Blood Red (2)

Chapter 22

My eyes burst open and I grabbed the first thing I touched. Hook groaned, startled at the sudden awaking.

"R-Red," he murmured, turning to me. He wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb. "Are you alright?"

"I...uh...it's just wedding jitters...I guess," I said with a nervous laugh.

"The wedding isn't for another eight months." Killian sat up and rested on his elbow. The blanket slipped to his waist, revealing his chest.

I didn't reply. I knew this scene. This was what I thought was the beginning. It was the beginning. I blinked in the darkness, my head aching, my brain twisted. I peered around my room, checking every shadow, every corner. There was nothing...no one.

The next day I dashed to Regina's house, and broke through the door. The noise startled her, she was sitting on her couch. She turned around. "Ruby? Do you need something?"

"Where's Peter?"

"Uh...Red." She raised her eyebrows. "You must of had a terrible nightmare last night or something. Are you Ill?"

"No." I looked away.

"I hope not. Peter's been dead for years. I would think you knew that."

"What of your mother? Where is she?"

"She's dead as well. Mary Margret killed her, did she not tell you? Well that is like her."

Huh? Was it a dream? Or not? I checked her desk, where the beautiful, blue vase once was. "Didn't you have a case there Regina? It had thorny flowers in it."

She chuckled nervously. "No Ruby. Never. Are you sure you're alright? I think you need to lay down."

"I feel fine...really." The truth was...I was far from fine. I peered over at it again, imaging the case there, and Peter. I shivered. There was something that caught

Deep in the gray, shag carpet, was a stain. A tiny one, one that only a werewolf would see...

It was a single drop of blood.