"So, what's the best way to kill a witch, do you think?"
Emma raid an eyebrow at her son, Henry's, question. They were sitting in the woos by an old wishing well, eating small cones of ice cream. The well itself was old, and the wood was beginning to give way to the many maggots and bugs that had decided to lay to rest on the roof. Plants and weeds had grown around it, tangling up in one another's leaves. That didn't stop them from going almost every day after Henry was let out of school.
It also didn't constitute the strange question she was being asked.
"What?" she replied, unsure of what she had heard.
"Witches," Henry repeated, "How do you kill them?"
Emma wrinkled her nose, licking her ice cream. The dessert was cool and smooth on her tongue, making her tingle slightly.
"Uh, I dunno, kid," she said, "Why do you need to know how to kill a witch anyway?"
Henry shrugged, scratching his head. The wind blew through, playing with his brown hair. Emma had her own blond hair tied in a ponytail, so as not to accidentally dip it in her ice cream. Peering down, Emma noticed he had his fairy tale book siting open in his lap.
"I see…." she muttered under her breath, sneaking a peek at the large pages.
"Hansel and Gretel," Henry said, boredom trumping his voice, "Although this version differs rom Ava and Zachary's." Emma pursed her lips.
"Wasn't her little brother's name Gregory here?" Emma asked. She couldn't really remember, but then again she wasn't one to question the book's contents. More often it was right instead of…. well, you know.
"I'm not really sure, but I guess it doesn't matter anymore, considering they're reunited with their dad," Henry brushed off her comment as he read, ignoring his ice cream, which, evidently, was beginning to melt, vanilla cream created rivers down the waffle cone and onto his hand.
"So what's different about this Hansel and Gretel?" Emma asked, taking a chunk out of her ow ice-cream. Her two front teeth tingled as she bit into it, chocolate chunks and cool mint flavor seeping into her mouth.
"These guys seem much cooler, I guess," Henry said, "I mean, they kill witches after their parents abandoned them in the woods-"
"Classic, huh?"
"- and then go town to town fighting them as well," Henry ignored her comment.
"Fighting witches, huh?" Emma aced, "Next you'll be saying their parents died after finding out the mom was a witch or something, right?" Henry grinned, shaking his head as he closed the book, using his index finger to trace the gold lettering on the town leather cover.
"Nah," he said, "I haven't gotten that far into the story yet."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. The ground beneath her was starting to feel a tad uncomfortable, and her back was starting to itch from leaning against the well. Hopefully it wasn't ringworm, but Emma figured she'd let Doctor Whale check it out later, just to be safe. Birds tittered happily as they few by, some taking refuge in nests, others hopping about to build one for themselves. It was a bit odd, that birds were always most present out that particular pat of the wood, but after living in Story Brooke for a while, she learned to leave it be.
With her ice cream now being almost entirely gone, her waffle cone damp and crunchy, Emma tapped Henry's shoulder as she got up.
"Alright, kid," she grunted, "time to get you home before Regina starts to worry." Henry rolled his eyes at the thought of her- she wasn't exactly the nicest woman for a mother, but she was trying, he knew. Tucking the book under his arm, he got up, Emma dusting his clothes free of any dirt.
"Ready to go?" Emma asked, eying her now unappetizing ice cream cone.
"Sure I guess," Henry said, "Same time tomorrow?"
"Sure, kid," Emma grinned, looking around, "Is there are garbage can anywhere or do I have to carry this thing back tot own with me?"
"Emma, just eat it," Henry pointed out, laughing a bit at her.
"You know what?" What I'm about to do is our little secret, 'kay?" Emma said, standing over the opening of the well. Reaching out, she held the cone at arm's length and let go watching the waffle get swallowed by the darkness.
"Now," Emma wiped her hands on her jeans in case there was any ice cream left, "let's g-"
"What the fuck?"
Emma and Henry froze, exchanging glances.
"What did I say about cursing?" Emma raised and eyebrow at him. The boy shook his head.
"It wasn't me!" he protested, "I swear!"
Emma opened er mouth to say something, surprised when a different voice came out instead- the same one, echoing from who knew where.
"This is exactly why you never let yourself get caught in a well."
They were surprised web a second voice joined the first.
"Yeah, well, it happens when you hunt witches or a living. Now stop stepping on my chest before I use this gun to smack you upside the head."
