A/N: Sorry for the slow updates aha, I've been struggling and feeling pretty unmotivated so these next few chapters are taking a while to write, but it should all hit me again soon🤞
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel? Rapunzel? Where are you?"
I can't tell whether the voice calling my name was real, or a figment of my imagination, some kind of hallucination. I mean, I've been violently crying for a while, it's possible I passed out in the process and am currently sitting in a dream state.
"Rapunzel?"
I guess my curiosity got the better of me, because I lifted my head and let my eyes search for the voice. It sounded distant, but also like it was right behind me, like the sound was traveling in the air, circling me, trying to trick me.
My arms subconsciously wrap themselves around my stomach, and I continue looking for the voice...
... One I was told I would never hear again...
"Rapunzel! There you are." out of no where, a candle light started flickering in front of me, creating a shadow and laying it down in front of the greenery.
My eyes widen in shock, my tears falling carelessly, as she finally steps out of hiding.
I couldn't stop myself from throwing my broken frame into her arms.
"Oh mother, I- I'm so... So sorry... You- You were right... The world isn't what I thought it was..." I stutter through my tears, apologising over and over, my body violently shaking still.
"It's alright flower, I have you now."
She hugged me back, but it felt... Off... Still. But I couldn't care enough to question it further. I mean, it's nothing different from my norm.
She hugs me, talks into my hair, plants a kiss on top of my head, then pulls back, her hands playing with my hair as she does.
It's normal, it's what I'm used to, and I've never questioned it until now.
And I really shouldn't be.
"Now let's get you back to the tower, we can't have you out here any longer than nessassary." She grabs my wrist with her free hand and starts guiding me through the forest. I don't protest, nor do I say anything, I just follow behind her in silence, my mind still fuzzy and unfocused, my thoughts still jumbled and out of place.
Somewhere along the journey, my thoughts start to sort themselves a little better, and the loudest thought in my mind, that I could properly make out, is more of a plea, a wish, a request... A want.
I couldn't help turning my head back every now and again, hoping that maybe... Maybe she would...
... Show up.
All I want is for her to jump out of the shadows, her goofy smile playing with her lips, her comments quick and smug, her eyes playful yet soft. I want her to appear and hold me in her embrace, one I'm suddenly missing dearly.
At the least I want to feel her hands on my cheeks just... One more time.
I just want... Her. I want her back...
The walk back to the tower was long and dark, the air filled with nothing but the sound of the wind, leaves and night critters, and despite my silent wishes...
... She doesn't appear. She doesn't show...
I should've expected that. Mother said the minute she got her dagger she'd leave me. I can't believe I thought she wouldn't... I can't believe I was no nieve. So reckless.
She didn't care about me... Even after... Everything.
Maybe people are better at faking feelings than I thought? Maybe... Or maybe I'm just not ready to understand other people.
I guess... I guess it was fun while it lasted.
But why couldn't it last a little longer?
When we reach the bottom of the tower, I wait silently, my left hand grabbing my right arm, my vision blurry, while she uncovers some type of door.
I never knew the tower had a door, considering I was under the impression my hair was the only way in and out, but I'm in no condition to question such a minor detail.
We climb up a long, winded flight of stairs all the way to the top. I wait for her to open some kind of hatch above us, and then we push ourselves up through it into the main room of the tower.
Being back here... Fills me with a few weird feelings, and some kind of strange gut feeling, but I'm sure it's just signs of something like relief.
I'm to tired to try and find a new label for it right now, it's just the best one I could come up with.
"now let's fix you up shall we? Your precious hair is a mess!" She ushers me into my bedroom, sits me down on the end of my bed before pulling out a chair beside me. My hands toy with each other in my lap as she untied my hair and removes what flowers were left tangled up in it.
I don't bother to say anything, not that I could. My head was so loud it was starting to make it ache, I couldn't form words in this type of state even if I wanted to.
And I really... Really don't want to.
Today has been one of the best and worst days of my life, and through all the chaos I had almost forgot that it was my birthday too.
Everything started going up in flames around me within seconds. Just like that.
I usually try to find the light in every bad situation, but that's almost impossible to do at the moment.
And honestly, I hope sleeping will cause me to wake me up out of this nightmare. I hope to wake up to the realisation that this was all some really screwed up dream, that it's still the day before my birthday, that I'm still happy and content.
And more importantly... I want to wake up and realise that... she never existed...
"Right, now that that's been taken care of, I'm going to start the soup, I did spend all that time getting the ingredients after all." She rises from her seat, a basket of flowers around her arm, and she makes her way to the door. I don't look up, or make any sound of acknowledgement.
I feel well and truly stuck, and eating is the last thing I want to do.
She pauses in the doorway, turns around to face me, then let's out a heavy sigh. I feel the sudden erge to fall back on my bed, lay down facing the ceiling and let the world eat me up.
But I don't.
"I did try to warn you Rapunzel. The world is a cruel dark place. It takes any shred of light, and crushes it."
When I show no signs of... Well... Anything. She forces both my curtains together and starts walking down the stairs.
That's when I stopped fighting it.
I threw myself back, my mattress swallowing me whole, and stared straight up, my eyes fixed on a singled drawing on my celling.
If anything else is to happen, please just hit me with it now...
YOU ARE READING
crossing the line AU
Fanfiction"I'm starting to question if we met... On purpose. Through Fate... Or whatever." Crossing the line - A story about two girls who were almost swapped at birth, you could say... Cassandra grew up in a castle, money and power galore. She was raised by...
