Golden/ A modern twist on Rapunzel

Golden

In the year of the late 2000's, a boy crouched in the shadows admiring a beautiful girl on the balcony of a very exquisite mansion. The girl stared up at the moon, illuminated as her short golden hair danced around her shoulders just barely grazing the tips of her collar bones. She would occasionally look down at her phone expectantly and the boy smiled while kneeled hidden in some shrubbery. He fished out his own phone from his back pocket and typed speedily on the device. The girl's phone dinged and she looked down to see a text message from the still concealed boy. Oh Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down thy golden hair. ;) The girl stifled a laugh with her hand and searched around the garden for any sign of the boy. Having no luck, the girl frowned and whispered "Nick!"  He stepped out into the open and revealed himself behind the white rose bushes. "Hey Rach."  The girl gazed down lovingly and ushered him to come forward while she went to retrieve her makeshift rope of tied up sheets. While she was gone, Nick fiddled with the wad of cash in his pocket nervously. He had finally scraped enough money to get them out of here away from this city; away from that witch who controlled her.

A few moments passed before his worried thoughts were interrupted by a woosh and a flick of fabric. Having looked next to his side, Nick noticed the bright sheets swaying in the wind and up above him a grinning Rachel with her tongue sticking out at him. Rachel waved her phone at him and pointed at their messages. Nick followed her commands and read to see what she wanted without making noise. Be quiet on your way up. She's still here in the basement cleaning some things. Nick's face furrowed and he shook his head in an attempt to resist the urge to tsk. Don't worry. We won't be back again for her to hurt you. He looked up with determination in his eyes wanting to see Rachel's reaction before he started to climb. She looked shocked and a bit scared, but mostly she looked as if she trusted him more than anything in the whole world. The couple nodded at each other with the understanding of their unspoken promise.

Nick was careful to not make any noise as he rose to the balcony where Rachel awaited. Once to the top, Rachel steadied his arms as he swung his legs over the barrier. They enclosed the space between them with an embrace followed by a quick but passionate kiss that lingered in the space around them. Rachel nudged Nick toward her bedroom door and flicked her chin at him. "Let's hurry and grab some things." The two tip-toed to the room and worked on finding the necessities for their new life for half an hour before Nick decided to start taking items back to his car. "Be careful, I'll stay here just in case if she comes back up here." Rachel pecked his cheek lightly and sent him off. Nick made his way down the sheet rope; shimmying his body to hold the weight of himself and the bag he gripped in his arms. After safely landing his feet on the ground, Nick looked at his surroundings making sure his presence was still unknown. He quickly trekked back to his car that he parked safely down the street all the while, he still texted Rachel updates.

When he made it back to the balcony, Nick was welcomed by the swaying bright mustard sheets in the wind. The light of his phone illuminated his face as he texted Rachel one last time that he was coming up so he wouldn't scare her. He heard her phone go off and took that as the signal to go and meet her. The moon shone brightly on his figure as he passed the first and second floors of the house, hearing a creak in the floors Nick beamed up to greet Rachel. She was cast in shadows underneath the roof and he wondered why she stood so far away from him. As Nick grabbed onto the balcony edge, the wind carried the faint whimper of Rachel's voice too late. He looked up in horror as Rachel's mouth was clasped shut and behind her emerged that woman. Cascaded in darkness, she stepped forward in the moonlight and with an unnervingly striking smile pushed Nick hard in the chest. Without having gotten a proper footing on the balcony and due to the shock of the whole situation he could not regain his balance. The world swayed around him as Nick stumbled off the edge of the balcony, his hand reached out and just barely within reach of his fingertips he clutched nothing but air. Rachel's bulging tear stained eyes flashed before him before all he was met with was a star-filled sky of blue, purple, white, and a hint of gold as Rachel's hair flew into sight. Hanging over the balcony and wrapped in bindings she shined absolutely radiant. He hoped his eyes had conveyed his feelings towards her. I'm sorry. He fell with the blur of her golden locks ingrained in his mind until he was met with nothing but blackness. Nick drifted off with the echoes of wails that trailed through the air as he stared into nothingness. Something tiny and hard had pierced through his skin in multiple areas. A faint fragrant smell hugged his broken body and warmly comforted him as he went numb. He lay in the bed of white roses, now painted and adorned in a beautiful deep crimson. Nick blinked slowly trying to bat away the darkness but was interrupted as something was protruding from his sockets. He passed out just as it dawned on him. He would never see Rachel again.