Murphy's Law
by: just-a-story
~ Chapter II ~
The Ghosts That Follow Us
"No parents, you brought me, it's for him, remember those words, Henry."
The princess took in a breath, allowing her lungs to fill to maximum capacity. She held the breath for a while, as she watched the flames in the oil lamp rise and turn around themselves. There was a list of things that made her nervous, yet something inside her helped her stay at peace. For the first time in a long while, she felt almost relaxed. She always liked being on ships, even though she knew her parents hated it. In the middle of the ocean, a clear, open, target. Because that's what she was at the end of the day, a target just waiting for someone to take her down.
She rolled over onto her back. While her chest rose and fell with each breath she took, she felt the weight of the necklace. She slowly sat up, grabbing onto the chain around her neck and pulled to expose the charms. She looked at them both, one skull and one dagger. If anything she thought it represented death. Unlike how the small boy told her it would keep her safe.
"Emma?"
She quickly pulled on her shirt, making room for the necklace to fall through once again. "Come in," she replied.
The queen furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you still doing up?"
Emma shrugged. "I couldn't sleep."
Snow let out a sigh as she walked over to her daughter's bed. "You're nervous aren't you?"
Emma didn't say anything.
"You know," Snow began as she took a seat beside the princess. "When I first met your father, I was nervous."
"You met him while trying to steal his wedding ring for his fiancé. Of course you were nervous, but for other reasons."
Snow raised her eyebrows slightly realizing the truth in her daughter's words. "Yes, but-"
"I'm not nervous." Emma said cutting off her mother's words. "I can take care of myself." She stood up and grabbed a blanket to wrap around herself. "I'm going to get some fresh air."
"Emma..." Snow sighed as she could easily tell her daughter was in fact quite nervous about the following day.
"I'm fine." Emma smiled. "Just getting air, it gets stuffy in here." She turned to unhook the latch of her door and was quickly greeted with the cold sea air. She walked up a few steps, bringing herself to the starboard of the ship. After taking a slight step back she placed her hands on the railing to rested her chin on top. She looked up at the stars, trying to figure out the constellations. However, she never could. She didn't understand how little dots could make up a big picture. But that didn't stop her from trying.
"Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho." A voice sang.
She looked away from the stars, and listened. But all she could now her was the cracking of the old wooden boards as the waves tossed the boat.
"Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho."
Emma felt her throat slightly tighten. She lifted her head slightly higher than normal as she began to follow the lyrics. She stayed behind a corner of the ship when she realized the words got louder.
"A pirate's life for me."
She turned her head around the corner and she saw a figure at the bow of the boat as far as one could stand. She realized it was a child, around four and half feet tall. She walked closer to him. Making sure not to step on a creaky floorboard.
"We extort, we pilfer, we filch, we sack, drink up,"
She placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her. "You." She said taking a small step back. "How did you-?"
The boy from the docks looked up at her calmly.
"How did you get on this ship?" She asked formally. "I demand to know."
The boy smiled. "You brought me here."
Emma swallowed. "I did not such thing. Now," She grew stern. "Where are your parents? How did you get on board? " She reached into her shirt and grabbed the necklace. "Why did you give me this? Why were you signing? Who are you?"
"You ask a lot of questions." The boy replied as he walked past her.
Emma shook the necklace in her hand. "This, why did you give it to me?"
"It's for him. He's looking for it."
Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "Whose him?"
"Wait!" She called as the boy stopped. "Did you steal this?" She paused as she walked closer to him "Where are you going?"
He turned around to face her. "To get food, I'm hungry."
She took in a breath as she walked up to him. "You can't have anything until you answer my questions."
The boy rolled his eyes and looked up at her. "No parents, you brought me, it's for him, remember those words, Henry"
Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"
The small brown-haired boy sighed. "I have no parents-"
"Mrs. Swan!"
Emma looked away from the boy.
"Who are you talking to?"
"This boy, he's a stowaway." She pointed.
The dwarf looked to where the princess's finger pointed at the air next to her. "What boy?"
"This-" She turned and saw no one. She paused as she looked around her. "Where did he go?" She looked back up and saw the grumpy dwarf crossing his arms with one eyebrow raised.
"Leroy?" Snow asked as she turned the corner. "Emma?" She asked in a surprised tone. "What is going on? Why are we yelling?"
"The princess here claims we have ourselves a stowaway."
Snow looked at her daughter. "Did you see them?"
"Yes!" Emma replied. "It was the same boy at the dock's the one that-" She paused.
"The docks?" Snow asked. "What boy at the docks?"
She took in a breath realizing how crazy she must be sounding to her mother. "Nothing." She replied.
"Emma, you can tell me."
"She said it was nothing." Leroy joined in. "And if it was nothing, that means we can all get some sleep."
"Emma, I think Leroy's right, you need sleep."
"I said I needed sleep."
"Plus it's freezing out here." She walked over to her daughter. "I'll tell the guards you think you saw something."
"Don't." She replied. "It's fine."
