Sleep

Aurora

It was unexpected to have a princess come to visit me at the palace.  The afternoon was murky and to humid to stand.  Crows swerved around the lawn and seemed to be the only ones enjoying the weather.  Staring out my window, the carriage thumped up to the gates.  From here I could tell it was a tan, with golden carvings of nymphs and flowers.  Carriages with that level of decoration had to be holding someone of high authority. 

I cantered down the stairs, my flat shoes making a pop click sound.  Closing your eyes, you'd think my shoes were tin pebbles dropping down the steps.  I enjoyed the sound, it reminded me of a horse.  Coming down, I almost smacked heads with a guard, which wouldn't have come so close if I hadn't been totally focused on the sound my shoes make.  He cleared his throat and corrected his posture, which was already perfect enough. 

"Princess you have a visitor who would like to speak to you, er, alone," he said, then dropping to a whisper.  "Don't worry, if you need us just yell." 

He teetered down the stairs, being surprisingly quiet with his iron armor.

"Excuse me sir, what is your name?"  I'm still trying to get names down. 

" You don't remember, Aurora?" He looked pained. "I am James, and we use to- your visitor is behind the door."

Opening the oak door gave off a creek that sounded alike to a human.  James opened out his hand as if gesturing to the porcelain lamp in the hall.  I found this thought funny, but I dare not laugh.  James just seemed to serious. Walking out, I had one more thing to say.

"It's okay to smile," I said.

His mouth twitched. Except it wasn't in an "almost smile" way, it was more of a "there's a gross smell, I'm trying not to show it" way. That was a bad idea. Not really bad, stupid was the right word.

Inside the door the visitor stood, hands folded.  She had short gold hair, not even reaching her shoulders. Her dress is a simple green, making her emerald eyes pop with vibrance. No smiles, just a serious look that would bring shame to James. Extending my hand, we shake.  She has a sad aura to her, her arm shook mine rather limply.

"Hello Aurora. My name is one that symbolizes burdens. It is Rapunzle."

Less than one second passes for me to comprehend this.  But one thing irks me. 

"Doesn't Rapunzle have long hair?"  I ask. 

"Do you think you could escape a tower, and an evil kidnapper, if your hair was a quarter mile long?  If it was my choice, I'd cut all my fair off and be bald.  I'm sick of hair and all  its burdens.  But my father insists and I can't say no.  Anyway, I've been wanting to talk to you, let's go to a more private setting."

I nod and steer toward the west tower.  It's always empty.  When I open the door a little breeze blows, giving a touch to such a terrible room. At least the loose nails and broken stain glass littering the floor were swept away.  Eyes from the creepy portraits of angry-looking people follow you, old stain glass pictures that had been taken out of windows displayed scenes of despair, like fires and sad families around graves, if the pictures weren't smashed up. 

One of the portraits particularly catches the eyes.  An unhappy family stands outside their house, eying whoever painted the portrait.  The mother has her black hair in a bun with a business suit-like purple dress, tight facial features arch her cheek bones to a smooth form.  Her daughter is very similar, but her brown hair is in perfect spirals, she displays an evil smile, and she holds a knife in the hand she drapes around her poor little brother, who looks scared out of his mind, no matter how strait and formal his face is.  His head is large, and he has a wild puff of black hair.  The husband looks as cruel as his wife.  The artist did well with showing the glint of the husband's dagger he held casually.  Dark circles draped his eyes, giving him a raccoon characteristic. All his white teeth showed in his greedy smile. 

The most creepy thing about this portrait was how futuristic it looked, and how realistic it seemed.  The clothes were so different and forward, I felt like Kate in the dream world again.  I could almost feel it...

"Aurora!"  Rapunzle said loudly shaking my shoulders.  I blinked back to reality. 

"What? What's wrong?"  I said.

"You've been out for 15 minutes!  It was the strangest thing, you were just staring at that creepy painting, completely mesmerized.  I tried talking to you, but you wouldn't reply," Rapunzle said. 

"We better get to talking fast I don't have much time.  I'm looking for someone named Phillip.  When I was running from the tower, he helped me escape, then, he was captured by vines, and I don't know where he is.  I need to find him."

"Phillip, like with brown hair, tan skin, green eyes?" I ask, trying to remember more detail. "He has a scar on his arm ...and a small bump on his ear," it comes more clearly.

"Yes, that's him," she smiles, "where have you seen him?"

"When I awoke from my sleep that maleficent cursed me with. That was about a week ago."

"So he is still trapped, I must find him!," she said.

"Uh... Rapunzle, Phillip and I are... This wasn't my choice, but we're... Engaged. We've been engaged since I was born, it's not really something I can change," I said meekly.

She looked like I had stabbed her with a real knife, instead of the metaphorical one I stabbed her with. I was ready to call on the guards, nothing good could happen next.