They all thought I was crazy. A magic flower that could transform the old to young - the injured to healed? Impossible for their ignorant minds. But I knew it was out there- waiting for someone to sing the words that would coax the magic out of the beautiful plant. I'm running out of time though, I think to myself. I look down with displeasure at my cold veiny hands. You can easily trace the veins up my arms, gnarled like the limbs of an ancient oak tree. In my frail old body I have to rest often. My legs that once were graceful and walked with purpose, can barely walk 2 miles with out shaking or giving out. I knew the rest off my body looked similar. No longer did I have a youthful curves, natural elegance, or smooth baby soft skin. It sagged in all the wrong places, every wrinkle, every line told a story of my age, my past, present, and showed that soon I wouldn't have much of a future. Hair that once curled and bounced and floated around my head like a dark halo was aged to a dust ball grey. As I stopped to rest it fell and hung in front of my face, taunting me, as if saying "embrace the old for you will never be filled with youth again..." I pushed it away in disgust. I have heard all of that criticism before from Jonas. He doesn't understand that I can help preserve our love in this world, this flower can keep us here forever on this earth. But Jonas is to stubborn for his own good, when I find my flower I will bring it back for him so he may harvest the energy and then we will be together forever.
I lay down in the grass and gaze up at the stars. No I'm not ready to give up, I won't give up finding the rapunzel. I let out a slow yawn and thought of how far I had come in my many years. I dream of these thoughts as I drift off into a well deserved sleep. Visions of the past come onto my head as I dream of my hometown village, Bader. It was a beautiful place, my village was small but the hills surrounding it created such beauty in the land. During the summer, bright and colorful flowers filled the hills and the sun would always shine, casting the land in bright light. The forests were mysterious and hauntingly mystical, it quickly became my favorite place to play. I would hid in the misty trees and scare the other prissy girls with their long wavy golden hair. My own hair was raven black with tight curls, corkscrewing all around my head making me stand out along all the other light haired girls. My eyes were not the normal sapphire blue, but a smokey grey. I lived in Bader for quite some time with my mother, father, and younger sister, Klara. My parents were kind but at times were harsh and cruel. When my mother was upset she would lash out at us, especially me. It was as if everything I had ever done wrong was shoved into my face all at once, like a dam storing up all that water then breaking and drowning everything in its path. Klara and I had a large age difference, almost as if she was the do over child. My father worshiped her and at points was very unfair towards me. I loved Klara but would never forgive my parents for the way they would neglect and ignore me. A disease hit my village, causing my mother and I to lose my father and 8 year old sister. Naturally my mother turned on me making my home life a living hell, constant yelling and criticizing. I eventually ran away and left my village. I moved on to a different land and met Jonas. He was older and dangerous, which i liked. Our friendship grew to love, love that would last forever. I revealed my troubled past to him and he offered me support i never had before. Jonas was the anchor that kept me from growing to cold and distant and driven by the hate I felt towards my mother. Jonas and i eventually grew out of his hometown and moved on to find the different adventures waiting for us. We came to the land of Corona and built a huge tower in the deepest part of the forest. Jonas would say it would help us fully appreciate the beauty of the world. On the interior there was a winding staircase that led up to the top of the tower, where we established our home. That part of my life was a blur of happiness. Jonas taught me to let go of the anger and frustration towards my past and embrace the life I was given.
We grew old, very old and I began to feel the anger burning inside me again. All those years of my youth wasted! Why do I grow old now when I'm finally enjoying my life? Jonas would always tell me to let it happen. We played our part on earth, we helped clear a path for the next generation. I slowly let these thought blow out the flame inside, until I heard of the flower.
"Jonas! Do you know what this flower means? We can be young again- and stay young! Think of the possibilities..." I began to ramble about how many lives we could have, how we can be anyone or go anywhere! But Jonas immediately brought me down from the cloud of hope I was floating on.
" Gothel, there is no point in wasting our last years together obsessing over some flower. We don't even know if it is real or not"
"But-"
"No darling. It isn't worth it. If what you say about this flower Is true, that it heals the hurt and helps the sick then let its power be used for that instead of your own greed."
We argued for days about me leaveing to find the flower. One night as we fought Jonas started to cough. His coughing went on for a while and didnt seem like it would ever stop. I brought him water and rubbed his back, what was only two minutes felt more like 2 hours. Thats when I decided I had to go, not just for me anymore but to help Jonas. I walk through the dark, away from the only place I felt was home, away from the only person I love. I will find this flower, this flower they call rapunzel.