Welcome to a Nightmare

Chapter 11: Darkened Soul

"What are we doing here?" Henry asks, removing his helmet as Violet pulls her bike to a stop in front of The Rabbit Hole bar. He'd known about this place for as long as he'd lived in Storybrooke, it was right next to Archie's psychiatry office, but both his mothers kept him as far away from it as possible because of how seedy the place could be. After all, there were often pirates, outlaws, and Vikings that frequented the location when looking for a quick drink, no place for a 14-year-old to be hanging out, let alone two. And if the city is as bad as Violet says it is, this place is even more dangerous than before.

"Why do you think people come to bars?" Violet asks, letting her purple hair blowing in the wind. Henry's heart is set aflutter at this vision of his girlfriend in this cool and collected state. He continues to stare at her, until she glares at him, signalling to him that he was being creepy.

"But it's against the law for us to drink," he protests.

"Are you stupid or something? There's no law around here, the cops don't care if a two-year-old is sitting in there sucking on a beer bottle. Besides, I thought you were cool."

This takes the teenager by surprise and he swallows hard. He doesn't want to lose Violet already. They had started to make a connection, despite how conflicting her new personality was. It's hard for Henry to picture her as something other than the sweet, demure daughter of a knight he'd met in Camelot. He knows he shouldn't be taken in by peer pressure, something his mom Regina had warned him about, but at this moment... he just wants to be with his girlfriend, he doesn't want to lose her, and therefore, he's going to have to give in to that pressure. Besides, who would find out anyway?

"I...I am cool, I just usually don't go to this bar. S-Since I live in that casino hotel with my..." he swallows hard at the thought of thinking of Fiona as his mother. "Mom, so there are bars everywhere and I can get a drink whenever I want."

"Sweet," her brown eyes light up in excitement. "That means your liquor is so much better than this place. You are so lucky Henry, I usually have to hide in the alleyway to drink my booze."

"But I thought you said the cops didn't care?" he asks in confusion.

"They don't, and the owner of the bar is a friend of mine, so usually it doesn't matter, but social services do and if they see me drinking, they'll send me to juvie."

The young author nods as if he understood.

"Come on back, the owner starts her shift right about now and I always get the pick of the bottles."

The biker girl and the "reluctant rebel" make their way around to the alleyway beside the bar, next to the Purbeck Shoe Store and Archie's Psychiatry office. They come to the door that likely leads to the kitchen because of the sound of the dishes clattering and fried food sizzling on the grill. Violet gives five knocks in a distinct pattern. The two wait a few moments until the door opens to a surprise that completely floors Henry.

Standing in the doorway is his mother, Regina Mills... Except she doesn't look like his strong, confident, and edgy mother he's used to, who always wears strong makeup and pantsuits. Instead, he sees a broken and tired-looking woman. There are deep dark circles under her eyes, indicating she's had very little sleep for a long time, her usually perfectly styled dark brown hair is now pulled up into a messy ponytail and she's wearing a dirty and stained t-shirt with torn jeans. Her once proud and queenly posture has given way to slumped shoulders as if she's been carrying a heavy burden for a long time and there's no trace of a smile at all. She wears big hoop earrings, long silver chains and rings on her fingers, along with boots with chains around the ankles, as if signifying she's a prisoner of some kind... which she likely was.