A/N: Hope you all enjoy the chapter, and that it makes sense. Things are starting to get spicy, SOON!
"Junili?"
The thought echoed throughout her head, circling it before burying deep inside. She was certain that she was the only one who heard it, but from the sharp look Regina shot at her it must have also come out her lips.
In
The whispers which had been nipping at the back of her mind all day, all month, came back in full force. None of the whispers were in English, just a completely and utterly forgein language. All of them came with a menacing feeling, a force seeking to take all of Emma's hard earned control.
Out
There was a memory… no not a memory. More like the impression of one, the feelings left over from an event. Flashes of hair, of laughing, of screams and blood. Where am I? What's happening? The lady was there, but with bright red hair, so much younger than in the present. She was kneeling at Emma's— no, not Emma, at Nadie's— feet. The air was thick and smoky, full of decay. The lady started to speak…
Nadie, always at the corner of her vision, came forward, blocking Emma's view of the room around her.
In
Her body started to float away. Or was she floating away from her body? Did she even have a body? (It's been so long.)
No, she can't leave. Not now. Why not? Her family needs her to stay herself. What if I fail? What if I never exist again? Icy fear made its way into her heart. Back and forth, and forth and back her mind went. A tug of war she was losing. (Let me out. It would be so much easier.)
Out
Something brushed against her hand and wrapped around it. It was warm. So, so warm. Like blood, like burning fire that does not stop consuming. Like her neverending nightmare so full of pain and hate and death, and it wont stop. Why, why won't it— Please make it—
The warmth did not get hotter, however, it gently squeezed her hand. It wasn't taking or burning. The warmth came from something smaller than her hand. It was solid and squishy. It was like Henry. Her little believer. Her son.
In
With slow, even breaths she finds herself, following the kind warmth of Henry's hand in hers. A comfort, nothing like—
Out
Her head aches like something fierce, whispers still drilling into her skull. But once she has finally started to feel her body, she works on noticing her surroundings. There is the smell of food. Foreign, but oh so delicious. When was the last time she ate? Expanding her senses further, she hears talking. Noises that make no sense to her at the moment. What comes last is her sight. It hurts. Not just the gaudiness of the room, but the light coming from large candles placed haphazardly everywhere. Ignore it. Go beyond that. (Pain brings strength)To her left is Henry, his hand gently squeezing hers. She's at a table, it's covered in food. How did I get here? The others sit around the table, each of their postures stiff and on edge. Snow's face is hard in a way Emma has seen only a handful of times, same with David. Their warmth seems drained, almost, like they're just dolls. Ruby's hand is covering her face, not quite as subtle as she was going for. Regina's face held a genial smile, much like she would during her 'Madam Mayor' days. Across from her was Juni— the woman. A sharp pain lanced through her temple. The whispers increased. Emma moved her hand to her temple, applying pressure.
In
"Are you alright, dear?" The woman spoke softly. Her words cut through the air like an arrow, piercing her heart. Looking up, Emma saw Nadie leaning against the table, looking away from Emma and towards the woman, not speaking a single word. Emma contemplated how to act; if she responded, what would happen? What would she lose? Another tug of war went on in Emma's mind. Luckily, Regina spoke up, setting a hand light on Emma's shoulder, "Emma here received a terrible head injury last night. I would not be surprised if she was still feeling the effects of it."
More words were exchanged, but Emma could hardly understand them. Everything seemed far away and slow. Like they were all underwater and Emma was the only one who noticed. Maybe they are underwater, and they'll meet Ariel again. It would not be the weirdest thing to happen. Words were still being spoken when Emma drew her attention back, and eventually she gathered enough strength to give a quick glance at the woman. She was staring intently at Regina, a fervor in her eyes that Emma could barely stand. (Look at ME)
Out.
It took all of Emma's strength not to jump across the table and tackle the woman. How dare she look at Regina like that? Like a possession, a victory.
Then Henry stood up and tugged on Emma's hand, "C'mon, mom." She shot him a confused look, standing with him. He glanced between her and Regina, "Andre's going to get us a room, so you can lay down." Nobody else was standing up, however. Just Emma and Henry.
(I thought they couldn't trust you alone with Henry?)
In
Instead of asking any more embarrassing questions, and giving away that she was not listening, Emma followed Henry out of the room, where they were met by Andre. The group was silent as they walked out the house and through the community. Nadie was nowhere to be seen at the moment, which Emma was extremely thankful for. But the whispers and painful headache were in full force. It would be easy to get lost in them, but Henry's hand served as her anchor. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see people standing and staring, their mouths moving. But once again, Emma heard none of that.
Eventually Andre came to a stop in front of a mid size house. His lips moved, likely giving them instructions. God, can't he just leave already? He walked inside, and Henry pulled her along. He was still talking. He needed to just shut up. (You could make him stop, easily.)
The entire house was just one big room, and it was filled with blankets and pillows and possessions. Nobody was here, but that wouldn't be true for long. Emma focused her eyes on the objects littered around the room, wondering just who owned what. There was hardly anything of too much value, just books, clothes, and occasionally a small toy.
After an eternity, Andre the long winded finally left. The door slammed behind him, but Emma could hardly hear it.
Henry pulled her over to the corner of the room, and sat down on one of the blankets. Because he was still holding tight onto her, Emma had no choice but to join him on the floor. He looked at her with narrowed eyes, mouth moving with words. Focus Emma, don't ignore your son, she told herself, pushing against the heaviness that filed her body.
"-ing on." Henry said, looking at her expectantly. Emma blinked at him slowly, completely lost. After taking a deep breath, she asked, "Henry, could you say that again?"
He sighed and gave her a concerned look, "Ma, the curse… It's affecting you pretty bad right now, isn't it?" Emma squeezed his hand lightly, giving him a reluctant nod. He practically jumped forward into her arms. With a shaky breath, Emma held him back tightly. His warmth spread into her body, so comforting and grounding. "I'm doing my best, Henry, I really am." Her tongue was heavy, she had to fight against that. Why was her own body betraying her?
They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments. The worries of the world were held at bay for just a little bit.
Slowly though, Henry pulled back, "The people here are acting pretty weird about us, aren't they?" Emma could only respond with a nod, gently brushing her hand through his hair. "Well, you know, I was thinking. Their stories seemed pretty dark as well, right? At least, the ones Jamie told us." He again waited for her to nod, not quite trusting her not to zone out again, "Well… what if they have something to do with the Dark One's Curse? Like, maybe they had something to do with it? That would explain why it's getting worse here, right!" His eyes lit up, solving a puzzle: something he always got excited about.
A pulse of pain and dark intention went through Emma's head, and she almost doubled over because of it. Whispers roared once again.
"Ma? What's wrong?" Henry pulled up next to her, hovering his hands over her, not quite sure how to act. He's so young, her boy doesn't deserve to be scared like this. After a few seconds Emma pulled him into a hug, "Henry, you're such a smart boy." He hugged her back tightly. After a few minutes Emma was able to think again, so she pulled back and gave Henry the best imitation of a smile she could, "We're going to figure this out, okay? These people, if they're hiding something, won't be able to hide it for long. Good always wins, remember?"