Chapter 4: When the ship sails in
Emma finished her breakfast at the diner, she wondered where she could stay in this town, especially if she had to wait a while for a ship to come into port. She walked up to the counter to pay and asked Ruby's Granny a few questions.
"Thanks that was great, do you happen to know anything about the ships schedules, i am looking to find work on one of the cruise liners."
"Yes, one is due in this evening. Interviews will probably be the day after, after the liner has been emptied, just before the passengers come on board"
Emma was shocked to find it was coming in so fast, but she really knew she had to get away.
"Thanks, in that cause do you happen to know where there are any rooms available so i can stay the night?"
"You're lucky day kid, i own a little hotel you can rent for the night, Ruby, could you watch the diner while i take this young lady to the Hotel to get a room."
"No problem Granny."
"Thanks."
Granny took a bunch of keys from her pocket and proceeded to show Emma where the hotel was.
The hotel was much like a Victorian England style house, it looked somewhat
creepy but that sure added to it's charm. Emma followed the Granny up the stairs and into the hotel. A man in a sailors outfit walked down the stairs as the two of them entered the entrance.
"Good day Ladies."
He nodded and out the door he went.
"Yep he will be setting sail on that next ship, we get a lot of business from those sailor boys." granny rubbed her hands together.
"I bet, what about tourists though? do they come into town?"
"Yeah, the odd few, here and there…right then…would you like the forest view or the square view?…"
"The…what view…"
"The forest view looks out on the beautiful vast forest that surrounds the far end of our town, and the square looks onto the town more…i admit both are lovely…"
"Whichever is cheapest…"
"Well there both the same price today so i'll put you in the bigger square room how does that sound?"
"Sure thats great…how much is it…?" Emma fumbled in her back pocket for her wallet.
"$50 a night."
"Ok, no worries, i'll have to get it from my things, i haven't got it all in the wallet."
"Oh don't worry, we collect on departure…"
"Oh..ok excellent."
Granny wrote it all down in her book and gave Emma the key, it was extremely old fashioned, much like he house itself. On the keyring was a design which had a image of a forest and a Swan on it. Emma found it a little odd and a little ironic, with that being her last name but she shrugged it off.
"Ok…i'll go get my stuff and…can i park my car out front…?"
"Of course you can, as long as you don't plan to rev it into the early hours of the morning."
"No, of course not, thanks i'll be back shortly…is there a supermarket near by…?"
"Yes when you get into town, you turn a a right at the end of the road, you will find it there…past Mr Golds…"
"Thanks…ah Mr Gold?…"
"The pawn shop in the centre of town."
"Thank you…sorry your name?"
"Just call me Granny…"
Emma nodded and smiled as she began to walk into town to collect her car. She followed the instructions to the supermarket to pick up some provisions and hopefully a new phone.
The supermarket was pretty dead at this hour. Emma decided to get some evening snacks and toiletries at the store. She was soon startled by an extremely, unexpected loud sneeze.
"Achoooo"
"Bless you." Emma replied.
"Thanks…i a….achooo…can't help it…allergies…"
"No problem…as long as it's not contagious"
Emma picked up all her previsions and put them in the bag and was pleased to see the place sold liquor and cigarettes, Emma was dying for both.
"Can i have 2 packs of Lucky Strikes and a bottle of Jim Beans."
"ID please…"
"Oh sure of course…"
Emma took her ID from her wallet and showed him it.
"Thanks…"
He got her the cigarettes and the drink and scanned them through with rest of her items.
"$38.96 please."
Emma paid in full in cash and walked out of the store. She took the cigarette packet and took of the plastic wrap. She hit the bottom of the box and popped out a cigarette. She light it, it and took a drag.
She leaned against the supermarket wall and looked up at the sky, the sky was such a bright blue soon she would be on the ship, travelling and she would do so until she could never be found. She took a second drag and pondered about what to do with her day here, there were so no bars, except it seemed that the diner was the only place you could get a drink and she didn't really fancy spending her night there.
Emma finished her cigarette and thought it would be best to get something to eat and then go explore the town a little, especially since she had no idea where the docks were yet.
Sixteen years ago…
Young Emma was excited, she had finally gotten into a foster home where the family actually wanted to take her onto a trip.
She was in her room, looking at all the nice new things she was bought for the adventure. It was all lined up on her bed and her Foster Mum came and knocked on the door.
"You all ready Emma…?"
"Oh…sorry.. i just need to…"
"Come on…let's give you a hand…" her foster mother smiled.
"I'm sorry i've just…i've never been on a trip before."
"Well, i bet you are excited then?"
Emma nodded.
"Don't worry…you are going to have so much fun…"
The two of them finished packing together and the next morning they were packed in the car, with her two younger foster brothers were fighting in the back. They were constantly told off but Emma was so blissfully unaware. She didn't care, she finally had a family and was finally getting to do what family's should do.
"Ok guys, we are here…"
The family pulled into a campsite in the middle of a forest.
"Camping?" Emma pipped up.
"That's right sweet heart."
"Awesome"
"Ugh…Dad really…we did this last year…"
"Steven, don't be so spoilt, you loved it last year and Emma has never been camping…"
Steven folded his arms and sat in a mood in the back of the car.
The family parked up in a spot near a tree, got out and began to unload the van.
"Right, Steven, Paul why don't you go show Emma the site and beach?"
"It has a beach?!"
"It sure does."
"I'm not going…i don't want to…"
"Steven…" the mother pipped up.
"Its ok mum, Emma and I will go."
Paul grabbed onto her hand.
"Come on Emma, let me show you."
Emma smiled and off she went with Paul.
"Be safe kids." the dad called out.
"What is it with you today Steven?"
"It's all Emma this and Emma that…why can't we do something new like every year…"
"Steven…not everything can be the way you want it…"
"But it can be the way she wanted it…it always has been since she got here…she wanted to go camping so we did…"
"So, Emma is our family now…"
"I don't want her here…she isn't my sister…she's just some lame kid…"
Steven walked off.
"Don't worry he will come round."
Paul and Emma went onto the beach, Emma was in shock, there were so many ships and peddle boats on the water.
"Wow…"
"So cool isn't it, Dad will take us on a boat, and we can build sand castles, there's an assault course and everything. You are so going to love it."
Emma smiled with utter glee. She was so happy to be alive.
Present Day..
Emma walked back to her car put her seat belt on and drove onto Grannys.
She got out of her car and took her shopping out. She grabbed her bag with her clothes in from the trunk and took the bag of alcohol from the bag and put it in her luggage. She really didn't want the town knowing that she loved a good drink, especially as older women who tended to run places like this didn't always take lightly to people bring drink into there hotels. She shut her trunk and began to take her stuff with her up the stairs to the hotel.
Granny was still there at the desk.
"Find it kid?"
"Yes thank you. Got all i need."
"Oh…i forgot to mention, if you need to do any laundry, if you carry on down this corridor the laundry room is at the end, 50 cents per wash."
"Thanks, my room is…?"
"Upstairs, fourth room down."
"Thank you."
"No problem, don't forget your grilled cheese lunch."
"Oh of course…i forgot i ordered that…I'll put my stuff up and i'll go get it"
Emma walked up to her room and unlocked her door.
The room was really traditional but very nice, for the price she paid, she really felt she had lucked out. Emma walked to the window and began to look out.
She noticed the port and smiled, two ships were in the port, two huge cruise liners. She was surprised for such a small port that the ships had even been able to come in but, she was happy. It meant that there should be at last one she could find work on.
Emma walked to her bag and took the bottle out. She was dying for a drink and took a swig to celebrate. Emma put the cigarette's in her pocket and headed off to the diner to collect her lunch.
The diner was a little busier at lunch time. It appeared half the town was here. The small people, a man with his dog, a young lady who was blonde with her boyfriend in a garage uniform and another woman which gave her an uneasy feel. She had dark hair, her lipstick was bright and her eyes really were lurking at her. She was reading her newspaper and soon put it down and walked over to the counter.
Ruby came to the counter and smiled.
"I'll go get your Sandwich, do you want some salad, a coffee and a piece of fruit to go with that, all for $4.99"
"Sure…thanks…"
"Ahem…" The woman pipped up.
"Oh…one second…yes Ms Mills…"
"I'd like to pay my bill…"
"N-no need, its on the house…"
"Oh…why thank you Ruby, give your grandmother my love…"
The woman began to walk off, Emma noticed something off about the woman and the fact she didn't pay really annoyed Emma, the girl was run off her feet and clearly from looking at her lunch, the woman had been given everything and all the trimmings.
"Hey…even if she says on the house…maybe you should pay out of courtsey…it looks like you had the best on the menu…"
Ms Mills turned around and scowled.
"Excuse me…who the hell are you?"
"Does it matter? I know for one thing i really am not rude…"
The diner went silent.
"You are new here it seems, I am Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybooke and if you do not mind, i run this town, so whatever and whoever you are…you better make your visit quick and snappy before i kick you out of this town. And also, thank you Ruby, our debt is now clear thanks to the dinner you just made for me…good day to you."
Regina walked and stormed out of the diner.
"Wow…what a bitch…" Emma stated.
Ruby looked shaken.
"Hey…i'm sorry…i just can't stand people treating others like that."
"Thanks Emma…your lunch is on the house…"
"Thanks but no thanksruby…I'm not rude enough not to pay."
Emma took out $10 and gave Ruby it. The rest of the diner stood up and clapped at Emma.
"Woah…guys…really i did nothing…"
It was clear the town did not like their mayor and how the hell they elected such a woman was beyond her.
"She's the mayor…thinks she owns the place…i'm sorry you got caught up in that…i owed her some money…"
"Well, i think next election day you need to vote for someone else, because she is one mean bitch…"
The guy with the dog pipped up. "She normally isn't like this…but her son…Henry…found out who his grandparents are so he now lives with them and she isn't happy about that…she will get through it."
No need to take it out on others…anyways…thanks Ruby…i must be off…i'm sorry you guys had to see all that."
Emma walked out of the diner with her lunch in her bag, and coffee in her hand. She watched Regina as she drove off him black Mercedes. Emma rolled her eyes and began to walk, taking half her sandwich to the top of the bag and rolling the paper around it so that the crumbs would not get anywhere. She was in search of the docks so that she could figure out where she could sign up.
Emma soon heard the ringing of a fisher boat and decided to follow the sound. It was a good ten minutes before Emma reached the docks and smiled as she got there.
The two cruise ships were at the end of the docks, one at either side.
"Bingo…"
She found a bench and decided to finish her lunch. She crossed her legs and finished her lunch peacefully as she watched the little fishing boats come in and watched the people coming off the cruise ships. She waited until she finished lunch and she began to make her way down so she could find out where to apply, she was a little nervous, so decides to have a smoke on her way down.
Emma put her finished lunch in the bin and light the cigarette. She walked down to the dock when a man came running up to her and knocked them both down.
"Shit…"
"Bloody hell love…Watch what you are doing…oh well….hello."
Emma was laid on her back, the man was on top of her. Her cigarette was running on the floor. The devilishly handsome dark haired man, with a cheeky grin. Emma couldn't help be taken a back by him little, he was rather easy on the eyes. His accent wasn't all too bad either, it seemed very English.
It was obvious he was out running, but why he was out on the docks running was anyones idea, one that Emma thought was pretty stupid.
"Do you mind…"
"Sorry love…"
He stood up and offered his hand to her.
"Thanks…" Emma looked for her cigarette which was not rolled and damp on the floor. As Emma stood up she was a bit wheezy and coughed
"Maybe it's a good thing, that you dropped that, you do know smoking kills…and well…I don't think you need killing yet."
"…Can't a girl enjoy a little luxury in life?"
The man laughed.
"Aye i guess she can, but from the wheezing i think maybe you need to cut down on it."
"I'm fine…i'm still young yet…"
"That you are, I can't say i have seen you round these parts, where is such a beautiful young woman as yourself from, love?"
"I am from somewhere and i am from nowhere, quite frankly it isn't any of your business…love."
"Wow..i am only being polite…?"
"Flirting, i can tell the difference"
"Nothing wrong with that, not everyday i run into someone as stunning as you."
"Well thanks, but i'm good…I gotta go…and watch where you are going next time…"
"Can't i at least have your number?"
"Keep running…"
Emma began to walk down the dock as the man began to watch her. He smirked and continued his run.
Elsewhere…
The night had drawn in and the clubs all began to open. The dealers crew began scouring the club, asking questions and awaiting the group of girls to come into the club. He needed to know where they got that cocaine from.
The dealer was getting inpatient and his bottle of whisky was running extremely low.
"Fuck this…fuck this…FUCK THIS…"
The dealer got angry and picked up the bottle and thew it at the bar maid.
"Not one of you is moving, until we find these girls, i am owed a huge debt and i will not rest until i find this bloody bastard who stole from me."
The whole club stopped dead, they were terrified of the dealer.
A man walked into the club, he was shocked to see it was silent. The dealers men came over to him and began to search him, as they did with everyone in the club, and low and behold he was carrying a small bag of cocaine.
"Boss!"
The boss calmed down and began to walk over to his men.
"He's carrying…"
The man gulped.
"Ah…now then…where did you get this from?"
"I…i…i…"
"SPILL IT…!"
"A woman…a blonde…a blonde woman…leather jacket…jeans….boots…green eyes…"
The dealer began to remember.
"Shit…shit…shit…it was that woman…that woman that got me high and drink…it was her…well them…pretty lady, it's time to find you…you are in deep trouble…"