𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐀 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄... 𝓣𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓵𝓮𝓭

The Thing You Love Most

Charlie was tying her sneakers, sitting on the little bench beneath the window of her bedroom, when her brown eyes landed on the central square of Storybrooke, beyond the glass. She blinked several times, tilted her head slightly to the side, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. But it was real, from every angle— the hands of the large clock were moving. The clock was working. According to Henry, this meant time had started moving again, but it also meant that Emma Swan had decided to stay. Charlie might have seemed particularly confident in front of the young woman the day before, but you could never be too sure. Laughing joyfully, she grabbed her backpack and ran to join her young friend. This day was bound to be wonderful.

Cassandra jolted awake, drenched in sweat, gasping for air. An unbearable pain squeezed her chest, and she had to take deep breaths several times, coughing, to try and dull the ache and clear the black spots dancing before her eyes. Still lying on the cold, hard floor, she opened her eyes wide, trying to move. She rolled to the side, hoping to see anything other than the ceiling, which seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. The soft morning light filtered through the thick curtains of the small window, just large enough to let a single ray of sunlight through. She blinked, disoriented, her mind foggy. Where was she? This wasn't her royal chamber, nor any place she recognized.

Looking up, she saw cold, damp stone, tall walls that seemed to rise infinitely. Her mind began to piece together the puzzle... the melody, the prisoner, the stranger in the dungeons...

Panic gripped her as she tried to sit up, but then she noticed the heavy metal cuffs binding her wrists and ankles. A hoarse groan escaped her lips. She tugged at the chains with all her feeble strength, but they didn't give. She was trapped, tightly bound, alone...

That's when a figure moved out from the shadows in one corner of the room. A chill of terror spread through Cassandra's body as she saw the dark, threatening cloak of the Evil Queen draw nearer. She summoned all her remaining strength to push herself up and press her back against the wall, hoping to escape this monster. The Evil Queen knelt before her, a sadistic smile playing across her lips.

— "Why are you doing this...?" Cassandra asked in a trembling voice, tears of fear threatening to spill.

— "Oh, my dear little princess..." the Evil Queen responded in a sweet, cold voice.

She gently ran her fingers through Cassandra's hair, a tender smile on her lips before she yanked sharply at a lock of hair. A sneer of fury twisted her face.

— "I'm just taking back all the happiness and joy that your dear stepmother stole from me. She doesn't deserve to be happy. None of you deserve any happiness!"

A scream tore from Cassandra's throat when she saw the silver dagger in the Queen's hand. Unmoved by the cries and terror of the young princess, the Evil Queen cut a strand of brown hair, slashing the princess's shoulder in the process with a violent, angry motion.

At Granny's, Charlie absentmindedly wrapped a lock of hair around her finger, the one cut just above her shoulder, about ten centimeters away from the rest. Henry slid onto the bench across from her at Granny's, a delighted smile lighting up his childlike face. Smiling just as brightly, Charlie rested her elbows on the table and cupped her chin in her hands, raising her eyebrows.

— "So..."

— "The hands are moving!" Henry exclaimed, beaming with pride. "I was right, it worked!"

— "Step minus one: success!"

Charlie raised her palm toward her friend, who slapped it with enthusiasm.