Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth
Chapter One: The Coming Changes
Her cheek burned.
She held a hand to it, half listening to the yelling in the background but mostly focusing on the pain. If she didn't, she was certain she would begin to cry.
Thirteen-year-olds definitely do not cry.
"Are you listening to me?!"
Oh my god, did she ever shut up?
"I hate you," Sarah mumbled, looking up with scorn at her adoptee mother. "What does dad see in you? You're horrible! Why he would ever marry you is beyond me!"
Another slap, more pain to hold onto. She was slightly grateful it was her other cheek.
"Go to your room." There was silent fury in the voice, but Sarah didn't care. She carefully gathered her toys and make-believe clothes and began to trek upstairs.
"Momma was who he truly loved."
One more stab at the stepmom she refused to love.
Karen watched her go, frustration evident in her face. She grabbed the book nearest to her and chucked it to the floor.
"That girl!"
It hit the ground with a satisfying thud, pages flipping open. She paid it no mind, stepping on it and going into the kitchen. There were still a couple more hours before her husband came home and she needed to indulge herself.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed later that day, but it was enough to get that lovely buzz she so needed at the moment. Sarah was a handful. This was simply her way of coping. At the thought of the young teenager, the good mood soured and Karen was angry.
She was going to have a word with the temperamental teenager's ways.
She'd barely made it across the living room before she almost slipped on said forgotten book. An unladylike curse followed suit, before she gave it a glare, seeing the words that page had opened to. The book called to her, or maybe it was the alcohol that was making her feel funny, but her anger gave voice to the words as she spoke them aloud.
"I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now."
She half wished it would happen but those were fairy tale thoughts, to begin with. A laugh left her then. Oh, how marvelous life would be.
The book lay still then, and the tingle left her body. She barely had enough time to wonder about it before the lights went out.
"Shit."
Shaking her head while listening to the suddenly falling rain, she lit some candles she kept in store. Thunder crackled overhead and she looked up the stairs. Sarah never was good with storms.
Feeling somewhat guilty about her mistreatment of the girl, even though they clashed most of the time and she could hardly stand the girl, she decided to check on her. The eerie silence that followed unnerved her but she continued up the stairs, slowly.
Karen didn't bother knocking, she went right in. The candle provided enough light to allow her some vision of the room.
"Hey, are you up?"
The lump in the bed did not stir.
"I'm talking to you."
Nothing. She found her patience waning. She was trying to be civil and this was what she got. "Get up!"
Instead, she got snickering.
"Do I need to have a word with your father?"
Muttering to herself, and impatient, she walked over and tore the covers off. "Look here mis-!"
The bed was empty.
The laughter intensified and she felt cold dread wash over her. The tapping on the window caused her to look up. Looking out, she spotted an owl tapping at the glass. She ignored that in favor of looking for the brat.
"Sarah, get out here. I'm in no mood for games! Your father will be home soon."
The owl hooted loudly, scratching the window.
"Sarah!" She yelled, she could honestly say she was a little freaked out.
The window behind her cracked loudly before shattering, cold wind shrieking in through the falling glass. She screamed in fear, rain hammering against her and the floor.
There standing, no longer an owl was a smirking deviant.
