“Sing.”

The golden-haired creature nestled by the tower’s window obeyed and released a beautiful tune that even the songbirds had grown envious of. The woman, Mother, as she preferred to be addressed slid down the long golden braid and admired the child. A pale blue-eyed, golden haired beauty with an obedient manner and calm disposition. Her blue, ever smiling eyes stood out against her scarlet dress and her manicured fingers sat lazily on her freshly plait flower adorned braid.

Mother left, and the girl sat by the tower’s window singing and smiling until the tower’s bell tolled; it was noon. The bushes rustled and a whistle echoing her song caressed the air like the talons of a great eagle. A tall handsome man trailed after the sound and swiftly climbed the braid towards the girl. The braid secured him tenderly and wrapped around him like a noose; slowly squeezing tighter and tighter until the man flushed the same colour as her dress. The sky wept but the girl remained at the window smiling until her Mother returned.

“Release.”

The stiff man dropped from the braid with a soft thud, Mother inspected the man and smiled. She quickly closed the window to shelter the child from the rain and began helping the child to get cleaned up. As Mother changed her dress and washed her now crimson hair, the child continued to smile and sing. Her clothes freshly changed, and hair freshly plait the girl returned to the window looking lifelessly through the stained glass.

“Sleep.”

Mother delicately dragged the man behind her as she went to wash down for the night. The Lavender and Rosemary petals swam sporadically in the scarlet water as Mother completed her nightly rituals. The morning air camouflaged the scent of rust as the tower’s window opened and the golden-haired girl sat smiling.

“Sing.”