The Realm of Redemption.

In the heart of a dense, ancient forest lived a peculiar wolf named Lupin. Unlike other wolves, Lupin had a fondness for human culture and an odd fascination with the lives and habits of those who lived in the nearby villages. His curious nature often led him to explore human abodes, not with malice intent, but with a strange, almost innocent desire to understand and experience their way of life.

One crisp Autumn morning, Lupin's sharp nose picked up the scent of freshly baked bread wafting from a quaint little cottage nestled at the edge of the forest. His ears perked up, and his stomach rumbled. His curiosity piqued, he trotted towards the source of the delicious aroma, which led him to the home of an elderly woman he had heard the villagers call "Grandma."

Lupin approached the cottage cautiously, his keen senses alert for any sign of the old woman. To his delight, the house appeared empty. He nudged the door with his snout, and it creaked open, inviting him inside. With childlike excitement, Lupin padded through the quaint living room, admiring the neatly arranged furniture and the soft, comforting atmosphere of the house.

His eyes widened with mischief as he spotted a wardrobe in the corner of the room. An idea began to form in his mind. One that would allow him to immerse himself even further in the human experience. He carefully opened the wardrobe and sifted through the clothes, eventually selecting a long, pink nightgown and a white frilly cap. With quite a bit of effort, he managed to dress himself in the garments, his furry form awkwardly filling the soft clothing.

Giggling to himself, Lupin twirled in front of a mirror, amused by his reflection. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction, almost as if he had momentarily stepped into another world. Just as he was about to settle down in Grandma's comfortable bed, he heard a faint noise outside the cottage. A cheerful tune, quietly being hummed.

Peeking through the window, Lupin saw a young girl carrying a basket of goodies skipping towards the cottage. Her scarlet red cloak billowing in the breeze, and her bright eyes sparkling with the innocence of youth. Recognizing her as Little Red Riding Hood, the sweet little girl from the villagers' tales, Lupin's playful nature got the better of him. He decided to stay in character and see how the encounter would unfold.

Red Riding Hood knocked on the door, as Lupin, with a grin spreading across his snout, climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. Lupin cleared his throat. "Come in, dear," he called out in the softest, gentlest voice he could muster.

The door creaked open, and Little Red Riding Hood stepped inside, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of "Grandma" in bed.

"Grandma, what big eyes you have!" she exclaimed, approaching the bed with a mix of curiosity and concern.

Lupin chuckled to himself, enjoying the game. "All the better to see you with, my dear," he replied, trying to maintain a convincing tone.

Red Riding Hood tilted her head, scrutinizing her "Grandma" more closely. "And what big ears you have!"

"All the better to hear you with," Lupin responded, suppressing a laugh.

Red Riding Hood's brow furrowed. "And what big teeth you have!"

"All the better to eat you with!" Lupin finally roared, unable to keep up the pretence any longer. He burst out laughing, the nightgown and cap slipping from his head as he revealed his identity.

Terrified and confused, Little Red Riding Hood screamed and bolted out of the cottage, her basket of goodies dropped in her haste. Lupin watched her leave, realizing too late that he had taken his innocent game just a tad too far. He sighed and started to remove the nightgown and cap, his heart heavy with regret.

There was a sudden loud crash as a husky, bearded woodsman entered the cottage, little red riding hood cowering closely behind him.

“There!” Little red riding hood pointed, directing the woodsman’s attention to the wolf, still dressed in grandmas’ clothes.

Without hesitation, the woodsman, raised his axe high above his head and leapt towards the wolf, bring the axe down hard against the wolfs head with an almighty thud!

“And that’s the last thing I remember before everything went dark and I woke up here” The wolf said, gesturing around the room.

“Ouch!” exclaimed the wicked Witch of the West. Maleficent nodded in agreement.

“I would have fought back! Why didn’t you fight back huh?” Rumpelstiltskin asked as Jafar chuckled to himself.

“Now, now. We are not here to judge, remember Rumple.” Karl explained. “The Realm of Redemption is a safe space. You come here to reflect on your past and learn from your mistakes.”

“Sorry.” Rumpelstiltskin said glumly, looking down at his feet.

“That’s okay.” Karl replied. “Just remember that just because you were the villain…” Karl held up his hand and made the quote/unquote gesture. “…in your story, doesn’t mean you have to be the villain forever.” Karl explained. “There aren’t bad people, just bad choices.”

Karl checked his watch. “Anyway, I think this is good point to end the night. Lupin, and the rest of you. I want you to go home, reflect on your past lives then come in tomorrow morning with 3 things you could have done differently. Okay?”

Everyone agreed.

“Good. Now don’t worry about packing up the chairs, the anger management group is coming in next. Queen of Hearts and Captain Hook, you’ll need to stay for that group.” Karl explained.

The others all rose to their feet and made their way for the exit.

“Hey Wolf.” Scar called out after the Big Bad Wolf. “Shere Khan and I are heading out to the Second Chance Saloon for a few drinks. Since you’re a newbie here, did you want to tag along? We’ll fill you in on this place.”

“Sure. That would be great. Thanks.” Lupin replied, a smile spreading across his snout. The first since arriving at the Realm of Redemption. “I’ve got a good feeling about this place.”