Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth. It belongs to Jim Henson Studios and Lucas Films.
The song "Perfect" belongs to Alanis Morrisette.
Sarah flew to the asphalt as her foot caught on someone else's. Flinging her arms out to stop her fall she landed painfully on her right wrist, making a cracking sound. The schoolyard was silent, and then shocked whispers spread from ear to ear.
-Did you see that? -
-Kayla tripped her. -
-That was brilliant!-
-Oh, I feel bad for her. Look, she is all messed up.-
-She deserves it, she is such a freak.-
Freak. What a horrible word. Sarah pushed herself up with her good arm and looked around at the group of 8th graders, carefully avoiding the eyes of the person who had deliberately tripped her. Doing her best to keep her pride and look indifferent, she turned her back on the group and continued walking.
-She has never even kissed a boy.-
-Eww, who would want to kiss that?!-
- I bet she plays Dungeons and dragons.-
-Ha-ha, yeah! With her mother!-
-I'll bet her mother is a freak, just like her.-
That was it. Sarah turned around to glare at the person who had said this. It was Kayla, the same girl who had tripped her. She walked up to her and spit on the floor in front of her perfectly pedicured toes.
"My mother is dead, and none of your business." With that, she slapped Kayla's face angrily and watched the smug look disappear.
-did you see that? She really IS crazy!-
-Kayla, ohmygosh, are you alright? I can't believe you let her TOUCH you.-
She didn't care what they said. Sarah walked away, proudly. At least she had left a mark, even if it persuaded them that she was a freak. As she turned out of the schoolyard and behind the wall of the sidewalk, she pulled out her wrist.
"Time to survey the damage," she said to herself. She had done a lot of talking to herself recently. No one else deemed her important enough to speak to, unless it was in mocking tones or harsh insults.
Her wrist was bent at an awkward angle, and purple and green bruises were beginning to appear around the bone and palm. "Great, I can't wait to explain this to Karen." She flinched as she tried to rotate her hand and all that resulted was another cracking noise. "Suck it up, Sarah."
- -
That evening she rolled over in her bed when she saw the headlights of Karen's car shine up into her window.
She had been thinking things over ever since school had gotten out. This wasn't worth it anymore. The masquerade she was presenting was getting trampled on by everyone she knew. Sarah couldn't dance by herself anymore; no one was watching her fall from grace. They only intervened in her life to push her closer to the edge, to the line that divided her sanity from her dream world.
Her dream world? It had a name. The Underground, the Labyrinth. A tear rolled down her face as she remembered it. She had fought so damn hard to escape, her whole life she had been escaping. She was running to her books, her plays and made-up friends. She had nowhere to run now, no Goblin King to teach her a valuable lesson.
Was that even real? Yes, she knew it had been real. The ordeal in the Labyrinth was only a few months ago. She had left feeling so empowered, so strong and mature. She had grown up, but in the mean time had let her childhood die behind in the maze. Her innocence had been in the leather gloved hand of a tyrant, and she didn't even think he knew that.
She'd gone through every scenario possible. She hated him, for a short while. She thought he was the foulest creature alive, to take her baby brother away from her. But she knew he only did it because she had asked him to, wished him to. She wanted to hate him, wished to hate him but she could not. All her hate was introverted; she despised every part of her. Sarah knew her lesson from Jareth was to appreciate her life, what she had, and to mature as a person. All she could do was hate everything about herself, the fact that she was so selfish and had wished away Toby. No one liked her, no one loved her. Sarah was positive that no one on earth knew her besides the Goblin King, and a fair lot of good that does. He knew her, her weaknesses and desires. He knew her dreams.
She hated this. Her only friend was her only enemy in a world full of complete strangers she saw everyday....and she had only known him for thirteen hours. But hadn't it been longer? For years she had read the pages of the Labyrinth, folded the corners and re-read until her life became the story. He knew her heart, he was the only person who she could honestly say that about.
He was gone. She had refused him and all he had to offer her.
She had refused her dreams.
"It's a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way it will show you your dreams."
The masquerade ball had been inside of a crystal that had floated down to her from the castle. Did that mean that her dreams consisted of her and Jareth dancing together in an enchanted world full of adventure and mystery?
Of course it did. Anything was better than this place that she hated nearly as much as she did herself. If she convinced herself that someone cared about her, even the king of the Goblins, she would need to be held by him, to be told she was special.
Oh, to be special. But that was her pretend world, her ideal and her dreams. The dream she had given up when her childhood disappeared. Her reality was four cold walls that made up her sanctuary. Sarah's reality was the cold step-mother who envied and hated her for not being the model child. Karen resented her father's love for Sarah, even though she received all of his attention leaving none for the child. The children at school were so cruel...
And to think she had once called him cruel. Oh, no.
They called her names, the pushed her and pulled her hair. They made fun of her for the clothes she wore, and sad state of her belongings. They would tell her that her dead mother didn't care enough to leave any money behind, that she wanted her to starve.
-starve, Sarah! Do us all a favor and disappear.-
It used to never matter, nothing could touch her. Her vibrant spirit had a glass casing, and all painful memories and thoughts bounced off the surface. All that mattered was imagination and dramatizations.
But things had changed so much. Sarah couldn't rely on her spirit to help her anymore. She had no happy thoughts or fairy dust to allow her to fly above the pain and hurt. Oh, how it hurt.
"Sarah Williams, get down here right now." The clipped voice of her step-mother cut through her mind.
Sometimes is never quite enough
If you're flawless then you'll win my love
Don't forget to win first place
Don't forget to keep that smile on your face
When she reached the kitchen she saw her father sitting at the table and Karen leaning against the wall. "So Sarah, I have been informed that you have been fighting at school." Sarah frowned, "How did you know that?" she asked.
"Your principal is in my book club! Do you know how much of an embarrassment this is? What an embarrassment you are?" Her eyes were cold.
Be a good girl
try a little harder
You've got to measure up
and make me prouder
Sarah moved to explain herself, apologize. "Karen, I'm sorry. This girl, Kayla, she is horrid. She tripped me, and-"
"You know what, Sarah? The whole world does not revolve around you." She laughed bitterly, "hell, in a perfect world you wouldn't even exist."
How long before you screw it up?
How many times do I have to tell you to hurry up?
With everything I do for you
The least you can do is keep quiet.
Sarah's heart sank. She looked to her father, who had once upon a time stood up for her. He couldn't meet her eyes; instead he took his wife's hand.
"You won't have to worry about me anymore, I'm sorry for the trouble I have caused." What could she say to them? She didn't matter; they didn't care about her heart. Daddies were supposed to protect the hearts of their little girls. She turned away to leave, but Karen grabbed her hand to turn her back.
Be a good girl
You've gotta try a little harder
That simply wasn't good enough
to make us proud
Sarah screamed in unexpected pain as daggers shot through her injured wrist.
"Jesus!" Karen exclaimed, "What did you do to yourself? I can't believe you, you are just..." She gathered herself for a moment and spat, "You are the most pathetic piece of filth I have ever seen. I am ashamed of you."
You'll make up for what I blew
What's the problem, why are you crying?
We'll love you just the way you are
if you're perfect.
Karen pushed Sarah into the counter where she hit her head hard and slumped to the ground, holding her wrist to her chest.
"Come along, dear." She said, turning to her husband. He stiffened and looked at Sarah remorsefully. He looked back at his wife, torn.
"Alright, honey." He sighed and walked up the stairs. Before he reached them he turned to Sarah and said, "Goodnight, Sarah."