Untamed

Inspired by the classic tale of Rapunzel

   It is a misty night in the middle of November and there is not a single soul walking in the streets. Atop of the village, the same old crying is heard. They all know who it is, but nobody wants to do something about it; maybe it’s out of fear or indifference, but the outcome is the same. Rapunzel is helpless once again in the hands of her gruesome father. In the corner of the dark basement, in which she is locked, she is left blemished by the utmost obscene of all actions. The alcohol in his breath makes her shiver. He’s lost control again. No witch and no magic spell needed when the nightmare takes the form of flesh and bones and harsh hands. The mother enters the basement, throws some bread at the tarnished girl and with the same drunken glance as the father exits the basement and locks her in all alone. Alone and burning in her hell on earth. It’s been this way since she was twelve. That’s when things started getting out of control with her parents’ drinking habits. Now, at 18, she’s all broken; a soulless figure unable to feel or dream.

  This night, though, is different from the others. Rapunzel can hear some steps outside her door. She immediately shudders at the thought of her father’s second invasion in the basement. But it’s not her father. It is Erica, the village’s thief. She had heard Rapunzel’s screams that night and wanted to rescue her. To her, opening doors without having the key was as easy as stealing candy from a baby, but the creature she witnessed when she opened the basement door was unprecedented; a wild beast in the shape of a young girl, eyes wild like a wolf’s and hair as long as a python. 

“I don’t want to hurt you. I want to take you away from here. Come, take my hand, I’ll get us both out of here.”

Rapunzel was in a daze, but couldn’t resist the opportunity of a so far unimaginable concept to her; freedom. Therefore, she took Erica’s hand and mimicked her mastery in maneuvering without making noise. The two girls ran away into the woods and stayed the night in Erica’s small hut, which would become Rapunzel’s new home.

  The next few months were not easy for the two girls. Erica would go out in the village and steal in order to bring some food home, but Rapunzel didn’t really mind. She was in her own journey of finding peace within herself. It wasn’t easy. The nightmares were very often and she was a living juxtaposition; so untamed and wild yet so fragile and vulnerable. Erica tried her hardest to help her; even though she wasn’t well-educated she knew much more about life and people than one would expect a 20 year old to know. She treated Rapunzel with tenderness and affection; she took her out for long walks in the meadows when the weather was hot, she prepared hot baths for her when the weather was cold and read to her from some old literature books she had once stolen and every night she played the guitar for her before going to bed because it kept away the nightmares. After a while, Rapunzel’s mentality became more and more noble and she became inseparable with Erica. They even sealed their mutual love by developing a sensual relationship which helped Rapunzel set herself free; at first she would flinch at the intimate touch of Erica, as it reminded her of the lewd touch of her father, but hers was soft, warm, full of affection and trust, which made her redefine her view on sensual pleasure. 

  One day, Rapunzel found a few crayons in the hut and started drawing on rocks. When Erica saw the drawings she thought Rapunzel was very talented and decided to bring her a canvas and some crayons from the village as a gift. Thus, Rapunzel indulged in drawing what was in her; her drawings all had the same particularity, they were all very beautiful but very dark. Rapunzel used dark colors and her drawings depicted the same dark female figure with very long hair just like hers. This was her catharsis. Some of the pictures she drew were actual representations of her experiences, some were imaginary, but all of them were equally bittersweet and awe-inspiring. Erica thought that these drawings deserved recognition, so she took a few with her during her next visit to the village. The drawings immediately fascinated not only artists but also random passerby and, thus, became the young ladies’ means of making a living. 

  Rapunzel was saved. She didn’t need a knight in shining armor to save her. She needed a caring and affectionate soul to illuminate her own, so that she could stand on her own feet and save her own self. And in her case, she expressed and manifested her redemption splendidly; through the art of painting and loving.

By Magda Mparouta

One of the three officially selected fairytales during our Workshop in Critical Writing: Fiction (group b).