Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 118 - Emma And Pinocchio

A soft wind blew through the peaceful, bright woods with birds chirping and the earthen ground sprinkled with snow.
Suddenly there was a loud rumbling sound and the wind around a isolated tree became stronger. Then there was an invisible blast and part of the tree trunk was blow away. Mist surrounded, the beautiful tree with a hole in the trunk and inside the tree Pinocchio sat, his hands around his knees as he shook fearfully. Then he looked out and peered from inside the trunk. He jumped from the tree and gazed around the coniferous forest, breathing heavily I fear. Then, above, in the bright white sky he heard a roaring, loud whooshing sound. He looked up, cowering behind his hand to see an aeroplane fly low, accross the sky. He watched it go fearfully then ran back to the tree, attempted to crawl back inside but he was blasted back by another invisible force. He fell back onto the earthen ground, his hat fallen from hie head, his eyes shut.
In his mind came back images and memories from his past. He lay in his father's arms by the shore as a real boy, his father's voice saying, "You must look out for this child in this new land." He sat in the workshop with Geppetto and Jiminy, fixing the clock. "Promise me you'll do that. That is the only way we'll see each other again." He stood with his father and he shut the wooden doors in on him as he sat tear stained in the wardrobe.
His eyes flickered open and he gazed up at the trees against the white sky. He stumbled to his feet and picked up his red hat and pulling it on his head. Then another invisible force came from the tree and it unbalanced him, almost knocking coking him to his feet again.
The cry of a baby came from the tree and Pinocchio walked slowly towards it, seeing baby Emma wrapped in her white blanket in the tree trunk. He picked her up and held her in hid little arms. He shushed softly to her, but she continued crying in his arms. He gazed around fearfully at the big, wide, unknown world ahead, with Emma under his wing.

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

August lead Emma through the dark forest.
"Why are we in the woods?" Emma asked.
"All the answers you've been searching for are right where I found you." explained August.
"See, you're not that seven year old boy. I wasn't found in the woods. I was found on the side of a highway."
He turned his head to look at her as they walked along through the dark. "Why do you think that? Because you read it in the newspaper? Did it ever occur to you that maybe that seven year old boy lied about where he found you?"
She rowled her eyes. "No. But it occurs to me that you've been lying to me about everything. And I'm done listening." she turned around and began to walk away out of the forest.
August turned ans watched her walk for a moment. "When I found you, you were wrapped in a blanket........"
She stopped in her tracks.
".......... And the name Emma was embroidered along the bottom of it."
She turned around and spelled from behind a tree so she could see August.
"That wasn't in the article, was it?"
"How would I know that, unless I was there?"
She stepped a little closer. "Okay. Let's say you were thar kid. Why lie about where you found me?"
"I lied to protect you."
"From what?"
He pointed to a tree with a hole in the trunk behind him. "That."
Emma looked at him and the tree, perplexed. "A tree?"
"You've read Henry's book, right?"
She scoffed, beyond frustration.
"You know about the curse, don't you? Your role in it? It's true, Emma. We both came into this world......" he turned and stepped closer to the isolated tree, gazing up at it. ".........through this tree.
Emma walked towards the tree and stood next to him. "You're asking me to believe that you are a fairy tale character?"
"Pinocchio."
"Right, of course, Pinocchio." she chuckled a little then her face fell. "Explains all the lying."
He looked up at tree again.
Her face changed in realisation. "You're the one who added the story to Henry's book."
"I needed you to know the truth."
"The truth is you're out of your mind. And you're not even a very good liar. Why not write the end of that story?"
"Because this is the ending. And we're writing it right now."
"And how does this story end?"
"With you believing."
Emma tilted her head a little and shook her head. "Not gonna happen."
August's face fell, disappointed and Emma turned and began to walk away yet again. He watched her go, fear now in his sparkling blue eyes.
He ran after her, through the forest. "Emma? Emma, wait." he called after her, then he stopped suddenly, bending forward and holding his leg in pain, then with that he fell back against the earthen ground with a thud and a groan.
Emma turned around when she heard him hit the ground a little behind her.
He winced and groaned on the earthen ground, his leg shaking.
"What is wrong without leg?" she demanded loudly walking slowly towards him.
He coughed and laughed pitifully to himself. "I failed."
"What are you talking about?"
"It doesn't matter. You don't believe." He rowled onto his side and attempted to sit up.
Emma stomped towards him. "If you think that by making me feel sorry for you that something is gonna change, you are wrong."
Then he stumbled quickly to his feet. "I'm not screwing around here. Whatever you believe or don't, this is real, Emma. I am sick." he pointed to his leg.
"That's an understatement."
"You ever been to Phuket?" he asked, bending forward with the pain in his leg. "It's beautiful. Amazing island. Full of pleasures, the perfect place to lose oneself. That's where I was, when you decided to stay in Storybrooke." he said, panting heavily.
"How do you know when I decided to stay in Storybrooke?"
"Because at 8:15 in the morning, I woke up with a shooting pain in my leg. That's 8:15 at night in Storybrooke. Sound familiar? That's when time there started to move forward again."
Emma stared at him, shocked at how much he knew about her.
"I was supposed to be there for you, and I wasn't." he breathed. He stood straight now, then leaned against a stomp. "Because I was halfway around the world, I got a painful reminder just how far I had strayed. If that tree won't make you believe, maybe this will." he bent down and pulled up his black trouser leg to reveal a wooden leg. He looked up at her.
Emma stepped closer to him and looked down at his leg, only seeing a leg of pale flesh. "How does that prove anything?"
He glanced down at his leg again. "Look."
"August, I'm looking."
"You don't see it, do you?"
"See what?"
"Your denial is more powerful than I thought. It's preventing you from seeing truth."
"Okay, one of us is losing it here. And it's not me."
"You don't want to believe." He let out. "After everything you've seen, why can't you just do it?"
"Why is it so important to you that I do?" she said loudly.
"Because I, the town, everyone needs you." he shouted.
"I don't want them to need me."
"Well, that's too bad because we all do."
"You are saying that I am responsible for everyone's happiness?" she shouted. "That is crap. I didn't ask for that. I don't want that!" tears came to her eyes as she yelled at him.
"Right now. A little while ago you didn't want Henry either. But then he came to you and now you are fighting like he'll for him."
"For him!" she cryed. "Because that is all I can handle right now. And I'm not even doing a good job of that. Now you're telling me I have to save everyone? That is beyond ridiculous. I don't want any of it."
"Well, that's too bad, Emma." he stood up. "Because that doesn't change the truth." he stepped closer to her. "You're our only hope."
She breathed heavily. "Then you're all screwed." tears rowled from her eyes and she turned away, walking from the forest, leaving August alone, at loss of what to do knowing he had failed.