Cursed Hearts

Ghosts of the Damned

Footsteps thudded against the grass, over and over again until he collided with his daughter, his arms holding her tight. Will and Ruby followed, holding one another close in a state of disbelief. Everything came together in a joyous rush- it took a moment for the reality to set in, each second more treasured than the last.

"I knew you'd be here, I just knew it!" Caroline exclaimed, hugging her father fervently. Tears had quickly began to form in her soft brown eyes; her one wish had come true.

Will felt the physical release of his stress and anxiety as soon as he had Ruby in his arms. The emotions were intense, especially with the setting sun casting a golden hue. The surrealism of it all was diminished, however, when he noticed the blood staining her sleeve.

"Oh my g- this looks really bad!" He exclaimed, earning the attention of Robin and Caroline. Even Zelena's attention was spiked by his alarming words, shielding her eyes to block out the sunlight as she watched the four of them assess her wound. She was distanced from the welcoming reunion, just as she knew she would be. The journey had been exhausting, and the relief of getting to their destination was the only thing on her mind.

Turning away from the group, Zelena glanced up at the looming house, her eyes full of curiosity. By the look of it, the property was uninhabited. A ghostly aura indicated years of absence, vines of ivy clung to the side of the house in a tangled mess. She found herself traveling around the perimeter, lost in wonder at the sight. When she arrived at the grand front entrance, something unusual caught her eye- a sigil marked both of the doorknobs, one that was familiar to her.

Zelena immediately began laughing, finding it impossible to control her emotions. Her hysterics eventually caught the attention of the others, who charged over to find her laughing so hard she could barely stand straight.

"What the hell?" Robin asked, looking at her like she was absolutely insane.

She forced her laughter to subside, shaking her head at the irony of the situation. Pointing towards the door, Zelena glanced towards Robin.

"Do you know who this sigil belongs to?" She asked, her eyes widening with surprise when he failed to answer. "Caroline, any idea?"

The girl shook her head, mirroring her father's perplexed expression.

"Absolutely astonishing," Zelena remarked, her voice tightening in sudden anger, "she really kept who she was hidden from all of you."

"Zelena, what are you talking about?"

"This was her house! This is where she grew up!" She exclaimed, shocked by her own words, "that's the Mills family crest. I've seen it about a thousand times through my magic mirror."

Nobody knew how to respond, they stared up at the house as if it would animate at any second.

"What on earth are we doing standing around here for?" Will asked, "obviously whatever's in there is key to getting us out of here."

Glancing more closely at the door, Zelena couldn't help but let out a sly smile. "By all means, have at it."

Before anyone could stop him, Will reached for the door, immediately receiving a shock that blew him back into the air and flat on his back. Ruby and Robin were quick to help him to his feet.

"Cora Mills probably hated this house, but that didn't stop her from enchanting every inch of it," Zelena told them, slowly extending her arm towards the knob. It was her moment of truth, something she had been yearning for ever since she learned about who she was. The knob turned, and the door opened.

"That's the welcome I was hoping for," she remarked, taking the first steps in.

The air was heavy and untouched, the stillness of everything quickly disrupted by the five individuals who entered. Robin was alarmed by the simplicity of the decorations- only a few sparsely placed items covered the shelves, no signs of any family living there. It felt wrong to walk where his wife once existed, he couldn't find the headspace to fully register the situation they had entered.