Disclaimer – If I owned Labyrinth, I wouldn't be here now, would I?

Author's Note: According to the film, Labyrinth is an actual book – not a popular book, but a book all the same. Here I am taking the liberty of assuming that there were other readers of the book that called on the goblins – that Sarah was not unique in that she called upon them, but that she got her brother back. In this attempt at fan fiction, I am portraying the story of Melissa – a girl who was not so lucky. Flames welcomed with open arms, as this could become a Mary Sue.

"'Lissa? Are we there yet?" whined her younger sister as she pulled the wagon down the rough sidewalk.

Melissa sighed, exasperated, and continued to pull the wagon at the same slow pace. "Not yet, Amy," she answered in as patient a voice as she could. "We won't get to the park for a while."

"But 'Lissa, I wanna play on the swings!"

Melissa stopped the wagon. "Amy, do you remember what happens to whiny children?"

Slowly Amy shook her head. "No . . ." she replied, in a way that left no doubt that she did.

"Their older sisters wish that the goblins would come take them away." Melissa's voice dropped to a whisper. "If you don't stop asking such silly questions, I'm going to wish you away."

Wide-eyed, Amy asked, "You wouldn't wish me away, 'Lissa, would you?"

"I would," answered Melissa, grinning. "I really would say the words. If you kept whining, I would call on the goblins."

Amy giggled, knowing that her beloved 'Lissa would not wish her away. "I don't believe you, 'Lissa."

"That's too bad," said Melissa. "Because . . . I wish the goblins would come take you away right now!" She began to pull the wagon again, expecting Amy to laugh and tell her how silly she was being. Amy, however, remained silent–quite unlike her.

"Amy?" asked Melissa, stopping again. She turned to look in the wagon.

A goblin's face leered back at her. She screamed.

"Ah, Melissa," said a familiar voice. "Are you not happy with what you wished?"

Horrified, she looked up into the face of the goblin king. "No," she whispered. "I didn't mean it. I was only joking. Bring her back."

"I was only joking," mocked Jareth. "Do you think I care if you were "joking" or not?"

"I–no. But you should," replied Melissa, desperately. "I mean, Amy may be a brat, sometimes, but she's an okay kid overall."

"Then why would you wish her away?" inquired Jareth. "If she was such an "okay kid", why didn't you keep her?"

"I told you, I didn't mean to!" she answered, blinking back tears. "I was only joking. Please, bring her back."

"Now, Melissa, you know I can't do that," said Jareth, in a voice that was almost gentle. "I cannot give you back the child. I can only make you an offer of repayment."

"No," answered Melissa tiredly. A thought struck her. "Red is red; black is black. Forget what I said–I take everything back!" she cried.

Jareth laughed, a sinister sound. "Did you really think that a child's rhyme would bring back your sister?"

"No," she admitted. She wracked her brain, trying to think of a way to get Amy back. "Don't you have to give me a chance to brave the Labyrinth?" she finally asked.

Jareth looked pained. "Yes."

"Then . . . I want to chance the Labyrinth. I can't just let you turn Amy into a goblin," said Melissa desperately. "My mother would never forgive me."

"Your mother would never remember," said Jareth delicately. "If you accept my offer, your mother will never remember that she had another daughter–and neither will you."

Melissa bit her lip. "No. Take me to the Labyrinth."

"Very well," replied Jareth tiredly. "You know the rules. You have thirteen hours in which to reach my castle–and find your sister therein. Your time starts–now."

Without warning, the scene shifted, that she found herself no longer standing on the sidewalk, pulling a red wagon, but at the beginning of the Labyrinth.

"Well . . ." said Melissa, "here we go." Taking a deep breath, she began the long walk down the slope to the gates of the Labyrinth.

Twenty minutes later, she had not found the entrance into the Labyrinth, and was beginning to doubt that she ever would.

"Something's not right about this," Melissa mused silently. "I've walked around the entire Labyrinth–surely it's not that small. Maybe . . ."

On a whim, she wandered over to the wall, found a handhold, and hoisted herself up.

"Aha!" she exclaimed. "The gate is over there–ah!" Without warning, she lost her balance and fell across the wall and into the Labyrinth.

"Not the best way to get in," she mused, "but at least I'm here." Picking herself up off the wet stones, she began to run the Labyrinth.

Amy, in the meantime, was not having nearly so terrible a time of things as her sister. After her initial fright at being taken by the goblin king faded, she found that Jareth was not so terrible an entity as Melissa had made him seem. In fact, compared to Melissa's description, he seemed nice. Amy felt that she could trust him at least somewhat–and because of this, she answered his every question.

"How did your sister come to know of my Labyrinth?" Jareth inquired of her. It seemed an innocent enough question, and Amy, being the naive child that she was, answered it without stopping to think of why Jareth would have asked her such a thing.

"Lissa got a book from a friend that was all about the goblins, and how a girl wished someone away and got 'em back. She told me all about it, and the scary goblin king, and how she was in love with him . . ." She gave Jareth an appraising look. "Are you in love with 'Lissa?"

Jareth laughed darkly. "Hardly."

"Oh. Why not?" asked Amy. "I love 'Lissa."

"I'm sure you do, now," remarked Jareth. He smiled wryly. "But will you still love her if she does not save you in time?"

Amy gave him a thoughtful look. "Will you turn me into a goblin?"

Jareth smiled again. "Yes."

"I'll still love her," said Amy stoutly. "She's my big sister. I have to."

"You have to?" inquired Jareth. "Why so?"

"Because we're related," said Amy gravely. "It's required."

Jareth nodded curtly. "I see," he remarked, in a way that left no doubt that he did not.

Amy shrugged. "I hafta love her," she repeated.

"Really," replied Jareth. "Then let us see how you love her when she reaches the oubliette."

-- Any and all criticism is appreciated. )