First story in a long time. Most of my other stories have been discontinued, as I am horrible about finishing a story. More often than not, I hit a brick wall, and then I quit. I'm hoping to sidestep that trap this time, but we'll see. For now, I'm only posting the prologue. If it get's good reviews, I'll continue posting the story. If not, I'll either complete as much as I want for my own pleasure, or abandon it completely. It's really up to y'all! If you want to see it continued, your best option is to review this snippet!!!
Sarah sat on her bed, her knees curled up to her chest, as she thought about him. His platinum blonde hair haunted her every waking thought; his cool regal voice invaded her dreams and nightmares alike. The small, leather-bound book lay on top of the unmade bed beside her, the lettering long since worn away by her over-eager fingers. Even now, over three years after she had called upon the powers of the Labyrinth, its magic radiated from her very being. Every magical creature within a fifty-mile radius was drawn to her as if enchanted. In only the last month, she had had the pleasure of meeting with the Troll of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Faerie Queen of the Central Park faeries (who were much less ferocious than their underground cousins), several of the goblins in the King's service, as well as Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Ambrocious, with whom she still kept regular correspondence. If she was honest with herself, these encounters did little to damage her desire to return to the Underground. If anything, this desire intensified, gripping Sarah's attention at every possible moment, driving her to distraction more often than not.
Her eyes drifted to the armoire on her left. The top still held her make-up, as disorganized as usual, and her figurine of the Goblin King in full regalia. In the mirror, she could see the walls of her bedroom, covered in the fantastical drawings that had consumed her thoughts for months on end: mismatched eyes staring out from rustic ruins, a majestic white owl outlined against the red sky of a sunset, a maze made up of brick walls and garden hedges, with a large marsh in the middle, all leading to a grand castle, surrounded by a filthy city. These images simply flowed through Sarah's hand, through the ink pen and the paintbrush onto the paper, bringing only a momentary relief to her busy mind.
Karen hollered from the kitchen below, shaking Sarah from her trance. Softly, she slid off her bed, her bare feet curling into the carpet before she moved downstairs, trying to force Jareth and his kingdom to the corner of her mind for even a minute.
"Sarah, honey, your mother is on the phone!" Karen smiled encouragingly, holding the handset out to the young brunette. Sarah took it, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at her blonde step-mother, who shrugged as she passed, leaving the kitchen, and Sarah, in silence.
"Mom?" Sarah asked incredulously, cradling the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she pushed herself up on the counter, perching comfortably beside the microwave.
Her mother's response was almost drowned out by the noise of the party behind her, but Sarah managed to hear her. "Sarah, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday! I know it's early, but I'll be out of town on your birthday, and I'm sure you have better plans anyway, instead of talking to your old mother!" The older woman chuckled into the receiver, a dry sound, followed by a shouted response to someone in the crowd.
"Thanks, Mom!" Sarah enthused, struggling to raise her voice enough to be heard. Their phone calls were always strained now, ever since Sarah had gotten more close to Karen. Her birth mother was jealous that Sarah got advice from Karen, and Sarah was frustrated with her birth mother for ignoring her for all those years. Such circumstances didn't lead to the adoring relationship Sarah and her mother had once shared, and each conversation showed it more.
"I'm sure Carrie, is it, has your party planned by now." The actress prodded, her tone condescending and rude.
Sarah shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Mother, it is Karen. It has been Karen since you left Dad, and he remarried. Don't play this game. It doesn't suit you. Enjoy your party, and have a good time on whichever trip you're going on next." Hanging up angrily, Sarah stomped around the kitchen, first brewing herself a cup of tea, followed by augmenting this tea with heaping amounts of sugar and lemon juice, doctoring it to her own tastes.
Sitting down at the kitchen table, Sarah looked out the window and into the night sky, wishing on the first star she saw.
"Star light, star bright, first star that I see tonight, wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."
Thinking for only the briefest of moments, Sarah murmured, "I wish I could go back to the Underground." Perhaps, this was not the smartest wish she could have made, but before Sarah had time to ponder this, she saw the walls around her warp, slowly changing color from a cheery yellow to a mossy brick, thickening and stretching taller before her, forming the outer wall of the Labyrinth she had bested three years before. Deciding to get some rest before her nostalgic trek through the maze-like being, she curled up against the wall, resting her cheek against the cool stone. Almost instantly, she was asleep, her breathing deep and rhythmic.
Remember, if you want to see this continued, review!!!