Ahh, I left ya hagin' that time, didn't I?
Moonjava: More that 5 words? I am honoured. Thanks much.
Saphire925: I am to...upset? No that cant be right! Hmm...
Nikia-Flynn: Muahahahahahahahahaha....ahem. Thanks.
Well here you go. I hope you find it a bit better and a tad more cheerful.
Chapter 14: The Forest.
There was a blinding white light and Sarah blinked, clearing her sight.
She was in a lush green forest. A warm sun filtered down through the branches overhead, leaving a dappled effect on the forest floor. She was lying on soft green grass.
She got up and brushed herself off. As she looked down at herself she gasped. She was still bloody and dirty but she had no injuries. The rip where Aaron had shoved a knife into her cut was still evident in her top. She could see on her hand the track Jareth's one tear had made in the dirt and blood.
Jareth.
She looked around, searching for him but there was no one to be seen anywhere. Despite the fact that she had woken up in an unfamiliar place without Jareth, Sarah was not worried. Something about the place made her feel at ease. She could hear birds singing and animals moving in the brush. This place was alive and it made her feel safe.
She heard the trickling sound of a stream near by and went to clean off. She managed to clean most of the blood and dirt of herself but it wouldn't come out of her clothes. There was still no sign of any non-forest-animal life so she decided to follow the stream.
"Kind of like 'follow the yellow brick road,'" she mumbled to herself. She followed the stream for what felt like hours.
Eventually it came out into a small, deep pool, which lay at the edge of a large clearing. Sarah saw that beyond this point she could go no further. She shrugged and lay down on the grass. The grass was soft and cool underneath her as she looked up at the clear blue sky deciphering cloud shapes as they drifted by. The sound of the water flowing into the pool soon lulled her to sleep, the warm sun shining down on her.
She awoke with a start. Her eyes darted around the clearing. The sky was now a rich gold as the sun began to set.
"Hello? she called as she heard a noise.
"Sawah friend!!" she whirled around to see her large orange friend lumbering towards her.
"Ludo!" She ran to him getting engulfed in his suffocating hug. "Oh god, Ludo. It's so good to see you after..." she stopped, thinking back to where she had last seen him.
"She shouldn't be here." A deep, cultured voice came from behind her. She turned to face him but frowned when she saw no recognition in his eyes.
"No she shouldn't." A female voice now sounded and she looked over to where her mother stood beside the pool.
"Mom?"
"I'm not your mother child."
Realisation dawned on Sarah. "Oh, so...so you're not my Jareth, are you?"
The man leaning against a tree shook his head but was silent.
"Right, so if you guys are here...where am I?"
"Slow isn't she?" Sarah and Linda glared at Jareth and Linda came towards her.
"You are at the destination. The forest at the end of the journey."
Sarah's eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm dead?"
Linda nodded slowly.
"No. This wasn't what was supposed to happen.! And when I finally told him, and he told me. We were supposed to live happily ever after and all that shit." She shouted.
"I promised him I wouldn't leave." She finished quietly as she slumped against a tree.
Linda looked at her with a soft smile. "You're soul got lost here when Jareth transported you back. You are not supposed to be here."
"I want to go home."
"Exactly." Said Jareth, pushing himself off the tree. "Just the fact that you want to leave proves that your not even supposed to be dead. This place makes you want to stay, and yet you still want to leave." "I have a promise to keep."
Jareth smiled "I can see why I'm in love with you."
Sarah blushed. "Wow, being dead has really turned you soft." Jareth scowled at her and she laughed. "Or maybe not."
Linda touched her shoulder. "Sarah listen to us. Time moves very slowly here. You feel like you've been here for nearly a day, and you have, but in your world you've been dead less than an hour. If we wait mush longer you will not be able to go back."
"I can go back?" Sarah asked excited.
"Yes but you must go now!"
"Well, how?"
"Jump into the pool. It will take you back to your world and if we're not too late, back to your body." Sarah nodded. "Well thanks for your help. I've got to go."
"Good luck," Sarah waved to them and ran to the pool jumping straight in.
She sighed, because once again, she was falling.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep
-Robert Frost
End Chap.
Can you tell I'm applying for English in collage? Ahh well, everyone loves Robert Frost so I'm going to assume you know this poem. If you don't look him up. And shame.... I'm done insulting you. Review please!!
Slán