Off With Her Head

I couldn't fall back asleep, but Jefferson did. I keep thinking about the dream I had. It seemed so real, every bit of it. I felt every grip, even when the guards were carrying me and the pain I felt when they threw me.

I go into the bathroom to get a drink of water. I fill the cup with water, chugged it down, and splashed some cold water on my face. I look up in the mirror and I see a scar on my neck that looked just like Jefferson's. I run back into the bedroom in a panic.

"Jefferson, please wake up. Wake up!" I shake Jefferson, trying to wake him up.

"Morning, dear."

"Jefferson, there's something really wrong," I cried.

"What's is it?" I turn my head so he could see my neck.

"It wasn't a dream, was it? Was my head really chopped off?" Jefferson was left speechless. I really needed him to say something.

"What happened, Jefferson? And no more of this 'I need to remember' or 'I need to figure it out on my own' business."

"The Hare and I didn't get to you in time. But, since we were in Wonderland, when the head is severed from the body, they don't die. At least not right away."

"What do you mean?"

"In Wonderland, once the head is severed from the body, it won't die at first. But since it doesn't have a body to feed off of, the head will die in a few days, a week at most."

"So what happened to me?"

"I'm sorry to say, but you'll have to figure that out."

"I said I didn't want to hear that crap anymore." Jefferson just smiles at me.

"Well seeing that you're still alive, I guess everything turned out for the better." I just stare at him. I don't know why I feel so angry. I don't know what to say or do except walk out of the room.

"Wait! Please!."

"I'm sick of this! I need to leave!"

"Please, don't go," Jefferson said, grabbing my hand.

"I need to visit my mother in the hospital anyway. I'm staying at Granny's until my mom is better, then we're getting out of here."

"You can't leave! Neither you or your mother can leave. Thats why you two were in the accident in the first place. You probably can't remember what happened to your mother."

"What do you mean I can't remember what happened to my mother? We saw an animal in the road and we crashed trying to avoid hitting it. She was knocked unconscious!"

"No, I mean what happened after you returned from Wonderland."

"What happened?"

"Your mother had police looking for you because you were gone longer than you usually were, thought you were abducted. When you told her where you were, she thought you were raving mad. She put you away in the asylum, having conflicting thoughts in your head. Once a severed head has been away from the body for so long, the brain begins to change. It drove you crazy.

"I found a way to get to your world somehow and I got you out of the asylum. You were happy to see me of course, but you said you needed to do something before returning to Wonderland. So I helped you sneak into your mother's house. When you came back out, you didn't bring a suitcase or anything. you were covered in blood. You were crying and you told me what happened. You told me you were scared and that the police would find you and you'd be sentenced to death. You said you had no idea why you did it, you were just so scared and so innocent. I took you back to Wonderland through the same rabbit hole you fell through. Thats how I came to your realm."

"What happened to me then? When we went back to Wonderland, what happened next?"

"You were still in shock, and you cried and cried and cried. I cried for you because you couldn't process what you did or why you did it and it was eating away at you and I didn't want you to be in so much pain. I tried asking you to marry me...." My eyes start to water. I supposedly killed my mother, a man I barely knew supposedly proposed to me.

"But, you never gave an answer. I asked more than once, but you always had an excuse not to answer."

"Why did you keep asking?"

"Because I love you and Grace needed a mother. I knew she would love you too. You were kind and sweet and full of life and happiness. At least, you used to be and I think thats why you kept saying avoiding giving me an answer. You thought Grace wouldn't warm up to someone that murdered their own mother."

"I need to go, now!" Jefferson wouldn't let o of my hand.

"I can't let you leave. Something will happen to you and I can't let that happen."

"Let me go!"

"I can't lose you again, Alice," Jefferson said grabbing my arms tightly, staring deep into my eyes. He let go when he saw how much he was scaring me.

"I'm sorry. I'm just at a loss."

"I need to go. Please don't stop me." I walk to my room and I almost reach the door when Jefferson said;

"I'll miss you when you leave. I'm sorry." My body is ridden with small tremors, meaning I'm about to cry, but I'm holding the tears back. This place, this man has made me crazy. I walk inside the room, got dressed, started packing up my duffle bag, and picked up Chess or Dinah and put her in my coat pocket. I walk out of the door and started walking down the stairs.

"Alice?"

"Its Annaline." There was a long pause before he said continued his sentence.

"When the curse is broken, I will look for you." I just walk down the stairs and out the door, leaving Jefferson behind. All of this is madness. They were just stupid dreams from ideas he put in my head. He probably did something to my neck to make it look like I have a scar like his. He was being manipulative and conniving. He wanted in my head and mess it up.

Dinah kept meowing and crying out. I think she misses Jefferson. I plug in my iPod and listened to whatever song I was listening to.

'I've got troubled thoughts and a self esteem to match. What a catch. What a catch! Ohhhh! You'll never catch us, so just let me be. I said i'll be fine 'till the hospital or American embassy. Miss Flack said I still want you back. Yeah! Miss Flack said I still want you back. I've got troubled thoughts and a self esteem to match. What a catch! What a catch! And all I can think of is the way I'm the one who charmed the one who gave up on you. Who gave up on you!' Soon I started singing along to the song as I kept walking down the forest covered roadside.

"'They say the captain goes down with the ship. So when the world ends, will God go down with it? miss Flack said I still want you back. Yeah! Miss Flack said I still want you back. I've got troubled thoughts and a self esteem to match! What a catch! What a catch!'" I was stopped when someone tugged on my coat. I look down and I saw Paige, Jefferson's Paige.

"You're a really good singer," she said smiling.

"Thank you so much. Are you out here by yourself? Why aren't you in school?"

"There was no school today."

"Where are your parents?"

"They're at home. I was just coming back from a sleepover at my friend's house. Whats your name?"

"My name is Annaline. Whats your name?" Even though I already know her name, I feel like I needed to ask anyway.

"I'm Paige. It was nice to meet you," she said extending her to shake. I shook her hand and smiled. She noticed Dinah popping her head out of my coat pocket.

"Cute kitty! Whats it's name?"

"Her name is Dinah. Do you want to hold her?" Paige nodded her head. I took Dinah gently out of my coat pocket and handed her to Paige. As she was petting her and gently scratching behind her tiny ears, Dinah started purring.

"She likes you."

"I like her too," she said with the brightest smile. She's such a happy child.

"Well Miss Paige, I need to run to town. I think you should go home."

"Okay, I'll see you later Annaline. Bye Dinah," she said as she gave Dinah back to me. I watched as Paige skipped away. I waited until she went into a house to make sure she would be alright. Then, I turned my attention back to the road and my music.

When I reached town, I shut my iPod off and walked to Granny's.

The woman with the red streaks in her hair was working the front counter.

"Hello. I saw on your sign that you offer rooms here. Could I have one please?"

"Yes, would you like a forest view of city view. As a warning though, the city view is more expensive."

"I'll take the forest view," I said as I pulled out my debit card. The woman swiped it and handed it back to me with a room key.

"Each key is different. So I'll know which one is yours," she said as she turned her attention to a magazine. My key looked like a metal bookmark with a picture of a cup of tea on it.

"A cup of tea. Really," I said under my breath. I found my room, unlocked the door and went inside. I figured after I get everything set up, I could run to the store and get food for Dinah and me plus some water and pop. I can't get any frozen food though, they don't have a mini fridge in here. Its just like a bedroom, but it came with its own bathroom so I could shower in peace. I put my clothes in the drawer of the dresser and grabbed my wallet.

"I'll be back, Dinah. I'm going to the store real quick." She only meowed, curled into a ball on the bed, and went to sleep. I Walk out of Granny's and look for the nearest grocery store or pet store.

I've walked for about twenty minutes before I bumped into Mr. Gold.

"Pardon me, Mr. Gold?"

"Yes, Miss?"

"Can you tell me where the nearest pet store is? I ran out of cat food and I'm not familiar with Storybrooke."

"Of course. You go down past Game of Thorns right there," he said pointing to a flower shop just across the way.

"Then, you'll keep going straight until another block, then turn left and you will be right there."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Gold."

"Of course, dearie. Pardon me for asking, but why are still in Storybrooke? I thought you and your mother left."

"Its fine and we got into an accident and she got knocked unconscious. I'm staying at Granny's until she wakes up and is well enough to leave. I'm thinking I should stop at Game of Thorns and buy her some flowers."

"Sounds lovely. I hope your mother wakes up soon."

"Thank you very much," I said as we parted ways. I walk to the flower shop and went inside.

"Good day, what can I do you for?"

"I'm looking for some 'get well soon' flowers. Perhaps a bouquet of daisies."

"Good choice." The shop keeper went over outside to the front and picked out some good looking daisies.

"Here you are, Miss. A dozen fresh daisies. That'll be seven-fifty." I take out my wallet and took out eight dollars, he gave me fifty cents back, We both said good day, and I started walking to the pet store.

On the way to the store, I saw an ambulance go by and they were in a hurry.

I went inside to buy the cat food and headed back to the Inn to feed Dinah. Then, I'll visit my mother in the hospital.

"Hello, Dinah. How are you doing kitty," I asked as I poured the cat food into a little bowl I bought with the food at the pet store.

"I'm going to visit mom at the hospital, and I'll be back. Don't get into nay trouble while I'm gone." Dinah just meowed at me and continued eating. I walked out of the Inn once again and headed toward the hospital.

I walk inside and went straight to the elevator.

"Excuse me, Miss? You need to sign in and out of the hospital."

"Oh, I'm Annaline Kingsley. My mom is Barbra Kingsley." The nurse started to look a bit nervous.

"Are you alright? Is my mother okay?" She hesitated before she started to talk.

"I'm sorry to say this, Miss Kingsley, but your mother passed away just this morning. We tried calling the house you said you'd be staying at, but there was no answer. I'm really, truly sorry." I just back away and started walking outside. Thats when I saw Jefferson walking to the door.

"Jefferson! The hospital called your house! My mother is dead!" He just stopped and he looked stunned.

"Ali... Annaline, I'm so sorry..."

"...Yea? You should be! Why are you wearing a hospital uniform?" Jefferson just remained speechless.

"Jefferson, did you kill my mother?"

"What? Don't say something like that! I didn't like the way she talked to you or how she treated you, like you're opinions and feelings didn't matter, but I knew how much she meant to you. I didn't do anything to her, darling. I swear."

"Then, why are you wearing that uniform?"

"Its a long story, but I'll tell it to you as soon as we're home."

"I can't go back to that house with you, Jefferson."

"Thats not a home, thats a prison. The enchanted forest is our home," he said and planted a kiss on my lips. Jefferson then walked inside. This may seem crazy, but I want to believe him so much. Its literally impossible for me to stay mad at him. I just look into his blue eyes and all is forgiven. This may sound even crazier, but even if he did kill my mother, I still would forgive him.

I rush back into the hospital to go find him.