• Chapter 1: The First Encounter

    Once upon a day, a little girl of the age five begun to dress for her morning walk. Her raven dark hair bellowed as she swirled around for her garments. She hummed a song her mother always sang to her. She stepped in front of the long mirror that her father had set in her room. She gazed at herself with a smile and went to fetch her beloved red hood. A present her grandmother had given her on her fifth birthday. She had loved it the second she laid her eyes on it. And it was exactly towards her house that she was heading.

    “Selvia dear,” her mother called from the kitchen. “Your basket is ready,” she said. On her short legs, Selvia ran from her room, down the stairs and towards the kitchen. And in her sweet little voice she shouted,

    “Coming mother!”

    Mrs. Arendill was waiting patiently for her daughter in the kitchen. Her long black hair was tied behind her in a neat single plait by a midnight blue ribbon. Her light blue gown was covered with a white apron. She was very beautiful with a set of sparkling brown eyes. Her lips were in the very beautiful red and her skin was healthily white.

    With Selvia’s entrance, she gave a sweet smile to her. Selvia gave her mother her morning hug and said good morning. Her mother replied and Selvia went to her seat to eat her breakfast. As her mother prepared her breakfast, her father entered the room.

    “Good morning father,” Selvia said with a smile. Mr. Arendill smiled to his daughter and replied her greeting. Mr. Arendill was in his early thirties and he was dressed for work. His dark brown hair was neatly combed and oiled. He was in his best look that morning. Selvia stared at her father in question and asked,

    “Why are you dressed so nicely today, father?”

    “Your father has an important conference to attend today, Selvia, so he must dress his best today.” Her mother answered for her husband. “You too are attending something important today, that is why you are dressed nicely today,” Selvia looked at her questionably and her giggled. “Aren’t you off to tend to your sick grandmother today?” Mrs. Arendill said.
    “Oh, I understand now. Because I am going to tend to grandmother, I am dressed nicely and so is father,” Selvia said clapping her hands together. Mr. Arendill laughed and put a hand on her head.

    “Since you are off to do something important, you must be off early too. You must not keep your grandmother waiting,” her father said to her. Selvia smiled at her father and tended to her breakfast. Not long afterwards, both Selvia and her father were bidding good bye to Mrs. Arendill. Mr. Arendill was going to walk to the place a car would be waiting for him and Selvia’s route was also the same. They walked together for some time and reached the waiting spot. A car was waiting patiently for Selvia’s father. She hugged her father before he entered the car and waved until the car went out of sight before turning to the road that would lead her to her grandmother’s house.

    The road, which she would use, leads her into the forest. Her grandmother had refused to live with them because she loved the tranquility she felt in the forest. Selvia had no fear of the forest because she had always treaded this road. She knew all the crooks and nooks of the road and knew every thing that resided in the woods. She also knew all the peoples that reside in the woods besides her grandmother. All these peoples too knew Selvia very well. She was very kind hearted and pretty. She would lend a hand whenever needed. She too loved to pick flowers she finds along the road and gives them to anyone she passes. She would also greet anyone she meets and would trot away without any worry because she had nothing to worry about from the peoples in the woods. She knew everyone in the woods….

    Selvia treaded the road as she always did. Her red riding hood flipped noisily as she skipped and jumped. The picnic basket she brought was tucked safely under her right arm. She saw the woodcutters collecting woods for the market and greeted them with a hello and a smile. They greeted her back as they knew her well and she them. She asked usual greeting questions as they did the same and skipped away happily. She saw wives plucking wild goose berries to make pies and exchange pleasantries with them. Then she set off with a handful of gooseberries the wives gave her. Later on the way she met a few more woodcutters and children of her age or older. She greeted them and played a little with the children before starting off again.

    Selvia walked around until she reached a small spot she knew were full of wild flowers. She knew the flowers were harmless even though they grew wild. She knelt beside the spot and started picking a few flowers for her grandmother. Her visits would not be perfect if there were no flowers. She picked the flowers her grandmother loves most and other types to make them look beautiful and started to arrange them. As she arranged the flowers, she heard footsteps coming from the direction she would head to. She ignored them and went on her task. Then the footsteps became louder and from the bend of the road, a boy emerged. Selvia stared at him as he walked towards her.

    The boy was about her age, Selvia noticed. His hair was black as hers and he seemed a little higher than her for his head was hanging on his shoulder. She could not see his face. He was walking aimlessly, it seemed to her because he kept kicking the rocks he sees and kept muttering under his breath something Selvia could not hear. He was dressed in a white shirt that seemed too big for him and brown trousers that was also too big for him. He wore a belt to secure his trouser and folded the low part so that he would not trip on it. She kept staring at him but he did not seem to notice her. She got up and watched him for another minute. She decided at last that he would not notice her at all unless she greets him. She did not seem to know this boy but she did not care. He was only a boy.

    “Hello,” Selvia said to the boy. He raised his head quickly and was startled to see a girl standing a little way away from him. Selvia smiled sweetly at him but he backed a little out of surprise. She stared at him, surprised that he moved away from him.

    “What’s wrong? Are you sick?” Selvia asked with concern. The boy blushed. He was a little older than Selvia, as she noticed, and she did not know him. She had never seen this boy in these woods before but he seemed to know the woods very well.

    “I, I’m fine, thank you. I was just surprised to see you there. I mean, hello,” the boy said, stumbling on the words from his embarrassment of his sudden movement. Selvia giggled and the boy blushed again. He looked away to hide his red face. Selvia stopped giggling when she saw him turn away but did not hide her smile. She stepped forward and started introducing herself.

    “Let’s start again,” Selvia said, smiling sweetly. The boy looked at her and gazed her for a while before smiling back. “My name is Selvia. I am five years old and I live in a big mansion not far away from this woods. I have never seen you before, even though I know everyone who lives here.” Selvia said.

    “My name is Edmund but everyone here calls me Wolf Cub,” Edmund introduced himself. Selvia was surprised by his nick name that she cut of his explanation.

    “Why do they call you that way? Your name is very nice. I would never call you Wolf Cub, ever. It’s not nice for them to call you that way,” Selvia said to him with a little frown and concern. Edmund stared at her in surprise and laughed. Selvia was startled by his sudden outburst that she nearly dropped her basket. Edmund stopped laughing and smiled widely at her. He is very handsome with that smile, Selvia thought.

    “You’re the first person to think that my nick name is bad,” he said to her, “I don’t like my nick name too but when everyone started calling me that way I got used to it. Now let me finish my introduction to you,” he said smiling to her.

    “I’m a year older than you are and I live at the very edge of this wood, quite the opposite from the first house you see from the road,” he explained. Selvia was quite surprised to hear where he lived.

    “You live at the edge of the forest?” Selvia asked. Edmund nodded. “Then you must have walked for a very long time. I have never been to the edge of the forest but I know it is far away from here. But why have you walked so far? You must be tired from walking,” Selvia said with concern. Edmund shook his head and Selvia was puzzled again.

    “I didn’t walk from my house. I jumped from tree to tree like monkeys do. I’m very good in jumping and I know these woods quite well,” Edmund explained. Selvia was taken aback by his explanation but quickly a question formed in her head.

    “But you were walking just now. You said you jumped from tree to tree but you were walking. Why weren’t you on a tree then?” Selvia asked. Edmund laughed again.

    “If I stayed on the trees I wouldn’t meet you here then, would I?” he said. Selvia was dumbfounded by his question but he went on. “No, I need to stay in the ground too. It’s quite dull up on the trees. There’s nothing to see except for birds and monkeys. Sometimes I find bee hives but I’ll go away as soon as possible because I don’t want to be stung,”

    Selvia stared at him in awe as he explained. He seemed to notice because he stopped talking abruptly and asked,

    “What? Is there something wrong with my face?” Selvia shook her head and smiled. Edmund stared at her and smile uncertainly. “Well, where are you headed to Selvia?” he asked.

    “My grandmother’s house. Would you like to walk with me, Edmund?” Selvia asked. She liked the company Edmund gave. He was very pleasant and easy to talk to. Edmund was quite taken aback by her invitation. He thought about it for a second and agreed. They walked together and chatted all the way.

    “Edmund,” Selvia said suddenly, “I remembered hearing you muttering angrily and kicking stones when we met. You seemed quite upset,” Selvia said. Edmund’s face darkened and gloomed suddenly. Selvia suddenly became concerned and decided to change the subject. “But I’m glad that you cheered up when you met me.” Selvia exclaimed with a big smile. Edmund stared at her and smile back. They walked some more before they reached a junction.

    “I guess I should leave you here,” Edmund suddenly said. Selvia was very surprised that he was not going to see her grandmother with her. She had very much like his company that she hoped that she might introduce him to her grandmother. She hung her head to show her sadness. Edmund was surprised by her sudden action that he quickly said,

    “But, but it doesn’t mean that we won’t meet again,” he said, stumbling on the words again. When she did not raise her head, he sighed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t follow you to your grandmother’s house. I have to go home and finish my work before it turns too dark. But I promise you, when you come to see your grandmother again, I’ll wait for you and we’ll go to her house together. I promise,” Edmund promised. Selvia raised her head and stared at his eyes.

    “You really will wait for me?” Selvia asked with a sob.
    “I promise I will,” Edmund insisted and he smile. Selvia rubbed her eyes and smile sweetly again. Edmund sighed again. She was alright again.

    “I’ll take your words for it. Well, I’ll see you again later then, good bye Edmund!” Selvia shouted as she ran towards her grandmother’s house, waving at Edmund and he waved back.

    As Selvia disappeared from his vision, he turned around and walked away. But he did not go to the other road. He went into the woods and a pair of gleaming eyes greeted him. He smiled at the eyes and went to it. Then he with the animal retreated further into the forest and disappeared in its shadows.