Loose ｡ Henry Mills [2]

19 - ALICE IN THE UNDERWORLD

　
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER FEATURES SUICIDAL THEMES! Please proceed with caution.

　
　

"Alice?"

The woman stepped forward and wrapped the teenage girl in her arms, relieved to see her but Teresa didn't hug back, too shocked that Alice had survived her fall into the River of Souls to do anything but stare with wide eyes.

When Alice drew back, her smiled vanished. "I take it from the look on your face that Killian told you what happened to me?"

"He said that you fell into the River of Souls."

"He's not wrong."

The platinum-blonde shook her head. "If he's right, then how are you even alive? Is Milah okay?"

Alice smirked. "Technically I am dead, but I take your meaning. And no, unfortunately Milah did not survive her fall."

"How did you?" Teresa interrogated.

"It's a long story." Alice motioned toward the door. "Why don't we go for a walk, Teresa? I'll tell it to you. Besides, you look as though you could use some fresh air."

Teresa hesitated. She glanced toward the booth she once sat at with Henry, a sense of longing burrowing in her heart before she turned to look at Alice. With a nod, she followed her outside.

As they walked down the sidewalk, Alice explained how she survived with a clear of her throat. "When I fell into the River of Souls, it was painful. It was like drowning in acid, and your entire body is paralyzed. You can't move. You can't scream. You can't think of anything else but the pain."

Teresa noticed the pained look in her eyes and frowned. No one can lie of such pain, and as far as she was aware, Alice was kind. One of the kindest people in the world, according to Henry Mills, so she at least knew that Alice wasn't lying to her.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, not knowing what else to say.

"It's alright," Alice shrugged. "The pain felt as though it lasted forever, but suddenly there was this bright light. Like the sun breaking through the clouds after a long storm. It was so bright that I had to close my eyes, and when I opened them, I wasn't drowning anymore. There was no pain, no water. I was free. I didn't know how until he said my name."

Teresa furrowed her brows. "He?"

"Merlin."

She stopped walking, cerulean-blue eyes growing in size. Teresa seized her wrist, stopping her from walking. "Merlin? The Merlin?"

Alice nodded. "The one and only. He told me I had to save Killian by falling into the River of Souls that day, but that drowning for eternity wasn't my destiny. Merlin said I had a different path and a bright future ahead of me, but that I had to wait until you died."

"Hold on." Teresa's nostrils flared, her anger spiking. "You mean to tell me that Merlin knew I was going to die all this time? That he knew Hyde would take over Storybrooke and bring my murderer to town?"

"Yes."

Teresa was angry. She had never felt so betrayed in her life. When she asked Merlin about her prophecy with Henry, he never once mentioned that she would die within the same year. How could he not tell her? It seemed like a pretty important fact to know, for they could have prevented everything, but Merlin allowed it all to happen. And here she had thought he was good man that she had trusted.

"I know you're angry, Teresa, but we have to focus on the task at hand."

"Yeah and what's that?" Teresa snapped. Her fists were covered with frost and flakes of snowed danced around her head.