a little collection

of short stories

and poetry

jess patricia

Copyright © Jess Patricia 2012-2015

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing from the author.

To my family and friends, with love.

Thank you to each and every one of you who have always been very supportive of my writing.

Ruby Red                                                                             Page 4
Short Story
A little spin on the original Charles Perrault fairytale,
'Little Red Riding Hood'.

Novel Concept                                                                  Page 8
Short Story
Blurb TBA

Lost and Found                                                                Page 18
Short Story
Blurb TBA

Too Good To Be True                                                  Page 27
Short Story
If only the visions in your sleep became reality.

Little Wonders                                                                Page 32
Children's Short Story
Seven-year-old, Lulu's wish of meeting some
fairies while in the local rainforest may finally
become true.

Skinny Love                                                                    Page 38
Poem
A small fictional free-verse piece.

Personal Battle                                                               Page 40
Poem
A non-fictional piece in the form of a classic
villanelle.
 

A little spin on the original Charles Perrault fairytale, 'Little Red Riding Hood'.

With a skip in her step the little girl walked the short distance to her Nanna’s house having a few punnets of freshly-picked strawberries in tow. 
        Despite the evening being still young, the little girl hadn’t walked far before the sun crept down into the unseen and the night began to show. The usual path she would take was now in pure darkness, making her route indistinguishable. If only she’d remembered to pack a torch.
        To her surprise, after overcoming some initial disorientation she’d made it. In the distance she could just make-out her Nanna’s secluded wooden shack. The many lit lanterns surrounding the property were a dead giveaway. 
        Just as she was about to head in and see her Nanna, the young girl’s red shawl became caught on a nearby branch. The more she tried to set herself free, the more her clothing tore. Beginning to become frustrated she called for help. 

It wasn’t long after she yelled that she saw a big, furry creature come towards her holding a candlelight. The silhouette cast by the flame almost made it look as if that creature were a wolf.  
        Petrified, the little girl wanted to run; though she knew that wasn’t an option. ‘Oh what lovely long hair you have, young lady.’ The wolf’s deep voice somewhat startled the poor girl. ‘Oh what beautiful green eyes you have, young lady.’ 
            At this point the little girl began shaking in fear. ‘Please go away Mister Wolf. You’re scaring me. I want my Nanna’s help, not yours.’ 
            ‘Your Nanna, eh?’ The wolf paused. ‘She’s busy. If you let me set you free I’ll take you to her. Oh, what’s your name, young lady?’ 
            ‘My name’s Ruby . . . but sometimes people call me Little Red as that’s my favourite colour as well as the meaning of my name.’
            Ruby didn’t like the sound of this, she didn’t want that wolf anywhere near her; but what choice did she have? This is what she came for; to see her Nanna. At least Ruby knew she’d be safe with her Nanna once inside.

Within the shack’s doorway the wolf stood by Ruby’s side, with a slight smile. Nanna on the other hand, stood opposite her grand-daughter and aimed a hunting rifle at Little Red’s head. 
        The slight of what Ruby now saw unfolding right in front of her was almost too much for her to comprehend. In attempt to defuse the situation, Ruby’s innocence still shone through as she tried to change the subject. ‘I brought some strawberries for you, Nanna!’ 
             The wolf laughed as Nanna clicked the safety off on the rifle. ‘Do I look like I care one teeny, tiny, little bit?’
           Little Red was now scared for her life; both of the wolf and her Nanna. She attempted to run away but when the wolf restrained her soon after, she began to cry. ‘Mister Wolf, what have you done to my Nanna? She’s really scaring me.’ 
        The wolf loosened his grip slightly. ‘I may have slipped a little something into her tea to make her a bit psychotic.’ 
          Ruby seemed puzzled. ‘What does that mean?’
          Just as the wolf was about to answer, Nanna’s phone rang. Ruby tried as best she could to squirm out of the wolf’s hold. ’I’ll get it!’ 
         Although the wolf knew he shouldn’t, he loosened his restraint and let her go. 
         Ruby ran to the phone’s cradle and picked up. ‘Hello?’
        ‘Little Red? Is that you poppet? It’s Mummy. I’m just ringing to make sure you arrived safely at Nanna’s. Are you having fun?’   
        Ruby took this opportunity to call for help. ’Nanna’s trying to kill me!’
        Nanna discharged a bullet from her rifle. The phone-line went dead.