run boy run ✦ once upon a time

chapter 15 ✦ hauntings

I sat back against Pan's desk and stared at the floor of his tent. My eyes trailed over to a bookshelf and they scanned the variety of books, sorting from magical spells to what seemed like storybooks. My eyes stopped on Pan's sleeping face. He was laid back on his cot, which was a similar one to mine in the tent I had back at my camp. I could tell by the movement from under his eyelids that he was dreaming. What could a monster like him dream about? Mass destruction? The blood of his enemies? A way to kill me? Ironic huh? He dreamt in a place where anything can be real even dreams. He looked so peaceful and at ease. What made this boy so evil? I sighed and banged my head, lightly on the side of his desk. It made a little noise and Pan shuffled in his sleep. I studied his face and couldn't help but smile. I began to doze off to the sound of wildlife outside of the tent.

My eyes opened and everything was murky. The underwater life soon showed itself and I squinted my eyes in the water, whipping around to all sides of the ocean, which surrounded me. I pushed my arms down and started to swim up. My lungs were collapsing from the low supply of oxygen. I gasped for air when I sprung up from the water, coughing everything out. I was surprised to see a ship right in front of me. I saw a rope and swam over to it. I grabbed it and started to climb. I finally got to the top and everything was familiar. It was the Jolly Roger.

"Milah! What happened!?" One of the crewmembers asked and I snapped my head over to the person.

"Get me that prisoner from below deck." A female said. I stared at her and it was my mother. She wore her usual outfit and I smiled, remembering how much I loved it. My father showed her up to the main deck and they watched as the crew scattered around.

"Well, well, seems like you finally found a family that you could never have with me." Rumpelstiltskin took a big stride on the deck and Mother glared at him.

"Alright!" A crewmember shouted, carrying up a man from below deck. He was tied up and I recognized him as Mr. Smee. He had a cloth gag in his mouth and it was secured on his head along with his cuffed hands. "Get your sorry arse up there!" Father looked at him and grabbed his hand, taking the pouch from him. Father tossed it to my mother and she gripped it in her hand, rushing over to The Dark One. She dug her hand in the pouch and pulled it out to reveal a bean. Rumpelstiltskin reached out for it but Mother dodged him and threw it to my Father. He caught it and held it in his fist.

"You asked to see it and now you have," Father explained. Rumpelstiltskin glared at him and turned to Mother.

"Do we have a deal? Can we go our separate ways?" She asked. I finally realized two things. No one could see me and this was my mother's death.

"You mean do I forgive you? Can I move on?" Rumple pondered. He walked past Mother. "Can I forget the past? I can you are truly in love."

"Thank you." She thanked. She turned to my father but, stopped when Rumple called her.

"Just one question!" Rumple shouted.

"What do you want to know?" She asked.

"How could you leave Bae?" He hissed. I froze. Baelfire. He's my brother or half-brother. What the hell? The wind started to pick up and a sound rang out. A rope untied itself and flew past everyone. "Do you know what's it like walking home that night-"

"Rumple. Please" She begged.

"Knowing I had to tell our son -" He continued.

"Please." She pleaded.

"That his mother is dead." He finished.

"It was wrong to lie to you but-" She was cut off by a little voice.