A Smaller Savior

8 - Escape

"We're from upstate so Mr. Douglas will be meeting us in a little while and we'll transfer you into his custody," one of the officers informed Emma. She stared out the window as dread filled her. She thought she would have the entire ride back to Boston to prepare herself. She would be surprised now if she even made it back to Boston.

The officers tried to draw Emma into conversation but she just ignored them lost in her thoughts. What if she was delusional? What if the curse doesn't exist? Emma wondered if she just wanted to find her real parents so bad she invented the whole thing.

She was drawn out of her thoughts when the car pulled off and into a gas station. A familiar brown sedan sat waiting off to the side of the parking lot. Emma couldn't stop the shaking that began at the sight of it. The officer driving pulled the car right up beside the sedan.

Mr. Douglas got of the car looking exactly as Emma remembered. A smile was plastered on his face as he thanked the cops for finding her but Emma saw the truth in his eyes. The disdain. The anger. The sadist himself opened her door and helped her out. She grimaced when he touched her pulling away as soon as she could.

"Stay out of trouble now," the officer told her as they got in their car. Emma watched them hopelessly as they drove away.

A hand grabbed her arm as soon as they were out of sight. The grip tightened making her wince. She glanced at Mr. Douglas to see him scowling down at her.

"Come on, girl," he said practically throwing her into his car. "It's time to finish what we started."

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Mary Margaret sat at her kitchen counter sipping some tea. Her thoughts kept going back to Emma. She wondered if she did the right thing letting her go. What if Emma was telling the truth? Was she in danger in that home? Is that why she ran in the first place?

She thought back on the small girl's behavior, the nightmares, the wariness. It could have been nothing or it could have been the product of being a victim of abuse. She was concerned about the young girl. A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. She set the mug of tea down carefully on the counter before making her way to the door. She was shocked to see Regina standing on the other side. She had never been on the best terms with the mayor.

"Hello," Regina greeted. She was holding a plate of something in her hands. "I just wanted to apologize for all the drama earlier." She handed the plate to Mary Margaret.

"Regina, you shouldn't have," Mary Margaret said trying to hand the plate back but Regina wouldn't take it.

"No, I insist. I was baking apple turnovers for the bake sale and ended up making too much. I won't eat them so they'll just go to waste with me."

"Well, if you insist," Mary Margaret said taking a firm hold of the plate. They did look delicious. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Regina replied. "I have a meeting I have to get to, enjoy." She left before Mary Margaret could reply. She shut the door and brought the plate of apple turnovers inside. She wasn't really hungry right now so she decided to have them as dessert after dinner.

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It was hard to breathe. It was even harder to move. Emma limped along making her way down the road. She stayed in the ditch that ran along the road in order to stay out of sight. One arm wrapped around her middle, she trudged along.