1
The dreams began almost five years after Sarah had conquered the labyrinth. The first came as Sarah dozed under a tree one warm, spring afternoon. She had been listening to the songbirds flitting in the branches above her before finding herself alone in the ruins of an abandoned castle, glowing with moonlight. The cool stones of the jagged walls were covered in vines and moss. She wandered, feeling the worn stones, through a broken hallway that led to a decrepit stairway. Those stairs opened into what might have once been a large tower, but now was little more than a ragged platform, open to the stars. Sarah peered over the edge, barely able to see the shriveled gardens below through the darkness. A strong wind began to pick up, threatening to pull her over. Just as she was about to be lifted off the edge, she woke to the birdsong overhead. Startled, she had gathered her books and walked home, leaving the strange dream behind.
A few days later, on a cool night, Sarah had found herself standing beside an old, weathered tree, looking out over a field of tall, yellow grass. She had run through it, letting her arms catch the breeze that sent the dried blades rippling. Her bare feet reveled in the feeling of freedom on the soil as she danced: a leaf, free to tumble in the wind. Her foot caught something rough and hard buried in the grass, sending her sprawling. She moved to examine the object that seemed so out of place on the smooth ground. She found it with little effort-a large, red-hued stone. Feeling through the grass around her, she found more of the stones and began to follow them. They were arrayed almost as if they had been a foundation of a wall that had long since crumbled away. She felt an acute sense of loss although she had no notion of what the place may once have been. Again, she woke slightly startled, but quickly forgot the dream.
The dreams, however, were not to be ignored. They continued periodically, depicting castles and cities in varying stages of decay, always abandoned and left to nature. At first, Sarah had disregarded the dreams, writing them off as the result of being too stressed over classes. As they persisted, eventually dominating her sleeping hours, she began to feel as though they meant something more. She couldn't fathom what they might mean, but she couldn't dismiss the nagging feeling that someone was trying to warn her.
Her informant came in the form of one of her dearest friends, whom she still called upon every now and then, when no other form of comfort would suffice. Although the semester at the university had ended, Sarah was still haunted by the strange dreams that were now beginning to invade her waking thoughts as well. Knowing no one in her Aboveground circles would understand or sympathize, she had sat before her mirror and said the words that would summon the grumpy little dwarf who, for five years, had listened patiently to every worry she had had, no matter how trivial.
It took Hoggle only a fraction of a second to see that something was deeply troubling his friend. He shyly reached his hand toward the mirror toward Sarah.
"There's something the matter with ya, Sarah. What has you so upset?"
Sarah gave Hoggle a small smile before replying. "I've been having strange dreams, Hoggle. I'm not sure what they mean, but it's like someone is trying to reach me. I just can't figure out who or why." She then began describing her dreams and the feeling of panic that had been steadily growing in her mind since the first dream.
Hoggle thoughtfully fingered his bundle of jewels as he listened. When Sarah had finished, Hoggle gave a slight hmmph as he deliberated the meaning of the dreams. "Theys definitely a message to ya, Sarah. Dreams like that don't come for nothin'. But they can't come on their own, neither. Someone must be sendin' 'em to ya."
"Yes, but who? Who would have the power to send me dreams? As far as I know, Jareth is the only one to have that power, and I don't think these are from him. They're not… flashy… enough."
Hoggle grinned at that. "Ya can always tell when Jareth's sendin' 'em, for sure. I doubt he would take the trouble a' sendin' thems anyway. He hasn't even cared for 'is own labyrinth in five years, ever since you went and beat 'im at 'is little game. Poor thing is crumblin' left an' right an' 'e don' seem to care nothin' about it."
"The labyrinth is crumbling? Why? Is that what my dreams are about? But if Jareth isn't sending those dreams, who is?"
Hoggle raised one gnarled hand to silence Sarah's questions. "No one knows why, it just is. Jareth won't 'ave sent you those dreams, and I don' know who would. Even if yer dreams are about the labyrinth, I don' know what yer supposed ter do about it. Jareth's the only one that knows anythin' about it, which makes him the only one ter fix it."
Sarah knew Hoggle had a point. Even if it was what her dreams were about, how would she know how to fix what was wrong? She had barely made it through the labyrinth before, and even that was only because she had the help of others who knew the labyrinth. If Jareth was unable to fix it, what hope did she have? On the other hand, those dreams had to have been sent by someone with enough skill and knowledge to send dreams, and if they had taken the trouble to do so, they must have been certain of her. She had to have been chosen for a reason, and she was never one to give up without a fight.
"Hoggle, if you're able to visit me through mirrors, am I able to visit the labyrinth through mirrors as well?" Sarah had never thought to ask before, being perfectly content with staying as far from Jareth's territory as possible. Now however, it seemed that she hadn't much of a choice.
"Well… yes, I suppose so," Hoggle answered, stroking his chin with one hand and his jewels with the other. "I'm sure it's possible, just ain't never been done before."
"I'll call for you in the morning, then, when I've packed some things. I'll probably need to be prepared for a long trip if I'm going to try to save the labyrinth."
Hoggle looked concerned. "Sarah, don't be puttin' yerself in danger over this. It's Jareth's place to fix the labyrinth, not yers."
Sarah looked determinedly through the glass at Hoggle. "But someone is calling to me with these dreams. For whatever reason, they've chosen me. I can't just give up without trying."
Hoggle nodded but still looked worried. "I'll wait for yer t' call me," he muttered. "Jus' don' expect me to let you jus' wander inter danger. The labyrinth can be a risky place, especially the way it is now."
Sarah touched the reflection of Hoggle's face in the mirror reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'll be careful. And I'll have you and Didimus and Ludo with me, right? We beat the labyrinth together before; we can do it again."
Hoggle seemed only slightly mollified, but acquiesced. "'Til tomorrow, then." His image lingered in the mirror for a moment more before disappearing.
Sarah sighed and began preparing for her journey. She pulled out the worn leather backpack that had carried her school books for years and was still faithfully sturdy. She neatly folded extra clothes and placed them in the roomy main compartment. She then dug around in her desk drawer until she found her flashlight and some extra batteries. She grabbed some snacks from the kitchen, remembering the dangers of eating food provided in the labyrinth. She knew no drugged food would be coming knowingly from any of her friends this time at least, but she would still prefer to be on the safe side. She also threw in a first-aid kit and some other supplies she thought might be useful in a pinch.
Once in her cozy pajamas and tucked into her warm blankets, she fell asleep almost instantly. In her dreams, she found herself in the throne room of the castle beyond the Goblin City. This time, though, she was not alone, but surrounded by her friends. She had only a moment to look around before the castle began to shake violently, throwing everyone to the ground. Gaping holes began to appear in the floor, and Sarah watched in horror as her friends slid into the dark pits as she reached for them. The last face she saw disappear was Jareth's, calling to her just as desperately as when he stood before her in the Escher room, reaching out to her as he also fell into oblivion as she helplessly looked on.