Pandora's Box

Stuff was sprawled out across the floor. He had found different files of random people that he did not recognize any of the names of. As he paged through them he saw that each person's face had a red 'X' on them and a dollar amount. He also horrified to see what some of those people did. He of course knew that his mother had spent her adult life tracking these kinds of people down, but never imagined that she caught most of them. As he was done reading them he placed them to the side until he came across one and he let out a gasp…it was his mother's file.

Opening the folder he was greeted with an old worn out news article with the headline, "Baby Found on the Side of the Road." Then he saw another, "Deadbeat Parents Leave Child on Roadside." Henry gulped and picked up one of the pictures which he realized it was his mother as an infant.

He continued paging through the file until he came to an elementary school report card which he picked up and read, "Miss. Emma Swan, as you well know, is a special girl. So smart, so creative," Henry smiled, but then as he continued reading his smile fell, "however she is, you might be aware, lonely. She tends to lash out and fights with the other kids often. I hope you might be able to meet with me and we could discuss her progress and adjustments together."

Henry sighed heavily as he continued to look at the file and saw many of report cards and a few pictures, but then however one picture came up along with a track record…one that he had seen in the Daily Mirror. He read it closely as his eyes widened. She had told him that she had him in jail, but she never told him why she was in jail…but now he knew. She was in possession of stolen goods.

Flipping the page over, he saw another piece of paper. As he started reading it, he stopped and placed the folder aside. Henry rested his back against the bed and let out a shaky breath. It was something that he never thought he would get to see…it was his birth certificate. While he knew that Regina had something like the one his mother had; this was the original.

He did not know how his mother managed to obtain it, but she had it…maybe it was something to keep for her records, but he took a closer look at it. He could see that she penned his name where it should have been typed, but he could also see where she penned his father's name. Why would she want to have this in the box? He wondered slightly hurt as he remembered she said about things being forgotten.

It was then as he reached into the box again that he found a few objects that he was fascinated with. He pulled out a dream catcher which reminded him of his father's, there was a pair of black glasses; a ring of guitar picks, and some kind of pendant. But that was not what caught his attention, it was two books. They both had tattered black hard covers, like they have been opened and shut many times over. It was one of these books he knew that she was writing in.

Taking them out, he sat back against the bed and had the books in his lap. Sighing he was asking himself if he really was going to do this. Guilt started to gnaw at him as he thought about what he already had done by reading his mother's file and looking through her stuff that she had asked him not to. However, before he could stop himself, he was already opening one of the books. On the back of the cover written in red crayon in a child's hand was, "Property of Emma Swan," then underneath it, "My Art Book."

Henry's head turned to the side as he turned the page to see a beautiful landscape of a castle and then people in the foreground. The words above the people were slightly faded and hard to read, but he could make out by the size of how the people were drawn was that his mother had drawn herself and her parents. He smiled at the thought that this picture turned out to be true. Her parents were royal and she was a princess…the only sad part was that she never got to experience this. His eye then caught the date that this picture was drawn: October 23, 1987. His mother would have been four.

He did a quick mental math and suddenly what his mother had told him flooded back, "I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own so then they sent me back." So this must have meant that she was returned to…Henry shook his head and continued to flip through the pages and as he did so the pictures became more profound and sophisticated. It was becoming clear that his mother had another special gift for art. He then came across a page where written in the middle of it was, "Lyrics."

Henry tilted his head to the side again as he read through some of his mother's compositions and he began to frown. Some were really sad and depressing, but then he started to smile at the more happy and loving, but then as quickly as it came it became dark. Looking at the dates they were written he stopped, closed the book, and picked up the other. Carefully he opened the book and was met with the same red crayon as the other on the back of the cover, "Property of Emma Swan." With slightly shaking hands he turned the page and saw the date written in crayon again: October 23, 1987.

Dear Journal,

My name is Emma Swan and I am four! Mary-Alice, the nice lady here at Angel's Paradise, gave you to me for my birthday today! And she said I can keep all my secrets here…so I guess I can tell you anything.

Henry stopped reading for a moment and took notice of his mother's handwriting which was good for a four year old. Her grammar also was good, the teacher with the nice report card was right…his mother was exceptionally bright and gifted.

Well you already know my name, but what you do not know is that I am an orphan. That means I have no mommy or daddy. But I had them until they sent me away…not before they told me they were not my real mommy and daddy. They said they adopted me when I was really little. They wouldn't tell me anything else though. But we can be a family right? I mean you already have a bother because Mary-Alice gave me another one of you which she said I could draw in so I won't have to draw on the walls! Anyway I have to go. Talk to you soon!

Love,

Emma

Henry noticed a little stars, smiles, and rainbows around the page. He allowed his hand to glide over the crayon covered page and he shook his head. His heart ached for his mother at having to listen to the two people you called your mom and dad then they have to tell you the truth. The confusion at not understanding at that young age must have been brutal.

"Henry time for lunch!" He heard his grandma's voice echoing up the stairs.

"Coming!" He called back as he gently started putting the stuff away, but leaving the little black book out. Once the box was in the closet once more he hid the black book underneath his pillow and sorrowfully went downstairs.