Forest of Fireflies

Chapter 34

(Regina's POV)

My eyes fluttered open and I sat up slowly. I looked around the room I was in, noting it's pale grey colour scheme. I put my hands onto the bed that I was sitting on, suddenly feeling the realisation rush into me. I smirked and rolled my head around, only to notice that it felt lighter. Instantly, my hands shot up to my new medium length hair and brushed it back.

I pushed back the covers of the bed and hopped out into the cool air. Then, I padded across the plush carpet towards the window. Looking out, my eyes swept over a strange town, with buildings packed very densely together. I let a wide grin dominate my face. I did it!

But something was missing. It wasn't the cold air that made me feel empty...I turned around abruptly and felt an invisible wind knock the breath out of my body. Daniella! Where is she?!

Immediately, I rushed out of the room and around the mansion, calling out, "Daniella? Firefly? Are you here? Please don't scare Mama..."

I was about to go downstairs when my memories started to kick in. The fake memories of this world. Oh no, no, no!

I felt tears well up in my eyes as I sped back to my room to get changed. Daniella was at the hospital because of her unconscious state when she first arrived at the land without magic...at Storybrooke.

I quickly got changed into the black dress and black trench coat. After I waved my hand over my face to do my makeup, I felt stupid in doing so... ugh, there's no magic in this land.

I grunted and rushed through my makeup process, smudging a bit of eyeliner; but it didn't matter. Then, I made my way out of the house and into my...car.

It felt weird, driving in the streets since my false memories told me that it was part of everyday life. However, the truth was that I had never driven a car and was in the streets of this new realm for the first time. Soon, these feelings of confusion were overtaken with worry. I let my subconscious memory bring the car to the hospital and after perhaps fifteen minutes, I had arrived outside a square block building.

I ran into the reception in a hurry and demanded, "Where's my daughter?"

The lady looked at me weirdly as she stammered a reply, "Uh, Madam Mayor, she's where she always has been."

Even though I felt my cheeks blush with embarrassment, I rolled my eyes and commanded, "Well? Surely you would know where she is then..."

The lady stood up and took me past hallways until we reached a room that was separated from the other patients. Pushing open the glass doors, the receptionist lead me in and gestured towards a bed, "Here's your daughter. She got moved into the coma patient ward a week ago remember?"

My mouth gaped open at Daniella's fragile body which lay hooked up to machines on either side of her bed. Behind me, the lady muttered, "I'll leave you to it then, have a nice day, Madam Mayor."

I nodded briefly and waited for the lady to leave before I rushed to Daniella's side. My hands shook as they stroked her pale face. Quietly, I murmured, "Daniella...no, no, no, no, please don't tell me that you're not going to wake up....Firefly? I thought we would be happy here. We were supposed to be happy here."

My breath hitched as tears started falling down my cheeks. "Daniella...."

I inhaled shakily before wrapping my body around my daughter's. I held her close to me for several minutes until I was ready to let ago. To be honest, I'll never be able to let go. Nevertheless, I gently laid Daniella back onto the bed. "Mama's going to wake you up, firefly. I promise."