Lantern Chapter 7

I immediately felt a lump form in my throat. Whether I liked it or not I was going back to the tower, the place that held so many memories. Of course not all are bad, in fact lots are happy memories of my childhood where I innocently played with Pascal and watched the lanterns from my window. Gothel however had tainted most of these memories and that was the reason I hadn't been able to bring myself to return since Eugene rescued me. No stop it, don't think about Eugene I told myself blocking him out of my head. Thinking about him only makes me think about what an exposed and vulnerable position I'm in.

Thankfully the Stabbington brothers are ignoring me now, after tying my chains to the trunk of a tree, they have sat down and told me to collect firewood. The long chain they bound me with is now clasped against my ankle, allowing me to walk freely around the area surrounding the clearing, where we have stopped.

I can see the top of the tower now; it's peaking up over the tops of the trees. Looking at Pascal I can't help but sigh.

"I know, I don't want to go back either but we don't have much choice," I tell him. He doesn't like my reply and makes it clear by jumping off my shoulder and hiding under the bottom of my dress.

"Oh I'm sorry Pascal, but don't worry Eugene will come for us soon, you'll see,"

I say using Eugene's name to try and comfort myself just as much as Pascal.

The brothers are now sleeping, as far as I can tell and so I'm trying hard not to wake them, as I creep around quietly searching for wood.

Suddenly I feel my foot hit something hard and have to bite my tongue to stop myself from making a noise.

Looking down I can see a small brown bag, containing what seems to be a book of some description. Picking it up I reach my hand inside, unable to get rid of the feeling that I had seen the bag somewhere before.

Sure enough I pulled out a small brown leather book with a flower marked on the front. I looked closer only to realise that what I was holding wasn't a book at all, but a journal of some description.

Unable to hide my curiosity I carefully opened the journal and looked at the inside cover. As soon as I saw it my hand went limp and I can feel the diary fall from my grasp and onto the ground. A gasp escapes my body as I begin to take in what I have just seen.

I have found Gothel's journal.

..

Eugene had been travelling non stop, trying to find Rapunzel. Now he had Maximus it had become a lot easier, not only because of his speed, but also because of his company. Eugene himself had now calmed down a little, but he was still completely focused on finding her.

This was easier said then done. He had set off going forward and trying to follow the general direction the Stabbington brothers had set off in, but apart from this he had no idea where to start looking. For now at least the best he could do was search through the woods relentlessly hoping, that he would find her. He had made a promise to himself, and next time he found her he defiantly wouldn't be letting her go.

Cautiously, as if it were a snake that could bite at any time, I picked up the journal and forced myself to open it and have a proper look. By now Pascal had climbed back onto my shoulder, evidently as curious as me at finding out its contents.

At first I just flicked through trying to find out what it was about. Throughout its pages a drawing seemed to appear a lot. A drawing of a single flower, that Gothel had taken the time to ink in intricately.

Suddenly I saw a large version of it near the back and stopped to take a proper look, apart from its delicate beauty there didn't seem to be anything special about the flower. It had a dark blue centre, which was surrounded by white petals and a short green stem. I decided to turn my attention to the writing that surrounded the drawing.

The Moonlight Flower-

Although not as powerful as the sunshine flower, it processes the ability to heal and bring health to whoever drinks it.

However, can only be used once.

Only one drop of moonlight has ever dropped to Earth.

It is thought to grow, near the sunshine flower.

I began to flick through the rest of the journal, but it was mostly maps that I couldn't make sense of. It seemed as if Gothel had been trying to locate the flower for a long time as the first entry went back to when I was ten.

"So that explains why she always went out, but never gave me a straight answer as to why," I said to Pascal.

Suddenly I felt myself being pulled backwards by the chain on my ankle and couldn't help but drop the journal back on the ground. I struggled wildly but the brothers were just too strong, I ended up falling over and being half dragged back to the clearing.

"So where's that firewood?" Punch demanded.

I realised now that I had been so distracted by the journal that I had forgot to get any.

"I ermm-"

"Spare me your excuses and I'll get it myself," he sighed before continuing.

"Sometimes I wonder what Flynn ever saw in you, well I suppose he'll be glad we took you off his hands," he laughed.

I gritted my teeth as he shortened the chain, and told me to rest. There was no way I could retrieve the journal now.