Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth, not even a copy of the movie, more's the pity, and I do not own any of the characters from the original movie. Victoria Matthews and her nieces are, however, my very own creation.
Enjoy the story. Or not. :) I've enjoyed writing it, and that's good enough for me. But if you do like it, I'd love to hear from you. If you don't like it, I'd like to hear from you anyway so I can find out what I can do to make it better. Constructive criticism always welcome. I've rated it T just to be safe, but you will not find any sex or foul language in my story. Maybe a hot kiss here and there, I mean, what's a good romance without at least one of those? But nothing more than that. Promise. :) Anyway, on to the story.
Prologue
Choices are funny things. In a split second, our entire lives can change simply because of a decision we make. What path should I take? What college should I go to? What career should I pursue? What man should I marry? Sometimes it seems we are given no options, but upon careful scrutiny, we can see how a string of choices led us to the point where we no longer had the power to choose.
Choices I made as a young girl would lead me down a path that, while I traveled it, made me sick with fear and self-loathing. I hated him, too. Or so I thought. But even that was a choice, one which I would eventually come to question the most profoundly of all.
Nothing is as it seems
Chapter 1
Thunder rumbled in the distance as I set two cups of steaming hot cocoa on the coffee table. I cast a worried glance at the window, hoping the storm wouldn't waken Baby Tory. "Tell me the story about Lady Emma and King Jareth," Emmy, my five year old niece, pleaded for the tenth time since I had arrived for the evening.
"Don't you ever get tired of hearing that silly story?" I shook my head and settled down on the sofa next to the little girl.
"No. The princess has my name." Emmy pulled her favorite blanket over her shoulders and lay her head against me. "Tell me the story, please. You promised."
"So you only like the story because the princess is named Emma?"
"No, Aunt Ria." Emmy giggled. "She has my name and she's beautiful."
I couldn't help but laugh at the child's candor. Some day, maybe, I would tell her how I had adjusted the story to make it more appealing to her. "Of course, you know she wasn't nearly as beautiful as my Emma." I poked her in the side and delighted to hear the little girl squeals that ensued. Would I ever find the right man with whom to settle down and have children of my own to tease and pamper? I gave an inward sigh as the possibility for that seemed remote. For now, my brother's children would have to do.
"King Jareth stole Lady Emma's baby sister," Emmy recounted, "then fell in love with her as she ran through the maze to his castle where he kept the baby."
I chuckled. "So maybe you'd rather tell the story, huh?" I took a sip of hot chocolate and eyed my niece with eyebrows arched.
"I know it by heart."
"I know you do."
"You tell it." Emmy grabbed her cup and took a sip, leaving a sticky marshmallow mustache on her upper lip.
"Alright." I took a deep breath and began. "Emma was a normal girl who got tired of babysitting her baby sister who never stopped crying."
My mouth spoke the words, but my mind wandered back to my girlhood. Sarah Williams, my best friend, had first introduced me to the story of the Labyrinth and the cruel, calculating king of the goblins. We made up stories of the Underground and acted them out, taking turns being the lady in the labyrinth or King Jareth. Shortly after we turned fifteen, Sarah's stories turned ever more sinister and distorted, and I think she only played along because of me. Her heart was no longer in it, and I brought it up less and less until our fantasizing together stopped altogether. I couldn't give it up, however, and continued to make up stories of the Underground. Naturally, in every one, Jareth fell hopelessly in love with me. Only when real life finally took over did I put aside my childish fantasies.
"Emma looked through the crowd of dancers. Where was he?" The words flowed as my mind conjured up the surreal ball scene Sarah and I had imagined before she lost interest.
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Emmy sit up straighter. For some odd reason, this was her favorite part of the story, too.
"He was near." I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Emma sensed his presence. Could feel his cool breath on her shoulder, yet she could not see him. And then–" A shrill cry from the upstairs bedroom stopped me in mid-sentence. "Oh, Tory." With a sigh, I scrambled to my feet and looked down at a disappointed Emmy. "Let me get her bottle ready, then I think you need to get yourself to bed."
"But you didn't finish the story."
"We'll finish it later."
"But I want to hear it now."
I hurried into the kitchen, Emmy hot on my heels. "Go brush your teeth and get into bed. I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in."
"But–"
"Emma Louise Garrett, please!" I snapped. "Just do as you're told."
With her bottom lip trembling, Emmy took two steps backward then turned and ran upstairs.
Guilt wrapped it's cold, suffocating arms around me. Now I would have to finish the story just to get back in Emmy's good graces. Why had I snapped like that? Raw nerves. But why? Simply because of the retelling of this story? It shouldn't affect me so deeply. I was now a grown woman, not a child of fifteen.
The baby's frenzied cries drew my mind back to the task at hand. I hurried to fix the bottle then ran upstairs.
Emmy stood in the doorway of Tory's room, sniffling. "I wish the goblins would come and–"
No! I tried to scream, but only a choked gasp came out of my lips. The bottle fell from my hands and clattered onto the wooden floor.
"–and take you away right now!" Emmy finished.
It was just a childhood fantasy, I reminded myself. They were just words. But as the lightening flashed and thunder rattled the windows, my alarm grew. And then...
Nothing.
A sickening silence permeated the baby's room. I bolted past Emmy to the crib.
"Tory?" I yanked off the blanket only to reveal an empty crib. "She's gone!" Tears sprang to my eyes, and I turned on my little niece. "Emmy, what have you done?" My head swam. It couldn't be true. The labyrinth was only make believe...
Wasn't it?
"I'm-I'm sorry." Emmy backed away and began to cry. "I didn't mean it for real."
I grabbed fistfuls of my own hair and began to pace. "What do I do? What can I do?"
"I wish-" Emmy began in a shaky voice.
I whirled around and glared at her. "Enough with your wishing, child! You'll not change anything, now."
She cowered in the corner, her lips trembling. "I wish the goblins would come and take me away."
"No, Emmy." Heartsick and feeling more guilt than ever, I fell to my knees and hugged her tightly.
Thunder crashed as a jagged flash ripped through the sky. The window burst open. With a scream, Emmy buried her face in my chest. A great white owl flew in the window, straight at us. I tightened my hold on the child with one arm while warding off the charging bird with the other.
"I've got you, Emmy. No one will take you as long as we hold on to each other." I wondered at the truth of my own words. I had to believe them if I was going to fight.
The owl circled the room and swooped down a second time.
"Go away!" I cried. I scrunched my eyes closed so tightly my head throbbed. "This isn't real. I'm having a nightmare." But when I opened my eyes, I knew it was no dream. The shutters banged, the curtains billowed as wind and icy rain gusted in. The owl hovered in the middle of the room then vanished. In it's place, a long, thin shadow grew, engulfing Emmy and me in its darkness. I could feel my bottom jaw drop open. Shoved Emmy behind me in an attempt to shield her from whatever evil materialized before us. Emmy's little hands gripped at my pants leg, assuring me she was still there. Suddenly, the shadow filled out and took the shape of a man.
"Snickers and marshmallows!" I gasped and stumbled backward, tripping over a whimpering Emmy. "Run, Emmy! Get out of here."