Modern Fairy Tales Ch. 01

* * *

Rapunzel was frozen for a few minutes as she contemplated her fate should Gotha walk in on her like this. That thought was enough of an incentive to propel her into action and she dashed over to the sink and grabbed a wash cloth. By the time the old witch had unlocked the door, Rapunzel was under the covers and pretending to be asleep. The bloodied flannel had been shoved beneath the mattress and the stain on her sheet was covered with a spare blanket.

She breathed slowly and rhythmically as Gotha leaned over her and muttered darkly. Eventually, when the witch got no response, she left Rapunzel alone and the girl heaved a huge sigh of relief.

Snuggling under the bedclothes, Rapunzel kept her eyes closed and allowed her mind to wander over the events of the evening. Her body felt sore, but it still hummed with pleasure and she wished Jakob had been able to stay. A secret smile danced across her lips and she hugged the memory of their lovemaking tightly to herself. She could only hope that Jakob was able to return soon.

* * *

It was four long days before Gotha left Rapunzel alone and Jakob was able to visit her again. Every night she had dreamed of him and every day she sat beside her attic window, staring out on to the world she was only a spectator to.

When she heard Gotha switch her television off and the front door slammed, Rapunzel was immediately driven into a frenzy of excitement. Surely now Jakob will come and see me! No sooner had the thought entered her head, then the drainpipe rattled and she looked out to see his dark head ascending towards her.

The second he entered her room they fell upon one another like it had been months, not days. Eventually she broke the kiss and curled her body against him like a cat.

"I missed you," she said softly.

"I missed you too," he admitted and her heart melted into a puddle. "I wanted to come sooner, but I didn't see the old woman leave."

Rapunzel frowned. "No, she's stayed in for some reason. Even the Uncle's haven't been round for a while." She had reflected on this all week, but since nobody ever told her anything, she didn't know what might be happening. At least they hadn't sent her away yet.

"Why don't you leave with me?" asked Jakob again as he spun some of her hair between his fingers. Despite her fear of the consequences, he felt it was far more dangerous for her to stay here. From things she'd told him, he was beginning to believe that her life could be in danger and he was frightened.

"No!" she said emphatically. "I won't let them hurt Father!"

Jakob held her tightly. "But what if they send you away, as they have hinted at?"

"Please," pleaded Rapunzel, "don't talk about that now. I want to be happy, not sad."

Her eyes were bright with unshed tears and Jakob bit back the words he wanted to say. Maybe she was right – maybe now was not the time. Pushing his doubts to one side, he kissed her again and allowed their passion to eclipse the shadows that haunted them both.

Love flared brightly in the dark attic room. Later, when it was over, they clung together on the lumpy mattress and stared through the large window at the twinkling stars, both lost in separate contemplation of an uncertain future.

* * *

Rapunzel didn't hear the heavy footsteps that signalled Gotha's impending arrival. When the old witch unlocked the door, she was standing before the sink, staring dreamily at her reflection as she brushed out the tangles in her hair.

Her long white shift clung to the rounded curves of her body and the swell of her belly was all too evident in the light that shone in from outside. Even Gotha could see that something was amiss. The virginal girl, who had arrived several months ago, was clearly no longer quite so innocent.

With a speed that belied her age, the witch strode across the room and grabbed Rapunzel by the hair. "What have you been up to, girl?" she snarled.

Rapunzel screamed in pain as her hair was pulled from her scalp. "Stop!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're hurting me!"

"You silly little bitch!" Gotha ranted as she dragged the girl towards the bed. "You're worth nothing to me now – I needed you untouched to make any money. You're stupid father swore blind you were pure."

The girl cowered as blows rained down on her head. She didn't understand. What did Gotha mean when she said Father had sworn she was 'pure'? Was Father somehow involved? Nothing made any sense any more.

"Who is he?" Gotha was saying. "Tell me!"

She had no choice. Racked with wretched sobs, she finally gave Gotha his name. Jakob. The old witch glowered at her before leaving the room. For a short while, Rapunzel was left alone with her tears. But soon the witch returned. The sight of a huge pair of scissors in her claw-like hand sent a stab of fear through the girl's quaking heart.

Gotha grabbed hold of Rapunzel's hair and began to lop her golden locks off. The strands fell to the floor in piles of shimmering colour until Rapunzel was left with nothing but a few wispy tufts. She was hauled in front of the cracked mirror and shown her reflection.

"That'll teach you, girl," snarled the witch with pure venom. "Now tell me when he comes to visit you..."

* * *

Jakob waited until the old witch shuffled round the corner as she always did, then he ducked into the yard. It didn't take him long to shin up the drainpipe, but to his surprise, there was no sign of Rapunzel in the room when he climbed over the windowsill.

Something strange caught his eye and he walked over to the small dresser in the corner. When he realised what he was looking at, his blood froze in his veins. It was a pile of hair coiled in a shining mass. Nobody but Rapunzel had hair quite the same shade of antique gold.

The door swung open behind him and he spun in horror. He tried to run towards the window, but he wasn't fast enough. Gotha's cane shot out under his feet and he fell in a sprawl on the filthy floor.

"How dare you touch what doesn't belong to you!" she screeched in his ear. Jakob grabbed the edge of the sill and tried to drag his body up, but Gotha was hitting him with the cane. He cried out in pain but the remorseless attack didn't cease. In one last-ditch attempt to escape, he swung his leg over the edge of the window and reached sideways for the drainpipe.

His hand found the pipe and he threw his body weight over the railing just as Gotha's cane descended on a final arc through the air. The blow struck him hard on the temple and his sight faded into a grey blur.

The last thing he remembered was falling through darkness and then...nothing.

* * *

Rapunzel had tried to scream when one of the Uncles bundled her in the back of a van, but he shoved a rag in her mouth and all she could manage was a muffled, "Mhhmppp!"

Once the door had slammed shut she was left in the dark with only the smell of diesel fumes and paint. She spat the disgusting rag out and coughed until she thought she might vomit. Eventually the awful feeling passed and she felt movement as the engine spluttered into life. Soon the vehicle was moving on its way God only knew where.

It was only the thought of Jakob that kept her hope alive. She had to believe he would save her. He had promised! The nagging suspicion that Gotha might have gotten to him first was something that Rapunzel didn't dare to think about. If anything happened to Jakob, her life would be over.

Eventually, after what felt like hours, the van stopped and the engine went silent. Rapunzel still felt sick to the stomach; it had been a long time since she'd had eaten anything. When the van door was flung open, she squinted as a torch was shone directly in her face, then an arm grabbed her and yanked her out into the cool night air.

The light had dazzled her and she couldn't see anything at all. Suddenly confusion reigned and she heard shouting. The hand released its grip and she was left standing alone, unsure of what exactly was happening. Then a gentle voice spoke to her and she felt someone lead her towards blue flashing lights.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," the kind man said.

Rapunzel felt warm tears trickle down her face as a jacket was placed over her shaking shoulders and she was helped into a police car. It was over – she was safe.

* * *

Jakob slowly became aware of voices on the edge of his periphery. They kept fading away and he tried to focus on them, unsure of whether it was a dream, or if the voices were actually real.

"I think he's coming round," the woman said. She had a strange accent and Jakob thought her voice sounded kind, but he had no idea who she was.

It was very dark and he tried to open his eyes, but for some reason he couldn't. There was also a dull aching pain in his head and his throat was sore. Everything was out of sync and he tried to focus on something, anything that might help him understand where he was.

The last thing he could remember was climbing up to see Rapunzel. Thereafter it all faded to grey and the rest of his memory was a resounding blank. The more he tried to recall, the more his head hurt. He heard the voices again and felt something cold creep up his arm. Consciousness faded and he drifted away into the blackness.

The next time he awoke, his head hurt less and he felt slightly better. He still couldn't see anything, but at least his brain was a little clearer. The room was silent but for the bleep of machines and he guessed he was in a hospital. Where and why remained a mystery, but since he still couldn't remember anything, he had no answers.

Gingerly, he reached up and touched his face. There appeared to be some kind of bandage across his eyes and he realised now why he had no sight. It was so frustrating not being able to remember anything. More importantly, it was frightening not knowing how Rapunzel was.

The sound of a door swishing open made him turn his head. "Hello?" he asked.

"Ah you're back with us." The soft feminine voice was different to the one he'd heard previously.

"Where am I?" he asked impatiently. "What happened?"

"All in good time," the woman said. "I'll go and fetch the doctor. He wants to check your eyes now you've come round."

Jakob felt like screaming with frustration. Why won't they tell me anything?

Eventually the woman returned and a man spoke to Jakob. "Just relax while I remove the dressing and don't try opening your eyes until I tell you to."

He felt cool hands touching the skin on his temple and the sensation of being slowly unwrapped. He lifted his head and was surprised to find his neck felt horribly stiff. When the bandage had been removed there was silence and Jakob strained his ears in an attempt to work out what was happening. He heard faint murmuring, but it was too indistinct for him to know what they were saying.

"Jakob," the doctor said, "I want you to open your eyes now. They will feel sore, but that's to be expected. Just tell me what – if anything - you see, okay?"

He did as he was told. "Nothing...I can't see anything," he said in a fearful voice. "What happened to me?"

"Try not to worry," the doctor said soothingly. "As well as a blow to the head, you had a fall. You landed in a pyracantha bush and the thorns scratched your eyes. There doesn't appear to be lasting damage and we are hopeful that your sight will return at some point, but it may take a while. In the meantime, you need to regain your strength. You fell from quite a height and, to be frank, you're lucky you weren't killed."

Jakob tried to digest the information he had been given, but all he could think about was Rapunzel. If he had fallen, what had happened to her?

"Where's Rapunzel?"

"I'm sorry but I don't know anything. Try to rest and I'll be along tomorrow to check you over again."

The doctor walked out of the room and Jakob was left with alone with his thoughts. How was he going to find her when he was stuck in here and blind as a bat?

* * *

Rapunzel walked down the endless hospital corridor slowly. Her belly felt huge and she was tired, but, as she frequently reminded herself, at least she was free. Her hair had grown back surprisingly quickly; it hung as far as her waist now. Despite her obvious pregnancy, her long golden tresses attracted a lot of male attention. But she simply wasn't interested.

Her heart still belonged to Jakob. After she'd been rescued from the clutches of Gotha and the Uncles, she had been unable to go back and see Jakob. They had told her it was too dangerous and advised her to stay well away from the area in case there were any further repercussions.

Of course she had listened for the sake of her unborn babies, but not a day went by when she didn't think of Jakob. Rapunzel missed him very much. Even as lonely as she had been in the attic for all those months, it was nothing compared to this. It was only the babies that kept her going during these hard times.

She reached the doorway that led out into a garden area and she paused. Her appointment wasn't for another half hour and she knew from experience she would be waiting for a while after. Since the sun was shining, she decided to go and sit outside for a bit.

The area was pretty much deserted. A small pond bubbled away in the centre and a few benches were situated around the edges, screened by large shrubs. It was a small oasis in the middle of the busy hospital and Rapunzel opened the glass door and wandered out into the warm sunlight, feeling more cheerful than she had for a while.

A lone figure was sitting in the corner beneath a small tree and she glanced over. For a moment she thought she was dreaming. It's impossible. No, it can't be him. Surely I'm mistaken?

With a dry mouth, she slowly walked across the paved area. Her eyes remained locked on his pale face half hidden beneath a red baseball cap, searching for changes. He still looked so familiar, but then she'd seen him every night in her dreams for the last few months.

"Jakob?" she said as she reached him.

His head jerked up and he stared past her into the middle distance. For a second Rapunzel was confused. Why isn't he looking at me?

"Rapunzel?" he asked in wonderment, still looking over her shoulder. "Is that really you?"

She reached out and touched his face, noting the faint scars that bore testament to some kind of injury. "Yes, it's me."

Helpless tears began to fall when she sat beside him on the bench. He turned to face her and she saw a look of joy that mirrored her own.

"I thought I'd lost you," he said. "If only I could see you now..."

"What happened to your eyes?" she asked fearfully.

"I fell from the window of your attic." He shuddered at the awful memory of the old witch attacking him in her rage. "My eyes were damaged by thorns and I haven't been able to see since. The doctors keep telling me my sight will come back, but so far, nothing."

Rapunzel felt his pain. She touched his face and embraced him, her tears dripping onto his cheeks. When he pulled back again, he cried out in surprise.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly.

"I...I...I can see something!" He lifted a cautious hand and touched her cheek, then her hair. "Your hair is so beautiful; just how I remembered." he said. Then he looked down at her swollen belly and an expression of joyful surprise lit up his face.

"I never knew..." His voice trailed off in astonishment. "Our baby!"

"Babies," she corrected him. "Twins."

Rapunzel wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly. Her happiness was complete and there was nothing that could come between them any more. Gotha and the Uncles had been sent away and they couldn't hurt her again. After living in the wilderness she had finally found Jakob. Now they could spend the rest of their lives together...

Happily ever after.

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