The smell of burning flesh…the intense agony as each bolt passes through me…his eyes gleaming with malice as he is slamming his hand against the button again. Each new wave of pain causes my vision to blur; his face is shifting from one figure to another. Each new face torturing me just the same. My mother; with her brutal methods in teaching me to be a lady, how to behave and act properly whilst tormenting and beating me, showing up to slam electricity through my body. Daniel, with his sweet face, his caring personality, screaming at me for not saving him, for being the cause of his death.
'You could have saved me Regina,' he sneers as he presses the button down in revenge. Tears leak slowly from my eyes as I scream in agony, begging for the pain to stop. Fear creeps over me as hands sneak up my thighs. Leopold's face is grinning at me whilst his hands move higher and higher. I can hear the others laugh whilst I turn silent in fear of what's to come next. I would rather take the torture than this. Anything but this again. I lasted too long keeping quiet as he took me as Queen. Someone has to hear me, help me. As his hands reach their destination I begin to scream, beg for the electricity back, begging for it all to end.
The scream rips from my mouth as the faces disappear and it all turns black. I slowly open my eyes as I gasp for breath, thankful the pain is over…and take in the sights of the jungle before me. A piercing set of green eyes stare worriedly into mine as a few stray tears betray me.
'Regina?' She quietly asks, 'You okay?' The most I can do is nod briefly at her. She's too close, so close I can smell her intoxicating scent of leather and something uniquely Emma. Her hand reaches out to touch my shoulder and all of a sudden it's too much, too real.
'Don't touch me!' I snap. Pulling away I force myself up and head into the cover of the trees. My breath is still coming out in pants, the nightmare far too real. Not only do my torturers visit me in my sleep, but Henry is gone. They took him from me and I ended up in this godforsaken place with the two idiots, the pirate who turned me over to my torturer and the damn saviour. The intoxicating saviour who I can't seem to stop thinking about. Even when my son is god knows where with the most villainous boy known to man, and the blonde still finds her way into my mind. I crumble to the floor, thankful to be away from camp as I finally let the tears flow freely. I miss Henry, and as much as insist I'm fine, I'm really not.
….
'Let her be Swan.'
I watch helplessly as she storms off into the jungle, her screams still ringing in my ears. My eyes lock with Snow's, who is clearly feeling as helpless as I am. Her eyes say a little more though. This clearly isn't the first time she's woken to Regina's screams. I wish I could pretend it was this place, the creepy forest where unnatural sounds follow you through the trees and pierce the night sky, but I know that Regina is not okay. The torture she endured, that everyone forgot about as the trigger started to destroy the town and Henry disappeared. We never talked about it, never made sure she was okay. How could anyone be? Now it made sense why she didn't sleep on the ship, why she was sporting dark rings under her eyes. I thought it was worry, probably most of it was, but if those screams are anything to go by, I wouldn't want to sleep either.
As everyone settles to gain a few more hours sleep, I take a seat by the fire and wait for her to come back. I can't help but let thoughts of her drift into my mind. I was always so jealous of how strong she was, how nothing seems to faze her. But now, maybe I see her a little better. She is strong because she never had anyone to help her; she had to build the walls that I now feel a need to knock down. The headstrong brunette has often entered my mind over the past few months and I've seen her in many different lights in my mind. But never so…broken. She doesn't need fixing but sitting watching the flames dance in the oddly quiet jungle, I vow to be there for her. To be her rock. No-one should have to face what she did alone, and together we will find our son and be stronger than ever.
And just maybe, if she feels the same way…who knows.
