When Little Red came back to her senses, it was starting to get dark out. She didn't know where she was at first, but she knew that she was in water, since her cloak was soaked, as was some of her clothing. Little Red, while still lying down, looked around, starting to remember what was going on. She had been accused of being a witch. She ran into the forest to escape what she felt was danger. Then, she fell.

Little Red sat up slowly, feeling her head throb as she did so. She was slow to get up, and was still trying to figure out where exactly in the woods she was. It wasn't anywhere that she had ever been before, which made her a bit nervous. It was like the time that she met the Wolf, and she didn't want to repeat that. She looked around slowly.

She was in a small, v-shaped valley created by the creek, full of rocks, twigs, and mud. On the side she was slightly closer to, the familiar ash trees she grew up near beckoned her to come home, and she almost just took it, for she was starting to get very hungry. But, something caught her eye on the other said of the small valley. There were not the trees she knew on the other side, but instead she saw pale green stalks shooting up to the sky, higher than she could possibly see.

She wondered how far she was from Eastbourne. After all, this couldn't have been next to them all these years without anybody seeing the stalks. But, Little Red knew she hadn't been running for very long before she fell. She started to move towards the ash trees, thinking she could ask someone.

Maybe Goldilocks was already back.

Or maybe she went in there.

Little Red shuddered at the thought of the stalks being dangerous, but she knew that it was possible. After all the people of Eastbourne always talked about some kid named Jack that went up some kind of large stalk to a land of giants. Maybe it was for the best to not go in.

But a strange ticking noise was coming from within the pale stalks, quite like the ticking that showed up when the old man was at her house. Her mind immediately lit up, she knew that he had to be in there. Then, she could find out what he was trying to do with the false break in report.

She broke into a run towards the forest of pale green stalks, wanting to find the old man before he got too far away.

As she entered into the forest, though, the ticking sound didn't get louder or softer, and it didn't seem to be coming from any direction in particular. Little Red slowed down after running a bit into the forest, looking around slowly and holding her stomach. She knew she could last a few weeks without food; she wasn't an idiot. But, her stomach did hurt from being empty, and she knew that running was only going to make it worse. She looked around, trying to see through the pale green stalks. Everything was seeming to get denser, though, and it was getting dark.

Fast.

Little Red started to walk slower, listening closely for the ticking. It never changed in volume, but was starting to become slower. Little Red felt her heartbeat in her ears, shivering under her soaked cloak. She walked into a small but strange clearing, a small fountain in the middle. Looking around, Little Red sat down, wondering if she should stay here for the night. The moonlight reflected off of the fountain's water, so she could see in the clearing, but bad things have happened to kids who trespassed, and Little Red did not want t9 be next.

Little Red was so encompassed in her thoughts that she didn't hear the soft padding coming up to her until she saw the glimpse of orange fur very close to her. Yelping, Little Red fell back into the fountain, looking at the creature before her.

The creature was very large, with its paw being probably close to the size of Little Red's face. Little Red was amazed by its eyes; piercing and orange. The creature was mainly orange, with stripes of black across its body and patches of white on its face. The creature yawned, revealing fangs big enough and sharp enough to likely tear through Little Red's arm if it wanted to.

But instead of doing that, the creature gently sniffed at Little Red before rubbing its head against hers. Little Red smiled, she didn't know what this creature was, but she thought that it was friendly, and that's something Little Red needed at the moment.

"What are you?" She asked softly, not knowing whether or not the creature would answer. The creature just stared at her, probably not understanding what Little Red said.

Little Red sighed, shivering as a gust of wind passed through the clearing. The creature seemed a bit more interested in Little Red after she shivered, though she wasn't sure of why. Little Red tried to get back out of the fountain, but the creature hopped up on the ledge, keeping part of itself on her legs to stop her from getting up.

As Little Red looked up at the creature, she saw its eyes turn into a bright, intense blue. In the moonlight, its fur seemed to almost glow. It gently touched its head against hers, and she started to feel drowsy. She didn't know why the creature was trying to make her tired, but then she heard a soft voice coming from somewhere.

"Do not worry, my dear," The voice said in a comforting tone, though Little Red knew it could be just a facade. "Rest. I can tell you are hurt, and I'm here to help you. I will tell you more once my friend here brings you to my home."

Little Red decided to trust this voice, despite what the people of Eastbourne would tell her. The people of Eastbourne do not trust strangers, but Little Red was not just any person of Eastbourne. She let herself fall asleep in the fountain, though as she closed her eyes, she felt the creature lift her up by the fabric near her neck, going to take her wherever she was about to go.