Chapter 1: Free
A luscious green canopy let the bright sunlight pour through the leaves in a radiant greenish light.
If you listened carefully , you could hear the happy chirping of blue jay birds and the strange sounds the crickets make along with the rustling noises of small white rabbits and deer scurrying in the raspberry bushes at the bottom of the tall thick trees.
The ground was covered in buttercups, poppies, daisies and the purple jasmine vines that so gently twisted up the thick trunks of the oak trees.
You could almost taste the sweet scent of the flowers rising in the crisp air as the small gusts of wind whistled, turning the leaves of the forest and making the cape fly behind the silent figure of a young excited little girl.
As time went by, the setting sun beat down and the fourteen year old could see her little village through the fruity bushes.
She smiled as she removed her navy blue hood, revealing her ivory skin that seemed to contrast with her black eyelashes, caging her forget-me-not eyes.
Her cherry lips formed into a bright, heart warming smile as the memories of her home came flooding back.
The thrill of freedom washing over her like a tidal wave crashing down on the sea.
"I can't believe It... I'm free!" She exclaimed, happiness flooding through her veins. "I-I'm home."
Without further hesitation, she ran as fast as she possibly out of the forest making her way to where she knew her step-father and brother would be waiting for her.
The delicious rush of wind past her face thrilled her. Her muscles stretched, but she kept pushing harder and harder until her pace evened out and her legs made the ground fly underneath her.
After ten minutes of sprinting, she slowed down, unable to maintain her speed.
Her stomach churned slightly when she saw a large crowd of people surrounding her home.
That's when she saw it, or rather didn't. There was nothing there apart from smoke and hot ashes.
The happiness sank down, along with her hope. "No!" She yelled.
The crowed turned their gaze on her in shock. But the girl only frowned, "Wh-what happened!?" She demanded. "Where's Rumple!? Where's Baelfire!?"
To her annoyance, the people started muttering. "Lily?" Someone called out.
Her heart started pounding in her chest as though it was trying to reach out to the owner of the voice. "Bae?"
A boy, with dark brown hair and matching doe eyes stumbled out of the crowed.
"L-Lily… Is that really you?" He asked her, bewildered.
She knitted her brows together in confusion. "H-how long was I gone?" She whispered.
The crowed started to mutter again. "Two years, Lily... It's been two years."
A gasp escaped her lips before she could prevent it. "H-he lied to me! H-he said it'd only seem like hours here! How could I have been so stupid!?"
Bae stared blankly at her. "What are you talking about?"
Lily's eyes popped, barely able to contain the fear in her eyes. "P-P-P... P-Peter Pan." She stammered.
A familiar voice yelled from behind her, before Baelfire could reply."Lily!"
The voice must have scared the people, because the villagers were gone by the time she turned around.
The young girl was startled at how fast they'd ran and couldn't help but wonder why.
It was Rumpelstiltskin, her beloved step father. "Rumple!" She called back.
"Papa!" Bae stood in front of Lily as though he wanted to protect her. "Get away from her!" He snapped, when his father went to hug her.
Lily's eyes widened. "What's going on?" She demanded. "B-Bae?"
But they didn't reply, instead, Rumple pointed towards the ruins of their house. "That fire was a warning, Bae! Not just for her, but for all of us!" He yelled.
Lily frowned and so did Baelfire. "What?"
"Pan is trying to take you away from me, and I won't let that happen!" He shouted. "To either of you!"
Lily looked down, tears threatening to fall. This wasn't the reunion she'd been hoping for.
"He already had Lily." Bae stated angrily.
Rumple sighed. "I'm aware of that Bae, and I'm glad she's returned." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
Two years ago, he told her that he had taken Lily away from her family when she was still a baby... An infant.
He told her that her father never wanted her in the first place, that he was a selfish, greedy and deadly pirate.
A one handed murderous man who drank a little too much and stole his wife, Bae's mother… Her mother.
Baelfire was Lily's half-brother and Rumple loved her like she was his own, even though he shouldn't.
"Rumple," She whimpered, about to run around Bae to embrace the man she'd known as a father, but Bae held her back. "What are you doing?" She hissed.
He sighed sadly. "Papa… H-he's the Dark One. He's got dark magic."
Lily gasped in shock. "H-how? Why?"
"Lily..." The Dark One started. "I-I had to do it." He stated. "For you, for Bae!"
She shook her head angrily. "Why?"
"When I found out that Peter Pan took you away," She flinched at the name. "I had to make precautions so Bae wouldn't endure the same fate." He explained. "So I could protect him... And now I can protect you both."
Lily nodded slightly. "I-I understand... But dark magic?! You didn't have to go down that way." She whispered. "There are other ways!"
"I'm sorry." He replied sincerely.
Baelfire broke the awkward silence that followed. "Where are we going to live now?" He gestured to their home. "It's gone."
Rumple waved his hand and spoke in a language neither teen could understand, then a strange yellow light appeared and so did their home, as good as knew.
Baelfire and his sister exchanged worried looks and just like that, they were back to their old life.
Or at least that's what they thought.
Two more years passed and things did change. Rumple had changed. He would leave his children every day and lock them inside their own house.
Lily was sixteen now and she had become even more beautiful than before.
Her half-brother hadn't changed much though. One night when Lily had finished reading one of her favourite books. "I'm sick of staying in this hovel all of the time!"
Lily gave him a sad yet determined look. "I know, Bae. I feel the same. I would do anything to go outside… But he's so worried about us getting hurt and-"
Bae scoffed. "He's just afraid we'll go and never come back."
Lily sighed. "After what happened two years ago I…" She trailed off, that haunting memory almost blurring her vision.
A boy, eighteen, well at least he looked that way, leered over her, eyes glowing green in the darkness as his lips devoured hers possessively.
"Please! Stop!" The girl begged and begged him. But it was never any use.
The boy caressed her cheek almost affectionately. "Shh," He soothed. "Save your breath... You're going to need it."
And with those words said, he pushed her down and had his way with her, like all the times before.
She was taken from her miserable thoughts as her half brother spoke. "You never did tell me what happened to you." He stated, sitting opposite her.
Lily bit her lip. "Bae… I-It was a long time ago… I don't really remember."
He glared at her. "You're lying... I can see it in your eyes."
Lily closed them momentarily. "I-I was in another realm." She started.
Bae frowned. "I know. You were in Neverland with that… Peter Pan? What did he do to you?"
She flinched at the name once again. "H-he did many things to me, Bae… And I really don't want to talk about them… If he ever finds me again he'll- Bae? What are you doing?" She asked as Baelfire made his way towards the window, not listening to a word she was saying.
He turned around with a big grin on his face as though he'd just one thousands of diamonds. "Can't you hear it? It's wonderful."
Lily stared at him, mouth agape. She could hear something, but it was very distant. "Someone's probably playing in the streets." She suggested.
"At this hour?" Bae replied, a look of disbelief in his eyes.
It was nightfall and Lily had to admit that Baelfire was most probably right.
When she didn't reply, Bae started to climb out of the window. "I'm going to check it out."
"I'm coming with you!" Lily didn't know that following him would be the biggest mistake of her life.
She frowned and noticed loads of boys dressed in their night robes, following the direction of the music. That's when it hit her.
With every step she took, she just prayed she was wrong.