Disclaimer:I own nothing. Jim Henson is the wonderfull creator of the Laybrinth. I only have Randi. Shes mine. Ha.
Randi sighed as she looked over the shelves filled with books. She was at the library again, her home away from the hellhole she called come. She hated to admit it, deny anything but this, but her life sucked. She knew life wasn't suppose to be princess' and bonbons, but there had to be more than yelling, and abuse. That's why she came to the library. It was such a great contrast. The quiet, the knowledge, she felt…like herself. And that was the only thing she ever wanted in her life.
Looking through the shelves, a small pout on her face, she couldn't find anything to read. At all. Usually she would be able to find something of her interest in a matter of five minutes. But not today. She groaned and looked out the window at the end of the aisle. Dark clouds formed above the building as a few raindrops started to fall. Lovely. Now she would have to walk home in the rain, which would lead to more yelling on her part. Well…she needed to find a book at least. But what book?
Lost in her own musing she failed to notice that the new assistant librarian, the one she had formed a small crush on, 'popped' up on her side, watching her. Not only till she bumped into him did she realize he was there. She made a small 'eek' and looked up to the man. Lovely as ever he was. His mismatched eyes fell on hers. She adored the man. He had silvery blonde hair which was pulled back into a pony tail, a few strands escaping the ribbon, leaving 'wisps' around his face, his features sharp yet soft at the same time, and he ALWAYS seemed to be dressed in leather.
"May I help you, miss?" he asked, making Randi blush. Even his voice was smooth as his complexion. It was horrible. He seemed to just ooze sex. That's what he was, Randi finally decided, sex on legs. A librarian who was sex on legs. Snapping back to attention she nodded, a crestfallen look coming over her face.
"Erm…yes…I can't seem to find anything to read…I mean….its just…"
The man held up his hand, shaking his head, chuckling softly. He seemed to understand. Little known to Randi, he was about to send her on a little adventure of her own. No longer would she be 'bored' of her life. He had studied the girl for a full month now, her coming to the library for all that time. She was. Special. A certain special he liked.
He scanned over the books in the aisle they were in and reached up, plucking a little red book off the top shelf. It had a thin layer of dust on it, which he promptly whipped clean with a gloved hand. He smiled and offered it to the girl before him. Randi looked at it, the gold letters spelling one word. Labyrinth.
She took the book and flipped it over to the back, wanting to read a bit of what it was about, finding nothing. She sighed and looked back to where the librarian should have been, only to find him gone. She pouted again, missing the company. She looked at the book again and decided to check it out. She had never heard of Labyrinth.
Going to the counter the older plump lady smiled at her. Mrs.Bobfield was her name and she was the only librarian there who allowed Randi to keep books just a little longer than she should. The lady smiled as Randi approached and took out her stamp to mark the book and the punch for the library card. Handing the book over, Mrs.Bobfield frowned.
"This isn't a library book, deary." she said to Randi, handing the book over. Randi then frowned herself.
"But…the assistant librarian…he got it off the shelf for me…"
"Deary…we don't have an assistant librarian…Why don't you just keep the book?"
Randi was about to protest before she saw the man who had gotten the book down for her outside the window. He was walking down the sidewalk, a hand shielding his eyes from the rain. With a quick nod Randi left and practically ran out the door, wanting to talk to the man, only to find him gone. She looked around and still couldn't find him. Bugger.
She sighed and started on her way home. Who was that man?
Randi slowly opened the door to her house, her head poking in cautiously. Looking around, seeing no one there she stepped in, wincing as the floor beneath her creaked. She could hear the television in the other room, signaling that her father was home. Where was her mother? The car door slammed outside. Ah. There she was. Randi took a deep breath and hid the book beneath her shirt as her mother came in flustered.
"Randi, me and your father are going out tonight." she said, obviously annoyed at the idea. "There's Mac' and cheese in the fridge for you…."she continued, going over to the kitchen, grabbing a few items from the counter, throwing them in her purse. "We'll be back whenever. Make sure you clean the house, attic included."
Randi nodded than heard the TV shut off. Shit. She looked desperately at her mother, wanting to leave. Her mom nodded, not wanting any hollering tonight and Randi slinked off up to her room, hoping her father wouldn't notice her absence. Which of coarse, he didn't.
Once in her room she shut her door, locking it. They wouldn't bother her until they need something, but since they were leaving that wouldn't be an option. She flopped down on her bed, and pulled out the book she had gotten, opening it up to the first page and started reading.
The story enticed her greatly, the plot consisting of a girl who wished away her baby sister to the goblins, the King himself coming to retrieve the baby, challenging the girl to his Labyrinth. Hours passed by, Randi lost in the story line. She didn't notice the sound of the car pulling up until it was to late. The last words of the book fell from her lips as she dropped it and ran downstairs, trying to clean up. It was no use.
Her father burst in the door first, drunk, her mother following after him, grinning. She obviously was drunk to. Randi sighed and looked away, watching her mother, the last chance of survival go up the stairs to her bedroom. Well at least she didn't notice how messy the house was. But that wasn't what she was worried about at the moment. She was alone with her father…in an enclosed room.
Fear flashed through her eyes as he came up to her, a wild grin twisted on his lips, his face contorted into some sick pleasure that he soon knew he was about to receive. Without blinking Randi took the first blow to her stomach, her fathers foot merciless against any cries. It was useless. She took the beating, only a whimper coming forth from her. She was lucky he was drunk tonight. He would leave her soon, and that he did, staggering off upstairs.
Randi curled up in a ball in the kitchen, trying to stop her bleeding lip and brow with a towel. She slowly made her way upstairs, tears brimming her eyes. It was like this every night since she was seven. She was now seventeen. Ten years of abuse. You think she would get out of it. But she couldn't. It was hard for her to admit that she would have to 'get help'. It embarrassed her. But it didn't matter. Another year and she would leave.
Getting up to her room she shut the door and locked it again. She tried to bandage up her wounds best she could before falling on her bed, clutching her book to her chest, sobbing softly. She wanted it to end. To all go away. Go where she would be happy. Where nothing would be against her. In some desperate hope she thought, just maybe, just MAYBE God would have mercy this time.
"I wish the goblins would come and take me away."