I scrambled up onto the window ledge, still hearing Rapunzel counting from her bedroom. 95, 96, 97. I counted in my head. I looked around as her counting neared a hundred, spying my hiding spot.

"100!" She called out. I heard the whisk of her hair over the stairs.

I ran to the flower pot and blended in just as she flung open the window shutters.

"Ha!" She yelled. "Hmm, well, I guess Pascal's not hiding out here." She mused, with some humor in her voice. But, I won! I finally won! I heard her walk away. I chuckled just as a lock of her hair wrapped around my tail. My hide and seek score is ruined!

"Gotcha!" Her suddenly large face filled my vision. I screamed. Again. I then turned back to my original color and started panting.

"So- thats twenty-two for me." She lowered me onto the window ledge. I flicked her hair off my tail. "How about...twenty-three out of forty-five?" She cocked her hip, placed her hands on them and looked at me expectantly.

I narrowed my eyes at her. Let's see you run around this huge tower. She sat next to me. I thought it wasn't fair that I had to run around all the time, but Rapunzel's hair was a dead giveaway. She finally gave in to my glare. She sighed, "Okay, what do you want to do?"

I was-screaming- inside! I got to pick! Finally! I quickly pointed my tail outside, as I have been for years and chirped my happiness. I started to take a step and her finger wrapped around my tail.

"Yeah, I don't think so. I like it in here and so do you." She pointed an accusing finger at me. I pointed my accusing tongue at her.

"Come on, Pascal. It's not so bad in there." She ran inside with me in her hands. She placed me on the clock and grasped her hair. She quickly climbed the tower walls and opened the roof to let sunlight in. She started to sing the song she had been working on for the past few weeks. She liked to sing and practice for when her mother arrived.

Seven a.m, the usual morning line-up. She took me down from the clock and ran over to the broom and dustpan. She handed me the dustpan and while I was staggering under its weight, she already had half the floor sweeped up.

Start on the chores and sweep til the floor's all clean. She accidentally swept me all dirty, so we spent a few minutes cleaning me up.

Polish and wax, do laundry, mop and shine up. I took my station at the the hand brush. She dumped the soapy water on the ground and strapped her hand brushes on her own feet and we twirled around. We dusted everything, cleaned her one other dress and did the dishes.

Sweep again, and by then, it's like, seven-fifteen. We're not kidding.

And so I'll read a book, or maybe two, or three. Her books were Cooking, Botany and Gardening. Cooking's my favorite, so we read it first.

I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery. She added flowers to the dress on the wall, a bird to the closet, a sun to the bedroom painting and a chameleon to the painting near the kitchen.

I'll play guitar and knit and cook and basically just wonder when will my life begin. During cooking, she spied a new spot on the wall to paint she quickly grabbed her paints. She shoved an object blocking the spot aside. She dipped her large brush into the paint pot and painted the whole background, then we took a break.

Then after lunch, its puzzles and darts and baking. Cookies!

Paper mache, a bit of ballet and chess. Crud, she beat me in chess. Again!

Pottery and ventriloquy, candle making. Pottery is okay. So is ventriloquy. What I really love is candle making, because it's just really fun!

Then, I'll stretch, maybe sketch, take a climb, sow a dress! Don't. Laugh. Or. Your. Ear. Will. Be. In. Immediate. Danger.

And I'll re-read the books, if I have time to spare. More Cooking!

I'll paint the walls some more, I'm sure there's room somewhere. There wasn't any and Rapunzel started crying. We took a little cookie break and resumed the chores.

And then I'll brush and brush and brush and brush my hair. A little secret. I made a small hammock in Rapunzel's hair that I sometimes relax in.

Stuck in the same place I've always been. And I'll keep wondering and wondering and wondering and wondering when will my life begin. She flung her hair around the room and I knew she was coming to the emotional part and I quickly climbed up to my hammock.

Tomorrow night, lights will appear. Just like they do on my birthday each year. I patted her neck to give her reassurance, but it wasn't enough.

What is it like? Up there where they glow? She gazed upon her new painting of her watching the floating lights.

Now that I'm older, Mother might just let me go. She went over to her new painting and re-painted the hair. She finished and we looked at the life she dreams about.