A/N: The opening paragraph is taken directly from "Labyrinth" the novelization of the film. I only took a few words here and there to make it a touch smoother. Thank you.

Fable

"Outside the dark window, the white owl had been perched with his claws hooked on a branch, watching and waiting. Now he swooped away over the park, on silent wings, up toward the full moon. Nobody saw him, white in the moonlight, black against the stars."

Mouths hang open in awe. Ms. Williams smiles, eyes twinkling.

"Now, we've finished a bit early today, so why don't you go play until your parents all come to get you, hm?"

A shout rises and the children scatter, eager to get as much out of the few minutes that they have as possible. Some begin to re-enact the story that Ms. Williams just told, eagerly claiming roles. Soon there are four Goblin Kings and six heroines, and the great confrontation is reduced to chasing each other around and shouting.

Ms. Williams removes herself from her spot at the base of the tree and dusts off her lap. Delicately, she bends down to retrieve the book she seemed to be reading earlier and slides what you believe to be a bookmark between it's pages.

An acorn falls from above, hitting her solidly on the back of the head. She looks up and scowls furiously. The shadows on the branches dance manically.

The Heroines race by, shrieking with excitement - Goblin Kings close behind. Ms. Williams laughs as they begin playing cat and mouse around her and the tree.

You grin as she manages to extract her self from the mess and walk nonchalantly toward the stepping stones that crossed the shallow creek. Up on the stone bridge, the rest of children are playing "Billy Goats Gruff."

"Trip-Trop, Trip-Trop!" They yell, approaching the child who is 'It.'

"Trip-Trop! Trip-Trop!"

You begin to walk toward the stepping stones, intending to talk with Ms. Williams about how the children claim she has 'magic' and what a talented storyteller she is. 'You have no power over me,' You think. What a great line!

And then you hear it.

It's barely noticeable over the excited shouts, but it is still there. A deep, bass rumbling, emanating from under the bridge.

TRIP-TROP.

The shadows begin to move. The branches of the tree start to shake. A small, furry something drops from the branches and tears toward the tree line, disappearing in the greenery.

TRIP-TROP.

Children scream as the once-steady bridge begins to tremble, and they race to solid land.

TRIP-TROP.

A thick shape begins to coalesce from under the stone, lumbering forward into the sunlight.

TRIP-TROP.

Your breath catches in your throat as the troll emerges. It's covered with coarse black hair, knuckles dragging in the water. It totters forward on bent legs, hauling it's huge torso forward. Wide shoulders barely clear the opening.

TRIP.

There is screaming everywhere as panicking adults attempt to gather the terrified children and get them away as quickly as possible. Ms. Williams races toward one of the Heroines, who is frozen to the spot.

TROP.

Sharp, yellow teeth glisten in the sun as it steps heavily toward the woman in the pale, green gown. She manages to reach the girl and grabs her hand, inciting her into movement. The girl runs.

It reaches out for Ms. Williams with thick fingers.

Suddenly, long strands of kelp shoot up from behind and wrap around the woman's torso. You watch in horror as Ms. Williams is jerked backward, only to disappear under the water's surface with barely a ripple and a surprised yelp.

The creature looks around, confused at his prey's sudden disappearance. Behind him, the water froths.

Frustrated and angry, it raises it's head to the sky and lets out a howl. You hurry toward the nearest gathering, helping to usher the children away from the thing before it decided it wanted someone else. Children sob, demanding to know what happened to Ms. Williams. You don't know what to tell them.

Something rises from the creek, drawing the attention of the monster. The beast lumbers toward it, roaring terribly. It lunges at the thing, tackling the body and they both are dragged under the shallow water. It is quiet for a moment.

Then the sickly sweet scent of peaches permeates the air.

Dazed, you shake your head to clear it of the sudden fog. There is a book on the ground. Dimly, you squint at the faded title on it's red cover, and upon picking it up, a thin mirror slips out from between it's pages. 'Labyrinth'. You've never heard of it.

The child tugs on the leg of your jeans.

"What is it?" You ask.

"Where did Ms. Williams go?"

You think hard for a moment.

"Who's Ms.Williams?"