Sarah opened her eyes only to close them immediately, a wave of dizziness threatening her balance. Slowly tried again, her vision settled but seemed magnified, the details were too sharp. The light was dim but she could make out that she was in a hole of some kind. An oubliette? No, there was an opening right across from her, she could see branches waving in the breeze. She was about to go investigate when she felt something soft graze her back and spun around. She almost jumped out of her skin as she saw the owlets beside her, but they were the size of large dogs!
Panicking she tumbled away from the oversized fluffballs and put up her hand as a flimsy barrier. Except that it wasn't her hand that she saw. She saw long white and tan...feathers.
Sarah began hyperventilating, rushing towards the opening. Once there she screeched to a halt, the hollow was very high up in an oak tree. She was trapped. She tried to scream for help but the only sound that escaped her throat was an harsh shriek.
This has to be a nightmare! Wake up Sarah!
An amused voice spoke directly in her head. Ah but my dear, one can not awaken from what is not a dream.
Sarah's eyes shot up in time to see another owl was descending towards the hollow. She scrambled out of the way, backing herself against the side of the hollow, away from the owlets.
The new owl folded his wings and entered, looked her up and down and then actually winked at her.
Sarah glared. Goblin King I presume?
The voice in her head chuckled.
Why are you doing this?
He tilted his head, eyes wide in a semblance of innocence. Fulfilling your wish.
This is not what I meant and you know it!
The owl-fae shrugged but his mind voice was smug. As the wish granter I am free to interpret the wish as I see fit, you did not specify.
She tried to shake her fist at him, but only waved a wing awkwardly. But I can't be an owl!
He raised his head, Sarah could picture his raised eyebrow. Oh but you are! And you shall be for... shall we say, approximately nine weeks... give or take a few days.
Nine weeks! I can't disappear for nine weeks! I have a human life! A family! ... And I don't know how to fly or hunt... and you can't expect me to eat mice?
The chuckle resonated in her head again. The owl Goblin King stepped back to the opening and retrieved a small mouse. He approached the owlets and tearing the mouse in two presented it to the owlets, who gobbled it greedily and then promptly went back to sleep.
Sarah averted her eyes, trying not to lose her dinner.
The Goblin King turned his attention back to her and tilted his head towards the eggs.
I guess I don't have a choice, do I? Sarah glared daggers at him but begrudgingly installed herself on the motley nest. It was a lumpy seat, and a wiggly one, with the owlets and their unhatched siblings snuggled together for the warmth.
She looked up just in time to see her captor hop up to the opening, about to fly away. She panicked. Wait! Where are you going? You can't leave me alone here! I don't know what to do!
He turned towards her. Keep them warm, we shall discuss further instructions tomorrow.
And then he was gone.
Sarah got up and looked outside, the thick foliage obscuring any possible landmarks. She didn't even know if she was still in the park or in the Underground. From the absence of glitter she could hope she was still in the park but it really didn't make much of a difference in her current position.
Plopping herself back on the nest she fumed, despite there being no locks or bars on her prison she was truly trapped! She spent the next few hours imagining dozens of ways to get back at the insufferable Goblin King.
...
She must have finally nodded of because when she was roused by a sound just outside, the brightness in the hollow indicated that it was early morning.
A shadow appeared in the opening. Rise and shine Precious. In his owl form he couldn't smirk, but she could hear it in his voice.
What do you want? She glared.
She heard him chuckle. Don't you want to go home?
Sarah blinked. Home? But you said...
He nodded. Yes, you will tend to these young until they are fledged. But you will also go about your life as normally as possible.
Sarah eyed him warily. But...how?
Simple. I will send you back to your room before you are missed. You will go about your morning routine as usual. Then you will tell your family that you are going out for the day. You will walk to the park and meet me at the fallen tree. You will tend to the nest until it is time for your evening meal. You will sup with your family and then go back to your room where I will collect you.
Sarah was about to yell at him when she remembered something. But who will tend the nest while I am gone?
He bowed, a wing over his chest, which was actually quite a cute gesture in his owl form. Yours truly.
You would do that, for me?
He tilted his head. I agreed to help you, did I not? Now, let's not make you late to break your fast.
Sarah felt the world twist again and she was back in her bedroom in her bed as if she had been there all night.
Blinking she wondered if it had all been just a very strange dream. But then she saw the feather laying on her bed spread. Was it his? Or hers? That was an odd thought. She tentatively picked it up and went to her bookcase, pulling out her little red book. She placed the feather between the pages before putting it back and preparing for the day.
Down at breakfast Sarah ruffled her brother's hair before rushing through her toast and coffee and grabbing her purse. "I'm going to spend the day with some friends. I'll be back for supper."
Irene looked up from her baking. "Who are you going with?"
"Oh, just um... some new friends I met at the library yesterday."
Irene arched a brow. "Do these new friends have names?"
Sarah hadn't planned for that question. "Um, Jareth... and... Tyto and Alba."
"Unusual names, are they new here?" Irene's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Uh, yeah, they just blew into town this week."
"Why don't you invite them over here so that we can meet them?"
Sarah tried to stifle the panic at that idea. "Uh, I'll see what I can do."
"Okay... well... Toby don't touch the raw cookie dough!" Irene grabbed the offending dough from Toby's fingers and dragged him over to the sink.
"Bye." Thankful for the distraction Sarah ducked out the door before Irene come up with any more questions.
Walking to the park Sarah was feeling trepidation. She was willingly meeting with the Goblin King, knowing that he had tricked her. But he was helping her care for the owlets. But why? What did he get out of it? Maybe some kind of petty vengeance. But... he was still letting her keep her life. She couldn't make any sense of it.
She arrived at the fallen oak and noticed the barn owl sitting in its branches. He winked and took to the air. She jogged after him, watching in awe at the effortless way he flew. She had always dreamed of being able to fly.
He alighted on a branch of another oak in a more secluded area of the park. He looked around and then drifted down. As he approached the ground his form blurred and shifted. When his feet touched the ground he was in his Fae form. He was smirking at her. "You had no problem dealing with your family I presume."
"Well, it worked for today but we might have to think of a more long term solution. Irene won't mind me spend one day with friends but I'm supposed to be job hunting."
He arched a brow. "Friends?"
She arched a brow right back. "Well I couldn't very well say I was going to meet up with the Goblin King could I? And if I said any of my friends that she knows she might try to check up on me. So I told her that I had made some new friends yesterday."
The Goblin King chuckled. "Clever girl." He paused turning to gaze at her and she felt herself shift, shrinking. She was once again an owl, but she was still on the ground. She flapped her wings at him.
"Patience Precious." He leaned down and picked her up gently. She clicked her beak at him, so tempted to bite him for tricking her with her wish but not wanting to risk him trapping her in owl form. He lifted her up to the edge of the hollow. Without him saying anything, she hopped in and sat on the clutch of eggs.
The Goblin King seemed to approve. "I must return to my duties, I will return at noon."
Sarah just prayed that if he was going to bring her some lunch, that it wasn't mice.
...
Author's note
Thank you to Guest 2020 and tonemara for the reviews!
To those who have faved and followed, thanks, I'd love to hear from you.
I don't own Labyrinth or its characters, not making money.