Fairytales, Brothers Grimm. The handsome Prince comes to rescue the beautiful Princess, the lost children find their way home, or my personal favorite, the hunter kills the Big Bad Wolf in the end. These are all lies if you ask me, but you didn't. Did you?

I think it would be only fair if you, my precious little reader, knew what was never told in the prejudiced webs weaved by collectors, and to give them the great honor they deserve, we'll begin this tale like any other.

Once upon a time…

He sat by the candlelight of his desk as he looked over the letter once more. This letter would decide the events that would unfold if everything went to plan. He folded the scribbled parchment into a perfect square and wrapped a blood ribbon 'round it like a wintertime gift. He took hold of the iron candleholder and dribbled the wax form of its once solid state onto the letter, sealing it until its desired reader held it in her hands.

He moved swiftly through the dark woods outside of his home, never stumbling for he knew this path so well. This once beaten path led to the girl who held his heart onto an invisible leash, his Red.

She leaned against the wood fence that encased her home from the woods that had once been her playground, listening to the children play in the space around the communal homes of the village. She wished she could go back to those happy times when she was a little girl but those years had passed out of her reach with so few months. Changes had taken place and damage was done that could not be fixed.

Her mother's eyes watched like a trickster crows from the kitchen to be sure of her daughter's whereabouts. She saw the sadness the coursed over her face as she stared out at the children.

"Red?!" She shouted from the window. The girl came to her mother's call.

"Ma'am?"

"Go to the box at the end of the drive and see if we have any mail for the day." Her eyes lit with excitement. It was a rarity now for her to be able to leave the containment of her home without her mother's permission. She gave a quick nod and curtsy as she left and ran in an unbefitting manner down the dirt drive, dust stirred in her trail as she reached the wooden box with simple numbers on it. She reached for the 6th box that could have easily been confused for the 9th because the number was hanging the wrong way.

To her disappointment there was no mail to carry back to her mother but beside the box was a basket that had never been there before. For some odd reason it called out to her for her to grab. So she did, and what she found was the last thing she would have ever thought.