The town I live in is called Storybrooke, Maine. I've never really understood the place but it's home. It seems like everyone here knows something I don't!
My parents are good people. They can be overprotective at times but I still love them. Our family is pretty normal too. I have a mom, a dad, and an older brother! My dad is still normal just not as normal. Before I was born, my dad was in an accident.
I turn 13 tomorrow. Everyone always says 13 is a special age. Your teenage years start, but it only gets more difficult from there.
I wake up the next morning excited, so I run downstairs to see what is for breakfast. PANCAKES! I could smell them from the stairs. Delicious.
"Good morning Mom! Morning Dad!"
My mom turns around and beckons my dad to watch the pancakes. She runs up and hugs me.
"Good morning sweetie. Happy birthday!" She grins, and turns back to the pancakes.
My dad walks over and takes me to my seat at the table. "Happy birthday love." He plants a kiss on my forehead.
"Thanks, mom, thanks, dad." I sit down at the table and my mom brings over my pancakes with a candle in them.
"Make a wish!" My mom said excitedly.
I blow out the candle and start to eat. The doorbell rings. A package!
"Hope Henry sent this to you! Open it!" My mother said excitedly.
Inside I found a book and a card. I read the card to my parents
"Happy birthday Hope. I hope you enjoy your special day! 13 is a big number. I love you so much. You are the best little sister a brother could have. Have fun reading! Love Henry, Jacinda, and Lucy."
"Awe, that is so sweet of him! What's in the box?"
I pull out the book and it says 'Once Upon A Time'. My parents exchange worried glances. What's going on? I think.
My parents walked away to talk. I heard their entire conversation.
"Killian, what are we gonna do? We can't take it away but we've worked too hard to protect her!" She starts pacing.
"Emma, love, she's gonna be fine." He says while grabbing her arm to stop her from worrying.
"Are you sure?"
"Aye, I'm sure." He kissed her on the forehead.
They walked back over as if nothing had happened. I finished my breakfast and headed upstairs to get dressed for school. I took the book with me. I took a minute to look at everything that was in there. Fairy tales. I started looking for my favorite one. 'Snow White'. Fortunately, it was the first one!
"Once upon a time, there was a princess named Snow White. Her mother had died and her father had remarried to a woman named Regina."
That's Aunt Regina's name! And it looks just like her and Grandma too!
"One day Snow told a terrible secret. Regina wasn't in love with the King, Snow's father. She was in love with a stable hand, Daniel. Regina's mother knew magic so while Regina was with Daniel, she ripped out his heart, and crushed it. Heartbroken Regina swore revenge on Snow White."
"Love, come down Gideon's here to get you for school!"
I immediately put the book away and ran downstairs. I hugged my parents and then left.
"Have a good day sweetie!" Mom called out.
My dad waved. And I got into the car, they walked back inside.
"Happy birthday, Hope."
"Thanks, Gideon." I smiled.
Gideon and I have been friends since we were kids, even though he's 3 years older than me.
"Oh my father told me to tell you that your locket is fixed, it can now be opened."
"Tell him thanks for me would you?"
He nodded and we drove away.
Gideon's parents own a pawn shop and repair store. It's called Mr. and Mrs. Gold's Pawn and Repair Shop. They're really sweet people, especially his mother Belle. She's like a second mother to me. I don't know his father's name. I only know him as Mr. Gold.
I look out the window at all the shops passing by. I see Archie walking Pongo, and Zelena walking Robin to school. It really is a great town. Just full of secrets waiting for me to discover. I'm completely zoned out when we stop at Granny's.
"Hey, Hope, do you want me to get you anything? Donut?" I don't respond. "Hope?"
"Oh sorry, no it's fine you get something. I had pancakes at home."
He grins and heads inside. I'm sitting in the car while he's getting his stuff and I see my grandparents. Mary Margaret and David. My mom's parents. I never met my dad's parents, but they died before my parents met.
I get out of the car and run to them.
"Hey, there's the birthday girl!" Grandma says
"Hi grandma, hi grandpa. Where's Neal?"
"Oh, he's homesick. We thought it would be good to get some fresh air."
Gideon walked back out of Granny's.
"Oh hey, Mary Margaret, David."
"Hi, Gideon." Both said at the same time.
"David, Mary Margaret, do you want me to drive you back or do you want to walk?"
"We're fine, no need for you to drive us," Grandma said as she hugged me.
"Ok." Gideon said.
I was happy to see them go.
"Hey, Hope!" I jerk at the sound of my name.
"Oh my god kiddo, you're not paying attention!"
I sigh. "I was thinking of something else. Sorry."
"You were thinking of something else? What did you have to think about? Seven hours of English class?"
I roll my eyes. "Maybe. Now come on!"
He follows me into school and we go to our lockers.
"So what were you thinking about?" He asks from the spot next to me.
"My family. Stuff with my family."
"Really?"
"I mean yeah. I got a storybook from Henry this morning and my parents are a bit scared of it. I don't know why."
"Your parents are tough, but you're a tough kid. They'll be fine."
I nod. "Thanks."
Gideon left for his first class, and I left for mine.
The school day felt really long for some reason and when it was time to go home I was exhausted. But the thought of reading my storybook kept me awake.
Gideon drove me over to the pawnshop to get my necklace and then he drove me home.
"Thanks."
"Of course, Happy birthday Hope."
I smiled as he drove away. I walked inside and my dad was watching a movie but fell asleep in the middle of it. And my mom was at work. She is the sheriff of the town. Well, she and my grandfather.
I shake my dad awake.
"Did I fall asleep?" He says groggily. He looks at me with tired eyes. "Oh. How was school, love?"
"Boring as usual. But before school, it was great. I saw grandma and grandpa when we stopped at Granny's."
"Really? What were they doing?"
"Neal's sick so he couldn't go to school. They decided to go on a walk because they needed fresh air."
"Ah, maybe I should bring them some soup for Neal."
I chuckle "I think they'd appreciate it."
"Do you have homework?"
"Yeah." I frowned.
He pointed upstairs and then said "Go. If you want to do other things today you better get it done."
I reluctantly headed upstairs. Once in my room, I sit at my desk and stare. I hate homework. So I pull out my new storybook and start reading again before I start. I just need a distraction, I keep telling myself. I turned back to Snow White's story.
"One day while Snow White was in the forest, she saw a royal carriage coming and decided to try and steal from it. Snow is hiding in the trees and just as she's about to sneak out, she hears a noise and gets scared off into the night. "
This isn't how it happens. I'm confused. What is happening?
My mom knocked on the door.
"Hope you in there?"
"Yeah come in!"
"Oh, you're reading the...storybook?"
"Yep!"
I flip to the next page. A man and a woman danced. The woman was in a red dress. My mom immediately shut the book and told me to do my homework.
"But mom I was reading!"
"No, I'm sorry but you can't keep putting off your homework!"
She took the book downstairs and gave it to my dad. And he set it down on the coffee table in the living room where they moved to the kitchen.
"She got to the page where we danced, Killian. I had to stop her! She's gonna figure it out soon enough!"
"Look, we've kept this from her for too long. Maybe it's time we tell her."
"Maybe but I never wanted her to get involved in this!"
I walked down the stairs as quietly as possible to try and get the book again. I got it, I got the book. I made my way back upstairs and to my room. Where I found the page I was on.
Why does this look like mom and is that dad I could tell it was him because of the hook. I looked throughout the book and I found everyone in town Archie, Granny Zelena, Ruby, Leroy! Everyone! They're all in here. Even my dad is in there and has a story. My dad is Captain Hook and my mom is a Savior. What is going on?
"Hope where's the book?" My dad yells up the stairs.
I don't answer.
"Love, please!"
I didn't answer again. They started running up the stairs. I could hear it. I went back to the page where they were dancing together in Snow White. My parents burst in.
"When were you going to tell me?"
"Sweetie. We…" My mom started.
"What now? My grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming?"
They stood silent.
"Are you kidding, why wouldn't you tell me this stuff?"
"Hope we love you, we only did this to protect you!" Mom said slowly.
"Sure!"
"Love, we hate fighting with you but we just didn't want you to meddle with this kind of magic."
"Yeah but not telling your own daughter that you guys are Captain Hook and a savior that's just cold!"
"Calm down, please. Take a few deep breaths." My mom pleads.
I listen and take 3 deep breaths as they taught.
"Look, when you were born we decided to hide the magic from you to protect you. Your dad and I have been in a lot of danger because of magic, he died because of magic but we brought him back."
"Wait, you've died before?"
"Aye."
"How?"
"That's a story for another day, love."
"There have been so many things that have happened good and bad because of magic. We just never wanted you to know about the bad because all magic comes with a price."
"Hold on so all these people in this town are fairytale people. Archie, Aunt Regina, Ruby?"
"Yeah, Jiminy Cricket, The Evil Queen, and Little Red Riding Hood."
"Wow. That's amazing."
"It really is." My mother says looking down and then smiling. "I wouldn't have met your father without magic."
"Really?"
"Yeah. The Queen of Hearts aka Cora aka Aunt Regina's mother, worked with him to try and take over or something like that. It's all a blur. Gosh, those were the times."
I smile, I finally know about my past. At least they finally told me. Mom starts coughing uncontrollably.
"Love, are you okay?"
She falls to the floor.
"Emma!"
I ran to find a phone to call Dr. Whale. We took her to the hospital as fast as we could, but we were too late. I burst into tears as they rushed my mother inside trying to save her. My dad collapses. Grandma and Grandpa both ran in after hearing what happened. They saw dad on the floor and they already knew. She was dead.
I ran out of the hospital and kept running until I couldn't anymore. I ran into the woods and sat under a tree and just cried. She's gone, I keep telling myself. She's gone. I sat there for an hour.
I could hear my family calling for me. They're worried. Why should they be though? My mom is dead, I didn't think they'd notice I was gone.
Dad finds me first and sits next to me. Tears filled his eyes. His once happy expression turned into sadness. I laid my head on his shoulder and we just sat.
"What are we gonna do?" I whisper. After a few minutes.
"Don't know, love. I really don't know."
I close my eyes and just listen to the birds. The bugs. Everything. It's all different now she's gone nothing is the same. I start humming. My dad looks at me.
"You look just like her. She. She sang a song with that tune that defeated the Dark Fairy."
I don't respond to any of that. I just let my mind wander. My family has always been survivors. Why now though? Why was she taken just as life would get harder for me, when she could be my only remedy? I find myself praying. I don't know to whom, but to someone. Praying she'd come back. My dad did it once, why couldn't she?
Eventually, I fell asleep. I don't know how. It was all just a jumble but I woke up in my bed.
My dad allowed me to stay home for a while and I was grateful for that. Most days I just layed in bed staring at the wall or ceiling. None of my family was the same after mom died.
The only day I wanted to get out of bed, I couldn't. Everything just felt so heavy. She won't be able to see Henry again. She won't see me get married. She won't get to hold my children. I tried my hardest to get up, but I was too weak.
I tried once more and did it. I went to get ready for the day. Black. Just all black. I sit in the car and wait for my dad. He gets in and we start driving.
"Love?" My dad says softly to me. "You don't have to go. You can stay home."
"I'm good. It gives me one last chance to say goodbye." I look out the car window and watch the people walking by.
We're all going to the same place. The entire town is. My moms funeral. She was the savior of the town, the one who stopped Aunt Regina's curse. The one who saved my dad from death. The one who raised me. My mom. We get to the graveyard where my mother lays. I kiss her cheek and I smile. I know I should be sad but she's in a better place now.
My dad goes to the front of the crowd and starts to speak. I stop listening and just start thinking. How could I have prevented this? I couldn't have. I should've just stayed home. No, I am where I meant to be. It was gonna happen in due time anyways.
After we head home, I sit on the couch and just stare. Like all those times in my room.
"Dad. If mom was able to bring you back from the dead then why can't we bring her back?"
He stood silent and looked at me.
"We just can't. My death was a special case. When your mother and I were Dark Ones, in order to get rid of the darkness. Your mother had to" He hesitated.
"Do what?"
"She had to kill me."
"It was moms fault you died?"
"Sort of. Originally she was gonna be the one who died but I- I told her I would sacrifice myself for it. And she killed me."
"That's so sad."
"I went to the underworld and you know what? Instead of grieving me she went to the underworld with your grandparents, Regina, Robin, and Rumple and saved me. We were already in love but seeing her there, to save me. It puts it into a new perspective."
"Wow." I looked down. I thought of the underworld, my parents there. Everyone I love.
He sat down beside me. I gave him a big hug.
"I love you dad."
"I love you too, Hope."
We sat there for at least 15 minutes before we were interrupted by Henry, who was coming to visit. But we all had forgotten everything that was going on.
"Hey guys I'm here!"
"Henry."
"What's with the black? Where's mom?"
Tears started welling up in my eyes again.
"Henry. Your mothers dead. I'm so sorry." Dad says quietly.
Jacinda and Lucy walked in and saw us all crying and were confused. Happy tears?
Henry told them what happened. We all just sat there and cried.
Later that day Henry decided to move back into Storybrooke to help us cope with the pain.