The day had started just like any other day.
I had just finished left the pawn shop for the day when the shaking started.
Car alarms are going off and people were looking around In confusion.
What the hell was that?
I truly don't have a clue, but it sounded like it was coming from underground perhaps the mines.
Curiosity spiked I get in my car and drive to the entrance of the mines, perhaps i could see what was happening.
Turns out I wasn't alone in my queries.
At Entrance to the Mines, a crowd of curious residents had gathered around what appears to be a mine collapse.
I was prompt to join the crowd.
I ended up next to Dr hopper and Henry.
"Evening Henry."
The little boy smiled at me.
"Hi Miss brown."
"Hey Archie, we still good for this evening?"
After experiencing several more of those weird dreams and subsequently panic attacks I had decided to book an appointment with Archie.
"Yes we are."
We didn't have to wait long.
The Mayor exited her car and approached the crowd with a police cruiser arriving behind her.
"Everyone step back please."
"Is that a crater?" Ruby was a few steps behind her.
"No, There were tunnels, uh, old mines, something collapsed." Marco added on.
The mayor addressed everyone.
"Be careful, step back. People of Storybrooke, don't be alarmed. We've always known this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels, but fear not. I'm going to undertake a project to make this area safe, to rehabilitate it to city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it."
That makes sense, if I remember correctly this used to be an old mining town, I suppose time and neglect has finally taken its tole.
"Pave it? What if there's something down there?" Henry asks.
What does he mean?
Clearly Regina was not expecting henry to be here.
"Henry it's just an old mine, their would be noting interesting down there, most likely just old bits of mining equipment." I whisper to him to not draw attention.
"Then why would the evil Queen be so desperate to pave it?" Henry challenges.
Evil Queen?
"Henry I know your mother isn't the most pleasantest of people in the world but she's not evil." I try to placate the 10 year old.
Though I suppose he wasn't to far off the mark, Regina Mills was not someone you wanted to get on the bad side of.
"But she is the evil Queen."
"Henry." Archie warns.
Henry pays little attention to the physiatrist.
"This may be hard to hear, but I need you to be open minded for me, can you do that."
His expression is so serious and honestly it's adorable.
Fighting back a laugh I humour him.
"Okay."
Henry holds out a book.
Not just any book, it was the book Mary Margaret gave him.
"Have you ever wondered why you can't remember anything from before storybrooke? Well the reason why is because the residents of storybrooke are not from this world, everyone here is a character in my storybook. My mother is the evil Queen and she cursed everyone here, with their memories gone and replaced by new ones. Mary Margaret is Snow White and she gave birth to my Mom who is the saviour and will break the curse."
Well…………….
That's a knew one.
I have to give the kid props, he's going to go far in life with a mind like that.
I'm saved from having to respond when Regina took Henry go towards the car.
Leaving Archie and I alone.
We both stare at each other.
"So…he thinks we're all fairytale characters?" I ask the physiatrist.
Archie still unsure nods his head.
"Yes."
"Hey, Archie, Miss brown Over here." Henry calls out to us.
Emma joins us as we approach Henry.
"This requires all of Operation Cobra... all three of you."
Operation cobra?
"I didn't realize I was in Operation Cobra."
I don't even know what operation cobra is, but what the hell, not like I have anything better to do.
"Of course you are, you know everything. We can't let her do this. What if there's something down there?"
Emma speaks what I was thinking
"They're just some old tunnels."
Henry raises an eyebrow at Emma.
"That just happen to collapse right after you get here? You're changing things. You're weakening the Curse."
He really believes this whole fairytale thing doesn't he?
"That's not what's happening."
"Yes it is. Did you do anything different today? Cause something made this happen."
Yes henry something did happen, it's called Erosion.
A very annoyed mayor approaches us.
"Henry, I told you to wait in the car. Deputy, do your job."
Not wanting to be caught in her path Archie and I start walking away
"Dr. Hopper a word please?"
Archie turns back to Regina, I hurry to my car where to get back home.
A few hours had passed and I was siting in the office of Dr Archie Hopper.
As of right now we were going through so word associations Archie had even brought pongo who was just a sweetheart.
"…..and Hallie tell-"
Suddenly there is banging at the door.
"Archie! Archie!"
Emma?
The new deputy strides in radiating with anger.
"Emma I'm in the middle of a session with an-"Archie tells Emma to little use.
"What did you do? You told me not to take the fantasy away. You told me it would devastate him." Emma yelled at Archie who was looking helplessly around.
"When a course of therapy stops working, you adjust it."
Should I be listening to this?
"Is it her? Did she threaten you? What could be strong enough to drown out your own conscience?"
"I do not need to defend my professional decisions to you, okay?"
Yes I probably should not be hearing this.
Emma's cell phone begins to ring and She answers it.
This give Archie the opportunity to speak to me.
"Hallie I'm so sorry about-"
I cut him off.
"Archie don't worry it's fine, besides I don't think word association was helping."
We both turn back to Emma.
"Yes, I'm with Dr. Hopper, and guess what? You left your fingerprints all over him when you-" Emma speaks through the phone then suddenly stops talking.
A look if confusion crosswise her face.
"I dropped Henry off at your office an hour ago."
Now Emma is shocked.
"I don't know where he is."
Henry's missing!
Well where would he go!
Henry's used to be one of my favourite students.
Archie let's out a Sighs.
"I do."
Emma and I trade glances.
"Where?" Emma demands.
"He really thinks something is down in those mines, he's gone down there."
"The mines!"
Emma and I are equally panicked.
I grasp Emma.
"Emma those mines are hundreds of years old, they could collapse at any moment!"
"Well what are we waiting for let's go!"
The three of us are quick to run out the office pongo following on our heels.
Henry please don't do something stupid.
The three of us get in our perspective cars and floor it.
My car being the faster than Archie or Emma's I arrive First.
Jumping out I begin running to the mine shaft, Henry is nowhere to be seen.
Fear clutches my chest.
He must of gone in.
I can't wait for Emma or Archie, there's no time, I quickly climb into the mine.
It's dark and cold but I don't pay that much mind.
"Henry!"
A flashlight shines distorting my vision.
"Miss brown?"
Henry is stood in front of me.
Relief consumes me.
"Henry!"
I'm quick to pull the boy into my arms.
Relief is soon replaced by anger.
Grasping his should I turn henry to look at me.
"Henry! What the hell do you think your doing! Do you know how dangerous this is! We are leaving right now!" I grasp his wrist and begin to lead him towards the exit.
Though Henry seems to have other ideas.
For a 10 year old boy, Henry is surprisingly strong.
"No! You have to help me."
Grasping his shoulder.
"I'm am helping you, I'm getting you to safety."
Henry and I are broken out of our staring match by another voice.
Archies voice.
"Henry? Henry?
Henry uses the flashlight on Archie.
"Archie! You're here to help me!"
"No, I... Listen, we gotta get out of here."
"Henry listen to Archie."
Henry look between the two of us.
"So you're still against me."
He's still not going on about the whole book thing is he?
"Henry, there's no time for that. Come on, Henry, come on!"
Between the two of us there is no way Henry can resist.
Henry backs up
"You don't believe me? You'll see. You'll see."
Henry runs away.
"Henry!" I yell after him.
"Henry! Henry, come back!"
We can't leave him, Archie and I turn to look towards the exit then turns back both in silent agreement we chase after Henry
"Hey!"
"Henry? Henry? Henry! Henry!"
Following the light in front we find Henry shining a flashlight at a gap on the ground
"Henry! You gotta slow."
"There's something shiny down there."
Who cares!
"Henry, this is seriously dangerous. We gotta get out of here. "
"It could be something."
"Or it could be something left behind from one of the miners."
Archie like myself very anxious though he had a harder time for masking it.
"Look, I'm frightened for you, Henry."
"Because you both think that I'm crazy?"
Henry…
I mean what your suggesting….
It's beyond crazy, it's insanity.
"No! No, because we are trapped underground in an abandoned mine, Henry, and there is no way out."
I think I hear something?
But it's so faint Henry and Archie are blocking it out.
"Boys be quiet!"
Both look to me.
Barking up ahead.
Pongo!
"Henry, do you hear that?"
"It's Pongo! "
"Follow the noise."
The three of us rush towards the noise.
"It's loud. It's over here, Hallie help me."
Between the two of us we remove a sheet of metal.
Behind it was an elevator.
"What's this?" Henry asks curious.
"It's like, an old elevator."
Thank god, this will take us up, but it's so old, then again it's our only option.
walking towards the elevator I observe the rusting piece of metal.
"To get the mine workers in or out. It goes all the way to the top. That's why we can hear Pongo." Archie confirms my suspicions.
Henry look at both of us hopefully
"Can we make it work?"
Well…it's our only option.
"Let's give it a shot."
The three of us get in.
Archie and I try to turn the wheel of the elevator but decades of no activity has made it stiff.
"Come on!"
Henry is helping us.
The elevator starts to move hope blooms in my chest, then all of a sudden.
Shaking.
the elevator is shaking paralysing fear clutches my heart the three of us hold each other tight.
The elevator drops a bit.
"Ahh!"
I could help but get out a sharp cry.
Henry hugs me tighter.
"I'm really, really, really sorry."
Oh henry!
It's okay.
I hug the boy close.
"It's alright."
"I just wanted to find proof."
I know.
I rub his head.
"No, it's really alright, Henry. You know, I'm sorry too. Okay, I don't think you're crazy. I just, I just say to you that you got a very strong mother, who's got a clear idea of a path that she wants you to be on. When you step off that, she, she is scared. You know, it's natural. But, it's also natural for you to be able to be free, to think the things that you want to think. So, anyway, I didn't mean those things I just said to you. I never should have said them." Archie tells Henry.
"Alright, why did you?"
Usually I'd add in my own two sense but considering My heart felt like It was my throat I stayed quiet.
"I guess I'm still not a right person. I'm not the man I wanna be."
the elevator shakes again.
Oh god! We're gonna die!
No way are we surviving this.
"I think you can be him. I think you can be a good person. I mean, you're Jiminy Cricket."
He truly believes this, I wonder who he thinks I am?
"Henry, Henry, Jiminy Cricket was a, was a cricket, okay? It was a conscience, and, and I hardly think that's me."
"But before he was that, he was a guy, who took a long time to figure out the right thing to do."
Archie pauses for a while
"He kinda sounds like me."
"Now it's harder for you, because of the curse, to care for the voice inside of you, to be who you wanna be."
Perhaps I've finally gone do the deep end, or maybe I just want to distract myself from imminent death.
"So Henry in your book, who am I?"
A smile graces Henry's face.
"Well I have a few theory's."
"Well… I'd like to hear them." My voice is shaking.
"Well you appear in two stories actually, the first story I saw you in was Based in wonderland i though you might of been Alice."
Alice.
The Alice from Alice in wonderland.
"What was your second theory?"
"Well you also appear in the little mermaid."
"Let me guess I'm Ariel?" I joke to listen the mood.
"No, your her sister Arista."
My spine straightens, my hairs stood up, my heart quickend.
Before I could process Henry's words the elevator shakes again this time a few stones drop onto the elevator.
"Hey, can I ask you again?" Archie looks at Henry.
"Of course."
"Why do you think it's so important that your, your fairytale theory is true?"
"I don't know."
I'm sure you do henry, don't over think it just say the first thing that comes to mind.
"Give it a shot."
Taking a deep breath Henry hands Archie a chocolate bar
"Cause, this can't be all there is."
"I understand."
Me too, well I think I do.
Honestly sometime it feels like everyday it's the same pattern.
"I thought if I've found proof... But I didn't find anything." Henry looks so lost.
My heart aches for him.
Deep down he's still a kid, who's not got many friends if any, a mother who is so busy being mayor, his birth mother in the same town.
Perhaps these stories were his escape.
While I love Emma, and think she's awesome, I can't ignore her impact on Henry's life.
She and Regina have to come to some type of agreement when it comes to Henry.
Because this little back and forth competition the two have going on will achieve noting but cause more stress for Henry.
Henry needs stability.
"That's not true. I was lost when you found me, right?" Archie hands a piece of chocolate to Henry and then a piece to me.
I don't eat it right away, I am content it let it melt in my mouth.
"You mean, you remember?" Henry asks hopefully.
"No, I don't remember. But I do remember that I'm a person I wanna be."
Nooses erupt from the top.
Please god let it be a rescue team.
"What's that?"
"It's a rescue."
As if an angle floating down from heaven, Emma appears lowering from the top.
"You guys okay?"
I am now.
"Emma I could kiss you." Emma laughs a little.
"I'll hold you too that Hallie." She jokes.
"Yeah, we're okay."
"Hang on, Henry."
Emma leans in to the walkie-talkie
"Okay, let's get a stop."
Emma removes the roof of the elevator and grabs Henry, who is held up by Archie and me.
"Come on, I got you. Okay."
Emma looks at Archie and Me.
"I got him."
Phew.
Emma looks down at the two of us and Henry.
My heart plummeted.
There was no way she could hold the three of us.
Archie offers Emma a reassuring look
"You get him to safe..."
the elevator starts to rumble
Knowing this may be the end I hold onto Archie for my life.
At least I won't be alone.
"Archie! Hallie!" Emma screams at us.
"It's gonna fall!"
"I'm sorry." I can see the pain in her eyes.
"It's okay."
"Archie!"
"Hallie."
This is it.
I hold into Archie and close my eyes tight.
The elevator falls with a loud noise.
Yet we have not moved.
Daring to open my eyes my heart leaps.
I'm clingy to Archie like a koala with my arms around his neck and legs waist.
Archie is holding into his umbrella that by the grace of god has hooked onto a carabiner on Emma's trousers.
"We're gonna live!"
Emma laughs with relief and Henry holds up a thumbs-up signal.
My arms and legs are sore yet I continue to hold into Archie.
I'm no time I can hear the clapping as we are pulled to the top.
The fresh air assaults my lungs and almost cry with joy.
Ruby pulls me into her arms and leads my away.
"Are you okay?! Do you need anything?!"
I shake me head.
"I'm fine, just a little shaken up."
Ruby drops me back at my car after I reassure her I'll be okay, she still looks unsure but takes my word.
I sink into the familiar leather and just allow myself to sink.
Well for a few moments.
A hand clasps over my mouth.
I let out a muffled screams.
"Hallie! It's okay it just me."
A body climbs into the passenger seat.
A familiar body.
"Jefferson." I mumble out behind his hand that is still on my face.
He is quick to remove his hand.
"What the hell!-"
Jefferson pulls my over the parking break and into his chest.
It's slightly uncomfortable.
His chin rests on my head.
"They said you were trapped in the mines." He mumbles out.
Pulling me away he grasps my chin In his hands and takes his eyes over me checking for injury's.
Shock turns into annoyance.
"You couldn't wait outside like everyone else."
Jefferson runs his tongue over his lips wetting them.
He doesn't respond still looking me over.
"I'm beginning to get annoyed Jeff-"
Firm lips claim mine, cutting me off.
There was a fierceness in his kiss, a desperation I didn't stop him when he pulled me closer, so I almost sat on his lap.
I closed my eyes, and the world around me faded.
His arm went around my waist, pulling me closer onto him further, and his other hand slid up the back of my neck, getting entangled in my hair.
He took his lips away from my mouth, gently trailing kisses down to my neck. I tipped my head back, gasping when the intensity returned to his mouth. There was an animalistic quality that sent shock waves through the rest of my body.
Sooner than I liked he removed himself from my body.
Leaving a churning in my stomach for more.
Jefferson's gaze is intense.
"I can't loose you again."