CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

INTO THE WOODS

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before,” says Jack, “but it’s been difficult to figure out who to trust. When Zera found out that the ogres were looking for the lamp, that’s when she sent Alistair to me. I’m supposed to keep him safe from them. Obviously, I failed.”

“They don’t have the lamp yet,” Filomena says. “It’s not too late.”

“Lamp schwamp,” says Gretel. “If we’re going to rally these wolves on our side, we should get going.” She inspects Filomena’s outfit and begins to fidget with the fit of the hoodie Filomena is wearing over the dragonskin armor. She pulls the waist drawstrings together tightly. “There.”

“Ugh, I like it loose.”

“But it looks better this way,” argues Gretel.

“No means no,” says Filomena, untying the strings and wearing it slouchy and baggy once more.

“Hopeless,” says Gretel with a sigh.

“Right,” says Jack, ignoring their bickering and leading the way. “We’ll have to go deeper into the Great Forest to find the wolves.”

“But aren’t wolves evil?” asks Filomena as they disappear into the shade of the forest. “Why would we even want their help? Won’t they try to eat us or something?”

Jack looks at Filomena with confusion on his face. “Eat us? They’re not ogres.”

“Evil? Wolves? Why would you think that?” asks Gretel. “I grew up on the mortal side, and even I know wolves aren’t evil.”

“They’re not?” asks Filomena.

“Wolves are the most noble creatures in Never After,” says Jack.

“But what about the Big Bad Wolf?” asks Filomena. “The one who’s always blowing down the three pigs’ houses?”

“Is that what you think? The tales truly are twisted. The wolf has let those pigs live on his land forever. They’re his tenants.”

“But I heard them talk about the wolf. ‘Now, if he arrives, you need to get to my house immediately,’ the pig wearing a suit said.”

“Because that pig always hosts. You didn’t hear the rest of the sentence, which was ‘where I’ll be serving the hors d’oeuvres,’” says Jack. “And his food is so good, it always blows them away.”

Filomena shakes her head. “But what about Little Red Riding Hood?”

“What about her?” asks Gretel, intrigued.

“The Big Bad Wolf dressed up as her grandmother and ate both of them, but the hunter saved them,” she says, telling them the story as she’s always known it.

Jack and Gretel stare at Filomena in silent disbelief for a moment, exchanging stumped glances. Finally Jack can’t take it any longer.

“The hunter saved them?!” he repeats as if he can’t believe what he heard.

“Didn’t he?”

“No…” Even Gretel is shaking her head.

“That’s not the true story. At all,” says Jack firmly.

“Yeah,” Gretel chimes in. “Even I know that isn’t the true story. My father’s told me enough times. He said the mortals get all the fairy tales wrong. It drives him crazy.”

“Whoever is telling these tales is telling them wrong for a reason,” says Jack. “Didn’t you say that’s why you read the Never After books? To read the ‘real story’?”

Filomena considers it. The Never After books must not have gotten to that part of the story yet. “I guess you’re right. But if the wolf isn’t bad, then what about the hunter? Isn’t the hunter the hero of the story?”

“Oh goodness, no,” says Gretel as both she and Jack shudder at the mention of the hunter.

“Why?” asks Filomena. “What’s wrong with the hunter?”

“Here, hunter is another word for ogre,” Jack explains. “Because ogres hunt and eat us.”

“Trust us on this one,” says Gretel.

Jack turns to Gretel. “If we’re going to call on the wolves, she’s going to need a red cloak,” he says.

“On it,” says Gretel. “Hand me my bag.” She searches through her suitcase and pulls out a bit of plain red fabric. Other colors of the rainbow slide out with it, and she pushes them back inside for safekeeping. “I always keep extra fabric with me, just in case.”

“You have a sewing kit and fabric in your bag? No wonder it’s so heavy!” says Filomena. “I thought you just had makeup.”

Gretel shrugs. “And a few other things.”

They rest in the shade so Gretel can sew. “You know, this sort of thing usually takes a lot of time and effort,” she tells them as she grabs her scissors and cuts the material in two. One piece is smaller than the other. “But I’ll do my best.” Then she starts to sew, stitching the bloodred cloth with a needle and thread.

After just a few minutes of quick work, Gretel holds up a little hooded red shawl, shaking it in front of Filomena. “Take off your hoodie and put this on. Trust me. I know it’s not the most glamorous, or even a full cloak, but we have to make do with what I’ve got.”

Filomena does as told, exchanging her favorite and most comfortable hoodie for the red cloak.

Gretel rummages in her suitcase again and comes up with a little basket for Filomena to hold. “Little Red Riding Hood,” she declares with satisfaction. “Off to see the wolf in the woods.”