"What I have done?"

This wasn't the first time that Goldilocks had muttered this to herself since signing The Dark One's deal, a contract that despite how much she knew she needed it towards her ultimate goal, she wanted nothing more than the opportunity it rip it up, whether or not she would actually do it she wasn't truly sure, but the opportunity would be fantastic alone. But of course, that wasn't how it worked with Rumplestiltskin, and that didn't take very long to figure out, especially when it finally became clear to her exactly how she was going to pick up the talents of a professional thief.

In fact, at that moment she was busy 'learning' how to pickpocket, in the middle of a town square on her own. This wasn't the first time she had done something like this, since dealing with the Dark One, she had been 'out on the field' pick pocketing, breaking into homes, stopping carriages. Basically stealing blind when the person was least expecting it, and getting out of the situation before they finally put two and two together, realizing what she had done to them while they were in what they thought was a safe place. She remembered the exact reaction she had for Rumplestiltskin when she figured this out.

"You said you were going to teach me!"

"Not exactly dearie, you asked for my help, so I'm giving it. See, I'm not a thief, so there isn't much I can teach you myself. The best teacher after all, is experience," He had tricked her, spun her wants and needs to a point that he could utilize them for himself. After all, she wasn't stealing things for herself, according to the contract she had signed; everything she stole went to Rumplestiltskin. It made her so angry to think that nothing she even took, with all the chances she took, all the danger she went through to procure either what he sent her to get specifically, or just regular money, she couldn't keep one part of it.

What she was given instead was a room, in the dungeon of his castle, but it was still a room, and Goldilocks had seen worse. Sleep often evaded her though thanks to anxiety of whether or not everything she was putting herself through was actually worth it, whether or not she would actually get what she wanted from all of this. And even if she did get that precious item back, she was worried that it might not give her the happiness she had convinced herself for years, with everything she had been through over her lifetime, that it would bring her.

But she shoved those worried back at every opportunity she had, instead trying to keep her mind n the tasks she had at hand, like at that moment where she was cutting the pockets of peasants that were watching a small puppet show in their town square. She avoided the families though, refusing to allow herself to steal from those that obviously needed the money or any children whatsoever. She preferred that when she was in town squares or breaking into homes, to steal from those that deserved it. The violent drunks, the abusive parents, the cruel nobles and tyrannical royals that chose to be the way they were, and so deserved to be swindled from.

After collecting quite a few coins from those that certainly looked far to involved in themselves, or the drinks in their hands to notice her, she moved away from the crowded square and into an empty alley way, taking out a small pocket watch from her… pocket. The small clock was given to her by the Dark One in order to have a way to get back to his closed off castle. How he had managed to create something like this, the curly haired girl put it down to magic and decided to otherwise not think about it in case it made her head hurt.

How it worked was that all she had to do was push the small button on the top of the pocket watch, and after some smoke and flashes, she would appear in the castle's main room. And after doing exactly that, Goldilocks was transported from her position alone in the dark alleyway, and into that main room. As she wiped some unseen dust from her travelling cloak, the girl didn't need to look up to know that Rumplestiltskin was waiting for her by his spinning wheel, exactly where he was the moment she left, and she had been gone for a time, leading her to the thought that perhaps he didn't move whatsoever between those times.

"Only coins this time, nothing interesting," She said simply, placing the small bag that meant all of her recent work on his desk. He didn't make a sound to her, instead gesturing with his hand that she could leave back to her small 'room'. She did as he said, and spent the rest of her time until the next mission as she did ever other time, staring at the ceiling of the dungeon room, struggling with her thoughts until she finally exhausted herself to sleep. Every day for the longest time was spent like this, the excitement only coming from the few chases she would give the law enforces of the towns she robbed blind.

Apparently because of her penchant for letting those of the law chase her for a few hours (mostly for her own enjoyment), and of course those that she stole from, she actually got herself a name. Of course she was the last to find out about it, in fact it was Rumplestiltskin that told her about it when she came back from one of her little quests. Whether he had found it either interesting or actually amusing she wasn't all that sure (he seemed to have the same expression for both of those emotions, plus even when he was angry he still giggled like the mad man she wondered he might be).

What was the name that had been chosen after all the crimes of thievery she had done by that point?

'The Golden Menace',

Despite some of her regrets and her want to maybe rip up the deal she had made, she wasn't going to lie in that she didn't find that name somewhat appealing.

If only a little bit.

"Ashley, what have you done?"

The pregnant teenager guiltily looked to the ground, where Mr. Gold was still passed out and even if slightly, injured. There had been a period of silence after Lydia had asked her question, where obviously Ashley was still trying to think on what she could say in order to make this not look like the break and enter it was. During this little thinking time for Ashley, Lydia had walked across the room, looking down at her legal guardian just to make double sure that he was somewhat okay, before looking back to her friend as she got an answer at last.

"I made a mistake Lydia… After you left the diner, I just felt so stuck and… I signed the contract. Immediately afterwards I just, released I was wrong and I remembered what you said on how he doesn't go back on deals and… I want to change my life, in order to that I have to take charge of it as well," She started getting very defensive by the end of her sentence, her shoulders tightening back into a protective stance, ready to defend herself against Lydia for some reason. The younger teenager put her hands up in response as she spoke, physically and verbally showing her that she didn't mean to 'attack' Ashley in any way.

"Okay, okay. Calm down and talk to me okay," She wasn't talking slowly to offend her friend, more to calm her down like she had stated she needed Ashley to, before she continued talking, "You wanted to change and take charge of your life, I understand that, but I'm pretty sure violently breaking and entering was not the way to go about it. Why couldn't you call me? I would have got you the contract for you,"

"Lydia I tried calling you for a while, but you wouldn't answer," Ah yes, she didn't answer any of her friend's desperate calls for help, because her battery died while she fell asleep in the forest. Lydia inwardly cringed at the prospect of how she failed to help Ashley yet again, right after the teenager had been feeling guilty because she had felt there was nothing else she could do for her friend in need. After the slight cringe passed she picked up on talking again, feeling even more ashamed guilt in her stomach than she really wanted to feel that day.

"Sorry my phone battery… Ashley that still doesn't justify you knocking my dad unconscious," When had she ever called him her dad out loud? Sure she'd used father, legal guardian and even his real name whenever she was talking to someone else or to him alone, but never had she ever used the word dad. Weird.

"It was an accident, I just… What am I going to do," Lydia bit her lip as the older, pregnant teenager started sobbing, her hand lightly touching at her swollen stomach. It was hard enough to see her friend cry, especially when she knew that there was something might have been able to do it. The younger teenager rubbed at her temples and taking a deep sigh, before turning back to Ashley, knowing that this might be the only time that she actually really helped her friend during her problems and it might get her in serious trouble, she was still somewhat happy that it was something instead of nothing.

"I have an idea," Lydia muttered, walking a little closer to her friend, spying the keys to the safe in Ashley's hand and holding her own out to have them back as she continued on with what her plan was, the older of the two listening intently as she described what was going to go down from this point.

"Here's the plan, you're going to give me those keys and then I'm going to turn around and enjoy the merchandise on the wall over there," There was a moment where Ashley didn't understand what she meant by that. But she eventually figured it out when the keys were handed over to Lydia, and the younger teenager turned around and did exactly as she said she would, not turning back around for quite some time after she had spoken. Lydia heard some small noises and the tinkling of the door bell, but eventually there was only silence where Ashley had been. When Lydia finally turned back around, she found she was alone in the room apart from Mr. Gold still being unconscious on the ground.

For a moment Lydia just stood there, a little scared that this might be considered a behavioral incident that could put her away in Juvie, and she wouldn't be surprised if that did happen, and it didn't even take more than a day for that to be an actual issue. After that moment where Lydia's hands were actually shaking, she swallowed it back and took a deep breath, managing to somewhat convince herself that that wasn't going to happen. When her hands stopped shaking, Lydia finally decided to look over her father, not wanting to admit that she was worried for him, but at the same time… worried.

Her hand gently touched at small cut on his temple, feeling the slight bump that was growing from the injury, and wondered on whether or not she should call an ambulance since she shouldn't be making judgments on his injuries. Eventually deciding that since she wasn't really that much of a medical professional, (she didn't even know first aid apart from the Heimlich maneuver) she should probably go and seek help by those that were professionals, and so got up to get the phone on the desk. It was while she had picked up the phone and dialing 911, that she noticed a letter on the floor close to the safe.

"Lydia?" Mr. Gold looked up at her from the floor, his hand touching at the wound on his head before pulling back in pain and lying back down, his eyes closing again. While talking to the 911 operator, the teenager moved the closest she could to the floor, feeling out for what was on the floor without really looking, thinking that it must have been something that Ashley had forgotten, a part of the deal or something that could absolutely incriminate her (just in case Mr. Gold was feeling like getting Ashley in trouble for what she had done with the police).

"Yes, yes thank you," The operator then finished the conversation and Lydia hung up, moving quickly to pick up the letter, not really looking at it as instead she moved next to Mr. Gold, looking down at the man that was meant to be her legal guardian as she waited for an ambulance to show up. There was very few times where Lydia ever saw her farther in a weak moment, since that was something he liked instead to do to others. So since she was now in one of those moments, she wasn't sure exactly how to act about the situation, so she reckoned that in a different circumstance, she should act differently as well.

So, she decided after a few moments of wondering whether it would be right or not, to hold his hand until medical help finally arrived,

What she didn't notice was that he was holding on as well.

It had been a long time into her deal with Rumpelstiltskin, more than two turns of the seasons if she was counting, before something actually changed. First it was in the way they responded to each other, and of course it was because she was wounded. That day that the conversation actually changed Goldilocks returned with a rather large and painful bruise on her face, since that day she had been rather unfortunate in almost being caught by the law, and managed to get away only after being hit by one angered, yet rather eager man of the law to finally be the one that caught her.

He hadn't noticed anything different until she had placed the pearl necklace of the noble woman he had wanted to steal from for some reason (perhaps she owed him a debt or something), and he, for some reason looked up at her. Goldilocks for one, thought he wouldn't react even if he did see it, since she was sure that she had left early enough for it not to really set in just yet, even though it did sting quite a bit. So really she also ended up being surprised when he stood from his usual seat at the spinning wheel, and gently grabbed her head, turning it up to the light so he could see it better.

"What happened?"

She had to just stare back at him in silence for a moment as an answer, one eyebrow raised in question as to why he would care that she was injured, especially since he was the one that sent her out there in the first place. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that because it was on her face she couldn't see how bad it actually was, and it was pretty bad, enough to worry Rumpelstiltskin anyway. Eventually it became apparent that he wanted her to answer the question that she had hoped was somewhat rhetorical, though when she thought on it a little more… of course it wasn't.

"Just…part of the job," Goldilocks mumbled back, and then nearly jumped back in surprise when he held his other hand up, and it was swarmed in a strange purple mist. Taking this much like any other person would, as a bad sign, and tried to move her head or at least her body away from him. He didn't let her move far though and grabbed the back of her head with his hand, the other that was covered in the strange mist moved closer to her face. Goldilocks stared back at him, rather afraid since she thought he was going to hurt her, something he seemed to finally notice and reassured her, even if it was in an unemotional tone.

"Don't worry, this is just to heal it," He muttered, the purple mist covered hand finally touching the part of her face where the bruise was housed, the girl shoulders jumping up as the feeling of the hand on her face, and that it was very, very cold. The hand on the back of her head moved away when it became apparent that she was not going to move away again, and instead awkwardly sat on her shoulder. It took only a few seconds before the hand was removed again, the slight throbbing pain that had been in her face having dissipated already.

"There, not so bad was it?" Again he apparently wanted an answer, so she stuttered out something at the last second, feeling really out of place in this situation.

"N-no, thank you,"

It was strange to see him acting this way, since he wasn't giggling or acting in a way that anyone else would consider very strange. H was almost normal in those few moments, but of course that moment was broken when he suddenly giggled after she thanked him. His hand left her shoulder and he went back to the spinning wheel, the girl standing there for a moment before she decided to leave the room and somewhat go back to the usual rituals of going to her 'room' and staring up at the ceiling and letting herself worry to sleep. Tonight was a little different however, as instead she fell right to sleep before her head even hit the pillow, it was the best sleep she had had in years.

When she woke up the next day, the girl did as she would every other day, almost forgetting what had happened the day before as she walked into the main room of the castle, not surprised that he was waiting by his spinning wheel once again. But what did stop her in her place though, was the sight of another being in the room, in the castle apart from herself and Rumpelstiltskin. That person being someone very familiar to her when she saw them, but it still took one second for it to set in.

The person that was now joining them was the law officer that had hit her yesterday, who was now tied to a chair not that far from the spinning wheel where Rumpelstiltskin was still spinning quietly to himself, not acknowledging her for a time, that is, even if he was aware that she had entered the room whatsoever. Some more steps closer were needed before more was added into this situation for her to understand, and it became apparent that it couldn't be the same man.

Since she was pretty sure that he wasn't made completely out of almost perfectly shined porcelain the last time she saw him. Otherwise the hit wouldn't have hurt as much as it did.

"What… is going on here?"

"Just having some fun dearie," Rumpelstiltskin seemed to finally see her, looking up at her as she walked closer to the life sized porcelain man, looking at the doll person even closer, amazed somewhat at how good of a likeness it had towards a real person, especially to someone she had only seen the other day. She looked back to the Dark One, who had now stood from his seat by the spinning wheel, moving so he was standing beside her and getting a good look for himself at the porcelain person. But she wasn't blind to not see the slight anger that had crossed his face as he peered closer at the doll man's face.

It was good that she had seen that anger, otherwise she would have been confused when he suddenly tipped the chair, letting it and the doll person fall to the floor. This as a result, caused the porcelain to instantly shatter completely apart, shards of the doll's head and body skittering across the floor in all different directions of the room before finally letting everything fall to silence again.

Right, her seeing him angry made it make perfect sense…

Rumpelstiltskin turned to her after he was done looking down at the shattered remains with a strange sense of what she could only call contempt, a broom suddenly turning up in his hands as he handed it to her, his order being very clear and didn't need saying. So with a confused sigh and slight shaking of the head, not sure if she wanted to know what was actually going on here even if he was going to tell her, Goldilocks got to cleaning up the shattered pieces of porcelain from all over the room. She wasn't going to lie, the girl wished that he would just go and get a maid if he so wanted someone else to clean his mess after he had made it.

The moment the ambulances arrived to help Mr. Gold was of course the moment where he managed to convince everyone that he was alright and that the injury wasn't as serious as perhaps Lydia had made it sound through the phone. The medical professionals, after checking him over, convinced that Mr. Gold was alright, and then after warning Lydia to be sure that if anything else happened with him to call 911 again, left. Lydia looked over at her parent long after the ambulances had left as they were walking home through the darkened streets of Storybrooke, trying not to show any actual worry as she questioned him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Fine dearie, just a little rattled in the head, thanks to your friend Ashley," Lydia groaned in annoyance, wanting to go on to further to defend the pregnant teenager, also wanting to include the fact that this was sort of his fault in a way, since he could have easily turned this deal away despite the price. But of course she didn't get to go into that rant as they stopped at the very beginnings that would lead into Mr. Gold's rather large estate. She wasn't all that surprised when he changed the conversation from that point to something else that would put him on the higher ground.

"Lydia, are you aware that it's well past your curfew time?"

"Well, yes but… I just went into the forest for a while and I lost track of time and my phone's battery died and I just-" She had been rambling for a time, not wanting the older of the two to call the police or something for running away or whatever, not that she was completely sure that he would do something like that. Mr. Gold on the other hand, raised an eyebrow in interest as she talked, and managed to have quite a bit of patience on him before he interrupted her in the middle of her defensive prattling of why she had missed her curfew.

"I thought I took your cell phone?" He then held his hand out, the message clear that she should hand it over, charged or not. The teenager sighed sarcastically and handed the device back over, cursing herself for having forgotten not to mention it in the defense she had been thinking up rather quickly to try and also not mention the fact that she had helped Ashley in escaping with all the documents that she needed. As she had put her hand into her pocket to bring out the phone, her hand brushed against the thin paper of the document that the pregnant teenager had missed, feeling as though it was cutting her like a knife or burning at the skin like a hot poker. Guilt was not what she felt because of it, but more fear that somehow he knew it was in her pocket and would ask after that as well.

"Sorry, old habits," She muttered back as he put the phone into his pocket, after wards opening the front gate as they both walked through, then enjoyed the even longer walk to the house that was past this point. There was no more conversation, the teenager hoping that meant he believed her unhelpful in his apparent quest to go find Ashley and the baby, as he so 'subtly' told her as they walked home from the shop. This was a good thing, since it meant that perhaps he would let Lydia have time to go out when he wasn't looking, and give Ashley the part of the document that she had missed.

"Indeed, well goodnight dearie," Understanding the indication he was giving, Lydia said goodnight back and went up to her room, taking a moment to find the most subtle hiding spot for the document, a place that Mr. Gold wouldn't think to look through right away, and eventually decided on using the usual place that he wouldn't go through for the life of him, her underwear drawer. She smirked despite herself, and then got ready for bed, not exactly looking forward to sleep since she had already rested in the forest (which, by whatever strange reasoning since the bed was pretty soft, it was more comfortable to her to sleep out there, than in the bed), but still she decided that it was the best way to pass the time and better prepare her for the day ahead.

The next day wasn't that different from any other in which she didn't wake up in a jail cell. She got up early, though that didn't really matter since no matter how early she was up and ready for the day, Mr. Gold would be waiting for her, it was almost as if he didn't sleep (though of course she wasn't foolish enough to think that he didn't,). She would then have breakfast and join him in the longish walk back to the shop where she would do her shift either cataloguing or taking over the front desk while he went to threaten the other store owners for not paying their rent and/or just for fun of seeing them freaking out at his sudden arrival.

It wasn't until the afternoon, when she told quite frankly, yet again, by her legal guardian that her shift was over, that she quickly made her way to the diner, remembering this time to go through the front door instead of surprising people from the back. As soon as she entered and locked eyes with Granny, she was pretty certain that she was immediately going to kick the teenager out thanks to the trouble she caused yesterday. The curly haired teenager gave a quick prayer gesture to the older woman, as signaling that her intent was not to cause trouble today, apparently that was enough to convince Granny as she then ignored Lydia for the rest of her time she was there.

Lydia waited until Ruby was free, then quickly gestured for her to come over to her table. The waitress gave her younger friend a raised eyebrow before sitting next to her, knowing almost instantly that the curly haired teenager was on edge, since she was looking all around her before bothering to talk to the red loving friend of her's, her voice hushed as her hand went into her pocket, bringing out a envelope that she seemed very desperate to hide from anyone else's sight, especially anyone that was walking by the windows of the diner. There was a period of silence while Lydia was being suspiciously 'mission impossible-esque' and decided to talk to her about it.

"Any reason you're being weird Lydia, or is this another game?"

When they were younger, Lydia enjoyed playing games in which she was like some big action spy, saying that it was the thrill of the chase with the good guys that she enjoyed most. But… ever since she had started getting in serious trouble with the law, it became obvious that the games were something she took a little too seriously and maybe took too much enjoyment in. And so because of that, and the fact that her Granny hadn't wanted her to be around someone who clearly was 'going down the drain' as the older woman had put it, they really hadn't talked all that much. Lydia looked rather annoyed for a moment that she wasn't being taken seriously, even thought really she couldn't blame Ruby for it.

The younger of the two slid the envelope under the table, handing it to Ruby in a way that no one else could really see, still looking around for anybody who was watching them rather suspiciously. The entire time she was speaking rather quickly yet as softly as she could manage to make it that Ruby could still hear her but no one else could, what she was saying making it very clear to Ruby that this was not a game like any other time; she was really being serious, about a serious matter. The red loving waitress took the envelope and nodded slightly with what Lydia finished with.

"Ruby, Ashley broke into Gold's shop last night. I helped her get away with the documents but she missed one and I found it. Give this to her…and tell her again that I'm sorry for not helping her more,"

A small smile Lydia told her well enough that the letter was going to be delivered and the message along with it. So it was only as Ruby interrupted her when Lydia was going to get out of her seat and quickly leave the diner before Granny could ask why she was interrupting her granddaughter during her working hours, that she was confused as to what else there could be to add to this situation. However, what it was that Ruby told her, certainly shocked her enough to sit back in the seat she had previously so confidently stood from.

"Lydia, this document doesn't have Ashley's or her baby's name on it, only Mr. Gold's… and your's,"

Lydia was silent for a long time as the document was handed back to her, the feeling of a knife or hot poker that she had gotten before now being much more obvious. In that moment it was the most important envelope with a piece of paper inside it in her entire life, the one object that needed her absolute attention as she tried to even wonder if she should open it and read what had been sealed within from her sight and understanding. It was an object that in that moment was interesting her, yet offending her all at the same time.

She wanted to open and read it, yet also she wanted to rip it up without ever seeing what was within.

How could it hurt her so bad, yet indulge her so much as the same time? It couldn't mean what she thought it did, but at the same time what else could it mean? It could give so many answers to too many questions, yet leave mystery behind those confirmations. It became apparent to her then, as she sat alone in that diner booth since Ruby had left her alone, feeling as though her friend needed some time to herself, that this was something she shouldn't have found in the corner of her eye last night, something that had been better left unfound.

But it was too late now to pretend like she hadn't found it, too late to put it back in the safe and pretend like it had never happened whatsoever. In that same breath, she also knew that she couldn't tell Gold she had found this, since he would obviously take this away from her, letting it fall into the silent arguments that they have that barely ever make it back to light. This couldn't be allowed to fall there like other things though, because this was too important to never speak of again between the two of them if he were ever to find out.

No, he couldn't find out, so she had to keep it a secret, continuing to hide it until she figured out exactly what to do with it. Whether that be to rip it up or read what was actually in the envelope. So, after being at least sure of one of the thousand questions that were flying through her brain at that moment, Lydia stood and quickly left. Just like yesterday, after leaving the diner she wasn't sure where to go, but soon decided on going back home, figuring that the easiest way to not get in trouble again for breaking curfew, was to get home earlier than it, maybe even before Mr. Gold.

Of course she was wrong and he was there, almost as if he were expecting her in a way, but then again he was sitting in his chair by the fireplace and reading a book, so maybe not. She wasn't sure what to say for a moment when she came across him again, the first thing she wanted to do was strangely enough ask to him what she had been thinking during her entire long walk back home. The one question that she had previously thought before this day, despite how much Mr. Gold might have not been the best of parents; she would never have to ask.

"Am I adopted?"

The teenager didn't say it though, in fact she had to bite her lower lip just to make sure she didn't say it, and instead she said a small hello and before she knew it, was sitting in the chair next to him for a few moments. She wanted to say something, something that could give release to her struggling insides and wants to know answers to so many new questions that were upsetting her, but at the same time not something that would immediately let him know that she had found out something she probably shouldn't have, and was starting to get rather upset inside just thinking about it.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He wasn't being sarcastic, and in fact was actually (if only somewhat) genuine. But already she was getting the feeling that he would have to pay more than just a penny for all the thoughts that were clattering around in her brain and upsetting her. Eventually she managed to grasp control of her tongue again and find something to say. It wasn't the most important question, nor the least significant at the same time, but was the only one that could reach her voice at the time where one was so needed to just… say something.

"What was my mother like?" Her mother had never been discussed between the two of them for a few years, the main consensus being that Lydia's mother had died not that long after her birth and they didn't really bother going to visit her grave because of travel and such, and such. The teenager knew she must have been starting to sound somewhat strange because of her sudden fascination with a topic that she had never really discussed or acknowledged before that point, but at the same time, she wanted to know. Not just because of her curiosity, but also to be somewhat… sure, in a strange way of speaking.

She wanted an answer, because it would at least do something to possibly rid the sudden feeling that she was getting of being abandoned and unwanted …in the dark… alone…

The quiet of that forest's dark and misted night was broken by the general noise of a horse galloping through its only path that cutted right through it. This horse seemed tired, as if it had galloped for some time through the land before the forest, on its back being two individuals, one cloaked, the other being shivering against the warmed other that was at the reins. The uncloaked figure was a small child, around the age of their third year, possibly younger as they clung onto the cloaked adult, eyes squeezed shut in fear of the dark that all children their age, sometimes older have.

It was while the horse was galloping through the forest that it was suddenly given the moment to rest at last, the cloaked adult quickly getting off the horse before taking the child off as well, and ordering her to sit on a nearby stone. The adult finally dropped the hood of their cloak and revealed who they were underneath, that person being a woman. A woman that, with the color and shape of her eyes and curve of her nose, looked as though she might be the mother of the child that wasn't sitting that far away from her.

There was nothing that was really said between the possible mother and child, whom as it became aware at that moment, was sobbing quietly, the too big sleeves of the child's clothes wiping away any beginning tears that had tried to escape the eyes that were staring back up at the possible parent that was looking back at them. The silence was only broken once in that moment, by the maybe mother who walked back at her child, and tucked something into their hands, the words neither being delivered emotionally or coldly, it was just said as if that was all that was needed for this child to understand.

"I'm sorry I can't be there to tell you about the world, that you have to learn everything about this unforgivable land alone. But just know always, that I'm doing this for your own good, and that I do love you,"

After speaking, the mother then took off her cloak and wrapped it around the child's shivering form, the last motherly action she would ever do for her child, before getting back on her horse and riding away. The entire time doing her best to ignore the pleading child to the nest of their ability as she ran after them, crying for her not to be left behind. It didn't take long then because of the mother's refusal to stop, before the horse and its rider disappeared into the mist and darkness of the forest, never to be seen by the crying child ever again.

This child stood alone on the road for a small while, looking down at the object that had been shoved into their hands by her mother before she so suddenly left her to face this cruel world alone. The object was, from that moment and for the rest of their life considered, the most precious object, more precious than their heart. Hugging it close to her, she moved off the road and started walking through the forest, frightened as if every shadow held the most terrible of creatures in it, as every child their age would think. Still, the child eventually had to sleep, and did by the trunk of a solitary tree, crying themselves to sleep.

From this point on in the child's life, they would always feel unwanted… abandoned.

Alone… in the dark…

Please review, constructive criticism always welcome.