I would like to say hello to all my fanfic friends, and those people I have not met yet but will through my reviews. Special thanks goes to Meg…{a_g}, Ennis, and my cuzinz Caroline and Lisa Anne. Of course, I thank my parents and my other family…blahblahblah, and want to say hello to all LABYRINTH fans here. Enough with me talking your ears off…make that writing…so anyway, onward with the story!!!
"Everywhere I see
the signs,
point in one
direction,
no more twisted,
crooked turns,
leaving room for doubt.
Where I used to
take the time,
For quiet and reflection,
Now I only hear
the noise,
Of what I am without."
From "Outside Looking In" by Mary Chapin Carpenter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 2: The Return~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah did not stop running until she heard the bell ring and realized she had a class to go to. Realizing she left her books in the gym, she went sheepishly back, only to see everyone had left. Why did I run out like that? Sarah chided herself. What was I so afraid of? Then she thought harder and remembered countless things…
"Quite often,
young woman, the way forward is sometimes the way back."
"We should reach
the castle well before day."
"That's what you
were looking for, wasn't it, my dear?"
Sarah sighed again at the
voice. It was him. She thought to herself. He's the one who did all this to me. Changed my life. Again, her inner voice answered her. But was it such a bad change? Or did it change you for the better…"
She didn't listen to the voice. If she changed now…she didn't want to think about the past. "Change isn't a good thing." She told herself. "I won't change if I don't have to." As she walked begrudgingly toward Mr. Hammill's chemistry class, she wondered if there would be a day she would have to change.
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"Well, the most amazing thing I can tell you about today's class is that Miss Williams was not late." A few scattered claps ensued from some students. Most just laughed. Chemistry class was over and Sarah was certainly glad. Chemistry was not her subject, though environmental science was. Luckily, she sat by the window, and could look out it if she got too bored. I can't wait to get home and rest. She thought to herself. Of course, she added as an afterthought, It's not like I have much to go home to. She found herself wishing for something to look forward to when she got home. Anything to make this day better than it was. She sighed and prepared herself for her next class as everyone left the room. As usual, she was last to leave, including over Mr. Hammill. Suddenly she heard a tapping noise on the window. She turned quickly, and saw the barn owl gazing at her.
"Why do you keep following me around?" She asked the owl impatiently through the open window. "What do you want?" She seemed to answer herself. "Well, it doesn't matter because, you know what," she said, gathering her books and walking toward the door, "I'm not changing my life, and I'm not thinking about…that—that—Labyrinth." She had said it. "See? I can still talk about it without cringing." She said haughtily while walking out into the hallway. She couldn't help feeling bad that she'd just lied. I was cringing. Then she realized why she was feeling sorry and shrugged. Yeah, well, I shouldn't be too upset about lying to an owl! She went to the next class, a minute late, and sat through it, waiting impatiently until the bell rang and she could go home.
When the bell finally rang and she ran to her locker to pack up her stuff, she realized that she had something in her jacket pocket next to her keys. She reached in and pulled out the thing she thought she'd never see again. " My ring…" She said softly. There it was, in perfect condition. She began to wonder if she had ever lost it, but then told herself that it was too real… She walked toward the car with wonder, as the barn owl flew toward her house, where another surprise awaited her.
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"A kitten?!!!!" Sarah shrieked with excitement. "You bought me a kitten?!!" Robert Williams laughed. "Yes, Sarah. We've seen your responsibility lately and decided to repay you for all the times we've dumped Toby on you." Sarah couldn't believe what she was hearing. A kitty? For me? She smiled at the small, furry white ball that softly mewed at her from the floor. She picked it up and looked at it. "Dad! She's gorgeous!! Thank you so much!!" Robert laughed. "Thank Karen. She came up with the idea." Sarah looked sharply at the blonde-headed woman smiling at her. Karen gave me a gift? What's wrong with her? "Thank you so much Karen!" She said, smiling, but not really knowing why. "You're welcome, dear. What are you going to name her?" Sarah looked down at the kitten purring in her arms. She wanted to name it Linda, but was afraid she would make her father upset if she did. "Alpha." She said, looking up at them. "It means beginning in Greek." Her father looked at Karen approvingly. "You hear that? She knows Greek." Sarah smiled. "I read it in a book of Greek legends." Karen rolled her eyes. "Just when I thought you were taking time and reading something educational." Sarah just smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As she sat in her room studying the worn playbook for "The Labyrinth", she wondered if she would be able to do it without messing up again. I mean, I almost didn't do it today. She sighed. What if I start…I don't know…screaming on stage or something? My acting career would be finished!! She sighed again and looked out her window. "And there's that darn owl again!!" she said aloud. Alpha, who had been asleep at the foot of the bed, lifted up her small head and meowed pitifully. "I'm sorry, Alpha." Sarah said while stroking the cat's fur. "I just couldn't help getting upset. That owl is everywhere I go, and I don't know what Jar-uh…he wants." She had almost said his name. Besides… she told herself. I don't know it's him…but what other owl would be following me around like that?!!! She sighed. Whatever it was, she didn't want to think about it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day at school, as she wandered down the hall towards drama class, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped, nearly dropping all her books. Who would want to talk to me? She turned and saw John from the class grinning at her. "Oh hi." Sarah said in the cheeriest voice she could muster. "What's up?" John grinned. "Guess what I found out?" Sarah's grin faded a bit. "What?" "Mrs. Paige found the guy to play Jareth in the play." Sarah went white. "Who is he?" John laughed. "That's the cool thing about it…we don't know yet. But I'll tell you, he sure is-" But before he could say what he was, the bell rang and they both ran for the gymnasium.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Now, now, class, settle down." Everyone had been whispering to one another excitedly, everyone, that is, except Sarah and John who rushed through the door, panting. "JOHN! You're late! Oh, hello, Sarah, take a seat." Sarah wanted to laugh at how badly she had just treated John compared to her, but stopped when she noticed someone in the corner of a room, taking something from a bag. He had short, light-blonde hair and was tall. Wait……he looks familiar…… Sarah thought to herself as she sat down, the man still with his back to them as he searched for something in the black bag on the bleachers in front of him. "Class, as I had been saying, I would like to introduce you to the man who will be playing the part of Jareth. I now present to you……Jeremiah Smith." The man turned and Sarah gasped and fell off of her chair. The class looked at her, as did the man at the front of the room. "Why, Sarah, are you alright?" he asked in a familiar British accent. "You!" Sarah cried as she stood up and stared at him. For the man in front of her was not Jeremiah Smith, but the Goblin King Himself. The man was Jareth.