A/N: This is about as emo as I get, right here. Anyway, last Sunday, my black Labrador/Rottweiler/Chow, that I had for almost 9 years, died. And I am a dog lover…like Sharon Osbourne on crack dog person. I haven't taken it very well, also adding on the fact that school started on this past Monday.

Yeah…so writing has been kinda tough…and drama with friends…just it's been rough. So my WIP isn't likely going to be updated soon, as I can't really focus on old Toby and what all. This is sorta my…dedication to Shadow, my dog.

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth, so naturally I wouldn't own Merlin, or Sarah, or any other characters in this story.


She was the one who found him…

All because she had put him outside, she found him. She was the one who put him out there, in the yard, alone. He was unprotected and alone…and she found him. Sarah was not a stranger to tragedy, her mom left for her career a few years back. She nearly lost Toby earlier…due to stupidity…but she kept that from progressing to a tragedy, in actuality it was only the most fucking stupid and selfish thing Sarah had ever done. She was lucky to still have her brother. However, that event was irrelevant. All that mattered was she found him like that.

It happened in one of those oh-so cliché fashions that you would see on a television program or a "B" movie. Sarah woke up, happy, refreshed. School was about to start, Sarah was still mentally gloating about her magical embodiment intervention induced epiphany. She was responsible, kind, and took to Toby so well that she nearly gave Karen a heart attack. Which was simply hilarious. She still did not appreciate Karen at the time. She was a Daddy's girl and still believed her Momma should be with her Daddy, but if Daddy did not want Momma, what could she do?

Anyway, Sarah's responsibility is a trivial concern, now anyway. Today, she was just taking out the garbage, going around back rather then the front, mostly so she could see Merlin. Every single time he was outside, and she came out…he was already pulling on the lead to get to her, and every time she came back she would feed Merlin and then take him for a walk - even if he was already fed and walked. This morning though, was a different story.

The second she stepped outside with the trash bag in hand, and she did not hear the barking, she knew something was wrong. She stepped off her back porch, passed the trees…and there he was…lying down in the grassy patch on the hill.

"Merlin?…Merlin?!" Sarah cried nervously. It was then she dropped the trash bag and ran at full speed towards Merlin. Despite how fast she was going, he seemed so far away. As if each step took an hour, and with each contracting muscle, her heart beat faster and faster. She was within feet of Merlin, barely a step away…and that is when she saw him. Not notice, not glance or stare, but truly saw him, and she hated it.

His eyes were glazed over; he was not breathing…and the bugs, God…so many bugs. Crawling on him, eating him. Why didn't he scratch them? Why didn't he shake them off? Why couldn't they see he was alive? Wasn't he alive? Sarah's breath hitched, and she coughed up a sob. Her senses were forgone; sight, feeling, taste, smell, hearing…they were nonexistent. The world was silent, numb, and all Sarah could see were colors blurred by her tears. Her body shook, and her stomach convulsed as if she were to vomit, but nothing came.

She spun about, her hands clamped over her face as she sobbed. She could not know how long she stood there looking at Merlin, through him, beyond him. Time had officially stopped, the flies seemed to stop buzzing, the bees stopped crawling, and even the ants refrained from their incessant gnawing. The wind had fallen, and the very Earth seemed to stop spinning along its course. Then Sarah grew so dizzy…God, she had not been like this since that peach…but then the peach was at least mildly euphoric. This was sick, and it twisted inside her, coiling like depraved pythons inside her gut. Her chest hurt, and her breathing was more of a sob-filled heave. Her skin buzzed painfully as she started to stagger back to the house. Her mind empty, she would blink and Merlin's corpse was engraved on the back of her eyelids. She stumbled in the front door, ignoring Karen's confused questions, and Toby's baby-ish babbling. She ran up the stairs like all of her tantrums only she went to her father's room instead of her own. She knocked emphatically, pounding on the white door. Her tears rapidly streaking down her cheeks as she entered the room.

"Sarah, Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Mer-I think Merlin's dead, Daddy he's dead!" Sarah managed to stutter in reply as another sob tore through her tear-drenched lips.

What her father said next, Sarah did not hear. She just watched as he progressed through the house until he went outside, only she did not follow, did not want to look. Oh God, oh God…Merlin, oh Merlin, please don't be dead, please don't be dead, I would give anything for you to be alive, God please… It was my fault, my fault, my fault…I should have been better, God I'm a terrible person, it's all my fault. I should have been there, should have been there… Sarah thought as she paced in her room, holding her hands over her face. It was then she suddenly looked at her mirror, she sat down at her vanity mirror, pressing her hand over the glass.

"Guys, I need you, I need you so badly…" She whispered.

It was then the mirror was filled with the images of her dearest friends…Hoggle was first, followed by Sir Didymus, and then Ludo.

"What hast thou in distress my lady?" Didymus asked. As in most storms, the bottom suddenly fell out, and Sarah just sobbed.

"Mmm-my dog-g, Merliiiin, he's gone guys, I…I th-think he's dead! It's all my fault, I killed him, I put him out there…he's gone!" Sarah cried as she stared into the mirror, seeing her reflection surrounded by her friends. It was then she felt Hoggle's wrinkled hand on her elbow; she turned to see tear-blurred images of her friends. She fell into Ludo's arms and cried.

It's all your fault, you bitch, you murdering bitch. When are you going to learn to take care of those that you love?! You wished away Toby, you broke the Goblin King, and now you killed your own dog. Whose next? Hoggle? Ludo? Or are you going to just kill Ambrosious and then Didymus? Whose next you irresponsible git? Sarah thought as she cried within her friends' embrace.

"Guys…he was there…for everyth-thing he was there. Every sad moment, and every good one he was there. Before Labyrinth, before you guys, before fairytales…it was him. When I had no one…he was there, and now he's gone. He's gone," Sarah mumbled.

Sarah cried for what seemed like forever, which was a very long time indeed. It was not until she heard a door slam and the sounds of a trash bag snapping as if it was being shaken opened, that Sarah paused her bawling. She left the warmth of her companions and left her bedroom, she went down into the kitchen to see her father with a shovel in his hand.

"Oh God, is he…is he really dead?"

"Yes sweetheart," he replied somberly.

Sarah collapsed then, mostly in her father's chest. And she could smell it, she could not smell it before, but now it was there, that perverted and rotten scent of death…it was all over him. She ignored her father's apologies as he held her, and was left cold and alone. Karen, she pulled Sarah tight into her arms, holding her with everything she was worth. Sarah felt the love, and she knew that Karen was a good person, but that did not change the fact that Merlin was gone.

Sarah was about to follow her father before Karen hugged her again, "Sarah, it wasn't your fault, he was an old dog. You gave him some of the happiest years; it wasn't your fault baby. I am so sorry hon, so, so sorry. Don't go out there, don't watch. Robert will take care of him, go rest in your room," Karen said.

Which is what Sarah did, as if she were having another tantrum; Sarah ran upstairs and slammed her door. She did not look at her friends, and just planted her face in her pillows. Hugging a stuffed animal tightly, she bawled like a child. It was not until she felt her friends around her that she quieted down, becoming emotionally exhausted but unable to sleep. Eventually, her friends had to say goodbye with their most solemn condolences, especially from Sir Didymus who whispered to Ludo how much extra food he planned to give his "steed" when they returned home. After that, Karen eventually paid a short visit with Toby, and later she heard her father coming into the house gagging. They left her alone the rest of the night, and Sarah was glad of it.

The next morning, Sarah awoke to her father's gentle shake on her shoulder. Apparently, she had school. Sarah sat up silently, popping her neck and stretching as she shook her tussled hair. Before Robert could come back to kiss her goodbye, Sarah went into the bathroom and waited until Karen went to drop Toby off at daycare before going to work herself. When she was, alone she went ahead and began to gather her clothes so she could shower.

When she entered the small, but usable shower, she slumped against the wall, pinching the bridge of her nose, fighting the tears. When her small sense of composure returned, she began to scrub her skin, and lather her hair with vanilla and banana shampoo.

The rest of the morning was spent dressing, and drying off. She did not eat breakfast; she simply read her book until it was time for her to go to her bus stop. She stood out on her driveway in silence, dressed all in the drabbest black colors, with only hints of lime green. Her hair was plain; she wore no makeup and no jewelry. The bus picked her up, and she sat by herself. No one particularly liked her, so she preferred to sit alone.

"I-I know, I know I have learned better then to wish, but…God how I wish I wouldn't have to cry this week. Not now, I wish someone could help me mourn Merlin…please," Sarah whispered staring out the window.

Later that day, just as school was ending…it started to rain.

And every single day the rest of that week, it rained, harder and harder each day. The earth had mourned Merlin, washing away the stains of death, so Sarah would not have to.

Friday night, Sarah sat next to a scared Toby, crying with each clash of thunder, flinching with every flash of lightening. She put Toby in his crib after he fell asleep, smiling as he curled his arms around Lancelot. She went into her room afterwards, leaving her door opened a crack in case Toby called for her. Her parents were out on a date of sorts, she did not know the specifics, just the regular emergency numbers. She did not expect them home until after three, possibly even later. She went through her private collection of movies and books. She pulled out a nice horror movie, as the weather seemed to fit it perfectly.

She crept back down into the living room with a pillow, a blanket, and some candles…mood lighting and the power could possibly go out. After settling the sofa to a nice little movie niche, she popped in the movie, and had it set to rewind. She then went into the kitchen, fixed herself some popcorn and grabbed a soda out of the fridge.

By the time the movie's climax had passed, Sarah was sleeping soundly, twisted on the sofa. Drool was on the edge of her lips, most of her stomach was exposed, and one of her socks nearly hanging on by a toe, and the blankets crumpled on the floor. If Sarah were awake, she would have heard a soft chuckle, would have felt her shirt covering her stomach, the drool wiped from her lips, and the blanket covering her from shoulder to sock covered feet. A gloved hand lightly traced her chin and cheekbones, and the figure who fixed her somewhat compromising position lightly kissed her brow before dissipating into glittery nothingness.

Sarah opened one eye, "Thank you," she said before returning to sleep.

After that, every time she spoke with her three things, she always said two things. One; "Sir Didymus, hug Amby for me, yes?" which was always replied with an emphatic "Yes my fair maiden!", and to Hoggle she always said; "Next time his highness stops by, tell him I said hello," which was always followed by a grunted "Sure".

Of course, after three weeks of receiving nothing but a thank you and more then a dozen hellos, Jareth stopped by once or twice to console the girl…and of course, to tease her for her drooling and stomach flashing, which of course earned him a blushed but angry look.

And as they often say in stories like these,

The end.

A/N: One: I took a liberty here. Yes I know in the movie that Merlin went into the garage, but I imagine if the weather is well he is put outside.

Also this was therapeutic for me, so if you flame, I'll most likely flame back : ).

Reviewing isn't something I really care for on this one…I just needed to tell what happened without blogging it to my friends or posting it as my first fiction press story. Now the only things that are different from what really happened and the story was that my brother was more like Karen (since I have no step mom and my mom's been dead for years), I don't have magic mirrors, or magic friends, it was just my best buddy Katie that stopped by. Also, when I watched the "Horror" movie I really watched Silence of The Lambs and Hannibal. I would have watched Red Dragon…but Francis Dolarhyde killed pets…soooo that wasn't something I wanted to think about. OH! I don't have a younger sibling either.

….and it hasn't been four weeks…only one.

That's pretty much it, except Shadow wasn't a sheepdog named Merlin. Sarah's thoughts and the dialogue is almost verbatim. Next time I hope to write something nicer for you guys.