This was beta-d by the fabulous Sennethe. Thanks to my reviewers so far: Miami Rhapsody, notwritten, OceanFae, yodeladyhoo, and Gaeliceyes.
And onto Chapter Two!
A Different Journey: Chapter Two
"What are you still doing here?" I screeched.
"There's no other door…" said Case slowly.
"But I wished you away!" I wailed. "It was supposed to work – I said my right words. What happened to 'what's said is said'?" My breath was coming in shuddering gasps, I knew I was about to cry. Oh, I shouldn't have put all my hopes on this. Why, couldn't I have visited?
"It's not fair!" I stomped my foot, not caring how Sarah-like I was being. "Oh, I hate the world!"
I ran, not shutting the door, out of the room and up the stairs to the living room. I crashed onto the couch and buried my face into a pillow. "I don't care that life's not fair. I love fantasy enough – why did Sarah get to visit the Labyrinth? Why did Wendy get to go to Neverland? Why can't I go? I dream more than anyone! They're spoiled rotten brats who never do anything they're supposed to! I hate them! I hate them! I hate them! Oh if only they were gone! Argh! I wish they were gone! I wish those annoying brats were away! I wish I was anywhere but here with the annoying brats! I wish that Case and Jenny were in the castle beyond the Goblin City, this instant!"
"I wish that Case and Jenny were in the castle beyond the Goblin City, this instant!"
"She said it! She said it!"
Cheers were heard all through the Labyrinth.
"I wish that Case and Jenny were in the castle beyond the Goblin City, this instant!"
A glass of wine crashed down next to booted feet.
"Damn it all."
I wept into the pillows childishly for Zeus knows how long. I then sat up and wiped my eyes on my arm.
"Stop it," I told myself. "Obviously there's no such thing. Pull yourself together and go convince Jenny and Case you're not insane."
I laughed, bitterly in spite of myself. That probably could be solved by bribing them with their movies – and letting Jenny listen to my C.D.'s.
Still wearing my backpack, I headed towards the steps, and noticed that it was really windy. Like…
"Stop!" I told myself again. "It's over. Fantasy doesn't and never will exist." I shook myself and went down to the TV room. "Case? Jenny?"
They weren't on the couch.
Great, now they're playing tricks on me. "Case, Jen, I sorry about that. I've got a stomach bug or something. Look you can both watch your movies if you come out now. Maybe we can listen to The All-American Rejects later." And then I think I'll go through the traditional emo stage of being a teenager.
I wandered into the room. It was empty of people. "Guys, this isn't funny." I said, exasperatedly, as I walked towards the other side of the couch. I heard a faint squeaking. "Guys?"
I heard a drawer open and close. I whipped around but saw nothing. Of course, I thought. They must be hiding in the playroom. Apollo and Artemis, they must be laughing at me now.
I stormed out and into the next room, hearing giggling. "Case and Jen, come out right now!" I searched the entire room – including the furnace closet. The room was empty though I kept hearing giggling.
More than a little scared now I thought, maybe they went upstairs while I was in the TV room? I ran for it and started calling again. But it was then clear that they weren't up there.
I panicked. Where were they? It's not like the goblins took them… the words didn't work. But then I wished…
Suddenly, there was a rapping at the door. I turned, alarmed, towards the front door and watched to my fear as the locked door swung open and a white owl flew in, flapping madly.
I screamed and covered my head, yelling internally at myself for being a coward but I couldn't help it. I screamed, and screamed, and screamed some more until I ran out of breath. I coughed several times before looking up, embarrassedly.
It was the Goblin King. No question about it – it was him. The King stood there tall and imposing as I stared at him. He looked exactly as David Bowie did in the movie – was he David Bowie then? I shoved that thought out of my mind. He was in a jacket with a high collar that was in the darkest of blacks. A cape came down from behind him and swayed slightly from the brisk wind outdoors. The Goblin King's hair was in that crazy eighties style still. His pants – no! I screamed internally no lookee at the tighties! I instead looked at his face. I was not going to look down there. That would be really embarrassing.
He – his name is Jareth! I reminded myself, for some reason him being so intimidating was making me forgetting his name that I read on fan-fiction daily. He was looking at me in an evaluating sort of way that set me off my guard. I said the first thing that came to mind.
"So, it is real then?"
"Really, Elisa," the Goblin King said, tilting his head. "Is that something you really need to be asking now?"
His voice was pretty impressive in real life. As was the amount of glitter surrounding him. I had not seen that all in the movie.
"You're right," I allowed. That was when the state of shock broke, and a huge grin appeared on my face. "Which means it is real. And that there is magic – and I'm not insane."
As sad as it may sound, I sighed in relief.
Jareth raised an eyebrow but said nothing. I recovered myself and said, "Sorry, but I guess you deal with that often. Or worse." I added that, thinking of certain fans.
"No," he said. "I do not. So, I take it you do not want your brother and sister back?" He sounded hopeful.
Oh Hades in Tartarus! Case and Jenny, they must be terrified. I really do love them (occasionally,) they can be brats, but oh Zeus in Olympus! Why hadn't I thought about that before? Because you were too excited to see magic and fantasy you twerp!
"No," I said fervently. "I'm sorry about the inconvenience but I do want them back. Please."
"Now, Elisa," said the Goblin King. "What's said is said. Go up to your room and play with your dolls and books." His look was sly.
No! I had to rescue them and go through the Labyrinth. "I'm sorry," I repeated. "But I have to have them back. Please sir – they are the only younger siblings I've got."
He then pulled out a crystal and did his freaky juggling thing. I knew what he was going to say before he said it, but I was thinking about the fact that my cousin is an expert juggler, and juggling usually has to do with throwing the balls in the air not down to the other hand.
"I have brought you a gift," he said and paused a moment before continuing. "It is a crystal nothing more, but if you look at it this way it will show you your dreams. But this is not a gift for an ordinary girl who takes care of whining children." He held it out towards me. When had that distance closed so much? "Do you want it? Then forget the children."
This was easy. "Of course I don't want it," He seemed shocked. "I mean your highness. I know what my dreams are – I don't need to see them." But if you let me run your Labyrinth I'll get to experience them, I added silently.
The Goblin King's face grew stormy and that was then he turned the crystal into a huge furry spider that I realized was a tarantula. He stroked the back of the nasty thing and said, "Don't defy me, Elisa." He then threw it at me.
"Aiiii!" I screamed and ducked. All I felt was a pillow land on me before it fell off and I saw it turn into a goblin before scampering into the corner of the room.
"Damn," I said aloud without thinking. "I should've remembered that."
"You saw the film?" He asked suddenly.
"Just once." I said, worriedly, standing up. "Look sir, I really appreciate what you've done and all but I really want Case and Jenny back. They must be scared to death."
"You should have thought of that before wishing them away." The Goblin King said, now smirking. "However, if you do want them back you'll have to travel through my Labyrinth." He gestured towards the open front door. It still looked like my front driveway.
"My driveway is the Labyrinth?" I blurted, mentally smacking myself. Jareth shook his head and everything shifted. I didn't feel dizzy at all. It was like everything around me changed – not me who moved.
In front of me was a Labyrinth – it wasn't the Labyrinth in the film though. It was more like how I imagined it to be before seeing the movie. It extended for miles in front of me – that was the same, but instead of the place looking like it was going through a drought, there was gray stone and healthy grass leading up to the edge. I could see the white castle in the distance – it looked a long way off. I noticed in the back of my mind that it was the middle of winter back home but looked like summer here – and felt like it, and it was daylight out when it had been dark at home.
"Is this the Labyrinth in the movie?" I asked skeptically.
"What do you mean?" He asked back; he was behind me but he wasn't that close.
I turned. "Not trying to bring up old wounds, but is this the Labyrinth Sarah Williams went through? Is the movie real or was that made up? It looks different."
He tilted his head. He seemed surprised at my questions. He then said slowly, "The film retold the tale of the Last Champion of the Labyrinth. It displayed how things were for her. Naturally your journey – if you chose to make it - will not be the same as the Last Champion's."
Oh, well that answers one of my theories. "Then everything that happens is connected to the person?"
He nodded slightly, as if saying, yes, Elisa, you're finally catching on. He then motioned towards the birch tree and the cuckoo clock in it. "If you wish to rescue your siblings you will have thirteen hours before your siblings become one of us forever."
The Goblin King then took a step towards me, and I took one back. He was really intimidating in real life. "Turn back, Elisa," he said softly. "Turn back while you still can."
Like that was going to make me do that! Any other Laby-fan would be sighing and drooling right now but not me! "No way," I declared. "I'm going through that Labyrinth no matter what." He raised an eye-brow, and I took another step back. And then another. "Your tricks like that won't work on me, Goblin –"
The ground that was under my feet, gave way and I tumbled down the hill a la Princess Bride. "Arggh!" I yelled as I rolled down the hill.
I was rather lucky the ground was grassy and pretty soft but when I finally reached the bottom of the hill I knew I was going to have bruises. Damn! I groaned slightly but sat up as best as I could and looked up the hill.
Jareth was up there looking down at me – wow, he looked really far up. I couldn't see his face but I knew mine was flushed. Why couldn't he have disappeared like he did for Sarah?
I had to show him that one fall wasn't going to do me in though. I yelled, "I'm alright!" and then I heard his laughter before he sort of faded away.
I tried to stand up then, but tripped over my own feet in the process. "Ow, maybe not." I muttered. "But I'm not letting him know that."
I swear I heard his laughter again – I hoped Case and Jenny were alright.
Then I grinned, Jareth was about to go through the seventh type of hell – my annoying siblings. I got up at that and hobbled towards the edge of the Labyrinth, I was still a good way away. My bruises hurt!
Curse my klutziness!
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Posted: 4-03-08