Our Rewrite a Fairy Tale Competition Winners

This summer we held a Rewrite a Fairy Tale competition for teens ages 12-18. We received so many great entries all of whom had wonderful and fresh interpretations of classic fairy tales. We were blown away by all of the fairy tales and had the very difficult task of picking our winners. However, without further ado, here are our three top picks!

A Little Mermaid with A Twist

Reagan Blackburn

My color pencil moved rhythmically against my notebook as I shaded a pink heart that said Ariel & Eric Forever.  Despite, him not even being my official boyfriend, I had already planned our whole life together. I sighed staring of into space, my stomach stirred with butterflies just thinking of my crush. Then my butterflies halted and transformed to moths when I remembered that my father (and the rest of the Triton clan) hated Eric’s family. Due, to the fact that, Eric’s family was genetically rich and never worked a day in their lives. My Father, who worked for everything he got, hated Eric’s family for their laziness. How could I get him to like Eric…? 

 

“Ariel! Are you even listening to me!?” Ella my best friend practically screamed at me. Jumping back into reality I felt my face flush, I had been an awful friend.

 

“Sorry, what’s going on.” I asked focusing on my bestie.

 

“My dad’s getting married! I am going to have a mean stepmom and two horrible stepsisters that are always mean to me.” Ella said practically collapsing on her desk. I cringed feeling bad for my friend. 

 

“It will be okay, Ella…I promise” I said side hugging her.

 

“Okay, people let’s work, work, and work some more!!!! Student Council must start planning for “Happily Ever After Week”! I need decoration ideas ASAP.” Red, our student body president, waltzed into the room slamming her maroon brief case down on the table. 

 

“Well, the food is covered. My dear stepmother came up with the idea of caramel apples for the dessert!” Snow said her black curls bouncing with her excitement as she turned to everyone.

 

“Are stepmother’s nice?” Ella asked Snow, concern written all over her face.

 

“People! We must work. I have to meet my grandmother-” Red looked at her burgundy watch “In 24 minutes! Work!” I rolled my eyes looking at Ella. Sometimes Red could be so intense. I went back to daydreaming about Eric, especially my daydream where he proposes to me! And trust me…. that last sentence isn’t as crazy as it sounds…. 

…………

 

“Nice back handspring Ariel!” My cheerleading coach nodded at me. Smiling to myself I skipped to the side of the football field. I did an aerial cartwheel into a half twist in the air. As I landed, I sighed in relief, my adrenaline slowly calming down. 

 

“WOW! Nice job, Ariel!” I whipped my head around to see Eric giving me a round of applause. My reaction was the closest thing to a heart attack I had ever experienced.   

 

“Thanks.” I replied, while trying my hardest to steady my quivering voice while managing to control the warm blush creeping up. 

 

“Well, see you later A.” Eric said running off to where his friends were. He gave me a nickname!!! OMG, progress!!! 

 

“Ooh la la!” Ursula, (arguably the most popular girl in school) exclaimed! 

 

“It’s nothing, really.” I said turning red just thinking about it. 

 

“Why, don’t you go ask him out? You’re the second most popular girl, compared to me, it should be easy to get him to like you.” Ursula said grinning at her two friends, whose names I am blanking on…

 

“I can’t. My parents would never approve…” I said trailing off. Ursula half smiled and whispered in the blond ponytail girl’s ear and then that girl whispered in the ear of the bright-eyed girl. 

 

“Would you mind telling me, what the game of telephone is about?” I asked. I felt my heart start to pick up. You know that feeling, when you know something bad is going to happen? Well that feeling was swirling around in my gut precisely at this moment. 

 

“How about this: At the Happily Ever After Ball you go with Eri-Wait until I’m finished.” Ursula snapped seeing me start to protest. “You’ll go with Eric, and I’ll distract your parents for you if a situation arises. Then you can enjoy the dance with your future boyfriend. Sound good?” Ursula asked giving me a sugary smile.

 

“Yeah, but why would you do that for me?” I asked, as it really made no sense. Ursula was known for destroying people not helping.

 

“Well, I’m starved for entertainment at the moment. Besides, how couldn’t I help, it’s like a fairytale…..your Juliet…..he’s Romeo.” Ursula grinned and twirled around daydreaming.

 

“Fairytales aren’t real, Ursula.” I shook my head, I couldn’t disrespect my family like this…. 

 

“True, maybe fairytales don’t exist but, I’m still shipping Eriel!” Ursula said, smiling then she snapped. “You in or not?” I looked across the field and saw Eric playing baseball with his friends…

 

“I’m in.” I gulped, hoping my family would never hear about this.

 

“Great, so you have to get Eric to like you at the dance, without talking by the way, and if you don’t get him to like you then you can never talk at this school again. Sound good? Great!” Ursula bounced away with her two besties before I could say anything. Of course, there was a catch, there’s always a catch with Ursula. I rubbed my hands over my eyes and tried to think of a way out…

……

I spun in front of my full-length mirror, the dress Ursula let me borrow fluttered around my ankles, tickling me. I grinned and started jumping up and down in front of my mirror squealing. My dress was a light green that came in ruffles down to my ankle. At the waist, it went up in a soft satin and flowers were embroidered all around it. My bright red hair was up in a bun that made me look regal. I felt like a princess! I walked downstairs. My whole family erupted with gasps and compliments. I blushed and did a little skip, grabbing my gemmed purse. The doorbell rang and I rushed to open it.

 

“Who are you going with again?” Mom asked craning her neck to see out the door.

 

“Naveen.” I smiled. Sure, enough the door swung open and there was Naveen. Looking cute- but not as cute as Eric was going to be! Stepping outside I smiled and said goodbye to my parents.

 

“Thanks for agreeing to do this with me.” I said smiling at my friend. 

 

“No problem. I am just hoping Tiana will actually notice me today.” Naveen laughed, sadly looking at me. Tiana, despite Naveen’s best efforts, hadn’t fallen head over heels for him yet. However, I think he still had a chance.  

 

We pulled up in the school parking lot. Even from here I could hear the loud music, and see the bright lights. I looked down, my hands were literally shaking! How was I going to get Eric to like me without talking! No conversation, period. He’s going to think I’m a freak!

 

“Hey, A you made it!” Eric shouted as he started jogging over. My stomach jumped I can’t do this…

 

“Good luck, you’ll need it.” Naveen whispered in my ear laughing. I sneered at him, fully knowing he was right. Eric was now smiling standing a few feet away from me. 

 

“You look beautiful Ariel!” Eric said. Now usually I would return this very very very sweet comment however, I couldn’t do that tonight. I smiled blushing and gestured towards the front doors that were swung open. 

 

“Ya let’s go! Are you excited?” Eric asked. This was NOT good. Why, did he have to be so nice? I gave a little nod and smiled at him again while clapping my hands together. 

 

“Your, kind of quiet tonight….is everything okay?” Eric asked. OMG, why did this have to happen to me. I gave a nod, and then I tried making hand gestures to explain the whole thing to him. That only made him confused and slightly scared. I sighed, clearly this situation wasn’t very common. So, instead we focused on the decorations. The gym had literally transformed into a fairytale! There were vines of roses twisting and curling around the walls, that made it look like we were inside a garden. I knew the decorations had to be by Jack, he loved plants, especially bean stalks…. I’m not sure why though. A song by the band “Three Little Pigs” was being blared in the DJ tower by a girl named Rapunzel.  Silver little spotlights were being spun around the room. There were chips, punch, and as promised caramel apples. Which apparently, Snow’s stepmother was very excited about as she was following Snow around asking her to try one.  

 

In the middle of the gym we started spinning on the dance floor. Luckily, he didn’t ask to many questions because we were out of breath dancing. For the first time, tonight I was having fun! But, then it came to a royal halt. An ear-splitting screech came from the microphone. I looked over and saw that Ursula had pushed Rapunzel aside to steal the microphone!

 

“Hello, everyone! As many of you know, my name is Ursula and I have a very vital announcement. A horrible, beast has entered the ballroom, please escort him out.” Ursula said smiling evilly and then she pointed to a boy named Adam. 

 

Here is some background information: Adam used to be stuck-up and arrogant, but then something weird happened. One day he went to school different, his face was transformed into one of a bear/lion, he had long tangled hair that covered his whole face, he was 7 feet tall now, and he had big paws instead of hands. The only thing that was recognizable were his unique golden eyes. He claimed a witch did it but, we all know that’s impossible. Everyone now called him Beast. Immediately, my stomach sunk and I wanted to scream at Ursula to stop it. But, I couldn’t talk. I wasn’t allowed to. Then a blur of blue brushed past me. A girl in a blue simple dress who I didn’t know very well, named Belle ran to Adam. Belle had just moved here from a small farm in Wisconsin and she had clicked with Adam instantly. 

 

“Go, find someone else to pick on, Ursula.” Belle said glaring at the cheerleader. Ursula only laughed, clearly amused. Then she continued her big speech.

 

“Whoever stands up for this revolting animal will be kicked out with him. Do I make myself clear?” Ursula waved her hand to Belle and Adam “Now leave.” Belle hopelessly looked around to see if anyone was going to help her. Adam started to shuffle away, too ashamed of himself to carry his head high. I wanted to scream at Ursula to stop. I wanted to scream at Adam to lift his head up and fight. I wanted to scream at everyone else who wasn’t helping. Then a thought crossed my mind: What was stopping me from screaming? Who cared if Ursula was going to kick me out? Why did Ursula get to decide if I could speak or not? It was ridiculous that I agreed to this in the first place.

 

“Ursula, stop it now.” I stepped forward and after I spoke, everyone around me jumped back not wanting to be associated with my statement. Ursula turned her head towards me and her triumphant smile turned to a scared smile that can only be related to someone smiling after having Botox. 

 

“Don’t you remember our deal, Ariel?” 

 

“I do, but then I realized the deal was just a way for you to make sure that I would never stand up against you again. Adam and Belle are going to stay for the party. The only beast that will be leaving is you.” My heart was beating so hard that I thought I was going to explode or faint any second. Sweat stuck on my clammy hands, and I felt tiny compared to Ursula up in the DJ tower. 

 

“That’s right.” Eric said, stepping forward and smiling at me. I shakily smiled back, it felt good to not be alone. Next, my bestie Ella was at my side. Then, Naveen and Tiana joined us. More and more people joined my side until the whole school was glaring at Ursula with me. Grinning at everyone, I was relieved I had spoken up. Adam was even tearing up at the support, while Belle was grinning at the crowd. 

 

“As student body president and organizer of this dance: I hereby ban you from the school grounds for tonight.” Red spoke up stepping forward. Ursula screamed and ran away from the gym as fast as she could with heels on (which wasn’t very fast). “I’ve always wanted to ban someone!” Red said grinning at me. I laughed and turned to Rapunzel and yelled: “Turn up the music!” Rapunzel nodded and turned on an upbeat song by a singer named Goldilocks. We all started dancing together and laughing. Just overall having fun. I felt so elated! It felt great speaking out, I was never going to be silent again. 

 

“That was really cool what you did.” Eric said smiling at me.

 

“Thanks, and thank you for standing with me.” I said smiling back. My jaw was going to be sore tomorrow from all the smiling I was doing! 

 

“No problem. I’ll get us some punch.” Eric walked towards the food table. And I went back to dancing.

 

“Overall, I think this was a successful dance.” Ella said smiling at me.

 

“Yeah, no problems besides Ursula.” I said while jamming out to the music.

 

“Well, not exactly. Aurora was too tired to be the DJ so Rapunzel had to step in. Then there was the whole thing of Snow passing out! Which was horrible.” Ella said squeezing her eyes shut.

 

“What do you mean?” I yelped not hearing about this.

 

“Oh, yeah she had an allergic reaction to the apples her stepmom made! But, she’s okay. You know that guy named Charm or is it Charming? Anyway, he helped her out somehow. I think his Dad is a doctor so he knew what to do.” Ella explained squinting, which is what she does whenever she’s confused. 

 

“Well, that’s a relief.” I said shaking my head, this had been a hectic night. Eric came back and handed me a plastic cup of red fruit punch.

 

“A, I was wandering would you want to go on a date with me this Friday?” Eric asked wringing his hands nervously. My heart soared, I wanted to say yes like 3,000 times but, I couldn’t make the same mistake again.

 

“I would love too, but I have to see if my family is doing anything Friday.” I said grinning at Eric.

 

“Great!” Eric said starting to dance with me again. At that moment, I knew two things. One, I was never going to forget this night. Two, I was never going to be silent again. If I saw something wrong I would speak up, because it really sucked being a bystander. My voice was important so I was going to use it!

The End! 

 

Cinderella In Wyoming

by Charlotte

   Once upon a time there lived a girl whose dad was a traveling vet.  He traveled to small towns and ranches.  He was a tall jolly man who loved his wife and daughter. His wife was a kind, loving woman who shared his love for animals. They had a beautiful daughter who stayed on the ranch and looked after the ranch animals and was friends with all of the prairie animals. Her mother taught her to always be patient and kind.

One day at the end of the summer, mother went for a walk by herself.  A mountain lion snuck up behind her and attacked her.  Later that day she was found dead by a ranch hand.

That winter while father was traveling from ranch to ranch, he met more and more with the widow at the neighboring ranch.  That summer they decided to get married.  The widow and her evil daughter moved into the ranch with Cinderella and her father.  The daughter was spoiled, lazy, and ugly, but Cinderella remembered what her mother had taught her.  She treated her stepsister with patience and kindness.

Dad was always off traveling, taking care of the animals.  While he was away, Cinderella’s step mother and step sister made her do all the work.  She had to cook for them, take care of the animals, muck out the stalls, and break the horses.  At the end of each day she was sent to the big dusty attic to sleep on an old couch.  Cinderella felt that the only creatures on earth that cared about her were the mice in the attic.  Every night she fed them while talking to them.

 

There was a tall, handsome young man who had come to the University of Wyoming to play football.  One day, Cinderella was sent into Laramie to buy supplies for the week.  Cinderella was leaving the store when she dropped a bag.  As she reached to pick it up, she dropped the others.  The football player came running over to help.  Cinderella thanked him and returned to the ranch. 

 

Later that week, there were flyers posted on shop windows and store fronts announcing a street dance the next week.  Cinderella and her step sister took notice of them.  The stepsister told Cinderella that she was going to the dance and Cinderella had to make a dress for her.  The stepsister told Cinderella she couldn’t go because she wouldn’t have time to make two dresses.  Cinderella felt disappointed and sad…and a little mad.  But she remembered what her mother had taught her.  She wanted to buy a dress, but her stepmother didn’t give her a chance to go back into town.  So, Cinderella stayed home and made a dress for her stepsister.

 

The night of the ball Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsister left Cinderella to clean the house while she went to the dance.  She felt sad and left out.  She went up to the attic to go to bed.  When she opened the door all of the prairie animals were waiting for her with a beautiful dress and polished boots.  She pulled out some of her mother’s old jewelry and put on her favorite cowboy hat.  She jumped into the old ranch truck and sped away!

 

She arrived at the street dance just as the band started playing.  The football player walked directly to Cinderella.  All the other girls were so jealous.  The football player asked, “Where are you from?”

 

 “I’m from a ranch out of town.”

 

“I’m from a ranch up in Yellowstone,” replied the football player.  “I suppose you already knew that.”

 

“No, I didn’t happen to know that,” said Cinderella.

 

They danced and danced until Cinderella heard her stepmother tell her stepsister she was getting tired and they should head home.

 

Cinderella told the football player she had to leave.  He said, “No you don’t.”  She turned and ran away.  He tried to grab her, but missed and only grabbed her hat.

 

He decided to try the hat on all the girls in the county.  All the girls in the county lined up to try on the hat.  It didn’t fit any of them.  The last house was the house of Cinderella.

 

The stepmother let him in.  Stepsister was the only person waiting to try on the hat.  She tried and tried, but couldn’t.  She dramatically, loudly yelled, “Oh it fits, it fits!  I promise it fits!”

 

The football player asked, “Are there any other girls in this house?”

 

“In the barn there’s Cinderella, but she didn’t go to the dance.  I can tell you that!” said the stepsister.

 

“I would still like to see her try on the hat,” replied the football player.

 

Her stepmother said, “I can call her in, but I promise you it won’t fit!”

 

The stepmother left and came back with Cinderella.

 

“Will you try on the hat, please?” asked the football player. Cinderella tried it on and it fit perfectly, with no struggle!

 

“Will you marry me?” blurted the football player. “Not until after you graduate,” replied Cinderella.

<Untitled>

by Zeren Homer

Dirt and stone were rough against her chin. The distant shouts and the clomping of frantic boots and gunfire echoed throughout the narrow dark cellar. It hadn’t always been like this, Rapunzel had once had parents, outcasts who were poor but kind. Now she was stuck living with that wealthy, horrible woman who had ruined the lives of so many. Her head was hammering, and her incredibly long black hair was so matted with dirt, that she could hardly pick up her head from its weight. She shivered silently. There was no source of warmth or light. Not even a blanket, just her hair to wrap herself in like a shawl. She waited this way for hours. She had become used to her conditions; she loved to daydream and pretend she was somewhere else during another time.  She escaped to her parents’ cottage, but in a dream. The early morning sun shone through the rafters, splintering into shards through the shutters. She was nestled underneath a pile of her mother’s soft, cozy quilts. The smell of bubbling cinnamon porridge wafted through the building. She woke up, dreary-eyed, and saw the neighbor’s beautiful garden, bursting with plants, ivy, and flowers. Her mother called her to breakfast and set a steaming bowl of porridge on top of the hand-carved wooden table. She could still hear the rooster crowing in the distance, and the cars driving by. The bubbling porridge burned the roof of her mouth, and she had to blow on it to cool it off.  She ate peacefully and after breakfast, Rapunzel went out to the back garden to help her father tend to the goat. Her daydreams went on like this and she wished she could go back to life before. A peaceful, happy, safe life. She was jerked back into reality by the hatch in the ceiling creaking open. Faint light flowed into the cellar and illuminated the dust flurries. She peeked up and out, into the face of her stepmother. She was a scrawny woman, with thin, short blonde hair. Her eyes gleamed and she had bloodred lips. She was one of the super-wealthy titans who had led the world into its current sorry state of ruin and decay. They would do a “simple favor” for poor families, and without telling them, snatch their children away from them. Rapunzel was one of these children. She glared at her stepmother and climbed through her hatch. “Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it,” said her stepmother?  Rapunzel rolled her eyes, “Never been better. I just love being locked in a stone-cold complex with no access to the outside world and oh yeah, occasionally having to hide in a grubby cellar,” she grinned, her voice full of sarcasm. Her stepmother belted out in a haughty voice, “Someday you will realize that this is all for your own good!”  Rapunzel chuckled bitterly.  They walked out of the room, into the foyer and walked up the marble staircase. Rapunzel had her own room with a bathroom attached, but although they were big enough for her, they were much more modest-sized rooms than the rest of the house. She locked the door and jumped into the shower. She made the water as hot as she could stand, in order to remove all the dirt and grime. Her stepmother had taken her from her parents at a young age, she remembered the day vividly. It had been as ordinary as any, until her mother, pregnant with her second child, had a sudden craving for rutabaga from the neighbor’s garden. 

 

Their neighbor was Karen Xanthos. What they did not know about Karen, was that she was a super-rich woman and a member of an organization that ‘wanted to give unfortunate children better lives’.  Sounded great at first, but what was not so great was the way they intended to accomplish it. Rapunzel smirked at the thought.  They were going to take children away from their parents and have incredibly rich people raise them.  So in exchange for some rutabaga and a contract with lots of fine print signed under threat of eviction, Karen stole Rapunzel away from her parents.  She squeezed a blob of shampoo onto her hand and started scrubbing her scalp to get rid of all the dirt and oil. Her life was not horrible, but she was not allowed to leave the grounds of the mansion, ever.  She wanted the freedom to do what she pleased: travel, and explore the world. The worst part was, that every week a group of people trying to rescue Rapunzel and others in the same situation would barge into the house which was great, except for the fact that Karen locked her in a cellar each time they showed up.  Thus they never could find her, or anyone else. They kept trying though, coming back every week. 

 

Rapunzel stepped out of the shower and dried her hair. It was so long that it was past per ankles, and at least two meters of it trailed on the ground behind her. She looked in the mirror as she brushed her hair. Her eyes were green, and she had tan skin. Her eyes were hooded and she had very pink lips. Inwardly, she smiled. She was planning an escape of her own, every day, she waited on the balcony to see if anyone unfamiliar had wandered into the sprawling gardens. Then she would make her move. She braided her hair in its signature plait and wrapped it into a tight bun to keep it out of the way while she slept. She put on some comfortable clothes and put herself and all of her hair into her bed in a heap.  It was like a nest with big fluffy quilts and pillows, piled high with hair. Her room was decorated by a professional interior designer. It was one of the perks of having been kidnapped by a rich person. But, however nice her room was, whatever food she could eat, whatever clothes she could have, Rapunzel had no problem giving it all up to have freedom. She glanced around her room, at the artwork on the wall, and the silk curtains at her balcony doors. She would be leaving soon. Rapunzel reached over and switched off the lamp that gave off a yellow glow. With a head buzzing with thoughts, she dreamt of escape. The following morning she woke up dreary-eyed, wandering down the flight of stairs to the kitchen to see one of her only friends, the chef stirring a big pot and humming a merry tune.  He had sympathy for Rapunzel because he was in a similar situation. He used to be a poor man and was forced to work as a chef. The worst thing was, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how delicious his food was, he got no appreciation or even a salary. He often let her eat in the kitchen, even though her stepmother wanted the meals delivered to her room every time. The chef was a cheerful man, he chuckled gleefully at any jokes Rapunzel made and had a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He was in on Rapunzel’s plan. He handed her a steaming plate of buttered toast, eggs, and bacon. “So, do you need any more kitchen towels,” he said?  This was a part of her plan. She stashed extra kitchen towels she’d cut into strips, tie together, and braid into her hair to make it long enough to climb down from her balcony, once she found someone that would help her from the inside. She swallowed her forkful of eggs and took a sip of juice. “I think I have enough for now, but do you have any scissors I can borrow,” she asked? 

 

‘Why yes, in fact, I do.” He pulled a pair of scissors from the counter with a flourish and brandished it like a sword. He put it in her hand with a grin. “Anything else I can do for you?”  “Not for now, she replied. I’m hoping today will be my lucky day if you know what I mean.” She finished her breakfast and swallowed the last of her juice, thanked the chef, and rushed up the stairs to her room. She closed the door and securely locked it behind her. She was about to do something that would get her in extreme trouble if anyone caught her. She ran to her balcony shut and locked the doors, and closed the curtains. Rapunzel walked to her bathroom, shutting and locking that door behind her too. In the cabinet under the sink, she had disguised something that she definitely was not supposed to have. She pulled out the box and ripped off the tape she had covered it with. She had gotten it from Karen’s hairdresser. It was a hair treatment that made a person’s hair so strong, that it wouldn’t break even with tons of pressure on it. She didn’t know how it worked but she did know it would help her escape. It smelled slightly metallic and had a silvery-bronze tint. She followed the instructions and mixed it with one part water and one part vinegar. It smelled even worse now, and she gagged. “I sure hope this is worth it,” she said to her reflection. She applied it to her hair. After she washed it out, it felt exceptionally smooth. It was very shiny, and, as she brushed out her hair, it was much less fragile than it had been before.  She burned the box in the sink to make sure no one found it, then she walked out on her balcony. Like the day before, she waited there and watched to see if anyone unfamiliar showed up. No one had the day before, but she had a feeling that today would be different. After a few hours, she saw movement in the hedges lining the yard. Whomever it was had to be very skilled. The entire premises of the grounds was protected by guards and laser guns. Hardly anyone could get in or out. The rustling continued until a head of curly hair emerged. Then to her surprise, she saw a head of fiery red hair emerge right after. There were two of them! As they climbed further out of the bushes, leaves clinging to their clothes, Rapunzel began to see how they actually looked. The curly-haired one had dark skin and warm hazel eyes. The long-haired redhead had pale skin with freckles dotting her entire body and light blue eyes. They looked around cautiously and started making their way towards the mansion. Now was her chance to make a move. She yelled to get their attention. They were startled and finally, their eyes found her. Once they were looking at her, she waved her arms frantically for them to come towards her. They approached until they were close enough to her. “What do you want!” Shouted the girl with red hair. “Yeah, we have some business to take care of, so it would be great if you could explain,” said the curly-haired one with a funny look on his face. “Just give me a second okay? I promise I will explain,” Rapunzel replied, dropping some listening devices down to them. They started to protest and were about to walk away. “We don’t have time for this!” Rapunzel rolled her eyes in an exasperated way.  “Just be quiet okay? And put those devices in your ears.” They complied, huffing and puffing, and Rapunzel started to explain her plan, “I’m going to escape this place and I need your help. There is a hook on the side of my window that I will hang my hair and the rope on. Then, you two need to brace the rope as tightly as possible so that I can swing down. Simple right?” “Give us a second to discuss this, called up the curly-haired one. They turned and started whispering about something. “Okay we will do it, but only because it shouldn’t take up too much time. We will be back by sunset because we have something to do here in the meantime.”  And with that, they left.  Rapunzel could hardly wait, and sunset came sooner than ever. She had said her final goodbyes to the chef and her other two friends, one of them a mouse that lived in the wall. She had everything ready. The time came and the two people came back. She hung her hair on the hook, tossed the rest down, and swung down from her tower.  They ran and hid in the bushes and waited for the guards to pass them by. They had to sneak back out of the grounds, that was what she had needed strangers for, and these two seemed to know what they were doing. “What are we waiting for?” She whispered. “Be quiet, we can’t have anyone seeing us,” Red hair whispered angrily!  Rapunzel still didn’t have their names. “What are your names,” she whispered?  “My name is Freya Martin…and my name is Leo Solomon….now you need to shush and do what we say so we can get out of here in one piece.” Rapunzel complied, and once the guards were out of sight, they left their bush, and Leo pulled out a piece of silvery fabric and put it on top of himself, Freya, and Rapunzel. Rapunzel watched in awe as her body disappeared from sight. She gasped and held up her hand. She couldn’t see that either. So this was how they got in! Turns out this was a creation of theirs. Freya was a scientist and Leo was an engineer, and they had created this piece of fabric, a new technology. It also muffled heat signatures so that the laser sensors at the entrances couldn’t sense them. They snuck out of the compound. Rapunzel was finally free, and it was the most exhilarating thing she had ever experienced. She cut her hair to her shoulders as a symbol of her freedom and sold it on eBay, living the rest of her days happily ever after with her newfound friends, traveling the world and having fun.