07 - The wolf
This happened last week: Dreams can sometimes seem dreadfully real. And they did, until Little Red woke up. Then she realised that dreams are a figment of her imagination. Later she wished she hadn't locked her imagination up, because even imaginations need a shower every now and then.
When she woke up, Little Red noticed to her astonishment that the lion was gone. In its place was a wolf. She did not move, however. Carefully she watched the wolf as he woke up slowly.
He blinked a few times to clear his eyes, then he yawned for quite a while. Little Red looked at as the red tongue stretched impossibly out of his jaw and then licked his white teeth.
He smacked his lips a few times, and then met her gaze. His face turned into a curious look as he noticed she wasn't actually showing any fright towards him. He smiled, baring his teeth.
This disconcerted Little Red, and almost made her panic instantly. Her mind wanted to run away but her skull prevented that for the time being. Then she relaxed again.
"You're not afraid," said Wolf, "that's strange. Everyone is afraid of me. Including myself sometimes."
"Uhm," started Little Red hesitatingly.
"Go on, be afraid if you want to. I'm quite used to it, you know. It's a hard life, but I can cope."
"No," said Little Red. "I'm not going to be afraid. I'm not afraid. I've been afraid too much the last few days. I've faced so many dangers." The wolf nodded understandingly.
Little Red hesitated a little more, then decided she might just as well jump into it. She jumped, and landed in a puddle with both her feet. Water splashed all over the wolf, but the wolf didn't move. He just cocked an eyebrow.
"I even saw a lion yesterday," she said as she squatted beside the wolf. "Did you see it?"
The wolf's face suddenly changed. He peered at her silently.
"Yes," he said after a while, then became very silent, indicating beyond doubt that the next step was hers.
"Uhm, really? Is it a good friend of yours?" asked Little Red.
"Yes," said the wolf and became silent again. Little Red decided not to give up.
"Too bad you missed him, then," said Little Red.
"No worries," said the wolf, "he's a very good friend of mine. Exceptionally good, come to think of it."
Something about his tone made Little Red curious. "Oh?"
"It was in fact me," said the wolf matter-of-factily.
Little Red thought about this. She didn't get his drift though, so after a minute she asked, "You?"
"Yes," said the wolf, a bit sadly now. "Sometimes I dress up like a lion," he said.
"You do? Why?"
"Uhm," said the wolf.
"Er," said the wolf.
"I- I'm not sure. It's just something I like to do, ok? It sort of makes me feel better, if you know what I mean." Little Red certainly didn't, but didn't tell him. She just nodded vaguely and hoped he believed she knew what the hell he was talking about. This wolf was obviously not only a wolf, it was insane as well.
"I think your family gave you too little love," she said, then added, "just like mine."
"Yes," nodded the wolf gravely, moisture building in his eyes. "Did your?"
"Yes," said Little Red, "they did. Evil they are. But my only family." She started to cry.
"I know how you feel," said the wolf. "My family's just the same." Then he cried too.
The aforementioned legend says absolutely nothing about the river that came into being for a few hours from this. This is sad, because in the future the soul of the little river that was born by an accident and died way too soon, will be all alone in the big universe.
"We have so much in common, you and I," said the wolf. "Do you want to marry me?"
Little Red cried and smiled and laughed at the same time and said, "Yes."
The following morning the forest woke up with a terrible hangover.