My Name is Rapunzel(2)

“I love you, too,” my voice barely a whisper. “This is the best day of my life.” Tingling waves of joy flowed through my body. I could leap! I could dance! This was the best eighteenth birthday a girl could ever have.

“Shall we leave then? Together?” Henry reached out a strong hand in expectation of my own.

I nodded and slid my hand into his. If I spoke, my voice would surely crack with the mixture of joy and mystery I felt about the journey we faced. The sooner we left this place, putting distance between Henry's parents and us, the better off we'd be. We loved each other. Why would they want to keep us apart, anyway? What did they have against me? One day they’d come to see that I meant no harm to Henry or his future role as King.

Henry bent down and picked up my bag then studied my face. “Are you sure about this? Leaving this way?”

I gave a swift nod. “Yes, I'm positive.” I'd actually never been surer of anything in my life. Since the moment Father agreed that Henry could have my hand in marriage, I’d never wavered.

The deep lines of concern washed from Henry's face, giving way to an expectant smile full of possibility and promise. Our grandest desires of a lifetime together were within our reach. As if a lifetime would be enough.

I squeezed Henry's hand and tugged. “Let's go, my love.”

A cackle erupted from somewhere near the edge of the forest. I narrowed my eyes and scanned the area, searching for the source. Dark shadows of frightened creatures that had taken flight or scurried away to find shelter dotted the landscape. Where had that noise come from? What made that horrible sound?

As the sound of fluttering wings cleared along with my thoughts, my eyes rested on the source of the shrill laugh. My knees buckled with dread. If only that laugh had belonged to another soul. Anyone else.

The witch.

There she stood at the other end of the clearing—my neighbor, Gretta—at the edge of the woods that should swallow her whole, but wouldn't. Her dark eyes glared a wicked promise. Why did she hate me so? What would she do? What could she do? The possibilities were endless.

Henry’s grip tightened around my hand. What must he be thinking?

What was the matter with me? I should feel more…oh, I don't know…fear? Instead, I felt disassociated from my self. Like I was floating above the scene watching it unfold beneath me. Somehow knowing what was coming, like I’d seen it all before in a dream, yet I was unable to look away.

“How could you?” The shouted accusation hurled over the terrain as though carried on wings of fear.

That chilling voice—the one I’d vowed to avoid many years ago. I should have run far away from her apparently. But maybe there was no such thing as far enough when trying to escape a witch.

“I warned you, silly girl. I warned you never to leave me, Rapunzel. And now this? Marriage. The ultimate betrayal of our deal.” Gretta threw back her head and laughed, fiery-red waves of hair dancing like a fire against the forest backdrop behind her.

Why did she care if I married Henry? I opened my mouth to call out my protest, but she silenced me with the point of her gnarled finger. “It's time our arrangement was satisfied. Don't you agree, my dear?”

With a final, eerie cackle, the witch raised her hands above her shoulders, pointed them toward the sky, and chanted the sounds I’d heard through her windows all my life. The slow rhythm of her monotone non-words grew with each repetition, building to a climax I knew all too well. But I’d never seen what waited on the other side of the apex. I didn’t want to know.

“Run!” Henry screamed, his eyes widening. He didn't realize it was futile. “Run!” He grabbed my arm and pulled, his gaze flitting from me to the witch and back again, frantic confusion darkening his eyes. “Why aren't you moving? Rapunzel, run!”

The witch's chanting grew louder and louder as the moon shone a beam of light on her. The dark, starless sky began to churn and the whistling winds howled through the trees, echoing the witch's chants. A dark and haunting thunder roared in the distance, growing closer by the second. Broken branches, twigs and leaves flew through the air. This wasn't a midnight storm—it was a witch's brew.

My racing heart pounded inside my chest, trying to burst free and make a run for it. If only it could. The thumping beat grew louder and louder until it throbbed in my ringing ears. Why couldn't I move? I pried my gaze off Gretta and turned to Henry. His eyes danced wild with fear as his body leaned away from the scene. His body strained to flee, but his love for me rooted him in place. His head whipped side to side as he searched the horizon for shelter and my face for understanding.

I wanted nothing more than to run. I truly did. I hadn’t frozen in place because I didn't want to leave the nightmare behind, because I did. I wanted nothing more than to do exactly what Henry told me to do. Run! Go somewhere—anywhere, but that place. But still, I couldn't move.