Planted Seeds

The Waterfall

Mother Gothel knew that things were changing, and she wasn't comfortable with it. Rapunzel had been talking about these infernal lanterns for years now, as if they belonged to her, but now they were all she talked about, and something she spoke of every day. Rapunzel had become affixed to the lanterns, and, by extension, the outdoors. She had begun asking for more books, for paintings of things she could not see.

"Mother..." she had brought up one day. "Could you get a painting of a waterfall for me?"

"Whatever for, Rapunzel? There's one just behind the tower." Gothel dismissed, chopping onions.

"I know." Rapunzel paused there. "But the window is on the other side of the tower, so if I lean out I can hear it, and you told me what it was, but I've never seen it."

Gothel hesitated. "It's nothing extraordinary. You're fine."

Rapunzel was silenced by her snapping remark, but Gothel was not foolish enough to believe she had dropped the issue. As soon as Rapunzel focused on something, she was consumed by it. It fascinated her and she could focus on it forever.

Mother Gothel slid her ingredients into a bubbling pot, and slinked upstairs to rest a little before dinner. She was, unfortunately, always getting older, and things began to exhaust her more easily. She laid down on her bed. Rapunzel had made it up again, piling on dozens of her little handmade throw pillows. She was so cutely disgusting.

She laid sleeplessly for 20 some-odd minutes, then slid back downstairs to check on dinner. Rapunzel, the little housemaid, was stirring the pot and seasoning their meal. Good.

"Darling, we have just enough time before dinner. Why don't you sing for Mama?"

"Sure! Yeah, of course!" Rapunzel bubbled, placing the lid on the pot. "But first, look!" she scuttled to the side and grabbed a piece of paper. "I made a countdown to when the lanterns come back. It's only in five days! And if we don't count today, 'cause it's almost over anyway, it's only four days! Now, wait, I'm not done." She grabbed another piece of paper, depicting a personal stormcloud just over the side of a mountain. "Ta da! Our waterfall."

"They don't really look like that, dear." Gothel snapped, annoyed.

"Oh, sorry." She placed the paper on the table and turned back. "But I could find out what they do look like if we went there! Mother, I'm almost eighteen, and I've been watching these lanterns every year. They go up high – higher than the tower! But if we got to the top of the waterfall, I doubt they'd go higher than that! We could hike up there together, and I'll pack food and blankets for us, and we can watch them together! Wouldn't that be – "

"Enough, Rapunzel, honestly! How many times do we have to go through this?" Gothel raised a hand to her temple.

"Sorry, Mother, it's just-"

"Rapunzel, please." She moved by the fire and sat down in a plush chair, head still in hand. "I'm feeling very worn out. Sing for me."

Rapunzel scooted her tiny stool next to Mother Gothel's large chair. "Of course, Mother." She sighed sadly. " Flower gleam and glow -"

...

"What are you doing, Rapunzel? You've been sitting there all morning."

Gothel was only exaggerating a little. Rapunzel awoke as early as ever, ran through her chores, and then gathered up her paints and sat in front of one of the few blank spaces left in the tower. She bit her lip and tilted her head, thinking deeply, but not painting.

"I just don't know what to put here."

"You exhaust me, Rapunzel, I'm going to go lie down for a bit. Wake me just before lunch."