Ruby Hood, A Twistedly True Tale
by Aspen Hite
“No, no fuss, dearie. Just come. Sit with grandma for a bit,” Grams coughed again.
Dearie? Ruby
stepped into the bedroom and took a closer look at the woman nestled in bed. A
chill ran up her spine. Whatever lay in bed wasn’t her Grams at all, but Ruby inched
closer. “Grams … your eyes are larger than usual today.”
“All
the better to see you.”
“And
your ears, they're bigger, too.”
“All
the better to hear you.”
“Your
teeth, Grams, are they pointy?” Ruby leaned in for a better look, mesmerized.
What was happening here?
“All the better to EAT you,” Grams menaced.
Rising from the bed, the old woman's face contorted as her teeth lengthened and sharpened. Thick, shaggy gray fur
sprouted from her body until it was skin. Grams arched her back and bent over
onto all fours.
A
large gray wolf stood in front of Ruby. Its mouth curved into a snarl.
Ruby
swallowed hard as her eyes widened in horror. Creeping her way toward the door,
to a way out, she felt behind her with her fingertips, looking for a weapon, an
answer, assistance, anything to help her.
The
wolf bared its teeth, let out a low guttural growl and lunged. Right at Ruby.
Instinct
and panic took over. Ruby’s hands flew up to cover her face, when a bluish,
whirling light flashed around her. Time stopped for the quickest second and the
room remained still. Shocked and shaken, Ruby peeked out through the tiny slits
between her fingers.
Huddled
in the corner was a girl—not a wolf and not her grandmother, but a girl.
Oooh very interesting twist! The name Ruby is great, I love it! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love stories with a twist so this tale made me smile and think. Fairy tales are the basis of so many stories; their aspects and traditions are woven into so much writing, often hidden and made unrecognizable, but still there.
ReplyDeleteRuby is a splendid name for the girl; it matches the iconic red cloak.
Jaya| ninchronicles.com
She meets Cinderella (and her daughter) later on. :) Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI love twisted versions of old fairy tales. They breathe new life into iconic stories!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a fun write. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteLove the twist! Have to say the old one got really boring after hearing the same story so many times, this is definitely better. I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteSweet! Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteNice twist of the old story!
ReplyDeleteGood twist to a well known tale! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI love this twist! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletelove love love this! keep on writing Aspen!
ReplyDeleteRe-tellings of fairy tales are one of my favourite things! Loved this, great piece :)
ReplyDeleteThrilled you enjoyed the piece! Full novel to be published this year. New excerpts every Sunday. Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteI have a rubbish inner eye, so to help me picture what happened, was the wolf actually in wolf form in the bed or some kind of human like thing? Also, was this how she found out she had powers?
ReplyDelete