Chapter Two

Finishing whatever it was that was in the bowl I flew back up to the tree. I watched a Sarah happily walked down the street, turning the corner. If I could, I would have smiled to myself. I knew she would be happy now that she had someone to tell. She had kept all those feelings bottled up, for such a long time.

But that wasn't the only reason I had done it. I wanted to hear what she had to say about us. I mean sure, I could get a basic report from Hoggle. But I rather hear what she had to say after her friends had left and her and this May girl started talking about inner most feelings.

I pondered for a moment. What even gave me the idea that she'd even bring me up? What if she wanted to forget all about me? That heartbroken feeling returned at the thought of it. I felt the anger well up again but it subsided to what I saw next. Sarah was happily humming to herself and turning in circles here and there on the sidewalk. I flew closer, far enough so she would see me, but I could still see her. She held the book close to her chest, flipping through it from time to time. I got within hearing range and she stopped, dead in her tracks.

"Give me the child," she said out loud and I cringed. I couldn't bare to here the words, but she flipped a few pages ahead. "No one can blame you," she said "for walking away. Too much rejection. No love injection. Life can be easy. Its not always swell." She paused and closed the book. "Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl. Cause it hurts like hell."

My song! How the hell did I end up in that damn book? I didn't put it there. I'm sure Sarah figured as much. I let out a long hoot and started back for the tree.

I looked around, wildly. The owl had been close enough for her to hear it let out one last hoot. And what was with the book? There were NO songs in that damn book! Or at least, there used to be no songs in the damn book. What had Jareth done to it?

I shook my head and kept walking. I had to get back to May's before the sun went down. I didn't feel like getting mugged or hit by a car or at the very least hit on by homeless men. I picked up the pace, but somehow, it got dark very quickly. The wind picked up and I shivered. My teeth begun chattering and I rubbed my hands together. Not paying any attention to the sidewalk, I tripped and fell to the ground. There in front of me was a jacket. I looked around, not a soul was there. It looked like it would fit perfectly too. But I figured that it must belong to someone and I left it. So I got up and inspected myself for scratches. Nothing. So I kept walking.

A few yards later there it was again. I raised an eyebrow at it. Wasn't it back at the right turn? I shook my head in confusion and kept walking. Then again, there it was but this time it was folded nicely in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Alright," I said picking it up "fine I'll wear the damn jacket." I started walking again when I heard a light hoot. "Thank you," I mumbled and walked across the street. What exactly did he think he was doing? Was he trying to be chivalrous? Saving the poor helpless woman from the cold?

Why was I acting so bitter? I stopped dead in my tracks when I thought this. I was, wasn't I? Three years had passed since my adventure, and I still wanted to blame him for every problem in my life.

Every time I got broken up with, it was Jareth's fault. Every time Karen yelled at me, it was Jareth's fault. Even with something as small as a paper cut, I would secretly blame him. And I hadn't even asked myself why. Why did I blame him for everything that went wrong? I had even blamed him for the cold wind a few moments ago, until he sent the jacket.

This brought up another idea. Perhaps, had it been Jareth who had always fixed things for me? When I got a paper cut, somehow I found that I had a band-aid in my backpack. Or when Karen yelled at me for not having a better job, someone would call saying that they'd like to interview me. And when I got broken up with, well, there was a few questions I had on that.

First of all, every time I got broken up with it rained. No matter what, it would rain. Secondly, the rest of the day went wonderful. I'd end up finding money, or I'd find my favorite song playing on the radio, or once (oddly enough) I found a rose on my bed. Had it been Jareth? Or just good luck. Alright it HAD to be Jareth, I mean, how ironic is it that it ALWAYS rains? That I find my favorite things stashed around my room or when I went to school in my backpack or locker. That Karen became amazingly kind and Toby wouldn't cry no matter what you did.

I reached May's apartment, but kept going since I was so deep in thought. An owl hooted and I looked around, realizing that I had gone half a mile farther than I needed to be. I shook my head out of my embarrassment and trying to get myself from thinking more. I stopped and rang the doorbell. I heard May scream and I dropped my stuff and rushed in.

There was Ludo standing shyly in front of May. Hoggle was sitting on the counter and Sir. Didymus was dashing around the house after Ambrosious.

"Sarah!" May screamed at the top of her lungs "help me!" She dashed for the door which not to my surprise closed and locked before she reached it.

"May," I said holding her shoulders "calm down ok?"

"How can I?" she asked "there are monsters in my apartment!"

"Remember the Labyrinth?" I asked and she looked at me confused.

"Sarah this isn't the time for telling stories," she yelled franticly.

"You know once you find out what's going on," I mumbled "you're going to feel really silly for acting this way."

"You know what's going on?" she asked, practically in tears.

"May," I said quietly "I know them."

"WHAT?!" she screamed and I took her by the hand.

"Guys," I said poking my head through the door into the living room where my three friends were standing "can you hold on one second while I explain all this to my friend?" They all looked at each other and then back to me and nodded. I took May into her room and set her on the bed. "Remember the Labyrinth?" I asked again and she threw her arms up dramatically.

"I already told you," she yelled "this is NO time for stories! What are those things!?"

"Those things, as you so rudely call them, are my friends," I said trying to keep her calm.

"Huh?" she asked, now having tears drip down her face.

"May," I said wiping her tears away "when I was fifteen, I wished Toby away."

"You did what?!" she asked.

"I wished him away to the Goblin King," I said calmly "and he made me solve the Labyrinth in thirteen hours, or I'd never get Toby back." And so I explained, and amazingly enough it only took me an hour to tell the whole damn story.

I told her about Hoggle and the Bog of Eternal Stench. Ludo being attacked by the goblins. Sir. Didymus and Ludo being 'brothers'. The fires, that insisted I take my head off. The biting fairies. When I got to the part about the hands, I told her to NEVER EVER choose down when you can go up.

I told her about the worm and the all the doors that could talk. The oubliette and the old man with the bird hat. And yes, I even told her about the peach and the ballroom.

"Do you expect me to believe all that?" she asked.

"Well its all right there in front of you," I said "I'd think you'd be crazy if you didn't."

"And the Goblin King?" she asked "is he out there too?"

"Not to my knowledge," I mumbled "but then with him you never know."

"So," she asked and then paused "why are they in my apartment?"

"Because I needed to tell SOMEONE about it all," I admitted, hoping to God that Jareth wasn't listening "I was going to go insane if I didn't tell someone soon."

"And you picked me?" she asked looking a little confused. Then it turned into the world's biggest smile and she hugged me. "I'm so glad you trust me SO much Sarah," she gushed "I can't believe you took so long though."

"Well you were going to call the FBI a good hour ago," I mumbled and she laughed.

"Well can I meet them?" she asked and I nodded. With that she slowly crept out of the room and sat on the couch.

"Little lady," Hoggle called and rushed up to me. I have him one of the biggest hugs I think I've ever given in my life. "We're sorry Sarah if we scared the other lady, but Jareth told us to come."

"Sarah?" Ludo bellowed and I hugged him too.

"My lady!" Didymus called but Ambrosious ended up running right for May. I walked into the living room, and Hoggle and Ludo followed.

"Alright," I said "this is my friend May. May this is Hoggle." Hoggle blushed and shook her hand. "This is Ludo."

"May friend?" Ludo asked and May laughed.

"Yes Ludo, I'm your friend," she chuckled.

"And this is Sir. Didymus and his steed Ambrosious," I chuckled.

"My lady," Didymus said kissing May's hand the Ambrosious barked.

"Your not scared now right?" I asked May and she shook her head. She was having too much fun with this. I laughed. I thought this might go well but, not THIS well. Ludo sat on the floor while Sir. Didymus curled up by the fire May started in her fireplace.

"So," she said once we were all settled "I've heard this Labyrinth story and now I want to know who this goblin king is." My friends all got very quiet and I knew why. Jareth hadn't wanted them hearing what I had to say about him.

"May," I said "I'll explain that to you later."

"But why not now?" she asked "is there something wrong?"

'I think we had better go," Hoggle said, knowing the two others wouldn't speak up "we'll come back when you call us." With that, they faded and I sighed.

"What?" May asked. I should have known that she wouldn't completely understand everything that had happened. Only my friends from the Labyrinth would. But I still tried to get her to comprehend that something's are left better unsaid. "Then tell me now," she protested "tell me about this Goblin King of yours."

"He's not mine," I mumbled lying near the fire.

"Well he loves you doesn't he?" she asked and I sighed.

"It's a lot more complicated than that," I explained.

"How so?" she asked.

"He says he does," I said "but he stole my brother, tossed me into an oubliette, drugged me with a peach, and well, you get the idea."

"I think you have it all wrong," she said bluntly and my eyes grew wide.

"What?" I asked.

"Well," she said looking at the floor "there's a few things. You told me that they Labyrinth had rules. Such as, he can't just come and take anyone, you have to be wished there or wish someone there. But everything you just listed isn't entirely his fault. You wished your brother away. You chose to go down instead of up causing you to get stuck in the oubliette. And the whole peach thing just sounds like one of his sad attempts to woo you."

"Alright that last one wasn't needed," I mumbled and she laughed.

"Now the real question is," she said looking in caution "is do you like him?"

"That's the thing," I said "I don't know."