By the time her vision was back, Roe had run far from the dungeon, in and out of a town, ind deep int the forest. She was lost and exhausted, but she was happy. She was finally free.
And then her happiness disappeared. She was free. Her mother was not. Rose had the urge to run back and free her mother, but she had to stop herself. She had to keep going. She had to find her father, Rumpelstiltskin. The only problem was that she didn't' know where to start. She didn't have any idea where she was in relation to her father's castle. But she was going to have to try. It was the only way for her family to be together again.
"Alright," she said to herself. "Let's get started."
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After almost a week of kicked our of the house, Danielle started to get concerned. Regina hadn't come to take her back back yet, and she was now quickly running out of money. She couldn't go ask her mother for more; one, she wouldn't give it to her, and two she would make fun of her for spending it all and her inability to take care of herself, and three, pressure Danielle into coming back home. No. Danielle wouldn't let that happen. She wasn't going to Regina.
But the problem of no money still left problem; her room at inn free, meals were were not. For two days now, Danielle had to skip a couple meals to save money, and she was getting hungry more often. Maybe she shouldn't have gone on that shopping spree that first day...
Danielle gathered her money and counted it; it was pitiful. At the beginning of the week, she had sixty-one dollars. That had now shrunk down to a measly three dollars and fifty-two cents. Regina would laugh her head off if she knew this. Danielle's stomach growled loudly. She was so hungry. She took a deep breath and shoved the cash in her pocket. She would get some food, and tomorrow she would see if she could maybe find job.
There was a hot dog vendor down the street, and the smell alone was torture enough for Danielle. She ordered two hot dogs.
"That'll be four dollars," the man said. Danielle went pale.
"I'm sorry?" she asked.
"Four dollars, missy," he repeated. "You want these or not?"
"But-But... I only have $3.52!" Danielle cried. "Can't you make an exception just this once?"
"Two dogs, four dollars, I'm sorry," he shrugged.
"P-Please, I-I'll pay the rest back later! Please, I really need this!" she begged.
"Is there a problem?" a voice asked. Danielle and the vendor turned, and there stood Mr. Gold himself.
"Oh, good day, Mr. Gold," the vendor nodded. "There isn't a problem, sir. Young lady just can't pay."
"Ah..." Mr. Gold nodded. "How much?"
"Four dollars, and I only have $3.52," Danielle said, and she turned to the vendor to see if she could try to beg some more. She was reminded of Fantine in Les Miserables...
"I'll pay for it," Mr. Gold said. Danielle's eyes widened and she turned to him.
"R-Really?"
"It's only four dollars," he shrugged, and pulled out his wallet. He put the money on the cart and the vendor handed her the hot dogs. Danielle smiled relieved at Gold.
"I-I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Gold," she said. "I-I haven't eaten a whole lot the last couple days..." She took the hot dogs and headed to a nearby bench. Mr. Gold followed her.
"Well why don't you ask your mother for money?" he asked.
"I couldn't do that. She kicked me out, remember?" she sat down. "If I went back to her asking for money, she'll laugh at me for not being able to take care of myself."
"Hm.. Yes, she probably would," he nodded. She nodded and started to eat. "So after you've spent all of your money, what are you going to do?"
"Get a job I guess..." she said, taking a bite. "But honestly, I wouldn't know how or where to start. I don't even know what I can do." She sighed. "Maybe my mom was right. Maybe I should just go home..."
Mr. Gold looked at her for a moment. "Well... You could probably come work for me," he said.
"At a pawnbroker shop? What would I even do?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Well, we've established that you can clean," he said. "The shop is getting dusty and needs some care whenever I'm not there. And if I'm in the back office or collecting rent, you would deal with the customers."
"And you would pay me?" she asked. She didn't want to seem rude, but she needed the money...
"Seven dollars an hour sound alright?"
Danielle thought about it for a moment. It was almost too good to be true. He was practically handing this job to her, what did she have to lose? "...Alright, Mr. Gold, you got yourself a deal," she said and outstretched her hand to him. He smiled and shook her hand.
"Pleasure doing business with you," he said. "Be at my shop tomorrow at ten."
"Okay, boss," she smiled.
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Rose was able to find a road. She didn't know where it led to, but she followed it. Maybe it would lead to something familiar. The road led her deeper into the forest, and it was starting to get dark. She was starting to get worried. Then the road split into two in front of her. She sighed and leaned against a tree. This was going to be hard... She was tired and hungry, and she needed a break. She needed to get home.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something. Out in the distance, down the road going left, was a light. Steady and faint, but it was there. It gave Rose hope for shelter, ans she stood up and headed down that road. It wasn't too long before she came to a cottage, the light coming from a window.
"Hello?" She called. "Is anyone here?! Hello?!"
Within a minute, the door opened. In the doorway stood a man with long messy hair and dressed in strange clothes that had definitely seen better days.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Please sir," she said. "My name is Rose and I'm tired and hungry and lost. Could you please give shelter?"
The man looked at her for a minute before he sighed and outstretched his hand, inviting her in.
"Thank you, sir...?"Rose asked for his name as she entered the house.
"My name is Jefferson," he said.
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Danielle was a few minutes early the next morning for her new job. Mr. Gold hadn't arrived yet and the door was locked. So she stood by the building waiting for him. She had never seen his shop before, and her curiosity was getting the better of her, so she peered in through the window to see what was inside.
And what a wonder it was. There were glass display cases holding a great number of interesting artifacts. Sitting on top of the cases were another number of things, like some globes, something that looked like an instrument case, two strange and scary looking puppets, and old oil lamp, and it just kept going. All around there were objects on shelves, and there were were also things hanging form the ceiling, including a beautiful glass mobile, and even a bike.
Danielle stared at it all, marveling at it. There was something about this shop. It held so many things, telling so many different stories, and all together it had this feeling. It was welcoming and frightening and mesmerizing and... A word came to Danielle's mind, and at first she rejected it, but it fit so perfectly. The shop was... magic.
"Miss Danielle," Mr. Gold walked up and Danielle jumped. He chuckled at her. "Shall we?" he smiled as he unlocked the door.
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OMG HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE THIS STORY WAS UPDATED?! I NEED TO START TYPING AGAIN. i would like to thank all of you who still follow me and want to see how these stories end, and i'm sorry i've been gone for so long. so! what do you guys think so far? please review, i've missed all of the lovely comments. hugs and loves!
-darkonesroses
