A/N: I hope you like this…..am very open to reviews and corrections!

A special thank you to nothingnothingtralala…..who doesn't even know who I am. lol. She made me feel like I was 8 years old again….falling in love with a "bad boy" for the first (but not last) time. Even way back then I knew loving Jareth wasn't what good girls should do but I couldn't help it. And reading her story made me fall in love with him all over again….it also inspired me to write this story. Thank you!

For my will is as strong as yours, my kingdom as great...

3 years after….

Sarah brushes the dust off the top of the wooden box and sits back on her knees. She grabs her long brown hair and puts it in a messy bun feeling the autumn breeze come in from the open window. It makes her antique lace curtains dance and throw a beam of sunlight on the scarred wooden floor boards of her tiny attic apartment. Her very own apartment…

She smiles crookedly bringing out her dimples and thinks of how far she has come since leaving that place…..walking out of those impossibly tall double doors and down those cracked cement steps. She didn't know where she was going or what she was going to do. At the bus station, Sarah had taken account of all that she had in the world: a bus ticket into the city, a suitcase filled with clothes, a phone number and address for a job prospect, a key for a storage locker, and a money order made out in her name for $3000.00 – all the money that was left from the trust her Mother had put in her name before she passed away.

Sarah had gotten into the city late that night and spent an evening at a woman's shelter that place had directed her to. She didn't really sleep that night excited to set out the next morning to start her brand new life. She had gone to a coffee shop the next day and bought one of those delicious coffee drinks she had only heard about and purchased a newspaper, jotting down locations and phone numbers for apartments to rent.

Ultimately, she ended up with a small attic apartment of a very old, stately home on the quiet side of the city. It was away from the downtown area but that was o.k. with her as she was still trying to get her footing in this world and the city was quite overwhelming. The apartment itself was just three rooms: an itty bitty bathroom with just enough room for a halo shower/claw foot tub, sink and toilet, a front room that was both living area and kitchen, and a small bedroom really just big enough for a bed and dresser tucked up under the eaves of the attic roof. It was all exposed wood and original molding. Agnes, her Landlord, was a feisty 80 year old woman with an eclectic style she wore with pride. Despite Sarah's lack of references and rental history, Agnes "liked the look of her," and with no questions asked, took $1200.00 for Sarah's deposit and first month's rent.

Those first few nights in the new place were an exciting time for Sarah. She slept in a sleeping bag she had purchased at the local thrift store. No one checked on her, no one was telling her what to do, or what to eat, what medications to take. She was finally free.

Over the next few days, she started to get her life in order. She went to check on the job prospect she was given information about. It entailed filing documents and cleaning up charts at one of the city's Doctor's offices. She didn't like the idea of being anywhere near a Doctor but she knew she needed a job if she was to survive on her own. The job itself was a no brainer and she had just about talked herself into it when she had come upon this book store that was hiring. It was one of those places that you fell in love with instantly. It had books everywhere, piled up and crowded into all the corners; there were brightly colored book related prints on the white washed walls, tables and chairs placed so that you could sit and lose yourself in a book with a nice warm drink and cookies which they also had for sale. Books …the cause of so much pain…and joy in her life. But, just like everything else this crazy life had put her through; she was willing to conquer it head on.

She spent the first few days psyching herself to actually walk into the shop, and a few more days of making random purchases before she had the nerve to approach the owners about the job. The book store was called Anthology and was run by this young, hip couple who didn't blink an eye when Sarah said she had no previous work experience except babysitting… and that she couldn't really even provide references. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that Sonya was pregnant with twins and was going to deliver in a little less than a month. Andre was desperate to find someone who was willing to take over the store for very little money….and Sarah was happy to oblige.

She had been training with Sonya and Andre for about 2 weeks, settling into the rhythm of work and city living when Sarah decided it was time she used that key.

She looked up the address and navigated the subway system to reach her destination. On the subway ride over, she held the key tightly in her hand knowing it was literally the key to so many things, especially her past. When she reached the storage facility, her heart beat a tattoo against her chest, but just as she had so long ago, Sarah pushed her fears behind her and stepped forward.

She spoke to the gentleman behind the front desk who asked her far too many questions. But she answered them and finally seeming satisfied, he walked her to the locker that her key belonged to.

"I always wondered who this locker belonged to….was waiting for it to go into collection, but it always got paid for. Last year, we got a big payment so this locker is paid through to the end of the year. After that, I guess it's up to…,"he trailed off.

"Thank you for the information," said Sarah.

She could tell he was fishing for more information but she refused to give it to him. Honestly, she didn't know what was on the other side of the locked door either. Once he realized he wasn't going to get anything else out of her, he walked away muttering under his breath.

Inhaling for what she felt like was the last time; she turned the key in the lock, opened the door, and switched on the light. Her breath caught as she surveyed the sum total of its contents. It was her life…or what had been her life before…

She took another deep breath and walked further into the room mostly filled with boxes and furniture covered in dust sheets…her bed, vanity, her comfy chair, floor lamp, her mirror. The mirror.

She looked in the mirror, staring at her reflection, waiting, perhaps…but just like the last time, she was alone.

Once she was able to gather herself, she made a list of all the furniture, the amount of boxes and bags that were collected in the locker. With the help of Agnes, she hired Agnes's nephews and rented a truck for them to move all of her belongings to her apartment.

When she handed the key from the now empty locker to the guy at that front desk, he said, "You will have money coming back to you."

"It's not my money and I do not want it," said Sarah as she walked out the door.

It was the last attachment she had to them and she was glad it was over. She didn't need them anymore, hadn't needed either of them in a very long time. She had one fleeting picture in her head of Toby, her baby brother, but she shut her heart to it. That life was over for her now.

…and so she sat in her apartment by the open window with the autumn breeze blowing against her cheek. She gently put the dusty wooden box on her lap touching the delicate scroll work embedded on top. She lifted the lid of the box and out spilled the memories of the before…

A/N: I feed off imagery/music when I write…I will be working on links to have in my profile to share with you what I see when I am writing about specific things..

Song: "I Feel It All" - Fiest