Little Red (2 page)

They soften as he turns his head slightly to the side.

I open my mouth to speak, but for some reason, not a single sound comes out

“I’m sorry,” he tells me.

“I shouldn’t pry.

It’s none of my business.” He looks me up and down, taking me in.

His eyes stop on mine, and his lips curl up and into a slight smile.

Finally, he releases a soft sigh.

“Well, I can’t just leave you out here alone.”

“You can’t?” I ask, taking a few steps back

He laughs, holding up his hands.

“Look, Red, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“And just how in the hell do I know that?” I shoot as I take one more step back

He laughs again, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck.

“You just have to trust me.

You remind me of someone I knew; someone that I would never hurt.”

“Your girlfriend?” I ask, finding myself giving him the once over.

His dark hair, his silvery eyes that I now feel are beginning to glow under the fast
rising full moon.

His frame is built and he seems strong.

His chest muscles seem to pop from underneath his simple tee shirt.

His body tenses for a brief moment and relaxes as he shakes his head

“I’m sorry.” Now I feel as though I’ve invaded his privacy

“It’s okay,” he says softly.

“She was my sister.”

Was.

I suddenly get a feeling she’s not among the living and clench my teeth, begging myself
not to say another word about it.

I fight through my mind for something to say.

I don’t have many conversations with people, especially strangers.

To my relief, he’s the first to speak

“How long have you been riding?”

I feel my jaw relax.

“About six years.

This is just some old bike that I helped fix up.” I look down at it with it’s now
empty gas tank.

“Guess I should work harder at judging the mileage on the gas tank.” I let out an
annoyed laugh

“What exactly was your plan once you got it here in the woods?” He questions, staring
down at the two meager saddlebags

“Camp out,” I say, crossing my arms tightly in front of me.

“My whole life is pretty much wrapped up in those two bags.”

His glittery eyes flit down to the bags again, and the corners of his lips curl down
into a small frown.

“Seems sad to have your whole life in just those two little things.”

“Yeah, well,” I start, kicking another stick.

“I don’t have much.”

“No family?” He looks up at me; his eyes now take on a sad expression.

The corners of them crease slightly as he blinks

I shake my head.

“It’s a long story.”

“I’m sorry,” he tells me.

“I’m not trying to be...”

“Invasive? Nosey?”

He laughs.

“I’m just trying to make conversation.

I did just find you in the woods, alone, trying to push a bike twice your size behind
the trees.” His eyes finally meet mine.

“You are in my territory.”

“I didn’t know you had a territory,” I tell him.

“What are you, some dog marking his turf?”

He turns his head up and goes into a fit of laughter.

“Look, you’re certainly not in your comfort zone.

You’re not from here.

You’re in the woods with a complete stranger.”

“I get it,” I say.

“I’m in your territory, all alone in the middle of nowhere.

How many times can you say it?” I roll my eyes, now annoyed with both my bike and
him

“It’s a full moon, you know,” he says

I look at him, a little confused, but finally nod in agreement

“You look cold.

I know this place; I could take you there.”

“A place,” I begin.

“In the middle of some woods?” I stare hard into him as though I can read his thoughts.

He seems sincere enough.

He doesn’t have the face of a serial killer, but then again, neither did Ted Bundy

“There are lots of places hidden back in the woods,” he tells me, pointing around
him.

“Would you believe people live in the woods out here?”

Now, I just feel like he’s mocking me.

“I guess I don’t have much of a choice.

It’s either with you in the woods, or without you in the woods.

And, you at least know where you’re going.”

His eyes turn on me again, and his expression changes.

He seems to tense and then slowly relaxes.

He gives me a silent nod

I shake my own feeling of uneasiness.

“So, that place, it’s warm?” I look up at the night sky.

“I’m going to bet it gets a little colder out here at night.”

He shakes something off as he briefly glances at the ground.

“Not much, but you probably will get chilly in just the leather.”

I look at my old and faded leather jacket.

The red leather is soft and worn from years of use, but I’ll be the first to admit,
it’s not the warmest thing on Earth.

“So, you lead the way?”

He quickly looks away from me and nods.

“This way.” He trails quietly deeper into the woods.

I glare back at my bike and my helmet before heading after him

“We’ll be able to find my bike again, right?” I call after him, now sprinting to
keep up.

He gives me a quick nod.

“Hey!” I cry out.

“Since when are we in a hurry?”

He stops dead in his tracks to look up at the moon.

“Can’t keep up?”

I shoot him a dirty look.

“Yes, but I just figured we didn’t have to be in such a hurry.”

He turns to look at me and laughs.

I can’t keep the uneasy feeling from tying a knot in my stomach.

I feel somewhat ridiculous to even trust him.

I feel as though I’m breaking one of the cardinal rules of “stranger danger.” Here
I am following some man I don’t know into woods that I’m completely clueless about.

I have got to be stupid.

Not only am I going willingly, but now my guide is laughing like some crazed lunatic.

What in the hell is he laughing at? I find myself laughing nervously.

“You know, if you’re busy, we don’t - ” I stop.

“You don’t have to.”

His expression changes once more to a soft, sad, and sincere one.

“It’s okay; I’ve got time.”

I draw in a long breath and release it slowly.

His expression softens again and he shakes his head.

“Don’t worry about your bike.

I know this place a little too well.”

I finally nod as he begins walking at a slower pace.

I catch up to him easily this time and keep a steady pace by his side

“How old are you, Red?” Now I can hear a smile in his voice

“Twenty-five.” I glance over at him.

“How old are you?” He doesn’t look any more than 25 to be honest.

No fine lines, no wrinkles.

Just perfectly flawless skin buried under the scruff of facial hair

“Thirty,” he says, keeping his eyes forward

I shove my hands in my pockets and send a breath outward.

“What exactly do you do?”

“I’m a mechanic.

I work on cars.

I have my own business for restoration,” he explains

“I’m not an idiot,” I tell him.

“I know what a mechanic does,” I shoot, annoyed

He laughs.

“And just what do you do?”

I peer at my feet and lick my lips.

“I don’t really have a job.

Not a steady one any way.

I work where I can, and save what I can.”

I see him nod from the corner of my eyes.

“Do you always ride the bike everywhere?”

I give him a nod.

Other than my red leather jacket, my bike is my most valued possession.

It’s a complete luxury for me, despite its age, and I’m very lucky to have it in the
first place.

“It’s all I have.

Besides, gas is cheap.”

He finally turns his head to look at me.

“What do you do in the winter?”

I stop and kick a large clump of hardening mud over my boots.

“Migrate south.”

This makes him laugh again as he gives me a genuine smile, one that gives me a little
pang of excitement somewhere deep inside.

I smile back.

“It’s supposed to be warm down here, right?”

“Something like that,” he says as his feet start moving.

“So, how long do you plan on staying here?”

I shrug.

“As long as my ex doesn’t find me.”

“Is he that bad?”

I keep my eyes forward and give him a little nod.

I suddenly feel something on my back.

I glare next to me and realize his hand has gently landed on the small of my back,
giving me a soft pat.

I fight the urge to walk faster, to pull myself way.

I swallow hard and feel my heart rate quicken.

I look up and into his gray eyes again, and I can’t help but to notice that as he
moves they seem to bounce light off in the way an animal’s would.

I shake out of my thoughts, but can’t seem to manage to pull my eyes away from him

He pulls his hand away and shyly looks away.

“Sorry.” He shakes his head.

“I get the impression he’s hurt you.”

“He wasn’t nice,” I say, putting a good width of distance between us

“Sorry,” he says softly.

He glances over at me again.

“You just remind me a lot of her.”

“Of your sister?”

He gives me another nod and looks down.

His body tenses and relaxes a few more times.

He glances at his feet and shoves his fists into his pockets

“Sure is light out here,” I say, making a quick attempt to change the subject

He laughs and looks up.

“The full moon will do that, Red.”

I suddenly feel silly and half-stupid.

“I just didn’t think it would light up the woods.” Even in total darkness, I can feel
the heat beginning to rise off my cheeks

“What? You mean to tell me you don’t go playing in the woods alone back in Kentucky,
Red?” He asks

I let out a soft chuckle.

“Not exactly.”

“It’s just a little bit further,” he states as we both step over a large, fallen tree
log.

“It’s not too far from your bike, like I said, and we can easily find it.”

I nod as I begin trailing behind him, strategically placing him in front of me to
easily watch his moves.

I’m smaller, and may be quick enough to outrun him if needed.

Getting out of the woods in the right direction is what I need to worry about, if
worse comes to worse.

I keep my eyes forward and there, in a small clearing of trees with the bright moonlight
highlighting it, is a small, run down cabin.

Ethan turns to look at me.

“Here it is.

Warmer.

It’s better than some tent, anyway.”

I let out a sigh as I stare hard at the little old house.

The earth has begun to consume it.

The little house is covered half way up with moss, vines, and high weeds.

The handful of windows are intact, but filthy and difficult to even see through.

The small, covered porch seems rickety and barely able to hold the covering up.

“Is it safe?”

He gives me a slight nod.

“I’ve been coming here for years.”

“You know this place?” I ask, following him up the creakiest set of steps I’ve ever
heard.

I swallow my fear; this is how horror movies begin.

I look up at him and he seems to pause in front of the door

He takes a long look and finally lets out a sigh before turning back to me.

“I know it very well, actually,” he says, digging something out of his pocket

I gasp, stepping back, again putting more distance between us

He laughs and holds up the shiny object, and I see that it’s nothing more than a thin
and long pin-like object.

“It’s for the door, Red.

I told you that I wouldn’t hurt you.”

I give my head a shake.

I feel almost embarrassed for acting this way around him.

“Sorry,” I tell him as I watch him jam the long, pin-like object through the key hole
of the door.

He begins wiggling it carefully, and eventually he is rewarded with a
click.

He turns, smiling, and pushes the door open

“Ladies first,” he says, ushering me inside

I hesitate, but eventually step in to a creaky floor and musty smelling cabin.

It’s quiet, but much warmer, as Ethan had promised.

I can hear the familiar flicking of a lighter behind me as I realize he’s now inside
and lighting candles

“How did you know about this place?” I ask

As each tiny flicker of the lighter goes up in a small, orange flame, I see the large
open room is rather furnished.

At first glance, I see a twin bed in a corner, a nice little rocking chair overlooking
one of the dirty windows, a tattered old couch, and a small table and chairs.

It’s nothing fancy, just plain, and comforting, and well worn.

I turn to Ethan who is busy lighting the last of the candles