"Mabel and rumpy Mabel and rumpy you used to love me you used love me"
"You know me I know you"
"You feed the madness and it feeds on you"
"You were taken away on that day"
"She took my Mabel away, she locks me up in a cage"
"I kept you safe I kept you warm, but she was too fast for me to warn"
The endless rambling, repeating, and rhyming of nonsensical things has left Nora dizzy with annoyance. She has told him at least a billion times her name was Nora not Mable. She had tried to tell him that she had never met him before and he must have her confused with someone else. She had come to a point now where she didn't know what she wanted more; to kill him, or to be killed herself. He had just started up again and Nora couldn't take it.
"SHUT UP!" She screams. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Rumple made a sound between a whine and a laugh and Nora almost bursted out into tears. Sitting on the steps, head leaned against the wood, she just wanted to go back to her crappy apartment in New York, at least Henry had been there. She wondered what he was doing and how he was doing. She wished she could tell them everything she knew, though it wasn't much. Nora wished a lot of things but none of her wishes ever came true and she had given up on that a long time ago.
Rumple starts moving around in his cage, Nora looks up half-heartedly. She was tired, really tired. She watches him as he stands up and blows the lock off his cage with magic. Squealing, Nora hops up. She had been a little afraid of him before, but outside of his cage there was no telling what this lunatic could do. He turns to her, most of the crazy gone from his eyes.
"Come Mable, the voices are quiet. We must escape." Nora shakes her head fervently as she approaches her.
"I'm not going anywhere with you! Are you crazy!?" She laughs humorlessly. "Never mind that, obviously you are." He stumbles closer grabbing on to Nora's arm. She screams and tries to wrench away from him.
"WE MUST GO, MABLE!" He yells, trying to pick her up. She screams again and thrashes around.
"LET GO OF ME!" She yells the sleeve of her shirt tearing as she tries so get away from him. She kicks him and stomach and he drops her like a sack, cursing under his breath. He goes to say something else, his eyes desperate and pleading but Nora just separates herself from him, hiding underneath the stairs.
"Mabel, dear,I can't lose you again." Nora claps her hands over her ears.
"I DON'T KNOW YOU! NOW IF YOU WANT ZELENA TO CATCH YOU AND BE PUNISHED THATS YOU! SHE WANTS TO KILL ME! I'M EXPENDABLE! SO IM SURE AS HELL NOT RUNNING AWAY WHEN I'M SURELY GOING TO BE CAUGHT AND KILLED!" Rumple babbles under his breath as he leaves her, climbing the steps hurriedly. Dust rattles down on to her, as she lets out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. Her head leans back onto the wall behind her and she lets silence and darkness settle over the cellar. Nora knows it won't be long until Zelena comes looking for him, so she grabs a wooden plank, but stays hidden under the steps. She just know feels the bruises rising from where the man grabbed her and the scrates on her arms and neck. Her shirt is torn in a few places from the struggle and her hair and eyes wild. She probably didn't smell the best due to not showering for days.
A part of Nora wants to take off, see how far she can make it before Zelena catches her and kills her slowly. But her mind and fear roots her to her perch under the steps. Seconds blend to minutes, minutes to hours, but she really has no clue how much time passes before she hears talking outside, and tenses. There are several people outside. Though she doesn't recognize Zelena's voice it doesn't mean she's safe. Squatting underneath the steps, ready to pounce, she hears the cellar doors open and feet start to descend them. When they walk on the steps over her, Nora involuntarily flinched. She tightens her grip on the wood and when they start talking she slips out from under the steps. They turn on the light and out of fear the only thing Nora can do is pull the wood behind her head and smack it against the tall dark haired man's head, who is dressed in a long leather jacket. He curses his accent rolling off his tongue like Honey.
"BLOODY HELL!?" He yells as all of them swivel around just in time to see Nora darting up the steps. Emma's eyes widen as Regina rolls her eyes as uses her magic to shut the cellar doors. Killian rubs his head, sword at the ready, and David just stands there. Nora sees the cellar doors shut and her hope deflates. She's trapped, without a weapon. She tries to push the cellar doors open but it's useless.
"You're not going anywhere." Regina says walking towards the bottom of the steps with Emma, hands a blaze. "You, Turn around."
Nora recognizes that voice, Emma? She really really really doesn't want to turn around.
"I said turn around." Emma repeats like Nora didn't hear her the first time. With a sigh she turns around. Emma's face contorts into one of confusion as Regina chuckles humorlessly.
"You let yourself get hit in the head by a child, Hook?" Hook looks over the child as does David.
"Hi?" Nora tries, as she keeps her back to the cellar doors, unknowingly her hands a glow behind her.
"Nora?!" Emma says her face going from confusion to anger. "Let me guess, you're a flying monkey to?" Nora's heart drops to her stomach, her cheeks red.
"No." She lies hoping that Emma won't be able to tell. Emma narrows her eyes at Nora as Nora presses herself farther to the door, wanting to escape this situation more than anything.
"Wait, you know this child?" Emma ignores Regina.
"Why are you here?" Nora shrugs, looking around the cellar.
"Not like I have a choice." Nora says her voice surprisingly steady. Emma's face is still that of suspicion and Nora honestly wishes she could sink into the floor right now.
"So you've been working with the Wicked Witch this whole time? Like Walch?" Emma says staring her down.
"Yes... But no? Well I didn't have a choice really. But I don't want to be." Nora says trying to explain.
"What do you mean you have no choice?" Emma questions, her eyes demanding answers.
"The witch forced me to work her! She kidnapped me when I was a child, so I basically had no choice." Nora answers. Emma shakes her head but Regina steps up to say something.
"Well since you know this witch, who is she? What is she planning?" Regina asks.
"If I speak a word, I'll be dead within minutes. I honestly don't know what she is planning or why I am even here. She just locked me down in a cellar!" Nora explains.
"Great. You're useless. Let's kill her." Regina says only half kiddingly.
"Woah woah woah, let's not do that!" Nora says wide eyed.
"We can't kill her, Henry would be devastated." Emma says under her breath.
"What this girl has to do with Henry!?" Regina says to Emma sternly. "Answer me."
"Her name is Nora, she was one of Henry's friend back in New York." Emma explains.
"Yeah that's right, you can't hurt me!" Nora says.
"Great to know my son made friends with a monkey." Regina says shaking her head.
"I said I'm not a monkey!" Nora yells, trying to stick up for herself.
"Sure kid. I can tell that you are lying." Emma says rolling her eyes.
"I'm not lying! I'm only PART flying monkey!" Nora says back.
"Like that's any better." Regina says, "This is a mess."
"So what exactly do we do with the lass?" Hook asks, finally speaking.
"Well, getting me out of here, getting food, a nice shower, all that would be quite nice." Nora adds, hoping to be finally out of this dump.
"We could take her back to the loft?" David suggests.
"Good idea. Just be sure that Henry stays away from the loft, while she is there. He should not come in contact with her." Emma says as they come to an agreement.
"Why can't I come in contact with Henry?" Nora asks in confusion. The group turns to look at her as if she is stupid.
"Henry has no memory of anything of this magical place and such. He thinks we are just on a business trip. So if you suddenly show up in this town... that's not a good idea." Emma explains.
"Oh. Yeah that might be awkward." Nora says scratching the back of her neck, imagining her showing up and Henry thinking she's a stalker.
"Will we keep her at the loft forever?" Hook asks.
"No, Henry is bound to go there during the trip sometime." Emma says.
"Oh speaking of Henry how is he?" Nora asks trying to add herself to the conversation.
"Not now monkey-girl." Regina says cutting her off. Nora rolls her eyes at the comment.
"Well there is an empty cell in the sheriff's station?" David suggests.
"Greatttt, going from one cell to another." Nora groans.
"You will get used to it." Regina says, with little sympathy for the girl.
"We can't just lock her up like an animal forever." Hook says.
"She is an animal." Regina says rolling her eyes. Well damn. What did I ever do to Regina? Nora thinks, hencing Regina's attitude.
"Fine. But as long as I get an hamburger. I'm tired of eating worm infested food everyday. And some decent clothes, that aren't torn and covered in blood. If you didn't notice I'm covered in scratches and such so if you all could hurry along your chit chat and get me to a shower that would be great." Nora says impatiently. Regina gives her a glare as the group makes their way up the stairs. She unlocks the doors and they begin their way back to the loft.
♥♥♥
After a quick, warm shower, and a burger from Granny's, Nora is locked up in a small cell at the station. She sighs, and sits on the bench, leaning her head up against the wall. This is great, just great. Locked away again, except this time without a lunatic to listen to all day. Nora lays down on the uncomfortable bench and begins to think about Henry. She wonders what he might do if he saw her like this. If he saw that the "business trip" led to his friend being locked in a cell in a police station. She wishes that he was there, to get her out of there and keep her company. Nora's thoughts are interrupted by a cloud of magic appearing in front of her cell.
"Worthless runt, I see you have gotten out of my cell and landed yourself in another!" Zelena says, laughing.
"What do you want, Zelena." Nora replies in an annoyed tone. Out of all the people she wanted to she hear right now, Zelena was the last.
"Well, besides to rub that on your face, I'm not really sure, but no worries I'm not here to kill you yet." Zelena says, walking closer to her cell doors.
"Great. Well then I guess you should be leaving then." Nora says under her breath. Suddenly, Zelena teleports herself into the cell and grabs Nora by her neck.
"What did you say, runt." She hisses.
"Nothing." Nora replies, resisting the urge to slap her.
"That's what I thought. Now, that reminds me, I also came to ask what you reported to the Heros. You didn't happen to mention anything revealing my identity, did you?" Zelena says, staring her down as a threat.
"No." Nora says rolling her eyes.
"Good girl." Zelena says patting Nora's head a bit, but then wiping her hands on her clothing as if Nora was a piece of dirt.
"And by the treatment you received, I suspect that the Heros do not trust you?" Zelena questions.
"I'm not exactly sure." Nora shrugs.
"Great." Zelena rolls her eyes. "When are you ever useful. Well, tata for now. And remember if you spill a word about me to anyone, you're dead." Zelena threatens before disappearing.
Nora plops back down onto the bench, rubbing her throat a bit. Now she has a handprint around her neck to match the scratches down her arms. She sighs and pulls her knees to her chest. So far her life in Storybrooke hadn't been the best if you could even call it a life. She should feel at home here but she can't when she's stuck in the middle of a war. Evil nor Good trusting her or finding her remotely useful. She wonders how she got dragged into all of this when she is indeed useless. It seems silly and all around dumb. It was a waste of time and energy to try to use her at all. Though she had to admit one thing, Zelena scared the living shit out of her. She knew she wouldn't hesitate to kill her, but she also didn't know why she hadn't already done so. She starts to hum and kick her legs back and forth.
After a while her thoughts wandered back to Henry because that where they always seemed to end up. It was honestly kind of annoying. His brown hair that flopped around when he shook his head in laughter. His green eyes that gleamed with concentration when trying to beat level 24. Henry was her first friend, and her only friend, and that's not something that Nora could just forget. He comforted her when she needed it without pushing her to divulge her every secret. He laughed with her and at her sometimes, but not in a mean way that everyone else did. Nora even missed his stupid nicknames "Your Majesty, and Nor" I mean they were better than "Runt, Kitten, useless child, and monkey-girl". Nora sighs. And definitely better than Mabel. She missed his stupid toothy grin, and his stupid remarks about how well he watched noodles. Nora knew it was useless pining over what she couldn't have but she couldn't help herself. And that's what scared her the most
Meanwhile at Granny's Bed and Breakfast Henry sits on the couch, eating a burger and trying to concentrate on his homework. But even with the greasy goodness right in front of him he couldn't seem to stop his mind from drifting to Nora Land. It had been weeks since he'd seen her. He had been in Storybrooke a lot longer than he thought and he was worried about her. Nora obviously wasn't in a good situation right now, seeing as she punched her gardien and had to sleep on a park bench. She had started to trust him and let him in and Henry liked that. But It wasn't just that, he didn't feel obligated to take care of her, he just wanted her to be happy. He wanted to be with her. Henry wanted to see her wide, gleaming smile when she laughed. He wanted to see the tilt of her head when she was being sarcastic or sassy. Henry missed seeing her mess with her long strawberry blonde locks that never stay where she wanted them to but fell perfectly despite that. He wanted to see her twinkling hazel eyes that reminded him of the forest midafternoon. He wanted to hear her melodic laugh and her crappy singing voice. He just wanted to be with her. He knew that she had no phone or really anyway to contact her and It killed him that he had no way of letting her know how long he would be in Storybrooke, or when he would be able to see her again. Henry just knew that he missed her and he had no clue for how much longer he had to. Lucky for him it would be a lot sooner than expected.
♥♥♥
ANDDDDD There is a longer chapter! The other two were kind a little- a lot pathetic. SO NOW SHES LOCKED UP SOME WHERE ELSE! Lovely! I hope you like it so far, we're still building up to the real drama. Like I always say vote up, Comment, and Share with your friends! Because one = A life time of happiness for us XD Anyhow That's all for now our Flying Fans! Bye bye!
-Xox
Claire and Alona