Flashback
"There are many that deserve that name more than you, and I prefer you, just as you are, to those, who, under a human form, hide a treacherous, corrupt, and ungrateful heart."" Rumpelstilskin croons while stirring something in his huge black pot.
Smirking, I look up from the spinning wheel. "Beauty and the Beast. Come on, give me something harder!"
"Oooh, anxious to move on, aren't we" he giggles, his trademark giggle as he eyed the girl in her white dress. She was almost the same age as his son the last time he'd seen her. "Tell you what, I'll give you something harder once you finally are able to spin gold"
"Tell you what" I said as I rose to my feet, careful not to trip over my dress. It is the same dress that I have been wearing for the last seven years. "I guess your next riddle, and I don't have to turn the straw into gold!"
"Giving up already little dearie!"
"I've been at this forever!" I moaned.
"Correction; you've been at it for two years" Rumpelstilskin points a finger at me before pointing back at himself, "I was at it for decades. Now don't tell me you really want to have this fight?"
"Oh come on!" I plead with him, coming directly to his side, frowning when he doesn't even flinch. The first few years I was here, he would become very uptight if I ever got to close to him. An idea pops in my head, and I smirk at him again. "You're just afraid I'll win"
This finally gets him to stop. I knew it! He can't resist a good challenge.
"Alright" he looks back at me, "You guess my riddle, and you don't have to worry about turning straw into gold. I win, and you go back to your seat and turn that straw into gold in the next hour!"
"Deal" I agree. I am ready for anything.
"Guess who I am" Rumpelstilskin pulls himself up straight, a serious look on his sharp, angular face, "And remember; only one clue" I nod, anxious for him to begin.
"If I get the heart and the liver of Gold-Tree, my daughter, to eat, I shall be well"
"Oh, that's the…wait, what?"
"A variation of Snow White's evil queen!" he crows, leaving me speechless. Before giving me a chance to respond, he has me by the arm and is dragging me back to the wheel.
"Oh come on! That's not fair!" I am furious as he guides me forcefully back to the spinning wheel.
"Fair?" he gives me a quizzical look before erupting into another fit of giggles, "When did I ever mention that? You were too quick to respond. You didn't stop to think of the consequences"
Standing in front of the wheel, I glare at the straw in my hand, willing it to turn to gold.
"Little dearie, threatening the thread won't do you any good"
"How does straw just poof into gold!" I grimace, becoming frustrated. It's been a while since I've had a new lesson. "Well, what worked for you? How did it all come to you?"
"Ah! Now, you are asking the right questions!" he is now so close that our faces are almost touching. With a side step he is behind me, wrapping a hand around my waist, pulling my back up straight against his chest. With his free hand, he closes it over my own that holds the thread. "Close your eyes"
Since my very first night here, he has never been so close to me. Heart thumping loudly, I do as he says. I feel him guide my hand and place the thread, ready for spinning.
"Don't be afraid to feel your emotions. You are more magical than you know. Never doubt that" I can feel hot breath down my neck.
Shivering, I use my free hand to begin turning the wheel, the slight creaking calming me down. Small giggles keep erupting from me.
"Open your eyes, but don't let go of your feelings"
Eyes flying open, I gasp as the straw comes out gold! Laughing so hard that I tear up, Rumpelstilskin backs away from me, yet the straw continues to come out gold. Grinning ear to ear, I turn towards him.
"Now" he says in a very matter of fact way, "You are ready to move on"
I scowl as the bell rings. I am in a new school, again. In a new home. Again! This is the second home in the last three years. I am lost and I don't know which way my class is and no one stops to help me. The minute I arrived hear, it was mentioned that I was an orphan, and I've had to endure snickering and whispers behind my back. Tugging my back pack up higher, I trudge through Bronx Haven High School. My new 'family', had insisted I move with them to New York, out of Massachusetts. Whatever. The only thing I miss about Massachusetts anyways is Miss Jenna. Although I'm not quite fourteen, I placed high enough to be admitted early entrance to High School. Rubbing my eyes, I frown again, realizing its been a week since my last dream. I miss my nightly escapes from this world more than I had thought I would.
"Maybe you've been reading too many stories before going to bed?" Miss Jenna had said when I told her my dream about the same man. "Or, maybe it's someone from another life trying to talk to you"
"You believe that stuff?" I had asked her. Despite the seven year age difference, she talks to me like a friend.
"Oh, of course I do" she had told me, smiling a conspiratorial smile, "Mom used to get mad when I read stuff like that at your age. Now, I just let her ramble on"
'Poor Miss Jenna' I mused to myself. I later found out her mother was actually one the managers for the Orphanage, which is where she basically grew up.
Turning down another hallway, I snap back to the present. Yanking out my new schedule, I fumbled through it, trying to find the class I am suppose to be in. As I am walking, I notice a boy standing against the wall not to far up ahead. He can only be described as large. Over six feet tall and visible muscles all over his body, he looks like a quarterback for a football team. As I pass by him, he sneers down at me. Rolling my eyes, I ignore him.
"Hey, orphan!" he calls out to me, "Is it true that your parents thought you were so ugly that they dumped you on the side of the road?"
Insides running hot and cold at the same time, I drop everything in my hands and lunge for the giant. The next thing I know, three security members tear me off the boy, his face now unrecognizable. My left sneaker is covered in blood. I have stomped his face nearly flat. Mouth burning, I lick my lips, realizing its bleeding. For the first time, I feel handcuffs slapped around my wrists as I am taken off the school property in front of everyone.
Less then two days later, my foster family phones the orphanage, demanding they come and get me. I'm too much of a 'problem child'. I don't cry this time. I new it was bound to happen sometime anyways. I can't stop chewing on my bottom lip. It was cut pretty bad by a ring on the boy's hand. The only good thing about this is Miss Jenna, just recently promoted to an actual job at the Orphanage, has offered to fly down and get me. I am told by a security officer that if she hadn't, I would've been put in jail. Apparently, the owner of the Orphanage had refused to get me.
"Emma, really?" Miss Jenna frowns at me as we wait in the lobby for our plane. I don't say anything. "Do you know the strings I had to pull to come get you! You are so lucky they didn't take you to Juvenile Hall!"
"That boy said I was dumped on the side of the road" I look up at her. Her eyes suddenly widen in shock. "Is it true?"
"No, of course not-"
"Your lying!" My voice comes out harsher than I intend it too. "I can always tell when someone is lying"
"Emma, listen to me" Miss Jenna tries to take my hand. I yank it away from her.
I turn away, and she is silent. Thankfully so. There is a dull ache in my heart as the boy's words keep echoing in my ears. 'Dumped on the side of the road'. In a haze, I allow Miss Jenna to guide me onto the airplane. There a metallic taste on my tongue. I have chewed through the scab on my lip again. I am exhausted. I have not slept in nearly two days. As the plane takes, I fall into a deep sleep.
"Back already, little dearie" I hear a familiar giggle behind me.
I am back in my dreams, in front of the mirror in the dark room. I am trying not to cry and my mouth is throbbing painfully. Looking up into the mirror, I have gotten blood down the front of my white dress. Feeling ashamed, I reluctantly turn to face him. I am a mess. Blonde hair is tumbling down my face, lip bleeding everywhere, and my face no doubt puffy and red from trying to suppress my tears. He pulls away from me slightly, examining me.
"Well, that's a bit of a let down" he waves a finger in my face, "I expected to see a princess, not someone who looked like they fell off a horse!"
"Don't make fun of me!" I am now sobbing, "I am tired of people making fun of me! I am tired of being alone!"
"Get used to it little dearie!" he voice drops again. Only when his voice drops do I know he's being completely serious. He comes closer to me, his face twisted in a snarl. "You are different. You see things so much clearer than the pitiful sheep. And your…association with me has made you quite strong. You nearly tore that boy limb from limb!"
"That's stupid!" I cry, "And this isn't real! This is just some stupid dream and I am sick of it! This is just a dream!"
"Dream?" I am startled by how close he is too me. Backed up against the wall, I feel his hot breath on my neck again. He is stares at my bloody lips before looking back up at me. "Are you so certain of that?"
"Yes" I croak, screwing my eyes, hoping I'll wake up soon.
My heart is thumping wildly and it takes all of my might not to shove him off me. The last time I was cornered, the father of the family I had been staying with had slapped me so hard that my head had collided with a wall. I had needed six stitches for that. Rumpelstilskin can see my fear, and his eyes widen in something that resembles glee. I'm expecting him to slap me. He never has before, but he certainly looked mad enough too. Closing my eyes even tighter, I turn away and steady myself.
To my surprise, I feel soft lips pressed against mine.
"Emma! Emma wake up!" I am being forcefully shaken. Jerking to life, I look around me. I am still on the plane. I look up to see Miss Jenna hovering over me. "Come on. We've just landed"
I nod at her, climbing to unsteady feet. Head hurting from the sudden rush of light, I grab my jacket, running my tongue across my lips-
-freezing when I feel my now completely healed bottom lip.