Beane Odette - Reawakened - A Once Upon A Time Tale

— Come on, Mary! — said Red. — Live a little.

If you only knew, thought Snow.

They crossed an open field, trudging through the snow, and Red explained how to look for tracks. They scanned the ground in likely spots for nearly an hour. Snow would occasionally call Red over and point to this or that divot, and Red would disabuse her with a «That’s a deer», or a «Dog, for sure». Snow was growing tired, and her feet were freezing, by the time Red called to her and said, — Now, here are some monster wolf tracks.

What Red pointed to seemed large enough to be the tracks of a dragon. Snow White could hardly believe her eyes.

— And look, look at this, — said Red, leading her in the direction the tracks went. — Look at how far apart they are.

— How big is this thing? — Snow White said, gaping at the length of the wolfs stride.

— Big, — said Red. — Really big. Come on.

They followed the tracks for a quarter mile. For a period, the wolf seemed to have been running somewhere, but as they climbed a hill — and Snow said, — Aren’t we getting close to the cottage again? — the tracks were less spread apart. The two were also confounded when the size of the paw prints seemed to decrease.

— Is it shrinking? — Snow said, both of them hurrying along.

— I don’t know. I… — Red stopped and pointed. — Look.

The paw prints weren’t shrinking. They were changing shape.

— What kind of a monster is this, Red? — said Snow White.

She asked because it was plain: The tracks had become boot prints. Mid-stride, the wolf seemed to have turned into a man.

— One that’s not just a wolf, — Red said.

They continued to follow the tracks over the hill and back down into the valley. Neither woman spoke, even as the cottage came into view.

The tracks led directly to Red’s window.

— I don’t understand, — said Snow. — Who else was at your window last night? Besides Peter?

Red, her hand up at her mouth, said nothing.

— Red?

— No one, — she said. — Just Peter was here. — Eyes wide, she looked at Snow White. — Peter is the wolf.

When Ruby returned with the sandwiches, Emma looked at her and said, — Leave those wrapped up. Mary Margaret had to go. We’re going to look for David in the woods.

Ruby looked surprised, and Henry glanced up at Emma and gave her one of his coy, knowing grins.

After Emma had calmed Mary Margaret down and sent her home, Henry had opened up his storybook and shown her the story of Red, and said, — She’s always struggling with feeling worthless, see? Look. You have to actually let her do things. She can track, even. See?

— There’s a real investigation going on, Henry, — she said. — Someone is actually missing and in trouble. I don’t want you getting too caught up in the curse stuff right now.

— But all I’m saying is that Ruby can help, — he said. — I know her.

— Okay, — said Emma. — Fine.

And so she asked her to come along.

Emma and Ruby arrived at the edge of town, where Kathryn’s car had gone off the road, and they headed north, into the woods. There was no sign of David anywhere, and it was only a couple of hours until dark.

— Not good, — Emma said. — If he’s out here somewhere, and something’s wrong with him…

— What would be wrong with him, though? — asked Ruby, looking out into the trees.

— I don’t know, — said Emma. — A holdover from the coma? I don’t get it, either. All I know is Mary Margaret seemed pretty shaken up.

— I shouldn’t even be out here, — said Ruby. — I’ll probably just screw this up, too.

Emma liked Ruby, and wanted to ease her anxieties, but she also didn’t have time for this, and regretted bringing her out here. Ruby was picking her way through the rough terrain like someone who’d never been in the woods, and even more distressing, she seemed more preoccupied with her own problems than with the task at hand. Emma took a breath and kept herself from suggesting that Ruby go back to the car. Two bodies out here were better than one.

— Wait.

Emma turned and looked at Ruby, who was looking out into the forest.

— What?

— I hear him.

— Really?

— Yes. Or… something. I know where he is. — She looked at Emma. In her eyes Emma saw something completely different. Something… hungry. — Don’t you hear it?

Before Emma could respond, Ruby took off. She was running through the forest, hell-bent on something.

— Hey! — Emma cried, running after her. — Wait! Where are you going?

— He’s over here, come on! — Ruby yelled, over her shoulder.

They ran, Emma more and more behind. She was out of breath and about to take a break when she finally saw Ruby, in the distance, come to a stop and fall to the ground.

— What? — Emma cried. — What is it?

But Ruby didn’t have to answer, because soon Emma could see for herself. David, unconscious, lay in a heap, curled up beside the trunk of a silver maple.

— He’s bruised, dehydrated, scratched up, everything you’d expect, — said Dr. Whale. — Cut on his head is superficial, that didn’t cause this. He’s dealing with a mental health problem.

They were at the hospital. Emma and Dr. Whale stood outside of David’s room. David was awake, but he was claiming to have no memory of going to the woods. Emma didn’t like it one bit, but for now, there wasn’t much she could say.

She and Dr. Whale went back into the room.

— We’ll figure this out, — Emma said to David. — Hang in there.

— It’s like none of it happened, — David said. — I mean I know it did, because you’re telling me. But it sounds about as real as one of Henry’s stories right now.

Emma turned to Dr. Whale.

— How… functional could he be during one of these… episodes? I mean he talked to someone during this one.

— Anything’s possible, — said Dr. Whale. — People in similar states, say from sleep medication, do all kinds of things. Cook, talk, drive cars. — He shrugged. — It’s very hard to say.

— You want to know if I could have made that call, — he said, looking at Emma. — Or more. I get it. You think I kidnapped her. Maybe even killed her. And that I don’t even know it.

— Take it easy, David, — said Dr. Whale. — No one is saying that.

— We’re just trying to figure it out, — added Emma.

— That would explain it, though, — David said, looking forlorn. — That would explain why I didn’t seem like I was lying to you. Because I didn’t know.

— Stop talking right now, David. — Emma didn’t need to turn — the loud and abrasive voice was one she knew all too well. Regina. — Why are you here? — it continued, and Emma presumed it was now directed at her. — Why doesn’t he have a lawyer present? Have you even read him his rights?

— No, — said Emma. — Because he’s not under arrest. We’re talking.

— Right.

— Why are you here? — Emma asked.

— Because I’m still his emergency contact, — said Regina.

— I thought that changed to Kathryn, — said David, confused.

— Yes, well, — said Regina. — She’s currently missing, and so it reverted to me. — She went to the bed. — I’m here to offer support, and protection, if you need it. — She looked at Emma. — Why don’t you concentrate on finding her?

Why is she so intent on defending him? Emma wondered.

— Maine is big, — Emma said.

— This room is covered, — Regina snapped back. — Now get out there and find her.