Prologue:
"Help me, Sarah…help me.." How many times in the pas month has those words echoed through her sleepless mind? Too many to count. Nearly every night they came again, wisps of sound and broken images that haunted all her dreams. It had started abruptly, for no apparent reason. Slowly the dreams were becoming clearer, less distorted, and Sarah rarely got any sleep at all. She didn't want to see what the dreams held, because it was his voice that to her, his image that lingered in her mind. And Sarah didn't want to face the Goblin King again.
Sarah struggled into consciousness, cursing herself for falling asleep again. Rolling onto her side and shoving one long, dark braid back out of her eyes. She stared at the little white alarm clock beside her bed. The bright green numbers stared back at her: 12:45. Sarah sighed. This did not bode well for her chemistry test in the morning..not to mention her mood. Her face slipped unconsciously into a pout and she pulled her favourite stuffed animal, a large, fluffy white unicorn her grandmother had given her, into her arms and curled up in a ball around it. "This is ridiculous, Gaudior," Sarah whispered into it's silvery-white main. "I can't sleep like this.. but I have to sleep if I'm going to be at all coherent tomorrow." She sighed again, ruffling the unicorn's fur. "Maybe the dreams are over for tonight anyway…" Sarah rolled back over to get comfortable, hoping to finally get some rest, but as sleep claimed her so did the dreams…
Chapter One:
The shimmering blue silk felt soft against her skin as she moved through the crystal ballroom. A light breeze wafted through the room, smelling ever so slightly of peaches. The dream had finally caught up with her. "Jareth," she whispered distractedly, not knowing what to expect. As if on cue, his voice echoed through the room. "Help me, Sarah…" So faint. And so insistent.
"Help you what?" Sarah called, more harshly than she'd meant to. Well, if he wanted kindness, he shouldn't withhold sleep from someone who hated early morning enough as it was.
The Goblin King's voice was clearer this time and the well-remembered tones fell like velvet on her ears. "I've no time to mince words, my dear. Goblin City has been invaded and my Labyrinth is in danger. The being threatening me is a dream lord; I can't fight him in the Underground. Only in dreams, in mortal minds, can he be defeated." Jareth's voice became gentle & pleading. "Sarah, I desperately need your help."
Sarah couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her help him? On the day that happened, Sarah would personally deliver a pair of ice skates to the devil. "You're either very desperate or very stupid," Sarah finally spat back at him. "What would it matter to me if your dear little Labyrinth were taken? Find another mortal's dreams to haunt and leave me alone." This would normally be the point where she would rush from the room in a huff, making a stunning exit, but given the circumstances, Sarah had to settle for standing in the center of the room with her arms folded across her chest, trying as best she could to look furious and intimidating while wearing a lacy blue ball gown.
She could hear the raised eyebrow in Jareth's voice. " You've missed the point, my dear; you don't have a choice. Look at where you are Sarah. I know you remember it. How do you think I was able to bring her here tonight? How do you think I was able to speak to you at all?"
It didn't take her long to figure it out. "The peach…."
"Precisely," came the somewhat dry response. "You ate the peach, or part of it anyway. Do you know you're the only one who ever has? You're connected with the labyrinth – and with me, now – in a way that no other mortal is. You are the only one who can help me now, loath as I am to admit it, and if the labyrinth is taken, don't think you won't be affected as well."
Well. Wasn't that a horse of a different color. Because of one peach, on lousy piece of fruit – that hadn't even tasted that great, Sarah thought – she was going to have to help him after all to save herself. Sarah let out a martyr-like sigh. "What do I have to do?"
"You have to defeat the Labyrinth again, but this time it will be one of your own design. I really do hope you have pleasant dreams, Sarah; you'll be seeing all of them again pretty soon."
"And what if I don't get through?"
"Then you don't get out. I'll lose my kingdom and quite possibly my life. If you don't go at all, I still lost my kingdom and you…well, do you really want someone even more unscrupulous than I am having free access to your mind? It's not a pleasant situation either way and it gets more dangerous the longer we wait. You really should be starting now, Sarah There's a door to your left." And then he was gone, if a disembodied voice could be said to have ever really been there in the first place.
Sarah's rather un-ladylike snort bounced off the walls of the room. Could've at least said 'thank you.' She picked up the folds of the dress and made her way to the left wall, moving aside layers of filmy cloth to reveal a door. She took a deep breath – this is it- and turned the knob.
Chapter Two:
Jareth felt horrible. He was pacing through his throne room, occasionally stopping to kick a goblin out of his way, and thinking of Sarah. He had a deep respect for that girl, as much as he hated to admit it, and he hated putting her in this situation. He'd been delighted when she's taken a bite of that peach, but had always hoped that his first excursion into her dreams would be a bit more pleasant than this.
Jareth has always been one to fight his own battles; now a girl who virtually hated him was off trying to save his kingdom –his very life- and he couldn't do so much as speak to her. "It's not fair!" Jareth stopped in mid-pace, realizing what he'd just said, and clamped his mouth shut, furtively looking around to see if any of the goblins had heard him.
Sarah stepped through the door that led to the Labyrinth and instantly the blue lace concoction she had been wearing vanished, replaced by regular blue jeans and a white cotton peasant shirt. It was one of Sarah's favourite outfits. "Mental magic," she muttered to herself and began walking. Glancing around, she noted that the Labyrinth looked much the same as it had the first time around. It was eerily quiet, though. Sarah walked on, picking and choosing her way at random until she could figure out exactly where she was.
Her watch said she'd been walking more than an hour when the sky started to get darker. How odd, she thought. Sarah began to wish she had a flashlight to fend off the deepening twilight. Sarah hated the dark. She'd always had terrible nightmares, though they'd gotten better over the past few years. One particularly gruesome one involved a dark, misty night and an unseen monster that followed her endlessly. Lost in old memories, Sarah shivered. She didn't notice the fog rolling in around her until a long, low growl sounded from behind. Sarah froze in her tracks as the blood-chilling sound was repeated, this time much closer. That brought her around. Sarah took off at a break-neck speed, tearing her way down the path, but the creature stayed right behind her. She almost wished Karen were here, running in fear with her, hearing the same growling and snarling, Karen, who had always said, " Dreams are just that, Sarah. Not real! Grow up and start living in this world!" Even on the nights when a terrified, tear- stained Sarah had come to Karen and her father after awakening from one of the dreams, she was chided for her over-active imagination. Imagination, my foot…where was Karen now, when it was all real?
Suddenly Sarah skidded to a halt, just barely missing colliding with a wall. She was trapped at the end of a long corridor. She turned around, flattening herself against the cold stone. The sound of claws scraping against the cobbled walkway grew closer and closer; Sarah shut her eyes.
Chapter Three:
As the vicious sounds of claws and teeth drew nearer, a faint glow began to illuminate the darkness around Sarah. It created an eerie effect, glinting off the thick fog. Sarah's breath sounded ragged in her ears. Internally, she steeled herself, determined to face this thing. Like I have any choice now, she thought. The creature began stepping slowly forward into the light and Sarah opened her eyes again, expecting some howling hellhound to be pacing the ground in front of her. But all she saw was……Karen.
Every ounce of fear that Sarah had felt was replaced by a flood of relief, followed quickly by anger. The woman never let her have one moment of real privacy; had she found a way to invade her dreams now, too? "Wh..What are you doing here?" Sarah sputtered, still unable to believe it. "How did you get into my nightmare?"
Karen's response was not helpful. "You tell me, Sarah." The non-answer was vaguely annoying. Her stepmother went on, " What have I ever done that was so horrible that you made me a nightmare?"
Sarah saw red. "How can you ask me that?" she hissed in a furious whisper. "My world was fine, just perfect, until you came and tried to tear it all down! Couldn't you ever even, just once, try to care, to not hate me?" Sarah's voice, hot with anger, had steadily risen until she was nearly shouting, caught somewhere between indignation and tears. It felt good to finally be able to put into words what she felt.
Much to Sarah's surprise, the woman in front of her began to cry. "I wish I'd known you felt that way. In some ways, you remind me so much of myself, Sarah. So stubborn. And so distant; I used to be like that too, living in a dream world. My own mother never cared enough to snap me out of it. I never really leaned how to connect with real things, real people. It cost me my first marriage and nearly my career. I don't want that for you Sarah, but I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry."
Sarah' anger gave way to a sudden wash of confusion. Karen sounded so sincere…but wasn't this just a dream? Her stepmother would never really say that. Her heart wanted to believe her and forgive, but her pride whispered treason at her: It's so much easier to be angry.
Karen moved closer cautiously, as if approaching a wild animal. She laid one hand on Sarah's wet cheek. "I really never meant to hurt you," she said again, softly. Almost without realizing it, Sarah hugged her. Karen returned the hug, her own tears mixing with her stepdaughter's. Sarah closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, she was hugging empty air and there was no wall against her back. The path was clear now, lit by bright sunlight. For now, at least, she had won.
Chapter Four:
A deep growl issued from the dream lord's throat. A growl that Sarah heard. Her head jerked up, thoughts of 'Oh no, not again,' in her mind. But what stood before her was nothing she had ever seen before, in or out of her dreams. There was a dim human-like outline, but it was filled with dark, swirling colours, like a watercolour painting in motion. Deep black, red, blue, and purple mixed with other less distinctive shades, whirling through the form like mist. It was mesmerizing. Sarah gave a startled blink as a water-like voice cascaded from the shimmering colours. "Stop fighting me, Sarah. I could give you so much, if only you'd give in. I could let you live in your dreams…"
"Yes," Sarah murmured abstractly, enthralled by the sound of Achtomis' voice. "Live my dreams," Sarah repeated lazily to herself. Why did that sound so familiar? 'I'll let you live your dreams…your dreams..I can give you dreams, Sarah…' Jareth. He'd said it, in the labyrinth…something the labyrinth..she had to get out! Shocked back to her senses, Sarah regained her sense of purpose. She had to get out this thing alive. "No," she said, surprised at the firmness of her own voice. "Let me pass."
The seductive, shimmering colours grew cold and cruel and the voice, once as lulling as a gentle stream, took on the harsh sound of waves breaking over rocks. "Very well, you shall continue. But you will not win." The dream lord vanished in blinding flash of black light.
Releasing the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, Sarah began moving forward again. Somewhere unseen, Jareth silently applauded her.
Chapter Five:
Darkness descended again, but this time it was a natural sunset, filled with cotton candy clouds and dazzling colours. Soon diamond-like stars filled the sky and Sarah was surprised to see that there were two moons shining overhead in the Underground. She had gone on without incident for a while, but Sarah was not about to let her guard down, but neither was she about to miss this beautiful night. Staring up at the stars, she walked along, listening intently. It wasn't long before the sound of rushing water came echoing back from up ahead. Sarah picked up the pace a bit, lowering her gaze from the heavens. She didn't see the end of the path until it was too late; Sarah found herself falling through the air for a moment before her knees connected with something hard and wooden. It was an old bridge. She could see the water rushing swiftly below her, white waves glistening in the moonlight. A sort of panic began to creep over her; she reached upward for the ropes that served as railings and hauled herself to her feet and looked toward the other side. In the darkness, she couldn't even see the end of the bridge. Taking a deep breath, Sarah stepped forward, shivering when the fragile bridge swayed under her weight. This is not going to be fun, she thought. She kept moving, trying to ignore the water below her and the motion of the bridge. Out of nowhere, a nasty wind began to blow and lightning flashed in the cloudless sky.
Sarah's fear of heights and thunderstorms were things she'd never told anyone. Her own mind was betraying her now. For a moment she stood as if paralysed, her eyes shut tightly.
The sound of her rapid pulse roaring in her competed with the sound of the wind and water around her as Sarah stepped forward, carefully putting one foot after the other. She willed herself to keep going, to ignore the threatened instinct inside that screamed 'Turn back before you get yourself killed!' A wave of nausea overcame as the bridge jerked and swayed in time with the bolts of lightning. It seemed like an eternity of creeping along before she felt safe enough to open her eyes again. This time another brilliant flash in the sky illuminated the end of the bridge, almost 100 feet away. A sigh that was equal parts dismay and determination fell from Sarah's dry lips, only to get lost in the rushing wind. She put her right foot out, set it down slowly in front her…..and crashed straight through the rotten wood.
Never in his life had Jareth felt so helpless. He'd discovered an hour ago that he could watch Sarah through one of his crystals; he was beginning to wish he hadn't.
The rough wood lodged splinters in Sarah's fingers as they gradually slipped downward; the water leaped up to lap at Sarah's feet. Terrified and cold, she struggled to pull herself up again. Sarah hooked one arm on the side of the next slat, hoping against hope that it wasn't going to break on her as well. She tried to lift her other arm and nearly slipped through the whole the missing plank had created. Finally both arms rested on the wood and Sarah began lifting her body, feet kicking wildly to help give her momentum. When she was sitting on bridge again, she fastened her hands in a death grip on the rope and waited for her heart to resume beating again. When she caught her breath, Sarah stood up, waiting silently for another minute before taking a step forward. It was another extremely long thirty minutes before she was able to collapse on the cobbled stones of the Labyrinth path. A sleep born of exhaustion and sheer relief claimed her.
Chapter Six:
Her watch read 8:15 when Sarah at last came to herself, lying on the cold floor of the Labyrinth. She got up, stretching, and looked around. If the bridge was still there, she'd never know; there was a newly added wall in the place where she had fallen – had it only been last night? It felt like days ago. It seemed she couldn't go back now, even if she wanted to. Looking up, Sarah noticed that this part of the Labyrinth was enclosed by a ceiling. Now that's strange, she thought. There were no sources of light that she could detect, but Sarah could see her way plainly. Again she began walking. It was monotonous, but refreshingly benign. It wasn't until her head bumped into the ceiling that she began to worry. She hadn't noticed the gentle downward slope of the roof before; now it was the only thing she could think about. Worry nibbled at the edges of her mind, fighting the calm Sarah was trying unsuccessfully to feel. Her steps still continued forward, as if she were on autopilot, and soon she was on her knees, crawling through the tunnel. Sarah had her eyes staring fixedly downward and was thinking of all the places she'd rather be when she smacked headfirst into a wall.
Somewhere deep within the realm of Dreams, Achtomis was concentrating. He was twisting and turning through his own type of mental labyrinth, looking for something else in Sarah's mind that he could use against her. She had to be stopped now, before it was too late.
Sarah scrambled backwards, rubbing her forehead. It wasn't actually a wall she had bumped into; it was a small door. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she looked around for any bottles labeled "Drink Me." The plain grey door looked big enough to crawl through and there was really nowhere else to go, so Sarah leaned forward and turned the shiny crystal knob, poking her head through carefully. The view that met her gaze was unbelievable.
Chapter Seven:
Many children have imaginary friends and play make-believe games, but Sarah had created an entire imaginary world for herself, perfect to the last detail. This was what greeted Sarah as she crawled out of the tunnel. No constraining labyrinth corridors here, only sunny meadows and bright blue skies, strewn with puffy white clouds. Royal purple wildflowers dotted the velvety green grass, while little fairies darted in between them, shining like morning stars. There was a stream running near-by, the diamond- clear spill of it's cascading waterfall sparkling as it tumbled into a calm pool below.
Sarah's clothes had changed again, this time to the long white dress she's always used in her fantasy games. A blue and black swallow tail butterfly settled itself in Sarah's long brown hair, moving to her hand when she reached up to touch it. The faint breeze blowing smelled of lilacs and honey suckles; it was, in a word, perfect. But as lovely as this world was, it unnerved Sarah. She had a feeling that she was very close now to the dream lord; everything she had faced so far had been a part of her, but nothing so much as this. Knowing the quest was almost at an end frightened her.
Sarah meandered lazily through the fields of her imagination, unsure of what to do or where to go. A bright spot at the top of a hill caught her eye; the sun was glinting off something. Sarah quickened her pace and climbed upward, surprised to find a large silver-framed mirror awaiting her there, resting in an ornately carved stand. She reached out to touch it and quickly drew her hand back, hissing at the sudden pain. The silvery oval was like dry ice, so cold it burned.
"I suppose I should have warned you about that," came a liquid voice from behind her, sounding decidedly unconcerned. Achtomis walked around Sarah, placing a formless, shimmering hand on the flat glass, tracing Sarah's reflection with something like a finger. He turned his head to look at her; it was disconcerting being stared at by someone with no eyes. "You've faced your fears, Sarah, but can you face yourself?" Leaving her to puzzle over the oracular question the dream lord slowly sank into the mirror, becoming part of the flat glass.
The mirror-Sarah ceased to be a reflection. Achtomis inhabited it now. When it spoke, the voice was harsh and accusing. And very like Sarah's own. "Always so quick to help, aren't we, Sarah? Did you stop to think what happens in your world while time passes here? Sarah listened, watching as images of her house appeared behind her mirror doppelganger. Her father was there, holding a frantic Toby and looking quite distraught himself. She could hear her brother's cries, hear him calling her name and babbling in his baby talk that usually she found quite annoying. But never had it sounded to pitiful as it did now.
The mirror image continued it's berating narrative. "You've been gone quite a bit longer than you know. See what you've caused?" The reflection paused a moment, her silence filled with jumbled words from her father and a piercing shriek from Toby. "Rather like the last time, isn't it? When you abandoned him for a certain self-serving Goblin King…" Images of the ballroom and that dance flooded the mirror, causing Sarah to wince and bite back a cry of her own. She had been so close to giving in then, almost ready to buy the happiness Jareth had promised her with he brother's life. All the guilt she had worked so hard to repress and forget about came crashing back down on her.
Seeing her turmoil, Achtomis pounced. "Go home, Sarah. Step into the mirror; give up this dream world once and for all and accept the responsibility for your selfishness." Sarah felt the salty tracks of tears tracing their way down her cheeks. "Give up!" the mirror image screamed again. "Look what you've done, more harm caused by your dreaming. Your father thinks you've run away, you know. He blames himself for it. He thinks he's failed you; if only he knew, eh Sarah? You don't deserve this chance to go home!"
Sarah backed away, sobbing uncontrollably. She knew what her reflection was saying was true. She'd abandoned her brother twice, caused her family such pain..it was time to end this. She wiped her eyes and marched toward the glass, hands out as if preparing to reach in. A small, triumphant smile lit the mirror girl's face and out f the corner of her eye Sarah saw it. The thing was trying to trick her! Sarah's old determination came back, crowding out the self-doubt and guilt. The year since her last Labyrinth encounter had changed her; she no longer had anything to be sorry for. Instead of stepping in, Sarah shoved the massive mirror, sending it crashing to the ground.. When it broke, Sarah's dream seemed to crumble, like a giant crystal ball shattering. Cracks ran along the sky as it tumbled in on itself and Sarah collapsed, shielding her ears form the noise as the world fell down.
Chapter Eight:
The roar of shattering glass seemed to go on forever. The abrupt silence that followed made Sarah think she'd gone deaf. She opened her eyes and saw Jareth's face in front of her, wearing a concerned expression. She sighed deeply, asking, "I made it?"
Jareth answered by sweeping the girl up into a hug, twirling her around once before remembering just who and where he was. Then he quickly dropped her back onto her feet and adopted his trademark Ruler of the Underground dignity again. He was rewarded with a very Sarah-like glare, at which he couldn't help but smile. "You're welcome, by the way," Sarah growled, stifling a yawn. She was suddenly very tired.
Jareth had the grace to look chagrined. "Oh, didn't I ever say thank you? I really meant to, you know." Sarah eyed him cautiously for a moment before deciding to believe him.
"Would I really have gone home if I had stepped through that mirror?" Jareth's mismatched eyes stared at her for a moment before answering. "Through that mirror was the Dream Realm version of hell: endless waking nightmares. No, Sarah, you wouldn't have gone home."
Sarah thought of how close she'd been to stepping into that dark world. If she hadn't seen that smile..if she had been walking any faster.. if her vision had still been blurred with tears…the shock of her close call was too much for Sarah's frayed nerves to handle. Jareth caught her as she fainted, lowering her slowly to the ground. Straightening, he took a moment to look at her. She was still in the lovely white dress and her hair was down. He could almost wish… No, he had to send her home. Jareth sighed and called up a crystal to do just that.
Chapter Nine:
"Sarah. Sarah, wake up." A soft voice and an insistent hand shaking her shoulder invaded Sarah's cozy little world of comforters and pillows. "Mmm, gwayy," she muttered.
"Sarah. You have to get up now. You slept right through your alarm." Karen. It was Karen's voice. Sarah poked her head out form under the pale blue blanket. "What? What alarm…Oh! The chemistry test!" Reality slammed back into place, jolting Sarah awake.
"I wasn't sure if you'd wake up on your own, so I thought I'd better come get you. Breakfast is ready when you want it." Sarah's stepmother was slowly retreating from the room. "Uh-huh," Sarah said distractedly, already up and searching through her closet. She paused a moment, dropping the shirt she held onto a chair, and called out, " Karen? Uh….thanks." Karen turned back and smiled at her stepdaughter, surprised at the kindness. "Sure, no problem," she replied and made her way downstairs.
Sarah pulled her nightgown over her head, picking up the lavender shirt again and slipping it on. She pulled a pair of clean jeans from her drawer, slid them on, and went to the bathroom to fix her hair. Sarah came out a few minutes later, hair brushed and pulled half up in a ponytail. She turned to make her bed and noticed for the first time the peach rose lying on her pillow. All the events of last night – had it only been one night? – came flooding back to her. She'd never been so glad to be at home in her life. Curiosity furrowing her brow, Sarah crossed the room to her bed and picked up the rose. It smelled of honey suckles and lilacs. There was a card with the flower and around the card was wrapped a silver chain. She took the chain of the card and held it up, fingering the odd pendant hanging from it. It was an owl-shaped crystal, with an image of Jareth's castle carved in intricate detail into the back. When viewed form the front, the sloping facets of the crystal made the castle look almost real enough to touch. On the card, printed in bright silver ink, were written the words 'Wear it always. – J'
And wear it I shall, Sarah thought to herself as she fastened the chain around her neck. She deposited the rose in a vase on her dresser, smelling it one last time before running down the stairs for breakfast.
"Help me, Sarah…help me.." How many times in the pas month has those words echoed through her sleepless mind? Too many to count. Nearly every night they came again, wisps of sound and broken images that haunted all her dreams. It had started abruptly, for no apparent reason. Slowly the dreams were becoming clearer, less distorted, and Sarah rarely got any sleep at all. She didn't want to see what the dreams held, because it was his voice that to her, his image that lingered in her mind. And Sarah didn't want to face the Goblin King again.
Sarah struggled into consciousness, cursing herself for falling asleep again. Rolling onto her side and shoving one long, dark braid back out of her eyes. She stared at the little white alarm clock beside her bed. The bright green numbers stared back at her: 12:45. Sarah sighed. This did not bode well for her chemistry test in the morning..not to mention her mood. Her face slipped unconsciously into a pout and she pulled her favourite stuffed animal, a large, fluffy white unicorn her grandmother had given her, into her arms and curled up in a ball around it. "This is ridiculous, Gaudior," Sarah whispered into it's silvery-white main. "I can't sleep like this.. but I have to sleep if I'm going to be at all coherent tomorrow." She sighed again, ruffling the unicorn's fur. "Maybe the dreams are over for tonight anyway…" Sarah rolled back over to get comfortable, hoping to finally get some rest, but as sleep claimed her so did the dreams…
Chapter One:
The shimmering blue silk felt soft against her skin as she moved through the crystal ballroom. A light breeze wafted through the room, smelling ever so slightly of peaches. The dream had finally caught up with her. "Jareth," she whispered distractedly, not knowing what to expect. As if on cue, his voice echoed through the room. "Help me, Sarah…" So faint. And so insistent.
"Help you what?" Sarah called, more harshly than she'd meant to. Well, if he wanted kindness, he shouldn't withhold sleep from someone who hated early morning enough as it was.
The Goblin King's voice was clearer this time and the well-remembered tones fell like velvet on her ears. "I've no time to mince words, my dear. Goblin City has been invaded and my Labyrinth is in danger. The being threatening me is a dream lord; I can't fight him in the Underground. Only in dreams, in mortal minds, can he be defeated." Jareth's voice became gentle & pleading. "Sarah, I desperately need your help."
Sarah couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her help him? On the day that happened, Sarah would personally deliver a pair of ice skates to the devil. "You're either very desperate or very stupid," Sarah finally spat back at him. "What would it matter to me if your dear little Labyrinth were taken? Find another mortal's dreams to haunt and leave me alone." This would normally be the point where she would rush from the room in a huff, making a stunning exit, but given the circumstances, Sarah had to settle for standing in the center of the room with her arms folded across her chest, trying as best she could to look furious and intimidating while wearing a lacy blue ball gown.
She could hear the raised eyebrow in Jareth's voice. " You've missed the point, my dear; you don't have a choice. Look at where you are Sarah. I know you remember it. How do you think I was able to bring her here tonight? How do you think I was able to speak to you at all?"
It didn't take her long to figure it out. "The peach…."
"Precisely," came the somewhat dry response. "You ate the peach, or part of it anyway. Do you know you're the only one who ever has? You're connected with the labyrinth – and with me, now – in a way that no other mortal is. You are the only one who can help me now, loath as I am to admit it, and if the labyrinth is taken, don't think you won't be affected as well."
Well. Wasn't that a horse of a different color. Because of one peach, on lousy piece of fruit – that hadn't even tasted that great, Sarah thought – she was going to have to help him after all to save herself. Sarah let out a martyr-like sigh. "What do I have to do?"
"You have to defeat the Labyrinth again, but this time it will be one of your own design. I really do hope you have pleasant dreams, Sarah; you'll be seeing all of them again pretty soon."
"And what if I don't get through?"
"Then you don't get out. I'll lose my kingdom and quite possibly my life. If you don't go at all, I still lost my kingdom and you…well, do you really want someone even more unscrupulous than I am having free access to your mind? It's not a pleasant situation either way and it gets more dangerous the longer we wait. You really should be starting now, Sarah There's a door to your left." And then he was gone, if a disembodied voice could be said to have ever really been there in the first place.
Sarah's rather un-ladylike snort bounced off the walls of the room. Could've at least said 'thank you.' She picked up the folds of the dress and made her way to the left wall, moving aside layers of filmy cloth to reveal a door. She took a deep breath – this is it- and turned the knob.
Chapter Two:
Jareth felt horrible. He was pacing through his throne room, occasionally stopping to kick a goblin out of his way, and thinking of Sarah. He had a deep respect for that girl, as much as he hated to admit it, and he hated putting her in this situation. He'd been delighted when she's taken a bite of that peach, but had always hoped that his first excursion into her dreams would be a bit more pleasant than this.
Jareth has always been one to fight his own battles; now a girl who virtually hated him was off trying to save his kingdom –his very life- and he couldn't do so much as speak to her. "It's not fair!" Jareth stopped in mid-pace, realizing what he'd just said, and clamped his mouth shut, furtively looking around to see if any of the goblins had heard him.
Sarah stepped through the door that led to the Labyrinth and instantly the blue lace concoction she had been wearing vanished, replaced by regular blue jeans and a white cotton peasant shirt. It was one of Sarah's favourite outfits. "Mental magic," she muttered to herself and began walking. Glancing around, she noted that the Labyrinth looked much the same as it had the first time around. It was eerily quiet, though. Sarah walked on, picking and choosing her way at random until she could figure out exactly where she was.
Her watch said she'd been walking more than an hour when the sky started to get darker. How odd, she thought. Sarah began to wish she had a flashlight to fend off the deepening twilight. Sarah hated the dark. She'd always had terrible nightmares, though they'd gotten better over the past few years. One particularly gruesome one involved a dark, misty night and an unseen monster that followed her endlessly. Lost in old memories, Sarah shivered. She didn't notice the fog rolling in around her until a long, low growl sounded from behind. Sarah froze in her tracks as the blood-chilling sound was repeated, this time much closer. That brought her around. Sarah took off at a break-neck speed, tearing her way down the path, but the creature stayed right behind her. She almost wished Karen were here, running in fear with her, hearing the same growling and snarling, Karen, who had always said, " Dreams are just that, Sarah. Not real! Grow up and start living in this world!" Even on the nights when a terrified, tear- stained Sarah had come to Karen and her father after awakening from one of the dreams, she was chided for her over-active imagination. Imagination, my foot…where was Karen now, when it was all real?
Suddenly Sarah skidded to a halt, just barely missing colliding with a wall. She was trapped at the end of a long corridor. She turned around, flattening herself against the cold stone. The sound of claws scraping against the cobbled walkway grew closer and closer; Sarah shut her eyes.
Chapter Three:
As the vicious sounds of claws and teeth drew nearer, a faint glow began to illuminate the darkness around Sarah. It created an eerie effect, glinting off the thick fog. Sarah's breath sounded ragged in her ears. Internally, she steeled herself, determined to face this thing. Like I have any choice now, she thought. The creature began stepping slowly forward into the light and Sarah opened her eyes again, expecting some howling hellhound to be pacing the ground in front of her. But all she saw was……Karen.
Every ounce of fear that Sarah had felt was replaced by a flood of relief, followed quickly by anger. The woman never let her have one moment of real privacy; had she found a way to invade her dreams now, too? "Wh..What are you doing here?" Sarah sputtered, still unable to believe it. "How did you get into my nightmare?"
Karen's response was not helpful. "You tell me, Sarah." The non-answer was vaguely annoying. Her stepmother went on, " What have I ever done that was so horrible that you made me a nightmare?"
Sarah saw red. "How can you ask me that?" she hissed in a furious whisper. "My world was fine, just perfect, until you came and tried to tear it all down! Couldn't you ever even, just once, try to care, to not hate me?" Sarah's voice, hot with anger, had steadily risen until she was nearly shouting, caught somewhere between indignation and tears. It felt good to finally be able to put into words what she felt.
Much to Sarah's surprise, the woman in front of her began to cry. "I wish I'd known you felt that way. In some ways, you remind me so much of myself, Sarah. So stubborn. And so distant; I used to be like that too, living in a dream world. My own mother never cared enough to snap me out of it. I never really leaned how to connect with real things, real people. It cost me my first marriage and nearly my career. I don't want that for you Sarah, but I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry."
Sarah' anger gave way to a sudden wash of confusion. Karen sounded so sincere…but wasn't this just a dream? Her stepmother would never really say that. Her heart wanted to believe her and forgive, but her pride whispered treason at her: It's so much easier to be angry.
Karen moved closer cautiously, as if approaching a wild animal. She laid one hand on Sarah's wet cheek. "I really never meant to hurt you," she said again, softly. Almost without realizing it, Sarah hugged her. Karen returned the hug, her own tears mixing with her stepdaughter's. Sarah closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, she was hugging empty air and there was no wall against her back. The path was clear now, lit by bright sunlight. For now, at least, she had won.
Chapter Four:
A deep growl issued from the dream lord's throat. A growl that Sarah heard. Her head jerked up, thoughts of 'Oh no, not again,' in her mind. But what stood before her was nothing she had ever seen before, in or out of her dreams. There was a dim human-like outline, but it was filled with dark, swirling colours, like a watercolour painting in motion. Deep black, red, blue, and purple mixed with other less distinctive shades, whirling through the form like mist. It was mesmerizing. Sarah gave a startled blink as a water-like voice cascaded from the shimmering colours. "Stop fighting me, Sarah. I could give you so much, if only you'd give in. I could let you live in your dreams…"
"Yes," Sarah murmured abstractly, enthralled by the sound of Achtomis' voice. "Live my dreams," Sarah repeated lazily to herself. Why did that sound so familiar? 'I'll let you live your dreams…your dreams..I can give you dreams, Sarah…' Jareth. He'd said it, in the labyrinth…something the labyrinth..she had to get out! Shocked back to her senses, Sarah regained her sense of purpose. She had to get out this thing alive. "No," she said, surprised at the firmness of her own voice. "Let me pass."
The seductive, shimmering colours grew cold and cruel and the voice, once as lulling as a gentle stream, took on the harsh sound of waves breaking over rocks. "Very well, you shall continue. But you will not win." The dream lord vanished in blinding flash of black light.
Releasing the breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, Sarah began moving forward again. Somewhere unseen, Jareth silently applauded her.
Chapter Five:
Darkness descended again, but this time it was a natural sunset, filled with cotton candy clouds and dazzling colours. Soon diamond-like stars filled the sky and Sarah was surprised to see that there were two moons shining overhead in the Underground. She had gone on without incident for a while, but Sarah was not about to let her guard down, but neither was she about to miss this beautiful night. Staring up at the stars, she walked along, listening intently. It wasn't long before the sound of rushing water came echoing back from up ahead. Sarah picked up the pace a bit, lowering her gaze from the heavens. She didn't see the end of the path until it was too late; Sarah found herself falling through the air for a moment before her knees connected with something hard and wooden. It was an old bridge. She could see the water rushing swiftly below her, white waves glistening in the moonlight. A sort of panic began to creep over her; she reached upward for the ropes that served as railings and hauled herself to her feet and looked toward the other side. In the darkness, she couldn't even see the end of the bridge. Taking a deep breath, Sarah stepped forward, shivering when the fragile bridge swayed under her weight. This is not going to be fun, she thought. She kept moving, trying to ignore the water below her and the motion of the bridge. Out of nowhere, a nasty wind began to blow and lightning flashed in the cloudless sky.
Sarah's fear of heights and thunderstorms were things she'd never told anyone. Her own mind was betraying her now. For a moment she stood as if paralysed, her eyes shut tightly.
The sound of her rapid pulse roaring in her competed with the sound of the wind and water around her as Sarah stepped forward, carefully putting one foot after the other. She willed herself to keep going, to ignore the threatened instinct inside that screamed 'Turn back before you get yourself killed!' A wave of nausea overcame as the bridge jerked and swayed in time with the bolts of lightning. It seemed like an eternity of creeping along before she felt safe enough to open her eyes again. This time another brilliant flash in the sky illuminated the end of the bridge, almost 100 feet away. A sigh that was equal parts dismay and determination fell from Sarah's dry lips, only to get lost in the rushing wind. She put her right foot out, set it down slowly in front her…..and crashed straight through the rotten wood.
Never in his life had Jareth felt so helpless. He'd discovered an hour ago that he could watch Sarah through one of his crystals; he was beginning to wish he hadn't.
The rough wood lodged splinters in Sarah's fingers as they gradually slipped downward; the water leaped up to lap at Sarah's feet. Terrified and cold, she struggled to pull herself up again. Sarah hooked one arm on the side of the next slat, hoping against hope that it wasn't going to break on her as well. She tried to lift her other arm and nearly slipped through the whole the missing plank had created. Finally both arms rested on the wood and Sarah began lifting her body, feet kicking wildly to help give her momentum. When she was sitting on bridge again, she fastened her hands in a death grip on the rope and waited for her heart to resume beating again. When she caught her breath, Sarah stood up, waiting silently for another minute before taking a step forward. It was another extremely long thirty minutes before she was able to collapse on the cobbled stones of the Labyrinth path. A sleep born of exhaustion and sheer relief claimed her.
Chapter Six:
Her watch read 8:15 when Sarah at last came to herself, lying on the cold floor of the Labyrinth. She got up, stretching, and looked around. If the bridge was still there, she'd never know; there was a newly added wall in the place where she had fallen – had it only been last night? It felt like days ago. It seemed she couldn't go back now, even if she wanted to. Looking up, Sarah noticed that this part of the Labyrinth was enclosed by a ceiling. Now that's strange, she thought. There were no sources of light that she could detect, but Sarah could see her way plainly. Again she began walking. It was monotonous, but refreshingly benign. It wasn't until her head bumped into the ceiling that she began to worry. She hadn't noticed the gentle downward slope of the roof before; now it was the only thing she could think about. Worry nibbled at the edges of her mind, fighting the calm Sarah was trying unsuccessfully to feel. Her steps still continued forward, as if she were on autopilot, and soon she was on her knees, crawling through the tunnel. Sarah had her eyes staring fixedly downward and was thinking of all the places she'd rather be when she smacked headfirst into a wall.
Somewhere deep within the realm of Dreams, Achtomis was concentrating. He was twisting and turning through his own type of mental labyrinth, looking for something else in Sarah's mind that he could use against her. She had to be stopped now, before it was too late.
Sarah scrambled backwards, rubbing her forehead. It wasn't actually a wall she had bumped into; it was a small door. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she looked around for any bottles labeled "Drink Me." The plain grey door looked big enough to crawl through and there was really nowhere else to go, so Sarah leaned forward and turned the shiny crystal knob, poking her head through carefully. The view that met her gaze was unbelievable.
Chapter Seven:
Many children have imaginary friends and play make-believe games, but Sarah had created an entire imaginary world for herself, perfect to the last detail. This was what greeted Sarah as she crawled out of the tunnel. No constraining labyrinth corridors here, only sunny meadows and bright blue skies, strewn with puffy white clouds. Royal purple wildflowers dotted the velvety green grass, while little fairies darted in between them, shining like morning stars. There was a stream running near-by, the diamond- clear spill of it's cascading waterfall sparkling as it tumbled into a calm pool below.
Sarah's clothes had changed again, this time to the long white dress she's always used in her fantasy games. A blue and black swallow tail butterfly settled itself in Sarah's long brown hair, moving to her hand when she reached up to touch it. The faint breeze blowing smelled of lilacs and honey suckles; it was, in a word, perfect. But as lovely as this world was, it unnerved Sarah. She had a feeling that she was very close now to the dream lord; everything she had faced so far had been a part of her, but nothing so much as this. Knowing the quest was almost at an end frightened her.
Sarah meandered lazily through the fields of her imagination, unsure of what to do or where to go. A bright spot at the top of a hill caught her eye; the sun was glinting off something. Sarah quickened her pace and climbed upward, surprised to find a large silver-framed mirror awaiting her there, resting in an ornately carved stand. She reached out to touch it and quickly drew her hand back, hissing at the sudden pain. The silvery oval was like dry ice, so cold it burned.
"I suppose I should have warned you about that," came a liquid voice from behind her, sounding decidedly unconcerned. Achtomis walked around Sarah, placing a formless, shimmering hand on the flat glass, tracing Sarah's reflection with something like a finger. He turned his head to look at her; it was disconcerting being stared at by someone with no eyes. "You've faced your fears, Sarah, but can you face yourself?" Leaving her to puzzle over the oracular question the dream lord slowly sank into the mirror, becoming part of the flat glass.
The mirror-Sarah ceased to be a reflection. Achtomis inhabited it now. When it spoke, the voice was harsh and accusing. And very like Sarah's own. "Always so quick to help, aren't we, Sarah? Did you stop to think what happens in your world while time passes here? Sarah listened, watching as images of her house appeared behind her mirror doppelganger. Her father was there, holding a frantic Toby and looking quite distraught himself. She could hear her brother's cries, hear him calling her name and babbling in his baby talk that usually she found quite annoying. But never had it sounded to pitiful as it did now.
The mirror image continued it's berating narrative. "You've been gone quite a bit longer than you know. See what you've caused?" The reflection paused a moment, her silence filled with jumbled words from her father and a piercing shriek from Toby. "Rather like the last time, isn't it? When you abandoned him for a certain self-serving Goblin King…" Images of the ballroom and that dance flooded the mirror, causing Sarah to wince and bite back a cry of her own. She had been so close to giving in then, almost ready to buy the happiness Jareth had promised her with he brother's life. All the guilt she had worked so hard to repress and forget about came crashing back down on her.
Seeing her turmoil, Achtomis pounced. "Go home, Sarah. Step into the mirror; give up this dream world once and for all and accept the responsibility for your selfishness." Sarah felt the salty tracks of tears tracing their way down her cheeks. "Give up!" the mirror image screamed again. "Look what you've done, more harm caused by your dreaming. Your father thinks you've run away, you know. He blames himself for it. He thinks he's failed you; if only he knew, eh Sarah? You don't deserve this chance to go home!"
Sarah backed away, sobbing uncontrollably. She knew what her reflection was saying was true. She'd abandoned her brother twice, caused her family such pain..it was time to end this. She wiped her eyes and marched toward the glass, hands out as if preparing to reach in. A small, triumphant smile lit the mirror girl's face and out f the corner of her eye Sarah saw it. The thing was trying to trick her! Sarah's old determination came back, crowding out the self-doubt and guilt. The year since her last Labyrinth encounter had changed her; she no longer had anything to be sorry for. Instead of stepping in, Sarah shoved the massive mirror, sending it crashing to the ground.. When it broke, Sarah's dream seemed to crumble, like a giant crystal ball shattering. Cracks ran along the sky as it tumbled in on itself and Sarah collapsed, shielding her ears form the noise as the world fell down.
Chapter Eight:
The roar of shattering glass seemed to go on forever. The abrupt silence that followed made Sarah think she'd gone deaf. She opened her eyes and saw Jareth's face in front of her, wearing a concerned expression. She sighed deeply, asking, "I made it?"
Jareth answered by sweeping the girl up into a hug, twirling her around once before remembering just who and where he was. Then he quickly dropped her back onto her feet and adopted his trademark Ruler of the Underground dignity again. He was rewarded with a very Sarah-like glare, at which he couldn't help but smile. "You're welcome, by the way," Sarah growled, stifling a yawn. She was suddenly very tired.
Jareth had the grace to look chagrined. "Oh, didn't I ever say thank you? I really meant to, you know." Sarah eyed him cautiously for a moment before deciding to believe him.
"Would I really have gone home if I had stepped through that mirror?" Jareth's mismatched eyes stared at her for a moment before answering. "Through that mirror was the Dream Realm version of hell: endless waking nightmares. No, Sarah, you wouldn't have gone home."
Sarah thought of how close she'd been to stepping into that dark world. If she hadn't seen that smile..if she had been walking any faster.. if her vision had still been blurred with tears…the shock of her close call was too much for Sarah's frayed nerves to handle. Jareth caught her as she fainted, lowering her slowly to the ground. Straightening, he took a moment to look at her. She was still in the lovely white dress and her hair was down. He could almost wish… No, he had to send her home. Jareth sighed and called up a crystal to do just that.
Chapter Nine:
"Sarah. Sarah, wake up." A soft voice and an insistent hand shaking her shoulder invaded Sarah's cozy little world of comforters and pillows. "Mmm, gwayy," she muttered.
"Sarah. You have to get up now. You slept right through your alarm." Karen. It was Karen's voice. Sarah poked her head out form under the pale blue blanket. "What? What alarm…Oh! The chemistry test!" Reality slammed back into place, jolting Sarah awake.
"I wasn't sure if you'd wake up on your own, so I thought I'd better come get you. Breakfast is ready when you want it." Sarah's stepmother was slowly retreating from the room. "Uh-huh," Sarah said distractedly, already up and searching through her closet. She paused a moment, dropping the shirt she held onto a chair, and called out, " Karen? Uh….thanks." Karen turned back and smiled at her stepdaughter, surprised at the kindness. "Sure, no problem," she replied and made her way downstairs.
Sarah pulled her nightgown over her head, picking up the lavender shirt again and slipping it on. She pulled a pair of clean jeans from her drawer, slid them on, and went to the bathroom to fix her hair. Sarah came out a few minutes later, hair brushed and pulled half up in a ponytail. She turned to make her bed and noticed for the first time the peach rose lying on her pillow. All the events of last night – had it only been one night? – came flooding back to her. She'd never been so glad to be at home in her life. Curiosity furrowing her brow, Sarah crossed the room to her bed and picked up the rose. It smelled of honey suckles and lilacs. There was a card with the flower and around the card was wrapped a silver chain. She took the chain of the card and held it up, fingering the odd pendant hanging from it. It was an owl-shaped crystal, with an image of Jareth's castle carved in intricate detail into the back. When viewed form the front, the sloping facets of the crystal made the castle look almost real enough to touch. On the card, printed in bright silver ink, were written the words 'Wear it always. – J'
And wear it I shall, Sarah thought to herself as she fastened the chain around her neck. She deposited the rose in a vase on her dresser, smelling it one last time before running down the stairs for breakfast.