Chapter 4: Chapter 4
About two weeks had went by, and Ruby was getting more and more used to the school and general routine. She had grown closer to Martha and Lola every day, and found her happiness growing the more she spent with them.
It was a Thursday afternoon, and Ruby was in the library. They had to do an essay on a classic story for English, and Ruby had decided on doing a classic fairy tale. Heading to the fantasy section, she stood up on her tip toes, and grabbed the book and checked it out. The essay wasn't due for another week but she decided to get a head start. Sliding it into her messenger bag, she headed down the marble stair case towards her dorm.
Putting up her student card, the door made a clicked and opened. It was just her since Lola was at rehearsal, and Martha had an extra tutoring session. She took the book out of her bag and sat on her bed. The book was definitely not new, it had a musty odor to it, and the pages were yellow and ripped in places. The binding was fragile, really the whole book was fragile to be honest.
Ruby had decided that Little Red Riding Hood would be simple and easy enough. Opening the book and flipping to the right chapter, the pages started to swirl and melt into each other. I've got to be tired, Ruby thought rubbing her eyes and looking at the book in disbelief. The room started going fuzzy and everything started to spin. Before she knew it, she was out cold.
She awoke in an old fashioned room. She was on a bed with brown blankets, the room was painted white with wood crown molding. She also wasn't in her school uniform, looking down she was in a black dress with a red cape with a hood. What in the name of- her thought was interrupted by a woman yelling, "Little Red Riding Hood! Get down here now! You have to bring a basket to your grandmother, she's sick!" What? Little Red Riding Hood? Grandmother? HUH? No! It can't be! I'm dreaming! Ruby thought while panicking. Deciding going downstairs was in her best interest, she headed out of the room.
Walking down the creaky wooden stairs the woman was at the bottom of. "Finally! Here is the basket, you know the way, go through the forest, give this to your grandmother, and don't talk to strangers." With that, the basket was shoved into Ruby's hands and she was pushed out the door. Am I Red Riding Hood? So I just go through the forest? Oh this isn't going to end well....
Her palms grew sweaty as she gripped the basket tighter. Should I really do this? But what other option do I have? She contemplated other options, but after all, she didn't know what was going on exactly. The woods were right in front of the cottage she was just in, so that was easy to get to. Hopefully there's a trail or something like that, I have no sense of direction here, Ruby worriedly thought.
The woods indeed did have a trail. Ruby rejoiced at seeing it. That had to be the only way she could go, right? Her feet making a quiet crunch against the auburn fallen leaves as she glanced around at her surroundings. Staying on the path, she thought back to the story of Little Red Riding Hood. If I'm in the story—wouldn't that mean the wolf would be here? Oh Merlin help me.
She heard a rustle in the bushes, panicking, she ran as fast as she could possibly run. Still keeping a tight grip on the basket, the hood quickly slid off, her hair flying in all directions, her shoes thumping against the ground, her breath becoming short. Slowing down slightly, she caught a glimpse of the wolf in the bush. Picking up the pace, she kept running. She was surprised at how fast she was going—how come she couldn't run like this for her fitness exams? There was no time to dwell on that, Ruby knew she was going to have to lose the wolf somehow.
There was no way she could keep running, she was losing her energy quickly. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't think of anything, and just as she was about to lose hope a tiny cottage came into view. Grandma's! There was a small fence around her house, so throwing the basket over it, she lifted her dress up and jumped over it. She fell face first into the yard, scraped her knees, and definitely had pieces of grass stuck in her hair.
Without hesitation, she jumped up, grabbed the basket and knocked rapidly on the door. An old woman with a kind face answered the door and let her inside. When the grandma closed the door Ruby let out a sigh of relief as her breathing paced back to her normal pace. "My dear are you alright? You have grass and dirt all over your face! I hope you weren't in too big of a rush to get here," Now that's an understatement, Ruby thought. "O-oh! No! I just, uh, tripped," Ruby said. "Well alright. Come now, let's go sit," Grandma said with a cough.
The living area was small, but cozy. A soft, weathered, green sofa and a rocking chair. A little coffee table with fresh flowers in a vase, and a couple of books. Ruby sat down, smoothing out her dress. Taking notice of the basket, Grandma said, "Now what did you bring me?" Ruby, having no idea, opened it up, to reveal slightly smushed biscuits and cookies. "Well, um, biscuits and cookies, but they, uh, are kinda smushed from when I fell," Ruby said now feeling guilty. "Oh it's alright, I'm sure they still will taste good. How is your mother?" "Mother? Uh, she's fine,"
After some polite conversation, Ruby trying to sound as convincing to stick to Red Riding Hood's character, Grandma said, "My, it's getting late. You should head home, your mother will worry," "Of course. It was lovely visiting you," "Do come and see me again soon," "I will."
Taking the empty basket, Ruby walked out of the house. They sun was starting to set, and knowing what had happened on her way here, she booked it all the way home. Once stepping into the home, she was greeted by her "mother". "Get washed up and if you're hungry there is dinner in the kitchen," she said. "I think I'm just going to head to bed, I'm quite tired," Ruby replied.
Going back to the same room she awake in, she sat on the bed. Her thoughts racing, what am I going to do? How am I to get back to school? What about Lola and Martha? Have they realized I've been missing? What about my parents? Has time gone by or what..? She clutched the pillow and softly started crying. She didn't know what to do. Soon, she drifted off into sleep.
She awoke in her dorm room, still sitting with the book open in her lap. She looked at her watch. Not a second had gone by.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone