Red cntd.

  The wolf ran quickly through the woods toward grandma's house at the top of the hill. Red would be on her way at any moment to serve up her poisoned muffins.
  "How will I stop her and save grandma without hurting either one of them?" he thought to himself. The last thing he needed was some kind of reputation as a big bad wolf.
  After what seemed like forever, he saw the hill where grandma's house sat. Mustering up his last bit of energy, he bounded up its grassy side and stopped right in front of the door. This was as far as he had thought. What should he do next?
  Walking to an open window, he peeked over the sill and saw grandma sitting in a rocking chair reading a book and sipping a cup of tea. She looked so peaceful, he hated to disturb her but he knew her life hung in the balance. If he did not scare her away, Red would arrive with her muffins and it would be too late.
  He took a few steps back, then gathered just enough strength to run forward and leap through the window into grandma's house. She looked up in shock and her tea cup hit the floor and shattered. Screaming, she leaped up from her chair spilling her book on the floor, and ran over to the door.
 "Oh my, a wolf, a wolf!" she cried, as the wolf stood in the center of the room trying to look intimidating. He tried to growl as he had seen other wolves do but it felt so wrong. It hardly mattered at this point anyway, he decided. Grandma was already at the door in a panic struggling with the lock.
  "Oh no, oh no," she repeated, seemingly unaware or uncaring that the wolf was making absolutely no move to harm her.
  Finally she got the door unlocked and swung it open.
  "Help, help!" grandma called, as she ran down the hill and off into the woods. The wolf watched her go until she disappeared in the trees. That had been easy enough, he thought. Now he just had to wait for Red to show up, drop off her muffins and once she was gone he could dispose of them. Grandma would never have to know.
 "This was not so hard after all," he thought to himself, feeling relieved. "I wonder if grandma bakes just as well as Red."
  He was about to start looking around for treats when he heard whistling outside and loud footsteps crunching in the leaves. Running to the window, he looked out and saw Red coming up the front walk. He had not expected her this soon. He looked around desperately for a place to hide but the cabin, although large, was only one room and no furniture of grandma's was big enough to cover him.
 "I will have to hide in plain sight then,"  he decided. Walking to the hearth, he curled up in a ball, facing away from the door, tucked his tail under his legs and pretended to be asleep.
  "Grandma!" Red's voice called out. There was no answer and so it came again.
  "Grandma, are you home?"
  The door creaked open and Red's boots clicked across the wooden floor.
  "That's strange. I didn't know Grandma had a dog," she said to herself, shutting the door behind her.
  "I guess she isn't home. That's alright. I can wait."
   The wolf heard the sound of something being set down, the basket of muffins he assumed. Then Red's boots across the floor getting closer and closer.
  "That's one big dog," Red said out loud, and the wolf heard her plop down in a chair. His heart jumped. This was not supposed to happen. She was supposed to leave the muffins and go.
  "I guess I could just leave the muffins with a note," Red mused aloud, as if reading the wolf's thoughts.
  "But then I wouldn't get the pleasure of seeing them do their work. Just one muffin and she will be on the floor in seconds. Then there will be no cheating me out of my money and Allister and I can be married and build a nice cottage on the lake."
  Red rocked back and forth in Grandma's chair whistling.
"Oh well. Look who it is," she said minutes later. "Grandma's come home to have her final meal."
  In a few moments, the door swung open and Red's granny ran into the room.
 "Red, Red!" she cried, "Get out of there this instant!"
 "What is wrong with you?" Red snapped. "I am just sitting with your dog enjoying a nice afternoon."
 "That's not my dog, that's a wolf!" Grandma cried.
 "A wolf?" Red repeated, not seeming at all concerned. "Well who knew."
 "We must leave this second," Grandma insisted. But Red could not be bothered.
 "He is obviously not harmful. We've been sitting here ten minutes and he hasn't moved." She walked over and poked at him with her finger.
 "Maybe he is dead."
  The wolf did not move. Red grinned evilly and kicked at him with her boot. The wolf whimpered and leaped up to his feet. Grandma took a step back but did not run away this time.
 "Oh I know this wolf," Red said. "He hangs around my house alot and comes to sleep next to my chimney."
  The wolf looked up at Red feeling a little indignant. All this time she knew he was there and she never thought to share her treats?
 "He's probably just hungry," Red shrugged. "That's why he came in your house."
 "Well he was certainly very frightening jumping through my window. That's why I ran away to your house. I know your father left you that little gun. I was hoping you still had it."
  The wolf looked at grandma with big sad eyes. He had not even bit her and here she wanted to shoot him.
 "Yes well, I think Allister took it. You know how he likes to hunt. And speaking of eating, I made you some muffins."
  The wolf's ears perked up. He had nearly forgotten why he was here.
"The poisoned ones you mean?' Grandma said. Red stopped halfway to the table and turned around.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"Oh I ran into Agnes on the way here," Grandma explained, grabbing a broom and sweeping up the pieces of her broken tea cup. Still keeping an eye on the wolf.
"That child has lost her sweet little mind. She told me this story of you tying her up because she tried to stop you serving me poisoned muffins and how she'd escaped and run to try and save me. I told her to go home and get some rest but she told me she was going to go find the authorities."
"Well you know Agnes. She has quite the imagination," Red said, reaching into her basket and pulling out a perfectly browned blueberry muffin.
"Would you like one?" Red asked. "They're simply to die for." She held it out to her grandma.
 The wolf looked back and forth between them, his mind racing. How could he make Grandma see that Agnes had told her the truth? He did not want to kill Red and there was no way for him to talk to Grandma.
  The old lady reached out to take the treat and in that moment the wolf knew what he had to do. Leaping up from his spot on the floor, he opened his mouth and snatched the muffin from Red's hand eating it in one bite. He landed on all four paws and turned to face the two ladies. Red said it took only seconds for the poison to set in. Soon Grandma would know the truth.
 "My I guess he was quite hungry," she said with a smile. It quickly faded to a frown however as the wolf began to cough and gasp for air.
"What is he doing? Is he choking? Grandma asked, her forehead creased in concern. She gasped and stepped back as the wolf dribbled up blood.
"Oh my goodness, it seems as if he's been-" she stopped short and looked up at Red.
"Been poisoned."
 Suddenly the room seemed to spin. The wolf swayed back and forth unable to make out what was happening. Voices cried out but he could not tell who it was or see well enough to help. The last sound was the door opening yet again and a man's deep voice calling out instructions. Then the wolf felt himself hit the floor and everything went black.

  The wolf opened his eyes. Everything was a little fuzzy but he could make out a fire in front of him and saw a blanket covering him down to his paws. A sweet scent filled the air and a light breeze took the edge off the heat of the fire. The wolf had never been sure what happened after death but if this was it, he decided it was not so bad.
  He was about to get up and explore his new home when he heard a voice that sounded strangely familiar.
  "Oh you are one lucky wolf, aren't you?" said a lady. She walked over and knelt down next to him setting a bowl on the floor.
  "You're lucky my Red didn't know her poisons too well. That whole bottle sure would have taken you out. But spread through all those muffins, it was only enough to make you quite sick."
  Grandma patted his head gently and rubbed the fur behind his ears.
 "You slept on and off for almost two days, you poor thing," she crooned. "And my goodness were you sick. I had the doctor rush over to help you and he gave you some nice herb tea to soothe your tummy. There's some more here in this bowl if you like," she said, pushing it toward his snout.
 "I don't know how you knew what my Red was planning but I certainly am forever in your debt. Oh how I sobbed when the jailer took her away. She won't be seeing the outside of a cell any time soon."
  "And as for you, my new dear friend. Well you are welcome to stay here just as long as you like. No more sleeping by chimneys for you. There will always be a warm plate of food and a soft pillow by the fire for you whenever you'd like."
  The wolf's ears perked up. Homemade food and a bed inside? He certainly was one lucky wolf. Sticking out his tongue, he reached over and licked Grandma's hand. He had seen pet dogs do this to their owners who seemed to take it as a sign of affection.
  Grandma smiled and laughed.
"You are a sweet little wolf, " she said. "Rest now so you can get your strength back."
The wolf closed his eyes and as he fell asleep, he dreamed of sitting at Grandma's table as she served him all the cupcakes, scones and cookies he could eat.

Red

  The wolf opened his big eyes and took in his surroundings. He was laying in a patch of soft grass next to a tall brick chimney. There was a slight chill in the air but the light from the rising sun warmed him slightly. He yawned and looked a little closer at the house attached to the chimney. He had been here before. This was Red Riding Hood's house. She was always baking something delicious and the smell would waft out from the windows. The wolf often hung around the house hoping for a bite of whatever confection Red was stirring up but she never seemed to notice him. Though if she did, the wolf was sure she would run in fear and slam the door in his face. He had never harmed a human before but that did not stop them from being afraid. Maybe one day he would get the chance to show them how kind he really was.
  But for now he was going to go back to sleep. He had stayed up late last night howling at the moon and now he was overly tired. Curling back up next to the chimney, he tucked his head against his paws and closed his eyes. As he drifted off to sleep he pictured Red at her table surrounded by cupcakes, scones, and cookies. She pulled a chair up to the table for him and set down a plate.
 "Would you like some, Mr. Wolf?" she asked with a big grin. But before he could answer, the wolf was startled awake by the loud sound of knocking.
 "Red, open up the door!" the voice demanded. "I have the berries you wanted."
  The wolf got up and peeked around the corner. A young lady stood at Red's door. She wore a long white dress and carried a basket of berries on her arm.
   The door swung open and the wolf caught a glimpse of Red. She had long wavy black hair and eyes that almost looked purple.
 "Come on in, Agnes," she said, grabbing her friend's arm and pulling her inside.
 "I wonder if Agnes is going to get a taste of whatever Red is making today," the wolf thought to himself. He crept over to the window and lifted himself up on his hind legs making sure only the very top of his head poked above the sill. Red stood at her table tossing things into a bowl and mixing them up with a wooden spoon. She grabbed the basket from Agnes and dumped the berries in. Agnes gasped.
 "Do you not want to wash them first?"
 "I'm not really concerned about that," Red admitted, stirring the spoon around faster and faster.
 "Are you alright?" Agnes asked. "You look kind of upset."
  Red paused and released the spoon, collapsing into the chair next to her.
 "Well yes I am a little a upset, Agnes," she told her friend. "And you probably would be too if you found out your grandmother was going to write you out of her will."
 "Why would she ever do that?" Agnes gasped, raising a hand to her face in shock.
 "Because of Alister. She despises him. My love for him means nothing to her. She thinks he is beneath me and said if I did not break off my engagement to him, I would not inherit any of her money."
 "Well I am sure you can talk her out of it," Agnes said optimistically. "We can take her some of these muffins you're making. Maybe some home baked goodies will change her mood."
 Red smirked at her friend, her dark almost purple eyes lighting up.
"Oh yes, we will take grandma some muffins. And I believe they will do a lot more than change her mood."
  Red picked up a bottle from the table and showed it to her friend. The wolf could not tell what it was but from Agnes's shocked gasp and step back he assumed it was nothing good.
"Red you cannot be serious. Poison?"
"Oh I am completely serious, Agnes. Alister and I need that money to start our lives together. And the only way we will have it is if grandma dies before she can change her will."
  The wolf lowered himself from the window. He could hear Agnes's muffled voice still pleading with Red to reconsider. He felt sad for Red's grandma. She lived in a nice big cottage on top of a hill and was always kind to visitors. No one ever left her house with out a full stomach and a smile on their face. The wolf did not fully understand why Red wanted grandma's money so badly but he felt sure it was not worth ending her life. He had to do something, but what? If he tried to warn grandma she would just scream and run away.
"Run away," he thought to himself. "And then she won't be home when Red brings her the poisoned muffins." 
 He hopped up to the window again and was shocked to see Red tying Agnes to a chair with a length of brown rope.
"I really thought you would be more understanding than this," she told her friend, taking a cloth napkin and stuffing it in Agnes's mouth.
"I will just have to do this without you. Once grandma is dead and the rest of the muffins are destroyed it will just be my word against yours. And no one would believe that little innocent Red would ever harm her precious granny," Red said in a sickly sweet voice, batting her eyelashes and pulling her red hood over her head.
 The wolf lowered himself to the ground and started pacing. This was bad. Very bad. But what could he do?
"Well it looks like they are all baked and ready to go," he heard Red say. She must be about to leave with her poisoned muffins. He had to warn grandma.
  Without much of a plan, the wolf bounded off into the woods determined that somehow he would save this innocent granny.

The Party

"This is gonna be the best party so far this semester," Cindy told her girl friends. They were gathered around a flyer hanging up in the girls' dormitory lounge.
"Matt's parties go on all night," said Katelyn, dancing a few steps to no music.
"What time does it start?" said a small voice from a comfy chair in the corner. All the girls turned their heads and a few of them giggled.
"Why do you care, Bailey?" Cindy asked. "It's not like you ever go to parties."
 Bailey shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She was wearing faded baby blue sweatpants and an old grey hoodie she had had since highschool. Her hair was in a messy bun and she had washed off all her make-up. Now she was being stared at and analyzed by a group of human Barbie dolls.
 "Matt's parties sound fun. I'd like to go to one," she said in a quiet mousy voice.
 "Well you know," said Samantha, walking across the room and perching on the arm of Bailey's chair, "there's going to be alcohol there."
 "I've had alcohol before," Bailey told her, recalling a few times her mom and dad let her have a sip of their wine.
"But what will you wear?" Cindy wanted to know, looking Bailey up and down.
"I will find something. These are just my hangout clothes." The Barbie dolls looked at each other and whispered things under their breath.
"Well I look forward to seeing you there," Cindy told her. She gathered her friends together and they left the lounge chatting about the party.
 
  Bailey stood in front of her mirror looking herself up and down. Her outfit was cute and she was sure Cindy would approve. A light pink blouse with a pencil skirt and black pumps. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she had on little pearl earrings.
  Feeling confident in her choice, she grabbed a little clutch purse that matched her clothes and left her room. Matt's house was just a short walk off campus and she was there in ten minutes. The door was wide open so she stepped right in and was instantly engulfed in darkness only broken by strobe lights coming from each corner of the room. All the furniture had been pushed against the walls and a bunch of students were in the center of the room dancing wildly to the loud pulsing music. Bailey watched them fascinated. She had never danced before except a little bit at her high school prom and those had all been slow dances.
  She watched the girls sway their hips back and forth as the guys attempted to get closer and closer and try to put their hands on them without being smacked away. She blushed at the thought of any guy doing that with her.
  "Hey Bailey, you actually made it," said a voice behind her. Bailey whirled around to see Cindy and and Samantha standing there.
  "What on earth are you wearing?" Samantha asked, frowning. "Are you going to a college party or a board meeting?"
  "This was the fanciest thing I had," Bailey said pathetically. Cindy shook her head.
  "You look too uptight. Loosen up a little bit."
 She reached around and pulled the hair tie out of Bailey's blonde ponytail. Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders.
  "And this is just...a tragedy," Cindy said, motioning to her skirt and blouse. "Let's at least do this."
  She reached up and unbuttoned the top two buttons of Bailey's top. Bailey blushed and looked down at the top of her breasts which were now peeking out.
 "Trust me, the boys will like that," Samantha winked. "And here's a nice little touch."
  She grabbed a tube of light pink lip gloss and smeared some across Bailey's lips.
 "Now you're ready to dance," Cindy said. Bailey blanched.
 "I can't dance like that," she told them.
 "Nonsense," Samantha said, waving away her fears. "You just shake your hips around to the beat. That's all you have to do. Go try it." She shoved Bailey out into the makeshift dance floor.
  Bailey looked up at them as if she might cry.
 "Go on, dance," Cindy called. She looked at Samantha who said something that made them both giggle.
 Bailey looked around awkwardly. A girl bumped against her and giggled mumbling a half drunken apology. Bailey watched her go still frozen to her spot unsure of how to even begin dancing.
"Are you ok?" asked a voice. Bailey turned around to a see a handsome young man with wavy black hair and blue eyes giving her a look of concern.
 She glanced at Cindy and Samantha who were smiling and whispering to each other. They both gave her a thumbs up and Cindy nodded.
"Uh...yes. I'm fine."
"I haven't seen you here before. Is this your first time at one of these parties?"
"Yes," Bailey told him.
"Well you look very pretty," he said with a smile. "Would you like a drink?"
"Uh....I don't really drink much," Bailey said.
"Well here. Have a sip of this," he said, offering her a red cup half full of an unfamiliar drink.
"Is there alcohol in this?" Bailey asked, taking it in her hand and looking down at it.
"Of course," the guy said. "Drink up."
  Bailey looked over at the girls who were still watching her. They both nodded encouragement and Cindy held an invisible cup and made the motion of gulping a drink down.
  Bailey looked back at her real cup. She took a deep breath, raised it to her mouth and gulped it down. In one second she regretted it. Her entire chest burned and her throat felt like someone had set it on fire. She dropped the cup on the floor and collapsed to her knees coughing and gagging. A few people around her stopped dancing to watch her. Above her head she could hear laughter and some voices asking what had happened.
 "She never had a drink before so Matt gave her his special mix," said Cindy who was now standing next to Bailey.
 "Her reaction could not have been more perfect" said the handsome young man Bailey now knew was Matt.
 "And what is with her outfit?" said a girl Bailey didn't know. "Is she trying to be a sexy secretary?"
 "Who even let her in? She shouldn't be here, she should be at a bank cashing peoples' checks," said another voice.
  Bailey rose to her feet but kept her head down and looked at the floor. Everyone had stopped dancing now and gathered around to see the plight of the secretary who had never tasted liquor before.
"Is she gonna dance now?" said a girl.
"How does she even move in that skirt?" a guy asked.
  Bailey held back tears that threatened to flow down her cheeks.
"I think I want to go home now," she muttered, and moved toward the door.
"Aaaww she's leaving," Samantha said in mock sadness. "It won't be any fun without her."
There was a loud chorus of "aaawww" and everyone in the room put on a pouty face.
"I hope you'll come to my next party," Matt called after her as she walked out the door. "It's always nice to have some extra entertainment."
  The whole room erupted into laughter and Bailey hurried down the stairs to the sidewalk and walked quickly back toward campus. A couple on their way to the party stared at her oddly and whispered some things to each other. Bailey figured it was nothing good.
  When she finally got back to her dorm she rushed down the hallway to her room and slammed the door. She stood and looked at herself in the mirror as she'd done only thirty minutes ago. All the confidence she had felt was now shattered.
  Angrily she ripped off her pink blouse without bothering to unbutton the rest of it. She unzipped her skirt and threw it on the floor on top of the blouse and finished off the stack with her black pumps. Grabbing a tissue, she wiped Samantha's lip gloss from her lips and threw the tissue on the floor. The tears she held back were now streaming down her face.
 Walking across the room to her bed she threw herself down on it and cried until there were no more tears left. Why did she think she was ready for a grown-up party? And how could she ever show her face outside this room again?
  With these questions running through her head, she curled up in a ball under her blankets and fell asleep.

The Transition

"Margaret are you sure this is a good idea?" Todd asked, setting a perfectly folded white napkin next to a large round dinner plate on the dining room table.
"I'm not even sure I'm doing this right," he admitted, looking at the four places he had set. Did the napkin go on the left or right side?
"It's been so long since we have eaten dinner at a table," Margaret agreed, stepping out of the kitchen to check on Todd's work.
"That looks fine to me," she said with a slight shrug. "I doubt our guests will be looking too closely at their table settings anyway. Margaret smirked and winked at Todd. He shook his head slightly and gave the table another once over.
"They're a nice couple, Margaret. I think they deserve better than this." She glared at him.
"We've been through this, Todd. I made my decision. No one in the neighborhood likes them. Sarah is a gossip and Jason is a slob. They have no value to this neighborhood. To the world. They are the perfect couple to have for dinner.
  There was a twinkle in Margaret's eye as she said this.
"Can you fetch four glasses for me? They're in the cupboard next to the icebox."
"Why do we keep these things around?" Todd wanted to know as he walked into the kitchen.
"To keep up appearances," Margaret's voice rang out from the other room. "The last thing we need is people getting suspicious."
"And they won't get suspicious after this?" Todd exclaimed, almost dropping one of the glasses. Margaret burst into the room, her arms folded, eyes wild.
"Todd will you stop this silliness? When they leave they will look completely unharmed. Now put those glasses on the table, will you?"
 Todd sighed and made his way back into the dining room. Margaret followed him smoothing down her skirt.
"Should we turn the phonograph on?" she asked, stepping into the living room.
"I hardly think it matters," Todd said, lacking enthusiasm. Margaret glared.
"Well I am going to enjoy this even if you don't. Besides, this is not about us it's about her. She deserves this. Can you imagine the day she has had? Losing everyone and everything she loves. What kind of birthday is that?"
"Yes and then we came along and made it worse."
 Margaret turned on Todd and glared at him fiercely.
"We saved her life, Todd. Without us she would be dead."
"Yes, of course you're right," Todd caved, taking a step back.
"Have you checked on her lately? How is she doing?"
"I looked in on her a few minutes ago," Todd told her. "She is getting hungrier. It needs to happen soon."
  As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Margaret looked at Todd and put on a winning smile.
"Look sharp, Todd. Dinner is here."


  The girl lay on the floor of this dark room writhing at the pain in her stomach. She had never felt a hunger like this before. In fact everything she felt right now was new. Just hours ago she had been laying on another floor in her own house as flames rose up all around her. She had listened in agony to the cries of her friends and family as they burned. No one was sure how the fire had started but it spread quicker than they could run. The girl had accepted her fate, definitely the worst thing that could have happened on her twenty first birthday. The last thing she remembered was the pale face of a woman looking at her through the smoke. Then all was darkness.
  A short while later she woke up in this darkened room, nothing in it but a glass full of dark red liquid. She did not know what it was but the smell was overwhelming and she was inexplicably drawn to it. Without much thought, she crawled over to it and drained the glass. Ever since then she had been suffering painful contortions and cramps and felt a powerful hunger for more of this mystery liquid.
  She had tried to open the door but it was locked. There were voices somewhere else in the house and she hoped soon they would approach her and tell her it was time to come out.
  Finally, when she was beginning to think she could handle this no longer, she heard soft footsteps come down the hall and stop in front of the door. She perked up as the doorknob turned and light came into the room.
  "How do you feel?" said the man standing in front of her.
  "Terrible," she croaked out. "Is there more of that red juice?"
   Todd nodded.
  "Yes there is much more. Come on. It's time."
  He looked very serious. The girl rose to her feet whimpering slightly. She followed him down the hall into a brightly lit dining room where sat a man and a woman on opposite sides of a table. They were awake but their eyes held far away looks. A woman sat at the head of the table and smiled at her.
 "Welcome, sweetheart. Are you hungry?"
  The girl nodded. This woman was the one who saved her from the fire.
 "Good. It's time to finish your transition now. This nice couple has offered to be your first meal."
 The girl wrinkled her eyebrow.
 "You want some more of that sweet red juice, no?" the pale woman asked with a smirk. The girl's eyes opened wide and everything came together in her mind.
   This woman had saved her life by feeding her blood. That's what was in the glass in her dark room. She ran her tongue over her teeth and noticed two of them were significantly sharper than before. The lady was smiling at her approvingly. The man looked as if he pitied her.
"I'm a...a...'' she stuttered, not able to form the word.
"Yes you are, my darling. Or rather you will be once you take a bite of these two."
"But they will struggle and run away."
The lady shook her head.
"I have compelled them to sit still and quietly. They will offer no resistance."
 The girl stood rooted to her spot, not sure how to take all of this in. She did not want to hurt the man and lady sitting compelled at the table. But she was so hungry.
 "It is quite alright, darling," the lady said. "I know you are hungry."
She motioned to the man who had come to retrieve her from the room.
"Todd tell her not to be scared."
  The man sighed quietly and nodded.
"She is right. This is necessary for you to transition. Go ahead, Darby. Take a bite."

Hanging Tree

[This is a story I made up to go with the Hanging Tree song from the Hunger Games series. The song is not my creation, only this story.]

  Nicole stood under the tree's leafy branches, their outline dark against the night sky. She knew he had said midnight but yet, looking around she could not find him. Reaching into the pocket of her jeans, she pulled out her phone and pushed a button to illuminate its screen. No texts or calls. She was about to walk away when a voice called down to her.
 "Hey it's about time you made it! Did you get lost?"
  Nicole looked up to see Brandon sitting on the second branch, his legs swinging back and forth.
 "No I didn't get lost. It wasn't easy to sneak out of the house. My little sister sleeps right next to me and she wakes up at the smallest sound."
  Nicole shoved her phone back into her pocket and reached up to grab the lowest tree branch. Pressing her feet against the tree's wide firm trunk, she hoisted herself up. In moments she was sitting next to Brandon, though not feeling comfortable enough to swing her feet.
 "Why are we here?" she asked, concentrating on his face and trying not to look down. His blonde hair shone in the moonlight and the mysterious smile on his face lit up his blue eyes.
 "We're in the hanging tree," he said. "At midnight."
  Nicole gave him a blank stare.
 "You know...the song about the hanging tree?"
  Another blank stare.
  Brandon sighed.
"You've really never heard the song and the story behind it?" Nicole shook her head.
"Well sit back then, close your eyes and let me take you back about a hundred years to a night alot like this one. Full moon, a few clouds in the sky and two lovers named Annabelle and Peter whose lives were about to change forever."


  Annabelle ran across the field frantically holding her nightdress bunched up around her thighs. Sweat dripped down her forehead and stuck in her thick eyelashes. Wiping her hair out of her face she looked up to see the lights from small torches across the field. She willed her feet to move faster but even now she could feel her breaths growing shorter, her legs tired.
  An image of Peter's face came into her mind. His wavy brown hair, tanned skin and dark brown eyes lighting up with a smile. A smile came to her own face but it quickly turned into a frown as she thought of the fate about to befall him. Her father had said he would do anything to keep the two of them apart but she never thought it would go this far. Could he honestly think Peter capable of murder?
  As Annabelle continued to run, the figures holding the torches became more clear. There were three men and her father standing under the tree. Peter stood next to them, his hands tied in front of his waist. And hanging from the second highest branch was a noose.
  Annabelle caught her breath when she saw this. She urged herself forward the last few steps and finally burst into the clearing falling to the ground at her father's feet.
 "Annabelle, what on earth are you doing?" he snarled, leaning down and roughly pulling his young daughter to her feet.
 "Why are you out of the house this late and in your nightclothes no less?"
 "You know why I am here," Annabelle snapped back, fire in her green eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Peter watching her.
 "Father you cannot hang him, he has done no wrong."
 "He killed three men," Annabelle's father said coolly, staring into his daughter's face.
 "That's a lie," Annabelle shouted, raising her hand and slapping his cheek before she could stop herself. He reeled from the slap and turned to glare at his daughter.
 "You little bitch," he snapped, striking her cheek with the back of his hand. "How dare you strike me in defense of this rat."
  "He is not a rat, father. He is the man I love."
  "He is a hoodlum, he is scum. He should be licking the dust from your boots. And now we have proof he is a murderer."
   "There is no proof, father. You framed him so you could hang him and we can never be together."
   Annabelle's father did not reply but she swore in the moonlight she saw a smirk on his face. He motioned with his hand to the three other men. One of them lead a horse over to the tree and another lead Peter towards it.
   Annabelle rushed forward and tried to pull the men away but they pushed her back.
   "My love," Peter gasped, struggling against the man who held his tied up hands. "You must run. You must leave me and be free."
   Annabelle looked at Peter with crazed eyes. She could not lose him, not like this. Life would mean nothing if he was not part of it. Looking around she caught the glint of a knife in the belt of the man holding Peter.
  Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed it and shoved it deep into the man's chest. He cried out in agony, releasing Peter he clutched his chest and sank to the ground in a dark red pool of blood.
  "Annabelle, what did you do?" Peter cried out. She looked at him with wild eyes.
  "Annabelle, have you lost your mind?" her father barked, frozen in shock where he stood.
  "Well now we have two murderers on our hands," said one of the other men, walking up behind Annabelle and grabbing her roughly by the hair and Peter by his arm.
  "Christopher no!" the girl's father cried, hurrying toward them. "She did not know what she was doing. She is crazy with love and fear."
  "That was my brother she just stabbed to death," Christopher said, his voice breaking as tears threatened.
  "And now she will pay for it. Russell, tie a second noose," Christopher ordered over his shoulder to the third man.
  "No!" Annabelle's father cried. He rushed at Christopher who stuck out his leg and kicked him aside.
  "You'll stay out of my way or there will be three nooses on that tree," the large man hissed, towering over Annabelle's father.
  "Why did you do that?" Peter asked his love, as Christopher dragged them both toward the horse. The third man was in the tree tying another noose and Annabelle's father lay sniveling on the ground, terrified under Christopher's angry gaze.
  "So I can be with you forever," Annabelle told him, a strange but peaceful smile on her face.
  "It's time," Christopher said, as the third man's feet hit the ground. In moments, Annabelle was sitting behind Peter on the horse, thick rope digging into both their necks.
  "Now we can be free together," she whispered in Peter's ear. "Spend eternity in this tree wearing our necklaces of rope."
  "I love you, my Annabelle," Peter said.
    There was a loud smack, the horse whinnied and lurched forward and the tree's second branch moaned and creaked under this new weight.



"That is the creepiest thing I've ever heard. I want to get down now," Nicole said, realizing she and Brandon were sitting right on the second branch. Brandon smiled.
"Creepy or beautiful?" he asked. Nicole raised an eyebrow as if she couldn't understand how that was even a question.
"They wanted to be together and now they are for eternity," Brandon explained. "It's said that once a month during the full moon," he continued, gesturing up at the sky where the round moon shone down brightly, "you can hear the sound of a horse galloping across the field and see the form of two lovers, a man and a woman, their hands clasped as they swing together from the hanging tree."
 

Darby Has a Job Interview

"And you must be Darby," said the tall brown haired man, looking over the top of his glasses at Darby who sat on an uncomfortable blue chair in the dimly lit hallway.
"Yes, thank you for calling me in," she said, rising to her feet and wincing slightly at the stiffness in her lower back. The man caught on and offered an apology.
"I'm sorry we don't have a more comfortable waiting area. The chairs in my office are a little better. Come on in," he offered, pushing the door open and gesturing Darby to enter. She walked past him and her eyes lit up at the plus leather chair in front of the man's office. She plopped down and and gave a happy sigh.
"Thank you for agreeing to an interview. I'm Jake Lawson and I own this bar."
  Jake walked to the other side of the desk and lowered himself into a grey spinning office chair. Picking up a pen, he looked down intently at some paperwork and wrote a few things. Darby sat up straight and quietly anticipating his first interview question.
 "Right now I am looking for a couple new waitresses. The two girls I have now are moving on to bigger better things," Jake explained with some resentment in his voice.
 "Do you have any experience being a waitress?"
 "Yes I used to waitress back in the twenties and-" Darby caught herself and blushed. Jake raised an eyebrow.
 "What I meant was in my early twenties I worked as a waitress," she corrected. "For about two years."
  "Excellent. Do you have a resume or any references written down that I can look over?"
  "Yes of course," Darby said, handing over a sheet of paper listing several places she had worked. Jake fell silent as he scanned the page and made some marks with his pen.
  "This is an excellent resume," he commented, setting it down on a stack of papers on his desk. "I will definitely give some of these places a call. And I'm guessing they will have only great things to say about you."
  Jake looked up at Darby with a smile and she smiled back. "I can only hope," she said, forcing a little giggle.
  Jake's smile grew bigger and Darby noticed him looking her up and down with his eyes.
"I think you will fit in very well here, Darby," Jake said, taking off his glasses and leaning forward on his desk. Darby frowned slightly and pushed herself back against the leather chair.
 "Thank you, Mr. Lawson."
 "Please, call me Jake."
 "Jake," Darby repeated, shifting uncomfortably.
 "How soon can you start?" Jake asked, not making eye contact with Darby. She cleared her throat loudly and his eyes rose quickly to her face.
 "I can start right away," Darby said, in a firm businesslike voice.
 "Excellent," Jake said, springing up from his chair and making his way around the desk. Darby stood also.
 "I look forward to working with you," Jake said, offering his hand to shake and giving her a sickening smile. Darby put her hand in his and it was immediately engulfed by his fingers. Jake put his other hand on the back of hers and slowly slid it up her arm.
  Darby felt her face flush with rage and in the next second she had freed her hand from Jake's, slapped it on his chest and shoved him hard up against the wall. A picture of a city skyline rattled and slipped off its nail falling to the floor and cracking its frame.
  Jake looked at Darby with wide surprised eyes. She looked back at him with fire in hers.
"You will never put your hands on me again," she said fiercely, looking deeply into Jake's eyes. "You will give me this waitressing job. I will come in for the late shift after it is dark. You will never again look at any part of me below my neck. Do you understand what I am saying?"
  Jaked nodded, a faraway mindless look on his face.
"I will give you this job. I will not look at your body or touch it ever again."
"That's right," Darby said with an evil smile, letting her fangs show a little bit. "If you ever do, you will regret it."
  Darby stood there a few more seconds enjoying the hold and power she had on this pathetic man. He looked at her like a little child agreeing to do as he was told. She laughed and took a step back releasing Jake from being pinned against the wall. He shook his head and looked around confused as if waking up from a trance.
 "Well uh...Darby," he said, recovering himself and straightening his jacket, "I am happy to offer you a job here. You can work the late shift and will be treated with only the utmost respect."
 "Thank you, Mr. Lawson," Darby said with a knowing look.
 "In fact, I am short one girl tonight. She called in sick but I am guessing she is just out with her boyfriend," Jake said, going back to his manager demeanor.
 "If you don't mind covering her shift that would be amazing. It's only a three hour shift."
 "I would be happy to. Is there a uniform I need to put on?"
  Jake attempted to look down at Darby's outfit but found himself unable to do so.
"I'm sure what you have on is fine," he said, looking somewhat confused. "Everything you'll need is behind the bar. Drake is the bartender, he will help you out."

  Ten minutes later Darby found herself in the middle of a noisy bar holding a pad of paper and a pen much like the one on Jake's desk. She located her first table. It was a high top in the corner with two chairs. Only one was being used. A petite blonde girl wearing office clothes sat there looking completely miserable. Darby walked over with a smile and set a drink napkin on the table next to her.
 "Hello I'm Darby and I'll be serving you tonight. Can I get you a drink? Or maybe an appetizer?"
  The girl at the table looked up at Darby and her eyes were red as if she had been crying.
 "A drink would be great. Do you have anything to make me forget my evil boss?" she wanted to know.
 "Um.." Darby paused as she knew nothing about drinks. All of her other waitress jobs had been at all night pancake restaurants.
 "I keep hearing about something called a Bloody Mary. It sounds delicious," she said, running her tongue over her fangs."
 "I'll take one of those then," the girl said, leaning her elbow on the table and resting her head on her hand.
  Darby scribbled the order down on her pad. "Great I'll be back with that in a moment." She turned to leave but the girl's voice called her back.
  "I know this is weird but do you have a moment to talk?"
  Darby looked around at her other tables and noticed they were empty.
  "I suppose I have a couple minutes," she admitted, sitting in the other chair at the high top table.
  "What's going on?"
  "I just had a really bad day and I need to get it off my chest."
   "Do you not have girlfriends for that?" Darby asked. The girl looked up at her and glared.
   "Yes. Can't you see I'm surrounded by them?"
   Darby smiled at the girl's sarcasm.
   "My apologies," she offered. "Go ahead. Tell me about your bad day."
   The girl sighed.
    "So I went to work this morning and my boss told me she wanted a raspberry scone..."