literature

Once Upon a Time: Let Down your Hair

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In a the little town of Storybrooke, many stories are yet to be discovered, even if the truth is lost somewhere inside of them. A curse, a wicked curse, has stolen this truth from many of the people in Storybrooke, for they can't remember who they are, because everything they had that was most precious was stolen from them and they can't remember why.

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Henry finished another day at school, where he waited on a wall, reading his most favorite book of fairytales, which he believed was a collection of biographies of all the citizens of Storybrooke and their real identities. This book was the key to Operation Cobra, his secret mission to release the curse set by the wicked Queen to restore their memories and release them from the Storybrooke imprisonment. His biological mother Emma Swan, the sheriff of the town, was also in on the Operation, despite her lack of faith in these stories, she still took a great interest in them. Today he was reading a rather interesting story, until his adopted mother, Regina drove to the curbside. Regina was the mayor of Storybrooke, but also happened to be the wicked Queen in Henry's book. Regina stopped and pulled over  her expensive Mercedes and Henry put his book back in his backpack before she noticed. He ran, with his backpack swaying behind him as he reluctantly opened the door and got inside. He carefully put on his seat-belt and shut the door and they slowly pulled out of the school. "How was your day?" Regina asked sweetly. "Fine," Henry replied plainly. "Did you do anything exciting today?" she inquired. "Well, Miss Blanchard had us read aloud today and draw faces of the different characters based on symbolism, like different things that made the story important." Miss Blanchard according to Henry was Snow White, Emma's real mother, but regardless, nobody believed him, not even Miss Blanchard, who gave him the book in the first place. "Well, I am glad she is teaching you something useful," Regina retorted.
After driving a few miles, they stopped at the Barber shop, right in the middle of town. It was a rather slow afternoon due to the gloomy weather after the morning rainfall. Clouds still loomed overhead and the Barber shop wasn't overly crowded. "I remembered that I made an appointment to get you a trim, your hair is getting a bit long on the ends Henry," Regina stated, ruffling her fingers through his growing hair. They got out of the car and walk inside to the chime of the bell hanging off the door. "Ah, Madame Mayor, Henry. How good to see you both! How can I help you today?" said a lovely young woman of about twenty-six. Her name was Stacy and she was Storybrooke's only beautician/barber.  She was of medium height with a delicate figure, but had extremely chopped brown hair that was styled into a wavy pixie cut. She stopped sweeping for a moment and put her broom off to the side. "Henry needs a trim. His hair grows awfully fast this time of year." Regina pointed out. "Absolutely. Let me get my tools." She wrapped a covering around Henry and pressed the snaps. She opened a drawer and pulled out some scissors, a towel, and a powder brush. "Take a seat Henry, and we will have a look." She gestured him to the chair and he sat down, swerving slightly. She was gazing at his hair in the mirror, but Henry took note of how her hands motioned through his hair slowly, as if she was recollecting on a memory. "Is there a problem?" Regina asked with a concern. "Of course not, how much should I trim?" she asked with a smile. "Enough, I think you know what to do." She said without taking her eyes off of her for a moment and picked up a magazine and patiently waited. Stacy picked up the scissors and running Henry's hair through her fingertips where she slowly began to cut and the pieces gently fell to the floor.

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Stacy was one of many of the victims of the curse. Her real name: Rapunzel. Rapunzel was no ordinary beautiful girl. Before she was born, her father, a poor villager was seeking for a remedy to cure his sick pregnant wife. Upon traveling on a lonely road, he came across an old peddler woman, sitting on the side of the road. "M'am, can you help me? My wife is sick and I need someone who can help her. She is carrying a child and is expecting soon!" he pleaded. The old, frizzy gray-haired lady looked up at him, with one eye. She grabbed her cane and slowly stood up. "And how shall you pay me if I helped?" she creaked. "Anything! Please we must hurry!" he said anxiously. "Follow me." She ordered and they went back to his home.
The old woman found the wife sweating and panting. The man rushed to her side, whispering to her that he found help. The old woman began to raid the kitchen, finding anything that she could to brew the remedy. Most importantly she added one ingredient: liquid gold. It was extremely rare and possessed magical healing powers. After mixing the potion, she let it brew and in no time, she poured some in a bowl and passed it to the husband to serve to his wife. "Here my dearest. This shall help." His wife weakly sat up and sipped every drop that was in the bowl, resisting vomiting. The old woman waited patiently, until finally, the wife stopped panting and she breathed normally. "Tis a miracle! You healed my wife!" the man exclaimed. As he was about to thank the woman, she said, "I gave something to her that was most precious of mine. You will do the same. I will return in a fortnight when your child is born. When I return, she will become mine." "Wait! I will give you anything! Food, shelter, gold…" the man pleaded worried that something bad would happen. "That is my price." And suddenly she vanished without a trace.
In a fortnight the child was born. A healthy baby girl with feathery blond hair. The old woman waited out of the house for the right moment, watching their every move. The couple acted as if nothing horrible was about to happen to their perfect moment. As the parents fell asleep later that evening and put their child in a crafty crib, the old woman snuck in the house and abducted the child. Nothing was left behind but the curtains swaying in the middle of the moonlight.

The old woman lived in a tower, far out of the skirts of the kingdom. It was tall and disguised in vines and flowers, with nothing surrounding it with grasses and ferns. Hidden by her ugliness, she lived alone, now with a beautiful child. "Now dear sweet child, you are my only chance to be young again. When your hair grows, it will return what once was mine." She whispered to the ill-fated child, who innocently sucked her thumb, unaware of her poor fate.

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Stacy finished trimming Henry's hair and brush off remnants off his neck and shirt and removed the covering off of his neck and body. "There you go Henry! Nice and trimmed!" she said pleasantly. Regina walked over to inspect it and gave a quick nod of approval. She paid her in cash, but Henry left a two-dollar tip. "Thank you Miss Stacy." Henry said politely. "Anytime Henry! Take a lollipop on your way out!" She waved. As he was getting his lollipop, a new customer came in. A mother with a little girl with blond hair. Regina stopped and ran into Mr. Gold, the owner of the town, holding the door open with his cane, before they left the shop who followed inside as they were about to leave. "Ah Mr. Gold, a pleasure as always." "Same to you Regina," he said coolly. "Hello Henry." "Hi Mr. Gold," he said plainly. Mr. Gold was a man who loved antiques and collected rare items and sold them in his personal shop. Since he was the owner of the town, he had slightly more power than Regina as mayor, but their history went farther back than Storybrooke. She spoke with him for a few moments discussing a pointless matter, while Henry observed Stacy as she was setting up for her next client. The little girl gazed at Stacy's hair and asked, "Why is your hair so short? Don't you like it long?" Stacy stopped for a moment and pondered. "Well, I think it has been short all my life. I've never had long hair." "Would you like it long like mine someday?" the little girl asked. "Perhaps. Maybe someday." Henry eyed her suspiciously, but Regina made him walk out the door without another glance and Stacy went about her usual business without pondering on the thought any longer.

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Rapunzel grew up to be a fine young lady, with a delicate figure, green eyes, and a sweet voice, but her greatest attribute was her never ended length of golden hair. It wrapped around her entire room, leaving her hardly any space to walk. The old woman, whom she called her mother, knocked on the door. "Come in." Rapunzel called. The old woman was no longer old. She turned young again, thanks to Rapunzel's hair. "Dearest Rapunzel, don't be so glum, it's time to give mummy some more of your hair." Her mother said. Rapunzel paused at her weaving and placed herself in a chair and her mother hummed a magical tune that suddenly the hair flashed a bright yellow light and her mother's skin revitalized and stretched itself out, lessening her age. "Much better my dear. Now off you go!" she shooed her away. As Rapunzel faced her tapestry, she hummed to herself. For many years, she was enslaved because of her magical hair and spent many lonely days in the tower, often believing she would go mad. Sadly, every morning, things still made sense to her for all that she knew. Also every morning, after her mother would leave the tower to go to the market, she always shouted, "Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" And she tossed a heavy amount of hair over her windowsill. The tower had no other doors nor windows. Rapunzel's hair was the only way in or out. Rapunzel grew tired of this endless ritual and longed for someone to rescue her.

One day, a young prince was lost after losing his horse to a spook in the nearby forest. He was aimlessly searching for him, until he tripped over a rock and crashed into a bush. After brushing leaves out of his hair, he blinked his eyes and saw the hidden tower. He scrambled back and hid when he saw a woman approach the tower and called out, "Rapunzel! Let down your hair! I don't have all day you know!" And whoosh! A massive flow of hair was tossed out the window and the woman climbed up and crawled in the window. The prince wasn't sure who could possibly have that long of hair, but his curiosity couldn't hold him back. He stayed hidden for some time, until he noticed the woman leave the tower, climbing down on her hair again. He watched the woman walk away through a narrow passage out to the rest of the forest. "Strange place," he muttered, "But I wonder who that hair belongs to?" he asked himself. He walked up to the tower hesitantly, and looked around and called out with a voice similar to the old woman's: "Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" The great flowing golden hair came down again and he grabbed some chunks of the hair, which was remarkably very strong and pulled himself up, slowly as to avoid pulling the hair. Once he reached the window, he crashed in and heard a small yelp. He got up and wiped his knees and he stared in awe at the beautiful girl, holding the stone wall behind her not taking her eyes off of him. She was frantically searching for something heavy as a weapon, but had no such luck. "Wait, dear maiden, I won't hurt you. I was merely curious as to where that long hair came from. It's the strangest beauty I have ever seen..." he said with awe. She slowed her breathing down and took a long look at the young man. All her life, she had never witnessed another human being, other than her mother. He was rather tall, with dark wavy, tousled hair, carrying a satchel and had dirty boots from loads of walking. He carried no weapons and didn't appear to be completely vicious. He had a rather dashing smile. "I've never met anyone else." she spoke. "I have been trapped in this tower all my life." "Is that so?" he looked at her hair. "Did you come for my hair?" she asked sharply. "No no! Why would I want hair?" he laughed. "What is your name?" "Rapunzel." she said as she gathered her hair away from him. "Ah, I am Flynn. Flynn Rider." He held out his hand and she tiptoed to him slowly and weakly clasped his hand for a brief shake. She was rather intimidate by such an attractive man, that she blushed. "What do you say I help you get out of this tower?" he gestured to the window. "Oh no! I can't possibly do that! Mother will be furious! I...I can't leave here." "Why would you want to stay?" Flynn raised a brow. "You see, my hair...it has magical healing powers. When you hum a little tune, it glows like this..." Rapunzel closed her eyes and began to hum the tune and suddenly her hair transformed to a golden glow, warming the room with such a great light. Flynn stared at her hair completely stunned. He slowly picked up some of the hair and felt it rejuvenate his skin and soul. He had never felt so happy in all his life. Once she finished humming, the hair dimmed to its normal color tone. "You see? If I leave, everyone will want my hair, and mother will think I left her to hurt her. She needs me." She began to weep. Flynn embraced her and hushed her. "It will be alright. You have me now." he soothed. Rapunzel stopped crying; for the first time in her life, there was someone else other than her mother to comfort her. Not even the glow of her own hair could have brought this happiness. "You must go!" she realized, "Mother will be back soon and if she finds you... meet me again tomorrow after sunrise. Mother leaves then to go to market." she whispered. "I will return for you dear Rapunzel. I swear upon my life, I will free you from this tower." he said with utter determination. He kissed her on the cheek and she smiled, throwing her hair out the window and he slid down and took off running into the forest. "I will save you, dear sweet Rapunzel." he declared.

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As they were driving home, Regina noticed Henry leaning his head on the car window. He was in deep thought about Operation Cobra and how he could help Stacy realize who she really was. He thought of pulling out his walkie talkie and discussing details with Emma, but he wasn't so sure that she would even believe him. He had been struggling getting her to comprehend the curse alone. "What's the matter Henry? You've looked odd since we left the barber shop." she asked. "Nothing that matters to you," he muttered softly, but she didn't hear clearly, "What did you say?" she said as she was making a turn into the driveway. "Nothing, just thinking about school." he said more loudly with a curved smile.
Later that night after dinner, Henry went upstairs and got ready for bed. He was anticipating on finishing reading his story about Rapunzel. After Regina kissed him goodnight and tucked him in, she shut his door and he waited a few moments after her footsteps were out of range. He then took out his flashlight and pulled his book out of his backpack and opened it to his bookmarked page. He continued reading, looking for clues that could prove to Emma that Stacy was really Rapunzel.

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Later that night, she heard a new voice call out for her hair. She felt her hair being tugged and pulled and suddenly there was a man, tall and dark skinned with wrinkles every time he smiled and wearing a long coat with ruffles on the sleeve. He had dirty hands with long nails and a cane. "Who are you?" she asked, hoping her mother couldn't hear a word. "Relax dearie. I am not after you, and your mother is fast asleep." "Then how did you find me?" "Took a wrong turn by an oak tree and wandered for a bit. Oh I have always known about you dearie. You're the little village girl who was long ago abducted by the woman who occupies this tower and is rumored to have the longest hair in the world. Well those rumors weren't very obscure were they?" he grinned, admiring the golden hair. "I..." "Shocked? Realized your mother isn't who she claims to be? Tragedy isn't it when the truth slips away from us?" "Wait. If that isn't my mother... then why am I in here?" "I was about to ask the same question." the man said with a smirk. "Who are you?" "I am Rumplestiltskin. And I am here to make your life a little more, well, outside the walls shall we say?" Rapunzel seemed suspicious about this strange man. Her mother, or so-called mother, mentioned him before, talking rubbish about a dark man who seemed to enjoy striking deals with many people either leaving them either extremely pleased, or extremely tormented. "What do you want with me then?" "I think the real question, is what do you want? I can sense that I give you anything your heart desires, but not unless you ask." he said with a pointed finger at her. "Well, I wish I could be free, I don't want to be here... my mother has never let me leave this tower and I want to be with... Flynn." "Ah young love and see the world all in one day! You are asking for quite a bit dearie." "I will do anything to get out of here. Please..." "Well all magic comes with a price." he said in a high pitch tone. "I can make you a memory potion where she will never remember you and you can escape without a height or hair of her following you. And you can live your happily ever with Flynn!" he said cheerfully. "But I need one single strand of your long hair." She seemed confused. "My hair? One singe strand?" "I like to spin thread to gold. Your hair however is something new to me that I have always wondered what it would do if I spun it into gold. Not that it needs it." he chuckled wickedly. "That's too easy." she stated. "Yes it is, just like getting out of this tower." He whipped up a small vile of potion and showed it to her. It was a lovely shade of gray and it gleamed against her hair. "Now I will give this to you if you pluck one single hair." Rapunzel looked at him and he wiggled the vial in the air, like a dog treat. She rolled her eyes up to her forehead and pulled a single hair from the root. "Ouch!" she cried, but the single thread of hair was plucked and she followed it, rolling it up in her hand. It glowed miraculously and suddenly she reached the end and gave it to Rumplestiltskin. He giggled with glee and put the hair in a precious pouch. The pouch had a hole, but once her hair was placed safely inside, the hole was immediately sealed. "Very good my dear. Here's your potion as promised. Use it well!" he exclaimed and climbed down her hair out the window, grinning as he left the tower with his payment.

The next morning, Flynn returned with his lovely call, "Rapunzel, let down your hair!" He climbed her hair again and found his sweet Rapunzel, weaving a pattern, humming happily. She put the needle down when she saw him and they embraced each other. "I was dreaming of you last night." she told him as he kissed her cheek. "I will set you free. Come! If we leave now we can miss your mother! She won't be able to find you!" he said eagerly as he clutched her hands. "I know... I'm just so scared of all of this..." "Don't. The world is wonderful out there. Who knows? Your hair could help many people!" Flynn imagined. Rapunzel smiled warmly with her green eyes glowing. "I want you to show me the world Flynn. Everything I need to know! Everything I want to know!" she exclaimed. "Then you have made your choice. Let's get out of here before-" "Not so fast intruder." said Rapunzel's mother. "You are not to take my daughter anywhere. You have trespassed and I shall not let you touch my daughter let alone see her!" She took Rapunzel's hair and craftily wrapped it around Flynn, trapping him. "Mother! No! Don't hurt him!" she yelled. "I will not let this treacherous being touch you! And he shall never see you again!" she approached him as he was struggling to break free from Rapunzel's hair, but Rapunzel's mother took her long nails and scratched his eyes. Flynn yelled in torturing pain. Rapunzel gasped and began to cry, "Flynn! No!" She released him and Flynn immediately put his hands to his eyes and every time a tear slid down his face, it burned his eyes like fire. "Mother! Or should I call you that?!" Rapunzel screamed. "How dare you hurt an innocent man!" The mother refused to listen and tied Flynn up and ordered Rapunzel to lower him out of the tower. "Now!" she screamed. Rapunzel slowly carried a heavy Flynn down the tower and Flynn was left to scramble his way out of the forest completely blind. She watched him disappear into the forest, and she wept bitterly. "How could you?!" Rapunzel shouted. "I had to. Could you imagine if he took your precious hair? He was nothing but a thief! I saved your life. But you are never to leave this tower or think of asking anyone!" she thundered. Rapunzel continued to weep and she knelt to the cold hard stone floor as her mother shut her wooden door with a loud thud.

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Stacy was sweeping after another long day at the Barber shop. Suddenly, she noticed a homeless man sitting on the side of the street. Holding out a can for spare change, he wore sunglasses in the early evening. She felt sympathetic for him, noticing that he was blind. She put her broom away and walked outside, locking up the shop for the evening. She walked up to the homeless man. "Excuse me sir, can I help you?" she asked kindly. The man was turning his head trying to follow the voice, but she took his hand. "I am here." she smiled. The man smiled too without even realizing it. "Thank you miss. I could use some company. I admire hearing such a lovely voice." he complimented. Stacy smiled. "Well how about I get you some food? I was just about to get some dinner. Maybe we can talk over at the diner?" she offered. "I'd really appreciate that. What's your name?" "I'm Stacy, I work at the barber shop across the street from where you are sitting." "I'm Harold. Nice to meet you." She helped him to his feet and he held her arm. He abandoned his spare change can on the curbside. He was wearing multiple jackets and a torn up pair of pants and holey shoes. He also wore a skull cap along with his sunglasses and had a scruffy face, but was very young, maybe a little older than Stacy. "Let's go." she said and they walked slowly together to the diner, like old friends.

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The next morning, Rapunzel decided to make some tea for her mother, and put in the memory potion. She would no longer be suppressed by this wicked evil doer and she wanted her freedom. She called her fake mother into her room. "I made some extra tea. Care for a cup?" she offered sweetly. "As a peace offering, I shall. I hope you understand that what I did was for your own good," said the mother. "I do understand now, I was very upset watching every thing. It was quite traumatizing." "Indeed," agreed the mother as she sipped her tea. Rapunzel anxiously awaited to see the effects of the potion affect her at any moment. After the mother finished the tea, there was a foggy gaze in her eyes and Rapunzel waited. Once the fog disappeared, the mother looked at Rapunzel strangely. "What are you doing in my tower? And get a hair cut!" she cried. "I agree Miss. Now get out of this tower! You children get involved in risky business!" her delusional mother cried out. Rapunzel gladly threw her hair out the window, gazing at her room for the last time and lowered herself down. Once she touched the brown earth, she looked up at her window. Her kidnapper never followed. She pulled some scissors out of her pocket and with one quick motion, she cut all of her hair at the base of her neck. Suddenly all of her hair turned to a dark brown, as if it died. She pocketed the scissors and ran for dear life, searching for her true love in the forest, but sadly, not knowing where to begin since he was blind and could not find his way. She could only hope that he was safe and in no danger without her.  The last thing she heard was a shrill from her tower of the old woman, screaming as she became ugly again.

Rumplestiltskin was at Regina's castle, waiting to visit her, carrying the pouch containing Rapunzel's hair. "You have the hair?" Regina simply asked as she walked down from her throne to meet him. "Of course. I didn't waddle around without it while you are planning the curse." He didn't hand over the pouch right away. "All magic comes with a price majesty." he outstretched his hand. "Don't I know it." she said as she gave him something most valuable, in a locked box, a dagger containing his name on it. "I protected it while you were away and no, I did not use it." she stated. "Good, we wouldn't want any backstabbing would we?" he laughed cruelly, tapping his fingertips. He handed her the hair. "The hair will work. It turned to gold when she pulled it. This single hair will help along with the transition. It will blind the people of their past memories of themselves. Without this hair, the curse would be even more pointless." he snickered. Regina glared at him. "Thank you Rumple. That's all I need." She shooed him away and he walked out of the castle with a gleam in his eye.

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Henry closed his book and thought about calling Emma on the walkie talkie, but he decided to let her sleep; that it would wait until morning when he would meet her at the diner for some hot chocolate. They had many things to discuss for Operation Cobra.
This was a short story I wanted to write. I <3 <3 <3 Once Upon a Time and they have not yet done Rapunzel. I kind of combined original story ideas with names from the Disney movie, as well as aspects of the tv show.

This was a real pleasure to write because I was watching this like an episode in my head. Who knows, maybe ABC will read it and give me a call :D

Characters by ABC's Once Upon a Time, Disney's Tangled
Storyline by Gr0banit3
© 2012 - 2024 Gr0banit3
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GameovermanGameover's avatar
:clap: Another great one! :D Now i'm kinda tempted to write a short story revolving someone I wish they would put in the show Robin Hood. Except I might put a slight dark tone. Anyway this is great i'm totally faving this one too! :D