Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT, et cetera, et cetera. :(

"Swan, don't do this. Did I lie to you?"

Emma's expression hardened, then she stalked off, leaving him. She was leaving, just like that, alone in the gloom, and with no means of escape. He ran towards her, a last-ditch attempt at freedom. Tonight, however, luck was not on his side, as the chain reached its end before she was in his grasp.

"Swan!" he bellowed, his anger quickly giving into fear as the distance between them increased. "Swan! SWAN!"

Killian continued to struggle, until he finally deemed the situation a lost cause. Leaning against the wall, he slowly sank to the floor, and crossed his arms over his knees. He sat like that for a while. Hopefully, it wouldn't be as bad as before.

Then, the shaking started.

At first, it was a quiet tremble, barely even noticeable. Hook tried to focus on something, drinking in the caverns every detail. From the weathered mahogany that composed the rooms structure, to the shimmering piles of gold that filled it. He committed every detail to memory. Not that it did him any good. Analysing the place only made him all the more certain that he was never getting out. Something glimmered in the corner of his eye. Gold. He lunged forward, desperate for some sort of familiarity. Gold was calming to him. It put everything back into perspective.

Yet again, his arm fell short. The chain was just long enough for his fingertips to brush against the smooth surface, yet it wasn't quite in his grasp. His arm dropped to his side. It was useless. H was stuck here, and he was never getting out, because he couldn't pick the lock, as his Hook was too wide, and unless the giant came along and released him, which he seriously doubted would-

Killian just let his head fall into his still shaking arms, finally giving into the terror that had, until now, barely been restrained.

Next came the memories.

"Killian, darling, stay here for me please. I'll be right back." His mother stood up, brushing the creases out of her dress. She went to leave, but thought better of it. She again crouched down to his level. "I love you Killian, don't ever forget that." She reached out, bushing a strand of hair behind his ear. "You look so much like your father." At that, she sounded choked, as though she was holding back a sob.

Killian couldn't take it anymore; he launched himself at his mother, enveloping her in a hug. "Don't worry mummy, I'll be fine."

She set him back down. "I'm sure you will be. Goodbye, my son." Killian blinked, and she was gone.

The young lad sat on the cobbles, picturing shapes on the roughly-hewn cart-wheel across from him. There wasn't much for entertainment in the alley way between the inn and the barbers. Time passed, and soon, Killian began to worry. It was really dark now, and his mother still hadn't come back for him. The cheerful Eagle he had been riding on soon dropped him to an imaginary death. He shivered, only partially from the cold. It was then that the shouting began. One of the voices was his mother's, he was sure of it. She sounded scared, the other voices were attacking her! Killian jumped to his feet. He was only eight years old, but by God, he would protect his mother. He sprang forward, only to be yanked back by a length of rope, tied in an impossible knot. She had known this would happen, and she didn't want him to come after her. But his mother was hurt, and there was nothing he could do.

Hook slowly drifted back into reality, only vaguely aware of the chain he must have wrapped around himself in his haze. He pulled it tighter, the pain grounding him in some twisted way.

"You're a coward, Jones" He whispered, and let the darkness claim him.