Tower of Gold: A Rapunzel Retelling by Laura Burton & Jessie Cal

Author:Laura Burton & Jessie Cal [Burton, Laura & Cal, Jessie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Burton Burchell LLC
Published: 2024-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

RAPUNZEL

The thick vines, dark and twisted, snaked up the stone walls of Midas’s once-grand castle, signaling the new ruler within. Rapunzel and Finn approached stealthily, their movements synchronized as they slipped through the overgrown garden.

Despite the changes outside, Rapunzel knew the castle’s interior as well as she knew the lines of her own hand.

They crouched near a concealed wooden door in the ground, its edges barely visible beneath the creeping foliage. Rapunzel lifted it carefully, revealing a dark tunnel leading into the depths below. Finn followed her as they descended into the narrow underground passage, the air growing cooler with each step.

“Do you think it’ll work?” Finn whispered, his breath warm against her ear.

“I’m positive. Once he hears that a water dragon has attacked his daughter’s castle, he’ll storm out of here in a hurry.”

“Will he know it’s George?”

“Probably,” she replied. “But he’ll think George is seeking revenge for getting him locked up by those giants like a pet.”

They reached the end of the tunnel and slipped into the shadows of the dungeon. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and something else—something darker. They pressed close together, their hearts pounding in unison as they waited.

Just as Rapunzel predicted, the heavy thud of footsteps echoed through the corridor. They held their breath as Rumple stormed past, his dark silhouette cutting through the gloom. Once the door slammed shut behind him, Rapunzel motioned for Finn to act.

“Hurry, remove the doorknob,” she urged. “It will open to anywhere in any realm.”

Finn nodded, his fingers deftly working with a knife to pry the doorknob loose. He handed it to Rapunzel, and they moved swiftly up to the main room, hoping to find something useful in Rumple’s collection.

The room was filled with trinkets and artifacts from various realms, each one more bizarre than the last. They searched frantically but found nothing of immediate use.

“We’ll have to split up,” Rapunzel said. “There’s no time to waste.”

Finn hesitated.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” he asked, knowing that even though the castle looked different, it was still the same place that had held her captive most of her life.

Rapunzel nodded, giving him a reassuring smile despite the fear gnawing at her insides. “I’ll be fine. We’ve come too far to turn back now.”

With a final squeeze of his hand, she turned and made her way through the winding corridors of the castle. Each step felt heavy, her heart pounding in her chest as she ventured deeper into the darkness. The flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows on the walls, and the scent of damp stone grew stronger with every step.

She reached a fork in the path and hesitated, the memories of the castle’s layout fuzzy in her mind. She knew there was a secret passage somewhere. Taking a deep breath, she chose the left passage, hoping it would lead her to the upper rooms.

As she walked, the air grew colder, and the silence was broken only by the sound of her footsteps echoing off the stone walls.

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