Prologue
This was the longest day of Sarah's life.
Before today, it was the day Toby died. Sarah was his emergency contact. Receiving that call from the police made her world slow down to half-speed. She listened as they explained how a drunk driver ran a red light, smashing into the driver's side door of Toby's Toyota.
That half-speed feeling remained the rest of the day. She remembered how long the drive from her work to the hospital felt, how long it took that damned nurse to look up her brother's room number, and how excruciatingly slow the Doctor was in explaining Toby's condition. He was brain-dead.
She remembered waiting hours by Toby's bedside for their father to arrive. He was a city over on business. He was always out of town on business. Sarah held his bruised, icy hand in hers, attempting to look past the many tubes running in and out of his body. Once her father arrived at the hospital, Sarah had to endure the doctor's prognosis all over again, her father asking the same hopeful questions she had asked, and seeing the same pain cover his face. It was agony.
Yes, that had been the longest day of her life, until today-the day of his funeral.
"How are you holding up?" Dylan, Toby's best friends since high school, offered to co-host the reception. Sarah was grateful for the help. Her father spent his days hold up in his study rather than bother with funeral preparations.
"I'm okay, thanks." Dylan felt like the 100th person to ask her that question so far today, and her response was a knee-jerk reaction.
How am I holding up? By acting my ass off.
Toby was a popular kid growing up, and he remained close to all his childhood and college friends. Still, the number of mourners who came to show their respects surprised Sarah. Dylan, however, wasn't.
"I'm glad I suggested we have the reception in the Hilton Ballroom. There's no way half these people would fit in your dad's house."
Sarah nodded. "Good call. When should we start the video?"
"I think now is as good as any time."
Dylan, a visual media engineer, spliced a 30-minute video of photos, home movies and dedications from family and friends. As the video started, Sarah felt a lump rise in her throat. She excused herself, making her way down a side hallway and out into a back alley, letting the chilly March air hit her face like a soothing balm.
She had already seen the video, and by its end it amazed her she had any tears left. Sarah didn't feel like repeating the same experience in a ballroom full of Toby's nearest and dearest. Instead, she lit a cigarette and let the nicotine numb her, just a little. Sarah didn't smoke but decided a vice was necessary today and getting drunk wasn't an option.
"Hey, you okay?" Sarah turned to see Samantha had followed her outside. Her best friend since college, the two bonded over their less-than-ideal childhoods, and absentee parents. Samantha knew all of Sarah's secrets, including her time with the Goblin King, and considered her a sister, and Toby her brother.
"I saw you flee, wanted to see if you need anything?"
Sarah gave her a weak smile, handing her a cigarette and lighter. Samantha lit up and joined Sarah up against the brick wall.
"This is almost too much, Sam. If one more fucking person asks me how I'm holding up... I might scream."
"I know, Sarah. I feel the same."
Sarah took a drag off her cigarette. "I was six when mom died. That was the last funeral I went to. Toby had just turned ten. He held my hand the whole way through, even when we moved graveside. I remember, after we got home, he made me a peanut butter and jelly and put on my favorite Jim Henson movie. He let me curl up next to him on the couch and just feel like a normal kid again. He always took care of me after that."
Sarah wiped a tear from her cheek and took one last drag from her cigarette before putting it out and popping a mint in her mouth.
"I feel like I have no family left. Dad and I haven't been close since Mom died, and I know he will become even more distant now. I feel so alone..."
Samantha put her cigarette out and turned to Sarah, catching her gaze. "Sarah, are you thinking about calling to him?"
Sarah stilled. She knew exactly what Samantha was asking.
"I want to. I never stopped wanting to. But I made a promise to Toby, and I don't want to break it."
Samantha let out a sigh, nodding her head. "Good, you shouldn't. It's the one thing Toby ever asked of you. You should honor his request."
Sarah nodded in agreement, even though deep down, she hated being tied to this promise. It had been eight long years, almost to the day since Toby wished her away to the Goblin King, and not a day passed that Sarah didn't long to see his face again.
Samantha grabbed Sarah's hand, giving it a light squeeze. "And you do have family left. You have me."
Sarah smiled and nodded. "Yes, you're right."
Samantha smiled back. "We should get back inside before people look for you. Don't worry, I'll hold your hand today."
Sarah closed her eyes, taking in a deep inhale through her nose and out her mouth, her go-to calming mechanism.
"Yes, good idea." Sarah followed Samantha back in, keeping a tight hold on her hand.
~.~.~.~.~.~
Sarah walked through the front door of her childhood home, well after 9pm. To say the day exhausted her would be an understatement. Her feet throbbed from her stiff black leather pumps, her face ached from all the forced smiling and repressed crying.
Making her way to the stairs, she passed her father's office, hearing him inside. Part of her wanted to keep on walking, upset that he had left the memorial early, but thought the adult thing to do would be to check and see if he was alright.
"Dad? Can I come in?" Sarah called, giving a light knock on the study door.
"Come in, sweetheart." That was his nickname for Sarah, although she never really felt like he meant it.
Walking into the room, Sarah noted the half-drunk bottle of whiskey on his desk.
"Mind if I join you?"
He smiled. "Take a seat. I'll pour you a glass."
Sarah took the whiskey and sipped. The one thing her father taught her was how to appreciate brown liquor. "How are you?"
He took a long sigh before answering. "I guess I'm okay, given I buried my only son today. At least he and your mom can be together now."
After a pause, another sip, he added, "It's going to take me some time to get all the paperwork in order, amending my will and Toby's accounts, etc... Once it's all set, I'll let you know."
Sarah's eyes shot up. "I'm not concerned with paperwork right now."
They sat there in silence. Sarah sipped her whiskey, desperate for her father to say something, anything else.
Why aren't you asking how the rest of the funeral went? Why aren't you asking me if I'm okay?!
Suddenly, he stood. "Well, it's been a long day. I think I'll head to bed. Goodnight, sweetheart." With that, he gave her a peck on the forehead and left his study, making his way up the stairs to his room.
Sarah sat there a moment longer before grabbing her glass and the bottle of whiskey, making her way up the stairs as well, back to her childhood bedroom.
Closing the door behind her, she poured three-fingers into her glass and drank it down fast before throwing herself on the bed, staring at the ceiling, tears pouring down her cheeks.
I'm alone...
She didn't want to be alone. She wanted to be wrapped up in someone's arms, his arms, curling herself into his chest, so she could breathe in his scent, hugging him close to her as he gently whispers how everything will be okay.
"No, stop!" Sarah chastised herself, sitting up and wiping the tears from her face. "I made a promise. I can't keep letting my thoughts go there."
Just then, Sarah heard a noise on the other side of the room. Something had dropped to the floor.
Walking over to the darkened corner, where her bookshelf stood, Sarah bent down and picked up the little red leather book she remembered Toby reading to her when she was little, after her mother died. She traced her fingertips over the title. "The Labyrinth."
The breath stilled in Sarah's lungs. She hadn't seen this book since after Toby won her back.
How is this here? Toby told me he destroyed it.
Sarah remembered Toby making her swear to him she would never call to the Goblin King. He was adamant the King was a threat, his sweet nature towards Sarah a lie. After what he endured in the Labyrinth, she couldn't blame him.
"Promise me, Sarah. Promise me you will never call to him."
Sarah promised Toby she wouldn't, and every day since, a part of her regretted that promise. Now, with Toby gone, she had never wanted to break it more, and finding the book on this night, of all nights, made it clear to Sarah that the Goblin King was waiting for her too.
She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Toby."
Sarah took a deep inhale through her nose, then exhaled out her mouth, just like he taught her to.
"I wish the Goblin King would come to me right now."
Author's Note:
This is my first EVER foray into the world of fan fiction. I've loved the Labyrinth since I was a little girl, and this year, while watching the movie one weekend as I recovered from Covid, I hopped on and searched under Labyrinth. Holy. Shit. I was hooked!
I found jetredgirl and devoured her works, eventually joining her FB group where I learned she is no longer with us. I was devastated. I remember leaving a post about how sad I was that her sequel to SS&IK, In a Time of Winter, would never have an ending. I still think about that.
One of the ladies in the group commented that I should take inspiration from her and create my own story. I took those words to heart and wrote the first page of The Keepers.
I wrote, re-wrote, and re-wrote this story again. It's far from perfect, but it's very much loved by its author.
I also made a point to finalize the story in its entirety before beginning to post it. I didn't want the possibility of leaving an unfinished story behind. I know how much that can hurt.
Every Friday for the next 10 weeks I will release chapters. I really hope you enjoy.
Also: music was a HUGE source of inspiration for me. Because of this, I've named each chapter after the song that inspired it, either through lyrics or melody. If y'all have a Spotify account, please feel free to follow The Keepers soundtrack! I'll be adding songs to it in tandem with the chapter release each Friday.
You can find my Spotify account at EastOfGatewood. The Playlist is entitled: The Keepers