Haepunzel peeked over the mannequin his Mother uses to make her dresses, trembling in fear as his wide, brown eyes stared at the inert body lying face-down on the ground. He held his breath as he tiptoed over towards the intruder, frying pan poised in front of him as he not-so-gently nudged the unconscious man’s head. When Haepunzel received nothing from the man, he glanced at Henry for help, who unhelpfully shrugged its tiny shoulders.

The blonde looked back at the body and used his frying pan to roll the man’s head sideways. He pulled his upper lip to reveal his fang-less teeth, and swiped the intruder’s bangs away from his eyes. Haepunzel gasped, leaning in closer to examine the beautiful and unconscious man sprawled out on his living room floor.

Before the boy could touch the man’s fair skin, the stranger opened his eyes abruptly and earned himself another whack to the head by the blonde’s skillet.

Henry winced again and again as Haepunzel tried desperately to stuff the unconscious stranger into the wardrobe, feeling immensely sorry as the man kept face-planting onto the hard, wooden floor. After many tries, the young boy succeeded by quickly shoving the body into the tiny space, slamming the doors close before gravity pulled him back out. He cocked his head as he noticed four fingers were stuck in between the wardrobe doors. Very gently, Haepunzel pushed the appendages back into the wardrobe. He grabbed a chair and stuffed it harshly beneath the knobs.

“Okay, okay, okay. I got a person in my closet…”

Haepunzel backed away slowly from the wardrobe, his frying pan held in front of him as a shield between himself and the handsome stranger stuffed inside. “I’ve got a person in my closet.” He felt a bubble of laughter brewing at the base of his throat as he saw his reflection in the mirror.

“I’ve got a person, in my closet! Hah, too weak to handle myself out there, mother?” The boy started twirling his skillet on his finger cockily. “Hmph… tell that to my frying pan—.“

The said frying pan ends up smacking the side of his head mid-swing, and Haepunzel yelps in pain. As he rubs the sore spot gently, a little twinkle of light caught his eye in the mirror. The source of the mysterious twinkle came from the satchel he noticed the stranger was holding, which had been temporarily forgotten while the boy and the chipmunk worked on hiding the unconscious body first. Haepunzel’s curiosity got the best of him, so he bent down and wrapped his dainty fingers on the glimmering object. He gently pulled it out of the satchel.

The thing looked very odd. It was circular, the thin band golden and shiny. The band loops into arches at one end, every inch of it dotted with tiny crystals of white, red and blue. The most striking feature though is the three, big teardrop-like white gems that sparkled in the sunlight as the amazed boy looked at it from every angle. Scrutinising the thing in detail, he decided it might be a bracelet. He slipped it through his wrist, and left it to dangle loosely. He looked over at Henry who had made his way next to the satchel to clarify.

Said chipmunk shook his head in disagree.

Haepunzel pulled it off and examined it a bit closer. He gazed through the biggest out of the three teardrop-shaped gems at Henry, as if he was looking through spectacles that he often saw people wearing in his books. He shook his head once more.

Turning towards the mirror once again, he peered at his reflection while holding onto the object. As one final test, he brought the thing up onto his head and gently laid it upon his golden hair. Haepunzel stared in shock, not believing at how one simple band made out of jewels could change his appearance dramatically. He felt something stirring within him. The blonde didn’t know why, but it was as if the thing was meant to be there, atop his magical hair. 

Henry also wore the same shocked expression on his chubby face, equally mesmerised at his companion’s appearance…

… but shook his head again nevertheless.

“Haepunzel!”

His staring ended with Mother Hee’s voice breaking the tension in the room, and the boy quickly plucked the tiara off his head and ran to grab the satchel and stuffed both items into a pot on the floor.

“Let down your hair!”

 The window panes burst open from the inside and Haepunzel quickly wrapped his hair around the hook to lift his mother up. “One moment, mother!”

“I have a big surprise!”

“Uh, I do too!” he said as he pulled his hair with all his might.

“Oh, I bet my surprise is bigger!”

“I seriously doubt it…” Haepunzel whispered to himself as he eyed the chair-blocked wardrobe containing his captive.

As his mother finally got pulled up onto the window ledge, she gracefully waltzed in and looked at him excitedly. “I brought back parsnips. I’m going to make hazelnut soup for dinner, your favourite. Surprise!” She ended with a flourish, before ing her cloak and taking it off her slim figure.

Haepunzel pulled his hair free from the hook and let it settle around his feet. “Well, mother. There’s something I want to tell you—“

“Oh Haepunzel, you know I hate leaving you after a fight.” She hung up her coat and made her way towards the dining table. “Especially when I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.” Mother Hee added, sounding wounded that the boy could’ve accused her of anything that evil.

Not discouraged by his mother’s words, the boy slowly started backing towards the wardrobe. “Okay, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you’ve said earlier and—.“

“I hope you’re not still talking about the stars.”

“Floating lights, and, yes, I’m leading up to that—.”

“Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart.” Mother Hee chastised with her back still towards Haepunzel, not noticing the boy’s fingers were already touching the chair, ready to pull it out from underneath the doorknobs.

“No, mother, I’m just saying,” the boy desperately tried to explain. “You think I’m not strong enough to handle myself out there.”

Mother Hee chuckled, as if her son had told her a silly joke. “Oh darling, I know you’re not strong enough to handle yourself out there.”

“But if you just–“

“Haepunzel, we’re done talking about this.”

“Trust me–“

“Haepunzel–“

“I know what I’m saying–“

“Haepunzel.“ Mother Hee repeated once more, now with an edge in her tone.

“Oh, come on–“

“ENOUGH OF THE LIGHTS, HAEPUNZEL! YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THIS TOWER!” She finally exploded. “EVER!”

The blonde flinched, more at her words than the volume of her voice. He reluctantly let the chair go with shaking fingers.

Mother Hee collapsed onto a chair. “Great. Now I’m the bad guy,” she says accusingly while rubbing her temples with thin fingers. In front of her stood Haepunzel, his eyes drifted towards his latest creation, the mural above the fireplace of him perched atop a tree gazing at the floating lights. He looked back at the wardrobe containing his captive and cleared his throat lightly, catching his mother’s attention once more.

“All I was gonna say, mother, is that,” he started off gently. “I know what I want for my birthday now.”

“And what is that?” Mother Hee said exasperatedly. 

“New paint? The paint made from the white shells you once brought me.”

The raven-haired woman gave him a pointed look. “Well, that is a very long trip, Haepunzel. Almost three days’ time.”

“I just thought it was a better idea than the…,” Haepunzel hesitated slightly. “Stars.”

Mother Hee sighed in defeat, knowing better than to keep arguing about the matter as long as it didn’t involve her flower outside of the tower. She stood up and walked towards the boy with open arms. “You’re sure you’ll be all right on your own?”

“I know I’m safe as long as I’m here.” Haepunzel said as he fitted himself in his mother’s arms, burying his face in her chest. Mother Hee kissed the top of his head lovingly. She unwrapped the short boy from her hold, and looked at him straight in the eye.

“I’ll be back in three days’ time.” She said gently while walking towards the rack to get her coat. Haepunzel hurried over to the dining table  to fill up her basket with food for the trip. It took him only a minute. When he was done, he stepped towards his mother and gave her the basket.

Mother Hee smiled gratefully at the boy. “I love you very much, dear.”

As they worked together to hook up his hair for the woman’s trip down, Haepunzel replied quietly, “I love you more.” 

While he slowly lowered her onto the fresh, green grass, he managed to hear his mother’s last few words.

“I love you most.”

He watched as Mother Hee waved up at him for the final time, before turning her back and disappearing into the tunnel that contained the world hidden from the golden-haired boy. Haepunzel couldn’t lie, he was and would forever be curious of what awaited him when he managed to flee the tower and get his chance to explore the other side of said tunnel. Would there be ruffians? Thugs or poison ivy? How about quicksand and cannibals? Maybe even snakes, the plague, large bugs… 

His eyes lingered towards the wardrobe.

Men with pointy teeth?

I'M STAYIN' ALIVE, BBY 

good evening all you lovely folks! after more than a year of waiting, i'm finally getting this story back on track. i'm so excited! my writing style has changed (i hope), and i'm gonna start making this story sound more like me. don't worry, nothing else will change though. the plot will stay like the movie, with a more super junior twist. 

i currently have 5 and 6 already finished, with chapter 7 halfway through. all i need to do now is find an internet source to publish them.

remember, comments and subscribes keep me motivated ;u;