Storm-Borne Stranger
Three weeks had passed since the incident at the hospital. Life for most of the townspeople had returned to normal: the children had returned to school; the shops opened for customers; the diner and inn opened for service; and even the pawnshop opened. For the latter, however, hardly anyone entered; too fearful they would be victims of the anger and wrath of the owner after what had happened.
It was a dreary day when the doors of the pawnshop finally opened from the outside, and in stepped a woman with a rain coat hood covering her head, shutting the door behind her to keep out the draft. From the back of the store, the owner heard the door and stepped from behind the curtain of beads, his eyes scanning the figure before him skeptically.
"Can I help you with anything?" He asked in cordial manner.
The woman smiled and walked towards the counter slowly, gazing at all the antique artifacts and different objects contained in the shop. "Yes. Is there a place nearby where I can get a bite to eat? I was passing by and looking for a restaurant."
He tried to catch a message in her eyes without staring too long, something that would quell his curiosity about the woman's mysterious guise. With this skill abandoning him, he consented and let out a silent sigh. "You turn right outside the door, continue till you pass the post office, and take another right to a diner. Inside, ask for the owner and she'll know exactly what you're looking for."
"Right out the shop; past the post office and right into the diner," she repeated with bright eyes. "Thank you very much!" The woman left the shop, following the directions the shop owner had given her.
The owner watched her walk down the sidewalk and covered his mouth with his hand. He knew something wasn't right about her. "Just passing by…hm?" he mused. "Perhaps the sheriff would like to hear about this…but then again, I'm sure she can handle this 'little' problem." He turned the Open sign to Closed and shut the blinds, turning off the front lights, and returned again to the back room.
There was more still to be done.
A rumble of thunder cracked overhead the diner just as the door opened to reveal a woman cloaked in a black rain coat, droplets of water running from her head to the ground. She wiped her feet on the long floor rug in the front of the diner best she could, before walking towards the counter.
"Hi there," she said to a young woman. "I was told to ask for the owner."
"Oh. Yeah, sure. Hang on a minute," the woman replied with a kind smile. She left the counter and walked towards the direction in which looked like a kitchen, returning a moment later with an older looking lady. "She wanted to speak with you."
"Yes dear," the elder woman said. "How can I help you?" Her eyes were kind, as was her sweet voice, strong but honey-laden.
The newcomer smiled, "I stopped in the pawn shop to see if the owner knew where I could grab something to eat, and he told me to come here. He said that you'd know what I'd need."
The mature woman nodded. "Well of course I can help you there." She directed her to a table and sat her down with a menu. "Now, would you like some tea or coffee to warm you up? I can also make some hot chocolate or cider?"
"Black herbal tea?" The woman asked. "But I would also drink coffee."
Writing the order down on her notepad, she replied, "Black herbal tea it is. Take a minute to look over the menu and order whatever you like…on the house, eh…"
The woman smiled, "Seraphina. Seraphina Erik."
"Well, Seraphina, you can call me Granny. Now, I'll be right out."
After eating a bowl of Granny's homemade spinach and potato soup and warm chicken salad sandwich, Granny came to collect Seraphina's dishes.
"Here, let me help you with these. After all, you wouldn't let me pay for my meal, so I shall make it up to you by cleaning the dishes."
Bewildered by this kind act coming from a stranger, Granny consented and watched her carefully wash, dry, and put away all the dishes. "You know, you don't have to do this, Seraphina. I'm sure you live far enough away that it will take some time to go back home. And I certainly wouldn't want to keep you from getting to wherever it is you're going."
Seraphina put away the last plate and placed the dishtowel back where it belonged before turning to address Granny. "All the same, I was still going to help you. Plus, my car ran out of gas right as I passed the sign that said 'Now Entering Storybrooke', so I couldn't go anywhere even if I wanted to." She flicked her eyes between Granny and Ruby, Granny's granddaughter. "Is there a car shop here?"
"Yes, but he's closed for the night. I can give him a call first thing in the morning and he can take a look at your car." Granny walked to the front of the store, the two women following her, and exited the diner, locking the door behind her. "You'll come with us to the inn and I'll give you a room until your car is ready to be used again."
"Thank you. But this time I insist I pay."
