“I have something to show you daughter, it’s something that has been in the making for a long time.”  The witch said with a sneer.  Rapunzel looked up from her bed and began to stand.  The sinister smirk on her face already had her concerned, but the girl slowly approached her anyway.

 “It’s ok”  she said as she took Rapunzel’s hand, “It will be very nice and all yours.  No one will ever take it from you, never ever.”

 “Alright mother.”  She replied and walked out of the cottage with her.

 It was evening and the chirping of a few crickets greeted them on their journey outside their home.  The moon was full, which lit the way as they continued to walk away and tread down a path that the girl knew was familiar.  It was the same way she went to look at the tower, even though she didn’t see it very often.  She always knew the workers  spent a lot of time on it and keeping this in her mind she asked, “Are they still there?”

 It was obvious of who she meant when she said ‘they’ and the witch shook her head, “No Rapunzel, but there’s no need to see them.”

 “So they went home?” she asked.

 “They went away, that’s all you need to know.”  Her tone was firm when she answered the girl, and feeling that she shouldn’t ask again, Rapunzel looked away and continued walking.

 After a long moment, the clearing came into view and held the largest tower Rapunzel had ever seen.  It was made of large bricks, which looked gray under the light of the moon, and stood in a cylindrical shape up to about sixty feet high.  It was not created in any artistic fashion so besides its height it looked rather nondescript, save for a hole near the top that probably served as a window of some sort.

 There was something about the tower that frightened her, but the witch held her hand tightly and walked toward it.  “Don’t be afraid.”  She cooed in a soft voice, “There is nothing to be afraid about.  You see that?  That is yours, all yours.”

 “But Mother.”  She said as it came closer into view, “It’s so tall, and even looks a bit frightening.”

 The closer it came she began to notice something new about it.  There appeared to be a door of some sort that was made of wood and bricks, yet created in a way to appear very strong and easy to open.  It was then she noticed the witch holding her even tighter than before, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”  She said as she reached for a wooden handle.  There was a click and to little surprise, the large door opened where Rapunzel could see nothing but darkness.  It was then the child screamed louder than before as the grip on her grew tighter.  Then she heard the words she could never forget.

 “You should be thankful, so very thankful for who will claim you when you are sixteen.  Your destiny has been planned and I will be sure I am rewarded for this.  In the meantime you better get used to the darkness child, for it is destined to be your mate forever!”

 “No!”  she wailed and began to try to pull away from her.  For a moment the witch strained to keep the child in her grasp then muttered the ancient words for strength, “Girtolon Tak” and in less than a second,  the grip was much stronger than before.  With a menacing look in her eye, she took her hand back, and threw Rapunzel into the darkness.  The thrust was so powerful, it took a few seconds for the girl to even realize what was going on.  After those seconds were gone, the door shut behind her and she let out a piercing scream.

 “No one can hear you now.”  Her captor sneered and using the same strong grip, broke the wooden handle that opened the door.  No one could reach her now, save for her future mate.
 
 

Part 11

 It took a while for her to get out of the darkness.  Even though it was years ago, she remembered climbing up the stairs after groping around to find the stairwell.  She was so tired and frustrated, it was almost a miracle that she could continue on, but after she walked on the last step, she saw her bedroom for the first time.

 It was more beautiful than the cottage with light colored walls and a polished, marble floor.  The ceiling was relatively high, standing about six feet above her head and led to a ceiling the same color as the walls.  To her far right stood a tall bookshelf with a variety of books.  Some were familiar, others were not as they seemed to hold words foreign to her, so she did little to explore them.  Next to the bookshelf was a closet full of modest clothes.  Most of them were gowns in colors of purple, green and white and next to that stood a table where an assortment of combs and brushes laid next to a mirror.  Further exploration also revealed a large tub and a pump where water could be pumped into the porcelian bath.  A drain also led down and outside, but it was obvious the drain could not provide her a way out.

 Rapunzel sat upon a large bed and looked around the room.  As the soft, red satin sheets surrounded her it was obvious this room had everything she could ever need.  There was even some bread on the table nearby in case she got hungry, but one thing was still lacking and that was freedom.

 She sighed as she thought about it, and thought of how things were many years ago when she was first thrown into the tower.  For a long time she tried to go down the stairs to find a way out, but she only ended up lost in darkness and almost unable to return to the stairwell again.  She tried not to think about the outside world, even though she looked at it everyday knowing there was more to life, and knowing that the witch would come.

 She always made sure Rapunzel had a brush and made sure she took care of her hair.  Through the years and through one of the few spells Rapunzel knew, the girl kept it long where she could throw it out the window when the witch called, “Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your hair.”  She would do so, often when it was braided, and the woman would use it to climb up into the tower and give her food and other things she needed.  She was always angry at the witch for what she did, but she knew that the food she brought kept her alive so she dare not go against her, at least not yet.

 So the years passed by slowly and she finally made it close to sixteen.  She didn’t have much of a way to count the days, but her ward often reminded her how close she was to seeing her mate.  Rapunzel didn’t look forward to this day as she always felt the witch had something else in store for her, but she kept on braiding and brushing her hair hoping one day she would be free.

 After a long moment of twisting the strands, she reached forward for a ribbon to bind the end with.  She sighed a bit and looked outside, already the sun started going down and she figured it was time to go to sleep.  Looking over at the table, she could see that there was little bread left and knew the witch would need to bring her more food soon.  Then she heard a loud voice yell, “Rapunzel Rapunzel, let down your hair!”

 But the voice was unfamiliar.
 
 

Part 12

Rapunzel slowly walked to the window and looked to the ground below.  It was nearly impossible to see anything else save for the rose bushes, but as she continued to look she saw a young man who anxiously called out his name, “Rapunzel!”  he shouted, “It’s Dreygo, let down your hair.”

She smiled widely and in seconds threw the long braid out the window and into his fingers.  There was little hesitation by either of them as he grabbed hold and began to pull himself up.  “I can’t believe it!”  she exclaimed in glee as he continued to climb up, “It’s really you, after all this time!”

Dreygo was too busy focusing on the climb to pay much attention to her.  Each foot took a moment to gain a firm hold on the brick wall but finally he reached the window and held his hand out to her.  She grabbed him and using all her strength began to pull him inside.  With much cooperation on his part, he managed to jump inside the room and quickly embraced her.
“It has been years, too many years.  The witch watches over you all the time.  For a while I was watching from the forest and finally figured out how she was able to get inside.  She has the door at the bottom locked tight, no one can get in, unless they use your hair.”

She sighed softly and pulled back to get a good look at her friend.  He had definitely grown a lot as evidenced by his broad shoulders and tall stature.  Dressed in a white tunic and breeches, his fashion was obviously casual but not as unusual as his face.  She couldn’t help but blink as she noticed a large scar extend from his right cheek , over his nose and finally end where his left cheek began.  It was more than apparent the beauty of his face was ruined.

Yet she only looked at it for a second longer and wrapped her arms around him again.  For that brief moment he felt uneasy until the embrace made it evident she didn’t care what he looked like.  “We have got to get you out of here Rapunzel.  I can only have suspicions with what the witch wants to do with you, but whatever she has planned, we need to get you away.”
She pulled away from him a little bit and sighed once more, “I know, and I don’t like it.  But if there is only one way out, what can I do?”

He looked over at her hair, “Cut it off and we’ll use it to climb down.”

“I’ve thought of that more than once but it won’t work.  The witch put a curse on my hair, if anyone else except she is to cut it off like that, I’ll die.  There’s nothing else here long enough for a rope, believe me.”

“Then I’ll find one, I’m not leaving you here.”

She nodded and moved to the dresser, “We don’t have much time, but there is something I can do.”

“What?”

Rapunzel found a knife and began to take out a thick lock of her hair, “She said I couldn’t cut off all my hair, but the spell didn’t say I couldn’t cut off part of it.”

“Rapunzel, what are you doing?”

She didn’t verbally answer Dreygo but quickly cut off part of her hair.  Focusing on it, she said, “Zirtolo Dreygo Querano Yirt."  In seconds the lock of hair transformed into a snake, just like the one she saw as a young girl when the witch changed a staff into the reptile.  Rapunzel smiled and with the animal in hand, placed it on his shoulder, “He is now your new friend and will be your guide.  If you want him to spy on things here while you are away, you can do that.  If you ever need him to be your eyes, he will see for you.  All you have to do is think of him.”

He was a bit afraid of the snake at first but accepted the gift.  He then began to focus more on the animal and what he might be seeing.  It was then the room appeared to be seen from another angle, but just as clear as before.  He smiled and wrapped the snake around his neck and moved closer to her.  “It will help, at this moment anything will help, but I will not abandon you.”

“I hope not Dreygo, I don’t know what’s going on but what if we don’t have much time?”

The tone in her voice revealed a sense of urgency that frightened him, yet made him quick to react.  He moved closer, his body only inches from hers.  For a brief second he couldn’t help but admire her comeliness and an attraction began to build.  It was then he pressed his lips against hers and she, even though she was surprised, did not resist the move.

The kiss that was once just a slight touch now grew into something more.  The heat around their mouths began to build until he reached forward to embrace her tightly and plunged his tongue inside her.  She moaned slightly, a bit fearful of the passion but moreso accepting it as she held him closer as well.  Emotions began to rise and envelop them both but the more intoxicating they became, the more he knew he had to push away.

He slowly stepped back and look at her, his eyes almost glazing over as evidence of the emotional encounter.  “I must leave.”  He said, regret obvious in his tone, “But believe me, I will find a rope strong enough for the both of us and I will return.”

“I…believe you.”  She said within a few gasps.  Taking her braid, she walked over to the window and let it hang down so it was only a few feet from the ground.  He then moved onto the window’s edge and gently took the hair.  “Yes, believe in me.”  He said as he slowly began to make his way down.
 
 

Part 13

Evening began to fall and Rapunzel sat before a large mirror positioned before her dresser.  With a smile she took a brush and began to smooth out her hair.  Even though she often kept it in a braid, it needed to be unwound and untangled and if nothing else, she had time for that.  She looked on it and admired the dark colors that shimmered within the strands.  Some were chestnut, brown and black hues, but each one served to show the luxurious appearance of her hair.

 She continued to brush it and looked into the mirror to get a better view of how it surrounded her.  A few seconds passed and she began to set the brush aside until she noticed the brown colors grow darker.  It almost seemed unreal as it continued but it wasn’t nearly as frightening until the strands began to move on their own accord!  The movements seemed benign at first but then moved quick to envelop her arms and tie her hands behind her back.

 She shrieked as she began to realize the strength of her hair as it continued to move on its own.  There was no rational explanation to this and the more she tried to resist, the stronger the strands became.  She didn’t seem in much danger though until it began to cross over her chest and squeeze her tightly.  She screamed again and turned around in a frenzy, but that only led her to see something else.

 A tall figure stood in front of her, his features hard to discern as he was hidden within the folds of a long, dark cloak but his scary voice was both deep and commanding.  It sent chills down her spine as he said, “You.”  And extended a hand to her, but a hand unlike any she had ever seen.  His skin was red and his nails yellow and long.  Her eyes opened wide as she saw this and he continued, “Have met your destiny.”

 He moved his hand to take off his cloak but before he could, she let out another loud scream.  At the same time she spun around, trying to get her hair off her body until she found she was spinning in her sheets.  Breathing heavily, she realized she woke from a nightmare but wondered if part of it was real?
 

Part 14

For Dreygo, the next few days were spent looking for rope in the village.  Nothing much else consumed his senses until he was able to find an assortment of small ropes that could be bound together into something stronger.  Sitting down on the dirt street in the village, he began weaving them in and out, focusing intently to make sure they would end up being wound tight.

 He thought of Rapunzel and how they met when they were so young.  At the time she seemed so unusual from other children he met, and now he knew why.  The witch never let her have a normal life for she was never able to visit with other people.  The more he thought of this the more he worked and wondered again exactly what was planned for her.

 His thoughts began wondering and he remembered how she said she was bethrothed to someone.  This thought began to make his heart sink as he envisioned her locked in the tower.  How could she be promised to someone she never met?  How could she be happy?  The answer to that question entered into his mind and told him she couldn’t be happy, not by being so mistreated to only pledge her life and love to someone she never met.  Then another thought occurred to him, what if he was falling in love with her.

 He never forgot her and was fortunate enough to find her again after all this time.  He had to be careful so the witch wouldn’t see him when he called out to her, but he was able to do that.  The ropes continued to be twisted to each other and he heaved a sigh of relief.  The project was almost done and he could go find her and rescue her.  Surely this rope would be strong enough!

 It was then a vision entered his mind.  It was of the tower and even though it was a sunny day where he was, dark clouds began to form over the building and around her window.  He paused what he was doing and tried to focus on the image.  To be on the safe side, he sent the snake to watch from the outside and began to feel the link to the animal grow.  He closed his eyes to avert all his attention away from the village street and focus on what the snake saw.  Things continued to grow darker in the sky and this alone made him shiver until he saw strange shapes swirling in the clouds.  The shapes were hard to discern and trying to make them out, he focused again.  This time a wave of heat suddenly hit his body with no warning.  He screamed and opened his eyes to look at the street again.  Something strange was happening, something evil was lurking and picking up the rope he took off to the tower again.
 

Part 15

Rapunzel sat in front of her mirror looking over her long hair in her reflection.  The smoothness of her hair brought a smile upon her face but as she looked at the window in the reflection of the room, she couldn’t help but see the sky outside turning dark.  This puzzled her to say the least and she put the brush aside and began to walk closer to take another look at the sky.  To her surprise, the clouds were turning from gray into black.  The sun was easily overpowered with no rational explanation, but what made her gasp were the shapes she saw moving in and out of the clouds.

 They were rather hard to distinguish at first, and looked to be shimmering blurs that shifted in and out of the darkness.  She stared up into the clouds, trying to get a better look and began to shiver in terror as they came closer.  They were dark, scaly creatures with red eyes and leathery wings.  Their bodies looked lizard-like in shape and a long tail extended way beyond their tiny feet that could easily clutch a person, or anything they wanted to.  She continued to be uneasy as she saw them and could only figure they were something demonic, but terror easily consumed her as they flew closer to her window.

 She was so terrified that she fell back into her room and landed on the floor with a thud.  Surely the monsters would not be able to enter inside but she crawled back a bit, scared to take chances.  Heaving for a few moments, she tried to catch her breath and blinked to get a better view of her surroundings.  While the creatures were still outside, they weren’t the real things to be feared.

 What light there was in the room was kept by candles that burned behind her, but something near them created shadows that began to extend around her and closer to the window.  A shape couldn’t be discerned so gathering her senses, she pulled herself up and turned around to see the source of darkness.

 What she saw made her scream as he made himself apparent.  A tall figure began to spread out, his wings leathery like the monsters outside but able to extend ten feet wide with razor sharp edges and glistened in what light the room had to offer.  His wings made him look all the more powerful as they connected to his body that was almost bare before her.  His skin was red and traced a muscular body that rippled down his torso and abdomen, revealing inhuman strength that was also seen in his biceps as he reached his hands forward.  The fingers were rather slender and extended a foul greeting as his long nails looked like yellow claws capable of shreading human flesh in half a heartbeat.  Seeing all this, she backed herself against the wall but couldn’t help but notice his face.  He smiled, his lips black and eyes yellow as he looked upon her as if she was a prize to claim.  His deep voice confirmed it as he boomed forth, “Your time has come, you are mine.”

 “No!”  she howled in fear as she attempted to move farther away.  Not to much surprise there was no way out of the room save for the window that led to the dark sky.  She couldn’t help but edge closer to it, seeing it as her last hope for salvation but as she did, the monsters outside hissed and squeeled which drew her closer into the room.  “No!”  she yelled again as she found herself closer to the devil, “This cannot be happening, I am not yours!”

 His wings were so long that shadows were easily created with his every move.  As he stepped forward, he overpowered the room with more darkness and then lifted a wing to reveal the witch who was once hidden near him.  She looked the same as she always did, far from beautiful but with a much satisfied expression as she remarked, “Your time has come my daughter, meet your mate!”

 She trembled in fear and began to take a step back but she was easily outrun by his large footsteps.  In a second, he moved across the room and reached out a clawed hand to grab her by the neck.  She shrieked again but yelled softer as he held her, part of the air not being able to enter her lungs as strong as before.  Still she couldn’t help but convulse under his grasp and he looked her over, much as a merchant would inspect his wares.

 “She’s beautiful and been reserved for you Master.”  The witch said as she moved closer with a grin, “She’s all yours, no one else’s.  Did I not do well?”

 He continued to look her over and for a few seconds paused to look directly into her eyes.  It was then he opened his mouth and howled in rage.  Yellow teeth extending from his black lips, he made it apparent he was displeased.  With force, he took her and threw her across the room.  Rapunzel screamed again in reaction to this, but wasn’t trembling near as much as the witch while he looked at his servant.

 “She has been touched by another man!”  he yelled, “Did I not tell you to keep her pure?!”

 “Another man!?”  the witch said confused if not a bit terrified, “That’s impossible, she’s been here alone for years.”

 “Her lips.”  He sneered, “They’ve been touched, they’ve been claimed.  She has not been completely claimed, and for that, you may have your life.”

 “But Master!”  the witch yelled, “She is the one, she is the chosen one.”

 “Yes.”  He said, “And for that I will grant you what I promised, but.”  He looked directly at her, his yellow eyes gleaming, “Your soul is mine!”

 The witch trembled but managed to exhale a deep breath.  She then muttered, “I obey always Master, always.  She then walked closer to Rapunzel with a knife, that seemed to come out of nowhere, glimmered in her hand, “And I will find out who this man is.”

 Rapunzel was too weak from the throw to walk far from the witch.  Hissing at her, she grabbed Rapunzel’s hair and violently began hacking at it.  The experience pained her, and she yelled in response as her last lock was chopped away.  Then a satisfied look crossed the witches’ features and she stepped back with the hair in her arms.

 “I am faithful to you master, for now and forever.  She is yours and I will bring the violator to his knees!”

 The devil didn’t pay much attention to her words yet they made Rapunzel shiver.  Free of her long tresses, she stood up and wrapped her arms around herself as he stomped forward.  “Now.”  He said, “It’s time to go.”  And grabbed her in his strong arms.  She tried to resist but couldn’t as he held her tight to his chest.  She began to scream and continued squirming until his embrace became so firm she could barley breathe.  It was then she was forced to relax and feel the cool air beat against her skin as his wings began to flap about.

 The flapping continued until the air around them grew more turbulent.  He continued with speed and the furniture around the room began to move about in reaction to the wind.  Finally the beams supporting the roof began to shift until they fell, the roof falling down with it.

 Rapunzel tried to gather enough strength to scream but couldn’t.  Above her the dark sky greeted her as he began to take flight with her tightly in his arms.  She shivered again as they rose higher from her old home and looking downward, fell weaker until a fainting spell claimed her into unconsciousness.