Part Eleven - Choices
The dampness of the pillow was clammy against Sarah's cheek, she was exhausted and yet could not seem to prevent the tears that continued to flow. The woman, her mother had gone. She had held Sarah's hand and she had spoken to Sarah about a kingdom where she alone ruled. She had talked about the magic that ruled that kingdom and how she had been called upon to harness the power of this magic.
The woman had spoken of love, her love for her kingdom, her love for her daughter and how she had been forced into making a choice.. and for the hour she had spoken Sarah had said nothing.
The tears had begun shortly before she had left. Sarah's eyes had filled with the evidence of her hurt, happiness, confusion.. and yet the woman had not responded to those tears. She had not asked their origin or placed her arms around Sarah. She had merely continued to hold her hand and talk about the place that she called home. It was a world that she now wanted Sarah to come and visit, the Underground.
When she spoke the name her eyes had had filled with a fire of both passion and possession. The Underworld - Where dreams are possibility. The Underworld - A world where her mother ruled and where Sarah herself could obtain more power than she would have believed possible. The Underworld - A land away from the family that struggled to lay claim to her and where she constantly struggled to belong. And perhaps most importantly the place that Jared called home.
The woman had spoken his name and Sarah had started, uncertain of the emotions that crushed together within her chest at the mere mention of that strange being who had challenged her within the Labyrinth. She had not revealed to her mother the heaviness that was a direct response to his name or how part of her longed to see him again.
The woman had just continued to hold her hand. No not the woman, her mother. And her mother's hands had been strangely alien, encased as they were in the fabric that created a barrier between the mother and daughter. Sarah thought about the meeting that she had so longed for. It had been the coming together of a mother and daughter who had not seen each other in so many years, and yet merely held hands.
Whilst Sarah had sobbed her mother had displayed no response, and as the crying had continued she had walked over to the music box that Sarah had been unable to pack away with the rest of her childhood memories.
"I don't have much time Sarah. I can feel the land calling out to me and must go. Think about what I have spoken of tonight. It is only you who can make the decision for as I have said in this realm I have no power only desire. When and if you decide to come to me the music box will act as your key. It will bring you within the walls of my palace and we can be together."
The stinging of her eyes continued but Sarah blinked away the salty evidence of her confusion. She had listened to everything that her mother had said to her, yet had not heard the words that she so desired to hear. Karen and her father had retired to their room hours ago and the house was completely still. Wiping her face with the sleeve of her nightdress Sarah made her way to her father's room.
Toby's cot was where it had always been at the foot of the bed and Sarah looked down into the sleeping features of the young brother that she had wished away. She did love him, just as she loved both Karen and her father. It was a love that sometimes she lost track of but, even if she occasionally forgot, Sarah knew that she would never stop loving them.
Her father had been so hurt when his first wife had left. He had aged overnight. In the time before he had met Karen Sarah had used to listen for his return from work in her bedroom. Every evening when he returned home from work he would walk up the stairs to Sarah's room to read her her bedtime story and then kiss his daughter goodnight.
Eventually Sarah had noticed how increasingly she had had to wait much longer for these stories. She heard her father's step on the stairs later and later each evening, until finally one evening she had been unable to keep her eyes open in order to wait for his return and had missed him. From that moment the nightly ritual had changed, had become less regimented, and Sarah knew that it had been because the stories had reminded him too much of the wife who had left him.
He would be so hurt if Sarah were to abandon him just as his first wife had done, and yet maybe he would understand.
Sarah backed out of the room and padded softly back to her own bedroom. She stared at the musical box with the petite figure that spun so gracefully when the music began.
"We can be together."
Hesitantly Sarah's hands reached out to the small key at the back of the box.
The dampness of the pillow was clammy against Sarah's cheek, she was exhausted and yet could not seem to prevent the tears that continued to flow. The woman, her mother had gone. She had held Sarah's hand and she had spoken to Sarah about a kingdom where she alone ruled. She had talked about the magic that ruled that kingdom and how she had been called upon to harness the power of this magic.
The woman had spoken of love, her love for her kingdom, her love for her daughter and how she had been forced into making a choice.. and for the hour she had spoken Sarah had said nothing.
The tears had begun shortly before she had left. Sarah's eyes had filled with the evidence of her hurt, happiness, confusion.. and yet the woman had not responded to those tears. She had not asked their origin or placed her arms around Sarah. She had merely continued to hold her hand and talk about the place that she called home. It was a world that she now wanted Sarah to come and visit, the Underground.
When she spoke the name her eyes had had filled with a fire of both passion and possession. The Underworld - Where dreams are possibility. The Underworld - A world where her mother ruled and where Sarah herself could obtain more power than she would have believed possible. The Underworld - A land away from the family that struggled to lay claim to her and where she constantly struggled to belong. And perhaps most importantly the place that Jared called home.
The woman had spoken his name and Sarah had started, uncertain of the emotions that crushed together within her chest at the mere mention of that strange being who had challenged her within the Labyrinth. She had not revealed to her mother the heaviness that was a direct response to his name or how part of her longed to see him again.
The woman had just continued to hold her hand. No not the woman, her mother. And her mother's hands had been strangely alien, encased as they were in the fabric that created a barrier between the mother and daughter. Sarah thought about the meeting that she had so longed for. It had been the coming together of a mother and daughter who had not seen each other in so many years, and yet merely held hands.
Whilst Sarah had sobbed her mother had displayed no response, and as the crying had continued she had walked over to the music box that Sarah had been unable to pack away with the rest of her childhood memories.
"I don't have much time Sarah. I can feel the land calling out to me and must go. Think about what I have spoken of tonight. It is only you who can make the decision for as I have said in this realm I have no power only desire. When and if you decide to come to me the music box will act as your key. It will bring you within the walls of my palace and we can be together."
The stinging of her eyes continued but Sarah blinked away the salty evidence of her confusion. She had listened to everything that her mother had said to her, yet had not heard the words that she so desired to hear. Karen and her father had retired to their room hours ago and the house was completely still. Wiping her face with the sleeve of her nightdress Sarah made her way to her father's room.
Toby's cot was where it had always been at the foot of the bed and Sarah looked down into the sleeping features of the young brother that she had wished away. She did love him, just as she loved both Karen and her father. It was a love that sometimes she lost track of but, even if she occasionally forgot, Sarah knew that she would never stop loving them.
Her father had been so hurt when his first wife had left. He had aged overnight. In the time before he had met Karen Sarah had used to listen for his return from work in her bedroom. Every evening when he returned home from work he would walk up the stairs to Sarah's room to read her her bedtime story and then kiss his daughter goodnight.
Eventually Sarah had noticed how increasingly she had had to wait much longer for these stories. She heard her father's step on the stairs later and later each evening, until finally one evening she had been unable to keep her eyes open in order to wait for his return and had missed him. From that moment the nightly ritual had changed, had become less regimented, and Sarah knew that it had been because the stories had reminded him too much of the wife who had left him.
He would be so hurt if Sarah were to abandon him just as his first wife had done, and yet maybe he would understand.
Sarah backed out of the room and padded softly back to her own bedroom. She stared at the musical box with the petite figure that spun so gracefully when the music began.
"We can be together."
Hesitantly Sarah's hands reached out to the small key at the back of the box.