Into the Forest Shadows
Read Into the Forest Shadows Online
Authors: J.A. Marlow
Tags: #scifi, #adventure, #mystery, #lost, #family, #journey, #young adult, #science fiction, #aliens, #discovery, #fairy tale, #running, #sci fi, #transformation, #sf, #science fiction adventure, #scifi adventure, #adaptation, #retelling, #red hood, #red riding hood, #cape, #little red riding hood
By J.A. Marlow
Exclusively Published By: Star Catcher
Publishing at Smashwords
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to
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of this author.
Copyright J.A. Marlow 2011
Discover other titles by
J.A.Marlow
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This book dedicated to my family, who have
been supportive of all my writing since I can remember. All my
stories are for you.
To Jan Sophia Grace for copious amounts of
tea, lots of wonderful brainstorming sessions, and a willingness to
see the ridiculous side of life.
This book is also dedicated to all those who
love to daydream.
Star Catcher Publishing Appendum
"He's not my father!" Kate clenched a hand
around the handle of the basket, trying not to grit her teeth.
"He's your uncle, and he's only being
friendly. Don't yell." Her mother's typical serene expression
cracked around the edges with a tenseness around the eyes and
mouth. A light blush appeared in the cheeks.
Kate didn't care. Maybe Mom getting a bit
upset would help her see what was going on around her.
"I'm not yelling," Kate said, purposely
lowering her voice. "I will not allow him to tell me what classes
to take, or what to wear, or any of the other trillion things he
wants. Six months since we arrived and it's all about control."
The engines on the small shuttle behind her
wound up. A few passengers hurried by them to board, casting them
curious glances. Kate ignored them.
"He's only trying to help you grow up to be a
responsible young lady," her mother tried again.
The same old argument. "Even if he were my
father I wouldn't allow it. Or have you forgotten about all that
daddy dearest did to us?"
This time her mother's face went pale. Kate
instantly felt horrible. Did she really need to say that part?
Actually, maybe she did. Remind her that Father and Uncle were of
the exact same family. Not real stellar examples of humankind in
any fashion.
Her mother's mouth tensed for a moment, but
then relaxed in a soft smile that made Kate ball up her fists, "I
haven't forgotten, and your Uncle Travis is a lot more responsible
and even-tempered. Come to lunch with us. It's a lot safer than a
visit to the forest."
"Sorry, I would rather visit crazy Gran,"
Kate said. Her mother's mouth tightened again, making Kate scowl.
"Oh, come on! What is everyone afraid of? A bunch of stupid trees?
Granny has lived out there for years just fine."
"They aren't just trees. They're unlike any
you have ever been around. And there's more danger out there than
the trees," her mother said.
A movement to the right caught Kate's
attention. A small creature with a patch of red on its back left
the main entrance of Oburos City accompanied by two human Rangers.
She recognized it as the native creature everyone called the
Watcher.
Kate mentally mocked the name. A Watcher over
the humans, to be sure.
And here she'd thought when her father died
and Mom brought them to the one world where they had citizenship
they would finally gain a little control over their own lives.
But not with Uncle Travis causing trouble
that only she seemed to see. Not with finding out that the human
city on Oburos wasn't technically a fully recognized human colony
because of the pre-existing native intelligence.
Kate itched to board the shuttle. It was one
of the newer ones, just shipped to the planet and would still have
the padding in the seats intact. She'd been looking forward to
flying in it, but now she only wanted to escape.
To get away from all the trouble and turmoil.
To drink tea with Grandma. The Watcher surely left more arbitrary
rules for the humans to live by and she wasn't in the mood to hear
about them. She would hear all about them in school soon
enough.
"Sometimes I worry about you."
Kate's attention snapped back to her mother
from the dark brown creature heading for the huge trees that
towered in a wall of green around the small area the humans were
permitted to live and farm in. "Excuse me?"
"No fear. A lack of fear can be as much of a
danger as too much fear."
"I guess we're just a family that has both
extremes covered, then, don't we?" Kate said.
Her mother went pale, exhaling sharply. Kate
bit at the tip of her tongue. Couldn't she have put that a little
differently? Kate's tightening hand felt the pinch of the curled
strands of wood of the basket.
Her mother turned her head towards the ocean
where curls of blue-green water still pounded at the shore after
the storm that passed the day before. Kate tried to think of
something to say in the midst of the awkward silence.
"Ready for launch," the light-blue clad
Ranger at the shuttle ramp announced. Another group of people in
sturdy clothing headed for the shuttle, stowing their bags and
boxes in the hatches underneath the main passenger compartment.
"There are my favorite two girls!"
Kate groaned out loud at the sound of the
voice. She couldn't help it. Why did he have to show up? Her mother
turned towards him with a smile that made Kate sick to her
stomach.
"Hello Travis. What brings you out of the
office?" her mother asked.
Uncle Travis's near-white hair moved in the
breeze as he came to a stop next to her mother. He smiled down at
the both of them, his teeth practically glinting in the sunlight. A
smile that looked far too proprietal to Kate.
She hated it.
"Do you have everything for your grandmother,
Kate?" Uncle Travis asked.
The handle of the basket bit into her
clenched hand to the point she thought it might bleed. Her jaw
clenched as well, and she had to work hard to get the muscles
relaxed enough to talk, "Oh yes. I have everything. Mom, before I
forget -"
"Don't forget not to leave the perimeter of
your grandmothers cottage. You aren't prepared to go out in the
forest yet." Uncle Travis snaked an arm around her mother's
shoulders, smiling and waving to someone in the shuttle. Someone
else shouted a greeting back.
Good grief, why did people act like the man
was so great? So what if he managed the biggest employer in the
city other than the government itself? Couldn't they see past the
surface veneer?
Kate narrowed her eyes at how her mother
leaned into the embrace. "I am fully aware of the so-called dangers
of the forest."
"Do you have the supplies she asked for?"
Uncle Travis asked.
"All the backup disks are here," Kate said
waving the hard-sided covered basket that held the smaller and more
delicate items. "I'm not an idiot!"
Her mother cleared her voice. Kate glared at
the serene look on her face.
"Inform her the auto backups still aren't
appearing in the corporation computers. We don't want her to lose
all that valuable research." Uncle Travis pulled a small bottle out
of his pocket and handed it to her. Kate instinctively reached out
for it, but recoiled when her skin accidentally touched his. "Those
are for Ms. Blackstone. The Doctor has ordered her to start on the
regimen immediately."
Her mother blinked, turning her head towards
him, "Is Mother not feeling well?"
"Let's be honest. She shouldn't be out there
all by herself with no one to look after her," Uncle Travis said.
"We should talk about bringing her into the city to the elder care
facilities soon."
"Oh, you would just love that, wouldn't you.
Another of the family under your control," Kate shouted at him.
"But Grandma wouldn't let you. She's too smart for you."
Her mother sucked in a breath. The Ranger at
the shuttle turned towards them.
Uncle Travis's eyes turned hard. Matching his
heart, Kate felt sure.
"Enough out of you. You are upsetting your
mother. Go, take the supplies to your grandmother and we'll talk
about this when you get back." Uncle Travis took her arm and swung
her around, marching her towards the waiting shuttle. "No respect,
a smart mouth, and purple hair? I think you've been without a
father for far too long."
Kate found herself past the engine pods
glowing orange and up the ramp and inside of the shuttle before she
knew it.
A computer voice behind her announced, "All
passengers have arrived. Prepare for take-off. All passengers,
please secure yourself in your seats."
"Please step back," the Ranger said. "The
shuttle is cleared for launch."
Kate stepped back and the ramp of the shuttle
started retracting as Uncle Travis turned and walked to where her
mother waited.
How dare he think he would get away saying
something like that. She shouted at him, "Without a tormenter, you
mean!"
Uncle Travis swiveled on his heel. His
icy-blue eyes promised dire retribution upon her return. The facade
on her mother's face slipped, showing absolute shock and worry.
Good, maybe her mother would remember the
family that had brought them back to this back-world planet in the
first place. Let her stew on all those wonderful memories. Heavens
knew, Kate did and no way would she go back to it.
The door sealed with a hiss. Kate glared out
the portal of the door. Uncle Travis dismissed her with a flick of
a hand, turning to walk back to her mother.
Maybe leaving Mother alone with the snake all
day wasn't such a good idea.