I slipped down the side of the wall my hands running through my hair. She hadn't even listened to me, she had realized what I wanted and shut me down. I thought of the terrifying images she had portrayed and glanced over at the painting of a man drawn gruesomely in red paint on the floor, he had pointy sharp teeth and crazed eyes, I shivered. Perhaps mother was right; maybe I wasn't ready for the outside world. Yet, I couldn't know unless I tried right? I mean, who was she to assume I was naive and weak? She was hardly ever here and she never listened to me.
I paused at the distinct sound of something hitting rock, it almost sounded like someone was climbing up the side of the tower. I froze as the sound became louder and neared the top of the tower, soon I could hear the sound of laboured breathing; as if someone were tired, perhaps from climbing seventy feet up a rock wall.
Carefully I scooted over to the kitchen, staying low, and hid under the table. Cautiously I slipped my hand up onto the table hoping to find a knife of some sort.
I felt a long hard object brush against my finger tips, grasping the handle I slid it of the table and onto my lap, I paused, I hadn't retrieved a knife after all, but a frying pan.
Oops.
I was just about to reach up to find another weapon when the window clanged open and someone pulled themselves in. Creeping over I grabbed the mannequin I used for sewing dresses and pushed it forwards hiding behind it, the intruder didn't seem to notice.
He was tall and had short brown hair that flowed in a way that made me want to run my fingers through it and his wide shoulders were broad but strong, yet they looked good on him, I wondered what it would be like to be held in those arms...
I shook my head trying to rid myself of such ridiculous thoughts. He was probably a ruffian or a thug and at the very least he was a man, he was dangerous. I swallowed; he was probably here for my hair. I had to deal with him.
He was talking to himself looking into his bag lovingly as if his most valued possession lay inside of it. Cautiously I snuck up behind him.
Hefting the frying pan up high I swung with all the force I could muster and hit him right on his perfectly styled head. He froze for a second and then fell right on his face, the impact made a large clanging sound.
I squeaked jumping up and scurrying away from him in terror. I hid behind the mannequin again and peered over the top looking down at his still form on the ground. He was slumped there in an awkward position his knees angled towards each other and his face flat on the ground, I worried for a brief moment that I had killed him when I noticed his chest rising up and down.
Slowly I pushed the mannequin forward approaching him with caution. Pulling out my frying pan I tapped him on the head, still he didn't move, I looked to Pascal hoping he knew what to do. Pascal simply shrugged and then tilted his head towards the body suggesting I investigate more.
Cautiously I pushed his head over revealing his face. He didn't look scary; he had a strong jaw and a small amount of hair growing on his face in a surprisingly appealing way.
I didn't know a lot about men but I would even go so far as to say that this one looked appealing, I wondered what his voice sounded like, his laugh. If he could sing and if he liked girls with long hair...
Again I caught myself, he was a man, already he had me in his trap and he hadn't even woken up.
I looked again to my friend, Pascal turned red and mimed having fangs and then pointed to the painting mother had made of a man that was still on the floor.
I pulled back the strangers lips exposing his teeth. He had two rows of perfectly white perfectly straight teeth, he definitely didn't have fangs; in fact he looked as if he had a nice smile.
I flipped back the hair that concealed the rest of his face curiosity now entering my system.
I caught my breath, he was even more beautiful then I had realized, and yet beautiful wasn't the right word, I realized I didn't know how to describe him.
My fingers itched to sketch him or paint him. I needed to capture his beauty. How could mother think that something this glorious could be so bad?
I lowered my frying pan and leaned in trying to see him better. Suddenly his eyes opened and he made some weird grunting noise, reflexively I hit him as hard as I could with the frying pan knocking him out again, I shivered from the scare, I had been caught off guard.
Glancing over at the clock I realized that mother would be home soon, she had been gone for two hours already and she had said she was just picking apples, I needed to hide him, and fast.
Looking around my eyes fell upon the old faded blue cabinet that stood beside the window leading into the tower.
I tapped my finger on my chin, it was large enough and mother hardly ever looked at it. Glancing down at my captive I deduced that he would fit just fine in the cabinet. Not wanting to touch him I wrapped my hair around his chest and heaved.
It took me a few minutes but I managed to drag him over to the cabinet. I heaved a sigh of relief and rolled him out of my hair (literally) panting. I glanced at him, and then at the cabinet which stood about half a foot off the ground.
Somehow I had to get him into the cabinet, he weighed almost twice the amount I did.
First I tried sliding his body as fast and as hard as I could towards the cabinet and pushing, he hit the bottom with an audible thump his head lolling to the side. Next I wrapped him in my hair which I had looped over one of the rafters and tried swinging him into the cabinet, this worked almost perfectly, the one problem, my hair was still in the cabinet. When I tried to get it out, I managed to get my hair out of the cabinet, but he came out with it crashing on top of me. Next I tried flipping, pushing with a broom and lifting, none of which worked and each of which ended with both of us sprawled on the floor.
Finally I managed to get him in the cabinet without it opening, sadly his fingers had been caught in the door, I leaned in shocked and slightly amazed by the strange image. Shyly I pushed each finger back into the cabinet. Quickly I ran over and jammed the cabinet closed with a chair; I hoped it didn't look too conspicuous.
"Ok, ok, ok," I said to myself, "I've got a person in my closet, I've got a person in my closet," I glanced at myself in the mirror expertly holding my handy dandy frying pan, "I've got a person in my closet!" I exclaimed excitedly. I laughed to myself suddenly very confident.
I held up my frying pan brushing it off. "Too weak to handle myself out there mother," I said to myself grinning into the mirror, I started swinging my frying pan around in gusto, "Well tell that to my frying pa-" I hit myself in the face hard with the frying pan. "Ow" I muttered rubbing my face not so confident any more but still pretty happy with myself.
Suddenly a sparkle reflected in the mirror caught my eye; it was coming from the intruder's bag. Looking into the reflection of the mirror I saw a strange bejewelled thing concealed by his bag, it resembled jewelry, yet it was like nothing I had ever seen before.
Turning around I leaned down and slipped it out. Holding it up to my face I examined the strange object. It was gold with three large diamonds and several smaller jewels set into the piece. There were rows upon rows of crystals and rubies with little flowers and curly cues. It was one of the prettiest things I had ever seen.
I stared at it perplexed. Carefully I fit it on my wrist wondering if it was a bracelet of some sort, it was far too large. I glanced at Pascal for his opinion, he shook his head no. Bringing it up to my face I tried looking at Pascal through one of the larger jewels wondering if it was a fancy eye glass for those with poor eyesight, but all it did was blur my vision, again Pascal shook his head.
Holding it in my hands I looked at myself in the mirror consumed by this conundrum. On a hunch I placed the thing on my head, it fit perfectly resting on my hair.
It was beautiful and it filled me with a strange feeling, a strange rightness.
Again I glanced over to Pascal he was staring at me in awe, I almost thought he felt what I did, but after a few seconds he shook his head no.
"Rapunzel" my mother called up from the base of the tower snapping me out of my trance, I jumped up shocked. Quickly I slipped off the thingy and stuffed it back into its bag. Glancing around frantically I spotted a pot and threw it in.
"Let down your hair" she called up impatiently.
"One moment mother," I replied looping my hair through the hook and sending it down to her.
"I have a big surprise" she yelled up. She looked up at me happiness in her eyes; I didn't understand how she could look so innocent after that presentation she had given me.
"Ugh," I said, "I do too..."
"Oh I bet my surprise is bigger" she responded.
"I seriously doubt it." I muttered laughing under my breath.
Heaving her over the window sill she sat down smiling at me, " I brought back Parsnips, I'm going to make Hazelnut soup for dinner, your favorite, Surprise!" usually this would make me very happy but right now I was too anxious about the man in my closet.
"Well mother" I began nervously, "there's something I wanna tell you," She didn't really listen to me as she hang up her coat. "Oh Rapunzel" she sighed "you know how I hate leaving you after a fight, especially after I've done absolutely nothing wrong."
I decided to pull a her and ignore that little insult to my integrity.
"Ok," I said, "I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier-" she cut me off, I was beginning to realize she did that a lot.
"I hope you're not still talking about the stars,"
"Floating lights," I corrected her "and, yes, I was leading up to that"
"Because I really thought we dropped the issue sweetheart" she interjected.
"No mother, I'm just saying you think I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there-"
"Oh darling I know you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there" she cut me off.
"But if you'd just-" I tried,
"Rapunzel we're done talking about this." She stated.
"Trust me!" I begged.
"Rapunzel." She demanded.
"I know what I-"
"Rapunzel." She repeated,
"Oh come on!" I cried.
"Enough with the lights Rapunzel!" mother shrieked.
"You are never leaving this tower, ever!"
Her words echoed through the tower leaving a dull ache in my stomach. My fingers which had been reaching towards the door knob of the cabinet, to show her how I had handled to intruder, slipped away.
Mother collapsed onto her chair behind her. "Oh great," she sighed dramatically, "now I'm the bad guy."
I looked down guilt curdling in my stomach, she just wanted to keep me safe, it wasn't her fault, she didn't need to know. Maybe I would just have to leave the tower on my own. I realized that I had an advantage, the stranger in the closet; perhaps he could tell me how to get to the lights... I just needed mother to leave for a while. I thought of what I could say to appease her...
"All I was going to say mother... is I know what I want for my birthday now" I thought of a solution as fast as I could, I could send her on a wild goose chase, to get me a gift. I would send her far away and she would agree because she would think it would mean I wouldn't want to leave.
"And what is that?" she sighed in defeat.
"New paint, the paint made from the white shells you once brought me." I said nervously hoping she would buy my bluff.
"Well that," she sighed, "Is a very long trip Rapunzel, almost three day time."
"I just," I murmured, "I just thought it was a better idea then the... stars." She looked me up and down doubtfully. I was shaking in my boots. She sighed and pushed herself out of her chair approaching me.
"You're sure you'll be alright on your own?" she asked worried but already giving in.
"I know I'll be safe as long as I'm here," I said guilt consuming me at my lies. I hugged her around the middle relishing in the comfort; I knew I would need it over the next few days. She kissed me on the head holding me tighter. Letting me go she stepped back smoothing out her skirts.
"Rapunzel," she said, "go fetch me some food, I will need it for the journey."
Smiling up at her I nodded, "thank you mother," I replied a small spark of hope lighting in my heart.
Taking out the bread a sliced off about a third of the loaf and some of the cheese and then gathered several of the apples and other vegetables and fruits she had picked this morning and placed them in a traveling basket, silently I handed them to her, she was already back in her cloak and boots.
"I will be back in three days time," she promised me. "I love you very much dear," she murmured,
"I love you more," I replied,
"I love you most."
And with that she lowered herself out the window. I watched her leave until I could no longer see her from my window, she waved right before entering the tunnel that led out of out hidden valley, I waved back to her a thousand different emotions swirling around my head.
The moment I couldn't see her I rushed away from the window not even bothering to pull up my hair.
Cautiously I approached the sealed cabinet my frying pan at the ready. Slowly I pulled back the chair. Walking back I placed the chair in front of me for protection and faced the cabinet. I took a deep breath in and then lit it out slowly "ok" I said.
Taking my hair in my hand I brandished it like a lasso and whipped it out grabbing the handle of the cabinet. With one fair tug I pulled it open. With a low squeak the intruder slumped forward out of the cabinet and fell flat on his face on the ground.
I stood there at a loss of what to do; I had expected him to jump out fists at the ready. Instead he was still out cold. I gasped and slowly he slid out more his face dragging across the floor. Carefully I approached him wary of every step waiting for any sudden movements to attack. On closer inspection I realized he really was still unconscious.
Looking around I spotted the chair. With some difficulty I hefted him up and sat him down on it. I looked around for some sort of rope to tie him down with, and realized I could just use my hair. Scared out of my mind I wrapped my long locks around him and the chair tying him in place. I decided I would close all the windows in the tower except for the top center one so that I could see him and he couldn't see me. After I had done this I went and I hid in the rafters' terror seeping into my bones.
Tentatively I pulled him into the light. Sitting there slumped in the chair, he looked so harmless, I almost felt sorry for him. Pascal jumped up onto his shoulder all tough and angry, he had decided immediately that he really didn't like the intruder; it almost made me giggle, except that I was way too scared to laugh.
Angered Pascal slapped him hoping to wake him up, he then jumped back camouflaging himself, effectively betraying his tough guy act. When that didn't work he regained his courage and started slapping the man's face repeatedly with his tail, I winced with every impact.
Pascal paused for a moment thinking through his next move, then he turned to face the intruders ear and with one quick movement shot his long tong right up his ear canal, the stranger awoke with a yell.