"Oof!" Sarah made an undignified sound as she fell hard on her bottom. "Stupid wheely chair." She mumbled, placing her hands against the ground to push herself back up.
Ground? She thought. What happened to the classroom?
It had been a particularly rough day with her 3rd period class. This was only her second year of teaching, but she knew that the week before spring break would always be like this—didn't mean she was just going to take it.
"Shane….Shane. Why are you out of your seat?" She asked sternly.
"Well, ya'see Ms. Williams, I had lent Talik a dollar yesterday, and he needs to pay it back now, and…"
"Nevermind, you can figure that out after class. Let's continue…"
"WOAH!" Katelyn (who sat close to the window) shouted. "Look at Morgan! She's walking with another boy!"
Two thirds of the class leapt from their seats and crowded around the window. Sarah tightly gripped her expo marker and sighed.
"All right! That's enough! To your seats, everyone!"
The teenagers grumbled as they shuffled back to their desks. Sarah heard one whisper, "She's in a bad mood today." She sighed again. She really wasn't in a bad mood; she just wanted to get their attention.
More quietly she said, "I understand that everyone is jittery. Spring break is just around the corner and we all have plans. For the remaining 15 minutes of class, let's just read silently."
"That's not fair!" Talik called from across the room. "We didn't have a chance to go to the library this week."
Sarah repressed a smile. "Fair? Compared to what? You are all welcome to grab a book from the shelf in the back. I have some good ones in there."
And finally, a refreshing silence washed over the classroom. Sarah walked between the desks, checking for cell phones that often found themselves tucked close to the binding of the books. When she had come full circle, she opened the window closest to her desk. The warm breeze brushed against her skin and rustled the stack of ungraded essays waiting in her return box. Three more days until spring break! Three more days until I can see him. A smile finally made it to her face as she went to sit down. A noise made her look up just as she was about to lean back.
Then, poof, she was not there. Several students who had been daydreaming out the window took notice. One in particular held a small book over his guilty face.
And that's when she fell…onto dirt ground.
This makes no sense. She was still sitting, too surprised to stand up yet. She looked around at a large stone wall, accompanied by an arching doorway.
"No." She said aloud. "not again."
Footsteps behind her caused her to scramble to her feet.
"Spittle!" She heard a familiar voice command, "who would wish away a grown woman?"
A goblin voice responded, "Who knows, sire? She's yours now."
"Yes, I suppose so. Well, come along now," his voice was now directed at her, "turn so I can have a look at you."
His deep voice sent a chill through her spine. She slowly turned toward him, careful to keep her head down so that her hair veiled her face. She could see his tall boots move closer to her. Despite her fear, she couldn't help but internally scoff at them. God, does he have the same ones as before?
"Human, look at me."
Sarah did not follow his order until she felt his riding crop slide under her chin. He pushed it forcefully up. She finally allowed her brown defiant eyes to meet his blue, mismatched ones. She watched as they widened with surprise and then crease with his brilliant grin.
"Oh my. What have we here?"
Jareth was surprised that he had not recognized her at first. She had haunted his dreams for years since she had run the labyrinth. Running through his mind, taunting him. So, when he had seen a brunette standing before him, he should have immediately hoped to see her.
It was her eyes. That's what finally awoke the realization. That defiant stare that she had worn the entire time she had been in the Underground. "Piece of cake!" He could hear a distant memory echo.
But she was so much older! He often forgot that humans aged and died much faster than the fae. Her face had lost the last remnants of baby fat, showing strong jaws and cheekbones. Her hips had a presence, even in that frumpy skirt she wore. Her walk was steadier and calm, even as he marched her to the oubliette.
All of her finally belonged to him now.