*gross laughter*

ye i deleted my one shot bc meh. i still have to write a few more one shots. i promise i will post it again (once i have at least 3 one shots)
and uhm.. this didnt even reach 2k words but whatever. hiccup's gonna be in the third chapter so stayed tuned for that cuz shizz is definitely going down.

peace

Diclaimer: why do i even bother


The screams were heard across the halls. Lights flickered in the corners of each hallway; darkness filling the room for a few moments.

Rapunzel woke up screaming again. She was reaching out for someone; a woman dressed in white beckoning her to come forward. But every time she stretched her hands, her fingers went right through the woman like air. Then there was a great fire. Everyone was screaming for help but she could not help but stare. She looked down at her hands and saw thick blood running down her arms. That's when she woke up. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, staining her sheets. She woke up to the dimness covering her, suffocating her.

Slowly she sat up, the muscles beneath her skin straining and aching. Her bare feet met with the cold floor, sending shivers up her legs. She listened to the silence in the room. But if she listened carefully she could hear it; she could hear what the thick concrete walls could not keep out: fear.

Tiny heads peeked out from under the sheets right across the room. Even in the darkness she could see the pale frightened faces.

"What is it little ones?" Rapunzel walked over to the bunked beds lined across the wall. Children not older than ten huddled in their tattered sheets. The eldest of them, Elia, sat up. "You had another nightmare 'Punzie." Squeaked her tiny voice.

Rapunzel forced a small smile and stroked the girl;s hair. "You don't need to worry about me."

"Are they coming tonight?" asked a small boy of six. He was hugging his knees to his chest. Rapunzel's heart broke. She looked at the frightened children with pity in her eyes. They will never know how it is to be a child. The world made them grow up fast. Too fast. All their life they only knew how to hide in fear. He wanted to shield them from all the hurts of the world. But how could she when she too was broken?

"No little one." Her voice dropped to a low whisper but was filled with doubt. "Just stay here okay? I'm going to look for Gothel."

The children nodded meekly. There were no windows so Rapunzel could not see what was happening outside. She grabbed what was left of her tattered coat and slung it over her shoulders. Exiting the quarters, Rapunzel stumbled through the crumbling halls. She could tell that by this time everyone was already inside their own rooms.

The stench of anxiety seeped through the cracks on the doors and windows. With each step she felt the biting cold even more. Bits of rubble and cement were crushed beneath her feet.

After winding her way through several halls, Rapunzel found herself at the entrance of the shelter. She peeked through the window cracks and saw twilight unfold outside. Please let there be no attacks tonight. She had been uttering silent prayers in her sleep for days now. Prayers that were always answered by nightmares. Every night when the gates of the city closed and the streets empty of any sign of life, Rapunzel prayed that the raiders woulf not come.

But they still did. Weeks pass and they came and destroyed and took what they could. Ever since she was a child she had seen her people live in fear of the raiders. Even the city's soldiers could not protect them from the strangers' guns and machines.

Rapunzel closed her eyes. Don't let them come.

The sirens sounded. The silence was replaced by the shrill noise of the signal. She can feel the earth shake with the soldiers' rhythmic matching. One. Two. Three. She counted in her head. Four. Five. Six. Don't let them come. Seven. Eight. Nine. The first shouts were heard from a distance and the hair on the back of Rapunzel's neck stood.

Then she ran.


"Lock the gates and position every spare man you have at the watchtowers." Gothel shouted commands at the guards as they went. The night was fast approaching and even so was their armed visitors. "They can burn and pillage the farmlands but do not let them come near the shelters."

The soldiers nodded and ran to spread word. The sirens have stopped sounding minutes ago and chaos had already taken over. She glanced at the sea and saw that the ships were close to landing on shore. If her vision is right then she saw at least five ships sailing and from experience it was enough to burn down a city.

"Make sure the children are safe. Guard the storages as well." The soldiers lined up at the gates; some were waiting in armed vehicles and others were positioned at 20 foot watchtowers. Each tower stood a few meters apart with a pathway connecting them that stretched around the city. The men in white uniforms stood out against the dark night.

They were almost there. She can almost hear their guns clicking from afar.

Her guards marched beside her. "We've placed at least a hundred men at the gates and fifty are patrolling the perimeters in case they attack elsewhere."

"And what of the shelters?" Gothel inquired.

"We've gathered every man we could inside and at every entrance."

She nodded and glanced at the building that barely held together in front of her. The 5 storey shelter stretched for a few meters which contained most of the city's storage rooms and quarters for the children and the disabled. It was their last hope of regaining their strength and to rebuild what they can of their home. And Gothel was determined to lead her people to a better future. She was not going to let anyone get in harm's way no matter what the cost.

The large metal doors opened.

God help us all.


Hundreds of people hurried down the halls. They bumped at each other and squeezed themselves against the narrow passageways that led to the basement of the building. The guards followed at the rear of the crowd. Their eyes had to adjust to the dimness and relied on the walls for direction.

"Hurry now children." Rapunzel ushered dozens of children towards the stars; their tiny feet struggling to keep up with the frantic crowd. There was chaos yet there were no shouts to be heard. They were used to this; running through cracking walls and praying they would survive another night.

Once everyone was safe inside the large room, they huddled together and listened in silence to the commotion outside. Rapunzel gathered the younger ones to one side and held their cold hands, offering what little reassurance she could give. And so the people of Corona waited in the dark. They sat staring at the ceiling, listening to the marching outside. Nobody could move. Not one of them dared to speak.

There was a muffled explosion but everyone flinched not knowing who fired it. One of the youngest girls cried, hugging Rapunzel's side. "What is it Addie?" She turned the sobbing toddler to face her.

The girl wiped the tears that stained her reddening cheeks. Her eyes were sunken and dark from fatigue and hunger. Her long dark hair was now thin and limp, thick strands resulting to tangles and became infested with lice. The girl's bones were visible beneath the flesh; her arms blotchy and pale, bruises appearing almost everywhere. She stared at Rapunzel with red eyes. "I forgot my teddy on my bed."

"Shut it Addie. You can survive the night without your precious bear." Snapped the girl's sister who was shivering under her large coat which did nothing to ease the cold.

Rapunzel wiped off the soot from the girl's face and stood up. "It's okay. I'll go get it." Her voice dropped to a low whisper. The explosions grew louder and more frequent. She hoped that they wouldn't reach the gates. God please don't let them past the gates. Two guards stood by the doorway, preventing anyone from going out until the attacks were over. Rapunzel took a deep breath.

"I need to go out." She told the guards with as much strength as she could muster in her voice.

"No one is allowed to exit this shelter until the attacks are over." The guard replied in a gruff voice, blocking the door. "You of all people should know that."

The other guard eyed her sternly and Rapunzel suddenly felt like a child again. She shifted on her feet but managed to look the person in the eye, "I won't be long. I promise."

But the guard was indignant. He stayed rooter to his spot, unmoving and unafraid. Then another explosion was heard but this time it felt closer; the earth shook beneath them. Rapunzel felt her heart drop as blast after blast made its way to the ground. This has never happened before . Even the guards seemed to have an unsettling expression on their faces. Everyone was terrified and huddled closer to each other. Then one final boom was heard, this time the whole room shook, sending rubble and dust everywhere. Rapunzel was thrown off balance, sending her crashing to the ground.

People were screaming and running towards the exit but only to be stopped by the guards. Rapunzel stood and pushed her way towards the children who were clutching at each other in the farthest corner of the room. She took their cold hands. "I'm going to get you out of here, okay?" She looked back at the guards who were being almost crushed by the screaming citizens.

She led the children to the back part of the room. Standing on the stacked boxes, she clawed at a dusty long-forgotten window that was big enough to fit a small person. Pushing it outward, the glass sent dust and ash everywhere, revealing the night ahead. They were forbidden to venture out of the shelters during raids but if they were going to do nothing, they were just one explosion away from being crushed to death.

"You go first Elia. Then help me with the others." The girl did as told and cautiously climbed up the boxes. She grabbed at the edges of the window and slowly wiggled herself out.

Next were the smaller children. Rapunzel helped up the frightened kids until everyone was outside. She could still hear shouting and…gunshots.

:Punzie," Addie peeked through the small window. "My teddie."

Another gunshot was heard. "I'll get it, don't worry. Elia, take the children to the north posts."

"What?" She asked over the noise.

"Take the children to the northern posts and find Eugene. You'll be safe there for now. I'll come back for you. I promise."

The girl nodded bravely but Rapunzel could see fear in her wide eyes. So young to see so much of the world. Too young. She watched the group disappear into the dark before turning back towards the chaos inside. She quietly pushed herself among the people crowding at the door. They cried for help, for the guards to let them out. 'It was safer here' was all the reply they could get. Rapunzel felt her lungs contracting. She flattened herself against the cool metal surface. The guards were too busy handling the mob. Inching herself, her fingers reached for the handle. She needed only a fraction of the guards' attention elsewhere to slip out and run into the dark halls before they could even look back.


ehe