Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

40 - Graham's Dream

A deer stood in the forest, sniffing the ground below him. Suddenly he heard a rustling in the trees ahead. He looked up. Then he leaped over a fallen tree and ran, fearful of danger. But as he stopped and turned to listen again an arrow came from the trees and shot straight through his chest.
A man walked out of the trees and towards the deer. He kneeled down and stated at the male deer.
"You have died so that I may live....... Forgive me....... Your sacrifice is honourable." his eyes began to fill with tears and roll down his cheeks. "I thank you."
From ahead came growling.
The man looked up to see a white wolf with one red eye and one black eye. The wolf walked towards him and growled again.
"Don't worry, boy. You won't go hungry tonight." he pulled the arrow out of the deers chest.

******************************

Graham sat up quickly in Regina's bed, gasping.
"What is it?" asked Regina touching his hand, still lying in the bed.
"I had the most intense dream." he breathed heavily. "I was in the woods hunting, and I killed a deer."
She closed her eyes a little in boredom.
"There was a wolf."
She opened her eyes wide and sat up. "A wolf?"
"It's eyes...... One was blood red and the other one was black as night....... The funny thing is, I think I've seen the wolf before."
She leaned forward and kissed his arm. "Go back to sleep, Graham. It was only a dream."
"It didn't feel like a dream..... It felt like a memory." he quickly pulled the sheets off him and sat upright.
"Graham."
"I need some air. I need to think." he said, pulling on his cloves.
"Graham, please. Come back to bed." she crawled to the edge of the bed.
"I left my car at Granny's anyway. I need to go and get it, clear my head." he sat on the bed and pulled on his boots.
"Graham. Listen, it's late." she pulled her fingers through his hair. "You're tired, You're properly still drunk." She took his chin in her hands. "Don't leave."
"Since when do you want me to stay anyway?"
"You're not well.
"I'm fine." he stood up and walked out the door.

******************************

Graham walked through Storybrook towards his cat outside of Granny's. As he went to the door he dropped his keys. He bet down and picked them up. As he stood up, in front of his he saw the wolf.
He fell back into the car, fearful.
The wolf whimpered and cryed then began to walk quickly down the street. Graham watched fear as it disappeared into the darkness.

******************************

Emma walked down the stairs in Mary Margaret's apartment. On the table she saw a bunch of flowers, their colours warm and sof.
"Really?" she took the flowers and dumped them in the bin.
"Oh, hey, wait. What're you doing?" said Mary Margaret running towards her.
"If Graham thinks flowers'll work on me............"
"No, this were mine."
"Oh........ From David?"
"No.......... Dr. Whale.
She pulled on her coat. "Why would Dr. Whale..........." she started.
Mary Margaret looked dmat her.
"Are you serious?"
"I know. It's a disaster."
"No, that's amazing. You're getting over David.
"First of all there's nothing to get over, and second of all, it was just a one-night stand."
Emma walked to the fridge and took a judge of juice. "Not according to those flowers."
"Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have called him."
"Oh, my god! You called him? That is definitely not a one-night stand."
"Okay, I'm still learning. I've never had one before. I felt guilty."
"Why? There's nothing wrong with what you did. Trust me. One-nighters are as far as I ever go."
"Yeah, but that's because you're........" she started.
"Because I'm what?"
"Never mind."
"No, tell me. What do I do?"
Mary Margaret hesitated, then turned back to Emma. "You're just protecting yourself........with that wall you put up."
"Just because I don't get emotional over men.........."
"You don't get emotional over men? The floral abuse tells a different story."
"And what story is that?" she put the juice back in the frisge.
"The one that's obvious to everyone except, apparently, you. That you have feelings for Graham."
"Come on."
"There's that wall."
"It's not a wall."
She bent down and took the flowers from the bin. "Really?"
"There is nothing wrong with being cautious."
She put the flowers in a vase. "Oh, true. True. But, Emma, that wall of yours, or may keep our pain, but it also may keel out love."

******************************

Graham ran through the woods. He could hear the sound of a wold howling in the distance.
Movement came from the trees ahead. He stopped and stared.
Then Mr. Gold came from being the trees wearing an apron, gloves, wellingtons and holding a shovel. "Good morning, sherif." he said. "Sorry if I startled you."
"Right, sorry I thought you were a wolf."
"Did I forget to shave?"
"What are you doing our here so early?"
"A spot of gardening. Yourself?"
"I was looking for........."
"A wolf. Yeah, I think I'm beginning to catch on. To the best of my knowledge, sherif, there are no wolves in Storybrook. Not the literal kind, anyway. What are you looking?"
"You'll think I'm crazy."
"Try me."
"I saw one in my dreams, and then I saw one for real, just a few hours ago. Did you see anything unusual out there?"
He stepped closer. "I'm afraid not. I do wish I could be more helpful....... You know, Sherif, they say that dreams, dreams are memories, memories of another life."
"What do you believe?"
"I never rule out anything......... Good luck, Sherif. I do hope you find what you are looking for." he began to walk away.

******************************

The man walked through the forest with the wolf. He looked ahead to see a tavern.

He walked into the tavern with the wolf and sat at a table, alone.
A waitress placed a drink on the table and the man fed the wall some food.
"They're letting animals in here now?" said a man nearby weeding a faded red cloak. " This isn't a slaughterhouse."
"Forget him. He might as well be one, too." said another man. "I heard he was raised by them."
"He does smell like them."
"Pathetic. I heard he cries over his kills."
The man took all this in but said nothing.
"You believe that?"
The man in the faded red clock took a drink from his cup and walked towards him. "Tell me, Huntsman, what kind of a man cries over an animal?"
"An honourable one.'' he replyed.
"What do you know about honour?"
"I have it. They have it. You don't."
"Animals have it?"
"They're pure of heart. Not selfish and self-serving, like......... people."
The wold growled at the man.
"You tell him to stop threatening me. Cause you know what I do to pets that threaten me?"
He pulled a knife from behind him. "I hang them on my wall."
Suddenly the huntsman stood up and took his knife from his belt. As the man held up his knife the huntsman thrust his knife through his shoulder. The man fell back onto the ground while the crowds gasped and cryed.
"He's not a pe!" he shouted at his motionless body.
Another man came towards his with a knife but he simple pushed him into a mirror.
The huntsman took a piece from the mirror and held it up as another came towards him.
The man looked at him for a moment then ran to the door.
The people in the tavern cowaded as he placed the glason the table and began to walk away.
What he didn't know was from the broken glass the evil queen watched the scene.
"He's perfect." she said looking I her mirror. "Bring him to me."
Her gaurds nodded and left the room.

******************************

Graham ran through the forest. He could still here howling in the distance. He ran through some bushs and saw through the tree the wolf. He ducked under a fallen tree and ran towards the wolf.
It growled at Graham and stared at him.
"What do you want?" shouted Graham.
The wolf whimpered and turned away.
"Hey!" Graham whistled and the wolf looked back at him. He hesitated then walked back to him and sniffed his hands.
Graham reached out and strocked his head.
The wolf whimpered again.
Then suddenly Graham saw Snow in forest, holding a red apple and the huntsman drawing a knife. Snow cry and looked up. Then he saw the wolf again howling at a building with the simple above the entrance of dark branches.
His surrounding became focused again. He still stood in the forest but the wolf was gone.
He looked around confused.