Red Rider's Hood Read Free

funny, like she had a cold. I followed her voice to the bedroom, and there she sat, in the darkness, under her covers.
    â€œDid you bring me my bread?” she whispered.
    I held up the bag.
    â€œGood, good.” She cleared her throat. “Come a little closer, my child. Let me see you.”
    Grandma was the only person I allowed to call me child. As I stepped closer and my eyes began to adjust to the light, I could see that her Afro, all curly and gray, was even bigger than I had last seen it.
    â€œMan, Grandma, what big hair you have.”
    â€œThe better to style with, my dear.”
    Her finger reached out and beckoned to me. I took another step closer. Outside the trees hissed their eerie warning, and now there was a smell in the room. It wasn’t the smell of mothballs and air freshener that usually filled her house. This smell was alive and dark. It was gamy, like the breath of a tiger after eating its kill. I took a step closer. There was a glass beside the bed filled with water and Grandma’s false teeth. They were magnified by the curved glass.
    â€œWow, Grandma,” I said. “What gnarly teeth you have.”
    â€œBetter to smile at you with, my dear.”
    She put out her hand and patted the bed for me to sit down, but even in this dim light, I could see there was something very odd about those hands.
    â€œMy, Grandma,” I said. “What hairy knuckles—”
    But I didn’t get the chance to finish. Suddenly Grandmaleaped off the bed, and I was pushed back against the wall. Both of her hands were around my throat. I reached up, pulled at her hair, and it came off. It was only a wig.
    â€œGuess we’re gonna have to do this the hard way!” she said, in a voice that didn’t sound like my grandma at all. “Give me the money!”
    I kept trying to suck air through my throat, but those strong hands had closed off my windpipe. I knew from that voice exactly who it was. Although I couldn’t see his face all that well in the dim light, I knew.
    Cedric Soames.
    I reached out behind me, grabbed the cord to the blinds, and tugged as hard as I could. Light flooded the room. I could see his eyes now, wild and furious. I had never been this close to him, but now I could see there was definitely something inhuman about his eyes.
    Other figures stepped out from behind the curtains, from the closet, and from the other rooms. There were more than I could count, because my vision was getting dim from the lack of oxygen.
    I knew right away that they were the Wolves, Cedric’s gang. Their trademark was an open shirt that showed off their chest hair—although most of them had to use mascara to make it look like anything. Cedric was the only really hairy one.
    â€œJust take it,” I tried to say. “Just take it.”
    Cedric twisted his lip into a snarling smile.
    â€œI don’t take things,” he said. “But I do accept gifts. Are you giving me that money?”
    Although there wasn’t an ounce of me that wanted to do it,I also didn’t want to die. I let the bag slip from my hands. One of the others picked it up, and when he stood up and looked at me, I could see who it was. Marvin Flowers, gold tooth and all.
    Now that I had dropped the bag, Cedric loosened his grip enough to let me gasp some air.
    â€œWhere’s my grandma?” I asked.
    â€œWe ate her,” said one of the other Wolves.
    â€œYeah,” said Cedric. “I think I still have a piece of her between my teeth. Marvin, go see if there’s any dental floss.”
    I pushed Cedric for that one. I knew he might hit me hard, but no one makes fun of my grandma like that. Especially after stealing from her.
    â€œWhat did you do with her?” I demanded.
    â€œSame thing we’re gonna do with you.”
    Cedric looked at me angrily, but he didn’t hit me. He stared at me with his nasty eyes. They were an amber brown, so light they could almost