~*~Chapter 2~*~
Once Upon A Time
"There's every sign that
once upon a time
is starting here and now."
-"Angels Arise" from the musical "Tanz der Vampire"
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
The journey north took a grueling three and a half weeks.
Sarah was nearly giddy with joy as the group slowly made its way into the town of Bracknell Fen. After the group stopped at the drinking well to refresh their horses, Robert walked over to a nearby pub to ask directions to their cottage. When he returned, the Williams family bid adieu to the waggoners and continued up the dusty road north of the village.
"Here we are," Robert pointed, "Appledore Cottage."
The cottage was nestled in a clearing, surrounded by the dark wood. Near the cottage was a small run-down stable. Next to the cottage, on the southern side, was a vegetable garden, overrun with weeds. The cottage itself was small, but sturdily built, if a bit weather-beaten.
"Oh Robert! It's so pretty!" Karen sighed, content.
"It needs to be fixed up a bit," replied Robert, "but there is no doubt in my mind that this will make a lovely home."
"C'mon Sarah!" cried Toby, grabbing her hand and tugging her towards the front door. "Dibs on picking the first room!"
Toby shoved open the door with a mighty heave, and he and Sarah walked reverently in to the dusty cottage. They found themselves in a large open living area, complete with a fireplace. To the left of the fireplace was a door that led in to the master bedroom, and to the right of the fireplace was a door that led into the kitchen. Kitty-corner to the kitchen door was a set of stairs leading to the upper-level.
Toby let out a cry as he saw the large bed in the master bedroom, running into the room and promptly jumping onto the bed. The bed reciprocated his excitement with a large cloud of dust that rose into the air as he jumped.
"This is definitely my room!" bragged Toby, now sitting on the side of the bed, his legs dangling over the edge.
"No it most certainly is not!" said Karen from behind Sarah. "That's your father and my room.
Keep looking, gosling!"
"Darn" muttered Toby, sliding off the bed.
"C'mon Tobes," Sarah said, patting the small boy on the back. "Let's see where these stairs go."
The two of them raced up the stairs to find the small upper level of the home, which was split into two even smaller rooms. The ceiling sloped with the planes of the roof, nearly reaching the floor as it approached the edges of the rooms.
"Here we go," said Sarah encouragingly. "Take your pick Toby."
The small boy paced back and forth between the two rooms, with all the seriousness of a man thrice his age.
"I want…THIS ONE!" Toby gave a yell as he dived into the room on the right.
"Good pick!" Sarah cheered after him as she walked through the door on the left to survey her room. Her first impression was of its size. It was much smaller than her room had been back in the city. Pushed up against the wall was a little bed with a worn quilt covering it. Across the room from the bed was a chest of drawers, upon which were a dusty gilt mirror and a chipped porcelain basin. The window in the room faced out to the west, overlooking the small yard behind the house, and the dark forest beyond.
Sarah shivered.
"Ah well," said Sarah consolingly to herself. "At least the sun won't blind you when you wake up in the morning. That's something."
Sarah couldn't help but to glance out the window to the forest once again as she left the room.
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
The next morning, it took Sarah a few moments to realize where she was. She sighed and pulled herself out of bed. She slipped her dress over her head and braided her hair, mentally preparing herself for a day of extreme housework. She glanced at herself in the gilt mirror on the chest of drawers. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Satisfied, Sarah turned towards the stairs, muttering to herself.
"Well, c'mon feet."
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Sarah believed, as she fell into bed that night, that she had never before seen so much dust in her life. Karen had insisted that the house be scrubbed from top to bottom. Not a cobweb or smudge of dirt missed. All the windows and doors had been thrown open to the late summer air as Karen
swept up a duststorm, attempting to get some of the dust outside, where it belonged. Toby was
kept busy, constantly running back and forth from the well, ferrying water to the house to feed
Karen's insatiable desire for a properly clean dwelling.
Sarah groaned as the tugged her hair out of her braid and struggled to her dress over her head. She trudged over to the chest of drawers. She splashed some water on her face from the basin to try to get rid of some of the grime. Walking back over to her bed, Sarah got in, sighing contentedly as she snuggled deeper into the soft sheets.
The last thing Sarah saw before her eyes drifted closed was the forest outside her window. Perhaps it was her exhausted brain playing tricks on her, but Sarah half-believed that she saw a great white…something flying silently through the trees.
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AN: Chapter 2...KA-CHECK. Short but sweet. Moving the story along, expect to see a familiar face next chapter. (Not the person whom you are all hoping for, I expect, but he will come soon enough.)
Thanks to FireShifter for the first review!
Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith.