The Forest (sequel to The Docks, a Once Upon A Time Fanfiction)

Chapter 4

Philip pushed open the giant castle doors and gestured for Corey to go in. She slowly walked into the great hall. She heard Philip close the large door behind them.

"I've been living here all by myself. You have no idea how happy I am to finally have someone else around." Philip said as he walked around lighting all the candles. The room became considerably brighter after each candle was lit. "I mainly live in the great hall." Philip continued. "I don't really have much of a need for the rest of it." Philip said as he gazed around the room. Corey admired the amazing mosaics on the walls. Their were hearts all over but something gave Corey the creepy feeling that the hearts weren't the type you drew on a valentines day card. Philip walked over to a table in the center of the room and stirred something in a pot.

"What's that?" Corey asked as she walked over to Philip.

"Stew, sorry but I'm afraid it's cold." Philip replied as he spooned some into a bowl.

"That's alright. When I was on the seas with my father we lived on cold stew." Corey replied as she took the bowl. "Thank you" she said as she pulled over a chair and sat at the table.

"Do you know how to get back to the enchanted Forrest?" Philip asked. Corey swallowed the bit of stew she had in her mouth.

"No, not exactly but I do know that there are many ways to travel worlds. If the queen was as powerful of a sorceress as you say she was. She should have things that could help us." Corey said as she Looked at the giant cobweb covered staircase leading to the upstairs."Have you ever been up their?" Corey asked.

"Only once when I first went came here. I have never really needed to since." Philip replied.

"Tomorrow we should go up there and see if there is anything that would be helpful." Corey said before she finished the last bit of stew. Philip stood up and picked up a blanket from a chair and brought it over to a couch by the window.

"I'm sorry it won't be the most comfortable thing to sleep on but it's better than nothing at all." Philip said. "We should probably get to sleep." Philip said as he climbed onto a couch on the opposite side of the room and laid down. Corey walked towards the couch Philip had put the blanket on. She laid down and pulled the blanket up. She laid quietly, desperately waiting for sleep. She could hear Philips breathing faintly from across the room. She turned her head To look out the window. All the stars were out. She thought about all the time she had spent helping her father use the stars to navigate. Then she saw a dark shadow fly across the sky. Corey felt goosebumps instantaneously cover her body. She pulled the blanket over her face and hoped the shadow wouldn't see. She felt like a small child hiding from the dark. She felt everything get colder and colder. She knew the shadow was getting closer. Cory mentally slapped herself. She should have realized that he would be able to find her once she stepped foot in a land with strong magic. She had just assumed he had forgotten about her. Corey felt the shadows presence. She knew it was right outside the window. She hoped that the back of the couch was hiding her from view. Then she felt everything grow warm again. But her heart was racing. He knew where she was. The quicker she and Philip could get to the enchanted Forrest the more time she would buy herself. She had hoped he had forgotten or moved on but, apparently not. Corey knew this meant trouble. All she wanted was for sleep to come. Then suddenly her eyelids began to droop.

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"So my little pirate what do you want for your birthday?" Her father asked as he leaned up against the door in her bedroom. Corey sat at her desk as still as a statue. "Please Corey...." Her father begged softly. Ever since Bae had left to go with Peter Pan she had barely spoken a word to him. Hook had hoped that her upcoming birthday would cheer her up. Hook waited in her doorway for another minute but she remained silent. Then right as he went to leave he heard her mumble. "What was that, love?"