Chapter 1

Anneliese stared out the window, her elbow resting on the windowsill in her room. It was a tiny room. The once white walls were now gray with age. A bed stood in the bare room along with a little wardrobe.

Anneliese loved the view from this window. As far as she could see there was a dense green forest. And everyday she could see a thin curl of smoke rise above the treetops. Obviously there was little cottage nestled in the woods.

There was a window on the other side of the tower too, but all that Anneliese could see was a castle and a little village surrounding it just beyond the forest's edge. The castle was a rather uninteresting place in the eyes of Anneliese. She had always preferred the forest to the village and the castle.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair", a voice cried from the other side of the tower. Anneliese was pulled out of her day dream and ran to the other side of the tower and leaned out the window.

"How many times do I need to tell you my name is not Rapunzel?" Anneliese called down to the witch who waited at the bottom.

"Anneliese just doesn't fit. Sorry", the witch called back.

"You just like Rapunzel better. Just admit it. You know it's true."

"Just let your hair down", the witch called.

"Good luck climbing my hair", Anneliese called as she pushed her waist length, red hair over the windowsill.

"Very funny".

"I think it's funny too!" Anneliese called knowing this would irritate the witch even more. "Why can't you just build yourself a staircase. Then you wouldn't have to call up to me. And then you wouldn't have to scale the tower wall."

"Very true. But then anyone who wanted to could come up and down, and that wouldn't work. Besides, I've got my own way of coming up."

Anneliese rolled her eyes, walked over to the couch, and picked up her book where she had left it. She lounged on the couch while she waited for the witch to climb up.

"Here", the witch said handing Anneliese a basket. Anneliese opened the basket. Inside was a blanket. Anneliese pulled it out. "What's this for?"

"That," the witch replied, "is a magic blanket."

Anneliese rolled her eyes. "I kinda figured that. What does it do?"

"When your hungry you just open it and food will appear."

"You're going to stop coming to see me? What about the homemade pies, and cake?" Anneliese was ready to cry.

The witch rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you'll mange without them."

"But I'll be lonely."

The witch patted her kindly on the shoulder. "That's what books are for. Oh, and don't worry about finding a prince to marry you. I'll spread the word that a lovely young maiden is locked away in a tower. The same thing that happened to Rapunzel". The witch smiled to herself. "Well, I must be off now. I'll be back sometime later in the month." And with that the witch climbed out of the window.

Anneliese folded up the blanket and put it in her wardrobe. "Anneliese! Anneliese!" a voice from the ground called.

Anneliese looked out of her window. There at the bottom stood her dear friend, Peter. He lived in the little cottage in the woods. "Peter! Guess what" Anneliese called down to him.

"What?"

"The witch won't be coming back for a while! Isn't that wonderful? Now I can finally plan a way to get out of here. I'm so excited I could dance a jig!" Anneliese actually did an Irish jig then.

"That is wonderful! I'm happy for you!"

"Thank you Peter. When I get out of here, will you take me to your house? I've never seen a real house."

"Of course I will. I'll show you all around the farm. But of course if a prince rescues you you'll have to go with him."

Anneliese scoffed. "There is no way on Earth I'd marry a prince. Rapunzel may have been rescued by a prince and married him, but I won't. I'll rescue myself."

They talked until dusk when Peter had to go. Anneliese fell asleep that night with a smile on her face. She didn't need a man to rescue her. She wasn't stupid like Rapunzel. She had a brain for a purpose.

If you didn't really get it Anneliese doesn't really like the witch. It's not that obvious. Well you know what to do!! Read and review please!!! It would really mean a lot!!