Author's Note: Okay, I need help. I love beautiful words and putting them together, but I am in dire need of some plot development/outlining help. I am very indecisive, and could use any help offered. I would give you complete credit if you wanted to help in any way, including co-writing it with me. Email me at or instant message me on AIM/AOL at xcaliluvin916x
Thank you.
Disclaimer – I own nothing from "Labyrinth." Only the plot is mine. 3 The lullaby "Gartan Mother's Lullaby" is an old Irish folksong that I can't properly site because it's been around since forever.
Chapter 3 – Man in the Moon
Sarah's vision was gone. Her mind was obscured by the image of herself years younger, sitting in a small wooden boat trailing her delicate fingers through a sea of obsidian. The waves whispered electric words of magic, telling her tails of unicorns and mermaids. Silver and purple specks of luster swirled around the surface of the black water with the movements of her hands. Sarah gazed deeply into the face of the water, listening to it's tales of beautiful things unattainable in her life. The little boat swayed with the gentle current, creating a rhythm and song all of its own.
"Sleep, my child for the red bee hums, the silent twilight falls,"
Sarah's green eyes sleepily rose from the calm water to view the owner of the beautiful voice. Hazel eyes looked lovingly back at Sarah's heart shaped face. "Oh mother, your voice sounds like bells chiming." Her mother smiled, Sarah's reflection mirrored in her soft gaze. All she could see was her beautiful daughter, her light and mirth.
"Aeval from the grey rock comes to wrap the world in thrall,
a lyanovan oh, my child, my joy
my love, my heart's desire
a cricket sings you a lullaby
beside the dyin' fire."
Linda's slight Irish accent sang the words to the little girl, each verse holding emotion that could only be conveyed through song. She sang to Sarah from her heart, as she watched her innocent eyes fill with wonder and adoration. "Come here, my dear one." She spoke, pulling Sarah into her lap. As Sarah moved, her eyes went back to the hand still trailing in the tide. The purple gleam had disappeared, replaced instead by a stunning sapphire blue. Sarah snuggled into the warmth of her mother's embrace, and begged "Mom, please sing to me." The ocean lapped up gently onto the sides of the little boat, licking and caressing it into a sleepy pattern of rest. Linda tweaked her nose gently, her hazel eyes sparkling. She hummed for a moment, and continued,
"Dusk is drawn and the Green Man's thorn
is wreathed in rings of fog.
Sheevra sails his boat 'till morn',
Upon the starry bog."
Pausing in her lullaby, she pulled little Sarah closer to her chest. "Sarah, look at the moon." Sarah tilted her head above the tranquil water to the dark blue sky above her. The moon was un-naturally large and bright tonight, but she did not shade her eyes and turn away.
"I see a man, mother." Sarah giggled lightly, flicking her fingers in the water. "He is watching us, he has always watched me with his miss-matched eyes."
Linda smiled down at her daughter. "Oh? Miss-matched, are they?"
Sarah's eyes grew serious as she supplied, "Oh yes. He has one eye like yours, and one like daddy's." She looked from her mother back up to the moon. "It is so strange," Sarah continued, thoughtfully. "That I know this in my heart, and yet the moon has no more color than snow."
Linda said nothing for a long while as they both studied the moon from the tiny craft. Finally, her mother spoke, trying desperately to keep her voice calm and unwavering. "Sarah, I wish you to know something very important." Sarah twisted around in her mother's lap, smiling.
"Oh, a secret? Mother, tell me please!" She clapped her hands and rocked excitedly.
Linda took her small hands, and said seriously, "Yes, Sarah. A wonderful secret you must never forget." Linda pointed to the moon, "See up there? He will always protect you, always." Sarah's nose wrinkled in confusion.
"Mom, you protect me, and daddy too!" Linda made calming hush noises to make Sarah stop interrupting her.
"I know, baby. But one day... one day mommy won't be here, and daddy... You will have protection. I promise you. The man in the moon of whom you speak, he will always watch you. When you cry, he will hold you. Your tears will become another drop in the ocean we rock upon now," Linda motioned to the slowly fading blue of the water. It had been so much more brilliant and entrancing only moments before.
Sarah withdrew her hand from the sea, frowning. "Mom, I don't understand."
"Honey," Linda began, but Sarah stood up abruptly. "No!" she cried, "I cannot bear it, mother. I don't wish to speak of things like this, of you not being with me for always."
The once calm waters began to churn, increasing in violence and intensity. A lightening bolt thundered across the sky, reflecting in Linda's watering eyes. Sarah looked to the water. It was black, all trace of blue was diseased and ruined forever.
"Sarah, listen to me!" Linda stood, trying to calm her daughter. "I'm not saying right now, but honey, we never know how-"
"No!" Sarah screamed, stomping her little foot on the bottom of the boat. The waves became rapids, pounding fists of salt against the boat, tossing it about like a child's toy. Rain started to pour down from the sky without warning, ripping large potholes in the water's surface, increasing its rage. "Do not speak of death, I know you mean to." The little girl stomped her foot again in frustration,
...and the boat tipped, throwing her mother off balance and into the sea. Sarah screamed at the sudden accident, peering over the edge of the boat frantically looking for any trace of Linda. However, there were not even ripples from her fall, no sign that Linda had ever existed let alone fallen into the depths of that obsidian tide. "Mom!" Sarah screamed, "Mommy, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you to fall, I'm sorry. It's my fault, I-"
"Oh, Sarah. Stop crying you foolish girl. Your mother is not coming back." Sarah turned in her kneeling position to see a fashionably dressed blonde woman looking at her disapprovingly. Behind the woman Sarah could see the sea, raging and filled with red glitter. Red, the color of anger and vengeance that could never be hers. Pain and loss would be all she would have now, the little girl would soon learn.
"Who are you?" She asked dumbly.
"Oh, really. You know who I am." Sarah was about to protest this when a masculine voice came from the woman's left, and Sarah wondered why she hadn't noticed her father in the boat along with them, holding the woman's hand.
"Sarah, this is Karen." He said in a patronizing tone.
"Oh, Daddy! Help mother, she fell. Help her!" Sarah clung to her father's pant leg, tears of panic streaming down her face.
Her father considered her carefully with his greenish blue eyes. "Well," he began. "I think it would be much wiser to let her rest, Sarah."
Her heart pounded in sync with the thrashing waves. "Wh-what? Dad," Mr. Williams leaned forward, smiling. "Sarah, I have wonderful news! We are going to be a family." He smiled at her as though she was smiling back in rejoice.
Her jaw hung open, tears dripping into the sea and making it only larger. It still tossed the boat, furiously rebelling against the dainty craft. Mad, mad for not breaking – she thought for a moment before saying, "What are you talking about? Daddy, mom isn't gone, she just went-"
Her father straightened again and laughed heartily as though she had told a wonderful joke. "That's my girl!" He shouted. He turned to the woman and beamed at her. Placing a hand on her belly, he said excitedly, "This is Karen. We will be married now that we are free of-" His eyes fell to Sarah for a moment, and he rephrased to, "now that enough time has passed."
Sarah stood, balling her fists in rage. "But she only just left me! How could you? Daddy, protect me, please." He laughed again, turning to her.
"Meet Karen, Sarah." He looked down to her belly, and for the first time Sarah noticed that it was swollen. "And meet your new brother, Toby."
Sarah sobbed and turned away from the horrible sight. Another violent wave crashed into the boat and she toppled over into the crimson streaked water. "Oh! Help!" she screamed as her head broke back through. "Daddy! Karen!" She gripped the edge of the boat and hauled her arms over to hang. When she looked up she saw her father holding a new born baby. He cooed at him and stroked his round perfect cheeks.
"Dad, help!" Her father did not dissuade his gaze from Toby, but Karen turned to her in distaste. Sighing, she stepped over to the little girl and took one of her hands. "Didn't you realize?" She barked in a cold tone.
Sarah's eyes clouded with confusion. "What?" she breathed, frightened of what she saw in Karen's face.
Karen laughed heartily, wiping her eyes. Then she pried Sarah's fingers from the rim of the boat and whispered as though telling a secret, "There isn't any room for you in this family."
Sarah fell back underwater, and when she resurfaced the little boat was moving away. She looked up to find the moon, and cried to him to rescue her. She was cold, and the water was thrashing her weak body mercilessly like a rag doll. Her vision was blurring, and the last thing she saw was blinding white as the moon swept down to embrace her.
Sarah lay in complete oblivion for a period of time she had no knowledge of. All she could hear was the gentle sound of her mother's voice, soothing her to stay under the influence of slumber.
"A lyanovan, oh
the pale half moon
hath brimmed his cusp in dew
and weeps to hear this sad sleep tune
I sing my love to you...to you...
I sing my love to you."
Thanks guys. Here are my hey darling. Thank you for always reviewing :)
JoeynPacey2gether4ever Karen is a bitch, but I am trying to not portray her as the typical evil monster. I know I came off really strong on that, but she is just entirely flawed and jealous.
Moonjava Thank you, dear.
TerpentineMind Thank you. I know it came off some-what realistic, and it bothers me. I am going to expand on that a lot more in the future though. There have been a lot of emotionally challenging things in her past, especially the relationship between her and her maternal mother. I think I came off a little strong on Karen's horridness, though. So I am going to do some flash-backs and show how things lead up to be that way. Also, her father is completely submissive to Karen, making Sarah reach out for the only dominant male that has touched her life. Oooh, and Jareth's character will be rather convoluted, I promise you.
"An interested viewer" Thank you! I'm not exactly sure, either. I think the underground will be different now that she is older and her world is darker and struck with reality. The labyrinth was compiled straight from her imagination and treasured objects, and now that she has gone through so much... the labyrinth will be a tad darker. So, friend or foe? Good question.
Tabbicat12 Thank you. I plan to continue.
Reverie919 Aww, thank you. I think I kinda over-played how terrible her world is. I am going to expand on it. Jareth isn't going to be all peaches and cream this whole time, either.
Moonjava Thank you again!
Tatsuhiko Shido Thank you! I am honored.
Lilly and Mika Aww thanks to both of you!
Katie thanks love.
Sinister Darkfire Thank you, that is what I was going for. Too many fics focus on how Jareth took her dreams, ect. Adulthood took her dreams.