.”
I laid a hand in the center of Damian’s chest, looking up at him as if I wanted a kiss. Damian followed my movements with his eyes, watching my hand shift downwards until it rested over his firm abdomen. I could feel his body stiffen by my touch, hear the air going through his nostrils as if he was breathing me in. Damian suddenly took a step back, creating a large gap between us, and then wordlessly opened the door wider so I could come in.
I turned my back to him as I unzipped my jacket, letting the straw basket rest at my feet. I sensed his presence; Damian was waiting for me like a dark shadow that ominously loomed behind me. “Sara,” he breathed out softly. “What gave you the idea to dress like that?”
“Little Red Riding Hood?” I questioned him, as I worked on the last of my zipper.
“Yes.”
“I’ve always liked fairy tales,” I told him in truth. “Do you like my surprise?”
There was no answer as I shed off my heavy jacket in front of him. I handed the heavy garment to him, supposing he would find somewhere appropriate to hang it up.
“You don’t have to like it,” I assured him softly. “When my friends come later, they will be dressed in costume too. Do you have anything to wear Damian?”
“No.”
“I guess we sprung it on you,” I admitted aloud. “I know we are all a little too old for that now, but it’s Halloween, even if it’s snowing.”
“Yes, it’s cold,” he agreed. “But that’s Canada for you.”
“You don’t have a heater?”
“I don’t like heaters.”
“What about in the winter?”
“I like the cold,” he stated with a clearness to his forest green eyes. “Take your shoes off, and then come in.” He turned his back to me with my jacket under his arm and went to put it away. They were fashionable boots and took a lot longer to undo, forcing me to lean against the wall as I attempted to pry them off. The long hem of my cloak kept getting in the way, making me rethink my fashion choices. By the time Damian returned I had my boots lined up to his hiking ones and picked up my basket eagerly as I approached him.
Damian was quick to hook an arm around me, pulling me straight into his chest before he kissed me without reserve. I wasn’t one to fight back, dropping my basket instantl