On The Way to Grandma's House - A Wolf In Alien's Clothing | LMAC Collage FreeStyle No. 88

Each week, the LMAC Community run by @shaka holds a collage contest round for its members to participate. In the Community, you'll discover a variety of themed contest entries submitted for consideration in the contest. Hopefuls anxiously await result indicating where their creative collage scenes will be chosen for the final round of competition. If you'd like to participate, just visit the LMAC Community account here for details on the latest contest.

The LMAC Community also offers an opportunity for members to create "freestyle" collage themes and post to the Community. In the freestyle option, you have more freedom to design your creations without having to incorporate the weekly contest photo. You still, however, have rules in which you must abide by when posting to the Community.

For my Freestyle Collage No. 88, my theme is the fable "Little Red Riding Hood".

One of my favorite fables is the story of Little Red Riding Hood. As a child, the story both frightened and fascinated me. I identified with the story since we lived near a patch of undeveloped land located immediately behind the rear of our home. Dense brush and tall trees lined the space. My friends and I would often play there during the daytime. I'd never venture there alone or after dark.

As you know, children's fables are meant to tell a story with a moral. The moral of the fable for Little Red Riding Hood as explained by my mother was that Little Red Riding Hood (hereinafter referred to as "Red Riding Hood") was disobedient and talked to strangers after being warned against it. "Never talk to or trust anyone you don't know when you are not with your dad or I", was the warning my mother instilled into me and my siblings. Most importantly, my mother preached that we should never tell any stranger where we lived.

This is exactly what happened to Red Riding Hood in the fable.

As a young girl, Red Riding Hood cherished her favorite red cloak she wears over her frock. During the era that encompasses the fable, wearing clothing in the color red was presumed unacceptable. Supposedly women during that time period knew that the color red was associated with "evil" and "sin".

She often visited her grandmother who lived in the woods nearby. Her grandmother was ill, so she carried in her basket food and medicine. Friendly animals made her feel at ease, so she was unaware of the dangers lurking there. This included the wolf, whom she would otherwise be afraid.

The moral of the story was that children should never trust strangers. Even a stranger who acts friendly may not have good intentions and may desire to cause harm. The young girl talked to the friendly wolf who asked questions. Not realizing the questions were meant to elicit personal information, she voluntary divulged the direction to her grandmother's house. This was all the sly wolf required to locate them and do harm.

In my interpretation of the fable below, Red Riding Hood met and regularly interacted with numerous animals in the forest on the path to her grandmother's house. The young girl was friendly to all. The animals entertained her, then waited for her return trip from grandma's house.

It was the first weekend of the month on Saturday. The afternoon sun danced through the swaying limbs of the trees, creating mysterious shadows. One shadow in particular waited at the edge of the forest. It was the Dire Wolf. He had staved off his thirst for fresh meat the past week. His body yearned for the tenderness of young loins.

Red Riding Hood, the young lass, will be along the path shortly, the Dire Wolf reasoned as he pranced back and forth. I'll pretend to be in pain, he mused, remembering her penchant for sympathy.

Knowing that Red Riding Hood was predictable, he wrapped his left hind leg in a discarded cloth he discovered in the woods. A sure way to get this friendly lass' attention. She smiles at the animals and removes thorns from their paws if they indicate they are in pain.

He believes that his dinner will be much easier to catch with persuasion than pouncing and expending his energy. He's not as wily since last year's incident. Injuries sustained in a confrontation with a wild boar left his right hind leg limp.

The Dire Wolf's ears pricked back. Something stirred in the brush.

Instantly, Red Riding Hood emerged, swinging her basket as she sang. Her wide smile accentuated her rosy cheeks. The alabaster glow of her face was enticing. The smooth touch of her caress floated through his thoughts at the same time a fragrant orange blossom scent in her hair filled his nostrils.

The Dire Wolf shivered, then shook it off. He dashed from behind the bushes onto the path, blocking her progress.

"Oh, my! you frightened me, Mr. Dire Wolf." She paused, surprised by his sudden movement.

Remembering his plan, he limped toward her and rubbed his paw against her leg. She noticed his bandaged foot, then frowned and pursed her lips. "What happened to your paw?" Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Just an old injury that won't heal. It bothers me occasionally when I try to catch my dinner. I'm not as young anymore." He lowered his head and licked his paw as though attempting to sooth the wound.

"I'm sorry to hear it. I hope you'll feel better soon. Now I must be on the way to my grandma's house. She lives alone, and I've been tasked to bring her food and medicine. You see, she's ill."

"What a pity! Perhaps I can accompany you to grandma's house. I'll make sure nothing harms you." Dire Wolf suppressed a smile.

"That would be nice, Mr. Dire Wolf. I have no brothers and sisters to come with me to visit. It's just me, my mom, and grandma."

The Dire Wolf ears perked up as he listened to Red Riding Hood talk the entire time on their way to grandma's house. He didn't forget to exaggerate his limp every few steps.

What a nice wolf, she thought as he bid her farewell and disappeared into the woods upon reaching her grandma's house. She looked forward to meeting him again, hoping his paw was healed.

Red Riding Hood didn't have long to wait. A week later, she again was tasked with taking her grandma food and medicine.

On this occasion, she glanced up at the sky in the distance as it turned gray with dark clouds approaching. Her pulse beat faster and no familiar animals appeared on the path.

Instead, small, strange black creatures with odd bodies moved in a circle in the open area of the forest.

Curious as to what kind of creatures, she moved cautiously closer to them. Weird sounds tumbled from their lips. Suddenly, a strange feeling flooded her senses. She looked beyond the tree searching for grandma's house. She cringed as she realized that the house had been lifted from the forest floor. In order to reach it, she would have to climb a tree. But where was the ladder?

Trembling, she senses something dreadful. Chills traveled down her back as she eventually noticed blood dripping from the tree.

The largest of the creatures with short horns smiled wickedly and stepped toward her. Its eyes, the color of Red Riding Hood's cape, rolled in their sockets. He opened his mouth and spoke in a familiar voice.

"Hello, Red Riding Hood. Remember me? I'm Dire Wolf who helped you on your way many times. And this is my family. You never offered me any of your delicious fruit, bread, and meat for my trouble. I have a family to feed also. You saved it all for your grandmother. Now, your fate awaits you. Come closer and look inside that tree. We carved it just for you so that you can stay here in the forest with us forever."

Dire Wolf's tongue licked his face as though preparing for a meal.

Shocked, Red Riding Hood took several steps back. Waiving her hand in the air, she yelled, "wait! wait! What are you saying? Please don't hurt me. I'm the only person my grandma has to care for her. And she's waiting for me. I would have shared with you, except my mother only gave me a few morsels. You have to understand, grandma is ill. And we are but a poor family, like all in the small villages."

Dire Wolf's eyes turned dark red. His mouth now dripped blood as he stood inches from Red Riding Hood's face.

"YOU LIE! You had enough money to buy that beautiful cape with the hood. Your frock is neat, and your hair is fragrant. Not like the forest dwellers. Besides, your grandmother will no longer require your service. She satisfied my hunger, although her meat chewed a bit tough. It took me a while to consume her since last week."

Instantly, Dire Wolf grew a few feet height and stood upright on his hind legs. The same leg supporting his massive body she thought he'd injured. He approached, baring his large, front fangs.

"No, No!," Red Riding Hood screamed, as loud as she could. She refused to believe her grandma was dead. If she were, it would be because I led Dire Wolf to her doorstep, she thought.

She had to see for herself.

Dropping her basket, her hands flew to her temples as her eyes locked on the girl in the tree. Tied in chains, she appeared to whimper, but no sound could be heard. Neither did any other animal she'd helped in the past come to her aid.

She jumped back and swung around to see her grandma's house. A disfigured monster head now protruded from the roof where once a bird cage hung. Unable to think, she frantically searched for a tall stump, anything to help reach her grandma.

She located one nearby. Frantically, she climbed. But halfway up, a powerful odor of death overtook her.

She released the tree limb and fell backward, hitting her head on the forest floor.

Mumbling, Red Riding Hood looked up into the face of Dire Wolf. "I know you. You were once my friend." Her voice broke off. She tried to continue. "you were kind. Why are you doing this? Please, please save me from the others."*

"The time has passed. You were warned by the elders to keep away from strangers. The others before you told me so. Now, you will no longer be a stranger to us. You will aid us in our quest to bring other foolish little girls into our fold."

Upon hearing this, Red Riding Hood succumbed to her head injury as she slumped over into the arms of the wolf in disguise.

Her innocence and her life now lost in the forest she once thought she knew so well.

A substantial amount of time was involved in the preparation of this freestyle collage. In preparing my theme, I knew a detailed forest setting was required. After discovering an eerie forest scene, I knew I had obtained the background I desired to create a familiar, yet now scary place for Red Riding Hood to travel through.

With several nooks and hiding places, it was perfect to tuck some small aliens waiting for Little Red Riding Hood to enter the forest. For the grandmother's house, I located a strange house attached to a monster head.

That's when the idea of placing grandmother's house in a tree.

^Source

Below are the additional images I included to complete my theme. For Red Riding Hood, the classic image I retrieved from Canva free images showing the girl with her basket of fruit and other items. The alien figures lined the forest floor meant to scare Red Riding Hood and distract her from finding grandma's house.

Item	Contributor	Source
Horror tree	Pixabay	Link
Red Riding Hood	Canva	Link
Woman in chains	Name	Link
Monster in tree	Pixabay	Link
Red eye	Pixabay	Link
Black butterfly	Pixabay	Link
Red line abstract	Pixabay	Link
Shadow - Big Devil	@bayuismail	Link
Shadow - Head	@bayuismail	Link
Shadow - Man #1	@bayuismail	Link
Shadow - Man #2	@bayuismail	Link
Shadow - Man in Boots	@bayuismail	Link

When compiling my freestyle collage design, I upload my images to Canva. It's my design program I use to blend my images. Below are the procedures I use that incorporate the tools at my disposal in my Annual Pro Membership Subscription.

To a blank, white canvas, I added the tree with alien face in its trunk

Added the five black alien figures. Positioned them in the background on the path prohibiting Little Red Riding Hood from moving on.

Below is my completed freestyle collage:

Thanks for your visit. I appreciate it. I hope you like my freestyle collage theme.