I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming
Monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops
As they're falling tell a story
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
If the condition of one's living quarters are any indication of the personality of the owner, Sarah's home was a testament to her structured, orderly life. Her furniture, while elegant, was chosen more fore functionality than any aesthetic value. No paintings adorned her spartan walls - no pictures, no decorations. Everything from her immaculate bookcase, organized by genre then author, to the meticulously stacked coasters on her coffee table had it's assigned place.
Her study was a paragon of order. The intricate filing system she employed screamed it's evidence of a structured mind. Her kitchen was a masterpiece. The spare guest room could have appeared in a hotel advertisement.
The only place is Sarah's home that suggested a human and not a machine actually lived here was her own bedroom. Next to her bed in a place of honor was a picture of Toby, her younger brother. On a table across from her bed was a small television, tuned as always to the Travel Channel. Her step mother had once made the comment that it was sad that Sarah loved to watch programs of places she would never go, countries she would never visit.
As always Sarah ignored this little piece of wisdom - it did come from her step mother after all - and continued watching her beloved station. So what if she never got the chance to visit Europe. So what if she never left the States. That's why they made the bloody channel after all - what's the point of visiting places when you can just watch it on television right?
Laying on her bed in a miasma of self pity and cookie crumbs, Sarah nursed a glass of wine. Half a bottle wine and a shot of tequila wasn't exactly the most mature way of handling her problems, but damn it all, it was certainly helping. Normally, she wasn't much of a drinker, but Silas' earlier edict of forced time off just seemed to scream for alcohol.
She turned her attention back to the television. The show's host informed everyone that today they would be highlighting the world's top ten bathrooms. Fun Fun
Sarah groaned when two bare legs appeared dangling above her t.v. Grimacing, she sat up, almost managing to accomplish the feat without spilling too much of her wine glass. "Oh go away you demon from the darkest of hells. I'm too drunk to deal with this tonight. Come back in the morning or something."
"I'm not leaving this time, Sarah. I've decided to stay with you until you decide to come back with me to the Labyrinth. And I'm not a demon, I'm a dryad."
Something in between a groan and a growl escaped her throat. "I thought dryads were girls."
A wry smile crossed his lips. "Not all."
"Okay dryad," somehow she made the word sound almost like a curse, "Do you have a name? I'd at least like to know who I'm strangling before I kill you."
He shrugged this comment off, staring at her with his wizened almond eyes. Hopping down from the television, he dipped into an odd courtly bow. "Keifer, Lady Sarah," he whispered. "It's been so very long wince I've heard my name spoken aloud. Many years indeed." The sorrow in his voice was unsettling.
for the first time, she allowed herself the chance to look at the boy - really look at him. Fine lines creeped over the youthful face around his eyes and forehead. Worry lines, her step mother would have called them. In his eyes, she could sense a deep well of anguish. Suddenly, Sarah was finding it hard to meet his gaze.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Doing what?"
"Wrecking my life? Do you realize how hard I've worked to get where I'm at? I've lost the respect of the one man who means more to me than anything. What do you want from me?"
Keifer sighed, shaking his head sadly. "You have to come with me, Sarah. I can't make you understand here. Come with me, and I'll explain everything."
She shook her half empty bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon at him. "Look bub, I don't think I'm going to be able to drive anywhere tonight."
A smile touched his lips. "To get where we're going, you don't need to drive."
Okay, not that was a bit on the ominous side.
"Say the words, Sarah."
She cupped her aching head in her hand. "You've got to be kidding, kiddo. I'm not drunk enough for this."
"You've got to wish yourself to the Labyrinth, Sarah. I can't do it for you."
Sarah grimaced. "I don't believe this. I can't believe I am even considering this."
Keifer tried to sound as reasonable as possible considering the circumstances. "If you come back with me and do just one little task for me, I vow to leave you alone forever."
She eyed him warily. "And if I don't, you'll haunt me for the rest of my natural life, is that it?"
The boy nodded, his face solemn.
Fighting back her frustration, she swallowed back the hot, angry words which threatened to surface. "Fine, then I wish we could go to wherever." She waved her hand vaguely.
"Be a little more specific, lady."
She scowled. "I wish Keifer would take me to the Labyrinth, or wherever the hell else I'm supposed to go."
"Right now," he prompted.
"Right. Now." she gritted through clenched teeth.
The dryad offered her an angelic smile. "Not that wasn't so hard, now was it?"
Sarah turned to grab the rest of her wine, but stopped short. The glass slipped through her nerveless fingers. She was horrified to see that they no longer stood in her bedroom. They stood on a hill overlooking the dead city in her dreams. Suddenly, Sarah wanted to scream.
"Behold," Keifer's child like voice whispered, "the Labyrinth."
*********************************************
"What the hell happened to this place?" Sarah wondered, following as Keifer led her through the maze of crumbled stonework. Like in her dream, the boy beckoned her to come to the ruined castle in the center of the land. Just as in her dream, the last place Sarah wanted to go was to that crumbling monolith. Every time she even glanced at the place, her heard would pound wildly with fear. Dread filled her heart making her feet feel heavy as lead.
At first, she almost refused to follow Keifer. Since she had absolutely no desire to be alone in this creepy place, she had no choice but to follow.
Keifer paused, allowing Sarah to catch up. The dryad was nothing if not nimble, moving easily through the rubble. Sarah, on the other hand, was having a tough time keeping up. Of course the wine she consumed earlier wasn't helping the matter either even if the fear she felt was sobering her up faster than black coffee.
"Jareth created the Labyrinth here in the Underground," he explained. "His magicks gave life to all pf the creatures that lived inside, including me."
Sarah came to stand beside him, bending to catch her breath. "So this Jareth guys is some kind of magician, then?"
Keifer laughed. "That's the understatement of the century. Jareth is a sorcerer, yes, but even that is not quite the right word either. The Goblin Kingdom was the most powerful force in the Underground when Jareth lived here. He imbued these lands with his power, making it thrive. But then, he abandoned us." His speech abruptly ended, offering no further explanations.
...The Goblin King...Jareth...
"Toby," Sarah whispered. Memories flooded her mind, threatening to overwhelm her senses. She remember her little brother, so young and defenseless. She had done something stupid. She had lost him, and needed to find him. Toby was lost. No, that's not quite right. Toby was stolen...
"Sarah, are you okay," Keifer's voice echoed in her ears, a million miles away.
It took every ounce of self control in her being to slam the door in her mind closed, locking it securely behind. Worry seized her heart. Somehow she knew that the monster that lurked behind couldn't be caged forever.
"Of course I'm fine. I'm just taking a stroll in dreamland talking about ghosts and goblin kings. Everything's peachy."
"So good to hear it," he smiled cheerily. "Shall we continue?" Without checking to make sure she followed, the dryad took off.
They continued their journey in silence, each wrapped up in their own private worries. With each passing step, Sarah's sense of impending disaster grew. She wasn't precisely sure why her mind fought so desperately to keep her memories locked up. It reminded her of the maps used by ancient seafarers - here be monsters. The thought made her shudder.
When Keifer came to a halt, Sarah was so absorbed in her thoughts, she almost ran into him. Before them loomed the castle beyond the goblin city. A cracked and broken staircase led to the massive iron doors.
Without pausing, the dryad skipped up the precarious stairway, heedless of the danger. When he reached the top, he turned to look back at Sarah. "Just take the same path, and you'll be fine."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she groaned.
When she resisted, Keifer turned his back, opening one of the heavy doors. "Suit yourself then. I'm going inside."
"Oh what the hell," she muttered, chasing after the vanishing figure. Although Sarah didn't cut the same graceful figure, she still managed to hop up the staircase without breaking her neck.
#Stepping inside the doorway, her sensitive nose was attacked by layers of accumulated dust. Shadows claimed the old, neglected hallways. Gigantic cobwebs dangled from the ceiling. The bloated black bodies of their creators peered down at Sarah, daring her to enter their webs. It was obvious that many years had passed since someone had attacked this place with a broom and dust cloth.
Keifer's voice echoed in the distance, startling Sarah so badly, she almost jumped out of her skin. "Hurry Sarah, it's this way."
Reluctantly, she moved towards the sound of his voice. "What's this way," she called. After only a few steps, she could see the boy's figure outlined in an arched doorway. Moving towards him, she saw that it led to what looked like an abandoned throne room, complete with a throne placed on a stone dais. In the center of the floor, a small wooden pedestal fashioned to look like a dragon's claw held a simple clear ball of crystal. Keifer, who was standing next to the pedestal, was actively staring into its clear visage.
"When Jareth left out kingdom, he took his power with him."
Sarah moved to stand next to him. She was trying her best to shake her feeling of unease, but fear was gnawing at her. "Yeah, you already told me that."
The boy shook his head. "I haven't told you all. Jareth took his power with him, but he left behind this." Taking the crystal into his hands, he moved to stand beside Sarah. She had to fight the urge to back away. "A single crystal. I don't understand how, but Jareth used these crystals to harness his magical energy. Some of that energy remains in here even now. It took me years to figure out how to use the crystal to find you Sarah. It took even longer to figure out how to reach you. The walls you built in your mind were too strong for me to break, even with the crystal's power."
"The book," she whispered in stunned horror. "When I found that box full of stuff from my childhood, I found a book called the Labyrinth. I knew there was something strange about it."
Keifer nodded excitedly. "I had almost give up hope, but…"
Resentment made a bitter taste in Sarah's mouth. "Why me?" she demanded. "You said if I came here, you could make me understand. Well, the only thing I understand is that you chose the wrong person to harass. Take me home."
"I can't do that Sarah – not yet." The boy moved to a wall where a velvet curtain hung. Sarah wondered why she hadn't noticed it when she first entered the room. It was the first thing she had seen that wasn't touched by age.
A long silken cord hung down. Grasping this, Keifer pulled back the curtain revealing the portrait underneath. Sarah gazed into the eyes of a devastatingly beautiful girl. Her eyes were opened wide, her innocent naivety plainly seen in their jade depths. The girl was dressed in a sparkling gown arrayed in satins and silks. Her raven locks cascaded down her back in a mass of inky dark curls. Her skin was like fine marble, pure and milky white. It was evident that the artist painted his muse lovingly. He had captured every last detail of her face – the fine aquiline nose, her high forehead, her soft, lush lips.
Sarah's jaw dropped. Suddenly, she was finding it hard to breathe. Hanging on the wall of a dilapidated castle hung a picture of a young Sarah Williams.
She tried to speak, to protest, but the words just wouldn't' come. Keifer approached her, crystal in hand. "Gaze into the crystal, Lady Sarah. See the face of the man that I believe you must still be irrevocably connected to."
She didn't want to look, but no matter how hard she fought, some deeply hidden part of herself demanded to see. Compelled, she gazed into the crystal. A face filled her mind, stealing away every thought, breaking down every last vestige of resistance. Two eyes, one blue one brown, seared her own.
Within her mind, the door that for so many years she had fought to keep closed crashed open. The walls she had so carefully constructed around her heart crumbled down even as the walls of the Labyrinth outside.
Sarah squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to push away the memory of the man to whom that face belonged – her tormentor, her enemy, her worst temptation – the Goblin King.
Relief filled her soul when a blanket of darkness covered her mind. Bonelessly, she slid to the floor, unconscious.
**************************
It felt like hours before Sarah opened her eyes again, but it was impossible to tell. Time had become a tricky thing inside the Labyrinth.
The sound of dripping water somewhere in the distance added to the general gloom.
Keifer sat nearby, cradling the precious crystal in his lap. Siting up, Sarah found it exceedingly difficult to meet his gaze. Instead, she looked out of a window set high in the wall, searching the steel gray sky for answers.
"I remember now," she spoke in a voice barely rising above a whisper. "I remember it all."
Keifer slowly nodded, his face solemn. "I hoped that you would when I brought you here. It was the only thing I knew to do."
A tear escaped from her eye, falling down her cheek in a slow trickle. "I failed them, didn't I? Sir Diddymus, Hoggle, Ludo… are they?" She couldn't force the words to come out.
Keifer lowered his eyes, gazing down into the crystal. "They're gone, Sarah. Everyone's gone."
"But you're still here… maybe they're hiding somewhere."
He grimaced. "I'm a dryad, Sarah. I child of the forest. Almost everything inside of the Labyrinth has already died away or disappeared, but there is still some vestiges of life remaining in the heart of the fiery forest. They won't last much longer, though… When the trees disappear, so do I."
She swallowed, her throat feeling strange and thick. No wonder Keifer blamed her for all of this. "I still don't understand why Jareth left."
"You beat Jareth at his own game. Not only did you solve the unsolvable, but in his mind, you turned his own royal subjects against him. Hoggle must have been especially hard for him to bear – that was his own personal crony."
Sarah's temper flared. "Well maybe if he wasn't such a jerk to them…"
Keifer ignored her. "Not only did you flaunt your triumph…"
"Hey, I never flaunted anything…."
"…but you denied Jareth the one thing he desired – the very reason he brought you here in the first place."
"Look, Jareth didn't 'bring' me here – he tricked me here. I never wanted him to steal Toby, and he knew that."
"Sarah, can you not even now see." He gestured towards the grand portrait hanging on the wall. Sarah turned to again look at herself, this time recognizing the gown she had worn so many years ago. The gown she had worn to dance with a King.
"He loved you, Sarah, and you denied him. He made himself vulnerable to you, and you turned him away. The thought drove him mad…."
Sarah snorted. "The only thing Jareth loved is himself."
Keifer shook his head sadly. "He left this realm for another, never giving it a second thought. Perhaps he couldn't bear the thought of living here without a Queen."
Sarah visibly paled at this. Why did she set up those walls inside her heart so many years ago? Even now, her memories of Jareth were fuzzy and half formed. "Your right in one way – I should have thought about what Jareth would have done to my friends after I beat his Labyrinth. I never dreamed he would have just left…"
Keifer gazed at her with a sudden intensity. "You have to find him, Sarah. If Jareth doesn't come back soon, the world he left behind will die." He shook his head. "No, that's not completely right. This world is already dead…"
"Where the hell am I supposed to look for him?" she cried. "There's not too many places in the universe where men can run around in tights and ruffled shirts, are there?"
The dryad couldn't resist a smile. "He's in your world, Sarah."
"Come again?" The thought hit her like a ton of bricks.
"He's been in your world, holding court, since you left."
"You've got to be kidding me," she groaned.
Keifer handed her the crystal. "Look and see for yourself. I can find him with this, but actually beseeching him to return myself is impossible."
"Oh?" Sarah cocked one eyebrow.
"Well for one thing, I don't believe Jareth intended on leaving his crystal behind. The last thing I want to do is remind of it."
She sighed. Okay, so the kid had a point. Reluctantly, she gazed into the crystal. A vision of an island surrounded by a turquoise ocean filled her mind. Perched precariously on the mountainside, stood a village with a strange mix of ancient and modern architecture. High on a hill, a castle overlooked everything – it's presence both intimidating and inviting all at the same time.
This was the playground of the world's most wealthy, privileged people. An island of excess, of pleasure, and most of all gambling.
Naturally, if Jareth decided to choose his world for another, he would pick a spot like that.
"Damn, I've got to quit watching high-stakes poker all the time," she muttered under her breath. "Too much Travel Channel…"
Keifer looked at her in confusion.
"He's in Monte Carlo," she murmured.
**************************
A/N - Okay, I know this is going in a weird direction, but stick with me, peeps. This is going to be pretty good, trust me…
