PROLOGUE
Silence.
Complete and total silence.
As Emma looked around the cramped supply closet, she almost wished she was blind for the simple sake of hearing better. But she knows even then it would be of no use. She has seen this madman hone his skills to surpass even the best of their masters. Of course, he had been her friend then.
"Oh Emma, come out, come out wherever you are…"
With everything she had, she held down the whimper that threatened to rip from her throat. She covered her mouth as quietly as possible and prayed that her breathing wouldn't give her away. She had seen him in action before. She knew that even the slightest disturbance in the air would be a siren to him.
"I just want to… play a little game, if you will. We can call it, hmmmm… what should we call it? Monopoly? Since I am in control of everything, I automatically win that game. Anyways, it takes too long."
This was not the boy she had grown up with. He was no longer inside that body. She had to close her eyes to keep the tears from falling at the realization that she couldn't save him. He was too far gone. Not even her magic could release the demon that took hold inside him. The boy who would fight with her just to end up giving her the last cookie, the boy who played the guitar so sweetly, who would create a beautiful butterfly bouquet for her little sister, no longer possessed his own body.
"Aw, come on Emma, this isn't fun anymore. Ruby won't let me find her either."
Oh god, where was she? Emma had last seen her running toward the docks, hoping to lead the last of the students away to safety. If he hadn't found her yet, they must all be ok, that her sister was finally away from harm.
Which was why she was here, wasn't it? To go off and save everyone? To be the one true hero everyone expected her to be? Without having even been asked if she wanted the responsibility thrust upon her shoulders, everyone, even their masters, had thought she was the only one who could save them all, including the madman that was pacing outside the hallway naming off mundane childhood games.
"Leap frog? It could work. But seeing as that we are on land it wouldn't be nearly as fun" he continued on.
There had been one other who could have shared this predicament with her, maybe even could have prevented it. But like her parents had left her the responsibility of Ruby on her forever, he had left her with the responsibility of saving everyone. Though she couldn't blame him, it still hurt when he had left without so much as a goodbye.
"Oh! I know!" he shouted triumphantly. "I have just the one we need: Truth or Dare. However, you will be spilling the truth and by the time I'm done with you, you'll be daring me to kill you."
Emma rolled her eyes. Of course he would pick that one. He picked it every time around the bonfire and always managed to win, both while playing the game and selfishly gaining something. It had started off as meaningless teenage fun, but he had quickly learned that he could manipulate it to his advantage.
"First, we'll start with how you got that pretty little ring on your finger. Then we'll get to wherever your pretty little boyfriend is hiding. I know you know where he is Swan."
What? She thought, he knows I don't know where he is. He knows how much that bastard broke my heart.
She knows she doesn't have much time until he stops playing this foolish game and opens her door. She needs to come up with a plan and fast. There is no way in hell she is going to just storm out there. What is she going to use to protect herself? A binder of paper? Ya right. Even her magic is useless against him. She is going to wait for him to come get her, pretend that he's the victor.
His voice interrupted her musings.
"Ah and speak of the devil and he shall show."
"Hello, Neal."
That voice. She knew that voice. Its memory hadn't left her, not in the past four years. Not since he left her that summer day.
"Hello, Killian."
Then silence.
Complete and total silence.