I walk out into the sun with my two little brothers in tow. Our family is poor, so we come and beg for money. I wouldn't call it begging, I call it asking. My brothers and I are sitting on the hard dirt ground while people walk by us, not paying us any attention.
We sit there for a while. Maybe hours?
A man in a green cloak comes up to us. "Do you need money?" He asks.
"We do." I reply.
He hands me a brown sack. It's heavy for such a small thing. I open it and look inside. My eyes widen. I look up to him with a grateful smile.
"Thank you so much, sir!"
He puts a finger to his lips and winks with a smile. I blink and he's gone. My brothers look at me, confused. I grin at them both, turning my head between them.
"Come. We have what we came for." I say, happily.
We walk home, the brown sack tucked into my shirt. I hold both my brothers hands. We enter the little old shack we call home. I let my brothers go. They bolt for our shared room. I excitedly walk up to my father.
"Papa! I've got what you wanted, and more!" I say happily as I hold the brown sack out to him.
He snatches it from my hands. He rips the small sack open. His eyes widen wickedly. A sickening grin spreads onto his face.
"You do something right for once!" He says loudly.
I smile. My mother walks into the room, probably hearing the commotion.
"What's happened?" She asks as she walks over to papa.
She looks over his shoulder. Her eyes widen and a smile spreads onto her face. She turns to me.
"Good boy!" She says excitedly.
"I'm a girl, mama." I correct her.
"Really? You don't look like one." She says, referring to my hair that's cut short, my baggy pants and baggy shirt, along with my dirty face and hands.
"Yes. My names Iris, remember?" I ask, hopefully. She narrows her eyes.
"Right, right. Whatever." She says and they walk away with the money in their hands.
It's just because I look like a boy and I have Syrus and Forest. That's why they forget I'm a girl. Because I look like my brothers..I think..I hope..
I walk into my shared room. My brothers on the floor, using sticks as people.
"What are you playing?" I ask as I sit down.
"Knight and Princess." Syrus reply's absent minded.
"I'm the princess!" Forest says happily.
He doesn't mind playing a girl character. Just like I don't mind being called a boy, sometimes.
"Who wants to go exploring?" I ask.
"Me!" They say simultaneously.
We put our shoes back on and walk out of our little shack.
We walk into town and wander around. We stop at a dirt road where a carriage is coming through.
"Make way for you queen!" A guard walking beside the carriage yells.
Everyone steers clear. I grab my brothers hands and back away quickly. I bow my head.
"Bow!" I whisper yell to them.
Luckily, they do as told. We stay bowing until the carriage has passed. I pick my head up. I start walking the opposite direction, my brothers following close behind.
"Where are we going?" Syrus asks.
"Dunno. Somewhere?" I say.
I don't have a destination. I never do. Neither do my brothers. We just wander around until we feel like going home.
We walk and walk until we are in a forest area. We play around, climbing on trees, playing knight, princess, and king. Me being the princess, Syrus the knight, and Forest being king.
After awhile we tire ourselves out and lay down against a fallen tree.
"What do you think will happen with Snow White and Prince Charming?" Syrus asks.
"Maybe they will throw a big, huge party!" Forest says happily.
Ever since Snow White became Prince Charming's wife, things have gotten better. But the Evil Queen is still marching through some of the villages, like ours, proclaiming that she is still the queen.
"I dunno. Maybe they will throw a party and invite everyone?" I reply.
"Even us?" Syrus asks, not convinced.
"Maybe." I say. Wishful thinking.
We lay there, looking up at the now darkened sky. I close my eyes and drift into sleep.
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I open my eyes, hearing something of a commotion. I sit up and look around. We are still in the forest. But we're not alone. I abruptly stand up.
"Easy there, little one." Says a tall man.
He's wearing a weird looking top hat and a dark cloak that covers up regular clothes.
"Who are you?" I ask and stand in front of my sleeping brothers.
"My names Jefferson. How about you?" He asks.
I hesitate.
"Iris.." I reply.
"That's a lovely name. Who are those boys behind you? Your brothers?" He asks.
I nod, still looking straight at him.
"What are you three doing all the way out here?" He asks.
"No reason. We were just playing."
"That all? Where are your parents?"
"Dunno. They went somewhere."
He scrunches his eyebrows.
"They left you at home and went out without an explanation?" He asks.
I nod.
"Does that happen often?"
"Yes."
He's quiet for a moment.
"Would you like to come home with me? My daughter is there too."
"Okay."
I turn to my brothers.
"Syrus, Forest. Come on, wake up."
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We walk up to a house like ours. We walk inside to a little girl running toward Sir Jefferson.
"Papa!" She says happily as she jumps up and wraps her arms around his neck.
"Hey sweet girl."
After a minute, he sets her down.
"I bought some guests."
He turns to us. The girl looks at us.
"Who are they?"
"This is Iris, Syrus and Forest." He says, remembering our names.
YOU ARE READING
It's Me (Once Upon A Time)
FanfictionIris Madin is a girl that lives with her poor family. He two younger brothers and her mama and papa. Her mom and dad don't care about her or her brothers. They use all three for money. What happens to the Madin siblings when something.. 'tragic' ha...
