Chapter Three
First Steps
"Where's the door? I don't get it! Where is the fucking door?!"
Emily's stormy eyes searched along the outer wall of the great Labyrinth – but saw nothing. No door. No ladder. No hole. No rope. No mean of entry whatsoever.
"You cheat, Jareth!" She shouted at the sky. "You have to at least give me a chance! You can't just let me wait here until my time is up! Filthy cheat!"
"Miss Emily?!" A voice exclaimed. "What're ye doin' 'ere?!"
Emily blinked twice and span around, coming face-to-face with a small, dwarf creature – well, not quite face-to-face as she towered over him.
"Err?"
"An' why're ye shoutin' curses to Jareth at the sky? 'E might 'ear ya and it's no' wise t' anger 'Is Majesty."
"W-Who are you?"
The dwarf blinked and for a moment Emily thought she had somehow offended him.
"O' a course!" He said with a grin before she could apologise unnecessarily. "Should-a known ye were too small t' remember me when we met last time."
Emily didn't know what disturbed her more, the fact that this odd dwarf being was able to recognize her despite when last they'd met she'd been very small –too small to remember him- or that they had met previously at all!
"Err… yes… but… who are you?"
"I'm Hoggle!"
"Haggle?"
A deep frown formed on Hoggle's face. Why did everyone get his name wrong?!
"No. Hoggle."
"Hoggle?"
"Yes. Hoggle."
"Right."
Emily gave a quick nod and a brief smile then said,
"Hoggle, do you know how to get inside the Labyrinth."
"O' 'course I do!"
"How do I get inside?"
His frown deepened further still.
"Why'd ye wanna do that?"
Emily sighed.
"It's a long story."
Hoggle echoed her sigh – seeming to catch on.
"The door is right behind you."
Emily scowled.
"Don't be a smart arse! I asked you for your help nicely and you-!"
"Look behind you." Hoggle insisted, cutting her off.
Emily turned her head sharply to look over her shoulder, clearly not expecting to see any change but where there had been a plain, stone wall a pair of great, open doors now stood. Emily's jaw dropped and Hoggle snickered to himself.
"B-But-!"
"On yer way, Miss Emily. Ye got a big task ahead of ye and no' much time."
"Err…. Right… thanks, Haggle."
"Hoggle!"
"Hoggle." Emily corrected herself. "Sorry."
"Don' worry 'bout it." He grumbled. "Jus' get goin'!"
Emily went to move then stopped, realizing.
"Hoggle… You're a friend of my mothers, right? Sarah Williams?"
"Yep!" Hoggle said, puffing his chest out with pride.
"Then… maybe you could help me? I need to get to the castle in-"
"-In the center o' the Labyrinth." Hoggle concluded, apparently deflated.
"Yes! So… could you? Please?"
He shook his head sadly.
"I can't help ye, Miss Emily."
"Why?!"
"Cos-a that." He said, pointing down.
Emily looked and found herself gasping seeing Hoggle was chained, quite heavily, to the rock upon which he moved to sit.
"You poor thing! What happened?! Who did this?!"
"Jareth did. He said, 'Hogwart, my dear fellow' 'e said. 'Seein' as ye like yer jewelry so much, I has a gift for ye.' An' next I new I was stuck 'ere!"
"I guess he thought you would try to help me…" Emily sighed.
"Maybe ye'll make friend o' yer own in the Labyrinth?" Hoggle cheerfully suggested.
"Maybe…" Emily said wistfully.
She turned to enter the Labyrinth sadly.
"O'! Miss Emily!"
"Yes, Hoggle?"
"Lemme give ye some advice. One: never take the Labyrinth for granted. All is not what it seems in there."
"And two?"
"Two: Never –and I mean never- say 'it's a piece a cake' in there neither."
Emily frowned. "Why?"
"'Cos it'll jus' get harder! Now go!"
"Y-Yes!"
With that she turned and dashed away into the Labyrinth, taking her first steps into Jareth's world.
Authors Comments
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post this up. I've been swamped with work and quite recently I've been suffering computer problems as well! Terribly sorry for the wait, but seeing as I don't have many 'avid fans' quite yet, I'm sure it's not too big a deal... right? ; Every three chapters I'd like to thank readers for their reviews and etc, so here is the first batch:
notwritten - Thank you for the reviews.
Kaline Reine - Thank you for your reviews, FF Favourite Story, FF Favourite Author and FF Story Alert.
PhishRitzy - Thank you for your FF Favourite Author
Erikslittleangel13 - Thank you for your FF Story Alert
Rugsday - Thank you for your FF Favourite Story, FF Favourite Author, FF Story Alert.
Hopefully I didn't miss anyone. If I did - sorry! ; I'll make sure to include you next time!