Emma pressed a kiss to Henry's sleeping form. She tucked the blankets tighter around the small boy, before turning the light off and shutting the door softly. Emma wandered into the kitchen and looked out the window. The night was cold, due to the rain that was hurdling to the earth. Emma sighed, checking that the window was locked, and shut the small lacy curtains.
Emma shrugged off her boots and was left in socks as she padded to the door and locked it, with a satisfying 'click!' She paused. She thought she heard a rustling from upstairs. It stopped. 'Must have been the rain.' She thought as she moved to make herself tea. She flicked on some music and began to clean up the kitchen from dinner. It was a little past eleven and Emma was looking to relax a little. Henry was going to spend the next week with Regina, and with Cora still looking for her revenge, Emma was tense. Emma put her hands on the island.
"What did you get yourself into Em?" She asked herself softly. "I don't know love, what did you?" A voice suddenly broke her out of her concentration. "What?" She asked. She looked up to see Captain Hook standing in her living room. "Never the mind then, we can talk about it shortly." He said. Suddenly, Emma was smacked in the back of the head with a hard object, and her world went dark.
Chapter 1
I blinked my eyes painfully open. I could see faint outlines in my clouded and blurred vision, but I couldn't distinguish exactly who they were. "She's waking up." A voice said. I knew the voice. "Well Greg, I mean, she wasn't going to stay completely knocked out forever. Hook, I'm surprised you knocked her out for this long. Neal described her as tough...obviously she isn't too tough." A female voice hissed. I knew who it was. Tamara. I had been right. I blink rapidly. I am met with the dangerous eyes of Tamara. "Hello Emma." She says. I don't break gazes with her, but I feel my hands and feet are bound by leather on the table. I can't move.
"I knew it was you." I said shaking my head. She laughs, as if we're old friends sharing a good joke about the past. "Emma, I must say my dear, what did Neal ever see in you?" She asks. I narrow my eyes. "It doesn't matter anyways darling, you won't have to watch me love him any longer, no," She said. I look at her. Think Emma. "I think we'll take Henry. It'll be easy to cover up your death." She says deep in thought. I see Hook looking at her. "You never said you'd kill her," He says. Tamara looks up. "Excuse me, don't you have a man to kill yourself?" She asks. Hook stares her down.
"Besides which, we can always break our deal, and tell the crocodile where you are." She said. He stays quiet. I hear banging followed by the sound of Regina. "Regina," I whisper. "Where did you take my son?" I ask with venom in my voice. She laughs. "To Neal's apartment. He thinks there was a change in plans." She says. "You can't do this, I won't let you do this." I hiss. "You won't have a choice." She says. "Neal wouldn't forgive you," I say angrily. She laughs. "Like I care what that idiot thinks. Listen, I know you're concearned for your son, but I'll take good care of him." She says. "Neal would know you killed me, he's not that stupid." I say angrily. "Neal will be dead. Don't you see Emma? He's how I got to YOU." She said.
"I will not allow my son to be without a father. I don't care if I die, but I am not allowing you to kill Neal." I hiss. "Greg can be his father." She says smiling wickedly. I can hear Regina screaming. "Apparently, he couldn't wait to kill her first. No matter." She said. She moves to grab two cords. "Emma, let me introduce you to a lie detector machine. It will tell me if you are lying." She said. I blink angrily. She attached the cords to my head before flicking the machine on. I stare at her. "Where are the town records?" She asks. "I don't know." I lie. I feel a huge shock trail through my body. I let out a scream.
She shuts the machine off. "Let's try this again Emma, where are the records?" She asks. "In my office." I say out of breath. "Was that so difficult?" She asks. I see Greg come in from the corner of my eye. "You brought her here?" He asks. "Of course I did. The source for all the hope in this damned town." She says. "You can't hurt her, I mean, not without C-" He went to say. "Cora? No. She knows about Emma, in fact," Tamara says. I see a purple haze and then Cora is standing in front of me. "Holy shit." I say. She smiles sickly sweet at me. "Emma, silly, naive Emma. Did you really think you would win? Did you truly believe you would be saved by a man you betrayed?" She asks.
I stare at her, unfazed. "Oh well." She says with a simple laugh. "Cora," I hear Hook breathe. "Ah yes, Captain Hook. I have your hand, right here, as promised." She said. "Where's Tamara?" Greg asks. "With Neal. It's been me all along you silly boy." She says. Cora pulls Hook's hand out from a bag. With a poof its back on his hand. His eyes widen in wonder. He clenches his fist, as if to see it's realness. "Now, I have a plan." She says eyeing me. "And my sweet, dearest Emma, it involves every part of you. This town deserves for it to be the way it was before you came here, my daughter deserves her happiness." She says.
I see Regina get dragged in by a man. Regina locks gazes with mine. I can see her shock that Cora stands here. I stare definitely at Cora. "So this is why, I have the curse on this town, with a little twist." She says. I look at her. "You see, if you don't have your memories, you won't be able to start this little 'saviour' thing of yours will you? No. So, I am making it so you are blissfully unaware of yourself. In fact, in this adorable little curse which Rumpelstiltskin gave me, you won't even remember your name. None of them will. Snow White will be Mary Margaret, David Nolan in a coma, and Regina will be Queen and have Henry and her memories." She said.
"You can't do that," I growl. "Oh can't I?" She asks. "Well, Hook, well should I say his true name now, Killian, helped me the whole way. Goodbye Emma." She says. I can't move, I can only scream as she smashes the purple bottle in her hands, and the whole world is reduced to a purple fog.
The First Day
I moved towards the door of my apartment. I was changed into my scrubs and I was ready to help some people today. I made sure my glasses were firmly on my nose before heading down the stairs. I started to walk out of the building, backpack on my shoulders. Graham waited for me. "Always out of the apartment last," He said laughing. I smiled. "You're a man. I'm a girl. It's expected that I take longer," I said kissing him. He pulled my waist closer to his.
Graham and I started to walk away. I saw Madame Mayor walking ahead of us, with her boy Henry. His face was downcast as he kicked rocks. "Madame Mayor, good morning," I said with a warm smile. She turned. Henry stopped. "Miss Swan," She said. "How are you…feeling?" She asked. "Lovely, thank you for asking," I said. She and Graham exchanged glances but I thought nothing of it. "Hi Henry," I said. "Hi Miss Swan." He said giving me a smile. "How's school going?" I asked. "Good! Ms. Margaret is teaching us how to make bird feeders!" He said. "Really? I love making things." I said with a laugh. He smiled. "Miss Swan, Graham, don't you have to get to work," Regina asked. I nodded looking downward. "Of course. My humblest apologies Madame Mayor, Henry, have a great day at school," I said nodding. Graham dragged my hand out of there. We headed into Granny's resturant. I hopped up on a stool and he sat next to me.
"Why is she so unhappy?" I asked softly. He shrugged. "I don't know Em," He said softly. "I just wish she could be happier, maybe if she found a guy," I suggested. "I know." He said shrugging. "I have you at least," I said with a smile. He laughed. "Yes- Yes you do," He said kissing my forehead. Ruby came by. "Hot Chocolate with cinnamon?" Ruby asked pointing her pen at me. I smiled. "Yeah, that's wonderfully perfect," I said with a giggle. She smiled at me. "Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich with a black coffee?" She asked Graham. He smiled. "Always," He said. "You two are honestly, just so cute." She said. I smiled sweetly. "Thanks Ruby," I said. "Still coming over for drinks tomorrow?" She asked. I nodded. "Always," I said with a laugh. She smiled and went to go put our order in.
"So how's work at the station?" I asked. He nodded. "Alright I guess." He said. "Slow?" I asked. "No, it's just...I feel like we don't move Emma." He said. I cocked my head to the side. "Why would you say that?" I asked. He sighed. "Why wouldn't I? We are constantly just repeating everything day after day." He said. "No we're not," I said. "What did you do yesterday Emma?" He asked. "Graham," I said. "No seriously," He asked. "We-got coffee and hot chocolate at Granny's, met for lunch, went home, had a nice night and went to bed." I said. He looked at me. "I, I'm sorry Emma. Look, I don't want you to freak out, but don't you want to travel?" He asked. "No, Graham, I'm happy," I said. Was I really? Or was it just a farce? A lie. I nodded.
He sighed. "I have to go to the station. I'll call you later," He said getting up in a hurry and leaving. "GRAHAM!" I called after him. He was gone. I sighed. I sat down at the counter again. "Where did Graham go?" Ruby asked bringing us our drinks. I sighed. "He had to go to the station." I said. She shrugged. "Eh." She said with a laugh. I smiled. "So, any good...news on...like sex?" She asked with a giggle. I blushed. "Oh so there is." She said. I laughed. The bell to the shop rang and I turned my head. Mr. Gold and Cora walked into the store. I looked at Ruby. "I'll be back, I should tell Gran-" She was cut off by Mr. Gold. "Ah Miss Swan and Ms. Ruby." He said in his creepy voice. I looked at Ruby. "Where's your grandmother dearie?" He asked. She glared. "I'll go get her." She said. She shot me a parting glance.
"Emma," Cora said. You know the feeling you get when two sharks are about to eat you alive? That was the feeling I had right now. "Hi Mrs. Mills," I said softly. "When is your rent due?" Mr. Gold asked. "Tomorrow. I'll be coming in, don't you fret," I said. He laughed. I suppressed a shiver. Granny came out. "Thanks Ruby," I said. "Anytime Emma, see you tomorrow," She said with a smile. I laughed and left a hefty tip before heading to work. I made it to the hospital just in time. Dr. Whale ran out. "Emma, room 212," He said.
Just another day.
XX
The days happened exactly the same way for ten years. Everyone was frozen in time. Not aging, not growing younger. With the start of each day, memories were erased and they continued, doing the same thing-day after day. Until-Until he came.
