Chapter 1
Sarah threw herself onto her plushie crowded bed and let out a muffled scream. Piled around here were stacks of SAT review books, and "How to get into college" pamphlets, scratched out essays on flung-about paper and balls of what was a failed attempt of working out math problems. The last two months of her Junior year of high school had begun and it was far too much for her over-worked brain to handle. Sarah was desperately trying to break her bad habit of slipping off into a daydream, or absent mindedly opening up a story book and reading herself a fairy tale. But she couldn't do that, not anymore. At least not for another two months. She groaned, rolled over to face the ceiling and groaned again, hugging a blue and purple pillow to her chest. "I wish I had someone to talk to" she whispered, almost silently to the dolls and crumpled up study attempts surrounding her. "Do'ya now?" Sarah's head whipped to the right to see Hoggle standing on the chair next to her desk. "Yea. I do." She smiled at her old friend. Since she had completed the labyrinth, half a year before she had grown quite used to her friends from the adventure stopping by. Especially when she needed help, or advice, or someone to talk to. Seeing them made her happier then anything, but for some reason it also left a small pang of loneliness. "So, what was botherin you there Sarah?" Hoggle asked. "Oh. Just this stupid studying. It's so hard to concentrate." "'D'rather be reading a fairy story, 'eh? I thought you'd of gotten over that after living one." Sara smirked at her friend's facetious comment. "No. For your information I wouldn't." this was only partially a lie. While reading about pixies and castles and fountains and kings would have been far more entertaining then learning the definitions of two thousand words, it wasn't really what she was thinking of most of the time. "And what would you rather be doing with your time?" Hoggle liked to pretend that he knew Sarah well, but this was mostly just pretend. Sarah was predictable and did confide in Hoggle more then anyone else he was aware of, but there was always a little piece of her that he couldn't put his finger on. Like, why she always had a sad look in the back of her eye when he was around, and why Sarah hadn't gone on a date, or mentioned liking anybody since she came home. Instead they would talk about who she used to like, or how she got her first kiss. This seemed to be one of those questions that wouldn't be answered. Hoggle wasn't the smartest, but he knew that Sarah was keeping a secret from him, and that she probably wouldn't tell. Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. I guess, I'd kind of like to re-live my fairy tale." She hugged her knees in so her face was hidden from nose down, but Hoggle could see that something was wrong. Something always was. "You mean you'd actually wanna go back into that maze?" "No. Nonononono. The maze was hell." Hoggle was lost, totally and utterly. Her 'fairy tale' was going through the maze. "You mean meeting alla us?" "Sorta, I guess." "Now what do you mean by tha-" Sarah's stepmother's voice cut in, "Sarah, who you talking to in there?" "No one Ali." She called her stepmother by name. "Just myself." "Kay." Sarah looked over to Hoggle. "You should prolly leave before Toby comes in and uses you as a doll." Her little brother was known by her, and feared by her dolls for kidnapping them and dragging them all around the house. While Sarah started to mind this less and less, Hoggle didn't want to entertain the thought of being Toby's play thing for a day. "Yea. I guess you're right." He jumped off of the chair and walked to Sarah. "Just remember. Any time you need me..." "I know. I'll call." She gave him a big hug and looked into the mirror. Her reflection wasn't holding Hoggle, and she realized that she wasn't either. By now it was nearly eleven, and Sarah was exhausted. She never knew that studying could make one so tired. Sarah didn't even bother changing into her pajama's, or cleaning up her mess. She fell backwards into her warm fluffy bed and curled up. Within minuets she was in a far happier place where the SAT's didn't exist, and neither did the concept of math or chemistry or school in general. In fact, the worst thing that she allowed herself to dream about was playing "Candy Land" with Toby.
@`~,~~
"Jareth!" Sarah sat straight up in bed, wide eyed and short of breath. The blinked twice and thought about what she had just said. "Jareth?" The repeated. "Why would I.?" She glanced at the clock next to her bed. 6:32. Sarah stood up and grabbed some clothing from a collection of drawers and looked at her self in the mirror. She had worked up a cold sweat in the night. As she ran her hand through her damp hair she let the word escape her mouth one more time before she turned around and walked to the bathroom down the hallway from her. "Jareth"
When Sarah finished her shower she changed into the clothing she had brought with her. Worn blue jeans and a light shirt with droopy sleeves. She loved those kinds of shirts, they reminded her of the dresses Lady's would wear with sleeves that almost touched the floor.
She collected her dirty clothing and started back to her room down the hall, but a few feet from the door way she realized something strange. Sarah could have sworn that she had closed her door behind her, but now it was ajar, a thin line of yellow light leaking from the crack onto the wooden floor of the hall. "Toby?" She called towards her room. "Toby, if you're in my room again." she trailed off as her younger brother teetered out of her room. He had been able to walk for a little while, being almost two years old. "Gob'n Man." He giggled, pointing to her room. "Ugh. Tobe. What on earth could you be talking about?" She walked to him, but he went right past her and into his own room, still screeching and laughing "Gob'n Man, Gob'n Man." Sara watched him, partially confused, partially amused and then turned back toward her now mostly opened door and stepped into her room. Once inside she closed the door behind her, looked over at herself in the mirror and dropped her collection of washables on the floor.
Sarah threw herself onto her plushie crowded bed and let out a muffled scream. Piled around here were stacks of SAT review books, and "How to get into college" pamphlets, scratched out essays on flung-about paper and balls of what was a failed attempt of working out math problems. The last two months of her Junior year of high school had begun and it was far too much for her over-worked brain to handle. Sarah was desperately trying to break her bad habit of slipping off into a daydream, or absent mindedly opening up a story book and reading herself a fairy tale. But she couldn't do that, not anymore. At least not for another two months. She groaned, rolled over to face the ceiling and groaned again, hugging a blue and purple pillow to her chest. "I wish I had someone to talk to" she whispered, almost silently to the dolls and crumpled up study attempts surrounding her. "Do'ya now?" Sarah's head whipped to the right to see Hoggle standing on the chair next to her desk. "Yea. I do." She smiled at her old friend. Since she had completed the labyrinth, half a year before she had grown quite used to her friends from the adventure stopping by. Especially when she needed help, or advice, or someone to talk to. Seeing them made her happier then anything, but for some reason it also left a small pang of loneliness. "So, what was botherin you there Sarah?" Hoggle asked. "Oh. Just this stupid studying. It's so hard to concentrate." "'D'rather be reading a fairy story, 'eh? I thought you'd of gotten over that after living one." Sara smirked at her friend's facetious comment. "No. For your information I wouldn't." this was only partially a lie. While reading about pixies and castles and fountains and kings would have been far more entertaining then learning the definitions of two thousand words, it wasn't really what she was thinking of most of the time. "And what would you rather be doing with your time?" Hoggle liked to pretend that he knew Sarah well, but this was mostly just pretend. Sarah was predictable and did confide in Hoggle more then anyone else he was aware of, but there was always a little piece of her that he couldn't put his finger on. Like, why she always had a sad look in the back of her eye when he was around, and why Sarah hadn't gone on a date, or mentioned liking anybody since she came home. Instead they would talk about who she used to like, or how she got her first kiss. This seemed to be one of those questions that wouldn't be answered. Hoggle wasn't the smartest, but he knew that Sarah was keeping a secret from him, and that she probably wouldn't tell. Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. I guess, I'd kind of like to re-live my fairy tale." She hugged her knees in so her face was hidden from nose down, but Hoggle could see that something was wrong. Something always was. "You mean you'd actually wanna go back into that maze?" "No. Nonononono. The maze was hell." Hoggle was lost, totally and utterly. Her 'fairy tale' was going through the maze. "You mean meeting alla us?" "Sorta, I guess." "Now what do you mean by tha-" Sarah's stepmother's voice cut in, "Sarah, who you talking to in there?" "No one Ali." She called her stepmother by name. "Just myself." "Kay." Sarah looked over to Hoggle. "You should prolly leave before Toby comes in and uses you as a doll." Her little brother was known by her, and feared by her dolls for kidnapping them and dragging them all around the house. While Sarah started to mind this less and less, Hoggle didn't want to entertain the thought of being Toby's play thing for a day. "Yea. I guess you're right." He jumped off of the chair and walked to Sarah. "Just remember. Any time you need me..." "I know. I'll call." She gave him a big hug and looked into the mirror. Her reflection wasn't holding Hoggle, and she realized that she wasn't either. By now it was nearly eleven, and Sarah was exhausted. She never knew that studying could make one so tired. Sarah didn't even bother changing into her pajama's, or cleaning up her mess. She fell backwards into her warm fluffy bed and curled up. Within minuets she was in a far happier place where the SAT's didn't exist, and neither did the concept of math or chemistry or school in general. In fact, the worst thing that she allowed herself to dream about was playing "Candy Land" with Toby.
@`~,~~
"Jareth!" Sarah sat straight up in bed, wide eyed and short of breath. The blinked twice and thought about what she had just said. "Jareth?" The repeated. "Why would I.?" She glanced at the clock next to her bed. 6:32. Sarah stood up and grabbed some clothing from a collection of drawers and looked at her self in the mirror. She had worked up a cold sweat in the night. As she ran her hand through her damp hair she let the word escape her mouth one more time before she turned around and walked to the bathroom down the hallway from her. "Jareth"
When Sarah finished her shower she changed into the clothing she had brought with her. Worn blue jeans and a light shirt with droopy sleeves. She loved those kinds of shirts, they reminded her of the dresses Lady's would wear with sleeves that almost touched the floor.
She collected her dirty clothing and started back to her room down the hall, but a few feet from the door way she realized something strange. Sarah could have sworn that she had closed her door behind her, but now it was ajar, a thin line of yellow light leaking from the crack onto the wooden floor of the hall. "Toby?" She called towards her room. "Toby, if you're in my room again." she trailed off as her younger brother teetered out of her room. He had been able to walk for a little while, being almost two years old. "Gob'n Man." He giggled, pointing to her room. "Ugh. Tobe. What on earth could you be talking about?" She walked to him, but he went right past her and into his own room, still screeching and laughing "Gob'n Man, Gob'n Man." Sara watched him, partially confused, partially amused and then turned back toward her now mostly opened door and stepped into her room. Once inside she closed the door behind her, looked over at herself in the mirror and dropped her collection of washables on the floor.