Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 87 - Following Tracks

Red and Snow trudged through the snowy forests, their hoods you, armed.
"Want about that?" said Snow, pointing to a track in the snow.
"That's a dog." said Red, taking a look at it. "See how small that is? Don't looked where the snow's drifted, it covers tracks."
They walked on. "Hey. Over here." sais Snow, examining another track.
"That is a rabbit."
Snow looked up sheepishly and they walked on, Snow leading.
"What were looking forward be huge. Like a dog print, but big, like eight-inches accross, with big long claws."
Snow stopped in her tracks and looked down at the snow. "Like these?"
They looked down at the print, the snow around and inside it a little red.
Red sighed deeply. "Yes." she looked ahead, her eyes widening. "Oh, my gods. How big is this thing?"
"This was one stride?" said Snow, putting her feet in the tracks and attempting to follow them. "From here to there?"
"Come on. Over there, through the brush and off towards the hill." They followed the huge tracks in the snow.
"You're good at this."
"When there's something I want, I'm good at tracking it down." she smiled.

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Ruby and Henry sat in the Sherif's station at the computer on Storybrooke Daily Mirror.com.
The phone rang, but was left unanswered.
"Wanna be a bike messenger?" asked Henry.
Mike messager?" asked Ruby.
"That's about taking things to people in a little basket."
"No. Yeah, see, I'm not si great at bike-riding."
"How about taking things on foot to people in a little basket?"
"I'm not so sure that's a real job."
The phone rang again and turned off.
"Why do the phones keep doing that?" she asked, looking at the phone on the desk.
"Oh, the non-emergency calls go to a machineries Emma is busy."
The phone rang again and this time Ruby picked it up. "Sherif's station. How I help you?" she listened to the caller. "Mmm-hmm. I'll get her to return......... Thank you too." another call came and she changed to that line.
Emma walked into the station and stood behind them.
"Sherif's station. Hey, Miss. Ginger......... Oh, no, that not a prowler. That's Archie's dog, Pongo. Throw him a vanilla wafer. He'll quit down....... Did you still wanna talk to Emma?....... Great. Glad I could help." she chuckled and put the phone down.
"How's it going, you two?" asked Emma walked towards them.
"Great. Except I can't do anything." said Ruby.
"I'm sure that's not true. I just saw you on the phone. That was good."
"That? That's nothing."
"No, no, it isn't."
She sighed and shook her head, leaning back in her chair.
"I.....actual have some money in the budget if you want to help out around here."
Ruby quickly got to her feet. "Yes! Thank you! Yes." she smiled happily. "Um, I can answer phones and help out."
Emma raised her eyebrows a little, surprised.
"Is there anything else that you need done? Organising files, cleaning up? Please, I want to be useful."
"I'm swamped with the Kathryn Nolan thing. If you maybe want to go grab us lunch, I wpull never say no to a grilled cheese."
"Done. You want anything?" she asked Henry.
"Um..... Two chocolate chip cookies, a half a pie ans a hot dog." said Henry.
"He ate at school." said Emma raising her eyebrows and smircking.
Mary Margaret walked into the Sherif's station.
"Hey! Lunch, Mary Margaret? I'm getting for everyone." said Ruby as she walked to the door.
"Um.....No, I'm not hungry." she said.
Emma smiled and turned to Mary Margaret.
"David's in the woods."
Emma face changed in concern.
"There's something wrong with him. He looked right through me. It's like....... It's like he was a different person."
Emma glanced at Henry then back at Mary Margaret, concerned.
Mary Margaret sighed fearfully.

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Red and Snow still trudged through the snow, the trees growing smaller asthma neared the edge of the forest.
"Here's another one." said Snow. "Right. And then here's......" she stared at the tracks ahead.
"What?" said Snow, stepping beside her.
"This print, it looks like it's half wolf and half boot." she said, examining the priny with her eyes. "See?"
Snow stared at the tracks. "Wolves don't wear boots."
"No, they don't."
They looked ahead.
"And it just continues like it was a man." said Snow.
"Like it was a man and a wolf."
"Red, what kind of monster is this?" They looked at one another, fear in their eyes.

They continued walking through the forest, they were now deeper in it.
"So........." said Red.
"Yeah."
"Wolfstime is once a month. On the full moon. There's a story I heard one, about a creature........" she started.
"Hey. Aren't we awfully close to the cottage?" Snow interupted.
They looked around, following the boot tracks, then ahead of them, in the snowy forest they saw the cottage. They stared at the cottage ahead, their eyes widening.
"Who's gone to your window, Red?"
Her face dropped and tears filled in her eyes.
Snow looked around at her.
Red looked down at the snow by her feet and sighed.
"Is it Peter?...... Red, has he been at your window?"
Red turned her and looked into Snow's face, the fear divulging her face. "Last night....... Before the killings. And he never joined the guys to hunt the wolf."
"But I'm sure he wouldn't have killed them." she said, shaking her head.
"He wouldn't. But when the wolf takes over........"
"What about tonight's hunting party?"
"They're gonna kill him........ Or he's gonna kill them." she breathed heavily, panting.
"It doesn't have to be that way."
"What can we do?" she cryed.
She turned fully to her and took her hands. "Tell him. If he doesn't know, tell him. Tell him. If he'll listen to anyone, if he'll believe anyone, it's you."
"You think I can save him?" tears streamed down her pale face now.
"I think you can save everyone."
"It's gonna be dark soon...... Granny will be out of her mind with worry if we're not home. She'll go out there...... Mary, thus is so bad."
She grasped her hands tightly. "So do something."
"You're right. I have to."

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Ruby walked briskly to Granny's Diner, beaming happily. She then stopped at the door and hesitated. She cleared her face of worry and stepped inside, walking to the counter and stood opposite Granny, smiling. "I need a couple of grilled cheeses. I'm working over at the Sherif's station now...... Sort of like a...... Like a deputy, you know?"
She smiled and nodded, taking down her order, pretending not to care.
"I guess sometimes your fate finds you." she smiled.
"Seems kind of like you're doing the same thing you've always done." she put the order down on the counter next to the kitchen.
Ruby's face grew sad then she lifted her chin. "Plus so much more."
"Hmm....... Those will be right up."
She rowled her eyes a little. "Yeah."
"Tony has to unwrap the cheese slices."
She tapped her fingers on the counter then she smiled. "I help solve crimes."
She nodded ans walked closer to her. "I'm sure you do." she nodded. "I hope you're finding what you're looking for."
"I am." she raised her voice a little and her face grew down.