3.In to the Labyrinth.
They arrived breathless in front of the labyrinths containing walls.
"How do we get in?"
"Err...Hoggle?" Red yelled in a false storetto voice, "where's the entrance to the Labyrinth?" The door creaked open behind them. They entered; it slammed shut behind them like a coffin lid. They looked nervously at each other and gulped.
"Let's go left."
"No, right."
"Okay, right."
"Not that right! /That/ one!" Red exclaimed, pointing significantly left.
"That right good to. Let's go! You feel that wall, I'll take this one, note that in the movie Sarah goes through out of the Labyrinth as it where."
"Okay." Redaura said with false cheer. They set off at a run, slapping the walls as they went past.
It went on and on and on. The tree littered corridor shaded from the sun in the cool and the damp. Star and Redaura where sweating and puffing from the never-ending exertion. Out of breath they slowed to a jog.
"I can't...run...no...more..." Redaura wheezed out, sagging to the ground. Star flopped down beside her and leaned against the wall. Star flopped beside her and leaned against the wall.
"God damn it!"
"Hang on..." Red looked puzzled, "/But what no one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl.../" she quoted, "Who's he in love with?"
"Don't you think" Star said with exaggerated patience "that the Labyrinth is a big enough puzzle?"
"It's part of it."
"?"
"Oh let's get on." Red stood up, breathing steadier and stalked down the over tall tunnel. She felt like a ball in one of those little box mazes where you have to roll the ball through to the centre with it falling down an oubliette. In frustration she kicked the wall.
"Hey!" it yelped and dragged her in. with a startled oath Star leaped through after her, grabbing her 'From Russia With Love' baggy tee shirt. Again the surroundings shifted.
The tunnel was circular, dark and dripping water could be heard. It stank. They clutched onto each other and tried not to whimper. They shrank back in disgust as a rat walked in front of them and keeled over dead.
"Yuck!"
"Gross!"
"AAAGGGHHHHHH!!!!"
*One little dead rat, fine.* Redaura thought, *I /like/ rats, but bloody giant ones? That are hungry?* as one Star and Red sprinted the other way. The rats squeaked and followed, their red and pink eyes glinting in the half-light. Redaura, being a naturally slow runner starting lagging, the rats didn't touch her exposed. She expected them to slice through her thin tee shirt any second now...
She carried on running with leaden feet as Star vanished into the ground. With a startled yelp she realised what had happened as she fell through the hole after her. Star with hidden nimbleness she hadn't possessed before, managed to grasp a handhold and prevent going over the edge as the smell /really/ hit her. She gagged as Redauras' feet knocked her over the edge. She still managed to grab Redauras' legs. She tried not to breathe as Redauras baggy joggers began to slide down her legs, taking Star with them.
"OH MY GOD!" Redaura yelled explosively, instantly regretting having to make her self need to take in a breath. Below them the Bog of Eternal Stench farted and bubbled merrily away.
Straining Redaura pulled herself over the edge and managed after much teetering on the edge to pull Star to safety. They didn't /need/ to say /anything/. Just the thought of having to pull more foul air into their mouths and taste it... they perilously made their way towards dry, un-quagmired land, nearly toppling in on several occasions.
With vast relief they pounced on the un-odour admitting earth and ran for the bridge, a new motivation putting haste into their steps. They skidded to a halt, when to their dismay a large Black Panther was in between them and breathable air. It looked ready to strike.
/Who tries to pass, gets eaten./ The panther smiled, a cruel twist of it's lips.
Red resisted the urge to look at Star and bravely opened her mouth to rush out "/Please/ let us past."
The great cat seemed to consider this request. /No/.
"Why no?" Star asked.
/Because,/ it replied smugly.
Angrily Red ran to wards it and froze as it lashed out with claws. She cringed in anticipation of the attack as Star gave a fearful cry. It didn't come. The panther snarled as she backed it across the rickety bridge to the other side. They gingerly walked around it and pegged it into the sweet, /sweet/ air.
"It couldn't touch us" Red said amazed, "it couldn't touch us."
