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.