Rapunzel Rapunzel, let down your hair!

This is not the fairy story you know. Rapunzel is Camilla Stevenson, a fifteen year old girl in a care home with those infamous blonde locks.

(Rapunzel stands in a dark room, the only source of light coming from a single window on the far side, and begins to pace.)

               

So here I am again, trapped in this cold, dark attic room. My prison for the past five years.

 

(She sighs, and moves across the room to sit in a tattered old chair by the window, leaning on the cracked sill. Her tone becomes one of complaint)

 

I didn’t even do anything this time!

 

(She pauses for a moment before continuing.)

 

Oh, you may think I moan about things too much. But so would you, if you lived here. Well, at least until you got a little older, and got used to it, like Beast, or Snow White. They've been here at least ten years, each of them. More than enough time. And no, those aren't their names, much like mine isn't Rapunzel, but no one uses their birth names here anymore. We've all adopted names from fairy tales, you see. It makes things a little easier to bear if we can shed some humour on our current situation. 

 

Anyway, I'm only in here because I stated the truth - very quietly, I must add - and Maleficent heard. She's one of the care workers here. (Rapunzel snorts) Care worker! Ha. There is no care here. Not from them, at least. 

 

(She scowls)

 

Besides, I only stated a fact that everybody knows - Maleficent's daughter, the- 

 

(Here her voice grows sarcastic)

 

- lovely Sleeping Beauty, has a drug problem. Simple truth! Everybody knows it! Honestly! 

 

(Rapunzel rolls her eyes and snorts derisively.) 

 

Oh, I should probably tell you who everybody is, shouldn't I? You must be feeling very lost, poor dear. Well, our lovely 'carer's are Maleficent, the witch - my own personal demon - Wolf, Ursula, Gaston and Jafar. And then there is The Queen, who happens to be in charge of ruining our lives. Oh, and there's Sleeping Beauty, who is the laziest girl I've ever come across in my very short fifteen years. 

 

(She wrinkles her nose up and makes a noise of disgust)

 

They do nothing but abuse us. It's odd though; each of them likes to torment just one or two of us - us being the care kids here. Beast, Snow White, Belle, Ariel, me, Aladdin, Jasmine, Little Red Riding Hood, and the seven dwarves. What a merry bunch we are!

 

So, where was I? Oh yes, I was telling you why I’m here. Well, you know that. But it is completely unfair; Jasmine’s the only other one to get locked in her room - and that’s because she’s always running away, so I can sort of understand it. Almost. Both her running away, and them locking her up. We all want freedom here, but Jasmine’s just more desperate for it. But if they don’t keep her here, she’ll end up on the streets, so…can’t win either way, really.

 

(She sighs and stops talking for no more than thirty seconds, just staring out of the window. Suddenly, she lets out a small squeak and jumps up, moving to the other side of the room while looking embarrassed.)

 

Gosh, I’m so sorry for that. It’s just that there is this boy at my school, and his name is Charlie, and he just looked up and waved, and he is the most popular guy at school �" you know what I mean, the guy every girl wants to date and every guy wants to be. Anyway, he just looked up at my window and I think he waved at me…me, of all people! Oh dear, I’m all in a flutter now. It’s not every day a girl like me gets noticed by a guy like him!

 

(She paces nervously for a minute, before tentatively walking over to the window again and peeking outside. She sighs and falls into the chair, obviously disappointed.)

 

Oh. He’s gone. That’s…that’s a shame. I guess…maybe he wasn’t looking at me, after all.

 

(She turns her back to the audience, angling her body so that only half her profile can be seen, and rests her forehead against the glass.)

 

I wish I could get out of here. No, not just that. I wish I could get out of here and have a loving family, and be one of the popular girls at school. Then I might be happy, and not stuck here in this despondent, dreary, depressing place! This prison of mine that I can never escape!

 

(Her voice grows louder in volume, and her tone angry.)

 

I hate it here! No freedom, no life, no joy, no NOTHING! I hate it I hate it I hate it!!

 

(While talking she stands and kicks the chair with a grunt of angry frustration before tugging at her hair and starting to pace, her steps heavy. Anger and frustration is evident in her posture, body language and voice.)

 

Why am I here?! Surely I deserve better than this! No one deserves to be treated like this; as though they are worthless! God, I hate it! I hate the, and I hate my parents for giving me up! What kind of parent even does that, give away their child to end up in a place like this! Oh, if I could see them now, I’d give them a piece of my mind!

 

(By now she is almost shouting and pacing in circles around the room, the circles growing steadily smaller as she gets more and more wound up and frustrated.)

 

Anything would be better than living in this pit of despair! I would even welcome death over this, this, shithole!

 

(She screams wordlessly before collapsing into the chair, attempting to suppress the sobs building in her chest and throat. There is a loud banging on the door and she jumps, startled, to sit bolt upright and wide-eyed, staring at the door. Her next words are in a quiet whisper which grows steadily more panicked and frantic.)

 

That’s her. The witch. Oh god, I’m in for it now…She’s going to murder me, no, skin me alive and flay me and then crucify me!