Red Riding Hood sits under a tall, beautifully green tree, its dangling branches sway in the wind and the grass rolls over the hill. The sea of green is suddenly interrupted as Red comes to. Her dream, a serene world, it no longer exists. The lush, green grass turns brown and decays as the marvelous oak becomes an eerie willow. Red awakens from her slumber. It is late winter. A cold breeze graces the hill. Looking down on the rest of the forest from the hill, Red can see all of the decaying trees before her. In the distance there is a great mountain range. It was once a glorious sight but is now the location of much despair. The howl of the most ferocious forest dweller can be heard echoing, roaring over the forest. "The wolf is early today," Red says to herself. She pulls her hood over her head and ties it so that it tightens. She then lifts her basket. The ocean of clouds blocks out the sun on this cold winter day as Red marches towards the edge of the woods. Sticking out from her basket is the handle of what appears to be a large blade. She begins to speak to herself. "Rule Number Three-Sleep in the open. The Wolves don't like the open." Red steps into the woods and over a fallen tree trunk. Her breath appears as an icy mist before her face. "Rule Number Two,' she continues, "Carry a weapon forged of silver. The Wolves don't like Silver." She walks along a narrow pathway in the woods then stops. There is a fork in the road but this isn't at all why she's not moving. She knows the way. She's stopped for a different reason. "Rule Number One", she says. Quickly, she grabs the handle of her blade and pulls it from her basket, swinging it around in a circular motion as a silent murderer, a Crawl Wolf, lunges from the bushes. The blade meets its mark and cuts its throat then follows through, back into the basket, the blood of the beast falling to the ground, one drop landing on Red's hand. "If ever you bleed, clean it up quickly. The Wolves are attracted to the smell of blood." She licks the blood from her hand as if it were her own then proceeds through the forest alone.

Some ways through the forest, Red comes to a house. The windows are shattered and the front door is caved in. She walks in. There are dried blood stains on the blinds and rugs, all over the room. In one corner is the corpse of a recently deceased wolf. Red disregards its existance and marches to a back room. Inside is a bed. On the wall are several pictures of Red as a small girl, back when her basket was filled with goodies rather than deadly weapons. A loud thud is suddenly heard from the kitchen. Red holds one hand on her blade and walks inside. From behind the counter emerges an elderly woman. "Grandma, what are you doing back here? It isn't safe, you should go. Retreat to the hills. It's the only safe place."

"Oh, Red, I know but I left my cookbook here. What use will the ingredients be without recipes to use them in?"

"What good will the food be if you're the one eaten?"

Red and her grandmother, a short woman with thinning, white hair, exchange cold glares. Suddenly there is a loud snarl. "Red, what was that, dear?"

Red holds one hand on her blade and pulls her grandmother behind her by the wrist. In the kitchen, there is a gaping hole in the wall. It looked to be the result of a fierce battle. A wolf then leaps in through this hole, foaming at the mouth. Red holds her blade with both hands and puts it from her basket. The blade spontaneously bursts into flames as Red swings it around, throwing the wolfs back behind the kitchen table. The wolf, now severely burned and injured, gets up and wimpers away. "Grandma, get to the hills. We'll talk when I get back."

"Where are you going, Red? You aren't going to go find him again, are you?"

"That wold is responsible for everything. I know it in my gut. It's the reason for all of this."

"He almost killed you last time, dear. I won'd allow you to take that risk again."

Red looks back at her granmother from the corner of her eye. "There's a key word, Grandma: Almost. I'm going and you can't stop me. Don't treat me like a kid. I can take care of myself. Now, I'll be on my way. You'd better be at the camp in the hills when I get back. Otherwise, I might have to tell Lumberjack you left the refuge again." Red then steps out of the hole in the wall and proceeds through the forest.