~Frozen Hallucination~
As soon as Emma was outside the castle doors, she could feel the warmth of the sun. But it was only skin deep. Colors seemed muted. She knew the grass was a vibrant green, the sun a brilliant blue. She'd been out only yesterday. But today, everything appeared dim.
She looked back towards the castle, wondering about Regina's sudden appearance. She wondered if she should go back inside, playing a mental game of tug-of-war with that choice. Finally, she decided the two strong minded women she'd just left would only send her right back out.
She had to try to warm up, feel a shred of normalcy, out there in the blistering heat she wished she could feel.
She made it most of the way to the stables before stopping to stare at the stray dog under a tree not three yards away. The poor boy seemed miserable, and it put a strain on her heart. She would gladly trade positions with him if she could.
Her movements were becoming impossibly stiff as she walked over and gave him a pat, his grey fur littered with sweat. She couldn't help but laugh at the irony as the dog seemed to enjoy her icy fingers on this day during the hottest summer on record.
She took another moment, loving on the pup a little longer before she continued on her way.
Then the shiver went down her spine and she felt like she was about to shoot icicles out of her fingertips. She sighed, giving up on the horses, far too cold to mess with it, and started walking towards the valley they normally rode in.
It was normally breathtaking. If only her teeth would stop chattering long enough for her to notice the rolling hills, the lush forest treeline, the wild flowers growing sporadically, and the impossible hues of the sky, with pearly white clouds dancing above. This day, however, the colors were all turning different shades of grey. It was becoming difficult to separate the sky from the ground.
Breathing became strenuous, and she sat down, right there, not even half way into the clearing. She laid back, tucking her knees up to her chest in an attempt to stay warm. She couldn't feel the soft grass prickling her cheeks, or the stones cutting into her sides. All she felt was the cold, the aching dread, and the sun that wasn't quite warm enough to penetrate her frozen shell.
She stayed like that for a while, eventually day dreaming. Or hallucinating, she wasn't sure which. Either way, as she stared up at the sky, she saw what looked like a portal opening up. It was at least four times larger than the sun, an imperfect circle. It was pitch black, save for the specks of twinkling she assumed could be stars.
She knew she had lost it when she saw the ship flying through it. She mustered enough energy for a small chuckle. As it grew closer, she wondered if this was the ship of Death, coming to take her. At this point, she'd welcome it. She was too cold to care about living.
It was close enough now that she could make out three blurry figures. Her eyesight was getting hazy. But she could make out a chubby man in what she assumed was a red cap, who appeared to be yelling aggressively. A man dressed in unusual clothes, blue pants and a grey short-sleeved shirt, who appeared to be engaged in a sword fight with a man clad all in black.
The man in black kicked the strange man, hard, right in the chest. He then looked directly at Emma, who could have sworn she connected with the most beautiful pair of ocean blue eyes she'd ever seen. Then again, she was also looking at a flying ship. Her word didn't mean much, not at that moment anyway.
The man in black jumped into action, toward the wheel, yanking it and shouting at Red Cap who seemed to follow his orders. Even the strange looking man started running around, as if following orders. Emma wondered, just for a split second, if this could be real.
Her vision started to black out around the edges. The ship was becoming fuzzier as it slowed dramatically. When it hit the ground, Emma congratulated her imagination for making the shockwave she felt, feel very real.
She tried to stay focused on the ship as it appeared to coast toward her. If it were real, now would be the time to panic. But, of course, it wasn't real. Even if it were, she was frozen to this spot, and couldn't seem to keep her eyes open. She couldn't even move a finger, which she tried, and failed, to do.
She suddenly felt warmth surrounding her, and she realized she couldn't easily open her eyes. Was she being carried? It felt like she was being carried. She struggled to open her eyes, and when she finally managed to open one enough to see, those pair of gorgeous blues glanced down at her.
"Stay with me, love!" What accent was that?
Her eyes were open long enough to notice a strong jawline, covered in scruff, a tendon twitching. A black earring. Tousled, dark hair. Was that coal around his eyes?
The eye she had managed to open, closed again. Finally able to take a decent breath, she breathed deeply. The scent of the salty sea, rum, and something else, what though?
He was incredibly warm. She tried pulling him close, but her arm wouldn't obey the command, so she buried herself into him as best she could, taking another blissful breath. Was it floral? … No, decidedly not. Had he stopped moving? Was he even real, or had she completely lost her mind?
The warmth was fading again, and she forced herself to look. He was in the process of setting her on the ground next to where he was kneeling. She could see the worried expression across his handsome features.
Her eyes fluttered closed as she focused all her strength, trying to hold on to him as if he was her lifeline.
