CHAPTER SEVEN: the heart is a lonely hunter

—(••÷[ ʂąʄɛ & ʂơųŋɖ ]÷••)—

ASHLEY JENKINS WAS USING A RAG TO CLEAN UP A SPILLED COFFEE. She muttered about annoying people who, for an unknown reason, felt the need to talk with their hands as this person was known for being clumsy.

Ashley glanced up, seeing Graham throwing darts at the dartboard as if he was angry.

"I bet you twenty bucks you can't do that again," Sydney spoke.

Ashley sighed. Graham nodded at him before picking up the dart and throwing it at the dartboard, which had a deer on it, and hitting the deer in the face. Graham jerked his head towards Sydney. "Next round's on him."

Emma walked in, pausing when seeing Graham.

"Emma, what can I get you?" Ruby questioned.

"Nothing," Emma walked past the two.

Ashley frowned, her eyebrows in confusion at the two's interaction. Suddenly, Graham threw a dart at Emma, the dart burying itself into the wall.

"What the hell?" Emma's head snapped towards the man. "You could've hit me."

"I never miss." Graham begins to walk towards her. "You've been avoiding me? Since last night when you saw me..."

"Leaving the Mayor? And yes, that is a euphemism," Emma says loudly before bringing it to a normal tone. "I'm not avoiding you, Graham."

"Drama," Ashley says.
—(••÷[ ʂąʄɛ & ʂơųŋɖ ]÷••)—

Tears fall down Rocky White's face, and her older sister, Snow, has her hand intertwined with her sister's. Each sister held a single white rose. Rocky's typically steady hand shakes slightly as she places her white rose on the white and grey marble casket. On top of the casket laid red rose petals, all having been ripped apart from the flour and scattered across the top.

"Goodbye, Father," Snow whispered lightly.

Both gasped when a hand was placed on their shoulders, being turned around to face the Queen.

"I'm so sorry, Snow, Rocky."

"I loved him so much," Snow cried, leaning forward to hug the older woman.

"I can-can't," Rocky stuttered, crying too much for the words to be understandable.

"So did I. So did I."

Snow and Rocky pull away from the hug.

"But the loss I feel for my husband must be nothing compared to the loss you feel for your father. If there is anything I could do, please let me know. I may only be your mother through marriage," She had grasped each of the sister's hands, one of her hands holding one of the other. "But I'm here for you, dears. Truly and forever."

Rocky hugs the woman again, Snow joining it.
—(••÷[ ʂąʄɛ & ʂơųŋɖ ]÷••)—

"Fuck math," Ashley groaned, practically jumping from her seat in happiness to be distracted from her math. She pulled the door open, a surprised face when seeing Graham. "Hey, are you okay? Do you need to sit down?"

"We know each other."

"Yeah." The younger one hesitated. "It'd be odd if we didn't, you know-"

"No. Not from Storybooke."

"From where?" Ashley questioned.

"Another life. You and Mary," he says. "I tried to explain it to her. But we both agreed that neither of us remember when we met. Or anyone else."

"Okay. Graham-"

"Ashley, listen to me. Please."

"Listen, Graham. I think you're coming down with something. Okay? You don't look well, so, how about you rest, and then you come back here. And I'll explain what I can."

"You believe me?"
—(••÷[ ʂąʄɛ & ʂơųŋɖ ]÷••)—

"You know, when I was a little girl, the summer palace was my favorite place," Snow spoke. "The mountains surrounding it felt like a cradle. They always made me feel safe. I look forward to returning to it now."

The man pulled at his suit.

"Stuffy in there?" Snow asked.

The man removed his helmet. Snow reached into her pouch. "Here." She held out an apple for the man.

"No." He shook his head.

Snow offered the apple to her sister, who accepted it. Snow took a bit from her apple.

"You know, you're not good at pretending to be a knight," Rocky tells the man.

"What makes you think I'm pretending?" The man asked back.

"Without fail, every one of our father's men has offered us condolences," Snow explained to the man.

"Except you." Rocky raised a hand to him.

"Please accept my condolences."

Rocky laughed. "Well, we didn't want to force you to say that to us. And it's not like you can fix your armor in under a second."

"She picked you to take me, us," Snow adds the last part after a second. Even though Rocky had no part in betraying her, Rocky always chose to defend and side with Snow. Snow had a horrible feeling because of it. Her little sister would die with her because of a mistake she had made.

"Why?" Snow asked.

"I think you know," the huntsman says.

"You're going to kill us."

"You have good instincts."

"And you have too much armor," Rocky supplied back before she quickly picked up a large stick and struck him with it.

The two sisters immediately run off.
—(••÷[ ʂąʄɛ & ʂơųŋɖ ]÷••)—

Snow was writing a note to the Queen and using one hand to write the letter, and the other arm wrapped around her sister.

"I hurt you, yet you stop to compose a letter? I will never understand your kind." The huntsman speaks.

"We don't know these woods," Snow told the man.

"You're a skilled hunter; no matter what we do, you'll find us," Rocky says.

"Yes," the man panted out.

"There one thing that I ask that you do after you kill me," Snow says. "Well, two, Rocky had nothing to do with my betrayal of the Queen. Don't kill her."

"Snow-" Rocky began.

"And two, please deliver this to the Queen," Snow holds the letter out to the huntsman.

"Your tricks won't work on me," the man replied.

"How is a note a trick?" Rocky questioned.

"It's not a trick. Please give it to her," Snow speaks softly, a light smile on her face. "Tell her I mean every word."

The huntsman takes the letter, only to open it and read it. A tear falls down his face before he folds the paper and takes the knife into his hand. Rocky grabs Snow's hand.

The man lifts the dagger up, only to cut a part off the plant before poking holes into it. He handed it to Snow. "Sound this when you need help."

Snow reached out in shock. "What?"

"It's a whistle. It will bring you aid." The man cuts off another piece. "You'll be led to safety. Now go, run."

"I don't understand. You're not going to kill me?" Snow asked.

"Run!"

Immediately, Rocky grabs Snow's hands before she goes running when she realizes that the hunter would be left at the mercy of the Queen.
—(••÷[ ʂąʄɛ & ʂơųŋɖ ]÷••)—

"Did Graham look ill to you?" Ashley questioned, a worried look on her face. "He came to visit me. And, I was worried, but told him he should rest."

She looked up when the bell rang, only to see that it wasn't the man in question. "Okay."
—(••÷[ ʂąʄɛ & ʂơųŋɖ ]÷••)—

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