Chapter 2:

Autumn: Annie's Labyrinth

Sarah felt like it was just yesterday. A fear for unknown, excitement for an adventure and meeting new peoples. Yes, first year of college is kind of a scary, isn't it? A brand new life on your own. Now again sitting in her room, with half-unpacked suitcases, a memories came back.

Her last day before the lesson starts wasn't lucky at all. She couldn't find a free room at school academics. Or they were already full, or the only available roommate was a guy. Slowly Sarah began to loose her fait.

When she start to dial another number somebody knocked to the telephone booth.

"I don't have whole day, miss", a tall woman, a little bit older than Sarah was tapping at her watch.

"I'm sorry but could you wait a little bit? I need to find a free room..."

"First year college? Not from here?"

"No, so if you please..."

"Blah! Stop it! I'm looking for a roommate too."

For a while Sarah was standing there wordless. Woman has used this moment and got Sarah out of the call box.

"Now you wait here" she commanded and closed the glass door.

And Sarah has waited. For twenty minutes and when the strange women finally has finished talking she got a chance to get a better view on her future roommate. Slim, wearing black trousers from suit, loose tie on white, good fitted shirt and... sneakers. Her face was triangular, big black eyes with ironical sparkles, wide smile, short dark blond hairs with warm brown and golden reflects. And something that made her a trustworthy person at first sight.

"My name is Annie, don't bother with surname."

"Sarah Williams", she smiled too and both women has shook hands. "But won't you asked me some questions?"

"Questions? Sure. Do you hit the bottle?"

"No"

"Drugs?"

"No!"

"Smoking?"

"What kind of questions are they?!"

"I suppose this means no. Wonderful. You passed the exam. Now, something more comfortable and friendly. What do you study?"

"Acting"

"Sweet, a new Hollywood star. I think we should go to your new home Sarah, shall we?" And Annie start walking, if dashing would be called a walk. Sarah got only a second to grab her stuff and run after her. "You don't have much on you, do you?"

"Well, my father will send the rest. I just need to get to... uh"

"What?"

"I could just rang to him, when we were at that phone box."

Annie chuckled. "Don't worry, when we get to apartment building you'll have your phone call. Do you work?"

"Well..."

"Just as I though. Near the building is a library, and they currently looking for help."

"My God, you're an angel or something?"

"More likely a fallen one" she send her one of her biggest grin. "I just want to make sure you're going to pay on time, it's my interest too."

"Oh, right, how high the rent is?"

"Don't worry, you'll manage" the smile seemed to faint a little.

"I suppose so, but I would be more comfortable with the knowledge how much I'll need to pay."

And Annie told her. And Sarah though she's going to faint at that exact moment.

"This... this much? How... how I suppose to pay it?"

"Chill out, kid. You're paying only quarter of it" Sarah counted slowly nodded her head.

"If that's so, then... from where do you get the rest?"

"My work bring a lot of profits."

"Who are you then? A mafia's boss?"

But her new friend haven't respond just smiled mysteriously. Few minutes later they got to the apartment building. Annie has lead Sarah to the landlady to fulfill all of the formalities. Sarah didn't know why, but her new roommate was humming Chopin's funeral march...

The landlady remind Sarah about the goblin bag lady, taller and with a pit bull face. When she finished Annie joked:

"A ray of sunshine isn't she?"

Sarah started to wonder if Annie's smile can get on 360 degrees wide, because her face probably needed to stretch like gum for it to get fit on her face.

And that's how Sarah met Annie, the most crazy roommate in the world. But it was only a beginning.

For Sarah, Annie was a totally mystery. Every question she gave her was left with a double meaning answer. Never straight, making Sarah even more curious. For example:

"What do you study?"

"People"

"What dose it mean"

"You tell me."

"It's insane"

"Like we all are."

"Can't you just give me clear answer?"

"Maybe…"

It took Sarah few more months to find out Annie's age. Twenty six, then her work as a… psychiatrist and a professor at Sarah's university. And the most pissing off fact was that Annie got a great fun watching Sarah little investigation.

"That's not fair", she protested once. "Why can't you just say it to me? You know, like in a girls-only party, or something? Why do I have to investigate!?"

"You say it so often. I wonder what your sense for comparison is.", her roommate said with her usual ironical smile. And for second Sarah had froze, the memory quickly flash in front of her eyes. She swallow hard. Her friend have notice nothing at all. So she continued.

"If you want me to stop repeating myself, then maybe some explanation would made it."

Annie sigh theatrically

"What do you know so far about me"

"Well. You're twenty six, an excellent psychiatrist, now I know from where you have money for rent, and that you're teaching at university. But I don't know anything about your family, past or preferences. You never listen to music when I'm around, you never told me about your favorite movie. And you're silly habit to speak different accents from time to time, no one knows, from where are you. You're cynical and ironic."

"For me it's plenty enough."

"But it's like you don't have a specific personality. It's like you're acting all the time. It's bugging me."

The grin on Annie's face got wider, again.

"I know, that's why I like being myself. Because it piss off people. And that's part of my characteristic. Another puzzle for you Sarah."

And that did it. Sarah had enough of her mysterious roommate, that more, and more start to remembering her a particular person. If she doesn't want Sarah to know her better then she's going to stop trying. But the funniest thing about looking for something is, when you stop looking, you'll find even more. And so, at the same evening Sarah found it.

She was tired after her switch in library, she opened the doors and hanged her jacket, when she heard a loud scream from Annie's room.

"Oh, no you won't!" and rumble, like something fell on the floor.

Sarah caught a pan from the kitchen and ran to rescue her friend. And when she got there, she saw a weird scene, and she needed a second to understand it.

There was Annie. And there were goblins. The goblins were tied together. Annie was sitting on one of the goblins and tiding him. And the hole room where covered with socks. Then Annie looked at Sarah. And Sarah looked at Annie. They were both looking at each other for a while. Then Annie spoke

"Sarah, the things that you're seeing are just your imaginations. There is no brown and green creatures in this room. You're tired and…"

"Cut it out, Annie. I know what I'm seeing", this time it was Sarah to smile wide. "The are goblins"

Woman made a confused face. "Uh huh. I suppose we know the same person, do we?"

"I suppose, so. Your brother or sister?"

"The youngest sister, but it wasn't me to wished her away. I just stick my nose in not my business."

"Want to talk about it?"

A pause made for Annie to think and then… "Ok, but you're going to speak first."

One story later…

"Wow, what an epic journey. So you stayed in touch with your friends?"

"Actually yes. They were a big help for me. Remembering me that I should not take things for granted."

"And have you thought about His Tight Pantiness, after this whole story?"

"Rarely. Hoggle said there is nothing for me to worry about. You know I defeat him, what if it caused some problems for them?"

"Ah, such a big, caring heart, aren't you?"

"Ok, now you, say, how it was with you?"

"Um, pretty normal, I say"

"Annie!"

"Okay, okay. Don't expect anything big. I was eight, my younger sister, Samantha is her name, was six, and our youngest sister, Lily, was two. I always was the rationalist, even as a kid, you know the she's-going-to-be-all-right-anyway type. So my parents always trusted me when they were going to cinema or something. Because I could handle my sisters pretty good. Sam, was the little princess, everyone loved her, and I loved her too, she always was so delicate and so childe-like. Just like the six-years old supposed to be. A complete opposite to me. I looked like eight years old should look, but mentally I was forty. And Lily, like all little babies wanted attention. Attention that before her birth belonged to Sam. Sam loved fairy tales, but lately, her concern got totally over one book, guess the title."

"Labyrinth", Sarah whispered.

"Exactly. Then one night I was a little tired and needed to do my homework, parents were gone and I asked Sam to watch over Lily for a while. When I was getting trough my math's exercises I heard a cry from Lily's room. So I called Sam to calm her down. It took her a while. Then I heard a loud scream. It was Samantha. Run as fast as I could to that room. And when I got there I saw him. He looked like a nice person. But Sam was crying and something told me this is his fault. I jumped to my sister and asked what happened. And he answered:

"Ah, nothing special, your sister just have freed you from a bother"

"A bother?" I asked. "Wait, where is Lily? Where is our sister? Sam!"

"Gob.. took her" she sobbed.

"What?" I couldn't understand. Who was this weird man, why do I heard someone chuckling behind my backs, and where was Lily?

"Ah, poor thing" the man said again "you're so confused. I brought you a gift" And a crystal ball appeared in his hand out of nowhere. It was so shining and tempting like a Christmas present founded in parents closet. Sam almost touched it. But I stopped her.

"Where is our sister?!" I demanded from the man.

"You're so stubborn, aren't you little girl? Fine then, she's in my castle, if you want her back, you need to get there first."

"And where is you're castle?"

"Haven't you read the story, little girl?"

"Which story?"

The guy looked like he was going to have a headache.

"The story about the Labyrinth and castle beyond the Goblin City?"

"Oh, this one! Maybe once or twice" I didn't know why but he smiled happily.

"Really? Then you know the rules. Thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth and get your sister back."

"Deal"

And then I was in front of the Labyrinth. I blinked, because I haven't noticed when I got there. And of course I've met your dwarf friend, he showed me the entrance. And I've met that worm too. And I memorized his words completely. First don't take things for granted. Second, things in Labyrinth are not always what they seem to be. So when you actually went right at that moment I went left. It was a short cut, you knew that?"

"A short cut!", Sarah cried. "Uh! Stupid worm!"

"I do agree with you. So my journey wasn't so epic like yours were. I got just few false alarms, the dwarf of course, tried to led me back, but I thanked him for that and went my way, oh and the peach. Jareth came to me personally to gave me it. I refused. He wasn't very pleased about it. But I had complemented on his Labyrinth to be really difficult, and that I'm lucky to live so far. Then I really was lucky to survive the next surprise he prepared for me. Jerk. I lost a lot time to got back on the path. Anyway I got to the castle in twelve and half hours. Tired, with dirt on my entire clothes, and messed hairs I stood in front of him…"

"Wait!" Sarah interrupted her "You stood in front of him? What about those weird stairs?"

"Which stairs?"

"Those up-side-down stairs. And chasing the baby."

"Oh, I suppose he actually ranked me as a completely harmless, because you see I didn't know the Words to defeat him, so he just underestimated me. Anyway, when I got there I said:

"Goblin King, give back my sister".

"Why should I?" So I looked at him a little confused.

"Well.. I have defeat your Labyrinth, just as you said, although you have cheated, but I don't mind, adults always do things I don't understand. So, I got here to your castle, and I think you should give back my sister, pleas." After I stopped talking he smirked, bouncing Lily on his laps.

"And what about the Words?"

"What words?"

"The Right Words" he rolled his eyes. And what's funny, I could heard the big letters…

"Um, like abracadabra?"

"Something like that. Oh, and keep that in mind you still have twenty minutes."

I panicked. I've heard Labyrinth story only once, and it was a year ago. I was eight! Even if I were a little bit of a nerd. Geez.

"So, Abracadabra?"

"Unluckily, no"

"Simsala grim?"

"Excuse me?"

"Hocus-pocus"

"Try again"

"Pika-boo?"

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Begone evil spirit?"

This time he laughed. And I finally broke.

"I had enough of it!" I screamed. "Give back my sister! I have faced the dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. I have fought my way here to this stinking castle beyond even more stinking Goblin City, to take back my sister that you have stolen!" words appeared out of blue I just couldn't stop them. "For my will as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great. You definitely have no power over me. And God I swear you're the biggest idiot among adults!"

His face turned furious.

"Oh, really?", he hissed. A crystal appeared in his hand. A took a step back. Then he smashed the crystal on the floor and everything turned blank. I blinked and then…. I was sitting in my room with my Math's book in front of me. Samantha was sleeping in my bed. I ran to Lily's room and found her asleep to. It was such a relief that I start crying. And that's the end."

"Wow, and you said it wasn't as interesting story as mine?"

Annie shrugged. "Not a big deal from my point of view."

"But… why goblins were rebelling in your room? Has Jareth put them there? You know, as a punishment for calling him an idiot?"

"Actually, they start coming when you moved in. But they star would causing problems only when you're not around."

"Uh, huh. You think it's my fault?"

"No, I think they follow you because of some reason, but they're to scared of you to cause problems for you. I'm different. And somehow I think they like when I'm chasing them with my grandfather's shot-gun…."

"You have a shot-gun…..?"

"Don't ask."

"Ok…"

And after that talk, two roommates became a really good friends. Maybe not best friends, but good enough. And after a year of that acquaintance they knew how much they can trust each other. And even they didn't knew that, it will be in hand soon.

AB: Disclaimer was in previous chapter, but anyway Sarah belongs to Jareth and Jim Henson. Annie is mine. Goblins are also Jareth's properities. Luckily.

Oh, and one more thing: I'M SOOOOOOORYYYYY!!! I know it should be a week but you know a lot of things happens. Usual stuff. And layzieness, yes. Anyway sorry. I'm not going to be sorry for the interpunction and grammar mistakes. You have been worned. So do not complain, just deal with it. I'm trying to be better. Next chapter is going to appear when I will type it into computer. No promises because I suck at this point. And last thing Reviews pleas. I loooove reviews. Thank you.