Underground Pleasures

Ok this ones a little bit longer then normal, sorry if it drags a little bit, it wasn't my intention.

Again, i dont own any characters from the labyrinth, just my additional characters :3

Enjoy:

Chapter 7 - Death by Eight

Sarah awoke; she could feel the suns rays warming her skin. Instantly she felt the deep throbbing pain on the back of her head. Slowly she reached out to feel the growing bump on the base of her skull. Moaning in discomfort she struggled to open her eyes, once succeeding she wished she hadn't bothered. Looking around Sarah knew instantly where she was; it was the underground in all its horrific glory, exactly as she'd remembered it. It was just as she'd dreamed it the night before; everything was exact even down to the pain pulsing in her head.

Slowly but surely getting to her feet, Sarah wobbled over to a crooked tree to steady herself. She slowly glanced round at her surroundings; sand, deformed trees, wispy shrubs… clock. Oh god it was all there. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to make it all go away, "it must be a dream, it just has to be."

"Ok Sarah, calm down and figure this out, you're a smart girl. It must be a dream, just play it out and you'll wake up eventually," she told herself in a whisper. Things like this just didn't happen, for a start she knew for a fact she hadn't wished herself away therefore this scenario couldn't be real, unless someone wished her away. That was impossible also as she would be at the castle and not outside the labyrinth.

Taking a deep breath Sarah thought it would probably be best to just make her way through the sandy wasteland, hopefully coming out the other side awake and back in her bed.

Hours of walking got her nowhere and her throat was parched of water, she sucked in the dry hot air trying to catch her breath. By now Sarah was sure she was passing the same tree and rocks over and over again, the grandeur timepiece staying the same distance from her no matter how far she walked, as if she were on a giant treadmill walking to nowhere. Unable to take anymore she dropped to her knees grazing her jeans on the jagged rocks.

"Someone please, please help me," she cried to deaf ears. "Let me go home, I'm tired and blistered, I don't want this nightmare anymore."

Thinking back to her previous experience, she tried to somehow remember anything that might help her. Wait! What did that worm say?

"Nothing is as it seems, don't take anything for granted," she whispered. That's it, that's what she needed to do.

Getting to her feet Sarah marched over to the nearest tree and started to climb its withered branches, father up and up she climbed, the twigs catching and scraping her skin, she didn't care she needed to get to the top.

Halfway up she rested her foot in a large knot in the tree, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Click. Clunk. Crack." Sarah froze, she'd heard the noise above her and just about persuaded her head to look upwards. From the top of the tree down the branches started to withdraw back into the tree making the trunk perfectly smooth, closer and closer the departing branches reached her. Unable to think what she should do Sarah squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable until the branches slid away from within her hands.

She fell hard and fast, nothing to grip onto she was doomed to land 45 feet below her, most likely in a crumpled heap. Her mind was spinning; a prayer of safety passed her lips in a futile hope to land free from pain or death. Until unexpectedly the earth opened and she fell through, further and further down she fell through the pitch darkness, swallowed father into the earth then her mind could comprehend; until she landed on a supple net.

Breathing hard, Sarah stared into the darkness; feeling the safety net with her fingers, it had saved her life. Her chest heaved from fear, her eyes stinging with tears of panic. She felt lost and alone, every second that passed brought the dreaded fear closer that this was much more then a nightmare. Until a voice spoke from out of the shadows, the rattling tone and pitch struck Sarah like a knife, never had she heard anything like it before in her life.

"A child for Kathari, oh how lucky am i. Lots of meat a treat to eat" the voice said in a singsong manner.

Sarah's stomach dropped even father then it already had, there was something in the darkness with her and it wasn't exactly friendly sounding. She struggled and thrashed trying her best to free her limbs with no avail. The voice drew closer repeating the nightmarish tune over and over again, at this point Sarah completely froze in fear, tears of terror running over her cheeks.

Sarah looked up into the gloomy shadows, her eyes blurred with tears. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a small glowing light descending towards her; the illumination grew brighter and brighter; visibly closing in on her position and quite quickly at that. Sarah stared in awe, her pupils dilating struggling to take everything that was now revealed to her. A glowing crystal orb landed in Sarah's lap with a plop, it lit up the darkened tunnel wonderfully, highlighting every rock and ledge. Only some things were best left hidden, no less then ten feet In front of her sat a giant fluffy spider, its mandibles clicking together, all eight eyes staring strait at Sarah.

"Oooooo now I can see lunch as well as feel it, oh yes Kathari can, oh yes yes yes" the giant arachnid now locked onto its target and moved forward, one hairy leg at a time.

Sarah's heart beat so fast she thought it would pop right out of her chest, adrenaline lined her veins forcing a ferocious surge of energy through her limbs. Mustering all her might she managed to rip one arm free from the adhesive web, without even thinking she scooped up the orb with her free hand and the light surged as though she had just turned it on. The blinding light stung Sarah's eyes but the arachnid seemed to be suffering even worse then she.

"No, too bright too bright, Kathari cant stand the light." A loud hissing sound came from the predator's direction.

When the light finally dimmed Sarah caught sight of a repulsive mess. It wasn't dead but its eight eyes no longer remained, just eight bloodied sockets sitting motionless across the cavern. The monster just sat hissing to itself, finally retreating into a crevice on the wall. At last free of the terrifying beast Sarah looked down at the orb sitting in her palm. Just a small-diminished glow remained within its glass shell. She sat still, lost in the hypnotic embrace of the comforting warmth emanating in her hands. The webbed netting seemed to lose its stick and Sarah could walk upon it freely, stumbling forward she managed to steady herself against the rock face, still clutching the life saving sphere.

Crouching down she held the light as far below as she could, checking out how far the drop was beneath. Luckily it only appeared to be about thirty feet, could be worse. Tucking the orb into her jeans she grabbed hold of the jagged rocks and started to climb down. Luckily the way down wasn't a sheer drop, the wall curved in as if like a funnel. Reaching her foot down for the next hold she only managed to kick at thin air, the walls must have ended. Bracing herself for the final drop, Sarah let her fingers release one by one until she was falling to the hard rocky earth.

'Thwump'

'Urrrgh," She'd grossly misjudged the drop and managed to fall about 15 feet to the floor, her arm hurt and she held it to her chest to stop the throbbing. Instead of rock she'd landed on a crunchy pile of something peculiar. Unable to figure it out she released the orb from her trousers and held it up to illuminate her new surroundings.

A pang of terror shot through her body, her fall had landed her on a pile of bones, human bones. Old flesh and clothes still clung to some, the skin looked as though powerful jaws had shred it. She felt sick and her stomach retched. Scrabbling to her feet she ran, ran as far away as she could from the sickening spectacle. Tears streamed down her already stained face, what was happening to her. If this was the labyrinth why was it so different and terrifying then before, where were her friends, where was he?