Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.
Chapter 3: Slow Starts.
When Sarah had given Alice permission to browse through her collection of personal books, she had completely forgotten that the old Labyrinth book had even existed. Stupid on her part. How could she have possibly forgotten such a thing? The book practically made her what she was today.
Yet somehow, she had done just that. She had allowed the location of the book to slip from her mind, ending up amongst her extensive collection of Fae lore and finding its way onto her school bookshelf.
And, eventually, into the hands of the young girl sitting beside her.
Glancing at the girl seated in the passenger seat of her old van, Sarah noted how Alice still stared blankly out the window. Her fingers absently brushed against the speckled feather in her grasp, refusing to drop it as if it were some lifeline. The need to know exactly what had happened burned at the forefront of Sarah's mind, but she kept silent. Alice clearly was not in the frame of mind to speak on the subject.
However, after a brief conversation with the girl, Sarah surmised that leaving her alone would not be the best idea. If allowed to do so, she would likely withdraw more into herself, thus leaving Alice in an even more distraught state and Sarah never finding her answers. So, Sarah originally had every intention of escorting the girl home to her parents while securing a promise to meet the next day and talk.
"Could your parents possibly bring you to the park to talk tomorrow?" Sarah inquired cautiously. Upon seeing Alice's nervous shifting in her seat, she quickly spoke again, her words rushed and hurried. "Its just, this experience of yours, you really should talk to someone about it. And there are some things I've learned that might help you—"
A small giggle broke from the girl, who smiled with an amused glint in her eye. "Its fine, Mrs. Sarah. I…" The amusement melted from her face and a serious expression took over as she watched her hands fiddle with the feather. "I want to talk about it... tomorrow would be good. It's just, well, Elaine is out of town again."
"Oh," Sarah breathed out, relieved that the girl was willing to speak on the subject. Then, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Who's Elaine?"
"Foster parent." Sarah visibly winced at the detached tone in the girl's voice. "She isn't that bad, but she's gone a lot. So, I just don't have a ride to meet up with you tomorrow."
Biting her lip as she mulled over her options. Dropping her off to be alone after such an ordeal would not be preferable in Sarah's opinion, and they needed to speak in the morning… "You could stay at my house tonight." Upon Alice's shocked face, she quickly elaborated. "My daughter left for college two years ago, but her room is still set up! She even has some clothes your size you could borrow. And my husband will leave early tomorrow for work, and it's a Saturday, so we could just talk there once he is gone…"
Hesitance flashed across the girl's face as she bit her lip. Clutching the feather tighter for a moment, she stiffly nodded her head, dropping her gaze to her lap. "Okay… okay, that would work."
Smiling brightly, Sarah turned on her blinker, aiming to make a U-turn at the next light. "Perfect! I can make us both a big breakfast in the morning! Oh, you haven't eaten yet have you? Let's pull in somewhere for food. I'm craving a burger. What about you?"
"You don't have to get me any—"
Sarah waved her off with a laugh. "Oh, its fine. I get paid rather well for an English teacher, so its not like buying a couple burgers would bankrupt me. Besides…" She gave a heartfelt, encouraging smile to her student. "You deserve it for having dealt with the Labyrinth."
Though silent for a minute, a small, shy smile grew on Alice's face. "I… well, I really like pickles and mustard burgers…"
"That's the spirit! Junk food and a good night's rest is just what you need after a magic overdose."
Sarah continued to chatter on, filing Alice's mind with happy nonsense and hidden, meaningful words. Words. Sarah had such a talent with words. She could hit just the right topic to make anyone feel at ease, whether it be a distraught teenage girl or her husband of twenty two years. Speaking of her husband, Sarah's mind mulled over excuses on why she had brought home a student without speaking to the girl's guardian first.
Shaking off the thought, she focused back on Alice again, drawing out her attention and enrapturing her in stories of her college days and all the weird happenstances that only she could work her way into. The girl fell at ease, content to listen with the occasional chime in to commentate on any particularly funny parts of the story.
Sarah knew this would not last. She remembered her days in the Labyrinth. The endless corridors, the seemingly near-death experiences, the fear of failing her little brother… Nightmares would on occasion plague her after the experience, and after assurances from Hoggle, she realized they were her true fears and not just some revenge prank from Jareth.
She also became quite aware of the true nature of the Labyrinth… Sarah had gotten off quite easily during her run. Her friends would briefly hint at the usual dangers runners faced during the tests, and she became painfully aware of how Jareth's favor had garnered her what essentially was the PG version of Labyrinth run. Alice, however…
As Sarah once again refocused in on Alice, neither noticed the silent owl trailing through the clear night sky above them.