Disclaimer: Labyrinth is not mine (unfortunately) and I am making no profit off of this story. The prologue and the epilogue I took from Lurlene McDaniel's Starry, Starry Night book and I just thought they were perfect for this story. Fabian, Dominic, King Finnevhar, Queen Maurelle and any other original characters you see are mine. If you want to use them just tell me, and in your disclaimer, let all know who created them.
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Prologue
Everyone has wished upon a star. The young, the old, dreamers all-even those who have been disappointed. One can always hope. You know the words:
Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.
These whispered wishes tossed to the heavens are only for the ears of a chosen one. So remember to be careful what you wish for. Indeed, your wish may be granted, but not always in the way you had imagined. Come now. Hear this story of a wish made on a starry, starry night...a wish made from the heart, with only a unique owl listening…
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Twenty-one year old Sarah Williams smiled widely as she stepped inside her old house. It was so good to be home! "I'm home!"
Rapid footsteps were heard pounding down the stairs. "Sawah! You're back!" A little boy's voice shrieked excitedly. Soon after, Sarah found herself on the floor with a small body on top of her.
"Toby! I missed you buddy," Sarah said hugging him.
The little boy's blue eyes regarded her solemnly. "I thought you would nevow come back," he said seriously.
Sarah laughed and tweaked his nose. "Never is a long time, Toby. I could never leave you that long."
"Sarah! Welcome home," a woman's voice said warmly.
Sarah looked up and smiled at her stepmother whom she now thought of as her mother. She never knew why she never accepted her before. Because you were a selfish brat, she told herself. "Mom, Dad, I missed you," she said, hugging each parent in turn.
"I'm so glad you're here. The weather man said it was supposed to storm over night." Karen Williams led them to the kitchen where she put some tea on.
"So. Tell us about college. Still want to be a world-famous actress?" Robert Williams teased.
Sarah blushed. "Dad, please. That was a child's fantasy, nothing more. You know I'm majoring in psychology."
He lovingly looked at his little girl, now a beautiful woman. "What part of psychology, again?"
"Children's."
"Ah, that's right. Ph.D. I always wanted a doctor in the family." Everyone laughed at his boastful look.
Toby curiously stared at his family. Why were they laughing over nothing? The five-year-old plopped down his hot chocolate and declared firmly, "When I gwo up, I wanna be jus' like Sawah."
Sarah smiled and tickled him but his parents exchanged sad looks.
"Sarah," Karen said, a bit hesitantly, "we need to tell you something."
She eyed them. They were acting a bit odd. "Okay," she said, shrugging, "shoot."
They looked at eachother again. "Toby, honey?" Karen asked. There was a forced cheerfulness in her voice.
"Yeah Mommy?"
"Why don't you pick out a story for Sarah to read to you? It's almost bedtime."
Toby grinned excitedly. "Okay. I'll pick out a looong stowy," he said enthusiastically. He bounded up the stairs.
Sarah waited expectantly. She rolled her eyes when they stared dumbly at her. "Who died?" She joked. They stared at her with stricken looks. Her smile faded. "It was just a joke," she muttered.
"Sarah…I…we…Karen and I-"
"Dad," Sarah's voice had acquired an edge to it, "just spit it out."
He took a deep breath then let it out again in a rush. "Sarah…there's no easy way to tell you this. Sarah," he looked her in the eye, "Toby's dying."
Her face went pasty white. "No," she choked out, "that's not true!" But seeing the looks on their faces, she knew it was.
"He has cancer. Leukemia to be precise," Karen said flatly. "The doctors' gave him six months to live."
Sarah tuned out her parent's voices. Not Toby! He's only five years old, for pity's sake! It's not fair!
"SAWAH! Awe you coming?" Toby's impatient voice interrupted.
Her father gave her a pleading look. "Don't tell him yet. We want the rest of his life to be as normal as possible."
She gave them steely looks. "I won't tell him, but I think you're making a mistake. He should know."
"Honestly Sarah! What are you going to tell a five-year-old? He won't understand!" Karen suddenly exploded. Then something inside her seemed to wilt. "What would it matter anyway?" She murmured.
In the eerie silence that followed, the clock tolled like a death knell, each chime sounding menacing in the fading light.
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Sorry to cut it off like that, but this is kind of a test project. It's my first Laby fic and I wanted to see what everyone thought of it. So if you want more please review! See that little blue box down there? Well fill it up! Even if it's just 'good'. Is that so hard? *okay done ranting*
