Chapter 3 – Make the Clock Reverse
"You, Huntsman," the Evil Queen barked as she strut across the room towards the Huntsman. He wore the black knights clothing, his bow over his shoulder. Regina stood inches away from him, staring him down like a lion to its prey, "Where is he? The prisoner?"
The Huntsman paused, remembering what had just occurred moments before the Queen called him down to her chamber. He had let the prisoner escape, let him out of the castle. Regina would surly kill him if he had told the truth. If he had told her that he did the right thing.
"Escaped," the Huntsmen lied, resorting to single words to hide the truth.
In an instant, Regina waved her hand. Using magic, of course, she flung him up against the wall.
"You fool," Regina shouted, "A palace full of guards, and you let him escape?"
"I did my best, your majesty," the Huntsmen replied.
"You failed," Regina spat. She moved towards him, her eyes full of disgust, hatred, "Do you know what I do with people who fail me, Huntsman?"
The Huntsman swallowed. He knew. He knew very well indeed. The Queen held his heart... literally. All it took was for her to squeeze it and he would be dead. You don't say no to the Queen. The Huntsman was quite smart. He thought of yet another lie to get him past her. He told her something that she would want to hear.
"Leave him to me, your majesty," the Huntsman replied, Regina rolled her eyes, turning away from him in aggravation, "You need not worry. I will find him."
Regina paused in her tracks. She stared into the mirror that hung on her wall and cocked her head to the side, trying to make out the image that the mirror was showing her. It was the prince, her prisoner, running along a beach.
"That won't be necessary," Regina replied, a smile spreading across her face. She shot her hand out towards the mirror on her wall, "He's mine."
Charming was running along the shore line of the beach with only one thing on his mind... Snow. He needed to find her, to know she was alive, safe. Just as he took another step, he felt the floor beneath him collapse. He jumped, landing on his feet on a patch of grass. Confused, Charming looked around the new scene he was in. It was a forest, a large forest as it seemed.
He turned, looking down a path that would lead him out of the clearing. He sighed before running off down the pathway. Charming ducked as he ran under the low branches of the trees that ran along the path. He came across a creek. Rocks lead across it towards the other side where it was much hillier than where he was. Charming crossed the river as fast as he could, determined to find Snow White. But he had feeling that he was getting nowhere, that he was stuck somehow in this forest. His stomach began to turn as he thought about what that meant. Every moment he ran through this forest was another step away from Snow.
Charming slowed down in his tracks, running a hand through his hair. It was then that he realized where he was. It was that clearing again, the same place where he had started. Charming growled in frustration, kicking the side of a tree with his boot in rage. He placed his hands on his hips, shaking his head in disbelief. Why was he starting to give up? He couldn't give up, not for Snow. True love was something worth fighting for, something that Charming would even die for. He needed to move on, get a grip, and move on. He would never stop searching until he found her. Never.
He breathed in heavily, starting down a different path and silently praying that it wouldn't lead him back to that darn clearing again. He ducked under a low branch, jogging through the trees. He came to the creek once more, but this time decided not to cross it. Instead, Charming ran along it.
Soon enough, he reached another clearing. He stepped out into it, but realized something about the ground beneath him. He knelt down, touching it with his hand. It was once a path, a road. Charming rose, looking down the road that went around a corner through another thicket of trees. Something told him to follow the trail. Something at the back of his mind told him to go that way. Snow, he thought. She must be close.
Charming ran down the run down road for a few minutes then came to a slow stop when he reached a dead end. Trees blocked the rest of the road, cutting off the path that only lead right into the deep forest again. Charming shook his head.
"No," he said to himself, "This cannot be."
He was so sure, so positive that he was supposed to go this way. So sure that this road would lead him to Snow. Charming stood there, catching his breath. He reached into his bag of provisions that the Huntsman had given him, searching for a flask of water. Charming pulled it out of the bag, popped the cork, and brought it to his lips, but nothing came out. He decided to go back to the creek to get some water. He was so parched, so thirsty not just from running, but from the disappointment that the road didn't lead him straight to Snow.
If the road was straight, then life wouldn't be an adventure, Charming heard Snow's soft, caring voice say in his mind. He smiled slightly. She was right, of course. No matter how tough things got, Charming was going to keep looking, keep searching for his love.
It was then that he saw it, out of the corner of his eye just as he was turning around. Something was hidden behind the trees, behind the bushes that ended the road. Charming took a step closer, finding that his feet were guiding him forward, further into the trees. He pushed branches out of his face as he stepped over small bushes and broken sticks. He stopped only once to step over a small wooden contraption that sat in his way. Charming cocked his head to the side in confusion. He knelt down to take a better look at the contraption.
"Snares," he said. He rose from the ground and continued walking. Someone had been hunting in these woods. That meant that someone knew them well.
Charming stepped into a clearing and rubbed his eyes as if they were deceiving him. Standing before him in the middle of the clearing was a tall tower with grey and white bricks. Vines grew around the base of the tower and all the way up to a roof. There was only one window in the tower. It was large and wide open.
It was dark inside, empty almost. Charming looked over his shoulder, thinking that maybe he should go back, but something was dragging him to this tower. Something had lead him here. He wasn't sure what, but he decided to move on anyways.
Charming took a deep breath, taking a step forward towards the tower. As he walked he noticed to the left of the clearing was a wagon. It was broken, weeds and vines growing over it. Not far from the wagon were two piles of rocks, side by side. They looked like graves, but they held no name, not cross above the stones.
Charming moved on, jogging towards the tower. He stopped and looked up at the window. It was still dark, abandoned. He sighed, forcing himself to the vines to search for a door. Charming ran his arms over the vines and the bricks and still could not find a way in. He took a dagger from his belt and his sword. He reached up with the dagger and embedded it into the crack between two bricks. He did the same with his sword and he began to climb up the abandoned tower.
He grunted, pulling himself up onto the window. Charming placed his blades back in their sheaths and slipped into the large window and onto the floor inside of the tower. He squinted his eyes, scanning the room. He managed to make out a mirror leaning up against a far wall with a wardrobe right next to it. To the right was a staircase that led up into another dark room. There was no one in the tower, as it seemed. But Charming had this feeling, this strange feeling, that he was not alone.
"Hello?" I said weakly, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword, "Show yourself! I know you're in here."
Charming felt something on the back of his neck, he could hear it in his ear. Breathing. Someone was behind him. He drew his blade immediately and swung it behind him. His opponent blocked his blow. Charming drove his blade forward into his opponents chest, but he blocked it once more, parrying the blade away from them. His opponent twisted its body around, kicking Charming in the gut. He toppled backwards, holding his arm across his gut for only a moment before getting back at the ready. He scanned the area before him, but no one was there. Only darkness, the mirror, and that wardrobe.
Suddenly, Charming's opponent was behind him. With the hilt of his sword, he smacked Charming in the temple, sending him to the ground, unconscious. Charming saw only a blur as he lay on the ground. The last thing he saw before he faded into darkness was a lot of gold hair.
Charming opened his eyes as best as he could, but the pain at the side of his head made him want to close them once more. He tried to move his arms, his legs, but he couldn't. Was he paralysed? Or was he captured, yet again? Charming looked down to find that he was seated in a chair. His arms were strapped to the arms of the chair with strange rope that looked oddly like hair. He saw that his legs had the same hair like rope tied around them, strapped to the legs of the chair. Across the room, sitting on a table was he effects and beside those was his purse, the purse that held his mothers ring in it.
Charming struggled under the hold of his bonds, trying his best to somehow break out, but even he saw that it was no use. Oh Snow, he thought, hanging his head low. I'm so sorry, so sorry.
"Struggling is pointless, handsome," a female voice from the darkness of the room. Charming looked back down to his feet to find that the hair around him left a trail, a trailing leading up onto the stairs not far from him.
"Who are you?" Charming asked, forcefully. He began to struggle again with his bonds, "Show yourself."
The girl began to descend the stairs. She moved alongside the train of hair over to Charming, a scowl upon her face. She wore purple gown with sleeves that reached her elbows. As Charming stared at her, he saw that she had a glow to her. Her face shone as she moved towards him, it was only a dim light, but for some reason it blinded him.
"Are- are you an angel?" Charming sputtered, feeling slightly afraid that judgement day may have come sooner for him. The girl laughed. It was a pretty, light laugh that reminded Charming of Snow. A pain shot through him at the thought of her.
"No," the girl replied, shaking her head, "But thanks for the compliment."
"Release me," Charming demanded.
"Or what?" the girl raised a brow. He was not going anywhere, not as long as she could help it.
"Or- or- or..." Charming realized the flaw too. He frowned, frustrated with this girl, "Just release me."
"Pushy, pushy," the girl said, crossing her arms over her chest, "I'll let you go when I feel like it. When I know enough."
"What do you want to know?" Charming asked. He wasn't hiding anything. He just wanted to leave, get out of this darn tower and continue his search for Snow.
"No strangers come into the never – ending forest," the girl started, eyeing Charming suspiciously.
Charming shook his head, wondering why he hadn't noticed it before. That's why he was going in circles, "You mean to say that I am in the Infinite forest?"
"Never-ending, infinite, whatever you want to call it," the girl replied, brushing off his words, "What I want to know is what you are doing here?"
"I am searching for someone," Charming responded, "I need to find her before it's too late."
"Ah, a girl then," the girl smiled, raising her eyebrows.
"I love her and she is in grave danger. So if you would please just let me out of here and let me continue my search, then I would be most grateful."
"You're not going to find her in here," the girl said, flatly.
"True love is something worth-"
"I know, I know. True love is something that you would die for; risk your own life to save the other. That's all fine and dandy, but what I'm saying is that it is impossible to find her here," the girl replied, "Trust me, I've tried to escape this forest, but I just kept coming back to the same place as I was before. Right back to this tower."
"You live here?" Charming asked.
"Well, yeah," the girl gestured around them, towards the wardrobe, the small kitchen that was against the wall also, "I've been living here since I was eleven years old."
"By yourself?"
"Yes," the girl answered, sticking her chest out. But she ached inside, remembering the day she had moved to this tower. It wasn't a happy one, one that she was trying hard to forget. The girl shook her head, snapping out of the dreadful thought, "Do you got a name, Handsome?"
"It's James," Charming replied.
The girl eyed him, her brow raised, "Your real name."
"That is my real name," Charming responded. King George had brought Charming to live with him, play the role as his son. He was to pretend to be his brother, Prince James, not the shepherd boy that he was before.
"I don't believe you," the girl hissed, leaning down to his face to search his eyes. How did she know he was lying? Was he that much on an open book?
"It's David," he answered, not knowing why he had told her that.
"David," the girl said, trying out the name, "So you're a prince, then?" she asked, gesturing to his sword.
"Yes," Charming replied, simply. He scanned the girl up and down, sizing her up. He had fought her? She was so small compared to him. But he could see the strength in her arms as she reached out to her hair that strapped Charming down and began to untie it, "Who taught you how to use a sword?"
"My father taught me for some time when I was seven. A dwarf taught me how to be light on my feet and blend in with the shadows," the girl answered, breaking one of Charming's arms free.
"Sound's a lot like Stealthy," Charming said, laughing lightly at the memory of that dwarf.
The girl froze, "That is his name. You know him?"
"I knew him. Not well, but I knew of him," Charming replied. The girl looked at him with confused eyes, "He's dead."
The girls pink lips parted slightly at his words and she looked as if she was in a daze, remembering something. Charming began to untie his own bonds as she moved away from him, running a hand through her hair as best as she could. There was so much of it.
The girl thought back to her last day at the little cottage in the woods. She thought back to that day when she had to say goodbye to the dwarves. It was her birthday, one of the worst days of her life. It was the day she had lost her parents to the Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin. The girl never hated anyone more than him.
Charming eyed the girl as he pulled the last of the hair off of his legs. He stepped over it, making his way over to the table where he kept his effects. He tied his belt around his waist once more, placing his sword in its sheath. He hung his bag off of his shoulder and opened it in search of his flask. His mouth was so dry, so thirsty. He removed the flask from the bag and as he held it, remembered that there was no water there to drink.
"Excuse me," Charming said carefully to the girl that was still standing where she had before, arms wrapped around her. She stared down at the floor, her golden hair falling over her shoulder, covering her face from him. He moved closer to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Are you all right?"
The girl jumped, spinning around to meet Charming. She blinked quickly, remembering her place, "Right, yes. I'm – I'm fine," she stammered.
"Would I be able to get some water for my journey?" Charming asked.
"Oh, right. Yes, of course," the girl replied, blushing. She scurried over to the kitchen. A bucket of water sat on one of the counters. She took the flask from him and filled it up with the water, "Sorry for me being rude. It's just, that you're the first human being I've seen in eleven years and-"
"You climb up this tower everyday carrying that?" Charming exclaimed, impressed with her strength. Even he wouldn't be able to do that.
"Yes, I take the stairs," the girl gestured to the set of stairs that lead down into a dark hallway, a smile on her face. Charming sighed. So there was a door, "Here you go," the girl said, handing him the flask.
"Thank you," Charming responded, nodding his head. He placed the flask back in his bag and started towards the stairs. He pulled himself up in his tracks, turning back towards the girl, "Hey, I never got your name."
"I didn't give it," the girl smirked, placing a hand on her hip. Charming raised a brow, smiling slightly. The girl shifted under his stare for a moment until she rolled her eyes, sighing in defeat, "Fine. It's Rapunzel."
Charming nodded his head, "It was very nice to meet you, Rapunzel."
"I hope you find what you're looking for," Rapunzel smiled. Charming eyed her for a moment. She had never seen someone in eleven years. She looked about his age. She wanted to get out of this forest, this forest that brought her right back to this lonely tower. Charming couldn't find Snow alone. He was going to need help. This girl was smart, witty, and good with a blade. Together, they could probably get out of this forest.
"Well, are you coming or not?" Charming asked her.
Rapunzel raised her brows, "What? I don't understand. You want me to come with you?"
"Something much worse could have transpired here. You could have killed me, but you didn't. You let me go so that I could find my true love, something that you may not have had," Charming said. Rapunzel froze. How did he know that? Maybe Rapunzel did have love, but not the kind he had. Rapunzel wasn't sure. She couldn't remember what it was like to love another human being. She wanted more than anything to get out of this forest and find that. She wanted to go on an adventure, explore the world.
Rapunzel sighed and grabbed her sword, buckling it around her waist. She grabbed some more food, placing it in a purse of her own and strapping it over her shoulders. Rapunzel braided her hair back as best as she could, with the help of Charming. He tied a leather band around the hair and she rose from the ground.
"If you don't mind by my asking, but why do you keep your hair so long?" Charming asked, curiously.
"I try cutting it," Rapunzel answered, "But it just grows right back again."
"How is that possible?" Charming asked. Rapunzel swallowed hard, not knowing the answer to that. She thought back again to her eleventh birthday. Her tears had healed the wounds on her body.
You are strong, smart, special, she remembered her mother telling her.
Rapunzel wished that she could just reverse time, go back to that moment where her parents died and rescue them. More than anything, she wished she could go back and kill the Dark One. She was going to find a way to do it. That was why she wanted to leave this forest, not only to get out on the world, but to find him... and kill him.
"I don't really know," Rapunzel shrugged her shoulders, "Shall we be off?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable on the topic. It brought back too many hurtful memories.
"Yes, of course," Charming nodded, seeing the pain in Rapunzel's eyes. He let her walk in front of him down the stairs of the tower and he followed close after her. Together, the pair of them started out on their journey, already taking the first step; Stepping outside your door.