Never Ready

Chapter One: Welcome to the End

By: Aurora Rayne

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Labyrinth or the wonderful Mr. Jim Henson. If I did, Jareth would be locked in my closet.

It was a warm and sunny day with white puffy clouds covering the sky. The air was thick with humidity that made your clothes stick to your already uncomfortable skin. The streets were busy with traffic with cars zooming past one another. The smoke from the exhaust and the steam from restaurants surrounding the area caused a slight haze to cover the air. Noise from the cars, people, and animals made the city feel overwhelming if not used to such a busy environment.

Sarah was very well acquainted with this city and loved it very much. Though the now twenty-nine year old grew up in a small town, her favoritism rested on the giant metropolis. She carried a large camera bag on her left shoulder that held books and pictures. She had finished up an evening of reading in a local park. She listened to music through her earphones and enjoyed the relaxing music while watching the busy streets. It was a contrast and a nice one at that.

Her green eyes held life and warmth in them. They shined in the setting sun as did her chocolate locks of hair. When everything seemed like another normal day. Everything suddenly changed.

The world around her seemed to pause (including her music) and she gasped loudly. She looked around frantically and a loud ripping sound could be heard across the sky. Her body became tense and fear filled her eyes. Suddenly another figure moving caught her eye.

A tall pale-featured man walked over to her in strange attire. He wore a billowy cloak that covered his shoulders and went to three inches above the ground. His poet shirt was white and opened at the throat to show a golden necklace with tight leather-like pants. His boots clicked on the pavement as he walked over to her.

She recognized him immediately. "Jareth.." Her voice was fearful. She looked at him with care and stepped back.

"Sarah," He said in a drawled fashion. He seemed to savor her name but it held a sad note to it. "Something has happened." Jareth immediately saw her fear spike and he felt his heart clench.

"W-what?" The green-eyed beauty asked scared. She stepped towards him to where they were only a few feet away from each other. "What's wrong?"

"I have died," Jareth said in a broken voice. Sarah gasped and tears filled up her eyes. "Goodbye." Suddenly the world seemed to fall apart and she only looked at his disappearing figured and welcomed the end.

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Sarah shot up from her bed in a cold sweat while her breath escaped in fearful pants. The dream had seemed so real to a person such as herself. Her eyes were wide as her pupils dilated in fear. She turned to the tiny night stand and turned on the light. The harsh illumination made her squint her eyes and blink. She attained focus again and her eyes flew open. She threw off the thick covers in fever and went over to her vanity where her large, round mirror sat. Sarah scrambled to her cushioned chair and barely registered the now dull look of her being.

"Hoggle, I need you," Sarah said quickly. She looked frantically at the mirror waiting for her friend to appear. Her fingers balled themselves into fists of nervousness.

Nothing happened.

"Hoggle I need you!" She repeated desperately, afraid that her dream was a reality. Still silence rang throughout the room. She spoke in panic as her voice echoed slightly against her walls, "Hoggle?! Ludo?! Sir Didymus?! JARETH?!" She screamed out in anguish. She slammed her fists on the vanity causing everything to crash together.

"NO!" She continued to scream and began tearing apart her room at the realization that he was dead and her friends were gone. She placed her hands upon her vanity and slung every porcelain and glass item crashing to the ground. "IT CAN'T BE TRUE! I-IT'S!...It's not FAIR!"

The brown-haired woman was in frenzy, storming back and forth across her room wrecking havoc. She screamed her heart out and her voice hoarse as her body shook with raw emotion. Sarah collapsed onto the floor when there was nothing else left to take out her pain on. Her tables were overturned. Her bed tossed to the side. Her vanity things were cracked and broken on the ground. Only the sound of her loud sobbing could be heard.

"It's not fair," She whimpered while tears rolled down her face. She hugged her knees tightly to her shaking body. Her skin was an alarming white as all the blood seemed to have vanished from her frightened face. Her chest heaved in and out with shallow panicked breaths. She unconsciously began to rock back and forth as tears fell down her face.

A crystal suddenly popped in front of her then burst. Sarah was so caught up in her agony that she screamed aloud. She jumped frightened before looking on hopefully.

A letter in beautiful peach parchment and black velvety ink wrote:

Sarah,

Of many thousand kisses the poor last I lay up thy lips.

Jareth

Big fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she read this and she felt a soft fluttering against her mouth. A ghost of a presence pressed itself against her soft pink lips. The tears fell and the letter seemed to melt away before she could stop it.

"Goodbye…. I love you," Sarah whispered in a broken voice into the air and curled up tightly and cried herself to mournful sleep.

Even though we know death will take our loved ones from us. We believe it will happen when we are ready. The truth is… we're never ready…

Aurora Satine

This is dedicated to my friend JB. His mother died a few days ago. She was a great mother and she always treated me with kindness.