I trekked through the woods, making sure to stay well behind Graham. Even though I had promised to stay behind, at the moment I said it, I knew that that wasn't going to happen. What on earth happened to Regina? I re-asked that question over and over again until I got a headache from trying to answer it. The craziest answer I came up with was that she was abducted by alien unicorn-lions that did nothing but eat cheese that was dipped in Jelly and covered with paper sprinkles. Lost in thought, I almost got to close to Graham when he stopped.
"Hannah, I know you're there. Come out." Happy that I didn't have to keep a good distance away from him, I practically sprang forward. "I thought we agreed that you would stay behind and watch my office." He said angrily. "And how did you keep up with my car?" I shrugged.
"I didn't." I explained. "I scanned through the stuff you had on your desk and found the place you were heading. It didn't take that long, actually."
"Well, obviously it didn't since you're here." I looked down and shuffled my feet on the ground. He looked suspiciously at me. "What?"
"I sort of know a shortcut to get here." Graham pointed in the direction we had come.
"Go." He said "You're not coming with me."
"No. I am coming, and there is no way you can stop me." He looked at me sternly.
"Oh, really?" He quickly bent down to pick me up the way he done back at the station, but I stepped to the side and swept his legs out from underneath him. He fell to the ground with a grunt. I smirked.
"Someone once told me to never make the same mistake twice." I gasped. "Graham, are you ok?" Graham rolled over.
"What was that about?" He asked. I shook my head.
"I have no idea, but I'm so sorry. It's like someone had taken over me." I realized that I wasn't telling him a lie. It was like someone had taken over me, and I couldn't have done anything to stop it. I thought that something like that would have scared me, but it only surprised me and made me curious. "I wonder if it will happen again."
"Let's hope it doesn't." He said getting up. My eye caught something black far up the way Graham was heading.
"What's that?" I asked running toward the black object.
"Hannah!" He said taking off after me. I had started running before him, so I reached whatever it was first. Graham showed up almost immediately after. I picked it up. "Hannah, you are not coming!" I glared at him.
"We don't have time to argue!" I snapped. "Look. It's a scarf." Graham took it away from me.
"Not just any scarf. It's Regina's." He looked around until he finally looked to that left and said, "This way." I followed him without saying anything. "If you want to come, Hannah, then keep up!" He yelled over his shoulder. I picked up my pace and almost ran into Graham when he stopped abruptly.
"Regina!" I yelled. The mayor was tied up to a thick tree in a way that couldn't be comfortable. Her eyes were full of hatred even though I sensed fear there too. There was a man standing there with a dagger in his hand.
"Hey!" Graham yelled at him. The man looked away from Regina and snarled showing some of his teeth which were made of gold. He looked back at Regina.
"You got lucky this time, your majesty." He scowled. "But I will have your heart!" Again, something that should have scared me, but I accepted without flinching. With a wave of his hand, he was gone in a cloud of black and purple.
Graham reached into his pocket, pulled out a pocket knife and started cutting the ropes that held Regina to the tree. Regina spoke for the first time.
"Excellent timing, Sheriff." She said. "But I'm a bit appalled that you would bring a child into your business." She said looking at Hannah. Surprisingly, she didn't look sad. In fact, the only emotion that I could see was annoyance.
"Why did he call you your majesty?" I asked ignoring her question. Regina sucked in her cheeks.
"As you can tell, though annoying," He said shooting a glare at me. "Hannah is very observant." Regina looked back at Graham ignoring my question.
"That doesn't sound like a good reason to bring her here with you." She retorted. Graham crossed his arms.
"I didn't bring her along." He explained. "She followed me."
"What kind of sheriff are you if you can't keep a 12 year old from following you?" She scolded. I watched them argue with a smile on my face. Graham unfolded his arms and put them in his pockets.
"Miss Mills, I think you're a bit shaken up. Why don't we get you to your house and let you rest." He suggested.
"Rest? Rest is the last thing I need right now. We have to get Rumplestil- Mr. Gold. That man is a crook, and I will not let him walk around my town!" She said with a hint of desperation in her voice.
"Please?" He said slightly nodding at me. Regina looked at me, then back at Graham.
"Fine." She grumbled reluctantly.
"What?" I asked. "There are still a lot of thing to figure out! And Mr. Gold said he wanted her heart. He's trying to kill her. There's gotta be something we can do." Graham shook his head. Then looked at me his eyes huge.
"Hannah, what did you do?" He yelled. He bent down and lightly touched my side. I looked down to my school uniform soaked with blood where I had cut my side.
"Great, this was new. Felicity is going to kill me." I said. Somehow Regina had bent down next to Graham without me noticing.
"Doesn't that hurt at all?" She asked shocked. Suddenly It did hurt and I fell on my knees.
"I have got to stop hurting myself." I groaned. Graham picked me up carefully avoiding my side.
"Come on." He said running as fast as he could without hurting me. "We've got to get her to the hospital. Again."