1906 London

In the mists of the dirty city full of soot and smoke was a place, a place where forgotten and unwanted children were left. In this place was a girl a girl at the start of adulthood.

Her name was Emma. She unlike the other children was a lot older and was expected to do many more chores in order to not be thrown out onto the streets, like the children that disobey the ministry and end up at the work house.

"When will these bloody stains come out?"

She shouted as she tried to wipe off the blood on the kitchen tiles from the terrifying ordeal from the night before.

As she tried to wipe the blood stain off those cracked checkered tiles she wondered if she would ever escape this place if she would be able to make a better life for herself. But then she remembered she lives in the real world where things aren't easy and life is brutal.

As she was thinking to herself she heard someone coming down the long spiral staircase. Click, click, click it was Miss Chambers the last person who she wanted to see the stain still on the kitchen floor.

It was almost as if the stain itself dissolved into the tile just to make Emma's life even harder than it already is. She had to think fast she quickly moved herself on top of the stain and stood up ready to greet the woman that makes all the children's legs tremble, whom they have nightmares about and who no-one would ever speak back to.

"Good morning Miss Swan."

Emma looked up and saw Mrs Chambers look down at her as Emma looked up she felt almost as if she were a tiny mouse facing a cat ready to pounce. Miss Chambers looked at her with a scowl on her face she was obviously waiting for a reply.

Emma felt like she was staring into the devils eyes herself when she looked into Miss Chambers pupils. She couldn't help but wince at the sight of her; her dark hair pinned up into a tight bun, her long dress with many buttons right up to her neck and with a corset looking like it squeezed the life force out of her.

"GOOD MORNING MISS SWAN!"

Mrs Chambers bellowed aggressively

"Good morning Miss Chambers"

She shrieked as she came out of her trance and did a little curtsy. Chambers looked at her as if she was up to something but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. She turned away into the dining room Emma felt as if her heels shook the earth with every step she took. Click, click, click and into the next room she went.

Relieved Emma moved from underneath the stain which was still there not to Emma's surprise. It's not as if it would disappear right? Magic is a preposterous idea, something Chambers decides to tell the younger children daily, when they talk about fairy tales of princes and princesses finding their happy endings with the help of magic.

There was no way this stain was going to come out with just a bucket of some water which was light brown at best and an old rag already full of dirt and grime just from putting it into the bucket of water itself.

Emma decided she would have to try again later she moved one of the splinter infester tables over the stain praying to god that no-one would notice. Her hands were sore and bright red from trying to remove the stain, she needed a rest. So she headed up into her room which she shares with five other girls. As Emma headed into her room she heard a voice ask for her

"Emma!"

Emma turned around and saw a little girl called Lacy behind her she was about up to Emma's waist with a pink bow in her blonde short curls and she had a cheerful smile on her face while also holding up a book.

The book was dark brown with gold letters which read Once Upon a Time. Emma knew what Lacy wanted she smiled and crouched down to her height.

"What do you have their kid?"

She cooed in a sweet voice. Lacy was one of Emma's favourite children that lived in the home. She always seemed to have a smile on her face and a vivid imagination even if things got bad at the home which they usually do.

"It's a book!"

"Can you read it to me Emma please please please!"

Lacy begged cheerfully

She looked at Emma with her sweet innocent twinkling eyes.

Emma smiled and replied

"You know how Miss Chambers feels about those sorts of stories."

Lacy answered back in a disappointed voice

"I know but just one please she won't know she's downstairs …"

Giving into Lacy's request Emma sighed and replied

"What am I going to do with you kid, alright but just one."

Emma directed Lacy to her little bed and tucked her in then she began to read from the book.

"Once Upon a Time..."