AN: Thank you SO much for your reviews! Please, I love reviews and want to know how I can improve my story stylistically. Also, I haven't decided yet whether I should include uh, "steamy" stuff in this story. Please review and let me know what you think. I Should I make it more "interesting", so to speak, or more at a T rating. Please let me know.

Batteredchild: Thank you so much! As my first reviewer, I really appreciate your message! Please continue to let me know how you like my story!

Anonymous: Thanks you very much! I'm glad you like my first attempt at fanfiction, and I'm sorry about the cliffhanger…I'll be updating soon! I hope you continue to like it.

Chapter 5: Acquaintance

Sarah reacted immediately. She shoved her elbow back, jabbing the person holding her squarely in the stomach. She sprang back, one arm raised to strike, the other frantically scrabbling for any sort of weapon. She warily glanced at the man, who was doubled over and gasping for breath. It was too dark to make out his features, but he seemed fairly tall and slender. "Who are you!" Sarah yelled, her hand now reaching for the light switch to her balcony. She heard the man whisper quickly "Sarah…it's…all right…I…won't…hurt you." He seemed to still be having trouble breathing.

He straightened a little and moved a little closer to Sarah, and she drew back. He took another step and finally, her hand found the switch and she flicked it on. "Now who are you!" she screamed, ready to run or fight.

The man raised his head and Sarah realized how unprepared she was. Her eyes widened in shock and fear and disbelief as she stared. She glanced at the two knee high boots, to the thighs wrapped in snug breeches. Her eyes traveled to the half-open shirt, barely covering the toned, yet pale chest of the man standing before her. He also wore an intimidating black jacket that was fitted around his waist and chest and that gave way to a high, spiky collar. Sarah cast a fleeting look at the large, gold pendant suspended around his neck. It had an intricate half-moon shape and it glinted with an internal light. She turned her gaze up to the wild, silver-blond hair that framed his face. His skin was pale, nearly translucent. His thin mouth was accentuated by the prominent cheekbones and narrow straight nose. Markedly arched eyebrows swept attention to his eyes. Those eyes, Sarah stared in wonder. They were calculating and astute—quite beautiful in fact. But most stunning of all, one was a clear blue and the other a darkened hazel. Sarah felt herself drawn in by those eyes, but then gave herself a quick shake. What am I thinking? Then, the initial disbelief wore off, and she gazed once again at his eyes and she promptly passed out.

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Oh god, it was just a dream, a horrible nightmare, Sarah thought to herself as she cracked her eyes open. She screamed to find her vision blocked by two concerned, mismatched eyes.

Sarah leapt up. "OH MY GOD! NO! NO! NO! NOT AGAIN! PLEASE NOT AGAIN!" she screamed wildly. She began to scan her surroundings, eyes round with fear, and she realized, through her shock-induced haze, that she was not in her apartment. She rounded on the man "WHERE AM I? WHAT AM I DOING HERE? WHY ARE YOU HERE?" She held her face in her hands, frantic and too stunned to do anything else.

The man moved towards her, gloved hand outstretched, worry in his eyes, as he whispered soothingly "Sarah…Sarah…shush now. Your safe—don't be afrai…"

She cut him off "No! You're HIM! That damned Goblin King from the book! The one I thought stole Toby! You're not REAL!" She turned away, rocking on her heels, chanting to herself "He's not real, he's not real, he's just a figment of your imagination…oh god! Why? Why did this have to happen again? I knew something was going to give!" Tears coursed down her face as she watched her world tumble down around her.

He looked at her quizzically, asking "What do you mean? Of course I'm real…why do you think that I'm not? What happened?" There was apprehension in his eyes, as if he already guessed about her years with a psychiatrist and her loneliness and frustration.

She swung around, ignoring his questions, and demanded, "Where the HELL am I!".

Her gaze drifted around her location, her eyes taking in an enourmous, deep mahogany bed, spread with luxurious comforters. The comforters were midnight blue, embroidered with tiny silver stars. Dozens of pillows had been thrown across the bed, and a small nested area revealed where Sarah had rested.

Her wide, green eyes then traveled to the floor, where a vast, hooked rug sprawled. She looked closer and realized that the rug depicted a map of the labyrinth, and surprisingly, it showed exactly how the labyrinth was changing at that moment in time. Sarah watched, amazed, as walls closed off, and dead ends opened up into bogs, and forests, and oubliettes.

Her gaze focused more, and she trembled when she realized that she could also see exactly what creatures were moving through the labyrinth. Her eyes followed the path of a hyper-active firey, and the erratic flight of a biting faerie, and following that faerie…

"Hoggle!" Sarah yelled. She watched in amazement as the tiny yarn figure halted and peered around, as if trying to pinpoint her location. She forgot that this was all a figment of her imagination, and she called again to her friend, "Hoggle, where are you? Come and find me, please! I want to see you and speak with you—I've missed you!" The little figure began looking around more urgently and then took off through the labyrinth. Sarah felt a wave of relief flow through her when she realized her friend was searching for her. She would get to see Hoggle again, and she could have a friend to talk to…then Sarah was brought thumping back to her situation when a hand rested on her shoulder.

She sprang back like a frightened doe and she shook with the adrenaline surging through her body. She eyed the Goblin King warily as he gestured towards the floor, where a deep armchair congealed from thin air.

He sighed at her reaction and motioned to the chair. His mismatched eyes were concerned, but they held some other deeper emotion that Sarah couldn't identify. When she didn't sit, he pointed and pleaded, "Sit, Sarah."