The Lady In Red

    "My favorite time of the year," the beastly monster grumbled, "lots of snacks out running around."

    "Now Rouge, you know we have a job to do." The smaller figure squeaked, it headed towards the largest tomb in the cemetery and began fiddling with this and that. Suddenly on the south side of the tomb, a piece of the wall jumped up and moved, the two pieces scraping together roughly making a horrible grinding noise. Down the dark staircase there was a soft glow flickering like something kept passing in front of it.

    "Where have you been," a lady in scarlet robes screeched, "where's the girl?" Her eyes got wide and her lips became invisible. "All this time and you don't even bring me the girl, I told you not to screw this up," she shrieked.

    "But Mistress," the smaller of the figures pleaded, "I promise we will have her soon, she didn't go her usual route, something about today spooked her."

    "She probably saw you two idiots hiding in the bushes!"

    "But Mistress, please I beg of you, it wasn't our fault. She was walking toward the river when someone stopped her and before we knew it she was running the other way crying. We promise to get her for you, I swear."

    "You better or I'll be using you for my spell, you little freak." The lady in red dismissed them and turned back to her work. Rouge and Pan left as quickly as they could, they didn't want to anger their mistress anymore than they had.

    "We really messed up this time didn't we, Pan?"

    "Yes, Rouge and I really hope we can fix it," Pan was really nervous he really didn't want to end up the sacrifice for his mistress' spell but she never made a threat that she didn't mean.

    "How are we gonna get the girl Pan?"

    "The only way we can, we'll steal her from her bed. It shouldn't be too hard."

    They were already half way to the little girls house, sticking to the shadows made it slow going but it would be dark soon and the two monsters would be able to move around a little more freely. Pan and Rouge had been watching this same little girl for nearly a month now and they knew her routine to a tee. In the next few hours her parents would have her sit down for dinner, take a bathe, and go to bed always in the same order, at the same time, every single night.

    It didn't matter that it was Halloween Night, the little girl's parents were conservative and didn't like the idea of their daughter knocking on doors to ask for treats. They thought it taught children an awful lesson and even worse, all the candy would just make her sick. The little girl's parents were like this about everything and it caused them to raise a very sheltered, shy, and innocent child.

    These unsuspecting parents unknowingly created the perfect child for the lady in red. For she was a witch and that pure innocence is just what she needed for her youth potion. This was no ordinary potion of course, for it could only be made on all hollow's eve. Brewed in light of a full moon, which only happens every nineteen years.  It had become harder and harder for the witch to find innocent children to complete her magical potion. She was already out of the last one she had created and fine wrinkles were starting to show in the corners of her eyes making little crows feet.

    The lady in red heard a loud rustling from the top of the stone steps. That better be those two monstrous idiots with that girl or I'll skin them for the ingredients. Just then a cloth sack tumbled down to land at her feet. She bent down and untied the sack opening it carefully. Lying inside was a little figure, a girl ,no more than eight by the looks of it. She was sleeping soundly but the lady in red couldn't figure out why, especially after that tumble. A lump of green and blue crashed down the steps, Rouge and Pan clutching at each other.

    "Will you two cut it out," the lady in red snarled, "what's wrong with the girl? She hasn't stirred at all, even after that fall."

    "It was the parents Mistress," said Pan untangling himself from the mass that was him and Rouge, "they gave her a dark liquid before bed."

    "They probably gave her something to help her sleep, didn't you say she ran home crying today?"

    "Yes Mistress, she did. She was hysterical really," piped Pan.

    "That is all it is then, I'm sure it won't interfere with anything. In fact it will probably make things much easier." The lady in red turned to finish her preparations that were nearly complete and began her ritual. The spell was complex and it had taken her weeks to get ready but now it would finally be done, she feared what she would look like if she had to wait another twenty years.

    She prepared the girl next and started the second part of the ritual. The girl began to glow and instead of the red that was usually emitted it was a bright gold. All of a sudden there was a flash of light and lady in red began to burn fiercely from the inside. The little girl's parents had not only given their daughter something to help her sleep but an elixir that had been handed down from generation to generation to protect her soul from the evil in the world. The witch screamed as she became so boiling hot that she literally evaporated.