Chapter One- A Curse is Broken
"I love you, Henry."
Emma kissed Henry on the forehead, devastated, trying to find a way to say all that she felt without words. She was horrified that in all of the time that she had spent with Henry before now, she had never told him how much she loved him. Sure, she had hinted at it, but she had never actually said the words.
Suddenly, she felt this burst of energy come from Henry, expanding through and then beyond her. Before her very eyes, the world around her seemed to fade away, the curse falling behind them. She saw nothing but the forest all around her. Because she had been holding Henry's hand, he was standing next to her, looking just as dumbfounded. Whatever they had expected, it wasn't this.
Emma realized how utterly unprepared she was, with no weapons to protect them, no food to feed them, and nothing with which to build a shelter. Emma did not even know where they were or whether anyone else had also been transported back to this land.
"Mom, where are we?" Henry's voice snapped her back to attention.
"I have no idea, Henry."
"The curse must have broken! We must be back in the Enchanted Forest!"
Emma sank to the ground, sitting, her head in her hands. There was no time to question or wonder about anything. She needed to get Henry to safety.
She opened her eyes and Henry was in front of her. "You okay, Mom?"
She breathed deeply and said, "Yeah, kid. We just have to figure out where we are, we need to get somewhere safe."
She stood, looking around her, trying to see a road in the distance, a break in the trees. She had her back to Henry, subconsciously wanting to shield Henry, to never see him again like she just saw him. Helpless, broken.
"Mom," Henry said, right behind her.
"Yeah, kid, what's up?" Emma looked at his face, then immediately back out to look for danger.
"Mom, I love you, too." Henry smiled. Emma had not felt so happy since she had been with Neil.. Emma reached out and brought Henry into her arms. "You are never allowed to do anything like that ever again. I can't lose you, Henry. I just can't."
"I know the feeling," he said. "So, which direction do you want to go?"
"I was thinking that we go that way," she said, pointing in a direction. "Honestly, they all look the same and since we have no idea where we are, there is no harm in going there as long as we are trying to get somewhere, right?"
Henry nodded. "Mom, are you afraid?"
Emma chuckled nervously. She knelt down and put her hands on his face, reminding him, "Fear is wise, so long as you don't let it overcome your strength of heart."
Henry nodded again. "Let's go then."
"One more thing," Henry said, "we don't know anyone is who they say they are, so for now, we should not trust anyone we meet."
"Way ahead of you, kid." They locked hands and moved forward, hoping to find someone, anyone that they knew, or who could tell them where they were in this world.