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Chapter 2: Familiarity
Gold's shop is not my favorite place on the best of days. Looking at all those antiques just made me feel lost, like I'd never be home again. In a way, that was true. My parents were probably dead, I had no idea how to get my memories back, and no one here seemed to know me. Except for Killian and Smee, but they were basically my family. They didn't exactly count. The forest was the closest I'd ever come to feeling safe, to being myself.
"Ms Haven. I suppose you have a reason besides boredom as to why you are in my shop," a voice called, instantly making me tense up.
Mr Gold stood behind the counter, watching me with eyes like a hawk. There's always been something about him that puts me on edge. I don't know if it's that he's dating a much younger woman or that he constantly fixes me with a glare, but it felt that there was more than that to it. As if there was something in my past life that made me wary of the man. Maybe I still felt guilty about breaking his shop window two years ago. Who knows?
I stopped in front of a glass case, my fingers lightly trailing the wrought iron edges. Inside was a pearl encrusted dagger, made of rough materials. Despite the choppy edges, I could tell the dagger was taken care of fairly well, it's blade and handle gleaming like it was polished yesterday. This was my dagger. I don't mean it like how some girls look at at prom dresses say that they were not to wear it. No, this dagger had been mine at some point. It wasn't made for me, the hilt was made for someone with larger hands, but this was mine.
"How much?" I asked, never taking my eyes off the knife.
I heard a sharp intake of breath from Gold. "Priceless. I'm not selling it."
"You feel guilty about it, don't you?" I asked, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I knew it. "You did something terrible and this is so you never forget it. Isn't it, Crocodile?"
I looked up at Gold's moniker, his confused expression mirroring my own. Had I been around Killian too much? Possibly. The words were not something I-Nessa- would say. Those words came from a different part of me. Someone confident, someone that didn't take shit from anyone. The person I had always wanted to be.
"Ms Haven, I have no-" Gold was interrupted by the phone ringing. He glanced at me, muttering something about no touching. From there he left to the back room.
Now usually I wouldn't steal. But when your foster father is a pirate, some things just come as second nature. Using my pocket knife, I pried off the top of the glass case, trying to be as quiet as possible. It came off without a sound. I set the glass off to the side, reaching in to grab the dagger. Gold still hadn't returned, so I let myself out. Once on the street, I twirled the dagger around in hand. It's weight was familiar to me, nearly comforting. I felt the dagger imbue me with confidence and strength.
"Nessa!" I heard Henry shout.
I whipped my head up to find a man and a woman- Greg and Tamara, my brain supplied- pulling the boy towards the docks. I tore off after them, dagger clutched tightly in my hand. Were they kidnapping him? Who would want to kidnap Henry?
I sped in front of them, blocking the trio from the dock. "Don't try anything."
Tamara simply laughed. "You're going to save him? We've seen you around town, you're weak."
"It's her," Greg pointed at a picture of well worn paper in his hand and then back at me. Wait, what?
The woman sighed, leaving me in a state of confusion. "It's your lucky day, girl. You get to live."
Something about that line struck a chord in me. I had heard it before. Unfortunately, I never got to voice my concern as Tamara swung a piece of driftwood at my head, knocking me out cold.
