Chapter 3

I told him that he was free to come join me at my Grandma's cabin out in the woods. If we make it by day two I'll give him a lift to his car. He was pleased with the idea and headed back to his car to get more camera film and energy bars. I told him that I would meet him at the riverside pathway where I will camp for tonight. "Just stay on the path and you'll get there and in the morning we'll hike together again all day." I'll take him to the richest spots to get shots of the mountain. He was thrilled, he seemed amazed that I was even allowing him. I could tell he wasn't a creep, and he was genuinely nice.

Once we split ways and he headed back I pulled out my phone and texted Iggie and Carol on meeting James Wolvin the fourth. I had a connection, my text went through. Maybe they put a radio station up on top, however, at least if I need help I can call for it…

I walked up the mountain side for a few hours before ending up at a fork in the road. I had fucked up. I forgot which one to take. I thought for a moment setting my basket down. Which way did we go?

I looked at both pathways and they were eerily similar. I stared hoping one of them would give me the answer. I hit my head against my hand, "Fuck." I swore angrily. I pulled out my phone to GPS my location, "Aaand now there's no fucking service! Great! Just perfect!" I shoved my phone into my pocket and crossed my arms.

"Which way?" I pondered again when something caught my eye on the left side. It was a swift shadow that spud across the pathway. I backed up slowly listening to any noises. I pulled out a pocket knife waiting to be attacked. A soft breeze brushed through the trees and I heard the distant sound of a voice call, "Come this way, come this way young lady. Come… come this way pretty girl." It was fucking creepy! I picked up my basket as the voice got louder. It was cunning and cooning. "Don't step away, come closer… come closer girl with red hood."

"I don't know who you are but I don't like this!"

"You're lost aren't you?" It said.

"Yes… I am… but why do you care?" I answered it.

"What do you have in that basket of yours?" The voice said avoiding my question.

"Some baked goods I've made for my Grandmother." I said shifting the basket in my hands.

"Grandmother?" It said quickly.

"Yes…" I spoke softly.

"You should come this way to get to grandmother's house." It said sweetly.

"I need to get to the river, where there's a small pool side."

"You want the water hole! I can take you! But you gotta come this way…"

"How do I know I can trust you? Where even are you?" I squinted my eyes looking for the figure of a man in the tree's shadow.

"You can't see me?" It tauntingly asked.

"... No I do not... can you please come out so I can see you?"

"Come closer, come this way and I will show you." It jeered.

"I'd rather not." I said beginning to think I should just turn around and meet up with James.

"Oh no please do not go!" It cried, "I will show you, but do not run away."

"Fine, you have my word I won't run. Please let me see you."

It was quiet, I heard nothing and saw nothing. I heard a tree branch snap behind me as James appeared.

"Fiery Red! We meet at last!" He smiled.

"My god I've never been so happy to see a nerd." My heart had collapsed and I was scared. I'm glad he was here.

"Whoa are you alright?"

"Someone was talking to me and I don't know who it was."

"Damn what kind of weed you've been smoking?"

"Oh shut up, you're a goddamn prick aintcha?"

"Well I don't see anyone, it's just us."

"Yeah but I can't remember which way we're supposed to go."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a fork in the road in front of us! I can't-" there was no fork. I paused. It was one road. One road… I looked at James and back at the non-existenting fork. "Okay! You're right, I had too much weed." He smiled half heartedly .

"My you're goofy."

"Let's just get out of here." And we marched on.

We went down the road as I heard behind me whisper, "Red…"

"Did you say something?" James had heard it.

I coughed, "People call me Red for short."

"Oh? So it was okay to call you that."

"Yeah, I suppose it was."

"My you can be a grump, so what's your real name?"

"My real name? Let me think, eh, I don't feel like telling you." I smiled.

"Okay, I take it back, you're not a grump."

"Everyone just calls me Red, ever since I was eleven it just stuck."

"Gee I wish I had a cool nickname."

"Here I got one for you, let's call you Dorksalott."

He looked at me, "You can be a real bitch sometimes."

I laughed, and I laughed hard. No one had faced me back with a name call and it hit my funny bone. He smiled at me as I composed myself. "Alright alright what about Wolf. I'm Red and you're the Wolf."

"That's the 'Big Bad Wolf', I'm not a bad guy."

"Then let's call you Woodsmen."

"'Woodsmen'? Don't you mean Woodsman?"

"Nah I like Woodsmen because it sounds like Woodsmin and said really fast it's a name. Then you can save me and my grandmother from being eaten by the big bad wolf."

"So you can make jokes about your red hood and grandma skipping-hiking to deliver goodies and I can't?"

"No, no, no- weeeelll yes, yes that's exactly what I mean." I smiled as he smiled back.

My phone began to ring once more, I stopped and took it out of my pocket.

He looked at me confused, "Phones work out here?"

"Sometimes…" I answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Red, are you still with that guy? Are you okay?"

"Iggie? Yeah I'm fine, I'm okay we're almost to the first campsite."

"You're in the mountains? How high up?"

"Wouldn't know fam, but I'm not sure how the fuck you and Carol keep calling and messaging me."

"Did Carol call you about her scrub brush? I told her not to."

"Well she did, and you guys can't keep calling me please. I should turn it off."

"Don't do that! We can't find your dead body that way."

"Carol has to sing at my funeral."

"No promises. Anyways you be safe and hopefully we hear from you soon."

"Can do Iggie, talk to you later."

"Bye." I hung up.

I walked quietly with James. "Boyfriend?" He asked.

I smiled and rolled my eyes, "No just a friend."

"Good good," he said trying to end the awkwardness, "so how much longer?"

I looked at the sun, "Well it's been at least six hours since I left my car. Another hour or so and we should be at the river."

"'Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go'?" He nudged me.

"Exactly." I smirked.