Mysterious as the Dark Side
By Lady Ione Athene
Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. I do not claim any rights to them. The remaining characters in this story are mine, and I would appreciate it if you asked before using them. A few warnings to all! I make no secret of the fact that I am a born again believer in Christ. There is Biblical Christianity in this story. I will be deeply saddened if misconceptions of Christians cause you to not enjoy this story, but I hope you will be able to read with an open mind and enjoy for the story's sake. Also this story is in the evil Jareth category (Hey, have a little faith! It turns out all right!). It is rated R and is not for the weak of constitution!
Chapter 1: Sarah
Sarah Marie Williams jogged down the street that led to her old home. She liked her early morning runs. She loved to see the world before it had decided to awaken. The early gray just before the dawn would signal the birds to begin their tentative trilling. Then as she reached the crest of the hill overlooking the park, the sun would rise giving her a taste of pure magic. The gold, red, and purple hues proudly informed the earth that it was time to awaken. Her morning run was when she allowed herself to think.
She passed an old home that resembled a castle, and as often happened when she passed this home, she thought back to that spectacular dream she'd had at fifteen. She would think of her friends she'd made on her journey, but most especially, she would think on the mysterious villain who had taken her brother. He had emitted such charisma in every fluid movement! She often tried to shake the thoughts from her mind, but today they refused to go. He had been perfection of form. Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if she had not defeated him in the end. No! She banished the thought every time it came. She could never have sacrificed Toby!
Toby was in fact the one she was jogging to meet. The thirteen year- old went for his morning jog since he was the new rising star of the track team at about the same time Sarah passed by her old home. He had only been just shy of six when her horrible split with her father and Karen had taken place. Still, Toby could be himself around her, and they had remained close even though they had to sneak time with each other. Although to his parents, Toby had become the perfect son. Even at thirteen, he had the makings of a tall and athletic man about him. Toby was also a very bright student. Yet Toby seemed to have been infected with Sarah's love of fiction and fantasy. Perhaps he was driven to it through his mother's intolerance of such things, but whatever the reason, Toby was a very creative child.
It was in the midst of these thoughts that she stopped a couple blocks from her old home and waited for her little brother. Karen would certainly put a stop to her son's morning jogs if she knew that Sarah was running with him so they met away from the house. Toby wasn't long in coming. He was dressed in his track sweatshirt, jogging shorts, and Nikes. His bright blond hair was damp from his morning shower, but in the pleasant neutral temperature of the morning he didn't need to worry about it.
"Hey, Sar, how's everything?"
"We don't have enough time on our runs to talk about everything!" Sarah chided him in their usual bantering way. "In summary, my life's okay I guess."
"Ha ha ha," he said sarcastically. "You don't sound very enthusiastic though..."
"Well, what can I say, Tobe... I'm a single mother living off a relative I never even saw as a child barely making expenses. My life has enough worries to keep things from being anything more than okay."
Her voice sounded tired, and Toby mentally kicked himself for bring up her worries. The fact she was a single mother was why they had to sneak around being together. It made him almost livid to think of how the split between Sarah and his mother had been over something that really wasn't her fault, but he never said a word.
"I'm sorry, Sar..." Toby said quietly.
"Don't sweat it Tobe. It's just a fact of my life now. God will see me through..."
Her words were a reminder of the change that had taken place a few years ago. She had explained it to him a few years ago. When she was pregnant, her world had collapsed. Her pregnancy had been unwanted and unmerited. She'd had to move in with an Aunt who had just recently moved to the neighborhood because Karen had gone ballistic about her being pregnant. She was crushed at being shut out of the lives of everyone in her family but this strange Aunt. Their Aunt had made no secret of her Christianity. Sarah had almost moved into an apartment since she'd always believed Christians were these terrible people who beat people over the head with their Bibles and had a holier than thou attitude. Aunt Caitlin had quickly proved her wrong. Toby had met the woman once when he stole over to visit. There wasn't a sweeter or more giving person in the entire world! Auntie Cat, as they had come to call her, had told Sarah that her reaction came from many years of unfortunate misunderstandings. "Christians," she'd said, "are by no means perfect. We are trying to become so through the power of Jesus. Unfortunately it is easy to lose sight of Who is making the changes. Sadly it is the fallen Christians the world holds up as examples of the religion." In one simple discussion, Auntie Cat had put all her examples in their place. While Toby was not certain what to think of Sarah being a Christian now, he had to admit that she hadn't beaten him over the head with her Bible. Her new faith also didn't seem to take away from her appreciation for the beauty of fantasy worlds. Her life had also stabilized after her 'conversion' as she called it. She had a job that was steady and enough to cover her bills, and Auntie Cat was there to take care of Sarah's twins while she worked and went part time school to get a college degree.
"I've lost you..." Sarah said after a minute watching her brother's thoughtful face.
"I was just thinking about your whole God thing," Toby admitted.
Sarah smiled but said nothing.
"What made you do it, Sar?" Toby asked quietly.
Sarah's eyes flitted closed for a minute.
"Peace, Toby. Auntie Cat had peace through anything, and that was something I'd never had my whole life. I longed for such peace especially with the upheavals in my life at that point. In God I finally found it. An everlasting peace that stays with me through any storm..."
She had that look again. Toby could look into his sister's face and it was almost as if she was from another world! She was right. She had a look of such absolute peace even though he knew she had worries in her life. His sister had matured so much so quickly in the nine months of her pregnancy.
"What happened when you decided to change?"
"I had been living with Auntie Cat a month and was in my third month when I first realized something. I had been in a bad mood and had foolishly threatened to have an abortion." Sarah cringed at the word. How close had she been to throwing away the precious lives she'd been carrying? "I'd so shocked Auntie Cat by that statement, I was even surprised. She'd had tears in her eyes when she asked me how I could even consider throwing away my baby."
"But it wasn't a baby at that point..."
"Oh, trust me Toby, I tried that tactic. Auntie Cat had only cried harder..."
"Not a baby!" Her Aunt's voice had been shaken but no less outraged at her words, which were being repeated back to her. Sarah had learned quickly, however, to recognize when her Aunt was outraged. Other than her tears, her soft voice wouldn't have given anyone a clue that she was furious. "Not a baby, you say! Sarah, the smallest cell in your body has a nucleus, which is its brain telling it what to do. The blood flows to it bringing it life-giving nourishment and food! As an embryo, your child can even suck its thumb, move to a comfortable position, and shield itself from invasion. Would you cut off your hand because it's just tissue and bone? No it is a part of your body! It is alive!" Her Aunt had turned away from her sadly and headed for her room. At the door she had turned back to the stunned Sarah. "Your baby may not look like a human yet to you, Sarah. But the cells are knitting together to form a human. They have been knitting for three months now. That child lives as surely as you and I. I could give you a mountain of facts about the health risks that you would be taking, and I could give you the facts on the mental instability of women who have had abortions. But Sarah, the loudest cry I give to you is the fact that your child is just that... a living child..." Sarah had been left alone the rest of the night. Auntie Cat had said not a word on the subject again.
"Wow! I never heard it like that before!" Toby said as his eyes grew round with wonder.
"Neither had I," Sarah said. "I even went to the clinic, but I never made it through the door. I ended up going into the Genesis Crisis Pregnancy Center nearby. I heard a different explanation there too. One woman said it was like baking a cake. You wouldn't throw out the batter because it didn't look like a cake yet. Everything was there to make a cake, but it needed to cook a while to let it come out in its proper form."
"I guess that does make some sense," Toby conceded.
"The biggest thing I noticed was the pain I saw in the girls there that had already had abortions. I heard one girl talking. She said she would never forgive herself for throwing away her baby. I found it was a common theme in them. One of the volunteers there told me there is an immediate bond between a mother and her child, and it only grows with time. The girls who'd had abortions found that out the hard way."
"I for one am glad you didn't get rid of them."
"So am I, Tobe," Sarah said with a smile. "So am I, and so are they."
Soon they came to the point where they were forced to separate. Toby said his farewells and Sarah was on her way home. When she reached it, she smiled. Of the houses on the street, her Aunt's was easy to spot. The house was surrounded and nearly buried under an overflowing yet well kept garden. Sarah knew her Auntie Cat was waiting with breakfast inside. She opened the door and was instantly greeted by her identical boys. They were exuberant this morning and Sarah laughed as they hurried her into the kitchen for her breakfast.
She would never get over how precious they were...
By Lady Ione Athene
Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. I do not claim any rights to them. The remaining characters in this story are mine, and I would appreciate it if you asked before using them. A few warnings to all! I make no secret of the fact that I am a born again believer in Christ. There is Biblical Christianity in this story. I will be deeply saddened if misconceptions of Christians cause you to not enjoy this story, but I hope you will be able to read with an open mind and enjoy for the story's sake. Also this story is in the evil Jareth category (Hey, have a little faith! It turns out all right!). It is rated R and is not for the weak of constitution!
Chapter 1: Sarah
Sarah Marie Williams jogged down the street that led to her old home. She liked her early morning runs. She loved to see the world before it had decided to awaken. The early gray just before the dawn would signal the birds to begin their tentative trilling. Then as she reached the crest of the hill overlooking the park, the sun would rise giving her a taste of pure magic. The gold, red, and purple hues proudly informed the earth that it was time to awaken. Her morning run was when she allowed herself to think.
She passed an old home that resembled a castle, and as often happened when she passed this home, she thought back to that spectacular dream she'd had at fifteen. She would think of her friends she'd made on her journey, but most especially, she would think on the mysterious villain who had taken her brother. He had emitted such charisma in every fluid movement! She often tried to shake the thoughts from her mind, but today they refused to go. He had been perfection of form. Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if she had not defeated him in the end. No! She banished the thought every time it came. She could never have sacrificed Toby!
Toby was in fact the one she was jogging to meet. The thirteen year- old went for his morning jog since he was the new rising star of the track team at about the same time Sarah passed by her old home. He had only been just shy of six when her horrible split with her father and Karen had taken place. Still, Toby could be himself around her, and they had remained close even though they had to sneak time with each other. Although to his parents, Toby had become the perfect son. Even at thirteen, he had the makings of a tall and athletic man about him. Toby was also a very bright student. Yet Toby seemed to have been infected with Sarah's love of fiction and fantasy. Perhaps he was driven to it through his mother's intolerance of such things, but whatever the reason, Toby was a very creative child.
It was in the midst of these thoughts that she stopped a couple blocks from her old home and waited for her little brother. Karen would certainly put a stop to her son's morning jogs if she knew that Sarah was running with him so they met away from the house. Toby wasn't long in coming. He was dressed in his track sweatshirt, jogging shorts, and Nikes. His bright blond hair was damp from his morning shower, but in the pleasant neutral temperature of the morning he didn't need to worry about it.
"Hey, Sar, how's everything?"
"We don't have enough time on our runs to talk about everything!" Sarah chided him in their usual bantering way. "In summary, my life's okay I guess."
"Ha ha ha," he said sarcastically. "You don't sound very enthusiastic though..."
"Well, what can I say, Tobe... I'm a single mother living off a relative I never even saw as a child barely making expenses. My life has enough worries to keep things from being anything more than okay."
Her voice sounded tired, and Toby mentally kicked himself for bring up her worries. The fact she was a single mother was why they had to sneak around being together. It made him almost livid to think of how the split between Sarah and his mother had been over something that really wasn't her fault, but he never said a word.
"I'm sorry, Sar..." Toby said quietly.
"Don't sweat it Tobe. It's just a fact of my life now. God will see me through..."
Her words were a reminder of the change that had taken place a few years ago. She had explained it to him a few years ago. When she was pregnant, her world had collapsed. Her pregnancy had been unwanted and unmerited. She'd had to move in with an Aunt who had just recently moved to the neighborhood because Karen had gone ballistic about her being pregnant. She was crushed at being shut out of the lives of everyone in her family but this strange Aunt. Their Aunt had made no secret of her Christianity. Sarah had almost moved into an apartment since she'd always believed Christians were these terrible people who beat people over the head with their Bibles and had a holier than thou attitude. Aunt Caitlin had quickly proved her wrong. Toby had met the woman once when he stole over to visit. There wasn't a sweeter or more giving person in the entire world! Auntie Cat, as they had come to call her, had told Sarah that her reaction came from many years of unfortunate misunderstandings. "Christians," she'd said, "are by no means perfect. We are trying to become so through the power of Jesus. Unfortunately it is easy to lose sight of Who is making the changes. Sadly it is the fallen Christians the world holds up as examples of the religion." In one simple discussion, Auntie Cat had put all her examples in their place. While Toby was not certain what to think of Sarah being a Christian now, he had to admit that she hadn't beaten him over the head with her Bible. Her new faith also didn't seem to take away from her appreciation for the beauty of fantasy worlds. Her life had also stabilized after her 'conversion' as she called it. She had a job that was steady and enough to cover her bills, and Auntie Cat was there to take care of Sarah's twins while she worked and went part time school to get a college degree.
"I've lost you..." Sarah said after a minute watching her brother's thoughtful face.
"I was just thinking about your whole God thing," Toby admitted.
Sarah smiled but said nothing.
"What made you do it, Sar?" Toby asked quietly.
Sarah's eyes flitted closed for a minute.
"Peace, Toby. Auntie Cat had peace through anything, and that was something I'd never had my whole life. I longed for such peace especially with the upheavals in my life at that point. In God I finally found it. An everlasting peace that stays with me through any storm..."
She had that look again. Toby could look into his sister's face and it was almost as if she was from another world! She was right. She had a look of such absolute peace even though he knew she had worries in her life. His sister had matured so much so quickly in the nine months of her pregnancy.
"What happened when you decided to change?"
"I had been living with Auntie Cat a month and was in my third month when I first realized something. I had been in a bad mood and had foolishly threatened to have an abortion." Sarah cringed at the word. How close had she been to throwing away the precious lives she'd been carrying? "I'd so shocked Auntie Cat by that statement, I was even surprised. She'd had tears in her eyes when she asked me how I could even consider throwing away my baby."
"But it wasn't a baby at that point..."
"Oh, trust me Toby, I tried that tactic. Auntie Cat had only cried harder..."
"Not a baby!" Her Aunt's voice had been shaken but no less outraged at her words, which were being repeated back to her. Sarah had learned quickly, however, to recognize when her Aunt was outraged. Other than her tears, her soft voice wouldn't have given anyone a clue that she was furious. "Not a baby, you say! Sarah, the smallest cell in your body has a nucleus, which is its brain telling it what to do. The blood flows to it bringing it life-giving nourishment and food! As an embryo, your child can even suck its thumb, move to a comfortable position, and shield itself from invasion. Would you cut off your hand because it's just tissue and bone? No it is a part of your body! It is alive!" Her Aunt had turned away from her sadly and headed for her room. At the door she had turned back to the stunned Sarah. "Your baby may not look like a human yet to you, Sarah. But the cells are knitting together to form a human. They have been knitting for three months now. That child lives as surely as you and I. I could give you a mountain of facts about the health risks that you would be taking, and I could give you the facts on the mental instability of women who have had abortions. But Sarah, the loudest cry I give to you is the fact that your child is just that... a living child..." Sarah had been left alone the rest of the night. Auntie Cat had said not a word on the subject again.
"Wow! I never heard it like that before!" Toby said as his eyes grew round with wonder.
"Neither had I," Sarah said. "I even went to the clinic, but I never made it through the door. I ended up going into the Genesis Crisis Pregnancy Center nearby. I heard a different explanation there too. One woman said it was like baking a cake. You wouldn't throw out the batter because it didn't look like a cake yet. Everything was there to make a cake, but it needed to cook a while to let it come out in its proper form."
"I guess that does make some sense," Toby conceded.
"The biggest thing I noticed was the pain I saw in the girls there that had already had abortions. I heard one girl talking. She said she would never forgive herself for throwing away her baby. I found it was a common theme in them. One of the volunteers there told me there is an immediate bond between a mother and her child, and it only grows with time. The girls who'd had abortions found that out the hard way."
"I for one am glad you didn't get rid of them."
"So am I, Tobe," Sarah said with a smile. "So am I, and so are they."
Soon they came to the point where they were forced to separate. Toby said his farewells and Sarah was on her way home. When she reached it, she smiled. Of the houses on the street, her Aunt's was easy to spot. The house was surrounded and nearly buried under an overflowing yet well kept garden. Sarah knew her Auntie Cat was waiting with breakfast inside. She opened the door and was instantly greeted by her identical boys. They were exuberant this morning and Sarah laughed as they hurried her into the kitchen for her breakfast.
She would never get over how precious they were...