- 18 Minutes -

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9 year old Rapunzel makes a mistake that spirals out of control.

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It had been raining for three whole weeks, a steady dripping hazy drizzle that just took the joy and happiness out of everything. Even with the upper shutters open it was still very dark in the tower and Rapunzel was sleeping later and taking naps, but she still had no extra energy. Not even painting with bright colors helped, not that she could anymore, she had used up all of them and Mother couldn't go out in the rain for more.

And it was cold, it was supposed to be spring but it felt like the whole world was crying all the time, and Rapunzel did too. Rapunzel was 9 years old and moping around the tower. Nothing was fun anymore. Crying was the only thing left she felt like doing.

Gothel was so tired of the rain. It just seemed to never stop and clear up. Sure, it rained a lot in the spring, but this was getting ridiculous. She would almost welcome a thunderstorm just so all the rain would dump at once, but she still had nightmares about the one from a few years ago. It had sat over the tower for hours, lighting licking the bowl of the canyon and striking the tower, and the thunder echoing and echoing. They had huddled in the middle of the tower most of the night, wrapped in Rapunzel's hair, rocking back and forth and singing the incantation to comfort each other, the light of her hair barely holding back the terror.

Gothel was beginning to worry about Rapunzel, she was moping around the tower so much, nothing brought her joy any more. Oddly, she missed the bright sunshiny girl that drove her crazy, bouncing all over the tower.

Today she was going to try something different, and have Rapunzel help make a fresh batch of vegetable stew. She hoped it would dry out soon, they were running low on food, this would use the last of the carrots and the dried parsley. She had gone out near the end of the first week, she had made it to the food forest she had set up years ago when she first found the tower, but the mud was so bad that after gathering a few parsnips and rutabagas she had to return home because it was taking so long to dig them out and it was getting dark.

Climbing Rapunzel's hair had taken forever, she was soaked through and the hair was a little slippery. It had taken days to get all the mud off of her boots. They had also had to wash Rapunzel's hair, she had gotten mud all over it climbing up. It still wasn't completely dry.

Gothel wasn't worried about starving, the flower had saved her from that more then once, but the hunger pangs weren't something the magic could do anything about. Eating grass and mud cakes helped, but wasn't fun.

Gothel was hoping that Rapunzel helping in the kitchen would help make her happier. She didn't want her to get too depressed, she'd seen people who had killed themselves after a couple of weeks of rain. Doing stupid things like jumping off of the top of barns, or even cutting their wrists. They kept the main window closed so as to not let the rain in, but it made it a lot darker in the tower.

"Come along Rapunzel, let's make some vegetable stew. Would you help me?" She said with a smile. Her own mother had taught her how to cook, all she could remember of her was the smell of the vegetable stew they were going to make.

"Yes, Mother." Rapunzel moped back and shuffled across the floor from her green chair by the fire, her 35 feet of wet sunshine blonde hair slithering as it dragged on the floor.

They gathered the ingredients from the cubbies and jars around the kitchen. Gothel filled the pot from the kitchen cistern and heaved it onto the hot stove. She moved to the table and asked "I forgot the knife would you get it for me?" while organizing the ingredients in the order she wished to prepare them.

Rapunzel could see the kitchen knife on the shelf and feeling lazy, gathered a loop of hair and grabbed the knife with it.

Only after she had yanked on it did she think about what would happen next.

The hair and knife came flying toward her, the heavy handle and hair started it to rotate, she could see the bright sharp edge of the knife and pointy tip turning toward her.

Mother was still facing the table and didn't know it was coming, Rapunzel could duck, but Mother was right behind her. Mother would be hurt. Rapunzel threw up her arms to try and catch the knife to save Mother, but she closed her eyes.

She could feel a pinch and a pressure in her arm. She opened her eyes and saw the tip of the knife right in front of her nose. Beyond the belly of the knife was her left arm and beyond her arm was the handle of the knife. Her hair fell off of the knife and she lowered her arms, turning her arm she could see it went through her arm, between the bones.

Rapunzel was surprised, it didn't hurt all that much, but she was beginning to feel strange. Grabbing the handle of the knife with her right hand she turned and said, "Mommy" in a weak voice.

"What is taking so long, pet?" Gothel said as she turned.

A look of profound shock and horror appeared on her face. It looked like Rapunzel, her precious flower, had plunged the knife into her own arm. "Oh, no, I was too late. The rain has gotten to her and she is trying to kill herself." Gothel thought to herself.

Acting quickly, she gripped the arm tightly, pulled the knife out, wrapped a loop of magic hair around the injured arm as blood poured out and quickly sang the healing incantation. Rapunzel's eyes were rolling back in her head, but in seconds the wound glowed, closed and healed.

The thought of Rapunzel killing herself terrified Gothel, there was no way to test if the hair would still work if Rapunzel died, if Rapunzel died then she would die, that was beyond terrifying and that was intolerable. She had to do something to keep this from ever happening again. She remembered the beatings she got from her father, oh so long ago, she couldn't remember his face, but she remembered the beatings, those had been effective.

Drawing herself up to her full height she towered over her precious pet.

"Rapunzel, you hurt yourself and that is very bad. I will not tolerate that. You must be punished."

"Yes, mother." Rapunzel said through lowered eyes.

She thought she was used to being punished. Mother would lock the window or make her clean the bathroom extra carefully or not use her paints or something like that. But Mother was being very scary. Not like normal. She hadn't done it on purpose. She had tried to save Mother.

Rapunzel opened her mouth to explain, but Gothel cut her off. "Go over to your chair and lean over the arms. I will give you 100 lashes and you will say 'I will not hurt myself' after each one and don't forget to count. When we are done you will wait to ask permission to heal yourself after you have sat for 9 minutes, which is as old as you are."

"But mother…"

"Now!" Gothel roared.

Mother was so very angry, and Rapunzel wasn't sure why, but she was so scared now and did as she was told.

Gothel got a leather belt from her closet, flipped up Rapunzel's skirt, stepped back and struck.

Rapunzel screamed, but said "I will not hurt myself, one" as she had been told.

Over and over this went on, one hundred times. Before the end Rapunzel began to bleed, but Gothel did not stop until they reached that terrible final number.

"Now sit quietly until 9 minutes pass."

Rapunzel was in incredible pain, Mother had never done anything like this to her before and she was terrified of her now. She desperately wiped her eyes so she could see the clock, her bottom was on fire, she strove to sit still but it was impossible. She wanted to sob, but stifled them as best she could, she wanted to heal herself, but waited, in fear, as commanded.

When the time was up, she quickly sang the healing song.

"Disobedient child!" Gothel roared, jumping out of her red chair. "I told you to ask permission first."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it hurt so much. Mother, please." Rapunzel pleaded.

"You did this to yourself. Now you have to start over and your back must be lashed as well, to make sure you remember." Gothel yelled.

"No, mommy, please." Rapunzel begged, falling to the floor, catching the hem of Mother's dress in her hands.

"Stop making it worse! Now your feet and hands have to be lashed as well!" Gothel screeched.

Rapunzel could only gape at this point. This was out of control. Tears were streaming down her face, why was this happening? She had tried to protect Mother. Shaking all over she crawled to her chair, knelt across it and closed her eyes. She could hear the belt whipping through the air.

Slap.

Scream.

"I will not hurt myself, one." Each word a plea.

Sob.

Splot.

"I will not hurt myself, four hundred." Rapunzel finished numbly.

Rapunzel was beyond pain and tears, she was in the numbness place, nothing could touch her here. She could see the bloody stripes on the palms of her shaking hands, oddly noting that not all of the blood on her hands had come from her hands. Panting, she stood on her damaged feet, supporting herself with her elbows as her knees so weak, and felt that pain was the fire that was all that was all the feeling left to her feet, she sat on her oozing bottom, her own sweat stung her torn back, she vaguely remembered to not sit back.

Rapunzel looked carefully at the clock.

From far, far away she heard Mother say, "You must wait 18 minutes before asking to heal yourself," as her blood roared in her ears.

Rapunzel nodded carefully. The pain lived just outside her skin, she move carefully so as not to touch it.

The pendulum swung, oh, so slowly back and forth. Each second an age. Each minute an eon.

Finally, after the age of the universe passed, the 18 minutes passed.

Rapunzel moved her shaking head so carefully, to look at Mother's feet, who was sitting in her red chair, not far away, watching her carefully. "Please, Mother, may I, please, heal myself, please, please.", she begged weakly.

Gothel tilted her head, considering, and said, "Yes, you may," with a wave of her hand.

"Thank you. Mother. Flower, gleam and glow…"

Rapunzel had sat on her hair, she could not move it before sitting. She screamed as all that pain suddenly vanished and slumped in her chair.

Gothel ran over and caught Rapunzel up in a hug, "Oh Rapunzel, I'm so proud of you. You did so well. You're such a good girl. I love you so very much."

"I love your more." said Rapunzel as she put her arms around Mother.

"I love you most." And Gothel kissed her on the top of her head.

A accident turns into hell for Rapunzel. The worst part of this is that it is all a misunderstanding. A mistake that spiraled out of control.

I knew she was probably physically abused at some point, but this was beyond anything I have ever encountered. Then having magic, healing hair makes the whole spanking problem more complex. What good is inflicting pain if it can be healed away immediately? Gothel putting the delay for asking permission in, is vile, but sadly it makes sense.

I'm just glad this only happened once.

I've only spanked my own child a few times, with my hand, but gave up because it didn't do any good for either of us. I was only slapped once by my mom. I know that people are treated much worse, just read the news any day of the week, but I really like Rapunzel.

And manipulative psycho Gothel witch has me thinking now that the Queen's final solution for Gothel wasn't enough. About the only good thing I know, the hard way, is that you usually do become numb to extreme pain, it's a survival mechanism, otherwise known as going into shock.

Your thoughts?

Do the unsound effects work?