Children of The Dark One: Rumbelle

Falling

Marion and I sat on the front porch of my house on the porch swing. We were watching the leaves fall from the trees in reds, oranges, and yellows.

I hadn't seen Belle since that Sunday. That's the only time I saw her. It was more then enough. I always hated seeing her, knowing I couldn't have her was torture.

My mind was flooding with thoughts. I wanted to be with my kids. This was their first autumn, and I wouldn't be there with them. I could imagine Belle with Blaze and Hazel, in the yard of the convent, playing in the fallen leaves.

I could always go and take them, but they would surely be under the watchful eye of The Blue Fairy. That awful woman would be more of a parent then I would ever be.

She would be watching my children grow. Surly they had started learning to crawl. They were seven months old now.

"Hey, you okay?"

I looked over at Marion, "Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You looked kinda upset." She tilted her head, trying to get a better look at my expression.

I turned back the the road, "Yes, Marion. I'm fine. It's getting late, maybe you should head home."

"Oh, yeah. I'll see you later, okay?" She stood up and pulled her coat around herself.

"Yes."

When she was in her car, I got up and went inside to go to bed. The only thing I wanted was Belle and my children, and if I couldn't have them, I didn't know what to do anymore.

When I woke up the next morning I checked the alarm clock. 9:48. I was late for work. What was even the point in going in? I had skipped too many days to count already. No one would care if I missed one more.

I drug myself from bed and to the bathroom. I pulled a brush from the cabinet and tugged in through my hair. I tossed the brush in the sink. I hated this brush. Belle had used it. Everything in this house reminded me her. I never wanted to see it again. I wanted to run away from this town, this house, and everything in it, and never look back.

Marion's POV

I waited outside Gold's shop. When the clock tower showed 9:50, I went my car. He wasn't going to show up, again. I couldn't leave him alone at his house. He was alone with his thoughts, and his dagger.

When I got there I knocked, but there wasn't an answer. I pulled out my key and unlocked the door. I walked in calling for him, but didn't get a response.

I walked upstairs to find his bedroom door open. I carefully walked in. He wasn't in there, but the door to the en suite was open too. I stepped in to see him standing at the mirror. His hands were shaking, and I'm one he was holding a pair of silver scissors.

He had already stared cutting his hair, but he had stopped. His hands must have been shaking too bad.

"Here," I took the scissors from him. He didn't fight me, and he didn't look away from himself in the mirror. "Let me."