AN: I have managed to complete my wrimo challenge! 50k words have been written, and this story has a ways to go, thanks for sticking in there with me! I promise itll all make sense soon (around the 45k mark) but Im posting a celebratory update chapter
Emma quietly padded up the stairs, her hand on the railing keeping her steady, she wouldn't admit how much it hurt, being rejected in such a manner. She wasn't even sure it was really a rejection, but it felt like it. She felt like it, like she was a lovesick teenager again, one who'd just been walked in on, making out with a boyfriend, and he'd left her, it wasn't the first time, she'd been there before, but this time, it hurt. This time it was worse, she'd actually felt something, that lightning that struck outside hadn't just been outside, it had been felt in her heart too.
She'd panicked, thought she'd been caught, thought that would be the end of it all. She'd backed away, surprised at the sound, and ended their own pocket of space, their own world, the one that held them all so completely and entirely, all their emotions on display to the other, and it had been ripped away, leaving her raw. But she'd thought at the moment, it was worth it, in a way, she would take whatever she could get and give up everything to get it, this one was special, she was different, and she loved her with everything she was.
Slipping quietly back into her room, at least it was hers for the night, she figured tomorrow she'd be taken back into the city, dropped off on the street and forgotten about, cast aside, unwanted as though she'd never been anything but a burden. Emma pulled out her phone and sent Neal a message, asking if he was still awake. She had to psyche herself up again, to prepare for the date she was about to go on, the start of the next adventure in her life.
She fell asleep, waiting for a reply that would never come, at least not until morning once she had awoken. Her dreams swallowed her, preying upon her fears.
She crawled out of bed, the sun shining brightly on her face, birds chirping, a gentle breeze billowing in the curtains. She felt like today would be a good day, like she was on top of the world, she'd slept amazingly, felt better than ever. But then she realized she was alone, looking around the room for the bed's other occupant, but she was nowhere to be found.
Emma padded out of the room, something feeling off about this entire situation, her wife was always there when she woke up. She slipped downstairs, carefully checking everything as she went. But it was as she reached the staircase that she realized what was off, this wasn't her house. She didn't actually recognize where she was, but this couldn't be the first time she was here, she knew her way around, she knew that the kid's room was down the hall from her bedroom.
Then she caught what exactly her thoughts were, and rushed down the hall, looking in on the kids, she needed to make sure they were okay. A nagging thought told her she didn't have kids, but she knew she did, they were here, they had their room, her two boys.
She opened the door, it creaked gently at her touch, she stepped inside, looking around, nothing seemed out of place, the bunk bed in the corner where it was, a super hero play mat laying in the middle of the floor, a race track built on it, the books in the corner where they always were, collecting dust on the shelf while a stack of worn comics laid across the desk. Everything was exactly where it was supposed to be, except the boys, they were missing.
Emma felt herself starting to panic and ran, feet thundering down the stairs, all care forgotten. She ran to check the kitchen, hoping maybe the family had just sat down to have breakfast and she'd been left to sleep. Panic crept into her mind, she searched for a reason, finding the kitchen empty, where could they all be? It was Saturday, it was summer, the boys weren't at school, they hadn't been sent off to Grandma's, no sleepovers, or games that day. They had to be here, somewhere.
She turned to leave the kitchen, ready to search the rest of the house, tears threatening to fall. It was then, she saw laying upon the counter, a note. One shaking hand reached out and picked it up off the cold, dark granite. The bright white glaringly obvious against it, she couldn't believe she'd overlooked it the first time.
Reading the note, the tears that had been threatening to fall before found their release. They were gone, they'd all left her, she couldn't do it anymore, couldn't maintain the image, all of it was fake.
When she finally looked up from the paper, her house had dissolved, she was no longer standing in the kitchen but back in the broken place she'd found herself upon dying. She was there, standing in the middle of the street, cracked, missing pavement, strips of black tar surrounding her. Bodies listlessly passed her by, walking aimlessly through the streets, a blank look in their eyes, all distant, unfocused, unseeing.
They all passed her, not questioning her appearance, her existence, this was not her world, she knew she didn't belong here. The decaying buildings threatening to fall around her, broken out windows, rusted bars, doors falling off hinges, graffiti covering their brick facades.
She had no idea how she got here, but she felt like this was where she'd belong for now, it was her home, she had nowhere else to go, nothing to belong to, her family was gone, they'd left. There was nothing to live for and so she'd gladly welcome her existence here, survival was all it would be.
She sniffed, and wiped her tears away, drying them on her sleeve, she shuffled down the street, determined to make what life here she could. There was no going back home, no leaving, she'd failed and would never see her family again.
Ahead of her she recognized a figure, walking down the street, shoulders ducked, a leather jacket on, collar flipped up, she could recognize him, she ran towards him, arms outstretched, fingers brushed him, and passed through. He turned, eyes unblinking, unseeing, devoid of any emotion, and looked straight through her. A slight shake of his head and he turned back, continuing on his journey.
A sickly smooth slimy voice sounded behind her, a figure with long shaggy blonde hair and crooked teeth chuckled, holding on to his cane, he stood hunched over. Something about him left her feeling unsettled, but she was sure she'd never seen him before, at least until he started talking.
"Oh dearie, he can't see you. It's just you and me here."
Emma turned to look back at the man, Graham who was walking silently away from them, then back at the other man, the one she came to recognize as death, her boss. "Where are we?"
"Well, you would probably be more familiar with this as purgatory, not quite death, but not much fun either. It's quite like a waiting room, but you can see those who are dead, all on your own. Their spirits pass by you in hell, while you, you stay over here, on this side, seeing them, watching what could come, but still all alone.
It's quite peaceful really, but I wouldn't recommend you stay here too long, people tend to go crazy, losing what's left of their mind. And it's where you, dearie, will end up, should you find yourself distracted from the task at hand."
"I haven't gotten distracted. I'm seeing him tomorrow."
"You aren't fooling me, dearie, I know everything. And you are an open book. I will take her too, if you lose sight of the task at hand."
Emma awoke with a start, slammed down back into her body, it had felt as though she was falling, the last thoughts of her dream echoing in her mind as she fought to control her breathing.
It was coming out in gasps, ragged and panicked. A fear had taken hold of her bones, shaking her down to the core, was it real? Was it a dream? Did Death really mean that? She hadn't meant to put Regina in danger, but if she'd really gone there, did that mean the rest of it was a dream? Or was she maybe seeing what could happen, a bit of the future being revealed to her?
A gentle knocking sounded at her door, Emma pulled the blankets up, around her, trying to gather her wits again, "Come in," she managed to choke out, unsure who could have been on the other side.
The door pushed its way open, slowly, and the mystery figure on the other side was revealed to be Regina, she padded her way over to the bed and lightly balanced herself down on the edge, "Are you okay?" She prodded gently, "I heard you screaming."
Emma felt her shoulders shake at hearing the admission slip past Regina's lips, a cough struggled to free itself, a choking sob, tears spilled out from her eyes, streaking down her cheeks. "I had a nightmare." It was simple, but it was powerful, all it took for the dam to break as emotions surged forwards.
Regina pulled her close, into a tight embrace, letting the tears escape, a shaking blonde laid in her arms, sobbing, fighting it, trying to stay strong but so unwilling to say what it was that she'd dreamed about, unsure if she could ever admit it, what she thought, what she wanted, hoped for, everything that would never be.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Regina ventured after a few moments between them.
Emma shook her head no, sniffling, wiping tears away, it was too painful, too close to the truth, too much to share at this moment. She stayed there, in Regina's embrace for a few more moments, the tears finally starting to subside, before she thought better of it, and started to open up, changing some details as she went. She didn't have to tell everything right? It was a dream and she couldn't be expected to remember every detail, and it wasn't lying if she just omitted that part.
They stayed like that for a long time, eventually falling asleep again, enjoying the comfort of the other's embrace.