Chapter 15

Rapunzel was on the riverbank. She gasped for air as she glanced up and down stream. Which way now?

A shape caught her eye and she squinted for a better look. The wagon! It was the wagon! She raced towards it, praying for time, begging God for a just little more time.

She stumbled into the camp and there he was, fast asleep next to his wagon. Oncie was in pajamas with a grey fedora over his eyes. She slowed down as she approached him, suddenly unsure as how to wake him up.

"Oncie!" She knelt down next to him and tried to gently shake him awake. "Oncie, wake up!"

He didn't stir. She bit her lip and grabbed his wrist, searching for a pulse. It was there.

She grabbed his hat from his face and rushed to the river to fill it with water. "I'm sorry about this," she muttered, and then she doused him with the hat full of water.

Nothing.

She tried banging pots, shaking him, calling out his name... Nothing happened.

"WHY!"

She started to give him firm rough shakes. "ONCIE! WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP! I won't let you give up! I won't let you die!" She felt tears fill her eyes and roll down her cheeks. She couldn't bear to see him die, not now… not yet.

She finally gave up on shaking him, and sat next to him, sobs shaking her shoulders. She couldn't give up… she just couldn't give up on him.

"God, please help me…" She could feel time ticking away, was she too late already? Was his time up?

Rapunzel leaned closer, brushing some hair from his face. "You did it for me…" She leaned her forehead against his. "You shouldn't have chosen to die for me…" Tears fell from her cheeks and splashed onto his.

Her heart felt as if it were breaking in two… maybe it was crazy- love at first sight- but she couldn't deny it, no matter how broken or messed up or hurt he was… he was her soulmate. She couldn't explain it to the world, she couldn't even explain it to herself, but she knew, deep inside she knew. Right now she felt the most bitter of pains coursing through her heart, threatening to tear her in two.

"Please, don't die… I love you…"

She could hear his breathing become shallow, almost a whisper. She was out of ideas, there was nothing left… and she wasn't ready to let go.

She leaned closer, scared, tentative, and then she kissed him. Tears still streaming down her face, she begged God for one more chance, for a miracle.

Oncie fell to his knees as the handle of a spear hit his stomach. He had been out for a few minutes, and came to when the guards doused him with a bucket of water. He swallowed hard, trying to force back his fear, yet unable to control his quivering. The Queen stood before her throne, just a foot away from him.

"You dared talk back to me." Her voice was as cold and calm as smooth ice. She descended the steps one at a time until she stood in front of him.

Oncie didn't dare lift his head to met her gaze. He stayed in his cowering, bowed position, waiting for the inevitable.

The Queen crouched down and put her cold bony fingers on his cheek. "Oh, Hatter… I had such high hopes for you." She used her index finger to raise his chin.

Oncie gulped as he met her eyes, which were alight with a crazed and bloodthirsty glint. He opened his lips to speak but she put a finger up and silenced him.

The Queen traced her finger down his cheek, edging toward his neck. "You're so much like your Grandfather…"

Oncie froze. "W-what?!"

The Queen of Hearts paused and met his gaze. Her eyes showed confusion - then recognition dawned, and she straightened. "Hatter. You have committed treason to the Crowned Queen of Wonderland. This is punishable by death." She stepped back. "Executioner." The Queen's voice cut through the thick silence in the room.

She walked up two of the steps leading to her throne. "Off with his head."

Oncie blinked. She had spoken so flippantly. "W-WAIT! What did you mean about my Grandfather?!"

The Queen stopped, her back to him. "You look just like him…" her voice had a strange, far-away sound, but her next words were as hard as stone. "You Hatters are all the same. This time though… THIS TIME!..." Her voice rose to a mad, high-pitched screech. "THIS TIME I WON'T LET YOU BEAT ME! I AM QUEEN OF WONDERLAND. I HAVE THE FINAL SAY!" She pointed towards him, her scream filling the air, echoing with a haunted, tortured resonance. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

The executioner was next to him now. Oncie glimpsed the shiny blade of the axe swing upwards towards the castle ceiling.

Oncie squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the impact of the blade, waiting for this eternal nightmare to be over- even if it was through death. For a brief instant he pictured her- pictured Rapunzel's beautiful smiling face, the hope that never seemed to leave her eyes… How he wished he could have whatever it was that she had… How he wished he could hope for more from life than this...

Oncie held his breath, waiting for the end. Each of his final seconds stretched into an eternity.

He felt a warmth rising up in his chest. It began to flood his senses and course it's way through his whole body. His lips began to tingle and then felt as though they were on fire. It raged through his whole body... He felt himself fall to the ground but nothing was there. He couldn't open his eyes, yet in the darkness he could hear the Queen's enraged screams suddenly vanish.

Was this it? Was he dead?

His body felt weightless, his arms and legs unable to move. Then it was over. The feeling slowly came back into his limbs, first feeling stiff, then feeling cold and wet. He heard the sound of early morning birds chirping.

Oncie slowly blinked his eyes open, trying to focus.

"Oncie…?"

A blurred face hovered over him.

"Oncie!"

He blinked, and there she was- Rapunzel. Leaning over him, smiling, tears in her eyes, cupping his face in her warm gentle hands.

"Oncie! You're alive! Praise God! You're alive!" She threw herself on top of him, wrapping him in a hug.

Her shoulders shook as she wept into his chest. He lay on his back, stunned. Then he slowly wrapped his arms around her, running his hand along her thick hair. He couldn't speak. He didn't have the words. He just held her tight, gazing up at the dawn, tears streaming down his face.

He was home.

Fin

Author's Note: Wow... this has been quite the Journey. I can't believe that the first book in the Escaping Wonderland series is at a close. Honestly, it hasn't quite sunk into me yet as I write this. I want to thank each and every one of you who have been following this story, "Thank You" from the bottom of my heart because, honestly, without you this story maybe wouldn't have come to completion. Your comments, reviews, messages, prayers, and love, have helped carry my on and I can't thank you enough. I never dreamed so many would come to love Oncie & Punzie and their story in Wonderland. 3 Thank you to my friends and family in RL as well who also helped me and supported me, helped me plot and who let me nerd out and talk out my story to them. **Hugs** You guys are the best, and I also couldn't have done this without you! Thank you also to all my friends who reviewed and helped edit these chapters. Rach, April, You helped make this story into what I was hoping it could be, and I just thank you from the bottom of my heart. 3 This is great because of YOU. **Hugs** Then lastly, but definitely not the least I want to thank God Almighty, who gave me these precious characters and inspired me to write their story. I praise You Lord, for YOU are the ultimate and only True Author & Creator and I thank you for helping me, inspiring me, and guiding me while writing this story. Praise the Lord!

I encourage all of you to truly seek after God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. He has amazing plans and callings for each and every one of you, and love, fulfillment, and life that can only be found in Jesus Christ! Thus I will end here. Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Until next time. I love you all!

~Vi~

(Book two, Lord willing, begins it's journey sometime next year, with more of Oncie & Punzie's life and their love story as it unfolds. 3)