Memories
The room was loud and crowded. Flashes of women talking, laughing, and fighting, in whatever direction you looked. The varying shades of grey the room showcased made everyone's bright orange jumpsuits stand out like construction signs. It was almost impossible to hear one's own thoughts over the chorus of voices that thundered in the air.
In the back of a room picking at whatever edible substance covered her metal lunch tray, sat a petite girl no more than 20 years of age. Her long blonde hair nearly came down to her knees most days. Today however it was all woven back in a tight braid that ended just past her hips. Her bright green eyes traced around the room with disinterest, and she slowly rose to her feet. She deposited her lunch tray and walked up to the armed guards that stood watch by the doors.
The older of the two guards hardly glanced at her before stalking off to break up a fight between some other inmates. The younger guard however, gave her a sympathetic smile before escorting her back to her cell. 'He knows the drill.' Rapunzel thought to herself. The two of them walked in comfortable silence until they arrived at their destination. The guard unlocked her cell door and Rapunzel heard the automatic click of the lock as he shut door behind her. With one last sympathetic look and the half-hearted promise that one day things would be better, the guard was gone, leaving Rapunzel alone to her thoughts once again.
The young blonde sighed to herself as she looked around the cell a large number of sketches were taped to the walls and laying haphazardly on the floor, some of them only half finished. One in particular caught Rapunzel's eye. It was of a bullseye target beneath an oak tree. The paper was half hanging onto the concrete wall, the edges torn and frayed. It was one she had drawn on one of her first days here, it was the only one that wasn't of her.
With another sigh Rapunzel laid down on the bottom bunk and closed her eyes. She welcomed the silence, but of course it didn't last long, it never does. Within minutes the sounds of hysterical crying and gunfire filled her head, as she thought back to that night, that dreaded night that Rapunzel never stopped thinking about. It was the night that ended her entire world.
(2 years earlier)
Rapunzel beamed to herself as she twirled around her bedroom. The new purple dress she wore was stunning. It was beaded with intricate designs at the top. The sweetheart neckline fit perfectly with the medallion around her neck. The lavender fabric flowed down about mid thigh and highlighted her curves perfectly.
Her long blonde hair was all pulled into a delicate updo on top of her head. Her makeup was light and short heels almost made her look of average size. Rapunzel was ecstatic, today was her eighteenth birthday, and she'd spent the entire day being completely spoiled by her girlfriend. The day was almost over now, but Rapunzel's scottish lover had one last surprise up her sleeve.
As Rapunzel made her way down the stairs she heard Merida's breath catch at the sight before her, and Rapunzel couldn't help but follow suit. Merida was dressed in black skinny jeans and combat boots. She wore a dark blue top with gold stitching, and her fiery red hair blazing down her back like a waterfall. "You look…." both girls began simultaneously, before they broke down into slight laughter.
Merida took a confident step forward and offered Rapunzel her arm with a devious smirk. "Shall we my lady? Rapunzel giggled at the sight. Before gliding down the rest of the stairs and hooking arms with Merida.
"We most definitely shall!" Rapunzel quipped back. Merida threw her head back and laughed, and to Rapunzel, it was the most amazing sound in the world.
Rapunzel felt as if she was flying, and by the end of dinner, at one of the most expensive places that the blonde had ever eaten at, Rapunzel couldn't seem to wipe the smile off her face. "Hey Punzie" Merida questioned, as they strolled hand in hand down the street.
"Yeah Mer" The blonde replied.
"Ye had fun today ehh??" The redhead asked casually. Except to Rapunzel, Merida seemed...nervous. An array of emotions Rapunzel couldn't quite place crossed the Scottish girl's face. And Merida played with Rapunzel's hands as she held them gently in her own.
"Of course I did babe, today almost even feels like a fairytale." Rapunzel exclaimed with a radiant smile. Merida's confidence seemed to be floating back and she smirked at the blonde in front of her.
"Well then!" Merida half yelled in the street, making Rapunzel laugh at the grand display. "Ye gonna say yes if I ask ya to marry me?" Rapunzel gasped at the question as Merida got down on one knee and pulled out a small box, revealing the most breathtaking ring Rapunzel had ever seen. Tears of joy clouded Rapunzel's vision and she started nodding her head yes, to choked up to verbally answer.
A radiant smile broke out on Merida's face as she stood up and placed the ring on Rapunzel's left hand. "I know da ring is a bit much ehh, it was me'y mum's."
Rapunzel shook her head with a smile. "It's perfect, she whispered." Merida leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Rapunzel's lips. "I love you so much." Rapunzel whispered.
I love ye too lass!" Merida replied.
"Let's go home," Rapunzel whispered with a smirk. Merida smiled back, her blue eyes filled of love and mischief.
"As the lady wishes," Merida replied with a grand bow. Rapunzel laughed as they walked down the street hand in hand. Making plans and telling jokes, for the first time in a long time, both girls were completely happy. And despite they're chaotic lives, everything seemed perfect.
But, nothing perfect lasts forever. For, just as the girls turned around a corner, Someone roughly grabbed hold of Rapunzel's arm, and ripped her away from Merida's grasp. A scream left Rapunzel's lips, and Merida's entire body froze with fear as she saw the man that grabbed her fiancée pull out a gun. "Whoa ehh…" Merida exclaimed with a shaky breath. "We don't want any trouble, ehh!" Merida's thick Scottish and shaky voice made her almost impossible to understand.
Tears streamed down Rapunzel's face as the man pointed the gun at her head. "Give me your money, credit cards, car keys…everything!!" The man yelled, he sounded drunk, but more frightening he sounded insane. Merida however was always known to be brave, and she started gathering all her cards, cash, and other valuables without breaking eye contact with the gunman.
"Alright eh, that's it, that's all I got!" Merida tried to reason. "I don't care 'bout any of it eh, just let 'er go. The grip on Rapunzel's arm loosened and she ran straight into Merida's arms. Merida immediately placed herself between her fiancée and the gunman.
The man looked over Merida and his eyes landed on a gold bracelet around her wrist. It was a chain-link bracelet with a golden sun charm in the center. It was a gift from Rapunzel and had an engraving of the day they met on the back.
"Hand it over," the man yelled his words slurring together.
"Step off, eh!!" Merida growled back. Pushing Rapunzel further behind her.
"Merida it's okay, just do as he says!" Rapunzel sobbed.
Merida held her gaze with the gunman and continued to stand her ground. A sinking feeling settled in Rapunzel's stomach, and she held on tightly to Merida's arm.
Then, it all seemed to happen lightning fast. The man grabbed all the valuables from the ground where Merida left them and turned the other way down the street. Just as Rapunzel thought they were safe a gunshot rang out through the air. Merida stumbled back a pool of blood soaking through her blue shirt.
Rapunzel barely recognized the hysterical screaming and crying as her own as she begged with s shaky breath for Merida to just hold on. The red head just smiled weakly, and told Rapunzel for the last time how much she loved her. Then. She was gone.
Rapunzel's broken gaze locked with the smoking gun laying a couple yards away. The young blonde kissed her would've been wife one last time before grabbing the gun and following after the man who destroyed her life.
(Present day)
Rapunzel snapped her attention back to her cell. As she absent mindedly twirled the antique ring on her left hand. 'It hadn't helped,' she thought miserably to herself. Her big green eyes glisten with tears, as she thought back to when she shot that man in the chest, and watched him bleed out on the sidewalk.
It hadn't done anything, the love of her life was still dead. And nothing anyone could do or say would change that. All she had to hold onto were the hundreds of sketches of the beautiful redhead, that and the memories.