Chapter 3. Unlocking doors best kept shut

Sarah and Karen were laughing as they came into the house, but the laughter died when they saw the expression on Robert's face. He was glaring at the pair of them as if they had broken some basic law. He looked at Karen first, "Take the boy up stairs." His tone was not to be argued with. Waiting until the woman had exited the room with their son, the vein in his forehead was pulsating with anger. When they were alone he focused his ire on his daughter. "Mrs. Miller called my office this morning… she said you were extremely rude to her last night. That you had the audacity to question her authority in regard to Toby." His eyes were full of distrust and anger.

Sarah took a deep cleansing breath, "Daddy," she began calmly knowing it would go much farther with the man. "I am sorry if Mrs. Miller misunderstood me. I would never intentionally be rude to her. You raised me better than that. I was only asking why she grabbed away a gift I brought Toby. Her movement was so sudden it startled him, and I was concerned that she not upset him."

Robert didn't look like he was buying the excuses. "A gift? What kind of gift, Sarah?"

"Do you recall the little dwarf toy I had when I was Toby's age?" She asked quietly knowing fully that he had purchased the toy for her. He nodded somberly and she went on. "I found one just like it in a little shop around the corner from Mom's and I thought Toby would love it."

"I see." He placed his hands behind his back, listening.

"I was very careful in picking out one that had no loose buttons or anything that could be pulled off." Sarah added. "So I was as startled as Toby when she ripped it out of his hands. I may have over reacted but I swear I was not aware of being rude. I will be happy to go over and offer her my apology if you like."

Robert's face softened for a moment. "I appreciate that, Sarah. But I'm afraid Mrs. Miller would never accept one from you. I'm afraid she has rather strong feelings of dislike for you. She seems to think you caused some mischief with her cats a while back."

The girl looked as if she were trying to remember. "Daddy, I never did anything to her cats. I stayed far away from them; they were the meanest cats I've ever seen. They were always spitting and clawing at everyone and everything."

Karen returned to the room, "Toby went down for a nap. Now Robert," she addressed him with fire in her eyes. "What's this nonsense about?"

Robert was surprised that his wife would be so sharp, even more surprised she'd do it in front of one of the children. "Mrs. Miller has issued a complaint to me about Sarah."

"Well I have a complaint about her." Karen crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her husband. "Sarah, would you be kind enough to give your father and me a few moments, please?"

"Yes, ma'am," she had an urge to tell her father to run, hide, and send roses…anything. She cast a look of sympathy toward the man as she exited the kitchen.

Karen waited until she heard Sarah on the stairs, "How dare you?" she snapped bitterly toward the man. "How dare you issue orders to that woman to dispose of gifts from Sarah to Toby?"

Robert now looked stunned. "What are you talking about?"

"Sarah brought a gift to Toby from her trip to England, a darling little dwarf doll…And Mrs. Miller deposited it in the trash! She told me it was on your orders, Robert." Karen's blue eyes were filled with bitter disappointment. "How could you?"

"I didn't." He defended himself. "I told her to be watchful … but I never told her to dispose of gifts…. I may have said that I was… leery of Sarah's intents toward Toby…." He ran a hand though his hair. "Damn it Karen, I was trying to protect Toby…"

"From what Robert?" she snapped. "Sarah has never done one thing that could be even remotely seen as endangering. She is wonderful with him, and he loves her… Mrs. Miller on the other hand scares him. Hell, for that matter she scares me!"

Robert sat down at the kitchen table; put his head in his hands. "She scares me too." He admitted.

"Robert, are you trying to put a wedge between you and Sarah? Because if you are; you're doing a wonderful job!" Karen took a seat across from him. "Have you taken any notice of her? She's not a child anymore Robert, she's growing into a young woman… A lovely, warm sensitive young woman who adores her baby brother….She stopped calling him her half brother a year ago. Not that you'd notice. Have you had even one conversation with her? Have you talked to her, not at her?"

Robert looked up at his wife. "Karen, I was trying to protect Toby."

"So you keep telling me." His wife sighed. "Robert, do you really think I'd allow anything to hurt him? He's my son too, you know. Don't you think if I thought there was real danger I'd demand that Sarah go live with Linda?" Karen reached a hand out to him. "You can not protect the one child at the expense of the other. Ever since Toby was born, Robert, you've put him before Sarah. You've pushed her aside and overlooked her."

"I have not." He denied, but thoughts of it had also come to his mind. "I didn't mean to." He sighed. "But Mrs. Miller said…"

"I don't care what that old biddy said!" Karen slammed her hand flat on the table. "I hate when she babysits Toby…he's always traumatized by her. She's not a gentle person, and she's got ice water in her veins. I would not be surprised to find out that she was the ice berg Titanic hit!"

Robert winced, the idea sent pictures that he could not keep his brain from forming. "What do you suggest?"

"I suggest you ask the girl if she'd like to come home…Let her finish high school here…if she wants to." Karen said softly. "Let her come home for weekends instead of being cooped up at that school. Robert; Toby and I miss her."

Seeing he was out gunned by his wife, he conceded. "Alright, call her down." Moments later Sarah entered the room. "Sarah, I'm sorry if I've been difficult the last year or so…chalk it up to my being a guy." He motioned for her to sit. "Would you like to come home, finish your senior year here at the local high school?"

Sarah smiled shyly. "Actually no, I'd like to finish at Briarwood."

Karen put her hands supportively on the girl's shoulders. "You don't have to."

"I want to," the teen claimed. "Look, three of my courses for the year give me college credit, and it will look great on my transcripts. Plus there are courses I'm signed up for that I couldn't get at the local school." She was nearly crowing. "I'm on honor roll and graduating from Briarwood with honors will go along way in swaying College boards. So, thanks, but I'll stay at Briarwood."

Robert relaxed. "Alright, how about coming home for weekends instead of just for holidays? You can catch a train and Karen will pick you up at the station. Then you can spend the weekends here with us…as a family."

"I'd like that." She said happily.

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Lilith pursed her lips as she paced the throne room. The Goblins had been telling her for hours about the girl. Gilgamesh seemed almost too amused by the tales being tattled. "Enough," the Queen of the Night declared. A wave of her hand and the Goblins scampered off in every direction. She walked to the window overlooking the wide span of the Labyrinth, and wondered how much longer it would be before the creature began to cause trouble misbehaving like a child without supervision.

Gilgamesh joined her at the window. "I take it you were not aware of any of this."

"A boy does not tell his mother everything." Lilith said without looking at the man. "Every man has his…pride."

"Your son fell in love with a mortal, that's not unusual for a Fae." The Babylonian gazed out the window. "I envy him this Kingdom, in many ways it reminds me of home."

Lilith felt compassion for the man. "You must miss your world…the one you knew."

"In truth I do." He sighed. "Alas, my world is long gone…modern man has no idea of the splendors that were of the past…and that is as it should be." He gave her a faint smile. "There's much we still don't know about Jareth and his girl… I've a suggestion."

"I'm open to suggestions," Lilith sighed.

"I know it's a Fae gift to reorder time, I'm not suggesting you do that, not exactly. I was wondering if with your gift of the use of crystals you could look at something of the past." He looked about the room. "This place is where their last meeting was. If we could see that, and then view Jareth after that we'd have a better idea of what we are up against."

Lilith considered the request. "It should not be hard, no harder than scrying a crystal." She tapped her chin, "However I think it will take a very large crystal…. One that would fit that pit there." Lilith closed her eyes, focusing her energy. The clear jagged crystal spire filled the round pit that was beneath the Goblin throne. "Is that what you had in mind?"

"Not bad," he praised. "Now I suggest we follow the adventure of the Goblin King and the girl from the time he first makes contact."

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Sarah and Toby sat in the back seat of their father's sedan on the ride to Briarwood. Karen in front with their father was discussing how lovely the countryside was here. "It's almost unreal, why it could come out of a Grimm's Fairy Tale."

Robert self-consciously looked at Sarah in the rear view mirror; a shadow passed over her features then was gone. He told himself it was nothing, Karen was right, the girl was fine. She had said nothing, as if she'd not heard…the shadow could have been his imagination working overtime, looking for a reason not to trust her.

Sarah and her family carried her things up to her room. "I'm so glad we got here early." Sarah said. "They didn't have my dorm assignment and I have to go to the Bursars' office to get it." She pointed to the largest building on the academy campus. "There, Daddy."

Robert accompanied her into the building. He stood behind her, slightly amazed at her poise and ability to deal with the adult world. He has always thought she was less mature than most of the kids she'd gone to school with. There had never been hordes of girls gathered in the Williams house, there had been no sleep over's, or tea parties. Sarah had still been playing dress up until he had blown a gasket and sent the girl to the shrink. The one thing he'd credit Dr. DeCaro with was getting Sarah's head out of the clouds.

"Hello, Mrs. Browning." Sarah greeted the elderly lady dressed in deep purple behind the desk. "My room assignment didn't arrive with my schedule."

"Miss Williams, welcome back. We are so pleased to have you with us again this year." She moved to a card file and pulled Sarah's card. "Oh dear," she said shortly. "This can't be right." She pulled another file and then another. "Oh dear me, this is not good at all." She turned to Robert with a face full of guilt. "Are you Miss Williams' father?" she looked hopefully at him.

"Yes," he nodded.

"I'm afraid there's been a terrible mistake made." She motioned them to be seated. "You see, Sarah is a senior and is eligible for a single dorm room…somehow, someone seems to have missed filed her card…"

"I don't mind sharing a room." Sarah said thinking that was the only mistake.

"I'm afraid you've not been assigned a room at all." Mrs. Browning uttered red faced. "We've never had this kind of mix up." She assured Mr. Williams.

Robert looked at Sarah, "Are you sure you want to go to school here?" He was feeling a bit more than peeved.

Mrs. Browning tapped a pencil on a paper. "Sarah, why don't you run along to the school book store? Pick up your books and when you're done I should have this straightened out. I assure you, Mr. Williams the mistake will be corrected and Sarah will have a room. I will see to it personally and I also will get to the bottom of who made this mistake in the first place."

Robert rose to his feet. "Fine;" He sighed. "As long as she has a room when we return."

When they reached the car Sarah placed a hand on her father's. "Daddy, you didn't need to be quite so sharp with Mrs. Browning. She's really a very sweet lady." She smiled softly, the way she'd seen Karen smile at him when he was irate. "It's not her fault…and she's making every effort to correct the mistake."

He opened the door wordlessly.

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Lilith looked at Gilgamesh as they watched the images in the crystal. "He sang Fae Song to her." She gasped. "He has never sung to anyone that I know of."

Gilgamesh scratched his ear, "I don't blame the lad."

Lilith halted the vision in the crystal. "I agree she is lovely…for a mortal."

"Do you hold that against her?" The Babylonian King asked.

"No, only that she refused him." Lilith stated. "Let us continue; perhaps there is more we need to know."

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When Robert and Sarah returned to the Bursars' office there was a minor war being fought, and Mrs. Browning was raging it. Sarah heard the sounds of anger rising even before they opened the door. The words that greeted her nearly caused her to flee.

"How can you tell me we are booked solid? We always have openings for new students… how could someone have over looked one of our best students?" Mrs. Browning saw the trepidation on the faces and suddenly became aware they were not alone. "Oh, Mr. Williams… I'm afraid this is far worse than I thought." She looked at Sarah. "We don't have a single bed free."

Robert took a seat. "Well, dandy." His sarcasm was quick and cutting. "Do you have any suggestions? I can not see trying to drive her in each day; it's over two hours drive from our house to here. And the thought of her commuting on the train is out of the question."

Mrs. Browning sat down at her desk. "I'm at a complete loss here." She was embarrassed and trying to find a way to make the situation better. "We've never been completely booked, and Sarah's being a senior should have raised red flags when her paper work was put though."

"Yes, her paperwork." Robert was tapping his fingers on the desk. "I did sign papers for her to have a single room, and if not mistaken I also sent a check to cover her expenses."

Mrs. Browning nodded. "Yes, sir, you did. Our records reflect that, and Sarah should have been placed in Templeton House with the rest of the senior girls."

"She could stay in the rooms over Bell Hall," Offered one of the women scrambling to find the child a room. "The rooms that were used by that artist person when she was on staff here a few years ago are open… and they are fully furnished."

Mrs. Browning blinked. "Bell Hall is not in use this year, it's being renovated."

"Yes," Miss Parker nodded, swiftly. "But not that studio…" She pulled a ledger out and passed it to the Bursar. "See…" Miss Parker, Mrs. Browning's assistant smiled. "It's very private, and completely up to date. And Miss Williams is one of our best students. I'm sure she's completely trustworthy."

"Bell Hall, is that the building that looks like an Antebellum Mansion?" Sarah asked, trying to recall the building.

"Yes." Mrs. Browning nodded. "It's mostly administration offices, but there's a very nice very open parlor that is used for school functions such as concerts and lectures. The rooms that Miss Parker is referring to are on the second floor." She looked at the ledger. "It would mean that you'd be isolated from the rest of the student body, Sarah."

"I don't mind." Sarah said. "Could we take a look?"

Miss Parker was already handing as set of keys to Mrs. Browning. "Of course, and if it's not workable, we'll start polling the instructors to see if any have a room you could have." She paused. "I think Dr. Janson's son has gone to college, perhaps his room?"

Sarah made a face, she well remembered Tomas Janson and didn't relish being in his room let alone sleeping in his bed…it was too creepy. "Let's see Bell Hall."

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Lilith cringed as she watched her son being rejected by the little human girl. She understood of course, the mortal felt she had no choice. "Those poor children," Lilith lamented.

Gilgamesh watched the crystal, and followed the rest of the history carefully. "Poor children, indeed," he agreed as he watched Sarah being taken in for therapy. "Poor girl, her nightmares are caused by guilt, yes…but not for having wished the brother away…for having to destroy the one she loved to save him." The old Babylonian sighed deeply. "I doubt she's come to terms with that even now."

Lilith watched the girl braving facing being sent away. "Little wonder my son fell in love with her…she's strong, and she's brave, and she doesn't give up."

The Babylonian leaned forward, "By the old seven pillars… the girl has forced herself to stop dreaming…She's locked herself away…"

Lilith clutched her heart, "No wonder Jareth was so inconsolable…"

In desperation he went to the old books of magic he'd inherited when he became the King. He looked up spell after spell, finding nothing to ease his pain. Then he came upon a hand written potion, whose hand had made the parchment he was not sure. He read over the ingredients and began to amass them. He followed the instructions carefully, and then once the potion was ready took it deep into the heart of the Labyrinth. In the moon light he raised the goblet that held the potion. "If she can forget …so can I…" He placed the goblet to his lips and whispered. "Good bye…my precious thing…." Moments later he drained the goblet. Not one drop was left. He staggered against a tree and whispered. "Everything's…dancing…." Closing his eyes he collapsed to the path.

Lilith was about to end the vision in the crystal, Gilgamesh caught her hand and pointed to a vision forming darkly. It was Sarah, alone, and darkness was descending on her very soul. The Night Queen gasped. "They are bound in this together. To free one we must free the other." The crystal went dark, no other images came. The Queen gathered her cloak and prepared to leave.

Gilgamesh barked, "Lilith, wait."

"Wait? For what, for more destruction, for a child who locks away her dreams in order to appear to be what everyone expects her to be? Or perhaps you want me to wait for my son to awaken from that drought and not know me…." Fire burned where black eyes had been. Her voice shook with anger. "She is the key to restoring my son; I will go and force her to come with me…"

The Babylonian watched the desperate mother. "Listen to me, Queen of the Night! If you want help from that girl…"

"Help?" She questioned. "What I want from that girl is my son's soul returned."

Gilgamesh placed a strong hand to her forearm. "Then think of what you are doing. Your first contact with the girl must be calculated… not a frontal attack… you must be subtle. You must enter her mind when it's at rest… you must come to her in a dream."

Fight left the Queen, her hand went over the one that gripped her arm. "You're right….a dream that she can not refuse." She nodded. "This is her first night back at that …school… when she closes her eyes; she will have her defenses down…Tonight…She dreams."

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Bell Hall had been one of the original buildings of the school when it was opened. It was in fact the first Headmaster's home. Sarah followed Mrs. Browning up the stairs to the second floor corridor. The second floor held the studio apartment and storage rooms. Mrs. Browning unlocked the door of the studio and moved to the curtains to allow light in. If someone had not known they were in the United States and the end of the twentieth century, one would have thought they were looking at a garrison I Paris in another century. Even the furnishings were styled like a Parisian apartment.

Sarah paused before an easel that held a painting that had not been finished. There were many that littered the working room of the studio. "How long ago did the artist leave?" she asked touching the canvas and finding the paint dried.

"It was a just before you came to Briarwood…" Mrs. Browning looked at the strange painting. "He was a very disturbed little man…" She looked at the paintings in various stages of completion. "He never finished any of these…"

Sarah looked beyond the paintings; something here gave her a sense of peace…of belonging. "I like this room." She said softly. "I love it in fact."

"It will be better when we've opened the windows and let some air in," said Karen. "And maybe get these out of the way."

"No!" Sarah placed a hand on the easel. "I want them to stay… I might try my hand at finishing one or two… If that's alright…I mean is the artist coming back for them?"

Mrs. Browning shook her head, "No…he's not coming back." The Bursar turned her attention to the parents. "It's a large space, airy and well lit. She'll be closer to the classrooms here than she'd be in one of the dorms."

Robert didn't like it, but he could see that Sarah did. "Fine… this will do nicely. Thank you for finding her accommodations."

Mrs. Browning watched Sarah gaze at one of the paintings. "Then it's settled. I'll leave you to bring Sarah's things up. Sarah, here is the key to this studio. There's a guard on duty here because of the administrations office. He'll let you in and out."

Sarah, with the help of her parents, and with Toby watching, transformed the studio in a matter of hours into a lovely little hideaway. The Williams family went into Brighton for dinner, and then they left Sarah for the long drive home. Sarah spent some time looking at the paintings that the artist had left behind. So many things looked so familiar, yet she could not fathom why. A faint memory in the back of her mind was fighting to surface, and she would not allow it to. Tired, and excited, the teenager turned out the lights in her studio and crawled into her bed.

She fell into a deep sleep, having her first dream in a year. She was walking in a swirling mist; music was playing in the distance. The music was so faint one could not make out the melody clearly. The mist gave way and she was standing before a pair of great doors. They seemed recognizable but she was not sure from where. They opened and Sarah entered, she moved toward a flickering light. When she entered a circular space, her heart began to pound and fear rose like a snarling beast in her. Franticly she looked about, then her eyes saw the throne, and her mind raced. She turned to flee, but found the passage blocked by shadowy figures she backed away from the. "No!" She put her hands up to her temples. She looked up and saw she was being observed by a woman she didn't know. "Who are you, and why are you doing this to me?"

The woman in long flowing purple garments moved closer, almost appearing to float. "I am Lilith, Queen of the Night and Air….welcome Sarah…"

"You know my name?" The girl asked wanting to run, but saw no avenue of escape. "What do you want from me?"

"I want your help for one who can not ask for himself." The Queen gestured to a low cot surrounded by shadows. "I want you to help my son."

Sarah looked at the cot, at first she could not see the person laying there. Then her vision cleared. "Jareth." She said the name she'd not spoken in nearly two years. She glared at the Queen. "He can die for all I care!" She began to sob and wail. "It's his fault … it's all his fault. Everything that happened to me….all the bad dreams… the doctors…My father not trusting me…It's all his fault."

"He suffers as well." Lilith now stood over the pale figure of Jareth. "Without your help he will die to himself… and the Goblin Realm will be without a King…"

"Good!" the teen snapped viciously. "The world doesn't need it! It's not real….it's not…" she knelt down. "I won't remember… I won't…. wake up Sarah! Wake up…." She rocked back and forth. "It's a nightmare…wake up… wake up.."

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Covered in sweat and clutching herself the girl sat up in the bed. "I won't remember."