Okay, my comp was busted but now it is slowly but surely getting fixed so I am trying to update some stories.
Disclaimer: I no ownie.
Sarah was running. She was running down the halls of the castle. She was not alone. A fox type creature astride a large dog, a monster, and a dwarf were running with her. She was fifteen. She was almost out of time. She had to win.
"This way," Sarah said.
But, no, she couldn't have; Sarah was sleeping. Sarah was watching herself. Sarah finally saw clearly what plagued her for just a moment before she was suddenly thrown back into the dream and forgot.
"I must face him alone," Sarah said. She knew that her friends could help her no more, that it was all up to her now. She couldn't allow them to come. She had to do it alone in body but never in spirit. In her heart her friends would be with her always. Her friends-
Sarah shot up in bed grabbing the alarm clock that rung in her ear and threw it across the room. Strangely her head didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. Groaning she pulled herself out of bed and headed to her bathroom. A quick shower might ease what pain was there. So turning on the water she slipped her clothes off and stepped in.
The warm water cascaded down her bare form and Sarah closed her eyes. She felt exhausted as if she had just run a mile. Images danced before her eyes and slowly became clearer. Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, Sarah remembered what she had dreamt, or at least, pieces of it.
She had been running trying to race against the clock to…to…win back her brother? Yes, she had to save her brother from, from something. She had made strange friends along the way and now she had to face off against…against…Him. But who was 'Him'?
Shrugging off the familiarity that seemed to hang around her dream she washed and rinsed off stepping back out. Turning one faucet off, she turned the other one from the sink on wrapping a towel around her form and grabbing her tooth brush. She brushed her teeth and gargled mouthwash before walking back to her room and changing. Brushing her hair she threw it up in a loose bun and grabbed the suitcase she had packed a few days ago. She had already set everything in order for her trip before she had even called so all she had to do now was get in her car and drive.
Holding her hand over her grumbling stomach she figured she could pick something up on the way. So she grabbed her keys and locked the door. Since she already informed her Landlord she just slipped a note in his mailbox and left.
Sarah patted the hood of her truck and tossed her suitcase beside her as she got in. "Well, come on Barney," Sarah spoke softly before a spasm was sent through her brain.
"Well, come on feet."
Shaking it off without much thought Sarah started the engine to her old friend and drove off. She had named her truck Barney after her favorite owl; the barn owl. She didn't know why it was her favorite, it just was. She had always felt kind of drawn to that bird but one day, she believed she was 15 then, she just suddenly liked it even more. It was the day she decided to grow up she realized. She could almost barely remember a barn owl that liked to perch on the tree outside her window. It stayed for a week and then just left. She never saw it again.
Sarah had had someone paint a barn owl in flight on the hood of her car and one that seemed to be perching on the tailgate. The truck was a dusty blue color and the owls were white, save for the fawn colored ruffles on the feathers. The worked messed up a little bit though and on both of the owls one eye was a bit different, as if a different color but not. But Sarah just found the owls absolutely perfect and refused to let the man fix it.
So Sarah and Barney left her town and headed for her father's, grabbing a quick bite to eat of course.
Sarah's mind kept trying to drift off to her dream but she wouldn't allow it. She kept her mind carefully blank of any distractions should one of those headaches start up and she get into an accident. But her mind kept fighting back. So, frustrated, she decided to give her mind something else to think about and switched on her radio. She began to hum to a few songs but quickly tired and shut it right back off. But her humming never stopped. She continued to hum to a song she had never heard before.
Or had she…
"…I'll paint you mornings of gold. I'll spin you Valentine evenings..."
Colors flashed before Sarah's eyes.
"…As the pain sweeps through…"
And the pain did sweep through; pain that hammered in Sarah's skull. Crying out she swerved off the road barely missing a Big Rig in doing so. Off on the side Sarah slammed on the brakes as the pain swept through her entire body as the melody played in her head. But she was unable to hear it over the pounding pain. Hot tears tracked down her cheeks through squinted eyes as Sarah tried to stop the pain by holing onto the side of her eyes. Gasping out the pain finally submitted as the last few words echoed in her head.
"As the world falls down. Falling. Falling. Falling. Falling in love."
Sarah opened her eyes and blinked away the tears. "What is happening to me?" she sobbed softly resting her head on her steering wheel. "This makes no sense." A soft twinge of pain and then nothing. Sarah waited a few moments to make sure the blinding pain was gone and moved back onto the road only a dull throbbing left in her mind.
It was close to Two o' Clock in the afternoon when Sarah pulled up in front of her old house. Toby was already running outside before she pulled up.
"Hey there Slugger," Sarah laughed as Toby jumped up and wrapped his arms around her neck as she fell to her knees. She squeezed him and then pried him off. "Hey buddy, what have you been up to lately?"
The little eight-year-old boy began prattling off on what he had been doing since last they talked.
"..andthenmomtoldmetogotomyroomandIdideventhoughIdidn'twanttobecauseIrememberyoutellingmetoberesponcibleformyactions." Toby finally stopped to get a gulp of air and grinned up at Sarah. "I've missed you!"
"I've missed you too kid!" Sarah grinned back scooping up her brother in one arm and grabbing her case in the other. She looked up for her father and stepmother but didn't see even a shadow of their presence. "Toby, where are father and Karen?"
"Mom went to a luncheon with a few friends and dad is in the kitchen. I was in my room but I felt you coming and raced down the stairs to see you pulling around the block," he exclaimed happily. "Oh, Sarah, can we play Labyrinth again?"
Sarah opened her mouth to respond but shut it again in confusion. Labyrinth? Wait…wasn't that…Sarah sat her brother down on his own feet and walked inside Toby following at her heels. "That's from that one playbook right? With the princess and…the Goblin King?"
Even before the words were out Sarah dropped her case and crumpled to her knees. The pain that had been just a dull throb was now doubled and left her gasping for breath as the next visions took hold of her mind…
"Goblin King, Goblin King! Where ever you may be, come and take this child far away from me!"
"Gee, thanks a lot!" a sarcastic voice sighed. Sarah smirked at the little Goblin Prince moping on the step before her with his chin in his hands. "But your mind is getting mortal-ized if you think sending a Fae to his own father will help."
Sarah couldn't help but giggle as she leaned down and ruffled her friend's hair as he kissed his forehead. "Aw, it isn't so bad; at least you don't have to go to the Bog of Eternal Stench," she giggled. Her giggle turned into laughter at the look of the Goblin Prince's blanching face at the thought of such a horror.
Sarah started breathing evenly as the pain slowly resided for the moment back into the throb she always felt. She looked around and realized that her father and Toby had been calling her name and were kneeling beside her. "I, I'm fine," she croaked out trying to stand. With the support of her father she walked to the kitchen and sat in a chair. She smiled graciously as her father handed her some coffee.
"Sarah, are you alright?" Robert asked worriedly.
"Yeah, Yes. I've just been getting these headaches lately. Too much stress I guess." Shrugging Sarah took a gulp of coffee. Smiling down at her little brother she patted his head.
"Sarah…will we be able to play?" he asked anxiously. He pulled a little red book out of his pocket and set it on the table. Quirking an eyebrow Sarah set her mug down and picked it up. "Remember this? You would play it with me?"
Sarah leafed through some pages and stopped at the page where the bookmark was placed. She scanned a few sentences. "Oh," she said softly. "Um, sure Toby." The Goblin King. That was who she had tried to get to in her dream. Sighing in relief Sarah set the book down and took another sip of coffee. She had a dream about this old play she had Toby used to play together. She ignored the pain as it threatened to come back and sweep through her mind by thinking of Toby and her father. "When will Karen be back?"
"Oh, she should be back within the hour or so," Robert answered as he sat at the table with his own coffee handing Toby a mug of Hot Cocoa. "Do you want some medicine for the pain Sarah?"
"No, it doesn't really help anymore," she shrugged. Her father was at a loss for what was ailing his little girl and just peered at her over the rim of his mug as he took a sip of coffee.
"Sarah, when you feel better can we go play in the park?" Toby asked setting his mug down and licking at the chocolate mustache on his face.
"Sure Tobes, after we finish our drinks and I'm done unpacking I'll take you to the park and we can play Labyrinth." Sarah sighed. Every time she even thought the name of that play she felt a twinge of pain.
But true to her word Sarah finished her coffee and headed back to the foyer to grab her suitcase. She walked up to her old bedroom and stepped inside. Her bed was there but simple gray blanket and white sheets were all the covers she had and the room was mostly bare save for an oak dresser and a mirror. The walls were an off-white color and the closet had only five hangers inside. Putting her clothes away Sarah headed back downstairs.
"It's about time Sarah!" Toby sighed in exasperation from where he waited by the front door.
"Well I'm an old woman now! I haven't played since last time you made me!" she retorted playfully. "Now help an old lady to the park," she laughed.
And so they made their way down to the park. Toby held the book tight to his chest with one hand while the other held Sarah's. They greeted a few people on the way but Toby never let Sarah talk for too long as he continued to drag her away. Once they finally arrived Toby opened the book to where they last left off. He used to make her play Labyrinth with him every time she came over but he stopped after a while and Sarah had forgotten all about it.
"Okay, we are at the part where the Princess confronts the Goblin King! This is my favorite part! Come on Sarah, you used to know the lines by heart! You're the Princess and I'm the Goblin King!"
"But Toby, I haven't done this in ages and I forgot everything," Sarah sighed. "Let's backtrack a little bit and tell me what leads up to it."
Toby said a few lines before her part and then said the first sentence of her line. "'Give me the child'."
Sarah's eyes were glazed over and even as Toby said the first four lines Sarah was already speaking them. "'Give me the child. Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the Castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen, for my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom is as great. You have no power over--' URGH!" Sarah yelled falling to her knees hands clasped over hears in a futile attempt to stop the pounding in her ears. The pain was horrible and left Sarah's world spinning. Squeezing her eyes shut she cried out as the pain erupted in another burst. "Toby!" she managed although it too was cried out in more of a yell than a word.
Toby was already by her side and continued to call out her name. "Sarah! Sarah, I'm here! Sarah, please, please, I'm here!"
But Sarah never heard him. Before here eyes danced another Toby. This Toby was about a year old and dressed in an outfit that made him look like a candy cane. He was crawling around a room that knew not the meaning of 'up' or 'down' or any direction at all. Stairs branched off in every direction. She too was in before her own eyes but she was younger; she was fifteen. And lo and behold she saw Him, saw his ever-cold eyes boring into her very soul. Saw…darkness.
And Sarah fainted.
And Toby cried.
And an owl hooted. Hooted in morning knowing exactly what kind of pain this young, beautiful woman was going through. Although his pain was not as strong for he had not so much memories to sort through. Memories of loss, memories of love, memories of defeat. Such cruel memories bound to the very darkness that they now escaped. And the owl fled for the safety of his own kingdom.
Muahahahaha, I know it is short but I am tired and can think no more. I have added things I wasn't going to but decided "Aw, what the hell?" and did. I don't know when next I will be able to update but I will try. I will begin working on my other Fics as well. Fret not. Ja ne.