(A/N: Written by Katie. My first Labyrinth story! I hope you like it!)

Alex walked out of class, with her hands behind her head, muttering "One more day, one more day, just one more day!"

"You got that right!" said Toby coming behind her.

"Yeah Toby just think! Only one more day of Mrs. Johansson's math class!"

Toby through his arms in the air and shouted "Praise the Lord!" earning himself quite a few stares from other students in the halls. Toby and Alex were both seniors in high school. They had been best friends since anyone could remember. They were pretty much inseparable, much to their teacher's disappointment. They went up to their lockers to put their school books away. Tomorrow was the last day and many of there teachers were feeling generous about home work.

"So what do you want to do?" Toby asked.

"Hit the mall?" Alex suggested.

"Sweet." Suddenly a familiar jingle was heard from Toby's pants.

"Uh…Toby…I believe your pants are ringing…."

Toby took his cell from his pants pocket. "Yo…oh hey sis…..uh-huh…..yeah Alex and I were just heading out. Um…..sure I guess. Yeah hold on." He turned to Alex "My sister wants me to come over to look at a few things she plans on giving away. You want to come?"

"Sarah? Sure! I love too. I also want to talk to here about her new book." Alex smiled. She was always fascinated with Toby's half sister. Toby told Sarah they'd be there soon.

"Yeah…I love you too. Ok see ya in a bit." And he hung up. "Come on we'll take my car."

"Alright then!" Alex held out her arm to him "To Oz?"

Toby smiled "To Oz!" and took her arm. Alex skipped down the hall while Toby walked.

It wasn't a long drive to Sarah's small apartment. Throughout her late teen years and her 20s Sarah had fulfilled her dream of having a career on the stage. Now at age 32 she was an author of books for children and young readers as well.

Toby parked his car outside the apartment building and he and Alex climbed to the second floor, to apartment, 214. Toby knocked. When Sarah answered she looked very happy to see him. Even though she moved closer to home since she got out of college, they barely got to see each other. Toby had grown almost taller then she was.

"I'm so happy you two came." She said smiling. She had known Alex as long as Toby and always thought of her as the baby sister she never had.

"Come inside."

Alex looked at the pictures on Sarah's walls. Some were her theater photos. She had one of her birth mother. And her favorite, the one of Sarah at 14, holding baby Toby. In the living room there was a cardboard box on the couch. In it were, what Toby knew were some of Sarah's prized possessions.

"Sarah…..you're not thinking of actually giving these things away are you?" Toby asked.

"Not exactly…..You see, Toby I thought maybe it would be best if you and Alex took them." Sarah, explained.

"But why? You love these." said Toby looking in the box.

Sarah remanded silent and turned away. In truth the objects in the box caused her great pain. There were too many memories…..some she wasn't sure if were even real. Alex started looking through the box. She pulled out a music box. It was a little doll wearing a ball gown. "Oh how pretty….." she said.

"I remember that….." Toby said. "Sarah almost killed me once for nearly breaking it. Does it still work?"

Alex twisted the little handle. Indeed it did work. The doll started spinning as the music played.

A silent tear ran down Sarah's face as the familiar soft tune played. But she quickly wiped it away.

Alex continued to look through the box and she pulled out a drawing. Judging by the date on it, Alex guessed Sarah must have been 15 or 16 when she drew it. It was a very realistic sketch of Sarah, wearing a ball gown and dancing with a very handsome man, with wild hair.

"Wow! Man, my sketches are pretty crappy compared to that….." said Alex.

While she said this, Toby pulled out something. A little book, with a red leather cover. "Hey…..I don't remember seeing this…." He said.

Alex looked over at the book "The Labyrinth…..sounds interesting."

Sarah had gone into the kitchen to make some tea and didn't hear the two teenagers in the next room. When she came back she wasn't prepared for what she heard.

Alex had opened the book to where it was marked with a red ribbon and read "Through dangers untold….and hardships unnumbered….I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city….." she read out loud.

Sarah's hand shook, she almost dropped her tea. She had thought she'd forgotten.

Alex turned the page, and there was a picture of a man, with white hair. It was the same as Sarah's drawing. Alex could tell mostly by the hair and tight pants. "Oh…..this is him….."

"The Goblin King." Sarah finally brought herself to say.

"He's very handsome." said Alex. And she continued to look through the book. Sarah turned and set her tea on the table.

"Hey Toby look at this!" Alex laughed a bit.

Toby looked over.

"Look, "Goblin curses"! They're pretty funny…..

"Let me see….." he said.

"TOBY!" Sarah said, much louder than she meant to.

"Huh?" Alex and Toby both looked up, startled.

"What's wrong, Sarah?" Alex asked.

Sarah looked very startled herself. Her face was very pale. She shook her head. 'No' she thought 'It isn't real. It never was' and indeed none of it had been real to her for years. It all seemed like one beautiful and frightful dream that would forever haunt her. "It's…..It's nothing Alex. I'm sorry. Toby? Why don't you two take the box and sort it out at home? I'm not feeling very well."

Toby nodded as did Alex.

"Ok" said Alex as she slipped the book into her pocket. "You want me to bring some soup later? Mom makes the best chicken noodle ever!"

"Hmm…..yes, thank you Alex." Sarah nodded.

"Alright then." Alex headed towards the door, Toby right behind her with the box in his arms.

"We'll be back in bit, Sarah." Toby promised.

"Bye!" Alex waved.

"Drive safely, Toby!"

"I will!"

And they left. Toby drove Alex to his house where he stilled lived with his mom and dad. They weren't home. They were away for a week and they trusted Toby to stay by him self. They planned to be back before his graduation. Toby and Alex headed inside and Toby placed the box down on the couch. It had been over cast all day and now it was beginning to rain. Alex tried to stop herself from going running into the rain, for rain was her favorite weather to play in.

"Hey, Alex! Catch!" Toby had thrown Alex a stuffed toy he found in the box. It was a red creator with a long nose, long limbs and button eyes.

"Ah!" Alex caught and examined it "aww….it's soo cute!" Alex hugged the toy them sneezed "a….little dusty though."

Toby laughed. "Where's that book?"

Alex pulled the book from her pocket and tossed it to him. Toby caught it.

"It's pretty interesting….." said Alex "there's a maze with a whole bunch of traps, including my favorite, an oubliette, talking doors and optical illusions….."

"Sounds awesome…..feels familiar….." Toby opened the book to the first few pages. "'Say the right words…..' the Goblins said 'and we'll take the babe to the Goblin city…..and you will be free…..'" he read out loud. Alex stood in the middle of the living room and listened. Toby started walking towards the kitchen while still reading. Alex looked at the sketch again…..Sarah was dancing with the Goblin King…..

"'I wish the Goblins would come and take you away, right now!'" Toby read.

Suddenly all the light in the house went off at once, leaving the teenagers in total darkness.

"Alex?"

"Toby? What's going on?"

Lightening flashed outside, causing Alex to jump. For some strange reason she felt she wasn't alone in the room. It wasn't until she felt the cold hands on her arms and legs that's she panicked. She tried to scream, but it was silenced by another clammy hand.

"Alex?" Toby said, finding his way out of the kitchen "Alex, are you alright?"

Needless to say there was no answer. But he could have sworn he heard a high pitch cackle, in the living room. "Alex, stop fooling around! Where are you?"

Toby still had the book in his hand. When his vision adjusted to the dark, Alex was nowhere in sight.

"Alex if you're trying to scare me…..believe it or not, its starting to work!" Toby thought he could hear things moving around the room but when ever he turned to look, there was nothing. Shadows were dancing wildly on the walls as the lightening continued to flash. And before Toby could tuck, the front door burst open, and in flew an owl, with its claws out stretched. Sure that it meant to claw his eyes out, Toby shield his face with his arms. When nothing came at him, he slowly brought his arms down. Toby dropped the book. In the door way stood a man. He wore a shimmering dark blue cape and black pants (which were much too tight in Toby's opinion) and he had a very wild hairdo.

"Well, well, well….." the stranger spoke "Young Toby is it?"

"Who…..who are you?" Toby asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "And how do you know me!"

"We've met years ago….."

"What? Where is Alex!"

"Come, come, Toby, You should know very well where she is…..or have you finished the book?"

"The bo-" Toby looked down at his feet where the book had fallen open. "You're…..The Goblin King?"

Jareth laughed "You sound surprised."

"But…..you couldn't…..Alex! Bring her back!"

"What's said is said." Jareth crossed his arms.

"But that's not fair!"

Jareth rolled his eyes "It runs in the family I see….." he muttered. "Come here, Toby. You wish to find Alex?" When Toby nodded Jareth moved aside and pointed out the door. "She's there, in my castle."

Toby looked out the front door and instead of the front yard he saw the great labyrinth spread out across the land. And then he saw the castle in the center. "The castle…..beyond the Goblin city? It can't be….."

"You can still turn back, Toby….." Jareth stood behind him.

"No."

"So be it. You have 13 hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before Alex becomes one of us forever….." Jareth's voice trailed off. Toby looked behind him to see the Goblin king had disappeared, and so had his home. He stared out at the castle, it seemed so far. But he knew he couldn't turn back now.

(A/N: Chapter two is on the way! Please Review and check out my other stories! I hope your enjoying it so far!)