Sarah sat in the very back corner of her chemistry class. While the room was loud to the teacher it was doubly loud to her. For everyone verbal yell there was a mental one and a backlash caused by the original yell. It made her wince as she chewed her nails. Her stomach started to churn and her vision started to swim. She fumbled around in her book bag for her Ipod. The music started and all the noise fell away and her stomach calmed.
"Put the Ipod away, Ms. Williams," her teacher said.
Begrudgingly, she pulled the ear buds out of her ears. The noise returned at full force. She gagged a little but took a deep breath and worked through it. Each movement of the second hand on the clock stabbed at her and made her leg twitch. It was the end of the day; she just had to get through one more hour and she could get home to Toby. She sighed and did her best to pay attention. Well the bell rang she almost screamed in delight. She decided to opt out of taking the bus and walked home.
Her stepmother was waiting for her when she got home. "Where have you been, you're a half hour late?"
"I decided to walk home, ok?" she said pushing past her.
Her skin brushed against Sarah's for a moment and extreme pleasure slithered across her skin. She had long expected her stepmother of cheating but this was more proof than she ever wanted. She fell into her room a complete mess, the pleasure still running its course. Opening her drawer she pulled out a razor and cut her wrist. The pain silenced everything, the serpentine pleasure and her peer's thoughts, all of it. The emotions were always like this, invading and painful. Another cut and all thoughts in her head were replaced with the pain. Finally she could breathe. She dropped the razor in her drawer and wiped most of the blood away. Everything was completely at peace within herself.
"Sarah!" Karen yelled.
Sarah wiped the rest of the blood away and dabbed the tears from her eyes. "What?"
"Get down here now, young lady!"
She ran half way down the stairs hiding her arm. Her stepmother didn't even notice she was too busy with a piece of paper that was in her hands. "You're failing Chemistry! And tell me why your principal just called to tell me you're skipping and listening to music in class?" Karen yelled. "What's going on with you these days?"
Upstairs there was noise and then there was sobbing. Karen's yelling had woken Toby. "I'll go get him," Sarah said turning to leave.
"No you won't." Karen grabbed her wrist, her furry burning Sarah's wrists. It was so hard for her not to scream; it hurt.
"Let me go!" Sarah cried struggling against her.
Karen slapped her across the face burning her there as well with her furry. You know what? There are days when I wish the goblins would come and take you away from here."
"No!" Sarah screeched. Lightening crashed outside the house. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
In a moment of fright Karen let Sarah g causing the girl to go falling backwards on to the stairs. She tried to crawl up to her room but could only reach the top of the stair case. It was exceedingly difficult due to her recent self-inflicted wounds. She curled up in a corner at the top of the stairs. Below she could hear Jareth speaking. She wondered if he was offering Karen her dreams like he had her.
"I didn't mean it I swear!" Karen cried.
"Oh, didn't you now?" Jareth asked. What's said is said. He stalked up the stairs to Sarah. "Sarah?" He reached out to her.
Her eyes shot open like a deer in a set of head lights. "Don't!" she yelled. "Please don't. Don't." She pushed herself back into the wall.
He banished the gloves from his hands. Slowly, his long gentle fingers cupped her face and she flinched trying to jerk herself away. Her mind was a mix of pain and suffering. He had done this to her somehow, hadn't he? His fingers rubbed her temples, using his magic to gently force her into sleep. Then he picked her up bridal style and carried her towards Karen.
"What's done is done, you asked that the child be taken and I have come for her. If you truly want her back I will give you the option of winning her from me. You will have a day, 26 hours, t beat my Labyrinth, or she is mine forever. Of course you could stay here, after all Toby needs you." He said looking down at her coldly. Yes he saw the slap in Sarah's memory and the simple action had caused him so much pain.
Karen looked up the stairs in the direction of the nursery. She had to do it, it was only right considering she'd wished Sarah away. Gulping she said, "I'll do it, I'll run your Labyrinth for my stepdaughter's freedom."
Jareth nodded and started the clock before taking Sarah back to the castle. She would need a lot of rest.
