Prince Valium (continued)

Feeling queasy at the thought of shooting a wolf and maybe missing, and knowing that Little Red is in the line of fire, you shoot at the ceiling, hoping to startle the wolf.

It works. The explosion of sound startles the wolf, and he turns to flee, never to be seen again in this part of the wood.

In the same moment, however, a sound of pain and a falling body comes from somewhere upstairs, on the second floor. Little Red, stunned, widens her eyes in horror before crying out, "Grandmother!"

Before you can react, Little Red is shouting out the window for help and running up the stairs to help her grandmother. Uncertain what to do you, you stand immobile, hoping it wasn't your bullet that hurt the old woman. Behind you, voices and footsteps sound.

"What's going on?" one voice asks.

As you turn to face the voice, a despairing shriek comes from upstairs. "Wolf..." you begin, but you don't get to finish.

Little Red rushes back downstairs with a cold look toward you. To the men who have just arrived, she says, pointing at you, "Arrest that man. He's just killed my grandmother."

And so ends your lovely fairy tale.