Sarah was proud of herself.
How could she not be? After her trip through the Labyrinth, she had really cleaned herself up. No more arguing with parents. No more yelling at Toby. No more time spent pushing reality aside for outlandish fantasies. Thanks to the Labyrinth, she had grown into a strong, wise young woman.
Now, at the ripe age of seventeen, she had already been accepted into the university of her choice and to celebrate, she was having dinner at her boyfriend Terry's house. Terry was amazing. He was athletic and handsome, hardworking and honest. His only real fault was his temper, but he was always quick to apologize. They'd only been dating for seven months but already he had a place in her heart that only one other man had managed to secure. And that other man, well...
She hadn't seen him for nearly two years now.
Sarah shook the image of a mismatched gaze from her mind, smiling warmly at Terry as he pulled out her chair. Two years. Had it really already been two years? That was ridiculous. Two years, and she still couldn't forget those eyes. Two years, and she still couldn't resist contacting her Labyrinth friends. Two years, and she still lo -
"Sarah, babe? Are you okay?"
Sarah blinked at her plate, realizing Terry had already piled it high with food. The steam from the chicken brushed her cheeks, increasing the heat of her blush.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sarah replied. Terry took another bite of his chicken and accepted the answer without explanation, used to his girlfriend's frequent space-outs.
Sarah had told him about her meeting with the Goblin King. He was the only one who knew the reality of the tale, but everyone close to her had heard about the Labyrinth in some form. To her friends, it was an elaborate dream. To her parents, it was an idea for a future novel. To Toby, it was a well-loved bedtime story.
To Terry, it was another reason to suspect his girlfriend was batshit insane.
"What's for dessert?" Sarah asked him, trying to make conversation.
Terry grinned and stood up from his chair, running towards the kitchen and returning with a silver dish, the distinct scent of peaches following him.
"Peach cobbler!" he said, blue eyes dancing. Sarah laughed at his excitement and cut herself a slice, picking up her fork. There was no denying that Terry was a splendid cook.
"God, peaches," she said with a nostalgic smile. "You know, the best peach I ever had was in -"
"The Labyrinth, I know," Terry cut her off, grin dropping from his face. A deep scowl replaced it.
Sarah glanced at him, concerned. "Terry, is something wrong?" she questioned.
Terry sighed, running a hand through his brunet hair. "Sarah, I love you, but..."
"...No girl wants to hear 'I love you, but' Terry..."
"...Sarah, you need to get your head out of the clouds."
Offended, Sarah frowned. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, hands curling under the tablecloth.
"God, Sarah," Terry said, giving into the irritation that had been building within him for the seven months they'd been dating. "You're seventeen! You shouldn't be living in these childish fantasies!"
"What childish fantasies?"
Terry rose from his chair, anger clouding his features. "Goblins, Sarah!" he yelled. "Goblins and magic peaches and baby-snatching kings! What the fuck is not childish about that? About any of that?"
"I thought you believed me!" Sarah cried, knocking her own chair over. "I thought you understood!"
Terry laughed. It was an ugly sound, so full of rage that Sarah flinched. "Believed you? Understood you? You're lucky I haven't sent you to a crazy house yet!"
Sarah gasped, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. She couldn't find the strength to speak, her throat closed with anger and deep, deep misery. She thought...she thought that he...but she had loved him...
"It's so fucking weird! I don't know what sort of bizarre fetish you have, but this is ridiculous!" Terry walked briskly around the table, grabbing her arm and shaking her roughly.
"And that Goblin King, Jared or whatever," he said, voice low and venomous as he brought his face closer to hers, his breath spilling across her nose. "I bet you would have loved to shag him, huh?"
Sarah shook her head, furious. "Don't talk about Jareth like that, you asshole!" she sobbed, angry tears beginning to dribble down her cheeks. "Don't you ever talk about him like that!"
Terry shoved her against the table. The edge dug into the small of her back, eliciting a painful cry from the shaken teen.
"I knew it," he spat. "Well why don't I do you a favor, huh? Why don't I wish you away?"
"Terry, please, just stop," Sarah begged.
"What were the words? I wish the goblins would take you far away! No, that's not it..."
"Please, Terry!"
"I wish the goblins would come take care of you right now! No, not quite..."
"Terry!" Sarah lunged at him, desperately tugging on his arm.
"Oh! I got it!" Terry smirked maliciously. "I wish the goblins would come take you away..."
"No no no no no!"
"...right now."
What happened next was complete chaos. The back door in the dining room flew open, all the lights in the house shattering as thunder deafened the young couple. A familiar white bird flew into the room, flapping its wings in Terry's face and causing him to stumble back, his expression full of confusion and fright. Sarah watched as he fell, watched small goblins climb on top of him, watched everything fall out of control until she felt a pair of cold, leather-clad arms wrap around her middle.
And then all she could see were two mismatched eyes, widened in shock and as breathtakingly gorgeous as they were two years ago.
"Sarah?"
And then there was nothing.
A/N: Well~
Not a lot of info about Terry in the first chapter, but you'll get to know him a little better later on. He's not just a one-dimensional villain, I promise.
Push that shiny review button and feel free to comment on or correct anything. Or tell me about your day. Or babble incoherently.
I'm so alone.
