Last Flash Fiction Bingo Story! - The Wolf and Little Red
I made bingo! And - Snow Day Giveaway winners announcement.
Hello, Monsters!
How are you all? Here we are at the end of the month, and I find myself posting another by-the-skin-of-my-teeth flash fiction story because, well, I simply had to make bingo. What can I say, when I’m given a challenge, I can’t not meet it. Even though this writing challenge was entered into all in the name of fun, and even though I was hit with a ton of crazy, life events (who hasn’t this spring?) I couldn’t let May slip by without filling my final bingo square. Guess I’m a little bit competitive that way. Any of you lairlings share this affliction? Let me know down in comments if you do.
Anyway, here is my story. It fills in the enemies to lovers square (my favorite trope!) and is actually a scene from a piece I’ve been working on for the Booktober anthology, which I will definitely be talking about more as we get closer to Halloween. It’s a crazy Big Bad Wolf retelling that sprang from another story I wrote awhile back titled Rules. If you’ve been reading my flash fiction you might recognize the theme. Honestly, I planned to feature another bit of writing I have in the works for this trope, but since I had to meet a deadline for Booktober, and this story was most in my headspace, I decided to share this bit with you.
I give to you The Wolf:
“You can have my phone, you know. You don’t need to take me with you.”
“Oh, but I do need you.” My kidnapper walks out into the lobby of my apartment complex. It’s painfully empty looking. Everyone’s out for Halloween. Even the front desk is deserted. He offers me his hand like the refined gentleman I’m told he was at one time.
“Why?” Against my better judgment, I take his hand and step out of the elevator.
“You’re going to give me back what your ancestor took.” I give him a blank stare. His lips pull back from his teeth before he speaks again. “My magick! You will reverse the curse your great-great-grandmother cast on me so long ago and bring me back to full power—level up all the way, full health and all that nonsense you gamer types talk about. I have to be at my full strength again and you’re the bloodline witch to do that for me.”
I snort. Then I laugh outright. Oh, the joke was so on him. He holds me in his steely stare, dark brows drawing inward.
“And what do you find so funny about that?”
I fill my cheeks with air, then blow it all out in one big breath.
“It’s funny that you think the council is going to let you get that far. Funny that you think you’re going to be allowed to get back to terrorizing humans again. And it’s freaking hilarious that you think I’m going to help you!”
His eyes narrow.
“You think you have it all figured out, don’t you, Red? That the version of events surrounding my incarceration that’s been stuffed inside your head by that council of fools is the truth.”
“Are you saying it isn’t?” I had to be very careful here. The wolf was a known master of deception.
But he doesn’t utter another word on the topic, just narrows his gaze even further before looking at my phone when the screen lights up again.
“Who do you keep talking to?”
I try to see my screen, but the privacy shield hides it. Grim glances up at me. He doesn’t answer, which lends more proof to my suspicion that he’s not the only villain that escaped Realm. Switching my phone for my car keys in his pocket, he pulls me through the lobby out onto the sidewalk. It’s night out, it would be completely dark if it weren’t for the full moon. I don’t see anyone walking around, so all the trick-or-treaters must have gone home, though telltale bumps of music from some houses and apartments denote parties going strong. Too bad nobody’s standing at a window for me to flag down. Grim tugs on my hand as we march toward my car.
“Where are we going?”
“Town Square.” Finally, he answers one of my questions. “Get in.” He hits the lock on my key fob. “I’m driving.”
“Oh, no, no, no, no!! Just because you drove around inside a video game for a few years doesn’t mean I’m riding in a car with you,” he gives me an arch look, “while conscious.”
He steps toward me, a tried expression on his face, like he’d gladly knock me out.
“Hold on.” I put my hands up, and he stops. “What’s in Town Square, anyway? Let me guess—dead witches. Something I’m sure you’re a fan of.” He frowns.
“Red, dear, your witchy little mind may only be able to absorb certain parts of history, but there are those of us who don’t suffer such a failing. Especially when we’ve lived them.” His tone is positively snippy. “Graybrooke Town Square is where the public library is. It’s also where the council hides its cache of magickals literature, in plain sight, if you’re one to appreciate the irony. It’s where we’ll find the spell book your great-great grandmother used to steal my magick. And it’s where you will give me back said magick.”
“Uhh, you are so barking up the wrong tree.” I laugh when I realize what I just said, ‘barking.’ He scowls. “Um… right. See, I’d love nothing more than to get you out of my neighborhood and out of my life. But I can’t help you. I’m crap at spells. Swear to the Stars, I’ve never had one work out.” I start pulling my bedraggled braids out and fluff my hair free of them for something to do with my hands. “Why do you think they keep me locked away in Realm’s tech support?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Uhhh,” I speak through a dry sounding chuckle,” you’re just going to have to. It’s the truth. If you need a caster, you should look elsewhere, really.”
There, maybe I’ll be rid of him now. He grinds his back teeth together so hard I swear I hear his jaw pop.
“Look, pussycat, as soon as you break the curse, I’ll be on my way. There are bigger things going on than you know. If the so-termed ‘villains’ don’t get their magick back, there’ll be literal hell to pay. ”
I blink up at him in frustration.
“Look, Mr. Freak-of-the-Century Big Bad Wolf,” I mimic him. He looks down when I poke my finger into his chest. Stars, his pecs are hard! “I already told you, I can’t do any spells, I can’t even pass my history of witchcraft exams, and I sure as hell don’t know how to find the specific curse my great-great- grandmother used over two centuries ago.”
His eyes pop up from my finger on his shirt, an incredibly annoying yet devilishly sexy smirk on his face. My lower belly tightens at the sight of it and I swear a glow flares in the back of his stare. It brings back every lust-filled thought I’ve ever had about his character in Realm. How pathetic was it that I had a crush on a digital persona? Especially since I knew this particular person was evil to the core when he’d walked the earth. That’s exactly how well I know my history. And it’s exactly why I decide right then and there to cooperate. Scary as this all is, I’m actually feeling pretty brave for the first time in my life. I’m going to go with him willingly. I’m going to stay very close to the Big Bad Wolf of legend tonight. Because it’s up to me to stop him.
And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed my final flash fiction story for the Wild At Heart PNR Bingo challenge. Here’s my bing card to keep me honest, lol:
Okay, Monsters, we have business, you and I. The fun kind, of course. I had such a great response via email and Instagram to my Snow Day in May giveaway that I picked two winners to give ebook copies of Snow Maiden to. Winners were chosen by random selection of the book gods. Congratulations to Kyrie Mangus and Theresa Palmieri! Yay! Just send me an email reply and I’ll get your copies sent to you, ladies.
I’ll for sure be doing more giveaways here in the lair in the future, so keep an eye out for chances to win more fun prizes from me, because I love giving gifts!
That’s about all for now. I hope you have enjoyed a terrific month of May and are looking forward to June. I’ll be sharing more book news as we head into summer. For those of you that contacted me about joining my ARC team for Storm Tide and expressed interest in my offer of a Tides world new reader bundle, I still have a couple people to get back to and will be doing that this week. If anyone else is interested in receiving an advanced reader copy of Storm Tide before it comes out, just let me know in a reply to this email and I’ll get you on the list.
Before I go, here’s a look at what I’m reading and some new books that are out or will be out soon:
Now Live!
Coming Soon!
I mentioned before that I have taken on a few gardening projects this year. If you’re a gardener and have any pictures of your yard or garden, please send them to me so that I may be inspired by your horticultural genius and all around green thumb-y-ness (new word, I just made it up). I’d love to see them! If there are any cute animals in the background, photo bombing like my dog, Gus, likes to do, all the better!
Okay, I’m really going now, I promise. Don’t forget to tell me about your competitive streak in comments. Are you competitive? Do you take part in any competitive activities? Were you ever in any competitions? You get the idea.
Till next time, my lovely magical book-loving beasts,
Happy Reading!
Amanda V Shane
love the idea of flash fiction bingo, and your story is such a cool twist on an old classic! i can be super competitive about some stuff, too, even if i'm just competing with myself.