Author's Note: I wrote this story over three years ago, in the middle of my university days. Now I'm the same age as Sarah in this story, out of university for a year, and desiring some magic in my own life. I thought sharing this might be a way to bring it back, even just a little.

Labyrinth: Sarah's Book

It was only for a moment. She had been sleeping for several hours, tangled up in one dream or another as much as she was wrapped in the sheets. It had been nonsense, something about floating around and colorful ribbons gliding through the air. That was the sort of dream that left an odd sort of residue behind, a blissful yet strange sort of ethereal sense upon waking. But it was to be different this time for Sarah. In that bizarre land, she felt a strange familiarity course through her body. She was running, through a green field dotted with flowers of every color, her dress flying behind her. She basked and spun among the soaring petals, a colorful array that moved with her. Her hair came down from the braids tucked around the head, flowing loosely, while her dress seemed to shrink, fitting more tightly around her body. The leaves and sensations flooded her with a sweet aroma. She felt almost serene, enjoying herself immensely. Until she saw his face. Just for a split moment, the Goblin King's sultry visage encased her view. Sarah awoke, jolting to the darkness of her bedroom and sitting up. Descending into reality, she looked at the clock nearby. 3:30 A.M. and no one else awake in the apartment. They'd all been tired from a party. She had thought she would feel some relief after finishing college. Instead, she was feeling strangely apprehensive. She loved living with her closest friends, the apartment was decent for the rent they all shared, and the city life was appealing. Even without all the stress of exams and grades, she simply felt lost. Perhaps it was that movie audition that was coming up. She was nervous, only having performed onstage. She had done several theatrical productions since graduation, but never anything like this. This was to be her first try for film. Her mother may have been somewhat famous, but that didn't guarantee anything. She knew the selection process was a harsh one and had been forewarned and lectured many times on the matter. It was on this she blamed her restlessness and worry. There were so many talented actors out there and only few went on to become big and some of them didn't even deserve that pedestal. Even the most skilled— without the right connections— could end up only in bit parts or in made for television movies with shoddy plots and poor renown.

She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. As the coolness soothed her throat, she thought of the dream. It's been eight years…why did I suddenly think of him again? Jareth still unnerved her to some degree. When she recalled the Labyrinth, she realized she had been very young and vulnerable. So many years had passed and she hadn't given much thought to Jareth at all in that time until more recently. She had said to her friends from the Labyrinth, "I have to be an adult now and go to college. I can't call on you in times of need all the time. I need to handle things on my own." In response to Ludo's sad face alongside Sir Didymus and Hoggle bowing their heads, she had said, "This isn't goodbye. I promise I'll talk to you again. I'll call to you again. It will just be a long time until I can." She had considered calling them many times, like when the exam stress became too great, when she'd had an argument with friends, and when she'd been afraid and uncertain of the path before her. Or when she'd achieved a grade she'd been ecstatic about, an award for achievement, or that coveted role she'd been craving, when the show and all its theatrics had been successful. She had almost called them, but something had held her back. There seemed to be something that told her not to, a little voice in her head. Sarah liked to daydream; she always had. And there were times that she dreamed about returning to the Labyrinth and going on another adventure. The urge had been so strong that she knew she must not call her friends back, because she would have gone back. And this would have been dangerous. There was no way to return to the Labyrinth, the world of illusion and fantasy, without encountering its ruler. Somehow, deep inside, she knew her words "you have no power over me" had little impact, at least not as much as she had believed at fifteen. He was a force to be reckoned with, an obstacle that prevented her from returning. She couldn't simply visit the Labyrinth when she wanted and balance that with the real world. She had responsibilities and Jareth to think about. She considered summoning her companions for so long, but decided to hold off until the urge dissipated. There were many times she feared that as she grew older, she would never be able to call them back. That the power would leave her.

The clock across the room was shrouded in the dark and she walked forward to squint at it, though she had only checked moments before coming to the kitchen. She settled at the counter and looked around. At last it dawned on her why she had dreamed of Jareth this night. She had been reminded of something. Right before the graduation ceremony, she had gone into her room to search for some things. She had put on a necklace from years ago and the seeping memories rushed back into her mind. Then she looked under her bed, eager to see other objects she had abstained from since moving in with friends, with the insistence that she grow up and become more mature. Now she wanted to hold them again, as all glimmer of childhood was to be gone. She had reached adulthood at eighteen, more so at twenty-one, but a year later she still wavered at the thought of growing older and letting go of imagination. Turning twenty-two had scared her the most. She wasn't ready to leave her dreams behind. There was no denying that twenty-two was the age of a full-blown adult. She saw many trinkets and photos beneath the bed, her costume…but the most important piece, the one she was most apprehensive to see, was gone. The leather-bound book that she held so dearly.

The Labyrinth.

Sarah frowned and searched deeper under the bed. How could I have lost it? Could someone have taken it?

"Sarah, it's time to go!"

She had sat at graduation, lulling in and out of the tedious commencement speeches. University was over. Within minutes she would hold her degree in her hand. And then there would be the whole business of getting her job, finding another place to live… but also lulling at the back of her mind was missing her friends from college, forging a new path. And strangely, the thought of her missing book. She could never replace it. It had been a rare find in a used bookstore full of dust from its many bookshelves of ancient texts. Even the author of her book was unknown. That was part of the reason she had loved it so much. Its disappearance now gave an air of mystery to the ceremony at least. Also, the clouds seemed strange, reminding her of a maze. She was sure she was reading into things far too much. It bothered her that even upon getting her degree, she was still trapped in fantasy. Her father, Karen, and Toby were watching from the audience as she received her diploma and degree in acting. After the ceremony, she'd hugged her friends tightly, made them promise to keep in touch. She had a notebook full of phone numbers of those she wished to keep in contact with. Every year, she had bid goodbye to the graduates and now, it seemed impossible that it was her turn. Her father and Karen gave her a hug, and Toby—so tall now!—told her how cool he thought she looked in her cap and gown. They took her out to a nice dinner, but she was so distracted that she didn't say much. So many thoughts crept at the back of her mind. It was hard to focus on the conversations at hand. Toby talked enough for the both of them anyway. She looked at him for a moment and wondered if there was any possibility that he remembered the Labyrinth, but he had been far too young.

She had never spoken of the adventure with anyone. She probably would never do so, not even to Toby when he grew up. No one would believe her. Sometimes the memories of that adventure came back randomly throughout the mundane cycle of a day or amidst stress for all the work she'd done. She wondered if she was trying to escape reality, but honestly, the memories of Jareth frightened her. Some of the quest had been fun, a fantastical journey that would never be compared to anything else; but mainly, it had been daunting and unpredictable. She had been too innocent then to understand entirely what Jareth may have had in mind. But the more she remembered those eyes, the more she would develop gooseflesh at each reminder and tingles that fluttered down her spine. He could have done anything he wanted. She felt silly for the apprehension. After all, it had been many years. She'd graduated from high school and university since, went through many trials and tribulations, acted in plays, experienced family drama, and enjoyed moving out on her own. Her bedroom still held memories that reminded her of all the friends she had made in that mysterious world. They had asked her to call for them in times of need. She wasn't in need, but nervous only. Being finished with all schooling once and for all was daunting, especially now that she needed to audition and follow in her mother's footsteps. She had to admit that fantasy was much more interesting than reality, despite any assertions to the contrary. Her life was dull. That world of the Labyrinth would have been so much more appealing without Jareth's demands and the pressure upon her. She couldn't dart into an alternate world simply because of fear of rejection and stress.

Sitting at the table still, Sarah could not believe that a year had passed since graduation. She had turned 23 a couple of months before. Childhood was completely gone, there was no denying it. It was time to try furthering her career. Her mother had warned her about the selection process. She was trying for a supporting role in a drama, with her credentials and stage experience to support her. But to be on the spot to impress a group of strict judges worried her. Perhaps that was why she had dreamed of the fantasy land, to evade that fear and thought of the process. But for Jareth's face to flash for a moment piqued her, as though to say she could not daydream without him as a consequence. Was that to say there could be no fantasy or adventure without Jareth? She sincerely hoped not. She decided to calm down and rest herself again. The audition was in a week and there was ample time to prepare. She knew all of her lines, had recited them multiple times. Sarah had always been fond of method acting, in which actors place themselves in the shoes of the character. To her, it felt the most natural way to act, to merge with the character and become one, to use her own past memories to conjure emotions, and to understand the journey of the character and its full impact. She suddenly felt more at ease. I can do this. I've done it before and I'm fully capable of doing it again. Settling back into her bed, she curled up and fell asleep. In her next dream, Sarah saw through her own eyes rather than watching herself. She was on her knees, her hands bound tightly in front of her with a slick, ghastly material. She peered closer. Snakes. He had flung them at her once before. And now with them, he held her at his mercy. Sarah was irritated when she awoke this time at around 5:00 A.M. In frustration, she turned over and again sleep came, this time uneventfully.

It rained the next evening. Deciding against staying in, she made some thorough plans to grab dinner and drinks with her roommates after they finished their errands . Though this wasn't usually her sort of thing to go out drinking, she knew staying in would be tedious. She'd tired of watching television. New commercials and music grew tiring. She made herself comfortable on the couch anyway while planning some things out. She watched some sort of drama before heading out, lounging with bare feet as the gray sky sent more daggers to prick at the window. She settled on the sort of movie that was so easy to make fun of in company of friends, yet somehow addicting when alone. A young woman was being followed and trying to discover her stalker's identity, all the while receiving notes and disturbing phone calls, all the while having no idea who would have a motive to target her. Whether at work in the middle of the day or at night all alone at home, she was fearful of this faceless entity that seemed to be relentlessly possessive. It was oddly appealing to sit and watch someone else's problems, a problem she didn't have to worry about. The woman had a successful career and handsome boyfriend, yet was troubled by the stalker, though he never appeared in person. There were a few scares, in which she heard tapping at the window, or thought someone may have gotten into her apartment. The last forty-five minutes were the most gripping. The young woman discovered that her assailant was none other than a young man whom she had politely turned down for a date, an old acquaintance she hadn't seen in months.

"You thought forgetting about me would solve your problems? That it would just make me go away?" He was shoving his hand over her mouth as she tried to scream for help in her apartment on a dark, stormy evening. Sarah was slightly amused by the similarity in weather onscreen and off. It was always fun to have a good atmosphere at hand when watching a thriller. The struggle lasted several minutes for the young woman. Of course, he was stronger than she was and able to flip her over and tie her hands and ankles together. Helpless, the girl was trying to talk him out of his pursuit, his plans of action. "Don't worry…I won't hurt you. I'm going to help you come to your senses and realize how much I love you."

Sick, Sarah thought, yet she remained engrossed on the spectacle before her. The woman's boyfriend was trying to get a hold of her, but the attacker ripped the phone out of the wall and abducted her, just moments before the boyfriend could show up. Continuing along with cliché, the psycho had his own secluded home, taunting her as the boyfriend continued on his valiant quest to find her after seeing the obvious signs of a struggle left behind. As lame as the movie was in plot, she was still impacted by the storyline and events at hand.

"It doesn't have to be like this…I wanted to be friends." Her voice was impacted by the steady shuddering and horrified gasps that plagued a woman bound and vulnerable. Wow, they actually got a decent actress, Sarah thought. But the dialogue could use some work. "I didn't mean it to hurt you."

"I don't want your friendship," the man hissed. "I want you!"

Sarah felt the edge in her stomach rise as a strange shadow fell over the actor's face. He was walking readily towards the bed, where he had left the girl. He jumped on her as the actress screamed, "No!" with such realistic vigor that Sarah felt chills run across her. With one strong hand, he ripped the shirt she wore down the front. Sarah's own hand fumbled for the remote, feeling desperate when she couldn't find it and had to listen to the prolonged struggle even longer, the pleas, grunts, and ripping. At last, she found the switch and turned it off. She didn't want to see what happened next, even if the girl would get saved before her captor could do anything. That obsession and power were too real for comfort. She set the remote down on the coffee table and willed the disturbing images of the film to disperse.

"You thought forgetting about me would solve your problems?" Sarah shuddered as she remembered those words. Why do I keep thinking about Jareth in relation to everything? He was a fascinating figure, but recently he kept coming to mind. Perhaps it was the same situation; forgetting about him would do nothing. She shook her head, refusing to believe it. She had only had a dream and some recurrent thoughts. But there had been no sign for eight years. Knowing it was time to leave for her plans anyway, Sarah stood up and grabbed her sweater, opting not to change out of her dress and figuring she would be warm enough. She worked at the buttons, grabbed her purse and umbrella, then stepped out into the storm. Luckily, there wasn't much wind, so the walk over was comfortable and tranquil. Sarah adored the rain. She always had. Perhaps it was that interest she had in using her imagination, always loving to bask in the gloomy or suspenseful atmosphere, to write, to watch movies, to dream. While everyone else would groan when the weatherman saw a downpour coming, she would grin and look forward to it. That was not to say that she didn't enjoy the sun, but it was always nice to have a balance. She always took full advantage of each rainy day, even during college when the workload was on high. She would spare at least an hour to go on a walk or read a good book and watch a suspenseful movie before bed, then listen to the constant, comforting pattering on the windows.

She waited for her roommates in front of the pizza bar where they were going to eat dinner, ten blocks away from their apartment. But they weren't there even ten minutes after the agreed time. Sarah breathed in the smell of the wet pavement and listened to the music of each drop beating onto her umbrella. Couples walked by arm-in- arm, cuddling close to keep warm. Children laughed and ran around in their slickers and rain boots as they held their parents' hands. The cars on the road became scarcer as time went on. Soon she was alone.

Music floated out of the bar onto the street. But this song was from around the time she'd gone on her great adventure. She couldn't understand the nostalgia, for a time that was so full of angst. The tension bothered her. She had already looked into the bar to be sure her friends weren't there yet. She checked one more time, the tunes overwhelming her as she opened the door. She could smell the tempting waft of pizza and the bitterness of beer. But there was no sign of them from the doorway. She closed her umbrella, shaking it out a bit on the mat and wiping the moisture from her shoes. The men weren't the type that she would want to be looking at her. They seemed a little seedy. Pretending to be unfazed, she walked around looking for any sign of her roommates. There were few women in the bar, the type that wore their hair large, tons of dark makeup, and spiked wristbands. Large hair…Sarah closed her eyes a moment and saw the flash of an image when her hair was large and had silvery ornaments in it. She shook her head and the image dispersed. It's almost as though someone wants me to be remembering this… The bar still had decorations from the New Year on the wall even though 1994 only had a couple months left to go. The music went from the beat to The Police's "Everything Little Thing She Does is Magic." This song made her heart even sorer. It was beautiful, from the time of her last relationship. She'd listened to it endlessly in her spare time, always reminded of her first dance with him. But now that it was over, she couldn't listen anymore. She had considered sitting at the counter and ordering alone while waiting, but changed her mind. Sarah returned to stand outside.

As the rain grew heavier and Sarah grew tired of standing under her umbrella, she headed across the street to use the payphone, closing the umbrella as she ducked inside and searched for change. Slipping in a quarter, she phoned her apartment. No answer. Maybe they're just late and on the way. It wasn't like them to do this, but she didn't want to wait in the rain all evening. They were half an hour late. She also didn't feel like going back to the bar alone. She decided to go back to the apartment. But as she started to open the door again, the rain began to smash into the phone booth, heavier than Sarah had ever seen it before. She had to wait ten minutes until it abated slightly enough for her to rush back out into it. Home was several blocks away. Begrudged, she hurried down the streets, turning the nearest corner to take a shortcut back. A sight made her stop and stare.

There it was, the used bookstore. She had been back many times since, but had never thought to ask since graduation if they had another copy of her beloved book. She was certain that she knew the answer, deep-down. Who had written the book, anyway? Someone else who had gone and survived the journey like her? Or someone from within? It couldn't have been Jareth; why would he write down the words for his undoing? The pages seemed like magic, felt like magic, whenever she had touched them. She had always expected to see an imprint on her fingers where the sensation had been strongest, but there was nothing. She longed to feel that again now. She knew, of course, there was one thing she could say, but didn't dare try it. The last time she had, Jareth had appeared. Sarah couldn't believe how much she was despairing, after all this time of saying that she was strong enough to be an adult, to live without fantasy. And then there was Jareth. She wouldn't want to go back to him. ''Fear me...'' I do, Sarah thought, as much as she didn't want to admit it. ''Love me...'' Impossible... ''And I will be your slave...'' Why?

Suddenly, her trepidation vanished. Now Sarah was drawn to this pursuit, to figure out who had penned the book. There had been no author, no publishing company. Nothing. She couldn't believe she had never questioned it before. If it was simply whipped up by magic, who put it there? Was it to lure a girl like her into the Labyrinth? Again, it couldn't have been Jareth, she was certain of this. Jareth would never give her the option to dispel his power over her (or anyone else) so easily. I have to know. She went inside the shop, the chimes on the door announcing her arrival in the empty shop. Sarah headed straight for the area where she had found the little book, and wasn't surprised at all not to find a copy waiting for her. Her forehead creased. Where did the book come from?

''May I help you?'' asked the shopkeeper, who had been organizing some books. He was an older man with graying blonde hair. ''Oh, I have seen you before, haven't I? Many times.''

'Yes,'' Sarah said, preoccupied. ''I am looking for a book I bought here several years ago.''

''Well, who is the author?''

''That's the trouble,'' Sarah said. ''I'm not sure.''

''Title?''

She felt her breath catch in her throat. She hadn't said the word aloud in over four years. ''The Labyrinth.''

''I'm afraid since this is my shop and I have very little help, I don't have records of every book. I do try to organize by genre and the layout is the same as it has always been. Perhaps you remember where you found it?''

Sarah thanked him and made her way to the shelf where she had found the Labyrinth. She searched the entire bookcase, through and through, and found nothing. She knew it before she searched that there would be no luck. Sarah remembered the moment she had found it years before. She had been searching for something different and there it had been, a little bound book with no author. Sarah slumped out of the shop. Someone had stolen her copy, she was sure of it. Unless she had really become so distracted that she herself had mistakenly disposed of it.

I'm an adult, Sarah thought. That's probably why I can't go back and why I have nothing to show from the journey. How depressing. This is perhaps how Peter Pan would feel if he returned to London and then tried to go back to Neverland. Sarah looked around at all of the normal people on the street, the ones who would consider any thought of a fantasy land complete nonsense. She had to be just like them now. Sarah couldn't help it. Two tears slid down her cheeks. No more fantasy. She needed to grow up.

Her body started to feel strange. She felt like a pariah walking down the street alone. Nothing seemed right. She used to imagine that when feeling weird, it had something to do with the Labyrinth. One time, she had been sitting in class on the first day, feeling confident. Until gooseflesh developed on her arms and legs. She dreamed that night that Jareth had been there, invisible, but with his arms wrapped around her. Sarah could easily imagine that smirk he held as he watched her body react with a shiver. She realized upon waking that the feeling had been EXACTLY the same as when Jareth had walked through her on the Escher staircase. She shuddered, feeling this sensation again now after this incident so long ago. When she finally reached the apartment, no one was there. She was grateful to be out of the rain and shook out her umbrella, collapsing on the couch in a jumbled heap. She was tired, probably from waking up in the middle of the night. She reclined as the storm worsened, continuing to wonder where everyone was.

She was just about to remove her dress when the phone rang. She sprinted across the room and snatched the receiver. "Hello?"

"Sarah, it's me." Her roommate Elle's familiar voice came through the line, the erratic sounds of the tempest fresh in the background. "What are you doing at the apartment? Did you decide to stay in because of the storm?"

"I couldn't wait any longer," Sarah said. "The rain was getting heavier and I tried reaching you…"

"What do you mean? We've been there for an hour."

"But…didn't you see me? I was there, until just a while ago. I got there early."

"Maybe we just missed each other," Elle said, now shouting into the phone to be heard above the rainfall.

"You guys go ahead. I'll stay here. I'm kind of tired anyway."

"Alright, we'll be back around midnight."

Sarah hung up the phone and pondered to herself as she returned to her room. Why hadn't they seen each other? She was positive there hadn't been anyone under the overhang or in front of the restaurant. Everyone had been ducking for cover while she'd stood alone in the same place. It sort of shattered the calm of the day, but at least this way she could stay inside and relax, maybe watch another movie of less disturbing content and happier subject matter…

She sat on the couch and started to look at a book, but found she was too restless to read and focus on the story, however enthralling it appeared. She tried the television again, and it served only to slightly calm her. After eating a light dinner and turning off the TV, Sarah went into her bedroom for something. She caught her own eye in the mirror, her face pensive. Again, the questions consumed her. How could she move on to the adult world when there were still so many questions to be answered?

''Hoggle?" she began. "Abrosius, Sir Didymus? Ludo?'' The air was silent. Sarah looked around. ''Please come back to me.'' And it was just as Sarah had feared. They didn't come. ''I'm sorry it's been so long,'' she said. ''But I...I wanted to know I could do it on my own. And I can. I just want to see you all.'' Nothing. She made the horrible realization. Maybe she couldn't connect with them now that she didn't own the book any longer. "I need you." Sarah waited, listening. She nearly cried. Instead, she looked at herself in the mirror, an adult. It's over.

She plopped onto her bed. "I'm an idiot." She closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to shake off the somber thoughts. She imagined reading her book once more, acting out the lines in it. "For my will is as strong as yours...now I can remember all of the lines and I don't even need them!" she groaned. Relying on the rain to calm her once more, she remained still for a few minutes. I wish the Goblin King would take you away...these lines she would not say aloud, even jokingly. "At least I remember," she said, laughing at herself for talking to no one. At least she'd had that adventure. When Sarah opened her eyes, she saw a strange, brown object in the corner of her vision. There was her book, resting as though it had been on the nightstand all this time. "What?" She sat up and looked down at it, seeing the letters emblazoned onto the binding. It really was her book, after a year of absence. But how? When she reached for it, she realized in horror that there was suddenly nothing beneath her holding her body up. The bed was gone and she was falling.

Sarah screamed as she encountered only blackness, falling at such a fast rate she was certain she would be crushed whenever she hit the ground. Her stomach seemed to fly up into her throat, her dress hiking up and hair flailing everywhere. Then she was falling in the rain, but against it rather than in the same direction. Am I falling upward? What the hell is going on?! She cried out again, trying to make sense of what to do, but there were no options. This force continued to take her and eventually she spun and spun and spun until it became unbearable. She was soaked to the bone by this time, the drops becoming painful with such opposing force and the speed of her fall. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to make the spinning stop, but instead she blacked out for a moment. It seemed instantaneous to her that her cheek was on wet grass. She was still so dizzy, so frazzled from the fall that she could not think clearly. She looked around, the rain drenching her with every second, and it seemed the weight of the world was upon her body and her head felt light by a stifling contrast. There was nothing in sight but a field and storm. Staggering to her feet, she felt the wet grass come between her toes, the shower of water continuing unabated above. She dragged herself not even a full foot before collapsing onto her back and closing her eyes. Where did my energy go?

A shadow cast over her, over those legs which were so exposed. The skirt of her dress was attached to the skin with sticky wetness and blades of grass all over the material. Her hair was completely flattened by the bath. Torrents continued to attack her skin, and at last she opened her eyes, squinting to repel the rain. Her lips began to tremble as she whispered, hardly able to speak.

"Jareth?"