When the Story Ends

Chapter One

It had been a long day. One after another customers kept pushing Aspen's buttons, demanding more and more of her. Royland had stopped by on multiple occasions practically desperate to get her to go on a date with him. Finally Granny had stepped in and ushered him to leave before she called Sheriff Graham.

It was just past 11 o'clock in the evening and she didn't bother strapping her helmet on. It was a ridiculous rule Mayor Mills implemented for the safety of her son. No one was supposed to be driving this late. Especially in Storybrooke. No one ever did anything in Storybrooke.

Chills ran up Aspen's arms, she had misplaced her coat. Her hair had been let down to give her some sort of warmth on her journey home. Granny was going to be upset with how long it took to close the diner, but she would deal with that in the morning.

Aspen yawned, again. She hadn't realized how exhausted she was until she started to swerve her bike in and out of the street. To try and stay awake she shook her head and blinked rapidly. "Damn the late shift."

The call for bed was almost deafening as her eyes fell slowly. She didn't feel herself drifting off to sleep or even feel herself drifting into the street once more.

The blaring noise of a horn immediately jolted her upright and saw two bright lights headed straight for her. Adrenaline kicked in and she veered off the street, just before her turn off and felt the ground grow rough and rocky under her bicycle. The tire of her bike lost traction and came to a sharp halt when it launched the rider off from hitting a larger rock. She couldn't stop or halt the fall that came next...

The mud from the ground had coated most of Aspen's clothing, she could feel it coating her skin. Her face felt wet, like mud was stuck to her face also. Aspen's eyes felt heavy, so heavy. Her head throbbed as her eyelids lifted open and saw the few pairs of lights in the distance. She reached out her hand with whatever muscle she could muster. The sharp ringing in her ears caused Aspen to cringe at the pain and her arm fell into the dirt once more. "Help..."

Aspen could see the driver of the car, a yellow Volkswagen Beetle, a blonde woman in her mid to late twenties. She was unconscious from what Aspen's blurry vision saw. She couldn't tell where she was or what had happened. Though it seemed she was involved in some sort of accident.

The sound of police sirens sent another wave of pain through her ears and rippled down her cold body. She again tried to pull herself towards the road but when she moved her arm she yelled in anguish as the twinge in her wrist didn't allow her to move. "Someone..."

She saw the two figures exit the same car door of the police vehicle and wanted to yell again but the dizziness set in and she started to slur her words before her vision went dark again. "Please."

The morning sunshine woke Royland up among his silk sheets. The 6 O'clock alarm hadn't even chimed before he began to stretch and stand up for the morning. He reached for the ceiling stretching his limber body.

"Just another regular day." He showered and dressed in his usual dark three quarter sleeve shirt and dress pants. He tucked his shirt in as he left his room and down into the kitchen. "Morning Royland."

Across the room sat Regina and Henry, his sister and nephew. "Morning." Regina held a coffee mug in her hand as she poured her son's orange juice into a plastic cup. The large dining table extended too much into the kitchen. Regina had gotten it purposefully so she could keep an eye on Henry while she was cooking. "Were you able to finish that paperwork for the inn's faulty wiring?" Roy nodded in response. "What about the cracked pavement outside of-"

"Reg, I've just gotten down here and technically I don't start work till 8 O'clock and it's..." He glanced at the clock, seeing it was a quarter till 7 O'clock. "Not even Seven yet, can I get one this morning?" Henry chuckled at his mother and uncle seeing their dynamic.