Tower of Heart

Natalie was cold. 

Every day, every night, he did naught but her daily chores. Once upon a time perhaps she would have enjoyed them, but ever since her home grew quiet and all other people left, she was left alone with nobody to talk to. Nobody to sing to. Nobody to be warm to. 

But that’s what she wanted. It was better that way. She worked more efficiently alone, and she had more time to herself, reading books and all the other things that were fun. Alone. 

So alone.

But no matter. Her tower was beautiful, and even if it was cold most of the time, it was her home. Natalie’s home. 

Just as Natalie was about to lie down and rest she heard it.

A knock?

She rushed towards the door, bracing herself for the snowstorm of the outside world to accept whatever occasional delivery she got this time. It was usually just boring old food, like salads, but this time it could be different?

She gasped. She was right! Though small, it was something completely new! Chocolate! How long had it been since she last had that? 

The person who delivered it was nowhere to be seen, likely already swept away by the hurricane of white. Natalie excitedly picked the item up and rushed back to her room, climbing the staircases down to her room. She was so giddy she bounced back and forth, but in a good way! Not in a nervous way where she’d run up and down the stairs to the entrance or the embarrassed way where she’d rather hide in the deep cellars she dared not visit too often. 

…nom. 

It was sweet. So sweet. So warm. Was there more of that outside? A world filled with chocolate and warmth? 

But as soon as that thought entered her head, she stopped. 

She couldn’t go outside. Ever. The last time she did was many years ago, when she and her two brothers ventured out. In the end, it was only she who came back. This time, she was alone, but the mere thought of it made her bounce back and forth again. This time in a slow and sad way. 

She wanted to go out, but she couldn’t. The tower wasn’t allowed to be left alone and crumble while she was away. Maybe she’d never even return, dying crushed under some giant’s foot. 

Natalie sighed. She had to protect her tower. That was her duty and burden alone.

So, lying in bed, she steadied herself for a night’s sleep, her pulsing growing slower and slower. 

***

She awoke the next day to another knock. And lo and behold, another piece of chocolate! This time it was accompanied by a bouquet of flowers? What was that supposed to mean?

She picked up both, almost missing the note that fluttered out of the bouquet.

“Dearest Bella, won’t you come out and show me your heart?”

That’s what the note read. Natalie couldn’t help but scoff. What kind of attempt to woo her was that? To call her Bella as well…

And yet she couldn’t help the warmth flowing towards her, far warmer than the chocolate ever could. 

What nonsense…

But this wouldn’t be the last gift she received. Day after day, every morning without fail, she’d awake to another gift. Be it chocolates, even more flowers, sometimes even out of nowhere presents such as a teddy bear named Moon and a handcrafted statue of a banana duck, they never failed to make her giggle. So much so that without even hearing a knock, she’d rush out of bed to open the entrance, uncaring about the cold wind splashing at her face. Because if she could receive another lovely gift, the cold couldn’t bother her. It was worth the pain. She only felt bad she could never give this mystery person something back.

As if reading her mind, the next gift was a simple piece of paper.

“You don’t need to give me anything, Bella. Your rare smiles are all I need to keep going.”

My, what a charmer. But she had to stand tall! She couldn’t make it too easy for him, now could she? 

That’s the only reason she didn’t reciprocate his feelings. Or at least, that’s what she liked to tell herself. 

***

The gifts stopped coming. 

No knocks to wake her up, Natalie opened the entrance every morning, hoping that on that day it would be the one where the admirer would come back. And every day she’d go back to bed disappointed. Did her lack of effort scare him away? Her coldness, her walls? Figures. No matter what she did, the cold would come back to slap her in the face. What was even the point of opening the doors anymore? 

And yet, she’d still open it every day, like a girl hoping that one day her crush would come back. And there was nothing. That morning, nothing but the cold freezing at her skin, crawling at her, making her shiver non-stop.

As she slunk back to her room, she lamented her bad luck, plopping back into her bed.

“Oi, at least look at me, Bella.”

Her eyes shot back open, the grinning soft face of somebody unknown looking down at her. And yet, she knew exactly who it was.

“My, you’re more oblivious than I thought. So this is your room? It’s cool, but I thought you could use a little company in here.”

Slowly, Natalie moved the covers up to her head, causing the intruder to laugh. 

“Sorry, maybe I should have knocked. But you know, you’re the one to let me in.”

“I did?” Natalie said, her voice croaking due to a lack of use. Contrary to her, the boy didn’t have any problems running his mouth.

“Yeah, you must have not noticed. Ah well, I suppose it was merely my overflowing charm that made the impossible possible. I mean, you had a pretty good wall up, but nothing can stop one such as I, Bella. Especially not someone as precious as you, with your beautiful walls.”

Natalie couldn’t help the red rising to her face. Her tower had been called a lot of things, but beautiful was never one of them. Strong, yes, but not this. 

“Well?”

The boy extended his hand toward hers.

“Shall we?”

It was familiar, yet so new. She gingerly took his hand into hers as he led her outside, the cold wind splashing against her. But as she focused on the hand guiding her into the unknown, she smiled.

For the first time in an eternity, Natalie allowed her, her heart, to be free and vulnerable.