The fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood  is our next submission for our Twisted Fairytales theme, we hope you enjoy Maitha AlHosani ‘s little twist on it ^^

She woke up breathing heavily. Another nightmare.. She dreamed of the same pack of wolves chasing her in a dark forest. Every night she tries to catch her breath and ask them what do they want from her but their ugly looks and dripping blood scare every bone in her body..

Today Leila woke up with a different feeling. She felt better without knowing the reason. She pulled herself out of bed and went to her dressing room. Black leggings and a red hoodie, that’s what she picked and it felt weird because no one had ever seen a non-fabulous Leila. Blew a kiss to her mom on her way out and as soon she got into her car, her phone beeped showing a text “How’s my baby girl doin’?” Leila wanted to cry when she saw that text coming from him but she breathed in and ignored it as she drove to her university.

Few minutes later she was there on the university’s parking lot. She lifted her head up to see that Amer was staring at her; as usual he was looking at her while other girls were checking him out hating Leila for having such a good looking man in her life.

Amer was the headquarter of the football team, the position that assigned him to be the ladies’ choice. Leila heard lot of things about him and how he can play on girls professionally just like how he plays football but when he asked her to be his girlfriend she forgot about what they said and listened to what he said only.

They spent their first week in a lovely way as if they lived in a dream.. Roses.. Letters.. Late phone calls and lot of sweet things.. But just like every dream it ends or fade away in Leila’s case.. Soon she started seeing what others begged her to see before.. She saw the same necklace he gave her hanging on Laura’s neck.. She saw the same promise ring on Allie’s finger.. She argued about that but he got mad at her for being doubtful.

She ran to her friend Adam and talked to him about Amer, he told her to leave him because Amer and his friends act like a pack of wolves, he hunts when no one is around because he doesn’t have the courage to declare what he really wants.. Since that day Leila started having nightmares..

….

Today Leila decided to face that wolf. She stood out of her car, pulled a box out of the back seat, walked toward Amer and handed him the box saying, “Here’s what you gave me. I’m no longer yours, feel free to hunt publically because I won’t be there to watch you.”

He kept the box o the floor and tried to defend himself, “I TOLD YOU TO STOP ASSUMING! I love you and I want to be with you.”

“But I hate you.” She interrupted.

He tried to touch her brown hair but she held his hands and pushed them away, “Don’t you dare touching me again. I’m done with you.” She turned away and walked.

“YOU’RE GONNA REGRET IT!!” He shouted.

“OH! YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME BY MY HAIR, YOU’RE GONNA ME EVERYWHERE, OH.. YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE.” She laughed as she sang that to him.

Adam came to her smiling, “Way to go Lea! You twisted the story.”

“What story?” she giggled.

He smiled again, “You know, red riding hood, where the wolf tried to eat her and the huntsman saves her.”

She laughed loudly and spoke with pride, “I didn’t give him a chance to eat me and I didn’t need a huntsman to save me.” She placed her hands on he waist.

He pulled the hoodie cap up and placed it on her head, “That’s right you’re the hero.. Red riding hoddie.”

…

Am I strong?

Or am I pretending to be?

Will I make it?

Will I conquer my fear?

I don’t need you to help me..

I don’t need you to guide me..

I’m fine with being me,

Tough..

Strong..

Independent..

I’m the red riding hood of my time..

But this time I don’t need a huntsman to save me..

I’m my own savior..

I’m the hero..

Author: Maitha AlHosani