In Another Lifetime

Chapter 3 - Rapunzel

Rapunzel Corona was sat in her small attic room, reading as usual. She was trying to forget the conversation she had just had with her mother, she was angry and upset after all this and she felt that reading was her best escape. She felt her blood boil as she remembered the talk just an hour ago:

"Mother, I wanted to ask, well what I REALLY want for this birthday, well what I've wanted for quite a few birthdays actually -"

"Rapunzel, you know how I feel about the mumbling."

"Argh - I want to go away this holiday!"

"What?"

"I was hoping you'd take me away this year!"

"Holiday? Why Rapunzel, that's demented! Summer camp's the best thing for you at your age!"

"Mother, but -"

"Flower, mother knows best! You know we don't have the money for expensive trips sweetheart."

"But I -"

"Rapunzel, don't ever ask to go on holiday again."

"Yes mother."

Why? Why didn't they have any money? Her mother had a decent job as a doctor, and as far as Rapunzel knew being a doctor paid pretty well. Where was all this money going? And why was she being sent on a summer camp? Her mother had said something about needing some company; to be fair Rapunzel had never really interacted much with other kids as she had been homeschooled all her life. But summer camp? It wasn't really the freedom Rapunzel had read about and dreamed of if she was honest. But it was the best thing on offer at the moment and Rapunzel's mother wasn't the type of person who could be persuaded that easily.

Rapunzel had never been on holiday before. Her mother was incredibly overprotective and barely even let her leave the house, she'd never been outside her home town, and even then she wasn't sure she knew exactly where it was on a map. She'd been badgering her mother to go on holiday, a REAL holiday, for ages, but the answers had always been 'I'll think about it," up until now. Rapunzel realised that summer camp was the closest thing she'd get to a holiday and sighed. Maybe it'd just have to do for this year. It can't be too bad, could it?

She sighed and shivered, their house was pretty old and the heating wasn't great. She slipped a light purple/pink hoodie over her thin shirt and fiddled with her golden earrings in the shape of a sun. She'd never really been able to pick what she wore, her mother would buy clothes for her and she'd wear them. That was her way of life. But Rapunzel was good with a needle and thread, among other hobbies, and she'd always personalise her clothes, stitching and embroidering to her heart's content. But she didn't want to be teased at this summer camp place for having weirdo clothes...

She pulled a pillow over her head and groaned, trying to block out the thought of the ever-looming summer camp, just a week away.