Here's the long awaited chapter 2. * Snickers, stifling a laugh. * But
seriously, here's chapter 2.
Chapter 2: Back in the Underground
The book in front of her was open, and her eyes were on the right page as they should be, but today her heart was just not in learning. All of Sarah's thoughts kept straying back to the odd doorknob that had appeared on that strange oak tree. She absently twirled a lock of dark brown hair in between her pointer finger and middle finger as her elbow rested on the side of her school desk.
Vaguely she wondered what would have happened had she actually tried to open the tree. What a strange thought indeed, opening a tree. Today, she knew, she would eventually go back to the park armed with Merlin and see what happens.
The short, balding teacher with half moon spectacles standing at the front of the class walked slowly over to Sarah's desk and thumped on it making a loud smacking sound, waking Sarah out of her daydream. "Ms. Williams, I am aware that you are the mayor's daughter, but that doesn't give you the right to do as you please in MY class. Get your head out of the clouds and pay attention, got it?" the man, Mr. Whitaker asked. Sarah knew that it was a rhetorical question and nodded her head a little, not really meaning it. Pre-cal was her least favorite class, so she went back to her thoughts defiantly.
The rest of the day had passed like her Pre-calculus class had, and before she knew it, Sarah was sitting in fifth period when the last bell to go home rang. Thankful for the freedom that she now had, she shoved her books into her book bag, which she threw over her shoulder with a grunt. Waiting for her at the end of the hall was Liz, as always. "Hey, girlie, what's up with you today. Especially in French class. I can't believe you snapped at Mr. Spoengton just because he told you to pay attention," Liz said, walking beside Sarah, who hung her head guiltily at that memory. "Yeah, I guess I have been a bit standoffish today. It's just that in every class today I haven't been able to pay attention, so what do the teachers say? Pay attention! I just snapped, and I know it was wrong, but hey, listen I gotta get going. I'll see you later Liz," Sarah said, opening the outer doors and stepping into the summer heat. The sun shone down on her yellow jeep making it stand out in the parking lot. Liz called out after her, but Sarah ignored her and hurried down the wide even stone steps.
Before she even went home, Sarah drove straight to the park, all thoughts of the odd occurrence yesterday taking precedence over anything else. She parked the jeep in the closest possible space to the wooded area where the oak tree stood.
The tree sparkled in the afternoon sun as Sarah stood in the clearing once more, looking at it in awe. There was just something magical about this tree that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Magical in a way that made one's curiosity peak and want to see things far beyond their reality. Sarah shivered with anticipation.
The doorknob was gone. In its place was brown, ordinary rough tree bark. It just occurred to Sarah that she hadn't brought Merlin as she thought she was going too, but there was no turning back now. Stretching out her hand, she placed it close to the same place as the day before, and once again, the light glowed yellowish and her hand started to tingle and without warning, the doorknob appeared. Sarah removed her hand and placed it on the knob.
"Here goes nothing," she said aloud to herself, turning the knob slowly in her hand. As it twisted, a line in the tree started to appear, creating a door. The door seemed large enough for a grown human to pass through. Once the knob has turned all the way it would go, she pulled the door towards her and it started to give slowly. Golden rays of light started to seep through the widening crack in the place between the tree and the rest of the door.
The door stood open all the way before her, and the scene through the tree quite literally took her breath away. An amber and gold streaked sky greeted her sights, and rough looking red sanded terrain crunched under her feet as she took a step forward into the strange world before her. Mountains stood in the distance, mostly to the west, and a forest on her right beckoned with leafy life.
Sarah stopped herself before going too far, and turned. The door still stood open and the tree was still there supporting it, but on this side the tree sparkled, and it was clearly a magical tree. A thought occurred to her that she was back in the underground. Looking at the sky, Sarah's long, dark hair flowed down her back lazily.
Unfortunately for Sarah, she was still dressed in her plaid skirt and white blouse and navy blue blazer, all part of her school uniform. Even though she wasn't dressed for the occasion, Sarah shrugged and continued walking, not really caring about her clothes. What she did care about, though, was finding someone who could tell her what world this was, and what part of it she was in.
Soon enough she came upon the outskirts of what appeared to be a tiny village. The houses were unusually small, as if little midgets lived within the dwellings. Although the village was a bit outdated, it appeared to be well kept, as if the citizens that lived there actually tried to live decently. Bending over slightly, Sarah tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear and knocked on the tiny wooden door to one of the houses.
Slowly, the minuscule door opened to reveal a little man that resembled some kind of elf; he had pointed hair and wispy white hair atop his head. Adjusting his spectacles so he could look up at her, the little elfin man said, "What do you want, giant?" Sarah put a hand over her mouth to stifle a little giggle. "I'm not a giant. Where I'm from I'm actually of average height. I'm from earth. Could you please tell me where I am, sir?"
The little man scratched his head and came out on his porch, shutting the door behind him. Sarah could see all of him now, and he indeed looked like a little old elf. "You're from earth, eh? You're in the underground, human. I suggest you go back from whence you came or the king of this land will have your head. He hates mortals. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to keep my own head. Conversing with a mortal human indeed," the little man said disgustedly.
Sarah frowned, the corners of her mouth pulling down and her brows furrowed together, forming a little line in between them. His hand was on the door ready to go back in, but before he could, Sarah asked him another question. "I won't keep you, just answer me this. What part of the underground am I in?" Without turning around, the little old elf said, "You're in the elfin and fairy kingdom. We're going to war any day now with the kingdom to the south, so I suggest you stay away from the trolls!" the little creature exclaimed, slamming the door rudely behind him.
Puzzled by his strange outburst, but not completely confused, Sarah walked through the seemingly deserted village. Little elf faces peered out the windows of the tiny houses at her as she walked by them. How sad it was that they had to hide in fear in their own homes.
Gone was the feeling that this was a magical place where nothing but dreams became reality. Somehow, the first time that she was here, Sarah thought that nothing bad could ever really happen to her. Now she finally realized how naïve she had been, and how much danger she had truly faced.
Her legs brought her to the end of the little village, and she turned and gave a small wave to one of the little children watching her in a window foggy from the moisture of its own breath. The child closed the curtains, obviously afraid of this overgrown stranger. Tears bordered around Sarah's eyes, she truly felt sorry for these people, but how could she help them?
Beyond the village was a little grassy plane with a dusty overused trail winding through the center of it. Sarah walked this path, even though it was the path most traveled and all the stories always say that you should take the path less traveled. In this case, she had little choice, as it was the only path. Looking down at her feet for a moment, she noticed how terribly scuffed her shoes had become. Her stepmother would certainly be furious at her for not keeping them clean.
Her attention was turned back to the path in front of her as a little whisper in her ear startled her from looking at her shoes. "Are you a mortal?" a little meek voice asked her. Sarah jumped as a tiny blonde haired fairy flew in front of her face.
"Yes, I am. I'm Sarah, who are you?" "I'm Yetzel, nice to meet you," the little fairy said politely. "You're not going to bite me are you?" Sarah asked suspiciously. "Oh no, silly. Only the fairies outside the Labyrinth kingdom bite. I'm a good luck fairy. Why, have you met the fairies outside of the labyrinth?" Sarah nodded her head slowly. "Yes, one of them bit me. Listen, Yetzel, I'd love to stop and chat some more, but I really must be going. I have to find the king of this realm, no matter how much he hates mortals and ask him what I can do to help."
Yetzel giggled a little and then turned serious. "It's true, the king does have a strong dislike for mortals, but don't let that deter you. The underground needs all the help it can get during this time of crisis." Sarah stopped a little, but then resumed walking. "Time of crisis? You mean war?" she asked. Yetzel nodded her head a little, pulling nervously at the edge of her sleeveless blue dress. "Not only war, but the earth is in danger, too. If the trolls and dark sprites take over, they will most certainly try to take over the earth, too. It's the way of their nature. They will also make humans into their slaves," Yetzel explained.
Sarah rubbed the bridge of her nose right between her eyes. Could this day possibly get any worse? Now, not only does she have a school project to worry about, but also the underground is going to war and the earth is getting pulled in the middle of it. And she, Sarah Williams, just had to be the one to stop it. This is worse than solving that damn labyrinth, she thought miserably.
*~*
I know this chapter was semi-short, and it probably didn't make sense. Let me know what you think by reviewing, please. Thanks for reading! And remember comments, questions, or random insults are always welcome. Bye bye.
Chapter 2: Back in the Underground
The book in front of her was open, and her eyes were on the right page as they should be, but today her heart was just not in learning. All of Sarah's thoughts kept straying back to the odd doorknob that had appeared on that strange oak tree. She absently twirled a lock of dark brown hair in between her pointer finger and middle finger as her elbow rested on the side of her school desk.
Vaguely she wondered what would have happened had she actually tried to open the tree. What a strange thought indeed, opening a tree. Today, she knew, she would eventually go back to the park armed with Merlin and see what happens.
The short, balding teacher with half moon spectacles standing at the front of the class walked slowly over to Sarah's desk and thumped on it making a loud smacking sound, waking Sarah out of her daydream. "Ms. Williams, I am aware that you are the mayor's daughter, but that doesn't give you the right to do as you please in MY class. Get your head out of the clouds and pay attention, got it?" the man, Mr. Whitaker asked. Sarah knew that it was a rhetorical question and nodded her head a little, not really meaning it. Pre-cal was her least favorite class, so she went back to her thoughts defiantly.
The rest of the day had passed like her Pre-calculus class had, and before she knew it, Sarah was sitting in fifth period when the last bell to go home rang. Thankful for the freedom that she now had, she shoved her books into her book bag, which she threw over her shoulder with a grunt. Waiting for her at the end of the hall was Liz, as always. "Hey, girlie, what's up with you today. Especially in French class. I can't believe you snapped at Mr. Spoengton just because he told you to pay attention," Liz said, walking beside Sarah, who hung her head guiltily at that memory. "Yeah, I guess I have been a bit standoffish today. It's just that in every class today I haven't been able to pay attention, so what do the teachers say? Pay attention! I just snapped, and I know it was wrong, but hey, listen I gotta get going. I'll see you later Liz," Sarah said, opening the outer doors and stepping into the summer heat. The sun shone down on her yellow jeep making it stand out in the parking lot. Liz called out after her, but Sarah ignored her and hurried down the wide even stone steps.
Before she even went home, Sarah drove straight to the park, all thoughts of the odd occurrence yesterday taking precedence over anything else. She parked the jeep in the closest possible space to the wooded area where the oak tree stood.
The tree sparkled in the afternoon sun as Sarah stood in the clearing once more, looking at it in awe. There was just something magical about this tree that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Magical in a way that made one's curiosity peak and want to see things far beyond their reality. Sarah shivered with anticipation.
The doorknob was gone. In its place was brown, ordinary rough tree bark. It just occurred to Sarah that she hadn't brought Merlin as she thought she was going too, but there was no turning back now. Stretching out her hand, she placed it close to the same place as the day before, and once again, the light glowed yellowish and her hand started to tingle and without warning, the doorknob appeared. Sarah removed her hand and placed it on the knob.
"Here goes nothing," she said aloud to herself, turning the knob slowly in her hand. As it twisted, a line in the tree started to appear, creating a door. The door seemed large enough for a grown human to pass through. Once the knob has turned all the way it would go, she pulled the door towards her and it started to give slowly. Golden rays of light started to seep through the widening crack in the place between the tree and the rest of the door.
The door stood open all the way before her, and the scene through the tree quite literally took her breath away. An amber and gold streaked sky greeted her sights, and rough looking red sanded terrain crunched under her feet as she took a step forward into the strange world before her. Mountains stood in the distance, mostly to the west, and a forest on her right beckoned with leafy life.
Sarah stopped herself before going too far, and turned. The door still stood open and the tree was still there supporting it, but on this side the tree sparkled, and it was clearly a magical tree. A thought occurred to her that she was back in the underground. Looking at the sky, Sarah's long, dark hair flowed down her back lazily.
Unfortunately for Sarah, she was still dressed in her plaid skirt and white blouse and navy blue blazer, all part of her school uniform. Even though she wasn't dressed for the occasion, Sarah shrugged and continued walking, not really caring about her clothes. What she did care about, though, was finding someone who could tell her what world this was, and what part of it she was in.
Soon enough she came upon the outskirts of what appeared to be a tiny village. The houses were unusually small, as if little midgets lived within the dwellings. Although the village was a bit outdated, it appeared to be well kept, as if the citizens that lived there actually tried to live decently. Bending over slightly, Sarah tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear and knocked on the tiny wooden door to one of the houses.
Slowly, the minuscule door opened to reveal a little man that resembled some kind of elf; he had pointed hair and wispy white hair atop his head. Adjusting his spectacles so he could look up at her, the little elfin man said, "What do you want, giant?" Sarah put a hand over her mouth to stifle a little giggle. "I'm not a giant. Where I'm from I'm actually of average height. I'm from earth. Could you please tell me where I am, sir?"
The little man scratched his head and came out on his porch, shutting the door behind him. Sarah could see all of him now, and he indeed looked like a little old elf. "You're from earth, eh? You're in the underground, human. I suggest you go back from whence you came or the king of this land will have your head. He hates mortals. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to keep my own head. Conversing with a mortal human indeed," the little man said disgustedly.
Sarah frowned, the corners of her mouth pulling down and her brows furrowed together, forming a little line in between them. His hand was on the door ready to go back in, but before he could, Sarah asked him another question. "I won't keep you, just answer me this. What part of the underground am I in?" Without turning around, the little old elf said, "You're in the elfin and fairy kingdom. We're going to war any day now with the kingdom to the south, so I suggest you stay away from the trolls!" the little creature exclaimed, slamming the door rudely behind him.
Puzzled by his strange outburst, but not completely confused, Sarah walked through the seemingly deserted village. Little elf faces peered out the windows of the tiny houses at her as she walked by them. How sad it was that they had to hide in fear in their own homes.
Gone was the feeling that this was a magical place where nothing but dreams became reality. Somehow, the first time that she was here, Sarah thought that nothing bad could ever really happen to her. Now she finally realized how naïve she had been, and how much danger she had truly faced.
Her legs brought her to the end of the little village, and she turned and gave a small wave to one of the little children watching her in a window foggy from the moisture of its own breath. The child closed the curtains, obviously afraid of this overgrown stranger. Tears bordered around Sarah's eyes, she truly felt sorry for these people, but how could she help them?
Beyond the village was a little grassy plane with a dusty overused trail winding through the center of it. Sarah walked this path, even though it was the path most traveled and all the stories always say that you should take the path less traveled. In this case, she had little choice, as it was the only path. Looking down at her feet for a moment, she noticed how terribly scuffed her shoes had become. Her stepmother would certainly be furious at her for not keeping them clean.
Her attention was turned back to the path in front of her as a little whisper in her ear startled her from looking at her shoes. "Are you a mortal?" a little meek voice asked her. Sarah jumped as a tiny blonde haired fairy flew in front of her face.
"Yes, I am. I'm Sarah, who are you?" "I'm Yetzel, nice to meet you," the little fairy said politely. "You're not going to bite me are you?" Sarah asked suspiciously. "Oh no, silly. Only the fairies outside the Labyrinth kingdom bite. I'm a good luck fairy. Why, have you met the fairies outside of the labyrinth?" Sarah nodded her head slowly. "Yes, one of them bit me. Listen, Yetzel, I'd love to stop and chat some more, but I really must be going. I have to find the king of this realm, no matter how much he hates mortals and ask him what I can do to help."
Yetzel giggled a little and then turned serious. "It's true, the king does have a strong dislike for mortals, but don't let that deter you. The underground needs all the help it can get during this time of crisis." Sarah stopped a little, but then resumed walking. "Time of crisis? You mean war?" she asked. Yetzel nodded her head a little, pulling nervously at the edge of her sleeveless blue dress. "Not only war, but the earth is in danger, too. If the trolls and dark sprites take over, they will most certainly try to take over the earth, too. It's the way of their nature. They will also make humans into their slaves," Yetzel explained.
Sarah rubbed the bridge of her nose right between her eyes. Could this day possibly get any worse? Now, not only does she have a school project to worry about, but also the underground is going to war and the earth is getting pulled in the middle of it. And she, Sarah Williams, just had to be the one to stop it. This is worse than solving that damn labyrinth, she thought miserably.
*~*
I know this chapter was semi-short, and it probably didn't make sense. Let me know what you think by reviewing, please. Thanks for reading! And remember comments, questions, or random insults are always welcome. Bye bye.