Present Day
"What's the fuck?" my older brother angrily slammed the book on the counter, "this again? Zoe!"
I closed the door before he could open into my room, locked it when he tried to open my door.
"Zoe! Open the damn door!"
I ignored him, when he kept yelling about the book, it's a family small book when it passes down from generation to generation.
"You got to quit with this nonsense!" He slammed the door last time and walked away.
I listened to him to see if he's going to throw it away. I hear the noises, the blender, he's trying to destory the book in the blender. Joseph, my brother, is a good brother, but at times, he gets mad easily. He's more realistic brother, must have proof to believe and believes in science. He hates fairy tales and hearing about God even though it doesn't bother me until I found the book. He's only two years older than me, sitting front of the mirror, only 13 years old.
Ever since I found that book, it's light honey brown book but little worn out from reading so many times. It's been attached to me and I don't understand why as it magically appears on my bed when I looked back. Didn't Joseph destroyed this book in the blender?
I remember last year, the attic was messy, dusty and dirty with every boxes and junk all over. I took upon a day to clean the attic, I swear, I remember not seeing the book while cleaning and organizing the boxes, photos, babies stuff, clothes and everything. It took me exactly a week because I had to ask mom to buy things to put them in right place, neatly and cleaner.
The last box, it was never opened and looked strangely clean. I asked mom about it at one point, what is this and she only replied that this was her grandmother's. She never bothered to look inside and to this day, I still wonder why she doesn't want to look through her grandma's things.
Her favorite old book, couldn't read the title but it looked like Robin Hood or a different book. She's into fairy tales, that's for sure. Several photos of her family, smiles when I looked through. She had two older brothers, bright blondest hair just like Joseph with hazel eyes. They looked like they care for her, wishing my brother were little nicer to me. As I kept digging through box until the very bottom is a small light brown book.
I scanned through the book, but it's all white pages, so I put it down when I heard my mother calling me out, "Zoe, come down."
"Coming."
I sworn I saw something coming out of the box, it got bright like pixie dust. I quickly turned to see what it was but it's all dark again. I had the strangest feeling about the book but dismissed and ignored it. I climbed down when my mother was waiting for me.
"Let's go, we need to pick up Mila and Leo from school."
I usually go home with Joseph, he drives black old mustang car, but for this reason, they are at after school program. Leo kept failing classes, my other second older brother, is one year behind and supposed to graduate last year. My mom has been forcing and pushing him to complete and pass all classes within a year with after school program to help him with his homework and study. Mila, my baby sister, three years younger than me, plays baseball with her team in her school. I have exactly three siblings, Joseph, Leo and Mila.
Joseph and Leo are carbon copy of each other and few thought they were twins. Mila has long curly black hair but her skin is fair, and there's me. You know when parents proudly says each child, Joseph, Leo and my daughter, Mila then there's me. My hair is straight hair up to my shoulders with dark skin tone and my eyes are boring black, simple. One thing they don't like is my look, the intermediation look that I always give to get what I want or not happy with results.
I never forget that day I thought I saw great-grandma in the attic, I was sitting in the back and putting seat belt on. Without thinking, I looked out of the car window and up to attic window, I sworn I saw a figure, little scary to see that but I brush it off, wondering what was that. Just a ghost or maybe I'm just imagining things.
I ignored the attic for several days and didn't finish cleaning until I heard something, a noise that was dropped something heavy. Leo came into my room, "did you hear that?"
I nodded and looked up, puzzled and confused, "it's from the attic." Leo opened the ladder to the attic and walked up while I waited down, he briefly looked through the entire attic floor to see if there's something out of place with flashlight.
"Nothing. That was weird," walking back down when I nodded in agreement. I walked back into bed, but I couldn't shake it off. I remember the feeling that I have to look, like I couldn't control myself for one second, kept telling me to look in the attic. Eventually, I fell asleep but woke up again due to bright light that last seconds then couldn't go back to sleep. I gave in and opened the attic ladder and walked up but not onto attic floor until I looked around. As when I walked back down, I saw something out of great-grandma's box. My curiosity won me out, nothing was in the box, what? Where did all the stuff go? Did anyone took it out? Only one was in the box, a small brown worn out book, okay that's weird. I hesitated a moment before I touched the book, afraid something will happen once I touch it. Why this book? What's so important but it was empty pages before.
I slowly picked up the book and opened the first page, my fingertips touched the first page as it forms black letters and drawing picture. My eyes widen when the book brighten the attic, "no, no, no!"
I grabbed the attic floor before it puts me into the book, I dropped in dark black hole. It was the most scariest moment of my life, it was falling and flying down until black floor, looks like water. I heavily sighed with my heart breaking fast, oh thank god. Where am I? What is this? Did I die or what? All my thoughts running through of my siblings and family, their smiles and laughing, their pranks and every moment we cherish together.
I slowly walked slowly on black water, my feet isn't wet. Wherever I am, it's transforming into forest. I never seen this forest before in my life, a road, only one road in middle of nowhere. The sign, Storybrooke, is the last to appear. I curiosity touched the brick, it's real. Is this real?
I saw a woman, tall woman, softly shouted at her, "hey!"
She didn't hear me, I shouted again, "hey, over here!"
She's walking with large basket of a baby inside, a tall woman with black pantsuit and black hair on her shoulders, very beautiful. She doesn't seem to hear or see me as she kneeled at the line, exactly the white line at the sign, she's crying.
"My precious Regina, I'm sorry to do this to you. I hope one day you would understand that I am doing this to keep you safe. You will be first of many, many as tiny sands but all come through you. One day, you will come home for they will need you to save them."
She held Regina last time and cried again while apologizing repeatedly. She controlled her tears while dialing 9-1-1 to inform she found a baby near camp. I followed her beyond the line into the forest, but this is not what shocked me. She has magic, people this is obviously fake! I'm dreaming, that's it, I must be dreaming. She threw fire at the wood then took it out to make it look like someone has been there. How can this be real? No, it's not real, no way. Magic doesn't exist!
I continue watching her holding the baby, she put a letter inside small brown book as I leaned closer and still, she's not seeing me. Regina Mills written on the letter in neat curisve, that's my name, Mills is my family name. No fucking way!
It's the same brown book in the attic, what's the fuck?!
That's impossible.
She magically clicked her fingers to change her clothes, into camping clothes, and still talking to Regina. What's is this woman's name though? Who is she? Is she her mother or what? Why is she letting her go? More questions formed in my mind, she kept promising that she'll be safe and her family will be happy with riches then promises she'll always look out for her.
The cops and everyone arrived at the camp, she handed the basket to one of the cops and told her where she found the baby. The cop kindly thanked her and told her this place was most found lost babies, oh, many babies come through here, lost and homeless. So it isn't usual for them when people kept finding babies and children in this area, wherever this is.
Am I waking up anytime soon? I kept pinching myself to wake up, but nothing is happening. I grumbled groans at myself, wake up Zoe!
Immediately, I was pulled into a new area, inside the mansion, I looked outside to see what kind of a house, it's white mansion and pretty huge, that is.
"Babe, I'm home," walking inside from work at the university.
I curiously studied her, she has the same long wavy hair as my sister and her skin tone is similar to my brothers. I don't understand how that's possible of that woman I saw and her …. No fucking way. It's impossible and magic doesn't exist. I don't like how it's forming the thought in my mind.
It's late in the afternoon when Regina still working in her office, making calls and taking care of complaints. Emma walked inside the office with big smile on her face, "babe?"
"The CEO of The Swan Mill Group is very good, I'm thoroughly impressed with her," hanged up the call when Emma kissed on my cheek.
"I take our business in New York is booming?" Emma sat on the couch near the fire while taking off of her feet.
"It'll be ready when she of age to manage the business," Regina nods in agreement while walking over to Emma, romantically sweetly kissing, "I was also talking to our lawyer to write up a will for our daughter."
"Oh, you made sure they will hire her when time comes as she starts applying for jobs? How would we know if she starts sending in job applications?"
"Magic," Regina smirks with kiss.
My heart warms to see two women acts so in love with one another, so she must have used a sperm or someone to have Regina, the baby I just saw awhile ago. I am assuming Emma is the parent and that woman, the other mother, helped her to give it away across the town line. I wonder, The Swan Mill Group is our largest business, it produces tablewares, party accessories, decorations, Christmas trees, gifts, gift wraps and cards. My mom is the current CEO of our family business, but it sounded like that woman started the business for Regina. Who are they?
"You have to go to save her," Regina reminded her as she sat close to her when Emma wrapped arm around her.
"It's time? Where will it occur?"
"Yes, in exactly two days 13 hours and 46 minutes. Manhattan Bridge in New York, she will reach her lowest point of her life," she sadly replied.
"That's awfully specific time, but don't worry, babe," kissed on her forehead, "I'll save her, promise." They quietly sat together to enjoy their moment then Emma remembered about Henry's black motorcycle, "is Henry's motorcycle still in the garage?"
"No, he took it with him, but you can buy one if you want," doesn't prefer her to ride motorcycle but understood it's faster to get there.
"I'll look tomorrow, I have been wanting buy BMW R 1250 GS, it's an adventure bike with 150 horsepower, but most importantly," she excited talks about the specific motorcycle.
Regina knows the most important part, quietly laughs, "it's yellow motorcycle." Regina passionately kisses in her mouth, "it's already in the garage. You forgot to erase history on my laptop when you were researching for motorcycle."
"Dang it. I didn't mean for you to see that. I'm sorry, babe. I was just looking at them," worried she'll be upset, kisses teasing on her cheek and neck.
I watched her, the woman with blonde wavy with salt and pepper hair, saving Regina from her jumping from bridge, but she got there too late. She dragged her out of the water and did CPR.
Out of nowhere, it ended and drew me out of the book, whoa. People think we live in the future and we are in the future, flying cars, the cellphones is thin and sees through, most business have 3D coming out of the screen and cyborgs. Our home is a simple enormous white mansion of over 20 rooms including servants floor, our mother doesn't believe in technology and having cyborgs doing the work. She forces us to clean, fix and every little thing around the house ourselves. We probably the last old mansion in America that runs with no technology as a smarthouse.
Three important clues from that story, Regina Mills, everybody knows her but here she's the first woman who owns The Swan Mill Group is the same woman in the book. Second, Mills is our family name and every woman in our line never took man's name. Third, who the fuck is that woman? I grabbed the book and the words with drawing pictures still there, the story of our first ancestor, Regina Mills. Is she the same person as ours? Where do they come from? Who are they?
What does it have to do with my family?
It was slow day, I do online school because I learn faster than my siblings and two years ahead of them. My mother was afraid that I will be bullied by older kids, so she placed me at home doing online school instead. I started my research on Regina Mills, there's nobody except the person in The Swan Mill Group. I heard my mother cooking dinner, so I decided take my time to ask her questions.
I walked downstairs, she doesn't believe in other people cooking for her family. We only have house servants to do some cleaning and fixing if necessary when we couldn't fix it ourselves.
"Mom?" I sat on high chair at the kitchen island, watching her cook her famous lasagna.
"Yes, sweetie?"
She focused her cooking while listening to me.
"Do you know the first woman who owned The Swan Mill Group? Who is she?"
"Why ask, Zoe? No other but Regina Mills," continued chopping up vegetables.
I shrugged and thought of a way to answer except of that book in the attic, "I was looking into our family history and I don't see Regina's parents. Who are they? Where did she come from?"
She turned to face me in most puzzling face, "why the sudden interest in this?"
"We were asked to do our family tree, mom. I have to write report of our family for English class," applauding at my quick answer, good answer Zoe, talking to myself.
"Mmmm," she looks carefully at me in deep thought whether should believe my answer or not, "Regina Mills, our first ancestor was adopted, that's all I know. She wasn't CEO in the beginning, she was actually working as an office assistant and worked all the way up to the top floor."
I was surprised to know she was adopted, "she was adopted?" From what she said, someone gave her the business, "who gave her The Swan Mill Group?"
"Nobody knows," she quickly replied without any explanation but I know she's hiding something. I didn't pressure for more answers, so instead, "thank you mom. Did she ever find out her real parents?"
"No, I don't think so," if she knew her real parents then we would have known them, but we don't, so obviously not. I wanted to know more about her, but I know she couldn't answer any more questions regarding Regina Mills.
"Go upstairs to finish your homework. Your father will be home soon with Milo and Leo."
"Where's Joseph, mom?"
"He's out back, fixing that dump trap car," mom hates that yellow beetle car, even though she could never get rid of it and Joseph begged to fix up the car. I didn't want go upstairs, "I'm going to see what's up." I went through back door and into the garage to see Joseph, he took out all the engines out to replace into a new one. He bought all the parts for the car and asked his friend to help. Joseph rolled his eyes when he spotted little sister walking towards him.
"What are you doing here?" not pleased with me being here.
"Joseph, why are you taking the car apart?" sat at the dirty chair near the car, curiously looking around all the parts he bought when he wipes his oily hands.
"I was seeing if there's anything missing that I need to replace," oh he's cleaning the car out to be brand new, "did you find anything?"
"Junk, especially the old monkey donut bag I found and an old letter. Wherever that came from," he thought strangely how the letter still kept in the old car that was never driven for years. My ears peaked up, "a letter?"
He nodded while pointing at the trash, "it's little torn and hard to read, so I threw it away."
I carefully looked at the trash, but its crushed like a ball. I waited to get it without him looking, and I simply watched him working at the back of the yellow beetle. I know he will ask me to leave, so I got down and got the letter, quickly into my pocket when he looked down inside the back trunk.
"Mom said to come inside, dinner is ready."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, no thanks," he wants to keep working on the car.
I resumed doing my homework in my room upstairs until dad comes home. I kept the letter in the drawer until I am able to read it privately since I know Milo will come into my room the minute she comes home with dad and Leo. I wasn't thinking of putting the small book away as it was set top of my laptop on the nightstand when Milo comes in an hour later.
"Hello, Milo," she's personality of curious george, curious about everything, asking questions and wanting to know what you're doing and how to do it then along the way, she messes things up.
"Zoe, are you finish doing your homework?" she sat on my bed, looking at my things again.
"Leave my things alone, and no I am not finish," I answered with my eyes roll, I didn't realize she was already looking through the small brown book, so I quickly grabbed it, "I said to leave my things alone!"
"Whose that?" pointing at the book.
She can read, but didn't Leo tried to look into it? "You can see the letters and photos in this book?" She nodded and asked me again, "who is she?"
She sounded like she's familiar with this person but I don't see how that's possible. I opened the book to show the photo of a woman, same one in a beautiful pantsuit and hair that rides up on her shoulder, "have you seen this woman?"
"I saw her in my dream," didn't understand the reason why it is important to know and how she has the same picture she drew, "did you go into my room?"
She thinks I drew this, "I didn't draw this, Milo." She ran to her room and followed her without thinking, I have to see what she drew. How the world it is possible for her to dream up a strange woman who we never knew or even met? Her room is mixture of sunflowers and black, very elegant but simple for young kid. She handed me her messy lined paper with three little holes with little ropes tied up to hold the papers, exactly 12 papers.
'Real Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs,' is titled on front page. This is Evil Queen and same story as Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs we have here, we have thousands of books, "did mom read this book to you?" She obviously make this up and copied it, so I gave it back to her, "this is not real, Milo."
"Read it, Zoe, please," she was eager for me to read, so I complied to her request, "fine!"
It's same story, Evil Queen asked mirror on the wall, sent the huntsman to kill her but he didn't so he took deer's heart instead. Everyone knows this story but ending is different. I looked up puzzled, "did you make it up?"
"I dream her," pointing at the Evil Queen, but I continued, she ate an apple near the grave and she looks nothing like comics Evil Queen. Her drawings are not perfect, much like a cute kid drawings but the story is perfectly clear. Prince Charming kissed and woke Snow up, but at the end, she's pregnant. It looks like dark clouds, I pointed the last page, "what is this?"
"Dark clouds, no more home," she replied when I turn over the back of the page, "S—," it seems she couldn't spell it correctly, Storybrooke. She picked up the real hardcover children classic book, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, pointing at comic Evil Queen's castle, "home, our home there."
Is she saying that woman was Evil Queen whose is our great many great's mother, no fucking way. I need to be clear what she's saying, I showed her the picture of a woman, the same drawing she saw, "this woman was Evil Queen?"
She didn't answer to grab another sack of papers to give mewhen mom called out that's dinner's ready. She already ran downstairs, hungry and excited. She loves food more than anything, the bottomless pit. I read the new sack of papers, same but different tile, "Pinocchio."
Everyone knows the story but like the other one, the ending is different. The Geppetto was building the wardrobe with Pinocchio in Snow White's Castle, because the next page, shows Snow White crying for her baby. Geppetto put Pinocchio in the wardrobe secretly, but where did he go. Prince Charming fought with soldiers to put the baby in the wardrobe, the same one in Pinocchio. The last two pages, there's picture of diner front of forest that he picked up the baby. She must have copied the title Pinocchio to spell it.
What's the hell does this mean? I heard mom's calling third time, so I rushes down, "I apologize, mom," where everyone sit waiting but Milo couldn't stop eating. Nothing makes sense anymore, I was distracted in my own thoughts when dad asked me how's school.
"Oh, it's fine. Thank you," the family continued chatting as I played with my food. My mom was starting to be concern with me, "are you alright, dear? You're not eating your food."
I'm not that hungry anymore, "may I be excused? I would like to finish rest of my assignment before bed." Mother and dad nodded in agreement when mom replied, "you may, Zoe." I wanted to look at the stories one last time and see what she wrote. I searched the room for more papers of drawing, and found incompleted story, only 4 pages with no title. Her room is never neat and clean, always one area full of colors and papers, another area whole stack of children's books then in the corner, few dolls. I mean you could always tell this is a little artist room.
Wait, this is the car, I walked through the hall to the guest room to see Joseph working on the yellow beetle car, and in the drawing is the same one. One page, a car driven by an blonde lady with red coat, same I saw in the book but this one with little boy driving through a city. Second page, a car in the forest with two different people then car back to the town, front of white mansion.
Emma. She called her Emma, that's right. I don't understand, who is Emma, I wonder. I grabbed the papers and my book to my room, I got on my laptop to search for Emma, great over thousands of thousands. That's not going to help, I need to narrow the search.
Milo screamed and got mad that I took the papers, grabbed all her pages then ran off back to her room, pointed at 4 specific pages, "do not take my things. This is not finish."
I needed to know and look again, "wait! Milo!" Milo slowly walked back with little fear for being slapped by me, but this time, I am not upset. "Can I see the paper please?" I want to ask her about the blonde woman and where did she come from?
I pointed at the woman with red coat, "who is she?"
"She's Snow's baby," showing me Snow White's pregnancy in the castle.
According to her, Emma is Snow White's child. What's the fuck? I flapped to a page with diner, "where is this?"
"I don't know. I saw it in my dream. The baby and boy came here."
Here? I don't understand those stories at all, "what do you mean here?"
She showed me Snow White story, the last page with dark cloud, "the clouds took her Mommy & Daddy. The baby comes here, the tree."
"How did the cloud take them away?" nothing makes sense. What our great many great mother has magic and somehow, took them away? No fucking way. Magic does not exist.
"Magic. Me. You. have magic," pointing both of us.
I laughed, "get out of here," I laughed hard at her wild imagination. She really got to me. She ran back to her room very sad. It's easy for her to believe in magic, so I understand. She's only a kid. It has been quiet few days, our routine returns to normal and I already discussed with Joseph about the book, he got furious with me. In his logical brain, this is impossible, no magic at all. There's no room for gray area, it's all black and white. There's no proof to prove magic exists that our grandma comes from another world. One questions remains that I couldn't answer, who is Regina Mills' biological parents? Is it Emma or someone else? A year went by with no answers, I tried to find information about Emma or Regina's biological parents, nothing. It's like the families before Regina Mills doesn't exist on earth.
The relationship strains between Milo and I since last year about her foresight as well as her vocabulary has grown maturely that she's able to write cleary what she dream. She has her own dream journal, mom brought her a classic handmade leather journal, the best of all it's refillable. That means if papers runs out, all she can do is simply replace it inside the leather journal book.
I do admit that I felt bad of dismissing her foresight dreams, she promises that they are true. In a way, she's way she's saying, there's no way possible for her to make up dreams as such as this. I do need help and she has the answers. She refuses to let me in her room because she'll throw the book at me, bear or something to kick me out. Ever since, I never bothered her or talk about this ever again.
As the book reappears in my room after Joseph repeatedly trying to destory it in many different ways, the blender, the fire even into the ocean. Today is Sunday, my parents always go out to church, but I stay home with Milo. Milo doesn't really bother to go church anymore, she's of age to decide to go or not. They never force us to go church anyways, Leo goes with them but Joseph always sleep over at his friends house.
I carefully knocked at her door, embracing myself with my brown book, "Milo? Can we please talk?" She refuses to answer and I heard she locked the door, "Come on, Milo. Please?"
I need to find them or any type of clue, "you can help me find them," also it'll prove her right.
She opened the door, fuming mad but made agreement, "just to find them, fine."
"Do not touch anything!" took her journal close with her even though I need to read her journal to see if there's answers. Where do we start but the beginning, "you said the boy and the baby came here. What are their names?"
"I don't know the boy's name but Pinocchio. The baby is Snow White's daughter and her name is Emma Swan. She came into America through wardrobe," flipping through her journal, she made list of names of people she remembered in her dream then list of words she learnt throughout the year.
If Emma Swan came here, then her record would be here, "do you know anything else about this Emma Swan?"
"Ummm," shaking her head, reviewing her foresight dreams in her journal, "well, it didn't finish but Emma was in prison when she got pregnant."
"That will narrow the search, but what year?"
"I don't know."
"Why didn't you believe me, Zoe?" her eyes became earnest for belief and really thought I would support her. It's not that I don't believe her but you have to admit, what if someone comes knocking on our door and say you have powers and your ancestors are from another world. Would you believe them, no! "I didn't say I don't believe you."
She sighs and gave the journal to me, "you can read them. It'll be our secret."
I warmly smiles and hugged my baby sister, so sweet, "thank you, Milo." One could say that she has the heart of a true believer. "What about the woman that you claimed to be Evil Queen?"
"Her name is Regina Mills and not evil. She's the former Evil Queen, Milo," carefully to tell me not to say that she's evil ever again. Okay but "no, Regina Mills once was CEO and lived here in this same mansion."
True, she nods knowingly this already several times, "the Queen is Regina Mills, that's her name. It's same name as this one, get it?"
Oh, wait a minute, "the Queen is Regina Mills' biological mother?" Emma got pregnant in prison, and that means the baby must be in adoption. "Do you know Emma's kid's name?"
"Yes, the Queen is her biological mother but no I do not know Emma's child's name."
So, you're saying you have nothing of value?!"
She giggled when I said that.
"What's so funny?!"
"You talk a little like her," laughs a little more, "I know this though. She will call us when she needs us, me you and our brothers to save our home."
"Whose's she?"
"I don't know. She said that we will hear her call soon and she's coming for us to help her to save our home, but Milo and Leo needs to know first for us go home."
How the hell are we going home and where is home? Why is it essential for them to know about this, "where's home? What about mom and dad?"
"She said that they can't come with us, only four of us. Home is great grandma's throne."
What's that place called? Why do we have to go home, though? It seems she read my thoughts when she pointed particular page at near the end. It in two words, no magic. Of course there's no magic, we certainly don't have magic. It's more drawings of Queen's families dying at each page.
A tall long curly red hair doing fireball and magic to kill each person, like a family tree. On each page, bottom right, a photo of Queen Regina just standing. "What does this mean," I pointed at each page of Queen Regina, same spot at each page.
"I don't know either. I see her in my vision, she's always still each time she killed her family, ours. She couldn't move or do anything to stop her."
She sounded disappointed and upset that she's not doing anything to save them. I don't know how she can believe this so easily; whereas, I struggle to believe this. Part of me, hoping this isn't true.
"Joseph knows, he tried to destory my book several times," waving the small brown book, "it always come back to me."
"Magic. This book is door to our home. It will open when she calls us."
How did she know? "What?"
"She told me, she said one day you will know," shrugging not understanding the vague answer.
"What will I know?"
"I don't know. She said you're not ready yet."
"Who do you talk to?" Who is she, she kept saying she this, she that. Who the fuck is she talking about?
"Queen Regina. She comes to me in my dreams," with big smile on her face, proudly, "she said I will be writer, to write their stories one day in special book."
"What stories?"
"I don't know. The special book was destroyed."
She doesn't seem to know anything except certain stories, but that's it, so that's no help at all. I gave back her journal and thanked her. I kissed on her forehead, my baby sister. She's the true believer, no questioned ask. She wants everyone together and free the people. I can't find fault in that.