The clubs electric beat pulsed in down Sarah's body, tingling her veins,
making her feel alive. She didn't want to sit in the cooped, gloomy booth
at the back and feign interest as her 'friends' dissected potential
boyfriends and plotted social downfalls. She wanted to be free to move on
the flowing, lit dance floor.
But she sat in there anyway, occasionally making an appropriately spiteful remark or a murmur of sympathy, as they needed it. She needed to belong somewhere, even if it was a fake smokescreen.
She stretched her bare legs under the table, avoiding the fellow stilettos that mixed with practised ease. She tugged on her ridiculously short skirt and checked that her jewel red top was still hanging in there, for decencies sake.
"So, what you gonna do?" she asked, because it was expected.
Her blonde acquaintance sneered. "I'm gonna make him pay!" Haley looked like an angel with floating golden hair, but her ice blue eyes gave her away. Satan in disguise as any boy who had suffered at her feet swore.
"Go girl! Need a hand?" the group rallied around Haley like bowling pins of concrete glaring a Ping-Pong ball down. The poor shmuck had had it. At the least his street creed was gone. Just tatters of it drifting on the wind for the others, the survivors to yank and taunt him with.
Sarah let her mind be free as she let it drift with the dry ice that was swirling with the cigarette smoke. The moving air steered the smog as the fans lazily whirled around, before it met it's fate and was sucked viciously out by the air conditioning to be spilled out the back of the club. With a sigh she reeled her mind in, allowing it to come crashing down with severe abruptness form its higher plains as they finished scheming and plotting.
"Wanna dance?" she demanded, before they got started again.
They all laughed so with grace and long, showy legs they vaulted to the dance floor. Practice again. Sarah vigorously flung herself into the rhythm, nothing the way the groups' hair contrasted. Her brunette locks, clashing with Haley's ice blondness, but merging almost fathomlessly with Becky's deep black spikes that set Emmas' deep blood hair off, against Cordettes dyed white and blue streaks. The pounding, liberating lights morphed the exaggerated movements of the strands into twinkling purples and blues. Deep and dark and best of all, secret.
She closed her eyes, and let the beat seem distant, like her group where. The lights played bright flashes amongst her patterned eyelids. When she let them drift open again, she was alone. She wasn't bothered. They'd have drifted off with various specimens of masculinity. She didn't want to be around when things got heavy.
When she could bare it no longer, she just left. Shoved her way out of the massed dancers to the cool air of outside. She could taste the scent of winter that was still threatening, but not fully come. She could feel the taint of rain in the polluted air, almost heed the grease on the paved streets she swayed down, her weak heels shifting the detritus that littered them, The icy wind gusted futilely at the damp mounds of rubbish, not even stirring the gunked down mess.
Manhattan. Such a wonderful place to study. Sarah mussed. Wonderful people, wonderful student food, wonderful nightlife. "Simply wonderful!" she yelled at the seemingly black sky, with streetlights spotting it. With a sigh, she rubbed her arms and started making her way to her shared flat; trying to clear her booze fuddled head.
***
She carefully inserted the key into the lock of the outer door that lead to the forum, feeling like a thief. Or a liar, which she was. Like the rest of the student tenants she had faithfully promised not to come in at odd hours, or go out at early hours, and disturb the peaceful, honest working tenants.
She swore in her mind, not daring to vocalise as the key wouldn't turn in the stiff lock. She ignored some people stalking pas her, having a low, heated argument, and prayed for the lock to work. It was freezing outside, and in her traditional clubbing gear Sarah wouldn't have been surprised to have goose pimples on her goose pimples.
From the shadow, the blackest shadow watched. It could see why... it sent a minion out to gather.
Sarah became aware of the person standing directly behind her. She yelped in alarm as she automatically spun so he wasn't in her blind spot.
He held his arms up in gesture of surrender. "Sorry lady. Didn't mean to startle you." You smiled, nicely, "do you need a hand?"
"Err, no thanks." Sarah said warily, you just couldn't tell with people, even if they had great pecks and seemingly good manners. All qualities seemingly lost in the current population. "It's just being difficult."
"A common problem. I just moved here." Sarah perked up. Mrs Glibly would never lease or let to someone distrespectable. "And I've only been here a few days!" Sarah laughed with him, but leaned back as he closed in on the door to examine it. He still brushed up against her. "Oh here, have this, you're freezing!" Sarah knew she should recline, but she was freezing, and it didn't seem like she was going to get in any time soon.
Finally, David, got the door open, and trying to suppress giggles like little naughty kids they causously took the stairs to their apartments. For Sarah, David made the alcohol over indulgence worth while. She flopped into bed insatiably happy for once in a very long while. For once since she had last seen her real friends.
***
"Oh! Do you have to go?" she cried, knowing the answer already.
"Yes my lady, we must, for Jareth would surely miss us other wise."
"But you'll come again?" she asked anxiously.
"If my lady wishes it."
"Er cause we'll visit ye!"
"Sawah...Sawah friend!"
She let them follow the other labyrinth inhabitants into the mirror, and collapsed onto her bed with happy fatigue. Her happiness hadn't lasted long. The bloody Mirror Master himself had seen to that.
The only way she could see her friends where if she where to wish herself away, to be at his mercy. No way in the seven seas was Sarah stupid enough to say the words again. She'd lived her life since then similar to what it had been before. Alone with her dog, fighting her evil stepmother, looking after Toby and being ignored by her family.
What a life.
At least it was life. At least she had that on her side.
***
In the dark Sarah smiled bitterly. What a way to fall with nothing and no one to catch you.
***
On Saturday morning Sarah crawled out of bed to nurse her head and a cup of thick, black as hell coffee. Wincing she forced it down, showered and crawled out of her door to the corridor to nick her neighbours newspaper. Why buy your own when you can share? Sarah thought rhetorically as she squinted at the small print.
A bank had been robbed, various people had been murdered, India and Pakistan where about to go to war and here was delightful old England selling arms to both sides stirring the morality that England was sliding off. Oh, and a senator had done something illegal, again. Police where investigating a serial rapist and someone had escaped from prison. All in a day.
Sarah winced as Mrs Gale knocked on her door to retrieve her paper. She handed the item over and had to travel to the floor below to get another. The other tenants used to having to guard their papers. This was a short sheet one, with all the gossip. It was even less interesting than serious stuff. Giving up on it Sarah clambered back into bed, setting her alarm in time for her next lecture.
***
She scuttled out of the block of apartments to catch the campus bus. As she went David intercepted her. At any other time she would have been happy to see him. At this moment she looked how she felt. Like shit.
At least the others in her group wouldn't see her like this. They didn't have the skill to manipulate their brains in English Literature. But David was here. David was a potential relationship that she didn't have many of.
She returned his greeting with what she knew was a slightly sickly smile. "Are you okay?" he asked, sounding and looking concerned. Sarah felt touched, not many people cared, or bothered to ask.
"Hangover." She explained briefly, "thanks for 'rescuing' me last night."
"that's okay. It's what every man dreams of, rescuing a fair damsel in need of a lock picker." She laughed gently. "Um," he said awkwardly, " do you have my paper?"
"Number 46?"
"Yes."
"Probably then. I forgot about it." She admitted sheepishly, "I normally return them, but with my head and all..." she trailed off, hoping he's buy it. He did.
"Then in penance you'll have to let me take you on a date." He smile, only nervously.
"Sure! It's the least I could do."
"See you then."
"See you."
Sarah floated off to University, on a cloud of feeling, hangover forgotten.
***
In the shadows it nodded with satisfaction, its minion was doing well.
****
Jareth threw his crystal ball away in disgust. Sure, she'd had boyfriends before but David, he seriously worried Jareth. David was a threat to his dominance, his control over Sarah, when she finally saw it.
David had to go.
***
So, what do you think? Should I continue? Or is it to boring? Oh, and any comments (like a better title etc) or thoughts welcome.
But she sat in there anyway, occasionally making an appropriately spiteful remark or a murmur of sympathy, as they needed it. She needed to belong somewhere, even if it was a fake smokescreen.
She stretched her bare legs under the table, avoiding the fellow stilettos that mixed with practised ease. She tugged on her ridiculously short skirt and checked that her jewel red top was still hanging in there, for decencies sake.
"So, what you gonna do?" she asked, because it was expected.
Her blonde acquaintance sneered. "I'm gonna make him pay!" Haley looked like an angel with floating golden hair, but her ice blue eyes gave her away. Satan in disguise as any boy who had suffered at her feet swore.
"Go girl! Need a hand?" the group rallied around Haley like bowling pins of concrete glaring a Ping-Pong ball down. The poor shmuck had had it. At the least his street creed was gone. Just tatters of it drifting on the wind for the others, the survivors to yank and taunt him with.
Sarah let her mind be free as she let it drift with the dry ice that was swirling with the cigarette smoke. The moving air steered the smog as the fans lazily whirled around, before it met it's fate and was sucked viciously out by the air conditioning to be spilled out the back of the club. With a sigh she reeled her mind in, allowing it to come crashing down with severe abruptness form its higher plains as they finished scheming and plotting.
"Wanna dance?" she demanded, before they got started again.
They all laughed so with grace and long, showy legs they vaulted to the dance floor. Practice again. Sarah vigorously flung herself into the rhythm, nothing the way the groups' hair contrasted. Her brunette locks, clashing with Haley's ice blondness, but merging almost fathomlessly with Becky's deep black spikes that set Emmas' deep blood hair off, against Cordettes dyed white and blue streaks. The pounding, liberating lights morphed the exaggerated movements of the strands into twinkling purples and blues. Deep and dark and best of all, secret.
She closed her eyes, and let the beat seem distant, like her group where. The lights played bright flashes amongst her patterned eyelids. When she let them drift open again, she was alone. She wasn't bothered. They'd have drifted off with various specimens of masculinity. She didn't want to be around when things got heavy.
When she could bare it no longer, she just left. Shoved her way out of the massed dancers to the cool air of outside. She could taste the scent of winter that was still threatening, but not fully come. She could feel the taint of rain in the polluted air, almost heed the grease on the paved streets she swayed down, her weak heels shifting the detritus that littered them, The icy wind gusted futilely at the damp mounds of rubbish, not even stirring the gunked down mess.
Manhattan. Such a wonderful place to study. Sarah mussed. Wonderful people, wonderful student food, wonderful nightlife. "Simply wonderful!" she yelled at the seemingly black sky, with streetlights spotting it. With a sigh, she rubbed her arms and started making her way to her shared flat; trying to clear her booze fuddled head.
***
She carefully inserted the key into the lock of the outer door that lead to the forum, feeling like a thief. Or a liar, which she was. Like the rest of the student tenants she had faithfully promised not to come in at odd hours, or go out at early hours, and disturb the peaceful, honest working tenants.
She swore in her mind, not daring to vocalise as the key wouldn't turn in the stiff lock. She ignored some people stalking pas her, having a low, heated argument, and prayed for the lock to work. It was freezing outside, and in her traditional clubbing gear Sarah wouldn't have been surprised to have goose pimples on her goose pimples.
From the shadow, the blackest shadow watched. It could see why... it sent a minion out to gather.
Sarah became aware of the person standing directly behind her. She yelped in alarm as she automatically spun so he wasn't in her blind spot.
He held his arms up in gesture of surrender. "Sorry lady. Didn't mean to startle you." You smiled, nicely, "do you need a hand?"
"Err, no thanks." Sarah said warily, you just couldn't tell with people, even if they had great pecks and seemingly good manners. All qualities seemingly lost in the current population. "It's just being difficult."
"A common problem. I just moved here." Sarah perked up. Mrs Glibly would never lease or let to someone distrespectable. "And I've only been here a few days!" Sarah laughed with him, but leaned back as he closed in on the door to examine it. He still brushed up against her. "Oh here, have this, you're freezing!" Sarah knew she should recline, but she was freezing, and it didn't seem like she was going to get in any time soon.
Finally, David, got the door open, and trying to suppress giggles like little naughty kids they causously took the stairs to their apartments. For Sarah, David made the alcohol over indulgence worth while. She flopped into bed insatiably happy for once in a very long while. For once since she had last seen her real friends.
***
"Oh! Do you have to go?" she cried, knowing the answer already.
"Yes my lady, we must, for Jareth would surely miss us other wise."
"But you'll come again?" she asked anxiously.
"If my lady wishes it."
"Er cause we'll visit ye!"
"Sawah...Sawah friend!"
She let them follow the other labyrinth inhabitants into the mirror, and collapsed onto her bed with happy fatigue. Her happiness hadn't lasted long. The bloody Mirror Master himself had seen to that.
The only way she could see her friends where if she where to wish herself away, to be at his mercy. No way in the seven seas was Sarah stupid enough to say the words again. She'd lived her life since then similar to what it had been before. Alone with her dog, fighting her evil stepmother, looking after Toby and being ignored by her family.
What a life.
At least it was life. At least she had that on her side.
***
In the dark Sarah smiled bitterly. What a way to fall with nothing and no one to catch you.
***
On Saturday morning Sarah crawled out of bed to nurse her head and a cup of thick, black as hell coffee. Wincing she forced it down, showered and crawled out of her door to the corridor to nick her neighbours newspaper. Why buy your own when you can share? Sarah thought rhetorically as she squinted at the small print.
A bank had been robbed, various people had been murdered, India and Pakistan where about to go to war and here was delightful old England selling arms to both sides stirring the morality that England was sliding off. Oh, and a senator had done something illegal, again. Police where investigating a serial rapist and someone had escaped from prison. All in a day.
Sarah winced as Mrs Gale knocked on her door to retrieve her paper. She handed the item over and had to travel to the floor below to get another. The other tenants used to having to guard their papers. This was a short sheet one, with all the gossip. It was even less interesting than serious stuff. Giving up on it Sarah clambered back into bed, setting her alarm in time for her next lecture.
***
She scuttled out of the block of apartments to catch the campus bus. As she went David intercepted her. At any other time she would have been happy to see him. At this moment she looked how she felt. Like shit.
At least the others in her group wouldn't see her like this. They didn't have the skill to manipulate their brains in English Literature. But David was here. David was a potential relationship that she didn't have many of.
She returned his greeting with what she knew was a slightly sickly smile. "Are you okay?" he asked, sounding and looking concerned. Sarah felt touched, not many people cared, or bothered to ask.
"Hangover." She explained briefly, "thanks for 'rescuing' me last night."
"that's okay. It's what every man dreams of, rescuing a fair damsel in need of a lock picker." She laughed gently. "Um," he said awkwardly, " do you have my paper?"
"Number 46?"
"Yes."
"Probably then. I forgot about it." She admitted sheepishly, "I normally return them, but with my head and all..." she trailed off, hoping he's buy it. He did.
"Then in penance you'll have to let me take you on a date." He smile, only nervously.
"Sure! It's the least I could do."
"See you then."
"See you."
Sarah floated off to University, on a cloud of feeling, hangover forgotten.
***
In the shadows it nodded with satisfaction, its minion was doing well.
****
Jareth threw his crystal ball away in disgust. Sure, she'd had boyfriends before but David, he seriously worried Jareth. David was a threat to his dominance, his control over Sarah, when she finally saw it.
David had to go.
***
So, what do you think? Should I continue? Or is it to boring? Oh, and any comments (like a better title etc) or thoughts welcome.
