Title: A Birthday to Remember
Author: ~ Britican
Rating: M- just because I'm not 100% sure of where I'm going with this. I am on chapter 8 now. LoL
Notes: Blah! This was on ff.n . It's unfinished, as of now. I'll post chapter by chapter and so forth. Some people who reviewed like it, and I hope you do as well! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own none of the Labyrinth. Nothing, and from here on out. Only a few characters I make up.
A/N UPDATE: I wrote this about 5 years ago, and this is only the first 3 chapters, the others were lost, so in a bit I will go and re-write all the chapters and fix them up better. Some readers may remember this as about 20 reviewers were angry with me for killing off a character who, will not die in the reposting as they might recall I had done an alternate ending. These chapters are poorly written in my opinon so look for updates of my writings. Working on current story Hard to Let Go posted elsewhere on here under my name.
A mystery gift
"It pains me so, this unbearable silence of the heart. My lips dare not trespass into the war torn desert of agonizing emotions that stir me so. If I knew then what I know now, then spared a millennia of lonely-ness and antagonistic thoughts chewing at me, I would be. Refused you once, out of ignorance but again, be it not so…" recited Sarah on the stage into the warm spot lights. The stage and the audience were dark, not a sole could be seen if the cast wanted to spot friends or family at this moment.
It was opening night at the Raindrop Theatre, located on the outskirts of London. Toby sat in the crowd watching his now 24 yr. old sister act. He was nine and hardly understood the meaning of the piece but enjoyed his sister's company. His parents were too busy to be here tonight, like every night, so he sat alone, towards the aisle. After Sarah's last appearance he would leave for the dressing room to meet up with his sister. Toby didn't mind; he got chocolate and sweets as he wished. He came to every other practice with Sarah and knew the troupe quite well. They all were friends. "...with my years of growth. I have enjoyed my thoughts and regretted your absence. Alas, you are not evermore to meet me. Farewell, until we meet in a more pleasant land," Sarah fell and was dragged off stage. Knowing his cue, Toby silently rose with his backpack and headed into the dark vom. It was also Sarah's birthday, her 25th. Sarah's troupe was to take them out to dinner, and Toby was rather excited.
"Excuse me, young man," a soft British voice spoke to Toby and stood in his path in the dark hallway, hidden in the shadow. Toby looked up at this barrier and could make out a delicate form with unusual hair. "Do you mind taking this to your sister for me? There's a good boy," he said taking hold of the surprised boy and placing a box in his hand. "Run a long now," the man said and petted his head and started walking off.
"Who is it from?" Toby started.
"An old friend," the voice chuckled then the man vanished behind the black curtains into the theatre. "One more thing, tell your sister Happy Birthday," he vanished, leaving an eerie chuckle to stay a few minutes ringing in Toby's ear. Toby looked into his hands and could only make out the outline of a box and felt it, a light, delicate thing. He hurried out into the lobby and backstage.
"Whoa, slow down there Toby. Anybody think the stage was on fire," warned Jackson, the manager.
"Sorry Jack," he mumbled as he darted into the dressing room.
"Same thing every night," Jack shut he door.
"Sarah, Sarah!"
"Toby!" Sarah smiled at him. "I'm almost ready; just sit down while I change."
"Kay." She went behind a screen as other people removed make-u or switched outfits. The performance was still audible from their position.
"So, what'd ya think of me tonight?" she asked reaching for clothes.
"Kay," Toby half-heartedly said as he laid his backpack on the dresser and studied the box he had. It was purple with a black ribbon around it. He shook it, and suddenly grabbed it with both hands as the weight increased.
"Hey, what's that Tobe?" Sarah asked coming around the corner.
"Some man gave it to me to give to you."
"Oh, how kind. An admirer..." Sarah muttered but then added with joy, "Or a b-day present!" She reached out for it. Her hand turned over the card and her happy face dropped and paled.
Title: A Birthday to Remember
Author: Britican
Rating:M
Notes: See last chapter...
So, I hope I caught your attention! Read on if you wish, and leave comments please. They help me decide how to shape this story. Thanks again!
Also, it has come to my attention that I had misspelled Sarah's name. I am so sorry. I work late into the night, so I didn't catch that. Bad Charlotte, bad!--slaps hand—So, I will go back and change Chpt. 1. I hope that other than that, you all enjoy!
Thanks again!
Yours truly,
Britican
Disclaimer: Same as the beginning. But…if anyone hears of Jareth being for sell, send him my way…just kidding!
Chapter 2
The writing was so…majestic…with a flowing ink that had written:
Happy Birthday—J"
Her heart didn't beat, it couldn't be. Not after almost ten years. "Toby, what did this man look like?" She inquired touching the silk black ribbon carefully.
"I dunno. He was in the dark vom. He had a British accent."
"So do a few million others here…"
"Aren't you going to open the box?" Toby asked seeing it being shoved into a knap-sack.
"Tonight, at home I will," she bit her lip and escorted Toby out the door and breathed a sigh of relief as her friends met them outside. They all went to dinner and had a good time as the box in the sack was forgotten.
They all sat in a window booth and Sarah laughed as Toby sneezed and a noodle came out of his nose. Sarah was now a part time actress, and a helper in a library. Her hair was waist length and tied back in a plait. "She looked just as she did at fifteen, thought Jareth, just with more maturity in her face, and grace." He leaned back in his shadowed corner and sipped his glass of cherry wine, fitting into the crowd with clothes as subtle as a woman's cough. "That's a good dear…" he purred mostly as his eyes never left her face the remainder of the time she was there.
"Good night Sarah, "Toby leaned over and pecked his sister's cheek.
"'Night Tobe," she waved as she dropped off her brother at his home. Her step-mother and father had purchased a home in a quite community as her father's job had changed, when she was 17. They had managed to stay the rest of the time but Sarah left the house at 18. She roomed with her friend in a flat a few streets away and went to the local college a few years. Now, she lived alone and was in the process of finding a new roommate as her friend had married a week ago.
She sighed as she parked her car and grabbed her knap-sack and unlocked the door. She dragged herself up three flights. Finally fumbling with the keys she welcomed herself home and turned the light switch on. Her place was neat, lightly furnished. Sarah looked at the phone—four missed calls. She hit play and walked over to the sofa, took her shoes off:
"Hey B-day girl, give me a call when you get in, you won't believe---"Nicky, a troupe friend. Sarah got up and shut her blinds.
"Sarah, this is Mr. Ridley, I'm calling about work. I was wondering if you could put in a few extra hours this week—" self explained. Sarah flopped on the sofa.
"Hi. This is a survey on the Tropical Fish Salvation of the Lord—"Oh great, a survey! Whop-de-do…
"This is dad. Give me call later," Sarah sat up but then saw her clock. Almost 11. He'd be in bed now on a workday. Oh well. Some B-day she thought. Then she remembered. She remembered her sack. The purple box with the black ribbon, with the card signed 'J'. She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat stayed, her mouth dried.
"It's just a gift by some nameless guy with an initial of 'J'". Sarah picked up the card and felt like a bucket of ice just dumped on her. Her heart told her who it was but her mind decided it like denial and alternative solutions more. She picked up the box and put it back in the sack and went to her room. It was almost midnight.
She lay in her bed and stared at the ceiling. A million emotions and sensations about the mysterious box went through her. What if it was him? He hadn't had anything to do with her for years now, so it couldn't be. Could it? Of course not. Just some guy with a name like James, Jacob, Jerry, Jermoine, Jack, Jeff, Joe, or something different like…Jareth. Of course not! Don't be stupid, how dumb to say, no don't think of something like that. He has and will never talk to you again, he has forgot all about you," Sarah realized she was talking out loud to her self again, a habit that stated around 15. Oh well, why stop now? "Earth to loser! He doesn't even remember you, let alone even like you! It's been a while, but to someone who lives forever, it's not that long is it? My word, I refused him, and destroyed him. He's probably dead. Pretty smooth for a girl who had her dreams offered to her and she rejected them…" Sarah rolled over and said, "Happy Birthday to me…" before crying softly to sleep.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bleep! Bleep! Bleep! "Good morning London! You are listening to
Radio 1! New York, London, Paris, Munich, everyone listens to humph!
Pop Music! Today…" Sarah knocked her clock to the floor and threw
her pillow on it before flopping back onto the bed.
Sleep. What a beautiful thing. It was 5:15am. The sun was trickling
faintly into her window, so Sarah pulled her blanket over her head.
Then she moaned. She had to be at work in an hour. The library had
ordered a shipment of various new books and then they had to be
cataloged by Dewy Decimal System. A system she despised.
Sarah tolled out of bed and sat on the floor. She rubbed her eyes
and stood, stretched and went into the bathroom to shower then
dress. She grabbed her bag—still with the gift in it—and left.
-----------
"Open it! Why do you keep putting it off," Jareth moaned as he
shifted in his window seat gazing at a floating crystal; the same
one that he had infamously, yet beautifully made crystals turn into
bubbles. He had bags under those dramatic eyes of green and blue.
One gloved hand restlessly moved a crystal back and forth as an
ocean moves a stray boat back and forth in a storm at his side. He
sat. He had sat there for hours after leaving the restaurant
watching. Waiting. Hoping. Of course he had given her privacy at
moments like showering, dressing, etc even if the thought of
watching was ever so tempting. But, he had manners. He wouldn't do
that to Sarah, no. Not yet anyhow, he chuckled. "If not know, when?"
He wondered.
"Your King-ly-ness?" asked a young goblin. The voice was such that
it was impossible to tell if it was a male or female. One couldn't
even tell with the garments it wore or spot of ginger hair on its
head.
"What now Fliker!" Jareth diverted his eyes to the cause of the
intrusion.
"Flimer, sir…"
"Flosper, how many times do I give instructions that I am not to be
disturbed when I am busy! If for any reason this is not important I
will personally boot you in your rear to the Bog of Eternal Stench
and then suspend you over it!"
"Sir…it is the d-delegation…they are at the gates…and you haven't
slept, eaten or even attended any of the preparations for the next
week…"it stuttered.
"Damn. I forgot, I must have let it slip my mind for a moment. Never
mind. Tell them I'll see them in two days. Give those rooms and
such. I have attended to what I need to and my personal dealings
with myself are of none of your concern. Get out of the way," he
pushed the goblin to the side as he stood and took one step before
disappearing as the crystal fell and shattered to the floor.
"Great. More crystal to sweep up. It's becoming more and more of a
habit lately. What does he think I am, a maid?" the goblin muttered
as it wondered off in search of a broom.
-----------
"Sarah, just in time. The delivery truck got here ten minutes ago
and is still unloading. Come, come inside and settle down your
stuff," Mr. Ridley waved her through the glass doors into the
building. "Set your stuff on the counter. Pat and John still haven't
arrived yet," he looked at Sarah. "Darling, what's wrong? Your eyes
are puffy. Wasn't it your birthday yesterday?"
"Yes, and it's nothing," she lied and set her bag on the counter.
Mr. Ridley was about to ask something more but then John and Pat
came in.
"Have no fear! The fun is here!" shouted Pat, which was her morning
routine as she skipped into the building. She was around earlier 20
something and as vibrant as the sun. Her pink hair, leather knee
high boots, and punk top with fishnets and leather skirt made Sarah
always wonder at why Mr. Ridley hired her to work in the library.
John was her opposite. He was shy, neat and always freshly shaven,
5o'clock shadow was nonexistent with him. Sarah used to imagine that
in his backpack he carried three spare razors that he used whenever
he felt one hair grow on his chin.
"Throw your stuff down and come along. This will take about two
hours and then we can get back to our normal glamour of gracing the
aisle and counters with our amazing book worm skills!" Mr. Ridley
tried to be funny. John stared at him and tossed his bag over the
counter.
Pat snorted and said, "And what then? I'll use my amazing super
power of slugging over pages to complete the quest of the long lost
over due book that is just as mystifying as the Holy Grail, but has
not been seen for decades? I heard that the bounty on that is so
great that the savior of it gets a lump sum of ten pounds…" this
cracked a smile on John's face and Sarah rolled her eyes. Needless
to say, the next two hours were fun with company but also boring
when alone.
After two hours…
Sarah and Pat were at the counter checking-in books that were
dropped off and putting them in a cart to later push off to their
shelf. This was an enormous library. The shelves were almost as tall
as the ceiling; which were high because this was an old abandoned
church. It had almost 40 shelves, all with two sliding ladders. Some
books here were so old that dust was a permanent fixture on them for
decades and their print almost disappearing.
"So, Sarah. How was your birthday? Have any fun?" Pat asked as she
put her bag next to Sarah's open bag on the counter, she was digging
in it looking for some lip gloss.
"It was alright. Went to eat out with some friends. Then home,"
Sarah was on the computer, half paying attention.
"Whatcha get?" Pat found it and applied it.
"Some gift cards, cards, clothes, stuff."
"Anything else? Is that all?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Oh, well then, you can add my card and stuff to the collection,"
she smiled proud to contribute. She shoved her hand back in her bag
and then snagged a card out with another gift card but her bag then
knocked Sarah's over the counter, spilling its contents.
"Oh, sorry love! I'll get that!" She leapt over the counter in such
a way that Mr. Ridley came out of his office to yell at her.
"Pat, I got it. No, it's all right," she gasped as the box was now
in Pat's hands.
"You have one more gift looks like! Open it for me, dear. It's so
pretty! And look at the card…" Pat was fascinated. Mr. Ridley
stopped also in front of them and helped pick up the mess muttering
at Pat for her indecency.
"Um, I was going to open this at a later time."
"A whole day after your birthday. Whose it from?"
"I dunno."
"Go on."
"Yeah, let's see what's in such an unusual box," Mr. Ridley was now
also fascinated. The box was nothing like he had ever seen before.
All three sat on the ground. John was nearby watching from a ladder.
"Umm, alright then," Sarah muttered fingering the ribbon. She wasn't
sure as to why she was so easily persuaded into opening the box now.
It was most definitely from him. It had to be. The black ribbon was
like velvet, the purple was royal. She untied the ribbon and removed
the purple paper. The box was a metal engraved thing, with designs
of trees, fairies, goblins, and such all over. Sarah's hand lightly
roamed over it. The other people had long since existed to Sarah but
they were there, telling her to open it. They had never seen
something like this before. Her slightly opened lips let out a sharp
intake of air as her fingers pulled away from the latch. It was
encrusted with an emblem that could not at all be anyone else's than
the Goblin King. It bore a shield, with a two lines. One across the
field horizontal and another vertical. It was all in sliver, like
the box. The top right half of the shield bore an owl, and the
bottom right a labyrinth design. The left top the letters GK and the
remaining a crystal ball in a hand.
Sarah opened the box and hesitantly let her eyes fall onto another
letter sitting in more black velvet. This was sealed with the same
emblem. As she picked it up however, something glittered beneath it
tucked into the velvet. She touched it and picked it up. It was a
silver ring. It too had the emblem on it.
"Oh, my! That's a…a signet ring! Sign of the well to do, very rare
to find real ones now a days. Mostly made to imitate the original
ones of the Medieval times…" Mr. Ridley's voice fell.
"My Sarah, you got lucky this time. What does the letter say?" Pat
asked. John was behind her now nodding. Sarah's eyes fell to her
hand, trembling and pale with the letter. A red seal with the
imprint of the signet ring it looked like sealed the letter. One
part of her wanted to know what it said, another wanted to ask why
after all this time, another said screw it after all this time, and
another said my darling, he hasn't forgotten me. Is this a cruel
joke, what is the ring, what does it mean, why now, why, why, why?
Her mind raced, screamed, cried and wanted everyone to let her be to
read in solitude.
"I'm going to go now on break Mr. Ridley," Sarah stood and shut the
box, grabbing her bag and running out the door. She continued to run
with the silver box in her hands, her eyes blurred, her heart
pounding. She turned and collapsed into an ally, next to a rubbish
skip and let her back slide down the wall, never letting her eyes
off of the box. The box which held a letter and a ring.