The Girl With Lost Memories - Parts 1 & 2 (An OUAT Fanfiction)

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 25: 𝑀𝑒𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒬𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃

The front gate squeals when I open it. Finally, I get to walk the pathway to Henry's lovely house. Rectangular shrubs line the path, making the journey to the door like walking to a cottage in a secret world. The golden lights shine through the windows and across the lawn as though the home is alive.

I ring the doorbell.

"What do you want?" Regina says when she opens.

"Can I talk with Henry?"

"He's grounded."

"Yeah, but he's not in prison. Can't he have a visitor?"

"He can, but not you," she says with a stiff posture.

"What have I done to make you hate me?"

"I'm not answering that."

"Right. Because I haven't done anything."

"Go away." She tries to close the door, but I put my hand on it.

"Can I talk to you, then?"

"About?"

"Getting me out of town?"

She puts on a wide grin and opens the door further. "Now, that I can talk about."

Regina makes room for me to enter the house and closes the door.

The inside's just as wonderful as the outside. The cream walls are clean. There're no water stains or mold. The cinnamon floors shine like they're brand new and don't have a single scratch. The foyer is two stories high, and a chandelier hangs above me in this little rounded entry. I've never been in such a lovely home as this.

"What?"

I face Regina. "Nothing."

"In here." She moves her arm toward a couple of steps that lead up to the main level.

I walk up, transfixed by the radiance and cleanliness of the house. My steps are small and gentle because I don't want my boots to scuff the hardwood flooring. At the top are three entryways—one on each wall around the foyer. The wall facing the front entrance leads into the dining room, which contains a dark circular table. Behind it are three arched floor-to-ceiling windows, covered with translucent curtains and separated with sage green drapes. The left door leads to the living room, bright and decorated with ivory sofas and a tray-top coffee table with gold legs. An image of two white horses against a black background hangs above the snowy fireplace, flanked with a two-by-two of gilded frames.

The right entry is a single, while the other two are double. It leads into a hall, and Regina guides me to another door on the right. The room has oak wood paneling on the walls. It's either a formal study or a family room. I'm not quite sure what it's supposed to be.

I sit at a small round table by the door, and Regina walks around me and pulls out the other chair. The legs make an unpleasant sound due to the friction against the floor.

"Well?" she says after taking a seat.

"As you know, I'm trying to find my parents."

She stares at me, expecting me to continue, but I wait for her to respond.

She doesn't.

"And... I'm thinking about hosting a town meeting."

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"You are not a citizen of this town."

"It'll be quick."

"I don't care how long you plan on keeping us captive audience," she says, raising the intensity of her tone. "You will not host a town meeting."

"The sooner I find my parents, the sooner I'll be out of your hair."

"I don't know what Henry told you, but your parents are not here."

It's as though she smacked me. Right across the face. The ticking of the clock on the wall echoes in my ears. "What?" She's lying. She has to be.

"Your parents are..." she exhales, "not in Storybrooke is what."

My jaw is stiff when I say, "You're just saying that, so I leave."

"I wish I was."

I watch the fire behind her. The flames dance and produce soft smoke that rises into the chimney.

I don't understand. She'd do anything to get me to leave Storybrooke. This has to be one of her schemes.

"Then why would Henry bring me here? My parents are in Storybrooke. I know it," I say, leaning forward.

"Then you don't know too much."

My back hits the backrest of my chair. "Excuse me?"

"Phillip and Aurora aren't here," she repeats, adamant, but I still don't believe her. She could say it a million times, and I never would—not once.

"You're lying," my voice throbs. I can't tell if I'm more angry than sad. My muscles tighten, but my eyes produce water. My jaw clenches, but my heart sinks. "I know you are."

She forms an unkind smile, twisting the right corner of her mouth upward. "Explain why no one has seen them."

"How big is Storybrooke?"

"Bigger than you think. But everyone visits downtown, especially for Granny's. I've never seen your parents there."

"I haven't seen you there, either."

"There's a reason. As you can fathom, I'm not well-liked in this town."

I don't bother concealing my sarcasm. "Really? I had no idea."

"Get out," she says with tension in her neck and shoulders.

"Would it kill you to put others before yourself? Ever think why you're not well-liked in Storybrooke?"

"Get... out," she snarls, biting the words out.

I stand. "My parents are here. And I'm going to find them."

"I very much doubt it," she says with her elbows on the table and her hands clasped under her chin. Her smirk defines her sharp jawline.

"You better get used to me being around. When I find my parents, I'm going to live here."

"Not if I have something to do with it."

I hate her. What have I done to make her hate me so much? What could I possibly have done to her? If she fucking thinks we knew each other in this Fairytale World—What does she think I did to her? She's around her late thirties, and she's bullying a teenager. How pathetic is that? To refuse me the opportunity of having parents—a family—a home. The lies she must've told during her mayoral campaign. And all of Storybrooke fell for them. They don't even respect her enough to call her "Madame Mayor." Not even "Mayor Mills."

Nothing she says or does will stop me from hosting a town meeting tomorrow. I'm going to make posters. Everyone is going to show up. My parents, too. I'll be meeting them tomorrow.

Regina will not stop me from being happy. I won't let her. And I'm sure the residents of Storybrooke will support me against her.

She cursed them, after all.