A/N: This is just a little experiment of mine. I believe that occasionally letting the ending go to the readers' imagination is sometimes best for a story...does that make sense? Oh, I don't know, all I know is that this fic is completed, done, FINISHED. This fact may piss a few of you off, I know, but I might be persuaded to continue ( *hint, hint* ) if I see enough of you are interested. :) I love all ya'll.
Title: Forgotten Memories
Rating: PG don't ask me why, it's just a vibe I get from this story...it's definitely got the PG vibe. (C'mon, I know most of you know what I'm talking about! I'm not *that* crazy...)
Disclaimer: Yay! It's time for everybody's favorite part of any Fan Fiction...the disclaimer! (Insert cool disclaimer theme song here) Ok, all I own is the Psychiatrist, a few 'extras' (Sarah's co-workers, secretary, etc.)...And the word Flanork, of course, that word isn't actually in the Fic, but hey, it sounds cool enough to just chill in the disclaimer section...heh, I love you guys for putting up with my crizzelness (I own that word too! *giggles* (hint: it's kind of like 'crazy' and 'silliness' put together. Oh, and Flanork means 'horse'...long story)) ;)
~Back and forth and back and forth...~
Sarah didn't want to look, but she had to. Something was drawing her to the swaying pendant; she couldn't look away. In the back of her mind she could hear her psychiatrist's monotone voice droning on about...something, she couldn't understand his words anymore, they were all a dull blur.
~...Back and forth and back and forth...~
Every sound in the room was running together, creating a calm rush like never-ending waves moving over sandy beaches, it was one single unit of sound closing in around her, filling her ears and wrapping her in the warm blanket of sleep.
Sarah's parents watched on with sad faces, they hadn't realize it would ever go this far, hadn't thought about it, hadn't wanted to, hadn't cared. Nothing had been the same since that night...that night that seemed like it was ages ago, when in reality it had only been just over a year. They had gone to a party, left when Sarah was in the middle of one of her tempers, hoping she would calm by the time they got back. Since that night, her grades in school had dropped severely, she ditched classes to go to the park, locked herself in her room for days, only coming down to eat. When she talked to them it was only 'the Labyrinth this, or Jareth that, or Hoggle said this, or did that...' They had let her go off on her fantasies, let her loose herself in books and dreams; and now, they felt guilty, felt responsible for letting their daughter fall into obsession, they could have stopped it, but didn't...didn't even try until it was too late.
Sarah's breath was slow and steady as she slept, her chest hardly moving as it rose and fell with her breathing. Her features were peaceful, a wave of her dark auburn hair falling into her face casually, she looked so innocent, so carefree. Her parents almost felt sorry for doing this, hypnotizing her and causing a wall to form between her and her memories of anything to do with her joy for the fantasy world, she was truly happy in her dreams, nothing should have to take her away from that...but it was necessary, for her sanity and maybe even theirs. They had tried everything else, medicines to help her focus, weekly visits to her psychiatrist, regular conferences with her teachers to keep track of everything she was doing...nothing worked, this was their last hope...
Sarah's father picked her gingerly up in his arms, being careful not to wake his sleeping daughter. No one had said anything yet; he wasn't quite sure what to say...there really wasn't ~anything~ to be said. Karen also kept silent, a small frown pulling at her lips as she gathered up Sarah's coat and purse and followed her husband out the door, she really did care for her step-daughter, no matter what Sarah thought about it. Sarah's father stopped for just a second at the door, he turned to the psychiatrist, a glint of worry clouding his light eyes.
"Will she...?" He couldn't finish the sentence, he wasn't exactly sure how. The doctor smiled reassuringly, holding the door open for the family and looking down at Sarah's sleeping form.
"She won't remember a thing when she wakes up, Mr. Williams, I assure you..."
* * * * *
Sarah's father set her still sleeping figure gently upon her plain full sized bed, covering her up with the light blue blankets and placing a light kiss on her forehead. Straightening slowly he turned and smiled reassuringly at Karen whom was standing in the doorway and watching him. The room seemed so bare without all of the posters, stuffed animals and books covering the area. Almost everything from before had been taken and replaced with new, simpler, and slightly boring things. The room was now decorated in whites and blues, with a plain desk sitting against one wall and a matching dresser against the adjacent wall. The only things left to hint at her old ways where the markings left in the walls from the tacks used to hold her posters up, and the indents in the thick carpeting from where her old furniture used to sit...it was all so very depressing to look at. Sarah's father turned away sadly, pulling Karen in a close, comforting embrace and walking from the room, the door closing behind them with a dull echo that bounced slightly over the bare walls, but did nothing to wake the sleeping girl within them.
She was falling...no, floating; floating through nothing, blackness surrounded her, covered her, stifled her. Her body felt heavy, she could hardly keep her eyes open to the emptiness around her, but she wasn't scared. The darkness was comforting, and the heavy feeling throughout her body caused it to relax to a point where she thought she was bound to break into blobs of jell-o if she relaxed any further. She suddenly became aware of a gentle breeze flowing past her lazily; the warm air pushed her hair from her face and surrounded her body in a gentle caress. A low whisper floated to her, as light and gentle as the breeze itself; she strained to hear it, the breeze strengthening just slightly, now feeling more like hands moving over her body in a soft embrace.
~"Saaaarrraahhhh..."~
The whisper grew louder, the voice low and silky, speaking her name mournfully but with a slight urgency to it.
~"Saaaarrraahhhh..."~
Her name seemed to roll pleasantly off the person's tongue, whom she recognized in the very back of her mind as male. The voice grew louder just a bit more, now sounding as if the man was standing right behind her and whispering into her ear. She could almost feel his warm breath against her neck and the low vibrations of his velvety voice against her eardrums. She grew lightheaded at the sudden feeling of closeness to this man who seemed very familiar to her, a feeling of desire stirring within her and triggering a slight pressure to form at the top of her head, causing the heavy, comfortable feeling to deepen. She closed her eyes, the breeze moving over every inch of her body in slow lazy circles, like a gentle massage, circling and engulfing her in it's comfortable embrace. She smiled as soft, warm fingers moved over her jaw line and up over her cheeks, the person's touch gentle and loving, as tender as the breeze itself. She leaned her face into the person's touch, but it was gone, disappearing as suddenly as it had come. The calm whisper flowing away from her slowly, as if riding with the wind, it wasn't in a big hurry to leave her, and she felt reassured by this thought, trying not to let loose of the overwhelming need that flowed through her, need for this person's nearness once more.
~"Don't forget, Sarah...Don't forget me..."~
The voice held a pleading tone as it faded into almost nothing and the breeze slowed to a gentle memory of what it had once been. She answered the man with a promising tone, her voice wavering just slightly as she tried to hide the same pleading tone from it, she felt suddenly empty without the man's presence surrounding her, invading her senses, and rolling over her in thick waves of longing.
"I won't..."
* * * * *
(Approximately 5 years later)
Sarah stared at the blank piece of paper in front of her, focusing and un-focusing her eyes, looking at it, and then through it. She wasn't sure what to do with it, wasn't even sure why she had brought it out in the first place. She ran her fingers over the metal spiraling of the notebook, closing her eyes for a long moment before opening them again and looking back at the paper. She looked at the very center until it become nothing but a blurry blob in front of her face, she didn't blink, and hardly breathed as she waited. Flashing white images appeared in her eyes, making the paper contort slightly and her eyes water as they fought to shut, but she wouldn't let them. Her eyes began to burn and sting, the paper in front of her glowing slightly from the overhead lights in her small office and making her feel as if she were staring into the sun.
When she couldn't stand it any more she winced her eyes shut, the flashing lights and images churning behind her closed eyelids, and her eyes stinging slightly as they fought to bring some moisture back into them. Before the images could completely disappear she opened her eyes again, looking back at the center of the page...there, she saw it! As always, a blurred image sat on the paper, flashing from light to dark and then light again, this was how she usually got her inspiration for her drawings. Quickly, so as not to loose the image before she could draw it, she reached for a pencil, never taking her eyes from the spot where the slowly fading image sat.
She swiftly traced over the flashing lines, her eyes no longer blinking again and her hand moving mostly on it's own accord. She was barely aware of what she was drawing and her mind felt slightly numb as she blocked out anything else from around her. All she heard were the quick scratching noises of the sharpened pencil moving over the paper; all she saw was the image quickly revealing itself underneath her hands. It was a person, it usually was; he had a wild mane of hair framing a thin, handsome face with high cheekbones and thin lips that were curled into a small smile that could easily be called a smirk as well. His head was held high and his broad shoulders back, giving him an overwhelming air of regal impertinence. His eyes were ageless, giving the impression that he knew everything, but sparkling with a mocking gleam, as if he were amused by something. Still, they just didn't seem right for him...they never did. She had drawn this man many times before, and no matter what she did, he just didn't seem to be finished; something was missing.
Sarah chewed her lower lip thoughtfully, tapping the eraser of the pencil against her notebook lightly. It was no use...she just couldn't place it. As far as she could see there was nothing wrong, but there was still something tugging at the back of her mind...
"Excuse me, Ms. Williams..."
Sarah looked up as her boss' secretary entered the room, carrying a pile of papers. She wandered over to Sarah's desk and set them down.
"Mr. Ranndel says he needs these back by Friday...oh, did you draw that?" Sarah nodded as the secretary picked up the notebook and studied the drawing of the man.
"Yes...I don't even know who it is." She chuckled slightly and the secretary laughed.
"Well, if you ever find him, be sure and give him my number." She winked at Sarah with another grin. "You know, he reminds me of a character in a book I read a while back..." Sarah's eyebrows lifted slightly, and she leaned forward in her chair with genuine curiosity.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I think it was called, um... 'The Labyrinth' or something like that. It was a good book, I should let you borrow it sometime." Sarah nodded thoughtfully, 'The Labyrinth'...she'd never heard of it.
"It sounds interesting, what's it about?" Sarah lounged back in her chair again and the secretary set the notebook back on the desk.
"It was about a girl that wished her younger sibling to the Goblin King...or some such. I'm not really sure anymore, I haven't read it in a long time. But that's who the picture reminds me of...the Goblin King." Sarah nodded again and the secretary turned away with a smile, walking towards the door. "I should really get back to work now..."
Sarah watched calmly as the woman exited the room without another word, closing the door gently behind her. When she was gone Sarah picked her drawing up again and studied it with a small smile.
"Goblin King, huh?" She said aloud to the picture, as if it could understand her. There was something familiar about the whole thing, she could have sworn she had heard that story before, but she was positive she had never read the book. It was giving her a headache just trying to figure it out, it was on the tip of her tongue...Sighing lightly she looked down at her drawing, a sudden idea pouring into her mind as she reached for the pencil. Ever so carefully she brought the pencil back to the drawing, moving it over the left eye. She slowly made the pupil of the eye larger than the other, being careful to keep it a perfect dark circle. She pulled back slightly and studied her work before dropping the pencil to the paper once more, shading that same eye until the iris was distinctly darker than the other. The man now had two different colored eyes, one a light, sparkling color and the other a dark, dangerous color, as if they were windows into two different personalities that this man held within him; light and dark, good and bad. It was utterly fascinating, and...perfect. She no longer had the feeling that something was missing from this sketch, it was finally finished, this was the man she was meant to draw all along, in all of his glory.
* * * * *
5 days later, Monday
A sturdy knocking on her thin office door woke Sarah from her thoughts. She had been staring out the window for who knows how long, just thinking. She still held the small book in her hands, the deep red cover slightly rough against her hands, and the golden lettering starting to fade with age. It had been a good book, just as the secretary had said, but she still had an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu even as she studied the cover again. The feeling made her uneasy, something was definitely weird, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.
The door opened and an angry looking, heavy-set man with a big bushy mustache and beady eyes stomped in. Sarah stood up quickly, startled at the sudden appearance of the man; she had forgotten someone had even knocked! The small book slid from her lap and fell to the floor with a dull thud; she glanced down at it but decided against picking it up right at the moment.
"Mr. Ranndel! I-I'm sorry, I didn't uh...hear you knock." She lied, wincing inwardly at the stammering tone her voice had taken, giving her away. "C-can I help you with anything?" She bit her lower lip nervously as her boss' face turned a dark red, trying to keep back his anger.
"What day is today, Ms. Williams?" His deep, gruff voice was surprisingly calm as he struggled to keep his temper in check.
"Um..." Sarah glanced at the little calendar sitting on the corner of her desk. "Monday, sir." Mr. Ranndel nodded raising his eyebrows in a mocking gesture that said 'Oh, so you *do* know.' Sarah gasped lightly as a sudden realization dawned on her, making her feel sick to her stomach. "Oh my God, the papers...I was supposed to have them done by Friday!" She had completely forgotten about them, her mind had been completely occupied by that stupid book.
"Very good, Ms. Williams..." Her boss growled; she had never seen him this angry. "And now, because of your lack of concern for the entire project, we've lost a very important client!" He was yelling by this time, and Sarah cowered against her desk, trying not to cry and trying desperately to think if a good excuse...there was none. Mr. Ranndel continued with a lower tone, but his words still hissed slightly, and his eyes showed nothing but anger in their dark depths. "You have 2 hours to clear all of your belongings from the premises..." With that, he left, slamming the door behind him, making the window rattle slightly in it's frame. Sarah let hot, angry tears pour down her face, she wasn't angry with him, but more so at herself. She deserved every bit of that, how could she have been so irresponsible! Her foot hit something solid as she took a step forward to go around her desk and she looked down at the familiar book, her eyes following the large gold lettering. What if...? No, It would never work, she was just being silly...but somehow she knew it would. Somehow she knew that if she asked she would be answered.
Sarah gingerly picked up the book and moved her trembling fingers over the lettering and then down over the rough cover. She had that haunting feeling that she had done all of it before, but she couldn't remember ever seeing this book, let alone hold it. This small mysterious book had been the start of all of this trouble, and it would get her out again...but she couldn't possibly fathom how. She knew what she had to do, and wasn't afraid, most likely it wouldn't even work; she was acting like a child. Still, she knew it would, no matter what she tried to tell herself, she knew what would happen...and she had to face it. There was nothing left in this world after all, she had no close family, no friends...no job.
She set the book gently on her desk and turned to look out the window once again. The day was cool and clear, sunlight streaming into the dusty window, illuminating the small room. Now was the time...but for what, she didn't know, she didn't know exactly what would happen, didn't know how. She was surprised at how calm she was acting towards the void of unknown looming towards her. She merely glanced around the room once more and then stared down at the book as she spoke, her voice bold, bouncing slightly over the walls surrounding her.
"I wish the goblins would take me away..." She hesitated ever so slightly, closing her eyes tightly against the world in front of her before continuing. "...Right now!"
And then she was gone, everything in the room slowly dissolving from view as the memory of her was erased from the world. The only thing that remained was a small red book, the bright golden lettering now glowing like new as it fell to the ground with a dull thud when the desk faded away from beneath it.
Title: Forgotten Memories
Rating: PG don't ask me why, it's just a vibe I get from this story...it's definitely got the PG vibe. (C'mon, I know most of you know what I'm talking about! I'm not *that* crazy...)
Disclaimer: Yay! It's time for everybody's favorite part of any Fan Fiction...the disclaimer! (Insert cool disclaimer theme song here) Ok, all I own is the Psychiatrist, a few 'extras' (Sarah's co-workers, secretary, etc.)...And the word Flanork, of course, that word isn't actually in the Fic, but hey, it sounds cool enough to just chill in the disclaimer section...heh, I love you guys for putting up with my crizzelness (I own that word too! *giggles* (hint: it's kind of like 'crazy' and 'silliness' put together. Oh, and Flanork means 'horse'...long story)) ;)
~Back and forth and back and forth...~
Sarah didn't want to look, but she had to. Something was drawing her to the swaying pendant; she couldn't look away. In the back of her mind she could hear her psychiatrist's monotone voice droning on about...something, she couldn't understand his words anymore, they were all a dull blur.
~...Back and forth and back and forth...~
Every sound in the room was running together, creating a calm rush like never-ending waves moving over sandy beaches, it was one single unit of sound closing in around her, filling her ears and wrapping her in the warm blanket of sleep.
Sarah's parents watched on with sad faces, they hadn't realize it would ever go this far, hadn't thought about it, hadn't wanted to, hadn't cared. Nothing had been the same since that night...that night that seemed like it was ages ago, when in reality it had only been just over a year. They had gone to a party, left when Sarah was in the middle of one of her tempers, hoping she would calm by the time they got back. Since that night, her grades in school had dropped severely, she ditched classes to go to the park, locked herself in her room for days, only coming down to eat. When she talked to them it was only 'the Labyrinth this, or Jareth that, or Hoggle said this, or did that...' They had let her go off on her fantasies, let her loose herself in books and dreams; and now, they felt guilty, felt responsible for letting their daughter fall into obsession, they could have stopped it, but didn't...didn't even try until it was too late.
Sarah's breath was slow and steady as she slept, her chest hardly moving as it rose and fell with her breathing. Her features were peaceful, a wave of her dark auburn hair falling into her face casually, she looked so innocent, so carefree. Her parents almost felt sorry for doing this, hypnotizing her and causing a wall to form between her and her memories of anything to do with her joy for the fantasy world, she was truly happy in her dreams, nothing should have to take her away from that...but it was necessary, for her sanity and maybe even theirs. They had tried everything else, medicines to help her focus, weekly visits to her psychiatrist, regular conferences with her teachers to keep track of everything she was doing...nothing worked, this was their last hope...
Sarah's father picked her gingerly up in his arms, being careful not to wake his sleeping daughter. No one had said anything yet; he wasn't quite sure what to say...there really wasn't ~anything~ to be said. Karen also kept silent, a small frown pulling at her lips as she gathered up Sarah's coat and purse and followed her husband out the door, she really did care for her step-daughter, no matter what Sarah thought about it. Sarah's father stopped for just a second at the door, he turned to the psychiatrist, a glint of worry clouding his light eyes.
"Will she...?" He couldn't finish the sentence, he wasn't exactly sure how. The doctor smiled reassuringly, holding the door open for the family and looking down at Sarah's sleeping form.
"She won't remember a thing when she wakes up, Mr. Williams, I assure you..."
* * * * *
Sarah's father set her still sleeping figure gently upon her plain full sized bed, covering her up with the light blue blankets and placing a light kiss on her forehead. Straightening slowly he turned and smiled reassuringly at Karen whom was standing in the doorway and watching him. The room seemed so bare without all of the posters, stuffed animals and books covering the area. Almost everything from before had been taken and replaced with new, simpler, and slightly boring things. The room was now decorated in whites and blues, with a plain desk sitting against one wall and a matching dresser against the adjacent wall. The only things left to hint at her old ways where the markings left in the walls from the tacks used to hold her posters up, and the indents in the thick carpeting from where her old furniture used to sit...it was all so very depressing to look at. Sarah's father turned away sadly, pulling Karen in a close, comforting embrace and walking from the room, the door closing behind them with a dull echo that bounced slightly over the bare walls, but did nothing to wake the sleeping girl within them.
She was falling...no, floating; floating through nothing, blackness surrounded her, covered her, stifled her. Her body felt heavy, she could hardly keep her eyes open to the emptiness around her, but she wasn't scared. The darkness was comforting, and the heavy feeling throughout her body caused it to relax to a point where she thought she was bound to break into blobs of jell-o if she relaxed any further. She suddenly became aware of a gentle breeze flowing past her lazily; the warm air pushed her hair from her face and surrounded her body in a gentle caress. A low whisper floated to her, as light and gentle as the breeze itself; she strained to hear it, the breeze strengthening just slightly, now feeling more like hands moving over her body in a soft embrace.
~"Saaaarrraahhhh..."~
The whisper grew louder, the voice low and silky, speaking her name mournfully but with a slight urgency to it.
~"Saaaarrraahhhh..."~
Her name seemed to roll pleasantly off the person's tongue, whom she recognized in the very back of her mind as male. The voice grew louder just a bit more, now sounding as if the man was standing right behind her and whispering into her ear. She could almost feel his warm breath against her neck and the low vibrations of his velvety voice against her eardrums. She grew lightheaded at the sudden feeling of closeness to this man who seemed very familiar to her, a feeling of desire stirring within her and triggering a slight pressure to form at the top of her head, causing the heavy, comfortable feeling to deepen. She closed her eyes, the breeze moving over every inch of her body in slow lazy circles, like a gentle massage, circling and engulfing her in it's comfortable embrace. She smiled as soft, warm fingers moved over her jaw line and up over her cheeks, the person's touch gentle and loving, as tender as the breeze itself. She leaned her face into the person's touch, but it was gone, disappearing as suddenly as it had come. The calm whisper flowing away from her slowly, as if riding with the wind, it wasn't in a big hurry to leave her, and she felt reassured by this thought, trying not to let loose of the overwhelming need that flowed through her, need for this person's nearness once more.
~"Don't forget, Sarah...Don't forget me..."~
The voice held a pleading tone as it faded into almost nothing and the breeze slowed to a gentle memory of what it had once been. She answered the man with a promising tone, her voice wavering just slightly as she tried to hide the same pleading tone from it, she felt suddenly empty without the man's presence surrounding her, invading her senses, and rolling over her in thick waves of longing.
"I won't..."
* * * * *
(Approximately 5 years later)
Sarah stared at the blank piece of paper in front of her, focusing and un-focusing her eyes, looking at it, and then through it. She wasn't sure what to do with it, wasn't even sure why she had brought it out in the first place. She ran her fingers over the metal spiraling of the notebook, closing her eyes for a long moment before opening them again and looking back at the paper. She looked at the very center until it become nothing but a blurry blob in front of her face, she didn't blink, and hardly breathed as she waited. Flashing white images appeared in her eyes, making the paper contort slightly and her eyes water as they fought to shut, but she wouldn't let them. Her eyes began to burn and sting, the paper in front of her glowing slightly from the overhead lights in her small office and making her feel as if she were staring into the sun.
When she couldn't stand it any more she winced her eyes shut, the flashing lights and images churning behind her closed eyelids, and her eyes stinging slightly as they fought to bring some moisture back into them. Before the images could completely disappear she opened her eyes again, looking back at the center of the page...there, she saw it! As always, a blurred image sat on the paper, flashing from light to dark and then light again, this was how she usually got her inspiration for her drawings. Quickly, so as not to loose the image before she could draw it, she reached for a pencil, never taking her eyes from the spot where the slowly fading image sat.
She swiftly traced over the flashing lines, her eyes no longer blinking again and her hand moving mostly on it's own accord. She was barely aware of what she was drawing and her mind felt slightly numb as she blocked out anything else from around her. All she heard were the quick scratching noises of the sharpened pencil moving over the paper; all she saw was the image quickly revealing itself underneath her hands. It was a person, it usually was; he had a wild mane of hair framing a thin, handsome face with high cheekbones and thin lips that were curled into a small smile that could easily be called a smirk as well. His head was held high and his broad shoulders back, giving him an overwhelming air of regal impertinence. His eyes were ageless, giving the impression that he knew everything, but sparkling with a mocking gleam, as if he were amused by something. Still, they just didn't seem right for him...they never did. She had drawn this man many times before, and no matter what she did, he just didn't seem to be finished; something was missing.
Sarah chewed her lower lip thoughtfully, tapping the eraser of the pencil against her notebook lightly. It was no use...she just couldn't place it. As far as she could see there was nothing wrong, but there was still something tugging at the back of her mind...
"Excuse me, Ms. Williams..."
Sarah looked up as her boss' secretary entered the room, carrying a pile of papers. She wandered over to Sarah's desk and set them down.
"Mr. Ranndel says he needs these back by Friday...oh, did you draw that?" Sarah nodded as the secretary picked up the notebook and studied the drawing of the man.
"Yes...I don't even know who it is." She chuckled slightly and the secretary laughed.
"Well, if you ever find him, be sure and give him my number." She winked at Sarah with another grin. "You know, he reminds me of a character in a book I read a while back..." Sarah's eyebrows lifted slightly, and she leaned forward in her chair with genuine curiosity.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I think it was called, um... 'The Labyrinth' or something like that. It was a good book, I should let you borrow it sometime." Sarah nodded thoughtfully, 'The Labyrinth'...she'd never heard of it.
"It sounds interesting, what's it about?" Sarah lounged back in her chair again and the secretary set the notebook back on the desk.
"It was about a girl that wished her younger sibling to the Goblin King...or some such. I'm not really sure anymore, I haven't read it in a long time. But that's who the picture reminds me of...the Goblin King." Sarah nodded again and the secretary turned away with a smile, walking towards the door. "I should really get back to work now..."
Sarah watched calmly as the woman exited the room without another word, closing the door gently behind her. When she was gone Sarah picked her drawing up again and studied it with a small smile.
"Goblin King, huh?" She said aloud to the picture, as if it could understand her. There was something familiar about the whole thing, she could have sworn she had heard that story before, but she was positive she had never read the book. It was giving her a headache just trying to figure it out, it was on the tip of her tongue...Sighing lightly she looked down at her drawing, a sudden idea pouring into her mind as she reached for the pencil. Ever so carefully she brought the pencil back to the drawing, moving it over the left eye. She slowly made the pupil of the eye larger than the other, being careful to keep it a perfect dark circle. She pulled back slightly and studied her work before dropping the pencil to the paper once more, shading that same eye until the iris was distinctly darker than the other. The man now had two different colored eyes, one a light, sparkling color and the other a dark, dangerous color, as if they were windows into two different personalities that this man held within him; light and dark, good and bad. It was utterly fascinating, and...perfect. She no longer had the feeling that something was missing from this sketch, it was finally finished, this was the man she was meant to draw all along, in all of his glory.
* * * * *
5 days later, Monday
A sturdy knocking on her thin office door woke Sarah from her thoughts. She had been staring out the window for who knows how long, just thinking. She still held the small book in her hands, the deep red cover slightly rough against her hands, and the golden lettering starting to fade with age. It had been a good book, just as the secretary had said, but she still had an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu even as she studied the cover again. The feeling made her uneasy, something was definitely weird, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.
The door opened and an angry looking, heavy-set man with a big bushy mustache and beady eyes stomped in. Sarah stood up quickly, startled at the sudden appearance of the man; she had forgotten someone had even knocked! The small book slid from her lap and fell to the floor with a dull thud; she glanced down at it but decided against picking it up right at the moment.
"Mr. Ranndel! I-I'm sorry, I didn't uh...hear you knock." She lied, wincing inwardly at the stammering tone her voice had taken, giving her away. "C-can I help you with anything?" She bit her lower lip nervously as her boss' face turned a dark red, trying to keep back his anger.
"What day is today, Ms. Williams?" His deep, gruff voice was surprisingly calm as he struggled to keep his temper in check.
"Um..." Sarah glanced at the little calendar sitting on the corner of her desk. "Monday, sir." Mr. Ranndel nodded raising his eyebrows in a mocking gesture that said 'Oh, so you *do* know.' Sarah gasped lightly as a sudden realization dawned on her, making her feel sick to her stomach. "Oh my God, the papers...I was supposed to have them done by Friday!" She had completely forgotten about them, her mind had been completely occupied by that stupid book.
"Very good, Ms. Williams..." Her boss growled; she had never seen him this angry. "And now, because of your lack of concern for the entire project, we've lost a very important client!" He was yelling by this time, and Sarah cowered against her desk, trying not to cry and trying desperately to think if a good excuse...there was none. Mr. Ranndel continued with a lower tone, but his words still hissed slightly, and his eyes showed nothing but anger in their dark depths. "You have 2 hours to clear all of your belongings from the premises..." With that, he left, slamming the door behind him, making the window rattle slightly in it's frame. Sarah let hot, angry tears pour down her face, she wasn't angry with him, but more so at herself. She deserved every bit of that, how could she have been so irresponsible! Her foot hit something solid as she took a step forward to go around her desk and she looked down at the familiar book, her eyes following the large gold lettering. What if...? No, It would never work, she was just being silly...but somehow she knew it would. Somehow she knew that if she asked she would be answered.
Sarah gingerly picked up the book and moved her trembling fingers over the lettering and then down over the rough cover. She had that haunting feeling that she had done all of it before, but she couldn't remember ever seeing this book, let alone hold it. This small mysterious book had been the start of all of this trouble, and it would get her out again...but she couldn't possibly fathom how. She knew what she had to do, and wasn't afraid, most likely it wouldn't even work; she was acting like a child. Still, she knew it would, no matter what she tried to tell herself, she knew what would happen...and she had to face it. There was nothing left in this world after all, she had no close family, no friends...no job.
She set the book gently on her desk and turned to look out the window once again. The day was cool and clear, sunlight streaming into the dusty window, illuminating the small room. Now was the time...but for what, she didn't know, she didn't know exactly what would happen, didn't know how. She was surprised at how calm she was acting towards the void of unknown looming towards her. She merely glanced around the room once more and then stared down at the book as she spoke, her voice bold, bouncing slightly over the walls surrounding her.
"I wish the goblins would take me away..." She hesitated ever so slightly, closing her eyes tightly against the world in front of her before continuing. "...Right now!"
And then she was gone, everything in the room slowly dissolving from view as the memory of her was erased from the world. The only thing that remained was a small red book, the bright golden lettering now glowing like new as it fell to the ground with a dull thud when the desk faded away from beneath it.