Standard disclaimers apply. This one's different... I haven't found one like it before, and His Nibs is horrid when I get an idea and don't want to put pen to paper. (Or, more often than not, fingers to keyboard.) So... here. Be happy.
Sarah stared out the window at the birds that had been flying by all period. It had been several months since the first summer thunderstorm, and she still hadn't forgotten a single detail. That night was burned into her mind, always at the forefront of her thoughts. Every time she closed her eyes, some image – usually of Him – would pop up. He haunted her dreams, always there, always out of reach.
Sarah didn't even realize the bell had rung until her friend slammed her palms on her desk. "Christ, Williams, you've been spacier than usual! What the hell happened over the summer?"
Sarah sighed heavily, swinging her tings onto her shoulder. "Nothing happened, Kait. Mom visited in her usual, hate-to-run-but-well-you-know, disappointing way. I babysat Tobes every weekend-"
"Yeah, see, that changed," Kait interrupted, falling into step next to her. "It was always 'Toby' or 'Tobias' or 'the Thing'. Now it's 'Tobes' or 'my baby brother'. The hell, Sar?"
"You really want to know?" Sarah's voice was irritable. "I almost lost him over the summer, and it made me realize I love Tobes. Still hate Karen, but I love the kid."
"Wow." Kait walked alongside Sarah in silence for a while. In typical Kait fashion, though, she said, "So what'd your mom bring you?"
Sarah flinched, eyes glazing at the memory. You want a story, huh? ... I wish the goblins would come and take you away. ... Doesn't look that far. ... They both look the same... It's a piece of cake. ... It's not fair! ... Are you my friend or not? ... There's nothing to be afraid of! ... Let's handle this thing logically. ... Everything's dancing... I have to save Toby! ... I have to face him alone. ... You have no power over me... "A book," Sarah said softly. "She brought me a book."
The little red lather book with the red ribbon placeholder and the gold embossed lettering on the cover still haunter her, although she hadn't taken it out of the drawer she'd placed it in that night.
Kait made a disgusted sound. "I don't care about a book," she said, making the word sound like an expletive. "Clothes, Williams! Jewelry! The important things!"
"You can come over this weekend," Sarah said resignedly, "and lay claim to what you want."
Kait squealed happily, tossing her arms around Sarah. 'You're the best ever, Sar!" she exclaimed, kissing her on the cheek before peeling away to class.
Sarah watched her go, trudging slowly to her own class. "Right. The best."
XxXxX
When the bell after the last class rang, Sarah waited for the school to empty out before approaching her locker. She dropped off unnecessary supplies, picking up the books she'd need for homework. She slowly started on her way home, taking the longest route possible so she could go through the park. She paused, staring unseeingly at the obelisk. For most of the summer, s barn owl waited there for her, a silent audience to her acting. The owl only came when she did scenes form Labyrinth, but it never returned after that first storm.
She sighed, tears pricking at her eyes."Oh, Jareth," she whispered, slowly starting back home. She closed herself in her room, pausing before only to see her brother. Once she was safely ensconced in her room, she set out her music box, listening to the light, tinkling notes. For the first time since the first summer thunderstorm, she pulled out the little red book, afraid of what she would see when she opened it.
She cracked the book open. The pages were blank. Her movements became more and more frantic with each blank page flipped.
The book slipped from her hands, tears blurring her vision. The book was entirely empty, the magic spent. She followed the book to the ground, sobbing. "Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be," she choked out, "Take this heartache of mine far away from me." She curled in on herself, her lips forming words her voice hadn't the strength to sound.
In the dimension that brushed ours, the time-skewed world of Faerie, the King of the Goblins tensed.
OoOoO. Intriguing. Thanks for the reviews, hope you enjoyed!
