Once Upon A Tide

The house was filled with voices and laughter. Everyone was there—Snow White, Prince Charming, Emma Swan, Captain Hook, Henry Mills, Regina Mills… the whole family, as if time itself had paused just to celebrate this one day.

Hope’s eighteenth birthday.

She stood in front of the mirror, studying her reflection. The dress was exactly what one would expect from her grandmother—light blue, delicate, with a row of pearls down the back. Beautiful. Perfect. A little… not her.

She ran her hand over the fabric, frowning slightly, before reaching for a black leather jacket and draping it over her shoulders.

“Much better,” she muttered under her breath.

“I get that your grandmother’s style is… a bit of a challenge.”

Hope turned. Emma was leaning against the doorframe, a faint smile on her face.

“A little,” Hope admitted. “But I guess I can get used to it.”

“One day,” Emma shrugged. “Just make her happy.”

“Alright, Mom.”

Hope smiled, but her gaze drifted past her mother’s shoulder.

“I like it more with the leather.”

“Me too.”

Killian entered the room.

“Dad.”

“Killian!” Emma shot him a warning glance.

“A pirate stays a pirate for life,” he said with a shrug and a grin.

“Your daughter is not a pirate.”

Killian leaned slightly toward Hope and winked.

“Good thing we’re not telling your mother everything.”

Emma narrowed her eyes.

“I think I’d rather not know.”

She turned and left, leaving them alone.

Killian sat on the bed, looking at his daughter in silence for a moment.

“You look…”

“Like a princess?” Hope offered.

They both burst out laughing.

“I don’t need this party,” she sighed after a moment. “I’d rather be sitting somewhere by the water, watching the moon reflect on the waves.”

“I know, sweetheart,” he said softly. “But you know this is important to your mom and grandma.”

“I know.”

He stepped closer and kissed her forehead.

“I wanted to give you something before things get chaotic.”

He held out his hand. On his finger shone a ring Hope had never seen before.

“It belonged to my mother. I want you to have it now.”

The ring was gold, simple, yet unlike any Killian usually wore. The sapphire glimmered in the light like a night sky—like someone had captured the stars inside it.

“Dad…” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.”

“Just like you.”

They hugged tightly.

“Shall we go?” he asked.

Hope took a deep breath.

“Yes. Let’s get this over with.”

They walked down the stairs together—Killian first, Hope right behind him. She couldn’t stop staring at the ring on her finger.

When they entered the living room, conversations quieted.

Everyone was staring at her.

“Okay… you can stop staring now,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Snow was the first to reach her.

“Hope, darling! You look stunning! Happy birthday!”

She pressed a small box into Hope’s hands. Inside lay a gold necklace, entwined with birds in flight.

“This is too much…”

“Not at all,” she said warmly. “You’re like fire. But there’s a balance in you that some spend their whole lives searching for.”

“And to think there’s only a few years between us,” said Neil, standing nearby.

Hope laughed.

“Our family is… interesting. I wonder what’ll happen when I bring a boyfriend home someday.”

“Who?” Killian and David said in unison.

Hope and Neil burst out laughing.

“Where’s Henry?” she asked, looking around.

“Running late, as usual,” Emma replied. “But he’ll be here.”

“Typical.”

They sat at the table. Conversation flowed easily, laughter bouncing off the walls. For a moment, everything was exactly how it should be.

Family. Peace. Warmth.

“I hadn’t seen that ring before,” Emma said, interrupting Hope’s conversation with Neil.

Hope raised her hand.

“I got it from Dad.”

Emma paused, staring at the jewelry.

“Hope… it’s just like your eyes.”

Hope looked first at the ring, then at Killian.

He knew.

He always knew.

He just winked and lifted his glass.

“To Hope. Beautiful, wise, and… grown-up.”

“Aye aye, Captain!” she replied with a wide smile.

Everyone began singing “Happy Birthday”…

…and then the door burst open.

“Sorry!” Henry ran in, holding an old book. “Something held me—”

He didn’t finish.

The floor shook.

“What’s happening?!” Emma shouted.

“Hope! Grab something! Quick!” Henry yelled.

“Mom?!”

“Hold on!”

A tear in the air opened beside Hope—a swirling void, pulling everything toward it.

“No… Mom! Dad! Help!”

“Hope! Grab the hook! Don’t let go!” Killian shouted, throwing his hand toward her.

She grabbed it.

“Hold me! Don’t let go!”

“I’ll never let you go!”

But the force was too strong.

The floor was disappearing beneath her.

“I can’t hold on…”

“Just a little longer!”

“No… I… can’t…”

“HOPE!”

Their hands began to slip apart.

Hope stretched out her other hand… and then something happened.

Power.

Sudden, wild, uncontrollable.

It burst from her, striking Killian and pulling the hook from his hand.

They froze.

They looked at each other—terrified.

Too late.

“Dad…!”

“HOPE!”

The whirlpool swallowed her whole.

The light went out.

Only darkness remained.

…

I felt the wind hit my face, whipping my hair in every direction. Just moments ago it had been neatly tied up. Now it was gone. My dress stuck to the damp grass, dirty and uneven, as if I’d fallen from another world.

I opened my eyes and immediately felt a strange, uneasy flutter in my stomach. Around me… green. Not the kind of green you see in parks or gardens. This was intense, almost electric, almost glowing behind my eyelids. Tall trees cast shadows that swirled in the air with the leaves. And, unexpectedly, there were what looked like palm trees, though none matched anything I’d seen in books.

The air was heavy, yet fresh. It smelled of moisture, salt, and something I couldn’t name—as if the island itself had a scent, a rhythm of life. Every breath felt like stepping into an unknown world, both fascinating and frightening.

“Great,” I muttered.

I remembered everything.

The party. The laughter. Dad. The whirlpool.

And, of course, the most important part—all the stories I had heard my whole life. Every adventure my parents had gone on. Every “and they lived happily ever after” that usually ended in the exact opposite.

I sighed.

“Really?” I said to myself. “Couldn’t I have ended up in a Harry Potter world? Why another fairy tale?”

I brushed off my dress, though it did little good, and stood up.

One thing I knew for sure.

I had to find my way home.

Mom would. Dad would.

They would be looking for me. And I wasn’t going to sit and wait.

Henry.

I frowned.

He knew something. Of course. I could see it. That book… he hadn’t had time to say anything.

“Great,” I muttered. “Because I have no idea where I am.”

Something moved in the grass.

I froze.

My heart instantly kicked into overdrive.

I had nothing on me. No weapon. Nothing. Even though Dad had taught me how to fight… theory and practice were two very different things.

The sound came again.

Closer.

— Who’s there? — I said, trying to keep my voice steady. — Show yourself.

For a second, I didn’t know whether to run or stay.

My heart pounded so hard it felt loud.

— Who’s there?! — I shouted. — Show yourself!

The leaves shifted again.

Closer.

Too close.

No.

Nope.

Bad idea.

I wasn’t waiting to find out what was hiding in there.

I turned and ran.

Branches scratched against my arms as I pushed through them, my dress catching on something sharp, tearing slightly. I didn’t stop. I didn’t even look back.

Whatever was behind me—

I didn’t want to see it.

My breath came fast, uneven. My heart was in my throat.

Stupid. Stupid. Why am I running into the jungle?

Another sound.

Not behind me.

In front of me.

I skidded to a stop.

Too late.

Too late.

Through the thick leaves, I caught a glimpse of something.

A shape.

Not a person.

A hut.

Small. Hidden. Almost swallowed by the jungle.

I didn’t think.

I just moved.

I ducked low and ran toward it, forcing my way through the last stretch of tangled plants. My breath was loud, too loud, but I couldn’t slow down.

If something lived here… maybe it was better than whatever was out there.

Or maybe not.

Great. Amazing plan, Hope.

I circled around the hut, keeping low, pressing myself against the rough wall. The wood was warm from the sun, slightly damp, like everything else here.

I held my breath.

Listened.

Nothing.

No voices. No movement.

Just the distant sound of leaves and something… alive in the jungle behind me.

Slowly, carefully, I moved toward the back.

One step.

Then another.

The ground was soft under my feet, almost silent—thank God.

I reached the back wall and paused, my hand hovering just above it.

Think.

Break in?

Knock?

Yeah. Sure. Knock politely on a random jungle hut. Brilliant idea.

I swallowed.

Then leaned closer, trying to peek inside through a narrow gap between the wooden planks.

Dark.

Empty…?

Or just quiet.

I exhaled slowly.

Okay.

Decision time.

I pushed the door.

Just a little.

It creaked.

Of course it creaked.

I froze.

Waited.

Nothing.

No reaction.

No footsteps.

No voice asking who the hell I was.

I opened it a bit more and slipped inside, closing it gently behind me.

The air inside was cooler.

Dim.

Simple.

And very, very not mine.

I stood there for a second, listening to my own heartbeat.

Then—

I moved.

I had to find something to wear. I couldn’t exactly parade around the island in my grandmother’s dress…

And now I wasn’t just breaking into someone’s place—I was going through their things. My dad would’ve called it a necessary evil.

I pulled a top and a skirt made of palm leaves from a clay cabinet.

The top was light, woven from thin green strands. It clung to my body, but not perfectly—in a few places the fibers stuck out slightly, betraying the fact it was handmade. It left my shoulders and part of my stomach bare, letting my skin breathe in the heavy, humid air.

The skirt reached mid-thigh. It was made of several layers of narrow, soft leaves that moved with every step and brushed against each other with a quiet rustle. Uneven—longer in some places, shorter in others.

The material smelled fresh—salt, moisture, and plants.

I stared at it with mild disbelief.

Not long ago I had been wearing an elegant dress.

Now I was holding something completely different.

— Fine — I muttered.

The leaves were cool against my skin, but after a moment they adjusted to my body. The outfit was light, comfortable, and didn’t restrict movement.

— I still look suspicious — I said.

And for a moment I seriously considered smearing myself with clay. But it wouldn’t have changed much. The smell, the look, even the way I stood—it all gave me away. I didn’t belong here.

I changed and sat down on something that looked like a bed.

I pulled the hook out of my father’s jacket lying on the ground and studied it.

I wondered if they missed me the same way I missed them. I had no idea how time worked here or how long it would take before I could go home.

I pressed the hook against my chest.

And then something happened.

From the part of my top where the coconut vines were sticking out, something shifted. The leaves moved slightly, like they were listening to me. Then suddenly they wrapped around the hook, twisting together as if they were trying to turn it into a necklace.

I threw it away like I’d been burned.

“What is happening…” I whispered, staring at my hands. “What is wrong with me?”

My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.

I knew my mother had power. I knew everything about my parents—their history and what they were capable of for love.

But I had never shown anything. Not a sign. Not once.

Until now.

Why now?

I had so many questions in my head and so few answers. What Henry hadn’t managed to tell me before I got here. Why I was here at all. And what I was supposed to do to get back home.

I picked up my father’s hook from the ground and tied it around my neck, hiding it under my top. I don’t know why, but it felt smaller than I remembered. Like it had adjusted to me. Like it belonged there.

Then I heard something creak outside.

For a moment I thought it could be anything—a jaguar, maybe even a dragon at this point. I wouldn’t have been surprised.

I grabbed the first thing I could find—a bamboo stalk, I think. Not exactly a weapon, but better than nothing.

I waited.

But nothing showed itself.

I felt it before I saw her.

A presence behind me—close, too close.

Before I could turn, a hand covered my mouth.

I jerked instantly, trying to break free, but the grip was steady, controlled. Not painful. Just… certain.

“Shhh,” a voice said softly near my ear. “Don’t make noise. Just wait. Wait.”

I froze for a second.

Then tried to pull away again.

It didn’t work.

“Easy,” she added, almost annoyed, like I was overreacting on purpose. “I said wait. Not perform a full dramatic escape.”

That made me stop for half a beat.

“Good,” she whispered. “Now listen. You’re fine. I’m not the problem. What’s coming is.”

Her hand was still over my mouth, but her tone changed—calmer now, sharper underneath.

“We have a saying in my village,” she murmured. “Everyone has a role. Some hunt. Some build. Some protect.”

A pause.

“And some, unfortunately, end up doing the thinking.”

I blinked.

“Guess which one I am.”

“And some, unfortunately, end up doing the thinking,” she murmured. “Guess which one I am.”

I didn’t get to answer.

Everything around us seemed to freeze even more.

Footsteps.

A few people.

I held my breath.

Tala immediately pulled me lower, crouching down with me on the floor and gripping me tighter so I wouldn’t move.

Through a gap in the boards or maybe the window—I couldn’t tell—I saw them.

They were walking slowly, scanning their surroundings as if they were searching for something.

But… they weren’t really looking. It was like their gaze just slid over everything without landing anywhere.

One of them let his eyes pass right over the hut.

Like it wasn’t there.

Like we weren’t there.

For a second, I thought he was looking straight at me.

But he didn’t react.

They passed us.

A few more steps.

Then farther away.

And finally, their footsteps faded until there was nothing left.

Only then did Tala release my face.

She didn’t stand up right away. She stayed crouched for a moment longer, staring in the direction they had gone.

“Well,” she said calmly, like she had just proven a very simple fact. “That’s what the problem looks like.”

“Okay. I’m going to take my hand away from your mouth. You’re not going to do anything weird, and we’re going to talk,” the woman said to me.

I nodded.

She slowly removed her hand.

The moment she did, I grabbed the bamboo stick and pointed it straight at her.

“Where am I? What is going on? Who are you? Who were those people? Why am I here? I shouldn’t be here—this is a mistake.”

“Easy,” she said calmly. “My name is Tala, and this is Motonui.”

For a second, I just stared at her.

I looked her up and down.

She was beautiful—long black hair falling almost to her waist. Different kinds of plants wrapped around her body, forming part of her clothing like they had grown there on purpose.

I hesitated.

“Wait… aren’t you supposed to be… older?” I blurted out.

She raised an eyebrow.

“I’m twenty.”

I stared at her.

“Okay, so… fairy tales definitely lie.”

She gave me a look like I had just said something completely unhinged.

“What?”

“Never mind,” I muttered quickly. “So what is going on? Just explain it to me.”

I still had the bamboo stick pointed at her, even though my arms were starting to hurt.

Tala exhaled slowly, like she was deciding where to even begin.

“Alright,” she said. “Motonui is… not what it used to be.”

She glanced toward the window for a moment, then back at me.

“We have a problem. A very powerful one.”

I tightened my grip on the stick.

“There’s a ruler here,” she continued. “A chief. And let’s just say he’s not the kind of man who listens to anyone but himself.”

My stomach dropped a little.

“He controls the island. Everything. People, resources, information… even what they’re allowed to believe.”

I frowned. “Wonderful.”

Tala didn’t smile.

“It’s not.”

She shifted slightly, lowering her voice.

“He also took someone from me.”

That made me pause.

“The person I love,” she added simply. “And he’s keeping him on another island.”

Silence settled between us for a moment.

“Then go get him,” I said without thinking.

Tala gave a short, humorless laugh.

“That’s the problem,” she said. “Motonui is cut off from the rest of the world. No one leaves. No one comes back. And no one here ever learned how to sail properly anymore.”

I blinked. “So… you’re just stuck?”

“We are.”

Her gaze sharpened slightly.

“But it wasn’t always like this.”

I swallowed.

“There’s a prophecy,” she said after a beat. “The chief received it long before I was born. It said someone would come—someone who would bring belief back to the people. Someone who would change what they’ve stopped believing in.”

Her eyes flicked to me for a second.

“And now you’re here.”

“This is a mistake,” I blurted out quickly. “It can’t be me.”

I shook my head.

“I’m not some kind of savior. It must be my mother. She has power… not me.”

I took a step back, still holding the bamboo stick, but it felt more like habit now than actual defense.

“I can’t help you. Not because I don’t want to. I just… I don’t know how. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do.”

I swallowed hard.

“My name is Hope, and I came from a completely different place. There must be someone better suited for this. Someone who actually belongs here. I just need to go home. That’s where I belong.”

Tala watched me closely without blinking.

She frowned slightly.

“The prophecy speaks of hope,” she said calmly. “Of Hope.”

I went silent.

“So it speaks about you.”

I shook my head immediately.

“No. No, no, no. That’s not how it is. I don’t even know what we’re supposed to do. Look at me.”

I gestured at myself as if that would somehow prove my point.

“I don’t look like you. They’ll know something is wrong the moment they see me. And besides, I didn’t have any po—”

I stopped.

My eyes dropped to my hands.

For a second, I saw it again—the hook.

The vines.

The way they moved like they were alive.

Like they were listening to me.

“I…” my throat tightened. “I didn’t have any powers just a moment ago.”

I looked back up at Tala.

“And now I don’t even know what’s happening to me.”

Tala didn’t look away.

“I saw you,” she said quietly. “I saw what you did with that hook. I saw the elements respond to you.”

I clenched my fingers.

“That’s not true,” I shook my head quickly. “I’m not controlling anything. I didn’t even know this existed. Yesterday… I was normal. Tala…” I started, rubbing my forehead. “I need to get back home. To my family. They’re probably looking for me.”

“Help me with this. Help me with the prophecy. And I’ll find a way for you to contact your parents… or get you home. Whatever it takes.”

I nodded.

“Okay…” I whispered. “So what is it about, then?”

“I need to go for a moment,” Tala said. “Stay here. You’re safe here.”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” I sighed. “But how long am I supposed to just sit here?”

“I’ll come back as soon as I can and explain everything. Just… stay here. And I don’t know—make baskets or something.”

“Baskets?”

“Or whatever you people do in your world.”

“We play games,” I muttered. “On… phones. Right. Phone.”

I pulled it out of my jacket pocket.

Of course. No signal.

What a surprise.

But I had one unread message from Henry.

Hope, you’re in danger… I don’t know what this is, but you’ve appeared in a new book. Don’t move. I’m running to you right now.

I stared at the screen for a second.

Normally, when I read his messages after the fact, I would reply with sarcasm.

Really? Good thing you told me.

This time, I just wanted to throw my phone at the wall.

Or at least at whatever this place was made of.