It Never Happened

Chapter 8: Belle

"Where are they, I thought they would be here by now," I murmured as I saw the sun rose, and finally lifted myself up from the tree I was lying against. I looked over at Philippe, who was fast asleep still, which made what I was going to do next worse.

"Philippe..." I whispered to him, "Phillippe, wake up".

He did, and I tried my best to help him stand up, but it took me a little while to realize I wasn't strong enough to. I thought about my father and everyone else, and decided to give it another shot before I heard sobs coming somewhere around me.

"Hello?"

The sobbing suddenly stopped, and immediately I saw a girl with long, blonde hair at my feet, mumbling something about disobeying her mother.

"Woah there, get up", and she did the second I told her to, quickly brushing her hair away from her face.

"I'm Rapunzel, and I'm lost, hungry, and I have no place to go to, and ugh! Why didn't I just stay at home! That man who came in, I should have took that as a warning to never go to the outside world!"

"You're the lost princess," I spoke out, and smiled.

"I've read about you and everything! So easily recognizable if you look close enough, but you should really cut that hair..."

She shrieked and I backed away, and Philippe stood up immediately.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, we won't cut your hair! It's definitely pretty as it is. Maybe my horse is strong enough to carry both of us out of here..." I said doubtfully, but her eager nods led me to try.

I climbed up and he groaned in pain, and before she could climb up I yelled out.

"Stop! Hold on!", and I slid off the horse, and watched him collapse. I quickly checked him, seeing what went wrong, but I stopped as I checked his heartbeat.

There was none.

The girl must have realized it quickly, and ran to my side.

"Go", she whispered soothingly. "There's nothing we can do now, don't waste anymore time. I'll make sure he's not here by the time you come back, I think I can make my way out of-

I couldn't hear the rest, I was already off since I knew what she said was right. I felt sickened, I couldn't even cry. What was wrong with me? The path was clearer as I came closer and the next thing I remembered was sitting in a big dining room with everyone in the castle, Tink laying out her plans for saving the beast and I drowned her out as I rested on my father's lap, who was shaking for some reason. Whatever Tink must be thinking of must have scared him, and I reached for his hand. He was here, and that was all that mattered.