Chapter One

A breeze drifted through an open window. Thin white curtains tangoed with the night air as it caressed the faces of three siblings. Sarah Williams spoke in a gentle melody of a voice as she read to two little boys, five-year-old Toby and three-year-old Rye. All three siblings had a special thing in common: they all loved 'The Labyrinth'. But only eighteen-year-old Sarah and five-year-old Toby shared insomnia and a deep love for a magical place that neither knew the other knew about.

"The bell tolled just as her words echoed through the endless room. She looked up just as white feathers caressed her cheek and watched the owl fly out her baby brothers' window. Our heroine sighed at the familiar sight, her brother lying asleep in his crib, and thus is the tale of Ingrid." Sarah finished, a wistful sigh in her voice as she closed the little red book. She glanced down to her right and saw Toby, his right arm lying across her midriff, look at the red book with a sad yet blank stare. She turned her gaze to Rye, a small smile gracing her lips as she watched a clear thin line, like a spiders' web, start from the right corner of his mouth to the cotton on her t-shirt, a little tear shaped drop running along its web.

"Alright Tobes," Sarah said quietly. "Time for bed." A groan was his only response as she gently lifted her right arm out from under Toby's head, setting the book down on the nightstand with her left hand. Then, with great ease, she reclaimed her left arm and slowly went across the body of Rye and settled her bare feet on her bedroom floor. "Come on squirt." she said quietly to Toby as she picked Rye up gently and quickly moved across the pale-carpeted floor, Toby at her heels.

She turned right as she exited her room, letting Toby pass by her in a hurry, and watched him open the door for her. She gave him a knowing smile as she entered the room, glad that Rye was still afraid of the dark, and thus, wanted a very good night light. Toby rushed by her once more and flipped back the Sesame encrusted design sheets of Rye's bed. She eased him down and covered him up, patting the comforter lightly and smoothing it out across his legs, tucking him in here and there. She brushed back his medium brown locks from his fair forehead and laid a loving kiss there, moving out of the way for Toby to follow suit.

Sarah turned around and picked up a grinning, please-pick-me-up faced Toby and carefully started closing the door, stopping when the door thumped silently against her toe. She removed her toe and left the door exactly an inch open incase Rye had another nightmare and wanted more light. She shifted Toby's weight so she was carrying him in front of her and rested her chin on his shoulder as he rested his head on her left shoulder. He wrapped his arms a little more tightly as she released her left arm from under his weight and opened his door. She smiled as he started to play with a small strand of her thick raven locks and patted his behind affectionately as her left arm came from behind her, off the doorknob, and under his bottom, supporting his weight better.

"Now," Sarah began as she crossed his dark blue-carpeted room. She removed her left arm again and started to fold back his bed sheets, picking up Lancelot from the chair by his nightstand and placing it next to his pillow. "If you need anything, I'm right across the hall," she said, placing him in bed, moving the sheets a little more so he could get under them better. "Okay?" she asked, as she covered him with his homemade quilt, quickly handing Lancelot to him. He nodded and pulled his quilt closer to his chin as she tucked him in, Lancelot glued right by his side.

"There we go." she said and smoothed the quilt over his feet, tucking it under as she did so. "Now, "she stated, looking at him through narrowed eyes, "give me a kiss."

Toby smiled as she leaned down over him, her hair brushing his cheek as he gave her a sloppy kiss on the mouth. She chuckled and pulled back. "Now that was a kiss, " she said and gave him a quick kiss on his forehead.

"Luv yoo Sawah." Toby said as she rose back up to her full height. "Love you too." she said and caressed his cheek much like she had when she had checked on him after her adventure. She turned around and walked to his door. Looking back and blowing him a kiss, she started to close it when he stopped her.

"Close it pleese, " his soft, quiet voice reached her. She gave him a pursed smile, remembering last time he entered his parents room while his parents were more intimate that night. It lead to very compromising questions, especially when he asked if she did that too, and ultimately lead to her taking care of his inquiring mind all night. To say the least, he started coming to her room where he would just crawl right in next to her with his bear, Lancelot. Taking comfort that each time he'd crawl in with her, either conscious or unconscious, Sarah would turn around with a slight smile on her face and place her arm around him, giving him a secure feeling needed for him to fall fast asleep.

She sighed and leaned against his door before heading straight across the hall to her own bedroom, softly closing her door behind her. She ran her slim fingers across her dresser before crossing the room to where her bed lay waiting for her, inviting her like some forbidden pastry. She smirked as she thought of her bed calling her in a soft, enticing tone: "Sarah. Oh Sarah. Come here sweet girl and let me keep you safe and warm. Go to sleep. Go to sleep!" Like Hollywood in that one movie, 'Mannequin' with Kim Cattrall in it. Him and his jelly donuts.

She almost laughed at the thought of her bed growing lips and arms. She gave a half yawn half sigh with a stretch of her arms high above her head and twirled in motion, falling on her bed with grace. She blew a stray of hair off her face and grabbed the edge of her comforter, brought it to her chest and rolled over once, looking much like a caterpillar. With some difficulty, she managed to lift her legs up on the bed and scoot her way up to the front. She gave a last grunt and rested her head on her large black dog-shaped pillow, blowing more hair of her face.

Her mind began to wander into regions she forbid it to wander under normal circumstances, her mind becoming foggy with tiredness. She thought of her adventure, of all her friends she made and all the obstacles she went through. She still talked to them, every now and then, but not as much as she used to before Rye was born. When he was born, her days were constantly filled with homework, work and babysitting. She didn't mind all that, but she rather missed them. 'I'll have to call them tomorrow. See how they're doing.' she thought before her eyes finally shifted shut, her chest rising slowly as her subconscious took over.

She dreamed of her adventure, like most times, and like most times, her dreams caused her to become fitful in her sleep and, eventually, leaving her with only four hours of sleep. Whatever opportunity of sleep, good or bad, that she could get, she normally went after. Therefore, it wasn't any surprise that she didn't notice a shadow loom over her, or the fact that her bedroom light, which still shone brightly, went off with no sound.