The second part of the audio can be found here.
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It was a dark and stormy night.
A young girl was fast asleep in her bed. Her name was Rapunzel. She had magical golden hair with the power to cure any wound and make anyone young again. Her parents had always admired her hair but they only wanted it for themselves.
On this stormy night, Rapunzel’s parents crept into her room with sharp metallic scissors that gleamed in the moonlight.
“Quickly, before she wakes up!” Queen Tempest whisper-shouted to her husband King Ivin the Terrible.
Suddenly a dark mist filled the room. It reached out toward Rapunzel as the queen shouted, “No, she’s here!” waking Rapunzel up.
When the mist cleared Rapunzel was gone!
~10 years later~
It was a bright and sunny day. Rapunzel was sitting on her lavender bedspread, her head stuck in a book. It was June 21st, Rapunzel’s birthday and Gothel was going into town to get Rapunzel more pastel paints and books as a gift. But Rapunzel hated her birthday for one reason and one reason only: it reminded her about her horrible childhood and her lovely golden hair that caused her to be stuck in the stone gray tower and stopped her from exploring the world.
“Remember to stay inside when I’m gone!” Gothel said to Rapunzel.
“I know mom!” Rapunzel retorted.
“Teenagers,” Gothel said and rolled her eyes as she jumped out the window.
She fell to the ground like a magnet and just before she hit it she pulled on her plum purple dress and floated down gracefully. When she was out of sight, Rapunzel raced out of her room and ran down the spiral stone stairs to the first floor bathroom. It was a small circular bathroom with a mirror on it and a bear skin rug near the bath. She grabbed some silver scissors and cut off her hair till it was to her shoulders. She then dyed her hair a lavender color and shook her hair out.
“I feel so free!” She shouted as she twirled in her purple dress. “I can go to town now too,” she said to herself thoughtfully as she packed a bag full of food, books, and a map her mother had left on the table. But just as she was about to climb out the window, a prince with messy golden hair and a crown with jewels climbed through the window. He was wearing a blue uniform and had a silver sword at his side. He glared at Rapunzel angrily and pointed the sword threateningly at her throat and said,
“Come with me or.. you cut your hair?!”
He stared at her with disbelief and stomped his feet yelling “No, no, no! What will the queen say!”
Rapunzel was very confused as she looked at the prince running around looking like all was lost when something dawned on her. “I think he is working with my mother to get my hair!”
Rapunzel quickly tried to run to the window to climb out but a blanket was roughly thrown over her and all turned black.
~ 10 minutes later~
When Rapunzel awoke she was very groggy. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, she was in her old room back at the castle which was filled with lots of fake family photos. Rapunzel wrinkled her nose at the sight of them as if they had a smell. Just then King Ivan the Terrible burst through the door carrying sharp silver scissors and was tailed by the Queen Tempest.
“He was right, she did cut her hair!” shrieked the queen angrily.
Rapunzel tried to stand up but the king pushed her back to the bed yelling loudly, “She still has some left!”
Rapunzel backed away as her evil father tried to snip her hair off and hit the wall.
“Help!” she screamed as she closed her eyes preparing for the worst. But a warm hand closed around Rapunzel’s own as a tugging feeling started to pull both of them back to where they started. As Rapunzel’s feet touched the ground she opened her eyes and looked at the person in front of her, realization crashing over her when she saw Gothel’s face.
“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!” Gothel yelled angrily.
“I’m sorry, I was just sick of always being in that stupid castle!” Rapunzel yelled back angrily.
Gothel put her hand on her head, sighed, and took a seat in a faded orange plush chair by the fireplace. Rapunzel took a seat in the faded green one across from her and looked down at her hands ashamed. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Gothel.
“I’m sorry I was just trying to keep you safe,” she said sadly.
“I know but I think we should work something out,” replied Rapunzel as she looked her mother in the eye.
~1 year later~
Bye mom, I’m going out!” Rapunzel yelled as she gathered her lavender handbag and walked to the window.
It had been a year now and Rapunzel and her mother, who officially adopted her, had come to an agreement and reported the king and queen’s crimes,a ending their rule. Rapunzel was now allowed to go out of the castle freely after so many years.
Photo by Unsplash
