Disclaimers: consider the labyrinth disclaimed.

Chapter 6: Memories

Jacob Marshall was a big man, and strong for his age. In his youth he had traveled the wild places of the world, making maps of the unknown and keeping journals of the various cultures he came across. He knew seven different languages, flew a number of different planes, owned boats, and knew how to survive if he got lost in the jungle. Tabitha knew nothing of this until she was nine, when she started spending a couple weeks with him every summer. It came as a surprise when she discovered that her quiet, out-of-the-way old grandfather had actually lead an interesting life.

She was fascinated by him, and he saw in her a golden opportunity to pass some of his knowledge on. They spent hours together, combing over old maps, reading about foreign places, and learning how to say 'where is the bathroom?' and such in several different languages. He began to teach her the ins and outs of making accurate maps, and tested her regularly around the nearby town. The summer she turned twelve, Jacob decided to give her a project to apply what she had learned. They packed a lunch and drove out to the river canyon, where there were numerous trails and bridges to map. After selecting a portion of the river, they began to hike.

Tabitha never forgave herself for what happened next. She insisted on exploring an area away from the trail, and ran off into the trees before her grandfather could stop her. He ran after her, calling out her name, but she didn't stop immediately. He eventually caught up and latched hold of her backpack to stop her, but when they turned to go back they couldn't find the trail.

In fact, the more they searched, the less the terrain looked like the canyon. The pine trees started to thin, and the prickly scrub brush began to turn tall and weedy. Before long they were out of the trees completely. They crested a large, flat hill to get their bearings and found themselves staring at the most mind-boggling structure either of them had ever seen.

The labyrinth. She wished now that they had turned around and run as fast as their legs would carry them. But her grandfather couldn't resist a closer look, and, in all honesty, neither could she. The place looked so fantastic they had to get a better look. Just one look, and then they would go.

If only it had worked that way. They looked a little too closely, and before they knew it they were caught trespassing. Tabitha didn't really remember a whole lot about that; by the time they were caught, she had been feeling decidedly overwhelmed by the lack of logic in the place. Everything that happened was kind of a blur. She couldn't quite remember how they got into the labyrinth in the first place, but she had the impression that her grandfather had tricked the gate-keeper somehow. That just made the punishment worse.

Her mind trickled forward, sliding back to his moment of collapse. There was nothing blurry about what happened then. A goblin, as the strange king had referred to it, came to the door and yelled a message through. The old man would be forced to repay his dept in a way that both fit the crime and aided the king. If Jacob Marshall was so curious about the labyrinth, he could spend his time mapping every aspect of it. The map must reflect the state of the labyrinth at any given moment.

The implications of that were mind-numbing. In order for such a map to work, it would have to keep track of each and every element of the labyrinth at once, including most living things. The uses for such a thing were nearly endless. And as if such a feat were not worrisome enough, the goblin added another problem. Since Jacob was useful and the child was not, the child would be cast out of the labyrinth and never allowed to return.

Her grandfather disagreed violently with that decree. He flew into a rage unlike any Tabitha had ever seen before, including her mother's. Bellowing incoherently, Jacob flew at the door and pounded his fists against it. When that didn't work, he took to slamming his shoulder against the door with all of his considerable strength. The door creaked and shuddered, but failed to break. Before long the tantrum took its toll. Jacob hit the floor with his fists pressed against his chest, letting out a strange, moaning cry.

Not long after that the door opened, and Macsen stepped in, followed by his grown son, Jareth. Neither figure said a word as they took in the scene, but it was clear the something had to be done.

In the end, Jacob survived because Macsen was more fair minded than he cared to let on. The punishment still stood, but Tabitha would have to do the job in her grandfather's place. Since the task was daunting, even for a full-grown, experienced adult, he would see to it that she had help. In the meantime, he would simply freeze Jacob where he lay, preserving him until the task was complete and he could be taken home.

When she asked, admittedly hysterical, why Macsen couldn't just heal her grandfather, since he was so strong, he replied simply that tampering with the heart of another was a business too risky to be attempted. Besides, if he saved Jacob's life outright, he and Tabitha would owe Macsen more than either of them could ever pay. Even the help he was already giving would cost them extra. The subject was dropped, and Tabitha was left to fill her grandfather's shoes.

Six months later - it had only added up to a week in their time - Jacob was taken to the hospital. He pulled through better than the doctors expected, and within two days he was ready to go home. He seemed to be doing great, but only Tabitha knew the truth. Jacob Marshall was healed, but every last memory of the labyrinth had vanished from his mind.

"For heaven's sake, don't make things up, Tabitha." He scolded when she tried to talk to him about it alone. "Aren't things frightening enough without adding your strange fantasy to it? Now get on and fetch your mother. I want to talk to her about getting out of this place."

And just like that, Tabitha was alone.