Red & Wolf

There was once a girl name Rufina Zamolodchikova, known affectionately as Red. There also lived a wicked man, named Vuk Seryi, known callously as Wolf. Red was a young, sweet-natured girl, with a giving heart. Wolf was an old and spiteful creature, who resented the young for their youth. This is the tale of how their lives intersected. Would you like to hear this story from the perspective of [[Red]] or [[Wolf]]?

Red resided in the old town of Zvenigorod, Moscow. She awoke one day to the smell of freshly baked bread. Her mother had been busy in the kitchen. "You must take these to each of our friends in the town whilst they are still warm", she instructed, handing a basket of homemade treats to Red. Red hooked the basket over her elbow and headed for the door. Her first stop was... [[The doctor]] [[The teacher]] [[The old man]]

Wolf awoke with a groan. Another miserable day. It seemed to Wolf that each day added a decade to his long life, feeling older and older with every moment that passed him by. This weighed on him like a ball and chain around his neck. Trudging to the mirror, he examined the bags under his eyes, the callouses on his hands, the result of a long and unfulfilling life. He decided that the time had come for him to make a change. His first stop was... [[The doctor.]] [[The teacher.]] [[The little girl and her mother.]]

Red arrived at the doctor's office, basket in hand. When she stepped inside, however, not a soul dwelled within. The doctor's computer still hummed and whirred, her seat still warm, and the patient's bed ruffled. It was as though all of a sudden, all life within the office had spontaneously evaoprated. "Strange", she lamented. She decided to move on. Her next stop was... [[The teacher]] [[The old man]]

She arrived at the teacher's house. It was a Sunday, a day spent resting before the start of the busy work week. A day the teacher always spent sat out on her porch, with a hot cup of tea and a newspaper. But as Red made her way up the garden path, the teacher was nowhere to be seen. Her cup of tea sat on the patio table, still steaming, and next to it lay the Sunday newspaper, still neatly folded as though it had just been delivered. And yet, not a soul in sight. "Strange", she lamented. She decided to move on. Her next stop would be... [[The doctor]] [[The old man]] [[Return home]]

Red arrived at the house of the old man down the lane. She had heard terrible rumours about him. They called him the Wolf, for he was cold, sharp, and hostile. Nevertheless, she heeded her mother's instructions and rapped her knuckles on the large front door. No answer. She decided she would... [[Knock again.]] [[Go inside.]]

Arriving at the house, Wolf found only the older of the two women to be home.

Wolf stepped into the doctor's office. It was quiet, even for a Sunday. "Mister Seryi!" The doctor greeted him, "How can I help you today?" "I feel tired, more tired every day, regardless of how much I sleep. I grow frustrated with the monotony of my life, day in, day out, I feel rotten, and lousy, and tired," the Wolf cried. "I think you just need to adopt a more positive attitude, Mister Seryi!" the doctor exclaimed, cheerily. The smug joy that spead across the doctor's young face taunted Wolf, and before he could consdider the consequences, he decided this would be the day he would take his revenge on the world that had been so cruel to him. He unhinged his jaw, his mouth gaping wide, baring his animal-like teeth, and he swallowed the doctor whole. "That takes care of that." Wolf mumbled. His next stop would be... [[The teacher.]] [[The little girl and her mother.]]

Double-click this passage to edit it.

She knocked once more. Still no answer. She decided it best to move on. Her next stop was... [[The doctor]] [[The teacher]] [[Return home]]

Red tried the knob of the large front door, and to her avail, it creaked open before her. The house was cold and dark, like the stories she'd heard about the man who dwelled within its walls. She called out, "Mister Seryi?". No answer" She decided it best to... [[move on]] [[wait]]

Her next stop would be... [[The doctor]] [[The teacher]] [[Return home]]

She settled herself in a dusty old armchair, much to big for such a small child.

Red returned home to find her mother missing, and in her place, the old man from down the lane. Wolf sat menancingly in the living room chair, his belly swollen, his face cruel.