He scanned again from his new position, deciding to check the desk. He stood and moved behind the chair that was tucked in between the table legs.
He dragged a hand over the top surface whilst looking out the window. The street lay in view, around one hundred metres from left to right, at a guess. He looked up and down the road, picking an ideal watching place. There were many to choose from. The snow gathered upon the extremities of the window, the fine powder scattered on the front garden and road side.
He lowered his eyes to the desk. The small white handle was hidden from view by the back rest of the chair. He located it and pulled the obstruction free, placing it by the bed. He kneeled and slid the draw open. Inside contained many sheets of A4 paper, all with an array of pictures. He removed the pages and sat them next to him on the bed. He began sifting through the bundle. The yellow cat was on top, then a house with bright blue walls. He kept flicking through, placing the ones he had seen to one side. He stopped at the sixth piece, the grey track running from left to right, the sky was black with large twinkling stars. The van, black in colour sat beside a very thin tree. Nathan stopped, holding the paper in his hands……a van…..thee van?
He sat it on his legs and continued. The van had appeared on five consecutive pages….black in colour. It had remained on the left side for the first three pictures, then it was moved to the right for the last three. They all appeared the same…..apart from the last. The van was larger, the black coloured lines more prominent and darker, scratched into the paper as if hurried. The grey rails ran across the top from the windscreen to the rear. The rear windows were shown by two rectangular shapes, the dark grey filling the rough viewing boxes. The front window, a lighter shade of grey, had something drawn lightly into it. Nathan lifted the paper closer to his face. The small circles were next to one and other, joined by a small line. The oblong behind them donned a black hat, the stick lines came from the small circles and finished at the bottom of the window.
‘Holy shit!’ blurted Nathan, she saw him……..she fucking saw him.
***
The van turned up the narrow track, the headlights finding the means of access. The Wolf had been here, before the first girl was taken. He had found several good locations to perform his art. This was one of them.
To his memory the track continued for fifty to seventy five metres, then ended as the woods density became an obstacle. He rocked from side to side as the wheels negotiated the uneven route. The moon crept slowly to reveal itself fully. He had checked ahead for the forecast, the internet site revealed the night as a full moon result, its period of waning had come to an end. The branches above helped the moon to hide as the vehicle moved under them. The headlights became less intense as the block of tall resting trees stood in their path. He stopped the van and climbed out of the door. His boots created a crunch as they landed in the carpet of snow below. He inhaled the fresh air, nipping his throat slightly as he exhaled, a perfect night.
He moved to the passenger side and removed several items from the foot well. His boots left behind prints several inches into the glistening powder. He didn’t worry, the snow fall was due to increase a little after midnight and his tracks would be covered.
He listened to the scurrying of tiny feet as he made his way to the back, the twinkling of tiny eyes appearing and vanishing into the depths of the wood. The light bang from the inside of the vehicle told him that his girl was now awake, the tissue placed to her face had less Chloroform than previously. She had been unconscious for a little over half an hour now. He lowered the bag to the ground and unzipped it. The mask starred back at him from the bottom of its home. The eyes looked into his, its menacing smile displayed the variety of different sized teeth. He leant over and retrieved it.
The doors were pulled open and Abby shuffled rearwards attempting to find a concealed hiding place. The monster was partially hidden by the shadow of the door. The moon’s light fought through the foliage above him, displaying one side of the mask. He called her to him with a curled finger, she didn’t move. He tilted his head to one side, the large mouth caught the light, its teeth displayed.
Abby shook with a fear she had never known. The girl had been pulled from her safe place and thrown into a dungeon of horror. She had been drugged and moved, waking up in a strange place not knowing how she got there. She now gazed upon a beast she had read about once, but not believed in. The confusion overwhelmed her mind as if a thick rain cloud had been cast in her brain. The finger beckoned her once more, again she remained still.
The Wolf climbed into the van, his weight pushed the large frame down upon the suspension; the girl moved with the motion. He reached down with a long arm and gripped her bare ankle. The girl was dragged to the rear, her fingers clawing at the wooden surface to find a point to hold on to. Her nails offered a screech as they scraped the wood away, the splinters pierced her flesh.
The Wolf pulled her down onto the snow and forced her body to the ground squashing her head. She screamed.
Grabbing her shoulders he lifted her to her feet, the cold ground stinging her bare skin. The red cloak was fastened with a brown button, the collar wrapping around her bruised neck. Abby pulled it as tight as she could, keeping the cold out and hiding her body to the beast. He walked her to the front of the van. The headlights showed her the path into the woods. The mouth of light was surrounded by darkness, waiting to swallow the delicate child. He stood behind her holding her body against his, the heart beat bellowed through her fragile frame, he shuddered as he felt the beat increase.
The wood was harbouring a sinister darkness and the creatures lay in wait observing the show. The nose brushed past her cheek, she felt the warmth of his breathe upon her face.
‘You are free……………run ……run…..run, as fast as you can little red riding hood……………RUN!’ he whispered to her.
The girl bolted to the wood, her shadow danced upon the large trees as she moved quickly. The Wolf smiled behind his mask as he moved to the driver’s door and he pulled it open, he reached toward the CD player fixed to the dashboard. The music stormed the peaceful woodland, the howl causing some animals to stir. Howwwwwwwlllll………., who’s that I see walking in these woods………..why it’s little red riding hood……..hey there little red riding hood…..you sure are looking good……you’re everything a big bad wolf could want……………..
The Wolf pushed his hand into the glove and the slim blades glimmered on his fingers.
The chase was on.
Abby moved as fast as her legs could go. She struggled to keep upright as her body leant forward with the momentum. Her hands were wafting any obstruction from her front as she began to enter complete darkness. The cracking of twigs sent shivers through her cold body, her legs breaking the branches as she made contact with them. The music surrounded her, bouncing from tree to tree. The wildlife dispersed as she awoke them. Though her surroundings were something she had seen in her nightmares, she kept moving……….the fear pushed her.