When You Were Young

The ground and netting shredded the back of Prudence's dress until she felt a burning pain from her raw flesh scraping against the dirt. Samantha continued to struggle next to her, tearing at the net in a frenzy that did nothing. Wendell had his eyes closed as if already accepting their failure.

This is what it comes down to after three hundred fifty years, she thought. They would be dragged into town by their fellow children to be tortured for years, until death finally came for them. These children who at one time had been her neighbors and friends would now be her executioners. She and Rodney had come here with the others to find a new land of peace and tolerance, where they could live without fear. But ever since Reverend Crane had taken control of the Fountain of Youth, fear had ruled the land. It's just as well Rodney isn't here to see what's become of them, she thought.

Samantha finally ran out of energy to struggle, her body going limp. She turned to Prudence and said, "This not over yet. We find a way, Pwoodance."

At another time Prudence might have put some faith into her friend's defiant words. At ten or fourteen or seventeen Samantha could probably find a way out of the net and to take down anyone who got in their way. But the fat toddler next to her in the net, who couldn't even pronounce Prudence's name correctly, was as helpless as Prudence in the forest with Reverend Crane.

They couldn't fight their way out of this. Trapped in the net and surrounded by enemies, they couldn't run either. They were doomed to suffer through whatever torments Veronica had in store for them, if the other children didn't kill them first.

She closed her eyes to pray for a quick death. Better that than another three centuries spent as a child. At least dead she might get to see Rodney again. There she might finally become the adult woman he had loved so long ago. They could finally live the life they'd come here to find.

Wendell touched her hand. What would become of him? They had been through so much together the last three years, ever since their first trip to Seabrooke. From that time, Wendell had loved her as much and made her as happy as she ever was with Rodney. With Wendell she had discovered strength and beauty she never thought possible. For the first time she had become the person she might have been if Reverend Crane hadn't taken her into the forest. Wendell meant as much to Prudence as Rodney; what would happen to their love if they died?