All of the Labyrinth movie characters are property of the Henson Family. I'm just toying with them a bit… nicely, toying, I hope.
Some bits from "The Labyrinth: A Novel" by ACH Smith are included to help set the time frame of the story.
"As the World Falls Down" is David Bowie's.
Everything else is mine… especially Snick!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 1 – Snick's Favorite Game
Her name was Snick. She was one of the many residents of the Goblin City, for she was a Goblin. Snick was like many Goblins. She was lanky with long slender limbs, a tiny, scrunched-up nose, and long brown hair that hung down to her waist in a strangled, knotted mess. While her height and long hair made her stand out from the hordes of other Goblins who lived in the City Before the Castle, her most noticeable features were not these; they were her bright yellow-green eyes which sparkled when she laughed, and her laugh, which started very slowly in the depths of her small chest and then rippled out of her like hundred tiny bells on a wave.
Like many Goblins, Snick was fond of laughter and games. She enjoyed playing "Pull the Tail on the Cat" and "Pluck the Cluck" and "Ring-Round-the-King." But her very favorite game of all was "Hide-and-go-Sneak."Snick was the reigning Hide-Sneak Champion. She had succeeded in playing the game more times than any other Goblin.
Now, "Hide-and-go-Sneak" was not a game like "Pluck the Cluck," which her King approved of, or even "Ring-Round-the-King," which he tolerated on good days or fumed over on bad days. No. "Hide-and-go-Sneak" was a game that could only be played on the days when the King was distracted – days when there was a visitor to the Labyrinth Beyond the Goblin City. Days like today.
Snick was in the hiding phase of "Hide-and-go-Sneak" as she watched the Goblin King stand next to the lone tree on the hill where all of the bad visitors to the Labyrinth started. The Goblin King sometimes called them "fools" or "idiots" or "spoiled brats," but Snick was certain at the moment that the Goblin King would have used the kinder term "runner" for this dark-haired girl. His stoic mask had slipped when the girl wasn't looking and his gaze was unusually kind for a few seconds.
As the Goblin King stepped between Snick and the girl, the mousy-haired Goblin crouched down, scrunching herself further into the shadows of the bushes. Snick held her breath as the Goblin King spoke.
"Turn back, Sarah. Turn back, before it is too late."
Snick willed the girl to go on and take the challenge. Don't back out now, Sarah! Snick saw the girl take a step forward and instantly liked her. She has spunk. I could be Aboveground for hours!
"I can't. Oh, I can't. Don't you understand that?" She shook her head slowly, gazing at the distant castle, and to herself, quietly, repeated, "I can't."
"What a pity." Jareth's voice was low, and gentle, as though he really meant it.
Snick held her breath. Hiding time was almost over. The sneaking was about to begin.
When Jareth, the Goblin King, finally made his transformation into an owl and flew away, Snick crept out of her hiding place and began to laugh. Her quiet, musical laughter hung in the air around the Goblin like arms outstretched offering a hug. Snick rolled on the ground and clutched her sides.
"I'm going to be Aboveground all day! Thank you, Sarah!"
And with that, Snick picked herself up and hopped through the hole at the roots of the lonely tree.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This is my first story. I hope you are enjoying it so far.