THRICE Upon a Time...

WEST: Jack & the Beanstalk ~1~

"No, but---"

"Get the HELL outta here. You either customer, or you get out!"

"Whoa, woman, chill." Rapunzel scowled. "We're pro babysitters. We kinda need jobs."

The woman peered at the three girls. "You experienced?"

"I've been a babysitter twenty years of my life." claimed Rapunzel. Her friends twitched.

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen." 

"Hmm. Seems legit." the woman was thoughtful. "Girls, listen here: I have a rather difficult young boy who needs someone to look after him while I work. God, he's as stubborn as a donkey and just as stupid." She tightened her apron. "Alright, alright. That notice has been up there for months. I don't have any better options. You're hired." The woman thrust a ring of keys and an address scribbled on a piece of jotter-pad paper under Rapunzel's nose. "Take my car. You crash it, you die. In more ways than one. Get to know my son, become BFFLs, whatever. Oh, and tell him to milk the cow."

"Urh, thanks, miss..."

"Candai."

"Thanks."

"Oh, one last thing, girls." Candai gave them a serious glare. "If you steal ANYTHING, if I find ONE vase missing or ONE spoon out of place...I'll sue you like hell. Understand?"

"...Yes. Y-yeah, miss. Thanks." Snow White grimaced.

Wow. Intimidating, much? Rapunzel scowled, turned away and jingled the keys in front of her friends with a huge Cheshire cat grin. "So, who dibs shotgun?"

"But Rapunzel...you're fourteen. You lack even the most basic knowledge of handling a...a...a big shiny monster on four wheels." Aurora's eyes flashed with panic. "You will kill us, you realise."

"Or maybe we'll live and live happily ever after." Rapunzel shrugged. "Could go either way, really."

                                            *****************************************

The old, beat-up Toyota screeched around the corner, a shrill scream of protest, leaving fresh black tyre tracks deep in the road.

"OHMYGAWD OHMYGAWD OHMYGAAAAAAAAAAAWD!!!!" Snow White's voice shuddered each time the car swerved and bumped along the uneven road. Her voice ripped out of her, her clothes whipping ferociously with the roaring wind. She clutched to the wound down windows for dear life. Aurora had long since fainted, and there she lay, in the backseat, her head lolling about as she blacked out in peaceful oblivion. Over the wind and the blasts of the car's engine was Rapunzel's maddening laugh.

"SNOW!!! ISN'T THIS FREAKING BRILLIANT??" she yelled to her friend, who was gripping her head in fear of it falling off. "OOPS!" Rapunzel cackled, as she narrowly avoided a tree.

They were out of the grey and depressing town, and each time Rapunzel turned a corner she would press her foot harder and harder against the accelerator, much to the horrified complaints of her companions. They were racing across green, leafy trees and fields of yellow corn and patient, wise old cows grazing in meadows. The roads here were narrower and twistier, the sun brighter and the sky a watery blue. The countryside was quite beautiful.

"HERE WE ARE!" Rapunzel slammed to a stop, the car yanked to a halt so suddenly that Aurora jolted awake. "Sunnyside Up Farm, number 45." Rapunzel checked the crooked numbers painted upon the letterbox they were parked before, and nodded.

 Snow White climbed out of the car and vomited.

"EW, Snow, how disgusting!" Rapunzel scowled in disapproval. She glanced up the gravel driveway to a small, white wooden house with a silver shed next to it. It was a farm, rather small, with gold grass and an old wooden fence, paint flaking off. A few evergreens grew nearby.  "Well, home sweet home."