Prologue:
"Please stop, please." She begged when she finally caught up to him. He paused and turned to her. The baby girl cradled in his arms, still sound asleep. He glared.
"I thought you wanted to get rid of the child. I did as you wished, why are you so desperate?"
"I want her back. I was irritated, I wasn't thinking straight. But now I see that I need her. Please, give her back to me."
The man laughed. "You truly think that after you have given her to me, you can take her back just like that? You are truly mistaken my fair lady."
The mother looked down. "What do I need to do?" She whispered.
"Go home, forget you ever had a child. Go on as normal as you can. The child was nothing more than a dream. Go, go live like you always wanted to live....free." His voice was soothing, but his tongue was like a tongue of a snake.
The mother's eyes swelled up with tears. She stretched her arms out reaching for the baby girl. The man turned as if it was his tresaure and she was trying to still it. He shook his finger tssking at her.
"Please." She begged.
You would think that this man had a heart of stone; but low and behold, he couldn't stand to see tears. "Ooph! If you stop crying I'll give you a chance to get her back."
Almost immediately the mother stopped crying. The man nodded. "Here is what you need to do...guess my name."
"What?"
"Guess my name."
The mother looked at him dumbfounded. "What kind of evil trick are you playing?"
The man shrugged. " Want your baby or what?"
She stood silently for a moment then drew on a deep breath. " Do I get any clues?"
He shook his head.
" Beuford?" She asked.
He shook his head.
" Norman, Richard, Hiddac, Regan, Matthew, Jason......" She rambled off frantically but her list ended when he put his hand up. An evil grin spread across his face.
"Rupelstiltskin." Was all he said then he disappeared into the darkness.
