Your little sister, Rapunzel, has a gift. Her hair has healing powers. Yes, it sounds crazy, but it's true. It's such a sought-after power that your mother had to move you to a hidden tower to keep you safe from the thugs and ruffians that would exp...
Later that day, you and Rapunzel were adding yet another mural to the walls of your home. You were painting the floating lights together. It was almost done, but something was missing. Then it hit you.
Two minutes later, Rapunzel's figure had been painted onto one of the trees she had added earlier. Rapunzel, still grasping her paintbrush, flung her arms around you.
"You'll see them one day," you said, "I promise."
"Rapunzel, let down your hair!" you heard from the bottom of the tower. Rapunzel quickly gave her paintbrush to you and gathered up as much hair as she could. She carried it over to the windowsill and draped it through the hook, causing most of it to fall gracefully down to Mother. A few moments later, Mother appeared next to Rapunzel.
"(Y/n), what did I tell you about leaving your paints out? Don't be so careless, my dear," Mother said, gesturing to the various jars of paint littered at the base of the wall we had been painting.
"I'm sorry, Mother," you said, screwing the lids onto the paints and putting them onto their rightful shelf. You would make a point to organize them later.
"Oh, don't look so glum, dear. I'm fine with the mess," she said as soon as you were finished cleaning up. You wiped your palms on your dress and walked over to where Mother and Rapunzel were now sitting, Mother brushing Rapunzel's hair. You sat down beside them.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
(i'm thinking this is what the dress looks like)
Rapunzel began to sing, as always after Mother's trips, "Flower, gleam and glow "Let your power shine, "Make the clock reverse, "Bring back what once was mine."
Rapunzel's hair began glowing a bright gold, spreading from her scalp to the ends of her long strands. "Heal what has been hurt, "Change the fate's design, "Save what has been lost, "Bring back what once was mine." As Rapunzel's melodic voice concluded the lullaby, her hair returned to its blonde state.
Mother inhaled deeply and said, "Thank you, my flower."
"You're welcome, Mother," Rapunzel said, happy to have pleased her. Your sister paused. "Mother?"
Your heart stopped. Was she going to tell her about the roof?
"Yes, flower?"
"Will you take me to see the floating lights one of these birthdays?" she asked hopefully. You audibly exhaled.
"I'd like to see them, too," you said, finally contributing to the conversation.
"Ha-ha, girls. Very funny. You've seen the stars before," Mother answered, focusing on her cuticles.
"But Mother," you added, "they can't be stars. These lights only appear on Rapunzel's birthdays. We have to know what they are!"
"Don't raise your voice at me!" Mother snapped. Rapunzel gasped softly. You both hated it when she snapped.
"Please, Mother. It's my only dream," Rapunzel pleaded.
"Don't beg, flower. It's unbecoming," Mother barked, standing up and walking over to the knapsack she took with her on her trips, stocking it with provisions. Rapunzel looked at you, her eyes wide and brimming with tears.
Mother looked back just as a tear rolled down Rapunzel's chin. Mother groaned, "Great. Now I'm the bad guy," and she sat next to Rapunzel, wiping her tears away with her thumbs.
"I've told you why you can never, ever leave this tower," Mother said firmly, "they will take you for your hair. I'm only telling you no to protect you. They will lock you up and force you to use your powers for only their benefit. Do you want that, flower?"
Rapunzel sniffed and shook her head. "No, Mother, I don't."
"Good," Mother responded, beaming at Rapunzel and patting her cheek. She turned and gave you a dirty look. "Did you put these silly ideas in her head? She could be killed out there!"
You were speechless, your mouth hanging open like the fish Mother once brought home for supper. "Wh-" you started, but Rapunzel cut you off, all evidence of her emotions gone except for her puffy eyes.
"No. It was me. I feel like they're meant for me, Mother! They're calling me." Rapunzel stood up and gestured to the mural drying on the wall; the floating lights, strewn across a night sky, with Rapunzel sitting in a tree watching them. Her golden hair flowed down like a waterfall, and although her face wasn't shown, she seemed... happy. Not her normal, optimistic, energetic happy, but a peaceful kind of happy. Content, maybe.
"Rapunzel! I have already told you! You are not seeing those lights! You're being... intolerant... and I don't like it!"
"But-"
"You are never leaving this tower, girls! I won't hear of it. I know what it's like out there and you don't. Now go to bed! I don't care to see you right now," Mother said with a wave of her thin fingers. You and Rapunzel shared an ashamed look before heading off to your separate bedrooms, even though the sun was still above the horizon.
"I love you," you heard from through the closed curtain that separated your room from the rest of the tower.
"I love you more," Rapunzel said.
"I love you most," Mother concluded.
You sat on the edge of your bed, just like this morning, chewing your lip raw. Your nimble fingers were picking at the skin around your already scabbed thumbs. You wanted to stand up and get back out there. You wanted to tell Mother that she had to be wrong about the world; there had to be good people out there. But you also knew it was pointless; she would never allow it. It was killing you that you could never see those lights. You could never meet another person.
Suddenly, all you could think about was the freedom you felt when you were on the roof. The image of Rapunzel twirling about flashed across your mind. You sat down again -- somehow you had ended up pacing. Maybe just those spurts of rebellion on the rooftop would be enough. Maybe you could make out what the lights were from up there. It was worth a shot. But no, it was destined to fail. The roof wasn't much higher up than the windowsill and the lanterns would be just as far away.
You were frustrated. At some point, you decided to get in bed. Then you sat up, grabbed your pillow and started hitting it with all of your strength. Your anxiety was getting the best of you. You wanted to scream, but you couldn't -- Rapunzel would be worried and Mother would be disappointed. So, you started sobbing silently. You cradled the pillow to your head and laid down on it.
