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

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 45: 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒞𝒶𝓁𝓁

Every time I step outside, every time I leave the apartment, every time I breathe—it could be my last. It's exhausting living with this constant fear. It drains me physically and emotionally. Some days, I don't know how I'll make it through. But I do. Because I have to. Because giving up's not an option.

My parents are out there. And if they're not, I have friends to live for. I have Hook to live for. I can't leave them, not when I just found them. They're all there for me, and I have to be there for them.

I can't die. I will beat this...as I do everything.

Though, sometimes, I wonder if dying would be easier. Being free of this burden and the system would be a relief. To not worry about upcoming disasters or who will abandon me next.

Then there are my friends, the people who care about me. How devastated they'd be if I died? Mary Margaret would cry for days. Emma would act like she doesn't care, when inside, she'd be crushed. David would blame himself for not doing more to help. Hook would hide away in his cabin and drown himself in rum. The thought of causing them any kind of pain is unbearable.

I have to keep living, fighting, and hoping that one day, this curse will be lifted from me. In the meantime, I'll continue to struggle—move forward with the weight of the universe on my shoulders and wonder why the world would do this to me.

I consider going to the café to avoid the rambunctious reporters at Granny's, but I'm in the mood for lasagna. However, when I arrive at the diner, it's quiet and free of press.

"Glad to see the reporters calmed down," I tell Ruby, moving to the counter. She has her hair down today, with the red extensions clipped in. Her silky blouse is a deep shade of maroon with silver buttons, and she wears a ring of a wolf's head on her finger.

"They're still running around town, gathering witnesses, but they have their sights set on Leroy," she says.

"Why him?"

"Didn't you hear the breaking news? One of those monsters was found dead in the forest."

"Are you serious?" It's over. I can't believe it. That flying monkey was pure horror, and the idea of it coming after me made my blood run cold. Now the monster is gone. Oh, sweet, sweet, relief! I'm grateful for whatever put an end to its reign of terror. I can finally walk the streets of Storybrooke without glancing over my shoulder or at the sky. It's time to celebrate and enjoy the peace, but I'll never forget the fear that creature instilled in me.

"Leroy's the one who discovered it," Ruby explains. "Something mauled it. It's only a matter of time before the reporters come looking for me."

"Why would they?"

"I don't want to add to your stress, but I had nothing to do with it."

"What did it, then?"

Ruby squirts ketchup onto a large, juicy hamburger, and I've never wanted anything more. Except for the obvious, of course. "Not sure. Leroy uploaded a photo on the town app, and it doesn't look like a wolf's work, so that's good for me." Why would that be good for her? And why would she have anything to do with this?

"Could it have been a coyote?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "We don't have those."

"What about a bear?"

"We don't have those, either."

I can't resist any longer. My tastebuds need it. "So, um, do you think you could get me one of those, too?" I say, pointing a finger at the burger.