Hello everyone! It's been a while on this one, and the sequels sadly...But I am working on these to get them published and hopefully really soon, I decided to make the remake of Red free to read here on Wattpad. So when it does come out as a published book, I hope you can help me out by leaving a review or even buying it! 

Other than that, any advice on this first chapter for refinements would be lovely!!

-Neko

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The day I went through the woods the last time, was the time that would change my life forever, as there are predators in the woods that would snatch anyone that caught their eyes. Which in retrospect wearing a red hood isn't the best way to blend in the dark green forests, but nothing ever happened in the woods while I was in them. It was always the same unless I walked with friends. Safe, docile, and inviting.

But that day, walking into the woods, things were different. It didn't look darker but felt darker, sinister even, making me jump at even the smallest noises that came to my ringing ears. As the silence was deafening.

So when I met the bright yellow eyes of a wolf along my path, I nearly screamed but then it was gone as I blinked as if it was my imagination, but then for the rest of the way, I felt them, I felt the intense gaze on my back as I kept my eyes trained forward, hoping I wasn't going to disappear in these woods as some of my friends had before me.

Oh, how very hopeful I was, how wrong I was to think I was safe in those woods that day.

*****

My giggling was the only noise I could hear as I turned the corner as I had yet again stolen another cookie from the counter without my mother noticing. I was getting better at sneaking along the crickety boards that housed our bakery and our home. I nibbled on it as I walked up the stairs, my feet bare causing the cool wood to greet me on the hot spring day. I entered the hallway of my room and before going into mine I find myself in my brother's, handing him the first cookie I had stolen.

He smirked at me as he took it. "Mom will kill you if she ever found out your feeding a sick child." He spoke through a mouthful of the baked sweet.

Shrugging, I sit next to him. Not caring if I would get sick. I was fine with it actually, because I didn't get sick as often as my brother, and if I did it was better within a day at most. "Meh, why should I let her dictate what we eat? It's better than mom's horrible chicken broth." We both winced and then laughed. Our mother was great at baking cookies, and that's it. While our father could cook just about anything, mother's cookies always seem better than our fathers somehow. We still have no clue how to begin to figure out why or how yet.

"I heard Grandmother has been sick too, Mom has been going back and forth to make sure she's alright. Glad she hasn't asked you yet. I always hated you going through those woods alone." Malcolm sat up a bit more, finishing off his own cookie.

I smiled as I took another bite of mine. "I think you've jinxed me there." I laughed as he pulled a face before standing, "Well I'm going to go and help mom, it seems busy today, which is nice but still, and while I help Mom, you get some sleep okay?" I patted his head as he lay down, pulling yet another face at me.

"I'm the older one here, why do you have to treat me like I'm the child?" He grumbled as he pulled his blanket up to his chin. Most likely pouting under there as well.

Rolling my eyes I left him there to sleep, turning the lights off before heading back downstairs, and towards the busy bakery. Once inside the bakery, my eyes widened a little at how many people were inside. Hatter, who we paid to help, was laughing as he poured some tea for a customer at their table. But all the tables were filled and not even half have been served.

"Red! Hurry out there and help Hatter." My mother spoke as she handed a man some change and he left so she could get the next order.

I quickly put on my red apron and started helping, passing by Hatter, who was older than me by at least 10 years, but he is one of my friends, and crushing on one of our friends that were left in our shrinking group. "You really need to stop talking," I spoke with a soft chuckle as I passed him, already on my second table.

"Well, tea is just such a striking conversation." He spoke with his large grin as he passed me this time.

I just shook my head at the man and continued throughout the bakery, but also slight cafe; serving and overall, working. By the time the rush stopped, we started cleaning and it was nearly 3 in the afternoon. Our small shop was never this busy, but we guessed it was due to how it was the tourist season for our town, it wasn't large, but it wasn't small. It just was one of those towns rich with history, recent to old. But enough that we have historical sites and such all around.

Even the house that used to hold a dear friend of mine was now a tourist spot. I sometimes go there and feed the mice, the same he left behind. I hadn't seen him come back at all, and not even the Step-Uglies were there. They had left when they got kicked out of the house, probably to go swindle some poor man in another country. What was worse, was he never even said goodbye, He never mailed us here in Grimm. It made me sad to think that maybe he forgot us.

"Red?" My mother spoke, breaking me from my depressing thoughts. I looked up to see her putting bread and some cheese in a basket. "I'm going to Grandmothers, watch the store till your Father gets back okay?" She asked, raising her brown eyes to me, moving the same colored brown hair from her face, Malcolm looked a lot like our mother. Down to even some freckles on their faces.

Nodding I watched her smile, before grabbing the basket and putting on her tan cloak, made by Grandmother when she married our father. Then she was off. It wouldn't take her long, but if she had gone an hour before the sunset, she'd have to have stayed with our Grandmother till morning.

The woods were never safe, another reason we get tourists and such. Those who come for the paranormal, or even supernatural. We know the fae exist, to witches and to other creatures that have taken friends or so on. Just the world is still iffy with them. By iffy, I mean they're so rare to come across that they believe they don't even exist, to begin with. But here, you'll find many strange beings. We even have a few in our little gang of miscreants.

This didn't mean life was easy, no, life is never easy. Not when childhood friends leave every year, never to return. Not even a trace. We always either stayed in pairs or stayed home. We didn't go into the woods anymore. Sure, I have many times alone, traveling the familiar path that was to my Grandmothers house. Nothing ever happened and sometimes it was just a rabbit in a bush making its way home. The last time anything made me wary of going into the woods alone, was when one of my best friends, Goldie went missing after running from his stepfather. I just hope he's happy wherever he may be.

"You don't look cute when you're thinking so hard there Red." Alex giggled as he came up to me, I hadn't even noticed he had walked in.

"Well, thinking is required of a smart person. Now isn't it?" I smiled as Alex rolled his eyes. "Now the usual?" I asked him as I saw Hatter finish speaking only to nearly trip where he stood when he saw Alex in front of me.

Alex grinned. "Absolutely. Thanks a bunch, Red." He spoke as I handed him the usual of some earl gray tea, and honey custard danish he spoke about whenever he wanted one desperately. "Hello, Hatter." Alex greeted as he turned to grin widely at the man before sitting by the window, which caught his bright golden hair in the usual ponytail, causing it to shimmer. Hatter was infatuated because of it. All the while Alex sat sipping his tea oblivious to the other pining adult.

Rolling my eyes, I went back to work, which went by quickly once my mind was able to focus once again. Making sure Hatter attended to both Alex and the other occupants of the shop. It was nearly 8 when my mother came back with an empty basket and told me I could go do whatever I wanted from now till 10. I thanked her by kissing her cheek and quickly grabbing my Cloak, apparently made when I was born, but it seemed to fit since I was 12. I'm now 17, and it fits like a charm still. Grabbing my money pouch as well as I headed out the shop doors.

I usually find myself wandering the town's streets at this time, just being there felt surreal. Life in general was. But today left off a feeling I could not place no matter how hard I thought on it. Maybe because I hadn't been out earlier like I had planned, or maybe it was because there were fewer people out right now. Sighing I let it slide. I wasn't one to focus on what I was feeling, or I'd get a headache.

Hearing giggling I turn around to find Alex and Hatter walking behind me, Alex waved at me, and I stood there and waited for them to catch up. "Red, so glad to see you again." Hatter said with a laugh.

Smiling I nodded. "Same Hatter. Same. You to Alex." I laughed when he nodded before grabbing my hand in his, our pale skins nearly causing us to blend together. If it weren't for our different eyes, and hair colors we'd be seen as siblings.

"Say, want to go see Bell at the book store?" He asked as we started in that direction anyway. Hatter followed leisurely behind us as Alex kept us at a near jog.

I shrugged. "Haven't seen him in a while, it would be nice to see the book lover." I laughed when Alex started to drag me even faster. "But do we need to run?" I asked.

It was his turn to shrug. "He'll be finished with his shift before we get there if we don't, We want to be able to catch him once it's over, then possibly drag him with us to the cliffs!" Alex informed me of his plans and I only looked at Hatter with a raised brow, questioning him silently if he knew. He only looked away from my inquisitive eyes.

So we ran all the way across town where the book store Bell worked at was. He was locking up with a book in hand, a smile along his kind face. When he looked up from our call his smile turned toothy and he laughed when Alex dragged me even faster towards the male. "Bell! Go to the cliffs with us?" He asks as we skid to a stop in front of him.

Bell blinked before shrugging. "Why not? It would be nice to hang with some friends before going home for supper," he spoke, laughing when Alex jumped up and down. "How much sugar have you had today Mr. Alex?"

"Now that is a superb question Bell. We have no clue." Hatter spoke grinning as Alex blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck, his blue eyes sheepishly looking away from all of us.

Laughing I patted his head, even though he was older by 3 years. "It's fine. It's just very noticeable there Alex, cmon let's get to the cliffs before the sun sets fully."

They all agreed and we headed off, having only a minute of a problem by the name of Gaston, an openly Bisexual hunter who had a thing for Bell. He wouldn't leave the poor boy alone whenever he saw even a glance of him. He was infatuated. But he didn't really seem to be the type of person Bell wanted, and we didn't want him with our Bell, He was horrible, and don't get me started with how many people he's already slept with. Nearly all the rumors spread about him were most likely true.

When we finally got to the cliffs the sun was barely peeking over the ocean from where we stood. We kind of just plopped ourselves down and enjoyed the last remnants of it as Bell tried to wipe the brown mud that Gastov had thrown her book into. The same one he loved so much the bookshop owner let him have.

"Don't worry too much Bell, I have a feeling you'll meet someone that would beat up Gaston if he even looked at you at all," Hatter spoke proudly as he brought out his little sketchbook and started drawing out some hats. And some that were already drawn were very well detailed but completely mad looking but they seemed very nice anyways. Something I'm sure the high classed people, like Alex's mother, would wear.

Bell could only laugh at what Hatter said. "I don't know about that Hatter. I want a kind man." He spoke as he reverently touched his book with a small placid smile as I'm sure he thought about someone just like the prince in the book. He had read it to me a couple of times before. "What about you all?"

"I have someone in mind already," Hatter spoke as he softly looked over at a thinking Alex. Me and Bell just smirked at each other before Alex spoke up.

"I'm not quite sure, I've never even thought about it before, I would like to travel the world, but my mother seems to have other ideas. Most of them arranged marriages. That I have declined to do, I don't even want a spouse. But as I have gotten older I have thought of getting someone. I'm not entirely picky. I just wish for us to both be happy with one another." He spoke with a shrug as we just continued to stare at him. Alex did not speak so much at once, he was always quite reserved. We could only guess he had been thinking about this a lot.

I gave Hatter a pointed look and he looked at me as if I was the mad one of the group, so I rolled my eyes and spoke up before they asked about me. "I have never even had a single thought about anyone. I don't even know if I'd be good at the whole dating thing. I mean, I want someone, just not sure if they'd want me. We are all practically inexperienced are we not?" I asked them and they all seemed to nod.

"Trust, you'd have to trust them with a lot more than your friends, I mean I have so much trust with you all, but I mean you'd be sharing your life with them for the rest of your lives. I think that would be the scariest part of all of it." Hatter spoke up as he sighed, looking up at us when we didn't respond. He chuckled when we gave him awed looks. "It's really not that hard to find, it's the person that's hard to find."

I nodded, agreeing. "You'd have to trust yourself too I would guess," I say as I lay back to look at the stars that peaked out one by one.

"Agreed." Bell said as he opened his book and started to read to us without asking, which was fine, we didn't mind, I think it was just time to lay around and just embrace what was left of our small group.