At fourteen years old, Emma had never known a real home. She had never known what a mother's love felt like or a father's comfort. All she had in life was a baby blanket with her name on it that meant the world to her and a necklace from a past friend who had abandoned her like everyone else had. Emma may have only been fourteen but she had enough life experience to know when she wasn't wanted somewhere and she knew she wasn't wanted in this new home. Her foster parents were cruel people who took in kids purely for the money the government paid them. Emma had never had a full meal in her life with these people. If not for the free lunches at her new school she might have starved. She knew there was only one option: she had to run away again. It would not be like all of her previous attempts where she had no money and had been caught begging on the street and immediately brought back to another foster family who didn't want her. This time she had saved up cash and thanks to Neal, she had developed a talent for sleight of hand. She could steal all the food she needed and she would never have to come back here. All day at school she had been planning her escape. She had been so caught up in her plans, she hadn't even noticed her friends leave without her. She would have to walk home by herself today.
She had shouldered her school bag and was munching an apple she took off the teacher's desk that morning when a hand fell on her shoulder. She immediately jumped and dropped her apple.
"Emma? Emma Swan! I've found you." The voice sounded both tired and excited. Emma turned and was surprised by the face of the person who had stopped her. She didn't like to admit the guy was handsome. He didn't look older than seventeen and had his ear pierced and was wearing pretty cool eyeliner that she had never seen guys around here wear before. He was totally different from the goody two shoes that littered her school. He looked like a badass.
"Who the heck are you?" Emma asked incredulously. She noticed his hand was still on her shoulder so she shrugged it off and took a step back from him. There was no one around to help her, school had finished half an hour ago and everyone was gone.
"My name is Hook. Look, I know you'll find this hard to believe but I know you ok? I know you are Emma Swan, fourteen years old and been in foster care your whole life. But I need you to listen to me." Hook said desperately.
"How the hell do you know all that about me? I've never even met you before. Did Cara put you up to this? Where is she?" Emma looked around for the face of her sworn enemy in a bush somewhere but she couldn't see anything.
"No one put me up to anything. Listen Emma, I need you to come with me. I know it's a lot to ask and you don't know me but if you don't come with me, a lot of innocent people are going to die."
"Does stranger danger man nothing to you? Get lost, if I'm not home soon my foster parents will freak." Emma pushed him away and turned to leave but he caught her arm to stop her. Without hesitation, she whipped out a bottle of mace she kept for emergencies and sprayed him in the face. He let out a yelp and dropped to the pavement. Emma started to run away.
"I can tell you who your mother is Emma. You just need to come with me. I'll be in the park tomorrow at one." He called out. Emma considered this. Creepy dude turns up, tells her he knows her and now claims to know her mother?! This dude was a nut job.