One Call Away

Chapter 4

I rushed up the stairs of the hotel and threw my few belongings in my bag. "Enough," I murmured to myself. "I've had enough." I zipped the small suitcase holding my few belongings and quickly returned my room key to Granny. "Leaving so soon?" she asked as I dropped the key on the front desk and rushed for the door. "Yeah," I replied, turning to meet her puzzled eyes. "I'm sorry. This town just isn't for me." With that, I threw open the door and let it slam behind me.

I pushed past everyone walking the street that night, though it was very few, in a hurry to get to my car. When I was finally reunited with the yellow bug I called home, I threw up the trunk, sloppily tossed in my belongings, and slammed the door back down. I jumped as I saw a smug-looking Mayor Regina, her boyfriend, and a wide-eyed Henry standing parallel to my car. "Not cool, lady," I muttered, placing my hand over my heart to calm the rapid beating. "Well, Miss Swan, I see you've finally decided-" "You're leaving?" Henry demanded of me, breaking loose from his mother's side and latching on to mine. Regina's teeth clenched in anger. "You can't leave," he insisted, pressed against my side. "Please don't leave me with her." "That's enough, Henry," Graham said, peeling the boy off of me and placing firm hand's on his shoulders. "I hope you've enjoyed your stay, Emma," he said, smiling pleasantly at me. Regina grabbed her son by the arm and jerked him beside her. Henry winced. "It's definitely been interesting," I replied. "I'd hate to cut your little conversation short," Regina said loudly. "But that's exactly what I'm going to do." She released Henry's wrist and advanced towards me. "Miss Swan, you can go now." "Please don't!" Henry shouted from his place beside Graham. Regina's eyes narrowed and she whipped around to face her son. "Henry Daniel Mills, you will stop this nonsense this instant!" she yelled. The few pedestrians walking the streets turned to stare. "Emma, I told you she was evil!" Henry called out to me, straining to meet my eyes due to his mother standing in the way. He looked from me to Regina, his face wrinkling in anger as he looked upon her. "Let her stay or I'll tell everyone who you really are!" "Henry," Regina said warningly. "I mean it!" her son persisted. "Tell her she can stay or your secret's out!" Regina placed her hands on her hips and knelt down to her son's level. "Henry, enough. There's no secret to be revealed and you know it." "I will tell," Henry repeated, ignoring her words. Graham stood idly by, watching the chaos unfold. "There's nothing to tell!" Regina cried. Her voice was strained and high-pitched, and she almost sounded as if she were pleading with her son. I remembered what Henry had told me in the diner a few days ago; "She's evil." The two were quiet for a moment, Henry's face trembling with anger, Regina's desperate and pleading. She looked as if she were about to cry. "Okay then," I said, walking to my car and opening the door. "I'll just be going." Right as I ducked my head under to get in, Henry yanked away from Graham. "Fine," he said to Regina. "If you won't tell them who you really are, I guess I'll just have to show them." With that, he took off running towards the clock tower in the middle of town. Regina's eyes widened as she looked from me to her boyfriend, then took off running after her son, shouting, "Henry!" Graham groaned, tossing his head back, then running after them. Not wanting to miss a good show, I myself began running, going on what would become the oddest chase I'd ever been on.

We followed Henry to some double doors under the clock tower, what appeared to be a library, Regina still pleading with her son to stop the entire way. Henry persisted, however, throwing open the doors and disappearing inside. After stopping to catch her breath, Graham waiting obediently by her side, Regina slammed the door open and took off running. "I know exactly where he's going," she shouted, her voice shaky as she scurried up a winding, black staircase. We finally caught up with Henry at the top of the clock tower, finding him in a room filled with gears and pulleys. "Are we...inside the clock?" I whispered to Graham, who solemnly nodded. "Henry, please," Regina pleaded, holding up her hands. "Miss Swan can stay." She looked back at me with assurance. "She can stay as long as she wants." Henry didn't budge as he stood by the glass face of the ticking clock, his face cold and hard. "Just please don't do this." "You should have told the truth," Henry scowled at her. He then angled himself in front of the face of the clock and threw himself through the glass, hurtling towards the ground. "No!" I screamed, running towards the gaping, shattered hole. "Henry!" Graham shouted, following me. Regina stood calmly as she had before, sighing before raising a hand out in front of her. Ignoring mine and Graham's looks of disbelief, she stared out into the night, her hand trembling. Then, right before our eyes, Henry floated back through the broken clock, in one piece and with not even a scrape. He also looked rather satisfied. I stared down at the ground below in shock, expecting to see the lifeless body of Henry, but then realizing he was actually alright, and standing there in front of me. Without a second thought, I ran over to him and engulfed him into a big hug. "Kid, what the hell is wrong with you?" I demanded, nuzzling my face into his shoulder. When the reality that he was okay set in, I glared up at Regina. "What the hell did you do?" Graham stood shocked over in the corner, unable to speak. "What did you do?" I demanded again, shouting louder this time. Regina sighed calmly and began to make her way down the stairs. I pushed Henry away and darted after her, her pace increasing. Right before she put her hand on the door to leave, I grabbed her wrist. "What did you do?" I demanded again. "To Henry, to Graham...to this town, for God's sake!" I squeezed her arm and moved my face closer to her's, our noses almost touching. "Because I promise you, Madam Mayor, I will stay put in this town till I'm on my deathbed before I leave here without answers."