These Powers That Be
It was starting to become very clear to Sarah that strange things were going on. Either she was losing her mind, or….
"…or nothing, because it was all a dream. The labyrinth…Jareth…a nightmare." Sarah scolded herself under her breath.
Since math, things had just gotten stranger and stranger. First there had been her sudden, unexplained trip from the hallway outside Physics 350 to her second period math class. She had tried to convince herself she was just tired and worried about the new kid, James. However, even her healthy imagination couldn't explain away everything that was happening to her.
During a science quiz, she couldn't remember the formula she needed for the very first problem. Seconds later, the formula appeared on her paper. Sarah blinked and turned the paper every which way, but she knew it hadn't been there before.
When walking from science to lunch, her mind wandered and seconds later she was at her favorite spot in the courtyard holding her lunch and a book that had been all the way in her locker. There was no way she was that much of a daydreamer. She would have remembered stepping over people eating lunch in the hallway to get to her locker and searching her book out of the mess that lived inside.
Looking back, she began to think her history teacher's sudden case of laryngitis during his boring lecture about the harbingers of the Great Depression was more than a little suspicious.
Every time she wanted something, it seemed to happen. When she wished for something, it appeared.
"My every wish…"
I can give you your dreams…
"Dammit, I'm going crazy!" Sarah looked around quickly, thinking she may have said that a little too loud. Then, just as she reached the main exit, Sarah realized that she had forgotten her psychology book in class. As she turned to race back to class before her teacher left, she tripped over…
"My book?!?!? I can't believe this! What the hell is happening?"
All of Sarah's anger and confusion seemed to converge on the poor, defenseless textbook lying on the ground in front of her, covered by the telltale paper-bag book cover strewn with her own drawings. As Sarah bit back a scream of frustration, the book suddenly went flying forward and out into the crowd of students milling around waiting for carpools and buses.
Sarah stared in shock. She was sure she hadn't kicked the book. Or was she sure of anything? She felt like she was going to cry, and was in awe of her seeming discovery all at once.
What else can I do? It was a terrifying and thrilling thought.
"Sarah! You've lost your books again. Or, maybe it was on purpose…"
Sarah snapped her head up to find a confused, but smiling James, holding up her book, and she quickly realized it must have landed in his car. Purely on accident.
Sarah hurried down the concrete steps, glancing warily at the silver Porsche that was much nicer than most of the cars at ARS, and snatched her book out of James' hands.
"I'm sorry. Thanks. Bye."
"Wait. I thought we were going to go out. You know, you could show me around…"
"I can't. I have to baby-sit my little brother."
"Oh, come on. That's just an excuse." Suddenly, James hand grabbed her arm pulling her back towards the car.
"Let go of me." Sarah said, glaring at him.
"Oh, come on." James said laughing.
"You must be hard of hearing." Sarah managed through clenched teeth. "I told you to leave me alone."
"Don't run away from me, Sarah."
Detecting a new and surprisingly menacing tone in James' voice, Sarah turned to look at him. His eyes were dark with an anger and challenge that belied his previous seemingly clam nature.
"Let go of me." Sarah repeated, struggling to escape his grasp.
"Stop being such a bitch, Sarah. Just shut up and come with me."
His arrogance made Sarah even madder than she had been before. It reminded her a little too much of a certain Goblin King, make-believe or not. She felt anger rising up inside her to the point of bursting. Suddenly, she recognized with a mixture of horror and excitement that strange, new feeling of almost uncontrollable power erupting inside her. She felt James' grip suddenly loosen, and turned back just in time to see him fly a good five or six feet backwards into the door of his car as if he had been punched in the stomach.
Sarah stared at James' in shock, but his face registered nothing more than anger. When Sarah's shock began to fade, she realized how quiet the school grounds had suddenly become. Then a wave of whispers began to shift through the crowd.
"What happened?" "She's crazy. She must have pushed him" "No he is. He just threw himself backwards." "No, she…"
Sarah tried desperately to block out the sound and think of something to do. She wished she were anywhere but here, being stared at by her classmates, suddenly too scared to laugh it off, or run or do anything much at all. She wished she could be safe somewhere where she wasn't different or unwanted.
Where is there? Sarah thought bitterly. Not here. Not home with Karen. Not with my mother. I have nothing.
Time seemed to stand still and Sarah barely noticed a tear running down here cheek. Suddenly, Sarah thought of the last place she ever would have expected. The Labyrinth, with my friends… I wish I was there.
Sarah felt a shiver race down her back, as the sun slid unexpectedly behind a cloud and the previously sunny day cooled. The school around her turned gray and foreboding. The inhabitants of the parking lot seemed to freeze and fade and a familiar voice sent another shiver down her spine.
"I knew you'd realize it soon enough, little girl. The Labyrinth is the best place for you…the only place. You'll be happy there, cared about, as powerful as you want to be."
Sarah couldn't bring herself to turn around; she just stood staring at the still darkening sky.
"Look at me, Sarah." The voice commanded. "You wished for this, now face it."
Sarah turned slowly to face her dream…and her nightmare.
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Well, that's the end for now. Please, please review. Thanks to for reviewing the last chapter. Ya'll are awesome! BTW, I am very scared of bad reviews, so if you don't like something please be nice (everyone has been, I'm just nervous.) Plus, if you have any story ideas, please share. Please, please review so I know if you guys are reading and want me to write more. Thank you thank you. Thanks to Heikgan, Raven Hino, and Crystal Unicorn (more J soon, for u) for reviewing chapter 3!
-mari