"Mommy! Mommy! Please can you tell me a story!" Quinn looked at her pouting daughter, Jamie, now five years old, who plopped up onto her bed decorated in stuff animals. Jamie had long brown hair, just like her wife, Rachel, but Quinn saw the reflection of her own hazel eyes in Jamie. Just seeing that her daughter grew up took look like her and Rachel really made her smile. But, god, was Jamie talkative like Rachel, she somehow inherited the genes of non-stop talking from her, which was not good for Quinn. She now had to keep up with double the conversations which was not good for her patience..
"Mommy? Are you going to read me a story? I think we should start reading now, so that we could at least finish the story because we never seem to finish a story when you read, Mommy, and it upsets me. When Mama reads she does it with such emotion and feeling. I like it when Mama reads."
Quinn found it cute how Jamie called her Mommy and Rachel, Mama. It was something that always made her smile, but this time, Jamie was suggesting that she loved Rachel more than her, and that could never happen. Of course, Quinn had to make it into a game—a competition. She needed to win her daughter's love, even though it was only for reading a story book.
"Okay, Jamie, fine. We will read a story, but I'm not promising you that I'm going to have full on background music and choreography like Mama, okay?"
"Awww, but Mommy! I like it when there's dancing! When will Mama come home from work? I want dancing, Mommy!" Jamie said with a pout.
Quinn just smiled at her, "Later honey, Mama will come home from work later. Just bear with me here. What I do promise is that I'll read to you the best story, not even Mama has even read it to you yet."
Jamie sat up in her bed jumping up and down so her bangs bobbed up and down. Quinn secretly smirked as she searched through her daughter's story collection. This story was so going to beat Rachel's performances so much that Jamie would be begging her to read a story every night. Rachel would be so jealous. Quinn finally found the story in the back of the bookcase. She took it out and wiped off the dust of the book.
"There, this will be the book we will read tonight."
Quinn showed her the old book to Jamie and she gave Quinn the weirdest look.
"But, Mommy, Mama already told me this story! This is Rapunzel! I know Rapunzel. She's the girl with the very long hair and then Prince Charming comes and saves her, blah, blah, blah, happily ever after. I, for one, think that this story misrepresents girls everywhere. If I was Rapunzel I would have just jumped off that roof, yes I would. I wouldn't want to be stuck in that horrible dark tower by myself, I think I would just go absolutely crazy!"
Quinn couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"No, Jamie, I'm gonna tell you a different story that's only based on Rapunzel. C'mon sweetie, did you expect me to just read you word for word of a classic?"
Jamie looked at Quinn with a smile, "A little."
Quinn put down the book and she sat next to Jamie on her bed. She put her arm around her and Jamie put her head on her shoulder so that it wrinkled Quinn's pajamas. Quinn brushed Jamie's bangs out of eyes as she started the story.
There was a tower.
And there was a girl.
This girl was shy, beautiful beyond compare, and talented nonetheless. Her name was Princess Brittany S. Pierce, but the thing was, she didn't know she was a princess. All she knew was that she was stuck in that tower until, god knows when, somebody was to save her.
Brittany could be described as the girl with the golden hair— but that was too simple of a description of what her hair had become. You see, her hair stretched as far as the eye could see. It always dragged against the stone pavement and it always seemed to be perfectly placed around everything in that tower. Brittany never seemed to be bothered by the length of her hair, for she believed it showed her beauty and her dedication. Of course, it always bothered her how every morning she had to journey around the tower to even brush a section of her hair, but she always knew it was worth it in the end. She always ended up feeling more confident and beautiful every time she finished brushing the ends. The option to cut it has never crossed the girl's mind. It was a nightmare to even think about. All her hard work wasted from a single snip from a pair of scissors. That simply couldn't happen. Brittany couldn't believe somebody would even do that to one's hair. I mean, a girl's hair was a symbol of everything she stood for. Hair showed personality, confidence, and to see if the girl even took time to groom herself everyday. Brittany shivered at the thought of ever being around anything sharp that would threaten her hair's enchanting length.
Brittany looked around the tower and everything was the same as the day before. The flower pot was still in the same place, Lord Tubbington, her cat, was sleeping by the big window, and the letter from her parents was still sitting on the same round table. Brittany sighed and took the letter. She opened it for what it seemed like the one hundreth time and read it.
To Our Precious Brittany,
I know you may not remember how you got here or why you are here in the first place, but please, Brittany, just know that this tower is now your home. It may not be the best place or the nicest, but it is the safest place. We love you so much, Brittany, we promise that we will come and get you when we figure out our ways. We will explain everything when we come for you. We promise.
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
P.S. If a brave soul may come and get you, please don't panic, honey.
Brittany put down the letter and read the last part over. She didn't know who would come to get her and she didn't want anybody to come and get her. She was comfortable where she was. She didn't need anybody to take her away from her home.
She walked towards Lord Tubbington and started petting him. She sometimes talked to him when she was confused or bored. This time she was a little bit of both.
"Lord Tubbington? Do you think I need someone to save me?"
Lord Tubbington purred.
"I thought so. I can take care of myself, right? It isn't that hard. I've been doing it most of my life. I don't understand why Mommy and Daddy mentioned this 'brave soul' in the letter. But, I've told you this hundred times before, so why should I change my mind today, and expect someone to come and save me?"
Lord Tubbington purred again.
"Well, you are right, Tubs. We are awfully lonley up here, but I don't think anybody would come anytime soon to visit us."
Lord Tubbington looked up at Brittany and licked his lips.
"What? Why would you suggest such a thing, Lord Tubbington! That is impossible! That is uncalled for! We simply just can't leave the tower!" Brittany looked out the window, "Or can we?"
Brittany walked towards the window, dragging her seventy feet of hair behind her. She popped her head outside and looked at the scenery. The flowers were starting to sprout—a sign of spring—the wind was rustling the leaves of the tree, and the sun was shining more brightly as usual, like it was inviting Brittany to come outside and play.
Brittany closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. When she opened her eyes, she came to realize what she was thinking and closed the window.
"No! Lord Tubbington! We can't leave this tower! I know someone won't come and rescue me soon to take me out there, but Mommy and Daddy will come soon. I can wait to go outside until then!"
Lord Tubbington walked in the corner of the tower and fell asleep. Brittany sighed upwards, so her bangs flew in the air. She looked back at Lord Tubbington to make sure he wasn't looking when she popped her head out the window once again. Everything was so beautiful and she wanted to touch everything.
She thought to herself, Tommorow...tommorow will be the day I will go outside. Just for a minute. I better do it when Lord Tubbington is sleeping. He'll get jealous if I go without him. It wouldn't be that bad, right? It'll only be one time and I'm just gonna go back inside. Lord Tubbington won't even notice. It'll just be one time...one time.
Brittany nodded to herself and looked at the outside and the feeling of excitement filled her. She was going to touch the refreshing water and the green grass. She always wondered how grass felt. If it felt fuzzy or rough or maybe a combination of both. This was all so exciting. She sat on the floor and placed her hair neatly behind her. She grabbed the nearest writing utensil and a piece of paper. She was going to plan out her little vacation. She had to figure out how to get out...and how to get back in. It was difficult thing to figure out, but then she looked behind her, and figured that she should use her hair. She smiled at how creative she was. This was going to be the best day ever and she couldn't wait.
The next day, Brittany was terrified. She looked back at her detailed foolproof plan once again. She was going to hook her hair up onto the hook on the window and then slowly hoist herself down. Then she was going to wander only around the tower and just take in the spring breeze—never going far enough to get lost. Getting lost scared her. She didn't know what she would do if she got lost or worse...her hair might get cut in the process of getting lost.
Brittany started to hypervenilate. She started to sweat and her breathing got heavier. Was she going to do this?
"Well Mommy? Was she? Was she?" Jamie said interrupting Quinn.
"Honey, be patient, you're about to find out," Quinn said while smiling at Jamie.
"But Mommy, I'm scared, what if she get hurt. I really don't think her plan is fool proof. There are many flaws in her plan. I'm scared she might not make it. I need Barbara with me."
Barbara was Jamie's favorite stuff animal. It was a really round stuffed bunny that Rachel got for Jamie as a baby. Jamie stood up from her bed and went towards her stuff animal treasure chest. Quinn shook her head as she saw how beat up that stuff animal was, but Jamie really loved that toy.
"Okay, Mommy, I'm ready. You may continue on with the story."
"Okay. Is Barbara ready for the story?" Quinn asked Jamie.
"Yes, but she's also a little bit skeptical about the plan, but she's ready for the story."
Quinn adjusted her seating on the bed and then continued on with the story.
Brittany was going to do this. She was. She already decided and Lord Tubbington was fast asleep. It was now or never. She closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths. She had to calm herself down before she was going to go on the adventure of her life. This was the moment that she was going to remember forever.
She relooked at her plan and then nodded. She took a few steps towards the window and opened it. It's now or never, she thought. She looked outside and then jumbled up her hair so that it was easier for her to throw out the window. She took in another deep breath as she looked down.
Wait a minute.
She never realized how high this tower was. The height was scaring her, but that wasn't all.
There was someone climbing up the tower.
Someone was climbing up the tower.
Brittany immediately let go of her hair and closed the window. She stepped backwards and started to panic.
Oh goodness, someone is climbing up the tower, Brittany thought, my tower.
She couldn't handle this. This was all too much. She started to hypervenilate again, but this time she couldn't calm herself down.
Brittany had fainted.