Twilight Imagines

42. Rapunzel and the Big Bad Wolf (Paul Lahote)

(Published May 18, 2025)

   Thump, thump, thump, thump. 

   Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs, informing me that Paul had come to try and talk me out of my plans for the day.  He'd be barefoot, shirtless, distracted, and would beg me to stay in the house.  It had been weeks of this, and I was nature deprived.  I needed to hike.  I needed to breathe.  I needed the damp earth beneath my shoes and greenery encompassing me.  I needed the forest.  

   The knock on my closed bedroom door was softer than I had expected.  He must've realized from my short texts that I wasn't in a very good mood.  But how could I be?  How could I be happy when I was trapped in my own damn house? 

   "Kira?  It's me," Paul called from the other side of the door.  

   No shit.  

   "Can I come in?" 

   My knees were pulled up to my chest, so I set my chin on top of them.  He would come in, eventually.  It wasn't like my door was ever locked; the lock had been broken since I moved in.  I watched the knob turn at a snail's pace, as if he was worried what he'd find.  Then it stopped and the door was pushed open.  I averted my eyes to the floor, staring at the ancient shaggy carpet instead of him.  

   He took large steps, crossing the small room in maybe three strides to stand in front of me.  I kept my gaze on his knees.  His bare knees over bare feet.  Stifling a sigh, I knew what was coming next.  And he knew that I knew.  

   "You can't go out there today, Kira." 

   I clenched my teeth, keeping silent.  

   "It's not safe yet." 

   Right.  Because no one else was out hiking, enjoying the decent weather and their life right now.  

   "Just stay here, okay?" 

   Deliberately slow, I dragged my eyes up to meet his dark irises.  There was a pleading in them, which wasn't normal for Paul, but I didn't care at this point.  I didn't care.  

   "No." 

   He frowned.  "You have to." 

   "Bite me." I finally snapped.  "I don't know what you think you're trying to save me from, but I can't live like this.  I can't sit inside for days and weeks on end.  Watching the sun dapple the forest and knowing all the while that I promised you I'd stay inside like an obedient child.  While others are out enjoying life and I get to sit and wait until you drag yourself through that door looking exhausted at heaven knows what hour and fall asleep on the couch just to do the whole damn thing again the next day.  I'm not living.  I'm withering.  And you can snort and say that's dramatic all you want, but pretty soon you're not going to have a girlfriend anymore because I can't stand this any longer!" 

   "You wanna go hiking that bad?  Cool, go hiking," He growled.  "Go strut your stuff in front of those bloodsucking freaks and see how long you last.  'Cause I can't watch you and watch out for them at the same time, so one of us is going to get hurt and it probably won't be me."  

   I got to my feet angrily.  "Bloodsucking?  What, you scared of a few mosquitos now?" 

   "Vampires, K.  Bloodsucking, sparkling, stinking, vile vampires." He grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me close to him so our noses were almost touching.  "And they. will. gladly. kill. you." 

   "Vampires?" Pardon me for being skeptical.  

   "Vampires." His dark eyes went from daring me to argue to a softer look with a hint of guilt.  "Vampires are real, Kira."