The Elemental

The Elemental

By Bunniko

Fieryfaerie@yahoo.com

AN: This is my first published Labyrinth fic. It is dark and is pre-"Labyrinth." As such, it features a lot of dark undertones. I have also taken liberty with a great deal of things, such as history in general and in specific and with magic. I am not Wiccan, nor pagan, so I hope that my representation of magic offends no one. I do not mean to endorse any religion nor denigrate one either. I don't own the Labyrinth either. This fic was inspired while watching a show about Ireland's ghosts of the Travel Channel. I don't know its name, nor do I own it. Kiori does belong to me, so please ask if you want to use her. If you want to know her background, email me and maybe I'll write her story. By the way, it's pronounced "key-or-ee" ;

Chapter Three – In the Oubliette

Helen wept, frightened, in pain and frustrated. Her khaki shorts provided little protection against the slimy bugs and dirt that had accepted her far sooner than she had accepted them. Her T-shirt was ripped, dirt-stained and bloodied. Hours had passed, she didn't know how many. She had read of oubliettes in class, finding them terribly fascinating. She hadn't expected to be in one. Filtering through the stone walls she could hear drunken laughter and smell food. Apparently she was near some kind of eating establishment. Her stomach grumbled petulantly. She patted it with her good hand. "I know. But there's nothing here." She wrinkled her nose. "At least, nothing to eat."

"I dunno 'bout that." A voice came from right beside Helen. She jumped. Kiori grinned at her. "Boo!"

Helen gasped. Her face paled even further, an interesting appearance beneath the grime covering her face. "Don't do that!" she snapped. "What do you mean?"

"About what?" Kiori didn't seem particularly apologetic. She didn't even seem particularly interested!

"About food." Helen stated angrily.

"Oh. Well, there's plenty of food here, if it's what you like to eat."

"Where? What kind?"

Kiori grinned, pointy little teeth turning the smile evil. Helen felt decidedly nervous. "Well, there's always you. And your kind is usually his favorite food." She gestured to a lump on the far wall. It appeared motionless.

Helen stared at her for a long moment, unblinking. Then she drew in a breath. "You're just saying that to scare me. Very funny. How did you get here?"

"I've been here. Been here for days, trying to keep that thing at bay. Now that you're here, I don't have to worry."

"Been here?"

"Look at me, you twit! Do you see what them spikes did to my beautiful wings? My face?" Her words had escalated into a shriek. Madness, that's what it is, Helen thought dully as the fairy continued to rant. She was the size of a six-year old, but suddenly Helen realized she had the body of a twenty-year old. She was a grown faerie. An insane adult faerie. "You won't be so smug after you've been in here for a while! This is the place of forgetting!"

Helen backed away, cringing into the dirty wall, to avoid the mad woman. "I know what an oubliette is." she snapped, but her bravado seemed a bit forced. "But I only have to stay here for thirteen hours, right?"

Kiori plunked down suddenly, her fiery eyes haunted. She seemed to be thinking about something else. "Thirteen hours is a long time with that thing around." She tilted her head as if listening for something. Then she turned back to face the human girl, laughter, discordant and harsh, bursting from her mouth. "You've lost!" Her cackle grew in intensity, "You can't solve the Labyrinth from in here! And there's no way out!" Her laughter rose in volume and to Helen's fear, the lump began to stir.

"Shhh!" she hissed, but the faerie took no notice until Helen, desperate, clamped her hand over her mouth. The faerie bit down hard on Helen's hand, causing the young girl to let out a very high-pitched scream and release her. Blood streamed from her hand where the faerie's fang teeth had punctured her skin. She stared in horror as twin rivers of blood poured from each side of her hand.

The thing in the corner continued to wriggle. Kiori froze, eyes riveted on the lump. Helen raised her eyes to see what had silenced the faerie and was displeased to see her blood dripping carelessly from the faerie's lips. Blood scented the air, the metallic scent mingling with something else, something that Helen had never smelled before. Yet it was a scent that made her want to flee, triggering an inbred instinct that would cause any human disgust and fear. Then, a rustling noise caught her attention, and she swiveled her wide, horrified eyes to see the lump had moved. ""Kiori!" she yelped.