DISCLAIMER: I have no right to claim Labyrinth and its characters as my own. Etc.
In the mirror, she smiles
Stories always starts with 'Once Upon a Time' but where it ends, no one ever truly knows.
Chapter 1: Just Another Day
– – –
There was no precedent; no warning.
One moment she was sixteen; so sure of herself and ready to take on the world. The lessons from the Labyrinth taken to heart, and her confidence and victory at the forefront of her mind.
The next, she was six, and she didn't have anyone or anything other than her colouring book and a full box of crayons.
Looking closer, it was one of those books where each space was numbered – supposedly to be coloured in with the colours corresponding to the number.
But apparently, she shot that idea hands down. She sat, oblivious to the rules of the book – to the rules of the world – and coloured the owl blue.
Dishivelled from playing around her room – all by herself – and with a smudge of dried jam – from lunch she made on her own – on her cheeks, she gave the owl blue-green eyes.
Dirty, tired, and lonely, she changed her reality the only way she knew how, and smile equally happy and sad.
With a start, she realized that even at six, she wasn't oblivious. Her parents made sure of that, whether they wanted to or not.
An exasparated sigh.
"Cats aren't green, Sarah," her mom scolded once before. "They're white, gray, black, brown, or a mixture of two or more. But never green, honey. Get that?"
A nod. She bowed her head so Mommy wouldn't see the tears.
She had been four - almost five.
"Imagination is good and all, Sarah," Daddy said distractedly, "but never purple."
Why? She asked. Why not?
"They just aren't- it's that simple. That's just how it is, understand, princess?"
A nod.
She went to her room to cry, because she didn't understand, and there must be something wrong with her if she couldn't get something so simple.
She cried herself to sleep, that night, and promised to herself that she would try harder to understand.
So she asked. She asked why, so she would understand.
"Why do you keep asking?" Mommy scolded angrily. "You should already know that! I already told you before, that's just how it is!"
But she didn't know, so at six, she just cried harder, when neither Mommy or Daddy were looking.
She didn't know either, at sixteen, and so she realized that Mom and Dad didn't know either.
But then again, maybe she already knew that, a little bit, at six, because she stopped asking.
But before that...
Before that, she kept asking because...
Because...
A sigh. A swallowed sob.
Once upon a time, she dreamed of change.
But then, there was no warning; not a single sign.
One moment she was six and full of dreams despite the tears, and sixteen and tired of tears and just waiting to taste the skies.
Then next, she was just sixteen, and she just woke up to get ready for school.
Over the course of the day, Going through the routine motions – eating, sitting at class, walking home – she forgot her dream.
Come the end of the day, she forgot she dreamed at all.
Just another day.
– – –
TBC.
07.01.11
NOTE: Unlike with As the World Falls Down, I have no idea where this story is going - I mean, I know the general direction of the story, but not how to get there. So updates for this story WILL be slower.
