Hey all. For this story I'm going to change things up a bit. The main character, Alice, lives in the same world that Sarah does. The only way she knows anything about the underground or about Jareth is because she owns the same book that Sarah did. However, David Bowie exists in her world, but the movie Labyrinth that we all love so dear does NOT. All the music from the movie (excluding 'As The World Falls Down') exists, its just normal music, yadda yadda. The reason 'As The World Falls Down' does not exist is because its JARETHS song. Confusing, I know.
David: But that's not fair! I DID write that song. pouts
Mdme: I know you did, darling, but it just wont work with the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Alice. There is a quite a bit of violence in this story, as well as attempted suicide, underage drinking, self mutilation and pill popping. If any of these things bother you in any way, DO NOT CONTINUE READING. You have been warned.
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Alice shook her head slightly and crossed out the words she had written. It was late and she was tired, but dreaded sleep. Relenting, she grabbed a nearby bottle and swallowed several of its contents with practiced ease. She scrolled through the long list of downloaded songs on her computer and chose "Underground" by David Bowie. She put it on repeat and crawled into bed, sighing as she lay down. The pain in her back and neck bit annoyingly for several minutes before settling down. She turned her head and looked drowsily out the window at the stars.
No one can blame you for walking away…
"Oh but they can, David my dear, they can. And they do." She whispered quietly, her eyes tearing up slightly.
But too much rejection, uhuh,, no love injection
Life can be easy, its not always swell
Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl
'cause it hurts like hell
But down in the underground
You'll find someone true
Down in the Underground
A land serene, a crystal moon
She lay under the moons light, mouthing the words to the song, eyes closing as the drugs pulled her down into the abyss.
Its only forever
Not long at all
Lost and lonely
That's underground, underground
Daddy, daddy, get me out of here
Heard about a place today
Nothing ever hurts again…
Before completely surrendering to sleep, she whispered softly, almost inaudibly;
"Please take me down…gotta get underground."
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Taylor walked into the room, exasperated to find Alice's still form in bed. A bottle of pills on her nightstand had tipped, spilling its contents onto the floor, as well as the bed beside it. She stopped short upon sighting the bottle and a choked "oh no" was issued from her lips as she hurried to the bed. She checked Alice's vitals and then pulled up the girls eyelids to see if her pupils were evenly dilated. Doing so resulted in a smack on the face.
"Jesus Tay, that's a nice way to wake someone up."
. I walk into the room and you're in bed, with a bottle of pills spilt all around you. What do you expect me to do?""Uh...call the national gaurd... I don't know." Alice trailed off, tripping around her room, struggling to find clean clothes.
"Alice...how many did you take?" Her friend questioned. Alice turned and regarded her, a sharp, unpleasant look on her face.
"Enough to fall asleep."
In an effort to drown out her friends concern she leaned over, turning her speakers up and blasting the song she had been listening to the night before. Taylor rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Ughh...I don't understand how you can enjoy that cra-"
"Don't even say it. No one insults Bowie around me and lives through it."
Alice turned to a large poster of David Bowie she kept on her wall, and bowed.
"You are a freak, girl" Taylor commented. Alice, who was struggling to pull her boots on, flipped the other girl the bird and left the room.
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"Please take me down...gotta get Underground."
"This can't be!" Jareth yelled in frustration, angrily kicking goblins out of his way as he stalked around his throne room. This was impossible. He didn't understand how any mortal, let alone Sarah could have such a knowledge and connection to the Underground. True, she had read the same book that Sarah had treasured as a young girl, but still, most mortals who read the book dismissed it as pure fiction. This girl, however, did not. Somewhere in her heart she knew the truth, and Jareth found it extremely disconcerting. He hated it. He hated this girl and her sixth sense like knowledge of his world.
She simply wouldn't let go of the notion of its existence. Sarah, even after what she had experienced, had dismissed it as a dream or hallucination, but this girl would not. A cynical smile spread across the Goblin kings face.
"I'll pay the little brat a visit. Frighten her, traumatize her. We'll see how much she believes after that."
Tiredly, Alice climbed the stairs to her room. It had been a long night of drinking and sexual innuendoes shared between her, Taylor and a few close friends. She dragged herself into her room, as she did night after night. Standing, bathed in the moonlight streaming in from her window, she sighed and realized that it was time to stop pretending. If she had waited this long, if she had cried for him this much, and he still hadn't come, he wasn't ever going to come. She grabbed a couple of bottles of pills and a bottle of vodka she kept under her bed and head for the bathroom. She drew a bath, placing the bottles next to the tub and opening her vanity draw, grabbing a single edge razorblade. Fully clothed she climbed into the bathtub, sitting cross legged.
She opened the first bottle of pills, and put several in her mouth, downing them with the alcohol. She continued this for several minutes until she had worked her way through three and a half bottles of pills. Still sitting in the cold water, she reached for the razorblade. Pulling up her sleeve, she revealed a myraid of scars to the moon. Silent tears forced their ways down her cheeks.
"Live without the sunlight..." she whispered, opening her skin with the razorblade.
"Love without your heart beat..."
She struck herself several times, and watched in enjoyment as the blood dripped slowly into the bathwater. Reaching for another handful of pills, she began to sing quietly, as she continued to down the poison.
"I..I can't live within you.."
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Aggravation forced his wings to pump heavily, as he neared her house. He sensed her in the bathroom, and headed toward the open window.
She sang it softly as she continued to down the pills and vodka. The desperation in her voice increased, as did the haze in her mind. Suddenly the moonlight was blocked, and she looked up to see a barn owl sitting at the open bathroom window. She smiled slightly
"Hello Jareth."
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He hadn't expected to find her like this. The sadness that filled the small room was almost tangible, a sadness that Jareth had never expected a human heart to feel. He transformed into his fae form, and sat heavily on the toilet, confused and somewhat concerned about the pain surrounding the girl.
"I've waited a long time for you, Goblin King." She said slowly, her voice low and her words slurred.
He looked her up and down, finding the sight of her pathetic and moving in the same instant.
"But wheres all the glitter?" Her laugh was toxic and it sent shivers up his spine.
"Goblin King, Goblin king...take me away from this awful place..." she reached out for his hand, her arm dripping blood. He shook his head violently, but couldn't keep her from saying the final words.
"Right...Now..."
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Kind of short for a first chapter, I know, but I thought this was a good way to transition. Read and review, or dont. The next chapter will be up soon.
