As the years passed in the real world, Gothel saw the mural on the wall growing, becoming more elaborate. As Rapunzel painted it in her dream, it appeared in reality on the walls, filling the tower with Rapunzel’s hopes and aspirations. The odd sisters’ enchantments made her dreams a reality, and the odd sisters gave Rapunzel free will within her dreams to do and feel and think as she pleased—including a desire to see the lights that appeared in the sky on her birthday.
Which concerned Gothel.
If the dream isn’t real, the dreamer finds a way out, Lucinda had said when Gothel asked why Rapunzel should know about the lanterns that were released every year on her birthday. Gothel took Lucinda’s word. She was, after all, a very powerful witch and knew more about those things than Gothel did. The years dragged on as Rapunzel slept, and Rapunzel’s mural took up more space until there was no room left in which to paint. There wasn’t a wall that wasn’t splashed with color, with the young girl’s wish for a life of her own. And every time Gothel went back to the tower and saw a new addition to the mural, it sent terror through her soul.
This day was no different. Gothel tethered her horse on the edge of the dead woods. No one dared to go to the dead woods; even now, after all those years, the ruins stood undisturbed. For all she knew, she might be one of its many specters. And in a sense, she was. As she made her way to the tower, one thought consumed her mind.
Tomorrow is Rapunzel’s birthday. It’s almost been ten years!
And during those years her hair had grown longer and longer.
Long enough to bring Gothel’s sisters back from the dead.
Gothel intended to go in through her secret entrance at the tower. This visit wouldn’t be like the others—a quick song for Rapunzel to make herself young again and right back to her sisters. This time she’d stay and make the preparations for the ceremony while she waited for the odd sisters to take Primrose’s and Hazel’s bodies in their flying house to the tower.
Gothel stopped on the path leading to the cave entrance that took her to the valley where the tower was located. She took her hand mirror out of her pocket.
“Show me the sisters!” she said while looking into the mi
rror. Her face was worn and her hair was starting to gray. Within a few hours, she would be withered.
“Yes, Gothel?” said Lucinda from the mirror.
“Tomorrow is the flower’s birthday,” said Gothel, almost giddy.
“Yes, we know, Gothel,” said Lucinda. Gothel didn’t understand why Lucinda seemed so unaffected by something they’d all been waiting for.
“We agreed to do the ceremony again in ten years’ time! I need your help!”
“Gothel, we can’t help you. We’re trapped in the dreamscape!”
“What? Why? How did it happen?” asked Gothel, panicked. She didn’t even fully understand how the dreamscape worked. “You can’t get out?”
“No. Not even Circe can break the evil fairy’s spell!”
“What am I going to do?” Gothel said over and over, paying little mind to Lucinda’s confused look and not even bothering to ask how they were.
“What is she going to do?” “What is she going to do?” Gothel could hear Ruby and Martha in the background before Lucinda answered. “Sisters, quiet! I have something very important to tell Gothel.”
All the sisters laughed. “Yes, Lucinda! Tell her! Tell her!”
“What is it?” snapped Gothel, already annoyed with the odd sisters.
“Well, Gothel, you should know, the sleeping spell we put on Rapunzel is broken. She is awake,” Lucinda said from her magic mirror with a wicked look of satisfaction on her face.
“Awake? How? How do you know?” Gothel said, straining to see her up in the tower through the cave.
“We see everything, Gothel. She thinks it’s just like any other day. The day her mother comes home with the shopping. But today she plans to ask you if she can finally go see the lights that appear in the sky every year on her birthday.”
“I told you we shouldn’t have included that in her dream, you stupid witch!” snapped Gothel.
“Don’t you snap at me, old woman!” screeched Lucinda.
“How dare you!” screamed Gothel.
“How dare us? How dare us? Did you let us use your little flower to heal our friend? No! You hoarded it! You threw us out of your house!”
“But I promised to give the girl to you once I was finished with her! I promised you could do with her what you would as soon as my sisters were brought back! Don’t do this! What will Circe think of your meddling with another princess?”