Sarah groaned at her body being uncomfortably stiff. Her behind felt tender and she was lucky that her tailbone was still intact.
It was dark outside now and she shivered in the cold. Standing up, she realized that it must've been hours since she had seen Toby.
Oh no.
Toby!
"TOBY!" She screamed. She ran towards the house but was once again stopped by some invisible force. It felt evil and she knew she needed back up. "What the hell!" She yelled at it.
She ran to the payphone. She grabbed a few coins and shoved it into the slot to call 911.
"Hello? My brother is missing!"
She tried to tell them the best she could, but she sounded like a mad woman.
The police and ambulance came. She insisted she was fine but they found her otherwise.
"Goblins and Toby!" She kept on crying. After saving him from a world not her own, he was now hurt by some unseen force.
Everything was in a blur. They found scratches on her body and took her clothes for evidence. As there wasn't enough evidence to convict her, they let her go.
For now.
Sarah had heard of these spirits before but had never encountered them. She was usually a skeptic (which was ironic considering her Labyrinth adventure). She kept thinking about the goblins Toby had said he'd seen. Had it really been Goblins?
She went back home and after huddling with her parents, they decided to go on a search party and left Sarah at home. She insisted she go with them but it turned out that she sprained an ankle as well. Robert told her that they would do their best.
"I'm a suspect." She said tearfully. "I would never hurt Toby."
"We know." Karen said. She handed Sarah an ice pack. "Don't blame yourself, Sarah. Please."
But it was difficult to not blame herself. How couldn't she? She went through all the scenarios for what might have happened.
She still wondered if the Goblin King has anything to do with it. Goblins, magic, maybe he wanted revenge?
But while he seemed petty as hell, he never came off as evil. She had been afraid that he hurt her brother but the goblins told her the opposite, that Jareth had given Toby a stuffed doll and even sang for him.
And when he sang for her, danced with her, there was a spark of sincerity in his eyes. But how could he have felt something for her? She was 15. A child in many ways. He even acknowledged it by telling her to go play with her toys and costumes.
He was an enigma.
Toby also mentioned him right before he disappeared. Could that have been related? Or merely a coincidence?
Going back up to her room, she checked her special jewelry box, the one with artifacts from her time there.
She had tried to call all her friends many times. But the king, he was the only one she hadn't ever tried to call. What if he hated her? What if he made fun of her?
But worst of all, what if he never came?
She tried to think of the whole thing as an adventure. That she didn't need to worry about it anymore. But the truth was, it would never leave her. It changed her for the better. It helped her to mature. It made her a better friend, sister, daughter.
She held the crystal in her hands. Years ago, she had dreamed of being swept off her feet and being given everything. When she ran the labyrinth, she knew that she didn't want dreams.
She wanted something real. Maybe that's why she was scared of the result of calling on him, that he'd be a dream and nothing more.
"You'll never know, unless you try, right?" She laughed hollowly. And besides, Toby was in danger.
She would take this risk for her brother.
Standing tall, she faced her window. "I wish the goblin king would come to me."
