Throughout the remaining hours of darkness, Sarah tossed and turned in her sleep, her head crammed with thoughts about what possible dangers she could bring to others, and what awful perils awaited her. She felt incredibly responsible for everything that had happened, all because she selfishly wanted one more day in the Labyrinth. Now everyone in the Underground knew her, and they wanted to destroy her, and even worse, they wanted to harm her family and friends, who were oblivious the entire situation.
Nightmares began to haunt her slumber, from Baba's hostile eyes to Tania's looming cackle. The screams of her loved ones penetrated her ears and she had no idea how to shut them out. She twisted and squirmed, trying to wake herself up, but the cries only became louder and more daunting. After much struggle, her eyes bolted open with the sound of a screeching owl.
She awoke at quarter past seven in the morning, panting in a cold sweat. The echoes of the owl's roar still rung in her ears. It felt so real, yet she was completely alone. She went downstairs and made herself some breakfast, which she ate at the table, barely even savouring the cereal she consumed. She sat lost in thought for the next hour as she twiddled her locket. She didn't even realise that Karen was already in the kitchen, awkwardly waiting for her stepdaughter to notice her. Eventually, Sarah jumped when she realised she had company, but still she felt too shamefaced to say anything. What could she say? - 'Oh I'm sorry about the party, but it wasn't my fault. I was under a spell by a woman disguised as an immortal from another world'!
Seeing her discomfort, Karen went over to the breakfast table and sat down beside Sarah.
"I'm sorry." Karen apologised, surprising Sarah. "I shouldn't have made you go to the party. It was too soon after all that's happened. Seeing you behave like that made me realise that well, you're obviously not your full self and…you just need more time to recover."
Sarah didn't know what to say. So she did not respond. A simple appreciative smile was enough for Karen to leave Sarah to sit at the table alone while she went back upstairs to wake up Toby. She then continued to stay in the kitchen for most of the day, lost in her own thoughts while Karen and Toby played games in the living room.
In the late afternoon, the phone rang. Karen went into the hallway to answer. After eavesdropping on her conversation, Sarah knew that whoever was calling had made Karen sound disappointed, as her tone of voice was snappy and frustrated. After hanging up she walked over to Sarah.
"That was work. They said they need me to go in for a few hours." sighed Karen.
"So, what's the matter?" Sarah asked.
"Well it means that you'll have to watch Toby. I know you don't like it when I ask you to baby-sit but I really have no choice and…"
"No, no, it's fine. It's the least I can do after I practically destroyed your work party yesterday."
"Sarah I told you, don't keep thinking about that. You weren't in the right state of mind…But if you're okay with looking after Toby, then it'll be a big help. Besides, I'll only be gone for a couple of hours." Karen urged, as she gathered her coat and shoes together ready to leave the house.
But the Sarah become conscious of something that worried her greatly. Karen had just reminded her that she wasn't in a fit state of mind. She had been cursed, and there was nothing she could do about it. And now she was going to be alone…with Toby, her dearly beloved little brother!
"Actually…" Sarah called to Karen, just as she was about to leave. "I've just remembered…me and Lysander have plans this evening, so you might have to ask someone else."
"I can't ask somebody else. I'm leaving right now! I'm sure you and Lysander can make plans for tomorrow. Or invite him round here while you baby-sit. I don't mind, but I have to go now, okay so I'll see you in a few hours…Goodbye Toby!" she shouted into the living room. Toby did not answer, as he was to busy playing with his train set. In a heartbeat, Karen had disappeared from the house, leaving Sarah alone with her fate.
"Okay, if I just sit here for three hours then nothing can go wrong." Sarah muttered to herself as she fixed herself firmly in the living room chair, smiling at her brother as he played.
The first hour went by without any problems, unless the fact that Toby had broke one of his toy trains from slamming it too hard into the wall a serious dilemma, which, in a child's world, it was. Sarah admired the way her brother amused himself so easily, using his imagination to create a numerous worlds and kingdoms for the limited number of toys he had. How she wished she was his age again. Things were so much simpler. He didn't have to worry about relationships or work, or the fear that one day his mother would walk out the door and never return. No, Toby was a lucky, joyful child, and Sarah was going to make sure it stayed that way, no matter how stressful her own life was.
She read him a couple of stories during the second hour determined not to leave the spot she sat in, but as the third hour approached, the urge to stand up became strong, for nature was indeed calling her. She didn't want to have to leave Toby, but relieving herself in the midst of the lounge was a level she was not going to stoop to.
"Toby, I'm just going to the bathroom. I won't be long so stay right there, okay?" she instructed, patting his little carrot-topped head.
"Okay! I'm going to pretend that I'm Superman!" Toby flashed her a cheeky grin, then commenced a hazardous display of disorder as he dashed around with his arms stretched out, jumping on the chairs and knocking over his toys. After a moments thought, Sarah seized her accident-prone little brother and gripped his hand tightly.
"On second thought, I think you should follow me." Sarah lugged Toby's upstairs, ignoring his several attempts to bite and smack her hand, for she knew that if she left him downstairs some crazy immortal from another world would probably come kidnap him while she was in the bathroom.
"Get off me!" screamed Toby. "I don't wanna go poo poo with you!"
When they reached the top of the stairs Sarah ordered Toby to stay sat on the landing, just outside of the door.
"Now, while I'm in there, I want you to keep singing me your favourite song, okay?" she asked.
"Okay!" Toby spoke, giddily, clapping his hands in excitement as his sister disappeared into the bathroom. Then he began to sing. "Sarah is a stupid head, she's too scared to go to bed. She's too scared to go poo poo, so she makes me sing, la la la la…"
Sarah giggled as she finished up and flushed the chain, before proceeding to the sink to wash her hands.
"Keep singing okay, Toby." She yelled.
"Silly little Sarah has a stupid face, she hasn't got any friends…" Sarah knew he was only young, but she was still a touch offended by the words of a boy she once rescued from a Goblin King. Still, it was better than him being afflicted by her curse, so she listened some more. "She's got googly eyes, and a big… Aghhhhh!" Toby screamed, causing Sarah to panic as she heard a great thud outside the door.
"Toby!" she cried, bursting out the door to find that Toby was no longer on the landing where she asked him to wait. Quickly, she approached the top of the staircase and looked down in horror.
"Oh no! Toby!" she shrieked.
The little six year old boy was lying at the bottom of the stairs. It seemed that he had fallen while he was dancing to the song; the song Sarah had asked him to sing! She charged down the stairs and knelt by his side. He lay still with his face towards the floor. Terrified, Sarah carefully turned him over.
"Ouch! It hurts!" he snivelled, as he gazed into his sisters eyes. His body trembled with shock and fear.
"Where does it hurt?" she queried, thankful that he was not unconscious, but still horrified about what had happened to him.
"My head!" he cried.
"It's okay, Toby. You'll be okay!" Sarah stroked his head softly, then stood up and ran to the phone where she dialled '911'. "Hello…I need an ambulance quickly…My little brother has fallen down the stairs…He's conscious but I think he's hurt his head…Okay…Thank you." Sarah put down the receiver, and rushed back over to her immobile brother, who didn't cry violently, but gently sobbed every few seconds. "The ambulance are coming to help you, Toby. Stay strong." Sarah bit her lower lip, as if to force herself not to scream out in distress. She continued to stroke Toby's head gently, examining it for cuts and bruises. There was no sign of any blood, but she noticed a large swelling on the top of his cranium. "I'm so sorry" she whispered, her tears falling onto her brother's ashen cheeks.
Paramedics came within minutes of the phone call. Sarah had left the door open, so they rushed straight through to find the brother and sister at the bottom of the stairs. Seeing them act so speedily with their fluorescent uniforms made Sarah's heart race within her doomed soul. They quickly carried him outside and into the back of the ambulance, where they headed off to the hospital. Sarah hated herself for leaving him, just for a few minutes in the bathroom. The guilt was too much to handle that she began to cry while she sat inside the speeding vehicle. One of the paramedics put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Dear. You did well to act so quickly. Luckily, it looks like your brother has just had a mild contusion. He should be fine after a check-over from the doctor. All kids fall down the stairs once in their lives. Just be thankful that his is out of the way now" He laughed, tickling Toby's cheek as he lay on the clean white bed. Sarah smiled, dimly at the paramedic's reassurance. If only he knew the real reason for why Toby fell.
A quarter of an hour later, Karen arrived at the City Hospital. Hurriedly, she power-walked into the children's ward. Her middle-class attire stood out from all the poverty of the large crowded room. She self-importantly looked around until she spotted Sarah sitting beside a bed. A nurse was present, checking Toby's heartbeat with a stethoscope. Toby, now looking as right as rain, giggled every time the cold medical instrument touched his chest.
"Thank goodness!" Karen cried, as she prudently rushed up to her son. "What happened, Sarah? All I heard from your phone call was that I needed to come to the hospital quickly…I didn't know what to think!" Karen seemed genuinely anguished. She didn't even attempt to conceal the droplets of water that descended from her eyelids.
"I'm sorry. I had no time to explain. It happened so fast…" sobbed Sarah.
"Well, what happened?" Karen shouted now, gazing back and forth from Sarah to the nurse, who was joking around with Toby. When the nurse recognized the boy's mother was in attendance, she embarrassedly straightened herself up and cleared out her throat.
"Hello Mrs. Williams. Your son fell down the stairs, but luckily enough he has not suffered from any major injuries. He has a slight bump on the head, but he should be able to go home after he's been fully checked over by the Doctor, who will be along shortly. Now if you'll please excuse me, I just have to go and see to another patient." The young nurse nervously walked away. Karen shook her head as she watched her run over to a little girl and pick her up, swinging her around as she did so. Annoyed, she turned to face her stepdaughter.
"Sarah, what was my son doing at the top of the stairs, on his own?" she snapped.
"I…I'm sorry I…" Sarah didn't know how she was going to explain to Karen that her intentions were for Toby's own safety.
"Wasn't Sarah's fault!" chirped Toby. "She went to have a poo poo, and she told me to stay downstairs, but I didn't do what I was told, and I followed her up there. Then I fell over when I was dancing on the stairs. Sarah helped me get better."
Sarah gawped in shock and revelation, almost weeping with pride. She could not believe that her little brother was lying for her. As a baby she had literally disowned him, and now here he was, defending her honour. She couldn't have asked for a better sibling.
"Is this true? ...Oh, well I'm sorry, Sarah. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I know you wouldn't have been stupid enough to leave him alone at the top of the staircase." She looked at her son. "Just as long as you're alright, darling." Karen stroked Toby's head, while he stuck out his tongue n return. They all laughed and for a moment, and Sarah felt a trace of happiness again, almost forgetting that the nightmare was far from over.
AN: So glad you're enjoying this story. I enjoyed writing it.
Don't worry... I haven't forgotten about Jareth... Wait for the next chapter! ;-)