"Papa," I whisper quietly. My father turns around to look at me, still standing over a man on the street.
"Margaret, go back inside," he says turning to me, but not moving his hand from the man beneath him.
"Papa, no. Papa, please don't," I plead with my father.
He turns to me and draws me close. He whispers, "Margaret, I have to do this."
"No you don't!" I argue.
"Margaret, go home!" he yells pushing me. I stumble back a few steps, but soon regain my balance.
I watch in horror at my father. He puts his hand over the man on the ground again. The man starts to plead for his life. I cringe as I see the man's absolute horror stricken face. I see my father's magic surge through the man's body. The man lies limp on the ground. My father kicks the body and turns away from him. I feel a tear escape my eye as I run home in the opposite direction.
I slam the door of the small cottage in tears. I fling myself unto the bed and cover my face with the blankets. Not that this isn't normal for Papa lately. That's what happens when your Papa is The Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin. I hear the door open, but I don't move from my spot in bed.
"Margaret?" I hear Papa say soothingly. He sits down on the side of the lush bed. "Deary, I know you're under there," he says poking the blanket I'm under. "Come on, deary. I know you're under there," he says still poking the blankets. He starts poking me in the side and I giggle. I can hear him smile. He starts poking my sides more. I start laughing.
"Papa, stop it," I say smiling and uncovering my face. I sit up and look at him carefully in the eye.
He smiles at me. "Why?" He starts poking my sides again. I laugh and fall back onto the bed. He stands up from the bed, "Come on Margaret, it's time for dinner."
I stand up and walk over to the table. I try to pat my blonde curls down. I brush my curls with my fingers so they won't get in my face while I eat. The maid sets bowls in front of Papa and I. She puts a large pot of soup in the middle of the table. Papa scoops a spoonful of soup out of the pot. He puts it into my bowl. He does the same for himself.
I look up at my father the smile fading from my face. "Papa?" I ask him.
"Yes, deary?" he asks not looking up at me.
"Why did you kill that man, Papa?"
"Margaret," he says looking up at me, "I had to."
"No, you didn't," I protest.
"Yes, I did. If I didn't kill that man, I would have been seen as a coward. I can't be seen as a coward, Margaret," he says getting a look of power in his eyes that he gets so often lately.
"I don't understand," I whisper.
"You're young, Margaret. Goodness deary, you're only twelve. When you get older you will understand," he says taking another bite of soup.
"Ok…" I say still not sure.
I run through the woods happily. Finally free to run and play. I walk up to my friend, Hazel. "Hazel!" I say smiling. She looks at me depressed. "What's wrong?" I ask her feeling something is definitely off.
"Margaret," she says tossing her light brown hair from her shoulder, "I have bad news." She takes a deep breath and continues, "My mom saw what your dad did in town yesterday. She told me that I can't hang out with you anymore. She told me not to tell you, but I had to. Please, don't tell your dad." She looks scared.
I am shocked and don't know what to say. "I won't tell him," I finally manage.
"You're the best friend ever, Margaret," she says forcing a smile. "I'm sorry," she says as she runs in the other direction.
I walk over to a tree that had fallen. I sit down on the tree and put my head in my hands. The tears start falling into my cold hands. I sit this way for a while, until I hear someone say my name softly.
"Margaret?" I hear again. I look up to see a curly brown haired boy looking down on me. "Are you ok, Margaret?" he asks sitting beside me.
"You don't want to be seen with me, Benjamin," I tell the boy.
"Why not?" he asks.
"You know who my father is," I say.
"That doesn't matter. I will be seen with whoever I want to be seen with. And I want to be seen with you, Margaret," he says smiling at me.
"Really?" I ask surprised.
"Of course," he says.
"Aren't you afraid of me, like everybody else?" I ask him.
"I'm not afraid of you."
"But my papa, he kills people. How are you not afraid of him?"
"I never said I wasn't afraid of your papa. I said I wasn't afraid of you," he tells me. "You aren't your papa, Margaret."
I smile, "I guess not."
*Six Years Later*
"Ben, stop at it," I giggle as he pokes my side.
He smiles. "Never," he laughs and continues to poke me.
"Oh really?" I say and turn around to face him. I kiss him sweetly on the lips. "Will you stop now?" I ask giving him puppy dog eyes.
"I guess, if that's what you really want, Maggie," he says smiling.
"I've got to get going, Ben. He will find us if I'm gone to long," I say frowning. He looks down at me and frowns too.
"Why?" he complains.
"Ben, you know why. If he finds us out here…"
"Maggie, I'm done hiding from your dad. I'm tired of cowering out here. We've been hiding for years and I don't want to anymore."
"I know, Ben, I know. I know it's hard. I'm going through it too, but you don't know Papa like I do. H-he'll kill you, Ben," I choke out.
"I don't care!" he yells.
"I do!" I say grabbing his hand. "Benjamin, I love you. I don't want to be stuck here with my papa."
"I love you too. I won't leave you, Margaret, but I can't do this anymore," he says looking distraught. He looks down at the ground and back at me. "Let's run away," he says suddenly squeezing my hands.
"What?!" I gasp surprised at what he is saying.
"Let's run away together. Then we can finally be together. I have an uncle a few towns away that will give me a job. We can stay there until we have enough money to move to the next town. We can really be together," he says happily.
"No," I say frowning, "Benjamin, he will find us. As long as we are in this world, he will find me. You don't know how powerful his magic is. He will be able to find you as long as I am alive. You run away, Benjamin," I tell him.
"What?!" it's his turn to be confused.
"There is nothing in this town for you. Get out. I'm stuck here, but you don't have to be. You can get away from here," I try to convince him. "You could e-even find someone else," I say my voice cracking. I feel a tear run down my cheek.
Ben grabs my face in his large warm hands, "Margaret, I could never leave you. I love you. We will find another way. There has to be another way." He kisses me softly on the lips.
I pull away when I hear something. "What was that?" I whisper. Ben puts his finger on his lips. He slowly draws the dagger out of his belt. He pushes me slightly behind him.
I see a small bluish light. "No, Ben. Put your knife down," I yell at him. "Blue fairy," I say happily as the small fairy reveals herself from behind a tree. Ben puts his dagger back into his belt.
"Yes, it is me child," she says sweetly.
"But what are you doing here?" I ask her.
"True love needs my help," she says.
"You're here to help us?" Benjamin asks her.
"True love is a rare thing, but you two have found it. I am here to help you keep that love."
"But, my papa, the Dark One, he will find me, wherever we go, he will find me," I tell the fairy distraught.
"In this world, yes. But perhaps if the two of you were to go to a different world, a world without magic, he wouldn't be able to find you."
"How? I will do anything," Ben says.
"Oh, you don't have to do anything, but give up this world for a new one. This is a magic bean," she says pulling out a bean. "It will take you to this new world, where no one, not even Rumpelstiltskin, will be able to find you."
I take the bean from her, "How can I thank you?"
"Stay with your true love," she says simply.
I look at Ben and smile. "I think I can do that," I say turning back to her.
"I must go. Good luck in the new world," she says floating away.
Benjamin grabs my shoulder, "Are you ok with this, Maggie?"
"Of course, are you?"
"Yes, I am ready."
I throw the bean on the ground. The ground starts to twist and turn. Ben grabs my hand. I see the portal grown wider every second. The twirling becomes faster and faster as I stare at it. The wind swishes around us. I hear something behind us. I look to see my papa coming swiftly towards us.
"MARGARET!" he yells. "What are you doing!?"
"Papa, I'm going to a new world without magic!" I yell at him, as he is still quite a bit away from the portal. "I still love you papa! Goodbye!" I yell and Benjamin and I jump into the portal.
I land still holding Benjamin's hand. We are both sitting in a patch of grass. "Benjamin?" I ask worriedly.
"Margaret," he says. We both stand. He embraces me in a long kiss.
"Where are we?" I ask him quietly.
"I don't know, but I do know one thing, we're together," he says taking my hand again. We start for the city ahead wondering about the future. We may not know much, but we know we are together and that's good enough.