I knocked on Granny’s door.

“Granny! It’s Red. I have some cookies for you!” I yelled.

“Come in!I am in bed, dear,” She sang back. Her voice was deeper than it usually sounded, but Mother said she was sick. I opened the door and was masked in a rotten smell. There was no light in the cottage, so I lit a candle. There was a deep knot in my stomach, telling me something was wrong.

I took the candle and walked to her room. She looked different, and the candle hardly lit up her face.

“Oh, Granny!  What big eyes you have.” I stated.

“The better to see you, my dear,” She replied. I tilted my head and looked at her pointed ears.

“Oh, Granny! What big ears you have.” I said. She touched her pointed ears. When she smiled pointy teeth bit her bottom lip.

“Oh Granny, what big t-teeth you have.” I said shakingly. Horrified I backed away from the bed. Fear struck my face, this was not my granny.

“The better to eat you, my dear.” The wolf jumped from the bed and pinned me to the ground. Then a crash from the kitchen made both of us turn towards it. My parents walked in and shouted something, but at that time I blacked out.

I sat up, my heart beating against my chest. It was just a dream, I am not that little girl anymore, I told myself. The unfinished memory was horribly,but the end was worse. After I blacked out, I woke up in a doctor’s bed, who told me that a woodsman, named Nick saved me and then took me home. The wolf ended up killing my parents. My baby brother was with them, but not harmed, Nick had saved me and him just in time. The wolf had escaped. Nick was surprisingly calm about what happened,  he didn’t  kill the wolf, but he had saved us. It took me a little bit to regain my surroundings.  The memory still haunted my dreams and my thoughts. I looked over at my little brother, who was still sleeping.

I brushed his brown hair back, and I kissed his forehead.He was so small, so fragile.Ever since we lost our parents and our granny, It was just us and Nick. He moved in and took care of us, yet we hardly saw him, because of his job.

I was determined to kill the wolf that killed my family. Three days ago, I turned sixteen and was ready to leave. For years I’ve trained.I would end up leaving Max alone. I would be gone for several years. It was almost time to leave.

I wandered into the middle of our cottage.Nick was sitting on an old beaten down couch,where left over wood shavings were scattered from Nick’s day. Nick didn’t talk much. I sighed and sat in my chair. Our cottage was small and we didn’t have much room. I shared a room with Max, and Nick slept on the couch. There was a small iron cooker in the corner. The rooms were not separated, so none of us had much privacy.

“When should I leave?” I asked, not making eye contact. I picked up an old book, made with leather, leaves and the ink I stole from grannys. This book was the most expensive object in the whole cottage. It had stories and drawings that were of what my granny said, were hunters and my ancestors wrote it. I didn’t believe her, there was a story about a wolf-man. Who changes form from a man to a wolf. It said to carry through our blood and on to every child born.

“I was thinking at dawn, but Red you can’t go alone,”Nick said, breaking me away from my thoughts.  

“I have to. You need to stay here and care for Max. He won’t be able to make it on his own,” I said. He looked up at me with concern.

“ Don’t worry, I’ve asked Mrs. Welper if she can check on you guys once in awhile,” I continued.The concern left his face.

“I’ve arranged someone to go with you,” He said. I froze. I didn’t trust other people, I didn’t trust outsiders.

“Who?” I asked.

“Elizabeth Arden. The little blond girl from church. She is nine and her older brother, Wess is thirteen.” I gulped. Two little kids? I would be babysitting instead of killing that wolf.

“Are you teasing me?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.

“No. The two are very good at fighting. Wess can identify wolf patterns. He could find the wolf without a tail. Elizabeth is also very good at making things and hunting. Together the three of you are the ultimate group for killing this beast,” he replied. I nodded. I can do this. I told myself. I sat the book down and walked back into my room.

“I love you, bud.” I whispered to Max, even though he was sleeping. It was the last time I could say that. I blinked back tears. Tomorrow when he wakes, I’ll be gone. He was all I had left. I re-did my  braid, and packed as light as I could making sure I had what I needed. I climbed into bed with Max. I knew this was going to be hard leaving my only family with a woodsman.

When the sun came up, I put on my red dress and boots, my signature look. Granny always loved it when I wore red, hint my nickname, Red.I left Max a note, and took off. A few yards away, I turned around. Standing above the trees was my little cottage. I walked through our village and greeted the people I knew. They said farewell and some warned me not to go.

Mrs. Welper, who was one of them, stopped me and tried to threaten me to stay.  I tried my best to not glare at her. She was a friend of my grannys. Whenever I remembered my family I had to blink rapidly from crying. I squeezed her hand and smiled. I continued forward.

Sitting in the horse carriage was Mr. Lake, he was to take us to the nearest village, and then from there we would be on foot.

“Mr. Lake, Are the others here yet?” I asked,making my presence known. He looked up and smiled.

“Well, hello Miss Red. Miss and Mister Arden are not here yet, I’m afraid they will be late,” he replied. I frowned. Great, already behind schedule. I took my bag and placed it in the carriage. I patted the horses while I waited.

Ten minutes went by and two kids walked up to us,a boy and a girl.

“Miss Red, I am Wess Arden and this is Elizabeth Arden. Sorry about us being late,” the boy had said.The boy was short and had a scar that stretched from his right eye to his chin. He had blond hair, that was dirty and sticking up. They were both tiny.These two had not have had a bath for weeks by the looks of it. I smiled. I could not be mad at these two. They did not look like hunters, but granny always told me, “Red, remember looks can always be deceiving, be careful who you trust.”

“Welcome, Mister and Miss Arden. We will be heading up North to another village, from there we will go on foot. Mister Arden, Nick tells me you are very good at tracking down animals?” I asked. I placed my hand on my hip and took a side step. He wouldn’t meet my eyes, but he nodded stiffly. He looked almost afraid. At least I was intimidating.

“This wolf has no tail. He is white with a black face, he is a unique wolf. He shouldn’t be hard to find,” I continued to say.  They nodded. We jumped in the carriage and started our adventure. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the three day ride.

After only two days of pit stops and silly games, we suddenly stopped. The kids bolted awake. Something growled and we heard a scream. I told them to stay and I jumped out unafraid, I had my weapon in my hand. Nick was standing in front of the carriage with dark red spilled on his shirt, hands and face. A un-identifiable body lay before him, but I could tell by his red shirt and white hair, it was Mr.Lake. His face was gone. Replaced with blood and deep scratches. A puddle of blood surrounded his body. I put my hand over my mouth, the horror spread through me. An innocent victim, I thought.

“It was you,” I said, harshly. He nodded. I looked him in the eyes, and saw he was guilty and didn’t mean to harm anyone.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, but I need to tell you something,” Nick cried.  I shook my head.

“You're a monster!”I yelled. He took a step towards me. I took a step back.

“Max isn’t your brother. I killed your brother that night. I’m s-sorry, I didn’t want you to think about your parents, so I used my son t-to distract you,” Nick said. I shook my head. I couldn’t believe it, Max had to be the baby I held my arms the day he was born. He had to be the one I sang to sleep every night.

“Liar!” I shouted. The door opened to the carriage. Elizabeth and Wess came out.

“What’s wron-” She stopped when she saw Nick.

Wess aimed his arrow at him. I stopped him. I wished I didn’t. Nick started screaming, his bones breaking. I knew what was happening by the picture in my book, he was changing. Nick stopped screaming and he was on all four paws. Looking at Wess with yellow eyes. I stood frozen.A vision of white fur blurred by, Nick jumped at Wess. I shot my arrow and it hit him in his side. It didn’t stop him. He bit down on Wess’s neck. Wess went limb. Wess was dead. Mr.Lake was dead. Then he jumped on Elizabeth, her screams carrying, just like Wess’s. I shot another arrow. The arrow zoomed past him, I missed.  He bit on her arm and chewed her like a chew toy. Elizabeth was dead. I stood facing the wolf. He growled and then jumped on me. His jaws snapping at me, I put an arrow in between his jaws. He bit down and snapped it in half.  

“Why?” I said. He looked into my brown eyes, and I looked into his now yellow eyes.  He growled. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the end. Then I heard another growl. It wasn’t Nick’s. We both turned. Max was standing behind him, his eyes glowed yellow, and sharp teeth snuck out of the corners of his mouth. He shot Nick three times. The white wolf with the black face turned back into a man. I rolled out from under him and looked him in his eyes.

“I hope you burn.” I said through tears. Max hugged me.

“I am so sorry Red!” Max said.

“ He told me things, but I didn’t believe him.” I said. He pulled back. His eyes filled with fear, mine filled with tears.

“Whats wrong?” I asked. Before he answered a stick snapped from behind him. Two men with a bow and arrow aiming at Max came out from behind a tree.

“We found him!” The men yelled. Hunters. I took Max’s hand and ran. They ran behind us, yelling at us to stop. Arrows flew past us. Max fell forward, an arrow sticking in his back. I stopped and knelt down by him.

“Maxy! Oh, god.” I cried and held on to his body, till he was carried away by the hunters. They killed him. The only thing I had left. They took my little brother, who I just saw was like Nick, a werewolf, as it was called in the book, away from me.

“I’m sorry. I didn't realize he was your brother.” One of the hunters said. That's when I felt it. My bones shifted and unbearably pain bursted through my body. I closed my eyes and found myself on all fours. Fur sticking through my...paws? I wasn’t me. I was a monster. It didn’t make sense. I was born from two good and innocent  people, and they were not wolves. What if Nick didn’t kill me, because- That couldn't be right.I growled at the men standing in front of me. A tall hunter said something, I couldn’t understand. I jumped on him. My brain said do it, my heart said no. I bit into his neck, tearing him to pieces. That sweet, coppery taste filled my mouth, and I attacked one man after the other, till there was no one left. After that I ran home, crying and whimpering. I had lost everything. My friends, family and now myself.

When I got home, I took the book and read it through my tears. There was nothing about Nick or Max. Only stories of men changing and hunters killing them. I wanted to know who he really was. Who I was. My eyes hurt, and my cheeks stung. I had no more tears to cry. After a while, I could barely keep the book up, I was exhausted from crying and I started to drift to sleep and when I did, I dropped the book on the floor. The bang woke me up. I bent over and picked the book up and noticed a small piece of paper lying on the floor. I picked it up and read it. At the end it was signed, “Lots of love, Granny.” My heart sank, I was fully crying again. I couldn’t be. I started crying again. Nick Fay killed my parents, because he was in love with my mom. Nick Fay was my father.