A Twisted Tale
It was a most peculiar situation that Petite Red Riding Hood found herself in. Appearing before the court, strained and unnerved, she took her vows, squeaking out each word, then proceeded to take a seat while waiting for the trial to take place. She was certain that it was a day that would live in infamy.
Like any other day, it was scorchingly hot and humid, with the summer flies hovering around incessantly. One by one, the bystanders filed in drowsily, sipping their sodas and slouching in their seats - to them, this trial was no more than a scandal; a juicy topic for gossip.
"This way, please, Wolverine." Wolverine, a large wolf with grey fur shuffled in and took up his seat near the prosecutor. The trial was about to begin, and Wolverine cast a glance towards Petite Red Riding Hood, one that harboured intense hatred and malice. Judge Taylor rapped the stand with his gavel for order, and the loud chattering died down to a faint buzz in the background.
"The accused, Petite Red Riding Hood. The victim, Wolverine. The case - Petite Red Riding Hood has been suspected of theft, rather, a breach of copyright laws and also of slandering Wolverine. What have you to say in defence of yourselve, Hood?" Judge Taylor was a severe man who wore a perpetual frown on his face and a penetrating stare that seemed to read every single thought that crossed your mind.
"Your Honour..." Petite Red Riding Hood rose to her feet rather shakily, feeling as if her knees had turned to Jell-O. "I did not do any of the things you accused me of... Wolverine is a liar!" She had meant to speak with conviction, but now her words seemed to hang limply in the air, the silence seeming more oppressive than ever.
"Even Atticus Finch couldn't save you!" a voice yelled from amongst the audience and Judge Taylor rapped his gavel once more. He turned to rest his gaze upon Petite Red Riding Hood, assessing her with his one good eye.
"I really didn't..." she faltered lamely, half wishing she had had enough money to engage a lawyer instead of speaking in her own defence. With that, she sat down hastily and her heart sank as she glanced at the jury's unmoved countenances.
Wolverine stood up next to accuse Petite Red Riding Hood. He wore an expression of utmost hurt, and blew his nose violently into a large silk handkerchief. Glancing up, he began his well-rehearsed rhetoric -
"Your Honour, I'd always treated Riding Hood as a close friend, until she showed me what a nasty backstabbing fishmonger --" the Judge frowned even more, his eyebrows knitting together and Wolverine remembered himself sufficiently to go on acting -- "Well, until she STOLE my idea of wearing glass slippers to the prom night... And she told everyone that I had killed her grandma and that I blowed down the lil' piggies' houses, yer know ful' well I didn't..."
With that, Wolverine burst into tears. He covered his mouth with his hands and sobbed. Judge Taylor stared at him and it was plain that he had never been confronted with a problem of this kind. He cleared his throat and tried unsuccessfully to speak in soothing tones. “Now, tell us in your own words, what actually happened.”
Wolverine sniffed wrathfully. “Said that Ridin’ Hood stole my idea of glass slippers and claimed it as her own… It ain’t, it ain’t, how could anyone do somethin’ so awful as that… And she slandered me – made me outta be a murderer and an arsonist and now she’s even turnin’ my friends against me… To think I treated her as a friend!”
Petite Red Riding Hood was on her feet before Wolverine was done with his accusations. She drew herself to her full height and was looking at Judge Taylor squarely, her jaw quivering with rage.
“Your Honour,” her voice had become arid and detached, trying to mask the emotions that were bubbling within her. “Would it be considered slander if I told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
“No, that would be a fact.” Judge Taylor did not quite seem to register the point that Riding Hood was driving at.
“Sir, all that I said about Wolverine –“ she paused to point an accusing finger at the wolf – “are facts! He did murder my grandmother, he destroyed the little pigs’ homes, AND everyone knows that we agreed to wear glass slippers to the prom night together! He’s the liar, the slanderer! Why can’t you see the truth? It’s plain as daylight!”
Petite Red Riding Hood was crimson from her passionate fit of yelling and her last question was directed at the jury. But there was no use – for all seven of them sat unmoved, filled with pity for Wolverine who was now dabbing at his eyes furiously.
“Your Honour,” he began chokingly, in his pseudo-forgiving voice. “Don’t, please don’t, hold it against Riding Hood… She seems to be a little delusional nowadays…”
But Judge Taylor decided that he had heard enough. He rose wearily, and announced that the case was closed, and after a short consultation with the jury, declared in a booming voice, “Petite Red Riding Hood has been found guilty of breaching copyright laws and slander. She is now sentenced to five years’ jail.” It was ended with a rap of the gavel that drove home the finality of the sentence.
Petite Red Riding Hood stood stunned. She glanced helplessly at the jurors who were people she once knew – Snow White, Cinderella, Mulan, even her ballet teacher, but they merely shook their heads disapprovingly at her, and went on to comfort Wolverine.
Petite Red Riding Hood had to bite her lip and clench her fists to prevent herself from crying out in anger, as Wolverine accepted their sympathies with mock tears. And when they had all left, he whirled around to face her, his white teeth gleaming in contrast to his grey fur coat.
“You… you… Nasty, lowdown, stinking –“ Petite Red Riding Hood could not think of enough adjectives to hurl at him.
Wolverine simply chuckled, as if he were mildly amused. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” He leaned over toward her such that his unkempt fur tickled her ear, and added in a mock whisper. “You should have never broken up with me, darling.”
With that, he sauntered off, basking in the sweetness of his revenge. And as Petite Red Riding Hood found herself shaking uncontrollably with indignant sobs, she realized for the first time in her life, what the words “an unjust world” really meant.
Like any other day, it was scorchingly hot and humid, with the summer flies hovering around incessantly. One by one, the bystanders filed in drowsily, sipping their sodas and slouching in their seats - to them, this trial was no more than a scandal; a juicy topic for gossip.
"This way, please, Wolverine." Wolverine, a large wolf with grey fur shuffled in and took up his seat near the prosecutor. The trial was about to begin, and Wolverine cast a glance towards Petite Red Riding Hood, one that harboured intense hatred and malice. Judge Taylor rapped the stand with his gavel for order, and the loud chattering died down to a faint buzz in the background.
"The accused, Petite Red Riding Hood. The victim, Wolverine. The case - Petite Red Riding Hood has been suspected of theft, rather, a breach of copyright laws and also of slandering Wolverine. What have you to say in defence of yourselve, Hood?" Judge Taylor was a severe man who wore a perpetual frown on his face and a penetrating stare that seemed to read every single thought that crossed your mind.
"Your Honour..." Petite Red Riding Hood rose to her feet rather shakily, feeling as if her knees had turned to Jell-O. "I did not do any of the things you accused me of... Wolverine is a liar!" She had meant to speak with conviction, but now her words seemed to hang limply in the air, the silence seeming more oppressive than ever.
"Even Atticus Finch couldn't save you!" a voice yelled from amongst the audience and Judge Taylor rapped his gavel once more. He turned to rest his gaze upon Petite Red Riding Hood, assessing her with his one good eye.
"I really didn't..." she faltered lamely, half wishing she had had enough money to engage a lawyer instead of speaking in her own defence. With that, she sat down hastily and her heart sank as she glanced at the jury's unmoved countenances.
Wolverine stood up next to accuse Petite Red Riding Hood. He wore an expression of utmost hurt, and blew his nose violently into a large silk handkerchief. Glancing up, he began his well-rehearsed rhetoric -
"Your Honour, I'd always treated Riding Hood as a close friend, until she showed me what a nasty backstabbing fishmonger --" the Judge frowned even more, his eyebrows knitting together and Wolverine remembered himself sufficiently to go on acting -- "Well, until she STOLE my idea of wearing glass slippers to the prom night... And she told everyone that I had killed her grandma and that I blowed down the lil' piggies' houses, yer know ful' well I didn't..."
With that, Wolverine burst into tears. He covered his mouth with his hands and sobbed. Judge Taylor stared at him and it was plain that he had never been confronted with a problem of this kind. He cleared his throat and tried unsuccessfully to speak in soothing tones. “Now, tell us in your own words, what actually happened.”
Wolverine sniffed wrathfully. “Said that Ridin’ Hood stole my idea of glass slippers and claimed it as her own… It ain’t, it ain’t, how could anyone do somethin’ so awful as that… And she slandered me – made me outta be a murderer and an arsonist and now she’s even turnin’ my friends against me… To think I treated her as a friend!”
Petite Red Riding Hood was on her feet before Wolverine was done with his accusations. She drew herself to her full height and was looking at Judge Taylor squarely, her jaw quivering with rage.
“Your Honour,” her voice had become arid and detached, trying to mask the emotions that were bubbling within her. “Would it be considered slander if I told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
“No, that would be a fact.” Judge Taylor did not quite seem to register the point that Riding Hood was driving at.
“Sir, all that I said about Wolverine –“ she paused to point an accusing finger at the wolf – “are facts! He did murder my grandmother, he destroyed the little pigs’ homes, AND everyone knows that we agreed to wear glass slippers to the prom night together! He’s the liar, the slanderer! Why can’t you see the truth? It’s plain as daylight!”
Petite Red Riding Hood was crimson from her passionate fit of yelling and her last question was directed at the jury. But there was no use – for all seven of them sat unmoved, filled with pity for Wolverine who was now dabbing at his eyes furiously.
“Your Honour,” he began chokingly, in his pseudo-forgiving voice. “Don’t, please don’t, hold it against Riding Hood… She seems to be a little delusional nowadays…”
But Judge Taylor decided that he had heard enough. He rose wearily, and announced that the case was closed, and after a short consultation with the jury, declared in a booming voice, “Petite Red Riding Hood has been found guilty of breaching copyright laws and slander. She is now sentenced to five years’ jail.” It was ended with a rap of the gavel that drove home the finality of the sentence.
Petite Red Riding Hood stood stunned. She glanced helplessly at the jurors who were people she once knew – Snow White, Cinderella, Mulan, even her ballet teacher, but they merely shook their heads disapprovingly at her, and went on to comfort Wolverine.
Petite Red Riding Hood had to bite her lip and clench her fists to prevent herself from crying out in anger, as Wolverine accepted their sympathies with mock tears. And when they had all left, he whirled around to face her, his white teeth gleaming in contrast to his grey fur coat.
“You… you… Nasty, lowdown, stinking –“ Petite Red Riding Hood could not think of enough adjectives to hurl at him.
Wolverine simply chuckled, as if he were mildly amused. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” He leaned over toward her such that his unkempt fur tickled her ear, and added in a mock whisper. “You should have never broken up with me, darling.”
With that, he sauntered off, basking in the sweetness of his revenge. And as Petite Red Riding Hood found herself shaking uncontrollably with indignant sobs, she realized for the first time in her life, what the words “an unjust world” really meant.
posted by timetraveller at
8:26 PM
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