Labyrinth 2
Dawn came slowly, far too slowly for Sarah as she stared out of her window. The horizon transformed from a deep blue to pink as the stars disappeared one by one. They seemed to give up, surrendering to a force that shown much brighter than themselves and fading out of existence. Sarah frowned and shook her head, impatiently dismissing such melancholy thoughts as the first rays of sunlight appeared over the horizon.
"So upset over a dream! It wasn't that scary anyway…" Sarah was a great actress and sounded very self assured and confident, but there was no one to convince of her bravery, and she was not quite able to fool herself.
After a few moments, she stood and walked over to her vanity, nearly stumbling from sitting in the same position all night. Sarah ran a brush through her long, dark brown hair, analyzing herself in the mirror with a critical eye. She was nearly eighteen now; her birthday was in one week and she didn't think she looked much like an adult, but she felt older, more wise, somehow. There were dark circles underneath her hazel eyes, proof that last nights dream was not the first to cause a sleepless night spent watching the horizon. No, that nightmare had been one of many, and they had only gotten steadily worse as her birthday came nearer. Despite her vivacity and stubbornness, they were beginning to take their toll.
She stared into the mirror silently before gently calling, "Hoggle? Sir Didymus? Ludo?" Sarah frowned, nervously playing with her hairbrush. "Is anyone there?" The only reply was silence. She knew it wasn't their fault, they were somehow busy and unable to respond, but she felt her temper rising nonetheless, though the rejection she felt was the least of her concerns.
And last night she had almost called him.. She had almost called on Jareth for help. For help of all things! He wouldn't have shown up anyway… but what if he had? The great Goblin King would come and save a silly teenage girl from her nightmares! Not just any silly teenage girl, but one who ran his labyrinth and beat him at his own game… and she rejected him. That was the best part really.
"He probably hates me now…" She could just imagine his reaction, the hatred and scorn she would see in his eyes as he laughed at her. She was just a foolish child running from her dreams. He had offered her dreams once. Had she only thought to look past the crystal, to how the hand that was holding it trembled. If she had only noticed that the true offering was the man behind the crystal. But she had been so young and had only noticed her baby brother. She hadn't spared him a second thought. He had been her enemy, the villain. But, that was the role she had wanted him to play, and she hadn't realized it was a role, nothing more…
The first year back from the labyrinth was filled with joy and the sheer thrill that she won her baby brother back. It was also filled with laughter, for she had her friends from the labyrinth over almost everyday. She had finally stomped down her anger and envy and patched up her relationship with her father, eventually even beginning a tentative friendship with Karen as she helped take care of Toby. She had thought of Jareth and smiled, remembering that she had won. She felt confident, overconfident even.
After her sixteenth birthday, she grew more mature and the thrill had worn off, leaving her thinking over her experiences in his labyrinth, trying to look at everything more objectively. The more she mulled over those thirteen hours, the more confused she was over Jareth's actions. She thought of the dance they had shared in the ballroom, so long ago it seemed, and his final offer. He had looked so sad and weary, as if he had already known her answer and yet had to try. And she hadn't given him a second thought, barely processing his words as she searched for her lines. Was his offer true? Did he really offer his heart or was that a final test?
She had asked Hoggle once, vaguely of course, how his majesty was doing. Hoggle had said he seemed normal, but less lively. He thought it was because Jareth was a sore loser; a runner had never made it to the castle before, after all. "Although… He even got my name right." Hoggle had gone quiet for a moment before saying that maybe something was wrong,
After her seventeenth birthday, Sarah realized that she felt little to no attraction to boys her age. Maybe its because of my basis for comparison, she had thought with a smile. They are not what I want. When she thought about what she did want, Jareth's words echoed through her mind. "Fear me, love me, do as I say… and I will be your slave." Such promises from a king! Regret had filled her then, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She had been so young and so foolish then. If only she had realized what she was really denying. "But… What's said is said. It's too late now." She had said, bravely of course, valiantly ignoring the tears in her eyes and the trembling in her hands.
Shortly afterwards, the dreams began, the horrible dreams that consumed her slowly as her eighteenth birthday grew near. It was a birthday that she dreaded, for she wasn't ready to grow up, and even though she tried, she didn't feel like she belonged here. She felt like her home was in the labyrinth. It was a feeling she tried desperately to ignore, scoffing at it on the surface yet feeling uneasy because she couldn't fool herself into believing the discontent would go away over time. She was lonely and awkward around her peers, wishing for an escape, but unable to let herself believe there was hope. Jareth hated her and she couldn't possibly belong there.
She was afraid to call out to him. She was afraid of his anger, of his mocking laugh if she managed to make the wish. Her pride also kept her from calling him because she rebelled against the idea of him seeing just how much his absence affected her. She wanted to be strong, and to not cry in front of him. It was the horrible mix of those two forces, and the nagging fear of rejection that kept her silent for three long years. But someday, even the most stubborn must bend… or break.
