Chapter 7: Europe - Italy - Venice

Warnings: Serve Injuries, Surgery, Brief mention of Suicide (it's just the Romeo and Juliet play don't worry), and Flooding

One hour later, my raft docked in a gondola harbor. I groaned. Suddenly, I heard splashing in the water near me. "Is she still alive?" A male voice questioned. I groaned again.

"Yeah, let's take her to the hospital." A female voice replied. I felt someone get on the raft with me. They rowed me a little bit.

A few minutes later, my raft docked again. "Could use some help here." The male voice called. I heard splashing in the water near me again.

"Let's take her inside." Another male voice spoke. I felt my body being lifted and set down on a board. I groaned again.

"Shh," A female voice cooed. A hand stroked my face. "You will be okay.". I felt my body being moved.

A couple minutes later, I felt my body being set down. I groaned again. "You really don't like being moved, don't you?" The female voice giggled. She stroked my face. I heard a set of doors open.

"She needs to have a procedure. I have to get the couple who found her's permission to sedate her." I heard a stronger female voice announce, a bit worried.

"Viviana, Luciana and Valentino are well-meaning people. They'll let us do anything to this little girl if it means we can help her." The other female voice reassured her. Not a little girl anymore. I thought. I groaned. She stroked my face.

"Thanks, Kara." Viviana replied. I hear footsteps going out of the room.

A few minutes later, I hear footsteps coming into the room.

"They said yes." Viviana announced. I felt my body being moved.

A couple minutes later, I felt my body being set down. I groaned. "What's wrong?" Viviana questioned.

"She doesn't like being moved." Kara explained.

"Don't worry Little One, you will be okay." Viviana cooed. "Okay, the tea to sedate her.".

"Here you go, Viviana.". I felt my head being lifted. I felt cold glass being held to my lips. I drank it. It tasted like strawberry. I fell asleep.

Half an hour later, I woke up. I opened my eyes. I saw a woman with brown skin, eyes, and hair wearing a dress with white top with a red vest that was laced up with red string and a green skirt holding my hand. A man with brown skin, eyes, and hair wearing a red vest with a white puffy shirt underneath with black pants and shoes underneath was standing behind her. "How do you feel?" Luciana asked me.

"Much better." I replied, smiling.

"That's good, do you want to come home with us?" Valentino questioned. I nodded. Valentino picked me up in his strong arms. He and Luciana went out of the hospital.

Outside, Luciana got in a black gondola. She reached her arms out for me. Valentino handed me to her. He got in the gondola. He rowed us down the waterway.

We stopped at a house that had red bricks for the lower half and aquamarine concrete for the upper half. The roof was made of red shingles. Luciana took me inside.

Inside, there were aquamarine, concrete walls and brown carpet. Luciana set me down on a pink sofa. She covered me up with a purple quilt. "Valentino is getting dinner ready. Why don't you lay down and try to take a nap to let your body heal?" She suggested. I nodded. I fell asleep.

One hour later, Valentino had dinner ready. Dinner was pasta with tomato sauce with a side of corn and potatoes. Luciana fed me. After I was finished, Valentino presented me with some strawberry gelato. It was really sweet. After dinner, I took out my journal and began to write.

6/4/1625

Dear Journal,

The Queen found out that I was Arianna and beat me up and tortured me. She found out that it was me by having her army dig through my stuff. Yeah. She's a jerk.

I arrived in Venice, Italy. I had to have a stitching procedure for the wounds. I am being taken care of by a couple, Valentino and Luciana. Even though it doesn't look good right now, I still hope that I can stay here.

Sincerely,

Arianna

I put my journal beside my bed, laid down, and went to sleep.

The next week, Luciana put a brown easel beside my bed. With the help of my pillows, I sat up. I dipped my hands in the pink paint. I pressed them up against the white canvas. I dried my hands with the dirty, brown rag. I dipped my fingers in the purple paint. I pressed them up against the canvas in between the fingerprints of my pink handprints. I dried my hands with the dirty, brown rag. I dipped my index finger in the brown paint. I pressed it up against the canvas in between my pink handprints. I dried my hand with the dirty, brown rag. I dipped my index finger in the yellow paint. I pressed it up against the canvas on the pink and purple wings several times. I dried my hand with the dirty, brown rag. I took a brown paintbrush and dipped the end of it in the black paint. I painted a smiling face on the butterfly.

"Woah, Anna, did you paint a butterfly with your hands?" Luciana asked me. I nodded.

That night, after Luciana had fed me dinner, I changed into my pink nightgown from Corona, took out my journal, and began to write.

6/11/1625

Dear Journal,

Today I painted a fingerprint butterfly. Luciana likes it.

Sincerely,

Arianna

I put my journal beside my bed, laid down, and went to sleep.

Two and a half weeks later, it was time for the lantern festival in Corona. "I'm going to the lantern festival in my hometown today." I announced after I had finished breakfast.

"Okay, have fun. Don't do anything stupid." Luciana told me.

"I won't." I cried as I rushed out the front door. I jumped in the gondola and rowed towards Corona.

I arrived in Corona an hour later. The baker was selling cupcakes at his booth in the street. People were dancing and making chalk art in town square. Some people were also selling flags, dolls, and other souvenirs along the sides of town square in wooden booths.

I went over to the baker's brown, wooden booth. "Can I have a strawberry cupcake?" I asked him. The plump, red-headed baker nodded. He handed me a yellow cupcake with pink frosting. "Thank you so much!" I told him.

I went into the town square and spun around. The people in the market cheered. I smiled.

I went over to the chalk art station. I outlined baby Rapunzel with the black chalk. I colored her skin with the tan chalk. I drew her eyes with the white, green, and black chalk. I colored her lips and gave her some blush with the pink chalk. I colored her dress with the purple chalk. I stood up and wiped my brow. "Hey, she drew a picture of the Lost Princess!" A man with tan skin, brown hair, and eyes, wearing a white shirt and brown pants announced. I smiled.

Suddenly, I heard a strong, male voice announce: "To the boats!". I rushed to the docks.

I rowed into the middle of the ocean. As soon as we got to the middle of the ocean, I noticed lights arising from the island. I just watched the lanterns for the rest of the night.

That night, after I got back to Venice, I changed into my pink nightgown from Corona, took out my journal, and began to write.

7/4/1625

Dear Journal,

I went back to Corona today for the Lantern Festival. Again, like last year, nobody recognized me and I didn't get caught. I had a chocolate cupcake. It was good. I danced in town square. I drew a picture of baby Rapunzel with chalk. I saw the floating lanterns! I hope Rapunzel sees them and knows to come home.

Sincerely,

Arianna

I put my journal beside my bed, laid down, and went to sleep.

Three months later, we were at the Teatro di San Luca theater downtown. It had mint walls, red seats and doors, and the balconies were lit by candles. A chandelier of candles hung from the tan ceiling that had brown circular designs in the middle and arrow-like designs on the outside. The stage was black with a velvet floor. There were golden curtains with clover designs at the top.

The play was Romeo and Juliet. It was an opera. There was a light-brown, wooden violin.

That night, after I got back, I changed into my pink nightgown from Corona, took out my journal, and began to write.

10/31/1625

Dear Journal,

Today, I, Luciana, and Valentino saw the opera, Romeo and Juliet. I like everything except the end. Juliet shouldn't have killed herself over that dumb hunk.

Sincerely,

Arianna

I put my journal beside my bed, laid down, and went to sleep.

Four months later, I was on the dock. Valentino was sculpting something out of a pale-pink lump of clay. "Can I join you, Valentino?" I questioned. He looked up from his lump of clay. "Sure, Anna." He replied.

He put another pale-pink lump of clay on the brown, wooden table. I sculpt it into a dolphin. "Good job, Anna." Valentino told me.

"Thank you." I replied.

That night, I changed into my pink nightgown from Corona, took out my journal, and began to write.

2/14/1626

Dear Journal,

Today I sculpt a model of a dolphin. Valentino likes it.

Sincerely,

Arianna

I put my journal beside my bed, laid down, and went to sleep.

Four months later, I was in my room. I saw a small, white piece of paper lying on my desk. I picked up a small, purple pen and began to write.

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Rapunzel I miss you

That night, I changed into my pink nightgown from Corona, took out my journal, and began to write.

6/14/1626

Dear Journal,

Today I wrote a poem about how much I miss Rapunzel.

Sincerely,

Arianna

I put my journal beside my bed, laid down, and went to sleep.

Two and a half weeks later, it was time for the lantern festival in Corona. "I'm going to the lantern festival in my hometown today again." I announced after I had finished breakfast.

"Okay, have fun." Luciana replied.

I arrived in Corona an hour later. The baker was selling cupcakes at his booth in the street. People were dancing and making chalk art in town square. Some people were also selling flags, dolls, and other souvenirs along the sides of town square in wooden booths.

I went over to the baker's brown, wooden booth. "Can I have a vanilla cupcake?" I asked him. The plump, red-headed baker nodded. He handed me a yellow cupcake with white frosting. "Thank you so much!" I told him.

I went into the town square and spun around. The people in the market cheered. I smiled.

I went over to the chalk art station. I outlined baby Rapunzel with the black chalk. I colored her skin with the tan chalk. I drew her eyes with the white, green, and black chalk. I colored her lips and gave her some blush with the pink chalk. I colored her dress with the purple chalk. I stood up and wiped my brow. "Hey, she drew a picture of the Lost Princess!" A man with tan skin, brown hair, and eyes, wearing a white shirt and brown pants announced. I smiled.

Suddenly, I heard a strong, male voice announce: "To the boats!". I rushed to the docks.

I rowed into the middle of the ocean. As soon as we got to the middle of the ocean, I noticed lights arising from the island. I just watched the lanterns for the rest of the night.

That night, after I got back to Venice, I changed into my pink nightgown from Corona, took out my journal, and began to write.

7/4/1626

Dear Journal,

I went back to Corona today for the Lantern Festival. Again, like last year, nobody recognized me and I didn't get caught. I had a vanilla cupcake. It was good. I danced in town square. I drew a picture of baby Rapunzel with chalk. I saw the floating lanterns! I hope Rapunzel sees them and knows to come home.

Sincerely,

Arianna

I put my journal beside my bed, laid down, and went to sleep.

Three months later, I woke up. I got ready and went outside. As I stepped out of the door, my slippers felt soggy. I looked at the ground. The city had flooded the night before. I stepped back inside. "I'm going to head out." I told Luciana and Valentino.

"Okay sweetie, we love you." Luciana told me. She kissed my cheek and Valentino hugged me.

One hour later, I was on my raft in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I took out my journal and began to write.

10/4/1626

Dear Journal,

Venice flooded today. I don't know where I am going now but, it's fine. That has been my life for the past decade.

Sincerely,

Arianna

I put my journal in my bag, hugged it, and looked up at the sun.