"No, no, no! This can't be happening," I say and pound my fists fiercly on the steering wheel. My car has decided to break down in the middle of no where, it's getting dark, and what do you know; no cell phone service! "Fuck, just my luck!" I get out of the car, popping up the hood. I stand there looking under it like I know what I'm looking for, which I don't of course. I stare hard at the engine, like it will start by force or magic, but haha, there is no such thing. I slam the hood shut, my rattle case of a car rattling like a snake's tail. I fetch my bag, and suitcase from the trunk, before locking it up, deciding to walk on foot for a while too see if I can get service on my phone and call a tow truck or something.

Walking down the road for what seems like ages, I finally see some change of scenery, a forest approaching, and fog. Lots and lots of fog. What the fuck? It's like stepping into a hidden crevice of the world. So sudden, so suddenly dark, so pressing and spine shivering, I can't phantom what's happening. I press on through, knowing it's nothing behind me, just endless miles of road. Suddenly I see a sign saying "Entering Storybrooke". Frowning, never heard of the place before, I pass it with determination. At least there will be a small town within reach that hopefully got service, food and a tow truck.

As I enter the town, which is rather deserted this late at night, I spot a diner and sigh, so hungry I could eat a horse.

"Hi there!" an old lady with glasses and gray hair greets me when I enter, dragging the suitcase behind me.
"Hi!" I say breathy, so worn out, I collapse at the neasest table overlooking the street.

"Haven't seen you before, are you new?" the old woman asks.
"I just strolled into town. My car broke down miles from here. I've been walking for hours," I reply, looking around the diner. "Never heard of 'Storybrook' before," I reply.
"Oh, you'll love it here," the old lady says, leaving me unsure if she means it or not, like it's not your average, cozy, small town.
"What can I get you?" she then asks.
"Burger and fries, a big diet Pepsi, and uhm, a chocolate milkshake," I say hungrily.
"Very well," the lady says, walking back towards the counter.
I take out my phone, looking at the non-existing bars of service, but I'm too tired to do anything about it. I can make some calls in the morning. After eating, I just want to get a room somewhere and get some sleep.

"Here you go," the old woman says, placing the food down on the table.
"Thanks!" I say, looking at the junk food feast with big eyes, starting to dig in at once. The woman chuckles. I moan at the taste of the burger, so tasty and delicious. "Seriously, this is the best burger I've ever had," I mumble through a mouthful.
"Why, thank you," the woman smiles.

A tall, pretty woman, with long brown hair with streaks of red comes out of the kitchen. She's wearing a rather revealing diner uniform. "Hi!" she greets me.
"Hi!" I say after taking a big gulp of my soda.
"Who are you?" she asks.
"I'm, uh, I just stumbled into town. I'm Maeve," I reply, drying my hands on a napkin.
"I'm Ruby, friends calls me Red, and this is Granny," she smiles and gestures to the old woman behind the counter.
"Granny?" I ask.
"Yeah," she smiles.
I smile too. "It's nice to meet you both," I say, putting down my now empty milkshake. "Say, I need to crash in Storybrook for the night. Is there a motel or something around here?" I ask, looking out the window, noticing a man dressed in an all black suit. He's walking with a cane. His neck long hair stir some in the light breeze outside, showing his face and dark eyes. I find myself enthralled, following his steps out of sight. Ruby notices. "Who was that?" I ask.
"Oh, him. That's Mr. Gold. He's not very friendly, you don't want anything to do with him," she answers.
"How come?" I ask intrigued.
"Just take my word for it," Ruby says, clearing the table. "So, you were saying you need a place to stay for tonight. Well, you're in luck. There's room at Granny's Bed & Breakfast," she smiles. "Ah, great," I say.
"I can walk you there when I'm done with my shift. Would you like some coffee while you wait?" Ruby asks.
"Yeah, sure," I reply, staring down the street and the direction Mr. Gold disappeared in.

Ruby walks me to the B&B, and helps me up the stairs with the suitcase. I told them about my car, and my phone being of no help, and they promised to help me in the morning. I take a quick shower before I crawl into bed, falling alseep as soon as my head hits the pillow, a dark dressed man haunting my dreams.

The next day at breakfast, Ruby tells me that she's spoken to the town's car mechanic, which also owns the tow truck. "I'm sorry, but he doesn't venture that far to get cars. You can borrow the phone and call around for help, but I'm not sure if it actually will be of any help. Not many knows where Storybrooke is."
"But my car broke down miles from here!" I say frustrated.
"I know, I'm sorry. We'll try our best to help you," Ruby smiles.
I gulp down some coffee, staring out the window, noticing Mr. Gold again. "Well, as long as I'm stuck here," I think to myself, making a mental note to find out where the not so friendly Mr. Gold is during my stay.

"Where were you heading anyway?" Ruby asks.
"I... I don't know. I just packed my bag and left. Nothing holding me back, back in the city. I was... Looking for an adventure I guess," I say and smile.
"Well, Storybrooke is filled with places to go, things to do. It's a good a place as any for both big and small adventures," Ruby states.
I doubt the town offers that much to do, but for the time being, I don't mind. "I'll give it a shot," I say and smile.

My room at Granny's B&B is mine for as long as I need, but I will have to get a job or something to fund my stay. I'm not broke, but the money I have is meant for, well, a new beginning.

I'm standing on the sidewalk, looking up and down the street, deciding to make my way down the same direction Mr. Gold went. Without knowing what I'm looking for, where I expect to find him, I just roam on, looking at shops and what the town got to offer. No window signs saying "help wanted" or anything.

Rounding a corner, I bump into a sharp dressed woman with dark hair and even darker eyes. "Watch where you're going," she says strickly.
"I'm sorry," I stutter.
"You're new, aren't you?" she says.
"Uhm, ye-es," I say and look at her.
"I'm the mayor of Storybook, I know everyone here, but I've never seen you, that's why I assume you're not from around," she says, answering my unasked question.
"Ah," is all I manage to say.
"What's your name?" she asks.
"Maeve, Maeve Linden," I reply.
"Regina Mills," she says. We shake hands.
"Are you planning on staying long?" she asks.
"I'm not sure yet," I say thoughtfully, since I really don't know the answer to that.
"Well, I might see you around then," she says. "You know where to find me if you need me," she gives me a flashy smile, somewhat evil, and walks on.
"Bye," I mutter. "Oh wait!" I shout after her.
"What?" she turns around.
"I was just looking for someone," I start explaining. "Mr. Gold?"
Regina raises her right eyebrow. "You're looking for Mr. Gold?" she asks rather suspiciously now.
I swallow. "Well, yeah, Ruby told me..." I start searching for the right words not to sound like a stalker.
"Oh, you're looking for his shop?" Regina asks.
"Yeah, that's it," I say relieved .
"It's just down the street, 'Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer'," Regina points a finger in the shop's direction.
"Thanks," I say and smile nervously. Regina frowns some before walking on.

Outside Mr. Gold's shop, which by the sign on the door says it's "Open", I swallow and straighten myself up before opening the door. A bell rings. The shop is deserted, but he comes walking out of the back room within seconds, his cane thumping against the floor.

He looks me over before he speaks. "Can I help you with something?"
"I, uhm, I just wanted to have a look," I say, my voice a bit wobbly, my eyes meeting his for a split second.
"By all means," he says, smiling some now. "Let me know if you have any questions."

I look around the shop, at all the items, things I've never seen before. "What is all this?" I ask when I'm at the counter.
"Items from people who's no longer with us, and from people who traded them for a favour," Mr. Gold says.
"You mean money?" I ask.
"Yeah, some needed money," he smiles slyly.
I bite my lower lip, looking around some more.
"You're not from around here, are you?" Mr. Gold asks.
"No", I reply, turing to face him.
"I just mean, if you were, I'd probably would have noticed you a long time ago," a glimmer of mischievousness is in his eyes. His words render me mute, and I just keep on looking at the artifacts around the shop, feeling his eyes on me. "Are you staying long?" he then asks.
"Maybe. I don't know yet," I say, picking up a trinket. "This is beautiful," I say.
"Yes, it is," he says, standing aligned with me on the other side of the counter, but not looking at the item in my hand. Our eyes lock, his dark brown eyes transfixing mine.
"Would you like to know the story behind it?" he suddenly asks, nodding at the carved box in my hands.
"Uhm, sure," I stutter dumbstruck with fascination over this strange man.
He tells me a story that sounds more like a fairytale, and I'm ensorcelled by his raspy voice telling me the item's origin. "I got plenty more stories," Mr. Gold says when he's done, clearly appreciating my trade to hearken when he's speaking of his subject of interest. "If you got the time?" He his eyes studies my face, resting at the right corner of my lips. 
"I'd love to hear them all! I got nothing but time these days," I say, putting the box down.
"No, keep it," Mr. Gold says.
"I couldn't possibly," I say. "You must want something for it?" I look at him.
"You're right," he grins some. I await his price, but it's not what I expected. "How about a drink?" he asks.
"Pardon?" I ask, rather shocked.
"A drink," he reapeats. "Let me buy you a drink, and we're even."
"Sure," I say rather taken aback, not bacause that's what he wants for the box, but that I got what I wanted too; a date with Mr. Gold.