A/N I don't own anything. Also this just kind of popped in my head. I have literally never written ff before, just a reader but I though why not.
I grew up in a town that has never seen no one new in the 20 years that I lived here. Occasionally we would have outsiders stroll in from just south to try their hand at catchin the best lobster in the country, but no one that stuck around.
Maybe because of the harsh winters that would have anyone runnin for a mug of hot chocolate and a seat by the warm fire.
Other people like to say it's because our town has magical properties that we're all interconnected in some inexplicable way that binds us all together. I say it's a load hooey and I just want to get the hell out of dodge; the only thing that may link us all is inbreeding.
Don't get me wrong the people are nice and we're a good sized town, a couple thousand people living mutually in the quaintest place you ever did see. It's nothing like the big city of Boston, we're not quite so refined and we tend to work jobs that are more 'hands on.'
Even on the hottest days of August it doesn't rise much over 80 so people here are always strolling the streets looking for something fun to do with the dreary days. We're really outdoorsy folk you could say because there's not much that makes up our town.
One main street that begins with the saloon that's run by Granny where everyone gathers for meals and good black coffee, all the way down to the pawnshop at the end owned by sleazy Mr. Gold.
He thinks he runs this here town because he was the first to settle and makes more money in a year than all our salaries put together, but I never really figured out how except that everybody owes him something. Favors and money, he runs on pure unadulterated greed; I think he would try spinning straw into gold if it was possible. He does bring in all the supplies; he seems like the only person that ever leaves this darn town.
You can holler from Mr. Gold's to all the way past the Saloon and still be heard on the other side so you better believe word travels fast around here. Storybrooke, Maine our town damn near named after fairytales. You'd think exciting things would happen here but normally all there is to do is watch the dust settle or gossip, a favorite pastime of many. I'm just biding my time for something extraordinary to happen either that or hitting the road to Boston.
...
I'm the sheriff of this old town but man if that ain't worth a bucket of spit. My job is more like chasing dogs and hallin' old drunks to the cells to sleep it off.
A female as a sheriff is pretty unusual, but I kind of got it by default. Were a small town and everyone else had their specialty already, their families at home, wanted nights off but me I didn't have nothing tying me down.
I live with my ma and pop, they're not too much older than me on account of everyone likes to get married real young here and my ma well she got herself pregnant before she had a promise of marriage.
It's strange having parents that are only 14 years older than you. You would think it would keep them off my back but it seems to be quite the opposite.
My father used to herd animals all over the place from NY to Maine and back just to make enough money, but once my baby sister was born he moved back home and now he resides as my deputy. He still has a bit of pride about that, his own daughter giving him orders.
My ma works at the school teaching all the kids, being the daughter of the only educator you'd think I'd be a smart one, but hell I skipped school more than anyone else. And then there's little Ruth, the little ball of slime that came screaming into this world 10 years after me. Yes she was a surprise but I dare admit a good one. She wears dresses just like my mama likes, though she can be a little spunky herself. Running around pretending to be the princess of United States just because she shares the same name as President Cleveland's daughter.
...
Basically I'm the town's old maid at 20 years old, even Mr. Gold has a beautiful wife that waits on him hand and foot. That's what I'd like a wife. Coming home to sweet breads and a nice hearty meal. Someone to wash your clothes and hell maybe even take care of a few children.
I brush away that thought because what man would want to do that for me, and I sure as hell wouldn't be doing anything like that for a sorry son of a bitch.
I've tried dating the boys around here, Killian though I like to call him stump 'cause he got his hand cut off working down at the docks. Well not only is he missing a hand but maybe a few manners, he sure is a cocky one.
Neal well he is about as smart as a frog with a scorpion on his back, gullible and always willing to give into to his dad's schemes. Oh yeah that guy's got more problems than the rest of us because his father is the one and only Mr. Gold and he serves as his errand boy.
And not too far back there was August he was the one I was the closest to do anything with loving, liking, so on and so forth. With a nickname like woody you'd think he would have no problem, but nope the kissing was awful and his personality is the only thing that's stiff as a board if you get what I'm saying.
Don't get me wrong all of these fellas turned into to some of my best friends but man are they not marriage material, at least not my kind.
My best pals though since I was knee high to a grasshopper are Red and Graham. Red's grandmother is Granny who owns the saloon but man is my best friend a looker. She puts all of us other girls to shame. She likes her dresses unlike me but when they get old she makes some interesting modifications. She pulls those dresses out at night and wow does she show off some leg and they seem to go on for miles.
And then there's Graham, you're probably asking why I didn't date him, mostly because he's like a brother to me. I look at him and can still picture his bare white ass when we would go swimming in the ocean as kids. We have a special kind of connection; people here are all really outgoing and love to talk everything out. Graham and I have had some of our best moments sitting up in a tree thinking things over and not speaking a word, we retreat into ourselves, our own little ideal world in our head.
We three never did quite conform like everyone else. When we were kids on summer days we'd go off into the woods barefoot and disappear for days, swimming, camping and hunting like real wild ones. That all had to stop a few years back when we finished up school and had to find real jobs. Here you become a real adult at 15, but on weekends we sometimes sneak back out to get muddy and commune with nature once more. We're the ruffians around here we drink and gamble at night and get our hands dirty doing hard work in the day.
...
Though our town might be small don't be deceived we have lies, secrets and betrayals just like anyone else. Hey my own damn existence was one. You see my dad David was supposed to marry Kathryn whose family is pretty well off in our town.
Well he was seeing my mother Mary Margaret on the side and they apparently couldn't keep things to themselves. Cheating at 14 it was unheard of, that was until my dad told Kathryn and she started crying tears of happiness and snot running down her face.
Apparently she was getting some on the side too, a little mix and match and they both became the ideal couples of Storybrooke.
...
So here I am sitting out on the porch with my dog Goofy, I just call him Goof most of the time. He was the last one to start walkin' out of his liter and when he did he just started flopping all over the place. He would pick up his legs stick straight and walk around like his joints were glued together. He's a smart one now though, he knows how to the follow the scent of every single person in town and he always noses my leg when he smells 'em coming.
Well this day I have my hat covering my eyes, it's August and unusually rising up into the 90s, so my eyes are drifting closed. Something's not right though because Goof is nudging my leg and barking, he doesn't do that with people that he knows.
Sure enough horse hooves can now be heard clamoring into town and I squint real small to see who's coming out of the summer heat. When an unexpected visitor comes everyone stops, forgetting about work and huddles near their windows or blatantly comes out and stares in the streets.
The horse comes to stop. The face of the woman on top of it glowing as the sun illuminates it from behind almost obscuring that angel face. As the woman swings a leg down I feel my heart quicken, familiar footsteps. All of the sudden Goof stops his incessant barking, it's like he knows her scent even though he's never met her.
A scent that lingers around the town like a ghost, sweet like apples and honey but with a tinge of sweat and spice. Suddenly brown eyes lock with my green and if she recognizes me her eyes don't show it. All I can muster are the whispered words "Reggie…"
A/N I hope you will take a chance to read the next couple chapters! This chapter was more setting the stage, the rest gets more into their history and the updates are a bit longer :)