Psychotic | OUAT

Chapter 17 - "I'm not even here!"

Atarah was dressed in her leggings and a green tank top, along with a pair of trainers. She liked going for runs through the forest and woods in the dark. Something about runs at night felt peaceful to her. So she was running through trees. She wasn't on the usual track.

She planned on running to the town line and running all the way back. It would probably help clear her head. She was worried that Killian might go after Belle again. Her brother wouldn't listen to her of course. As she was running she felt the presence of being watched again, like back in the enchanted forest.

It made her feel weird and uncomfortable, being watched by something she didn't know. But she just concentrated on running and clearing her mind.

The Lake of Tears
PAST

Atarah emerged from the lake of tears and went from a swan walking towards a bush, to a little girl walking to a bush, naked. She quickly dashed into the bush and pulled on her clothes. She put on her cloak and walked out of the bush, fixing her hair.

She walked on the path that winded through the trees. It was pitch black and was probably deep into the night. She pulled her cloak around her tighter and carried on walking, trying to ignore the weird noises she heard.

Coincidentally, the Lake of Tears was in the middle of the Forest of Fear. To take her mind off of the forests around her she thought about her family. About who her family might be and if she would ever meet them. To the 7 year old, that was her only hope. Her only wish. But her one fear was that they gave her away on purpose because she wasn't good enough.

However, she was pulled from her thoughts when a few men and two boys walked down the path towards her. She could tell they were confused why a little girl was walking towards them.

"Boy, speak to the girl!" A nasty looking man ordered him. The older boy urged the smaller boy to go towards the girl while the men and other boy stayed in their place.

The older boy slowly approached her, though he looked a little nervous. He crouched down beside her. "Hey, What are you doing out here alone?" The boy asked her. She noted he had raven black hair like her and she smiled brightly at the older boy, making him smile at her. Her smile was contagious.

The boy looked at the girl that looked about 7 and saw that she had raven hair. He knew his little sister was supposed to be 7 now, but she was kidnapped long ago. "I was at the lake of tears! My mother didn't come because she doesn't like it, so I came alone. I must have lost track of time!" She lied to the older boy.

He nodded and went to tell the others. He cane back. "What is your name?" He asked the younger girl.

She couldn't tell him her real name. "I'm Odette!" She smiled lightly hoping he wouldn't see the lie. Luckily he didn't.

"Well, Odette! Can you take us there?" He asked her.

"Sure!" She said with a happy and childish giggle. "Follow me!" She said and she spun around and lead the men to the lake. Once they arrived they all went forwards and took some water into their flasks. She had no idea what they were doing but she shrugged it off, it wasn't that important.

Storybrooke
PRESENT

She was getting closer to the town line. She was beginning to become quite cold from the wind. But she ignored it and carried on running. There's nothing she could do, she was almost at the town line.

Once she reached it she stopped on a rock to catch her breath. For some reason she seemed on edge. She felt like something was going to happen, she just didn't know what. She closed her eyes and felt the wind blow her hair behind her and felt it against her skin.