Chapter 4:Lovers Forrest

I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG TO JIM HENSON!

I always assumed fairies were supposed to be kind, but the thing I'd caught at the beginning of the Labyrinth was anything but. I rubbed at my palm wincing at the sore spot the fairy had left on my palm from the bite.

I suddenly noticed the change of scenery as I stumbled through the maze. I looked around at the part of the labyrinth I had recently found myself in. It looked so fantastical, everything was tinted in soft pinks and whites. Beautiful trees surrounded a small reflecting pool, and a stream of water gurgled as it spewed a tiny waterfall of water into the pool. The trees were similar to that of a weeping willow and yet the long vines that reached down to graze the floor were not green but a soft peach pink. The meadow around the pool was covered in all kinds of wildflowers, except these flowers choose to only bloom in colors of pinks and creams.

I reached down towards a flower that had caught my eye, its petals were pearly white and sparkled in the sunlight. It seemed to lean towards my hand as I bent down to pull it from the ground. Mesmerized by the alluring flower I gripped and yanked its stem from the ground.

No sooner did the stem let off a pop to signify its release from the earth before the beautiful flower turn to a wicked evil. The soft velvet stem of the flower turned to cold steel in my hands before sprouting thousands of needle sharp thorns. The once glimmering white petals filled with the rusty crimson colors of blood. I shouted in pain and terror. I dropped the once precious flower to the floor of the meadow. I looked down at my already throbbing hand to see that it was covered in bleeding cuts all across my palm. My first thoughts went to infection, I'd always been intrigued in survival methods, and in a normal jungle, cuts were open doors for infection, who knows what lurked in this Labyrinth waiting to pounce on me.

I tore my shirt end off and wrapped it around my hand, creating a makeshift tourniquet to at least slow the blood if nothing else. As I tended to my wounds I decided it would be best not to touch anything else in this part of the labyrinth. I really hope I don't run into any more of these little surprises I thought as I made my way out and away from the enchanting and evil forest.

Watching from my crystal globe I saw Toby reach out and pluck one of the flowers in the Lovers Forest. I winced as I thought back to when I'd first found the forest and the flowers myself.

It had been nearly five months after Sarah had beaten my labyrinth and left. I was glancing over an enchanted map of my Labyrinth when I noticed a new forest had sprouted with the strange caption "Lovers Forrest". I had originally gone out to the forest for a standard inspection, as I typically do when new areas appear in the Labyrinth but upon my arrival I was overwhelmed by the beauty and Innocence the forest displayed.

The small white and pink flowers that grew all over were especially beautiful, so beautiful that I became overcome with greed. I snatched the flower up, I wanted it all to myself, but it changed into the twisted evil just as Toby's had and I dropped it quickly, in shock and confusion of the purpose of such a seemingly useless and dangerous place. Sure the Labyrinth was filled with plenty of dangers, dangers that are meant to distract you and waste your time but this forest seemed almost unnecessary. What purpose did the Labyrinth have for a meadow of beautiful flowers that were filled with such spite?

After that first day I continued to visit each day determined to discover the secrets of the forest. After weeks of studying the pool and the flowers from afar, I decided to try once more to touch the flower. When I reached for it this time however, I was gentle and did not try to tug it from the ground. It reacted surprisingly well to this and seemingly leaned into my hand as if it wanted to be touched, as if it craved for gentle caresses.

I suppose the forest had probably formed from my shattered heart, the more I spent in the forest the more I began to compare the flowers to the young girl that had run through my maze and left me empty handed after I'd offered the stars and more to her. Just like the flower, the girl, when I'd handled her roughly became just as cruel as I was.

But perhaps when she was handled with a gentleness…. No, I'd pushed that thought away many years ago. I'd never dared to allow myself to dwell on the what if's. The champion had claimed her prize and was gone. I'd never see her again.

Until yesterday.

When Sarah first entered my Labyrinth all those years ago, I was cruel and tried to push her into staying here in the Underground with me. But this time.. This time I would be careful and go slower and maybe, just maybe I could convince her that the wonders of the Underground will never compare to her dull life above my mystical Labyrinth. However with Toby, going gently and cautiously might not be possible, he was nearly halfway to the castle and it had only been four hours. I'd have to send someone to lead him in the wrong direction...

"HOGHEAD! Report to my throne room!"

AUTHORS NOTES: :) I hope you enjoy the story! Please leave me any feedback! Much love my little goblins..