As The World Falls Up
Labyrinth Fanfic by: Chikyu
Chapter 2: Sarah's Dreams and Her Unexpected Decision
Part 1: Pondering of Lost Thoughts
She was underground, somewhere. The dark tunnels dripped with water shining like diamonds in the faint light from the burning torch she carried. She was searching for something, wasn't she? She had to find something, but what was it?
The tunnel opened out into a large underground chamber, empty except for a perch in the centre of the room - with a snowy feathered owl on it. She placed the torch in a skull shaped holder on the wall, and walked over to it. 'The poor thing,' she thought, 'it's injured.' Blood stained one wing and its white breast, sticking the soft feathers together.
It had odd colored eyes, she noticed.
The bird watched her as she came closer, following each of her steps.
It hooted moarnfully, and pulled at the chains that where wrapped around it's legs. Sarah reached out to grab one of the chains to see if she could pull it off, but couldn't. The owl seemed to have become frustrated with her and began to hoot uncontrolably and bite at her fingers.
'I can't!' she told the bird, looking at the chains. 'I don't know how!'
Distantly, she heard a clock begin to chime. Risking the bird taking a swipe at her with its beak, she tried to pull the chains free from the perch.
Ten.
Eleven.
Twelve.
Thirteen.
Sarah woke, trembling. Just across the road, the church clock could be heard striking twelve.
She put her head in her hands andlaid back on her pillows. Trying to fall back into a fitfull sleep.
"Jareth" she said to herself as she swirled her cereal in its pool of milk. Had she given this name to the man in her dreams, or was the man real? But she had become obsessed with a dream-man. She sighed putting a hand on her forehead.
'Dreams aren't real' she thought 'I shouldn't have this strong of feelings for something that isn't real.' And with this thought Sarah decided never to eat before bed again.
Part 2: When Dreams Come True
Sarah followed the old and shaggy Merlin over the grass. She had decided earlier on in the day that her and Merlin had to go to get out of the house and go somewhere where the two could relax.
And it had been almost two weeks since Sarah last saw her dream-man.
Sarah soon found a spot near a very large oak tree to sit and eat. She pulled an apple out of the bag she had brought with her and called for Merlin. The dog turned from where it had begun to mark its "territory" andpadded over her sniffing at the apple and licking her face.
"Hold on," she said laughing. She reached into her bag and pulled out a bright green tennis ball. "How long has it been since you went after one of these?" She threw the ball and watched as Merlin turned to get it. He soon got it and picked up bringing in back to her. They where there for a long time like that, Sarah reading with one hand reached out for Merlin to put the ball in it, then throwing it again making the process routine.
Then Merlin got off.
Sarah looked up from her book to find Merlin no where in sight. She put the book back in her bag and stood up looking around.
"Merlin,"she yelled "Merlin you old dog where are you." She heard barking a ways off in the distance. She rolled her eyes guessing that Merlin had chased a rabbit into a hole and now refused to leave the poor creature alone.
She found herself on a path still calling Merlin's name listening to her dogs constant barking get louder. She followed it until she could see Merlin jumping back and forth barking at something.
"Merlin leave it alone," she called, but the dog paid not attention. She finally got to him reaching for his collar when she saw what he was barking at.
It was a white owl. It's beak was open breathing heavily, blood soaked it's chest making the feathers stick together, and wing lay limp at it's side. She grabbed Merlin instantly pulling it back, trying to protect the bird from furthur damage.
"For heaven sakes Merlin!" She looked at her dog accusingly but found that there was no blood on him.
She looked at the owl again a reached her hand towards the owl. The bird made lunge for her fingers then fell to the ground.
Sarah stood up with Merlin still by the collar. She watched the owl not knowing what to do, but when the bird stopped breathing and lay motionless on the ground she decided that the only thing to was to leave the creature there.
"Come on Merlin," she tugged on this collar forcing him to turn around. "Lets go home."
Part 3: Third Times the Charm
The walls were darkened, their otherworldly glimmer replaced by a noxious grey slime that oozed and dripped over the crumbling brick. She was searching for something, but couldn't remember what it was. Left, left and left again, letting the walls guide her. Always heading for the center. For the castle that reared up above the this maze. A feeling of dread increased the further she went.
Had she been here before? Another dream she had?
The gates to the city finally reared up in front of her, a massive construction of brass and bronze, tarnished, already, she noticed, looking at the rust colored substance that covered them. Reaching out to touch them, tentatively, she drew her hand back in horror. Blood.
The sense of foreboding grew stronger, as reluctantly, she raised her eyes to look at the top of the wall across the gates, afraid of what she'd see there. His head, white blond hair matted with blood, mismatched eyes wide, staring down at her from the stake.
Sarah awoke shooting up in bed.
They had come back. Her dream man was dead. What about the owl?
She didn't know whether to believe in what she had just seenor go back to sleep. She thought only for a few moments then kicked the covers off her.
She quickly changed her cloths and headed out the door.
She truthfully didn't know why she got in the car and started driving, but she had ended up at the park in which she had found the bloody owl.
Of coarse she sat in the car staring at the stearing wheel for quite some time. A few moments she put her hands on the keys to start her car back up, but the withdrew her hand shaking her head.
"Dreams arn't real," she said sternly to herself "And if this is the only way to prove it to myself, then I must."
Armed only with the flashlight from the trunk of the car, Sarah made her way hesitantly into the wood. The darkness was so thick, it seemed to even swallow up the torchlight. But the feeling that had driven her out this far was even stronger, almost but not quite overriding her fear.
There was a path of sorts that led through the trees. Giggling lovers sometimes used it - it led to a small clearing about a quarter of a mile from the road. Far enough away from prying eyes, especially at night. Since it was the quickest way into the wood, Sarah stayed on the path, and tried to move quietly.
She'd reached the edge of the clearing when she heard something behind her, moving through the thick undergrowth. It sounded big.She froze, and switched off the torch, trying to slow her breathing down. Just as she'd almost convinced herself that it was probably just another pair of midnight lovers lost in the woods, a hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her startled cry, and an arm encircled her waist, pulling her further back into the bushes.
'Don't make a sound,' a voice cautioned her. 'I killed one, but there's still one out there.'She didn't know what to do, he had said that he had killed one of them. What was he going to do to her? She tried make a cry, but he clamped his hand harder on her mouth.
'Ssh.'
In that simple command, a compulsion to obey. She shivered, despite the warm night.
The sounds of movement faded, moving away from them, deeper into the wood - and thankfully, also away from the path to the car. He released her then. Freed from his grip, she turned to try to see his face, but in the darkness, could barely see him. Just a glimmer of fair hair, a pale blur in the faint moonlight that trickled through the trees.
'I suggest we get away from here. I hope you have some transport.'
A/N: CRAPTASTIC!
Well I know that this took me way to long. First it was Cinderella, then it was to much work, then Nero, and etc….etc…. But now that this one is done the next ones will be a lot easier. Also I hope all the Labyrinth fans realize that 2006 marks the 20 anniversary of Labyrinth. And I'm going to have to do something about this.
Also I'd like to Saturnsdarkness for her help and wish everyone to go over to her and read her stories and to say that I'm currently writing a Labyrinth fanfic with her.