An Old Friend (Variation of Little Red Riding Hood)

Timothy Hayden Hamilton

bathtub
~
The Reunion
Wolf lurks through a dim alleyway in the hood, picking through garbage, trying to go un-noticed. A low pitched idling engine echoes down the alley, he pays it no mind. The soft whine of old car brakes reverberates off the bricks, trash cans, and broken windows, until fading to silence. Taillights glow in the distance, smoke from a menthol cigarette creeps out of their aura. The smoke caresses the hot, humid night air, overcoming the stench of trash and piss, tickling Wolf’s whiskers, until it gloriously curls up into his snout. Wolf’s lonely eye rolls into the back of his head as he sucks in the lovely and familiar scent. He can’t resist following it’s trail. As his head creeps out from the shadow of the dumpster, a leather glove grabs his throat, violently sticking a half-smoked cigarette between his lips.
“Wolf. It’s been awhile.” a soft but sinister voice sensually teases through sticky, thick lipstick.
“Red.” Wolf groans through the choke.
The hand softly lets go.
“Come. Let’s go.” Red’s heels click down the alleyway, pushing a silhouette out of the dark. A blood red 1973 Cadillac Coupe Deville sits under a flickering light.
Wolf follows.
He slides into the car’s red velvet interior.
A dark red fingernail drags down the side of his face, coming to a rest at his chin.
“I’ve missed you.” Red says, putting the car into drive.
~
The House
The Cadillac crawls down seedy streets, passing abandoned houses and empty lots, coming slowly to a halt.
Red opens the car door, followed by the slick sound of her leather dress moving as she gets out. She walks up to her maroon stucco house, opens the door and vanishes inside.
Wolf follows.
He slumps down on a red vinyl couch in the dimly lit living room.
From the darkness, the echo of a dripping IV and pulsing oxygen tank can be heard, but not seen.
A bright light suddenly clicks on. Underneath it, a frail old lady sits in a rocking chair.
“You remember grandma don’t you Wolf?”
“Wolf! Is that you!” the old lady squeaks.
“That’s enough grandma.” Red injects a shot into the IV and grandma quickly falls asleep.
Follow me.”
Red begins to undress as she walks away, leaving a trail of clothes behind her on the floor.
Wolf follows.
~
The Bedroom
The trail of red clothing leads Wolf to a bedroom door.
“Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up.” Red whispers.
Wolf pulls the bobbin, and the door opens.
His eyes follow a trail of red lingerie, leading to a maroon bed in the middle of the room.
“Take off your clothes, and get into bed with me.”
The iris of his lonely eye dilates as her seductive stare hypnotizes him. (work on this sentence)
“What red nails you have” he says.
“All the better to coax you with my dear”
“What red lips you have”
“All the better to kiss you with my dear”
“What red hair you have”
“All the better to trick you with my dear”
At once, Wolf feels the sharp pain of a needle in his back. Everything fades to black.
~
The Heist
Wolf wakes up in a bathtub of ice. He looks around confused, pulling himself out of the tub as he comes to. He reaches around to a sudden pain at the bottom of his spine, feeling crude stiches and scabbed blood.
On the floor next to him sits a white card with wine ink.
“Thanks for the kidney.
-Red XO”