Many apologies for those I have captured the interest in. I had an Annie Dillard- Fitzgerald moment. Going in and re-writing, etc. I'm really tight on my current schedule, but I should have another chapter out in a week or two.
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I do not own any of the Labyrinth characters.
I'm always looking at for a beta reader if interested let me know.
Thank you for reading.
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Chapter One: The Hangover
The apartment had been empty for the last several hours, my eyes shriveled from lack of sleep, which I had not received. Jen left for work in hurry as usual, not noticing the destroyed human being on her couch; me. My feelings undamaged, unbothered, unchanged; it was life. I stopped counting the days, months, and years that I discovered self-pity was not a specialty of mine. Those childish habits one is born with eventually wear out, especially the, 'It's not fair' stage. The goblins, the fairies, the monsters, all have no place in reality cannot replace realities; drugs, sex, work, and bills; no matter how hard you try.
This 'destroyed human' on her couch had a nine to five job at a local newspaper called, 'The Clover'. A few chaser hangover pills and perhaps this human can go about her day after a few mints thrown in for luck.
My teenage dreams of being an actress were crushed, or rather given up the day I met with my mother on the summer of when I was nineteen. It's hard to aspire to something great when you discover your role model is a hardcore drug addict, and threatens to mail you off to some foreign country if you don't replace the meth you trashed of. Some actress she turned to be after all. There were no longer any full dreams to be fulfilled afterwards; just life.
Thirty stories of work and labor, more than a thousand people who complain of how their privacy has been invaded. The Clover Company owns this building I work in, where threats, and harassments greet your cubicle every day. My two by two cubical filled with sketches, articles, and a Starbucks cup of coffee starts the day of labor, none of it guarantees me a satisfactory day though. After starting up my computer, Deloris greets with a plastered smile complimenting on how 'lovely' I look today. Her tone doesn't smell of sarcasm, but instead some hardcore bootlickin'. There is no one who appreciates it more than our stereotypical Bob, director of our department on the twenty-third floor, beneath his sheets. It's not my business, and it's unfair, but some just have more motivation to make it in this company than others.
My response; a natural façade smothers my face with a smile and thanks to Deloris. The keys making a loud clacking sound against the tips of my fingers, that sound synchronizes with the others in the office. I cover one-third of the 'Ask Jane!' advice column on this floor, which is absolutely ridiculous; the others have split it into one-sixteenth. Anyways, I crush my response through the keyboard replying to what I presume is a girl, about her boyfriend's affair with her sister. I write a lengthy notion of how I feel for her, and he doesn't deserve her and she should forgive them and be happy; basically bullshit, contradictory bullshit. Personally I would have knocked the guy with a brick and disowned my sibling, and then taken his money and bought a restraining order against my sibling. Yet in this industry there is no room for honesty, got keep something dirty, to make something clean.
Half way through the stack of responses, I can feel my hangover come back. It felt like I was being hit by a bus and no one wanted to call the ambulance in my brain. Great, my body is pissed at me what's new?
When it's time to call it quits for the day, I repeat these steps; smoke, eat, drink, and sleep around if I feel like it. I'm not ashamed nor am I proud, but I'm positive there isn't any dream that could keep me hoping.
The following day I receive a phone call from Toby as I let my legs hang from a stool at a local coffee house, "Hey little man," my voice stutters as I lit another cigarette on my way out. "Hey big sis," a few things in the background shuffle and a few yells, most likely dad and Irene again, "You still coming this weekend?" The long pause makes me put my cigarette out as I gave a reassuring laugh, "Wouldn't miss it for the world kid. Stayed out of my old room right?" I reminded him as I let the nicotine slide through my lips, a childish stutter escapes him, "Y-yeah. Gotta go Sarah bye!" Before I Could even place another word in, he had hung up.
I tried so hard to sleep that night, the first night in weeks where I didn't go out and become some drunken bitch in front the apartment. Oh, how I hated doing that to Jen. The rain thrashed on the transparent window, I listened to it for few moments before turning to the window. My eyes felt hallow as I watched the rain starring back at me, almost as if it were apologizing for something it couldn't take back. Water started to fall from my eyes, I couldn't help it. There was a strong emotion somewhere between the rain and my nightmares; I was losing.
'Goodnight Sarah'
I remember a bitter taste in my mouth that morning before I got on the plane to New England. It was an awful taste at that. I rested my head in the head of the seat, listening to the flight attendant do her thing and instructing and winking, etc. Personally I was extremely irritated with her Barbie mask, a few pills in my mouth and I'm out cold for the next four hours.
Irene and my dad greeted me warmly at the door soon to be followed by Toby. Toby was quick to tell me of his high school adventures to make a strong impression on how 'cool' he really was. "My little Toby a theatre kid, who would have thought," I grinned to him sincerely as I sipped the tea prepared by Irene. Irene and my father continue to give a nervous glance at me as I sip, meaning I wasn't brought on a pleasure trip after all. "Toby I think you should head to bed dear, you have a big day tomorrow," Irene cooed through her thin lips, almost eagerly.
After Toby had been sent away, I clearly noticed the tension rise in the small New England home. "Well?" I question closing my eyes, silently tasting the mint from the tea, "It's about Toby I suppose?" my hand placed the cup on the coaster to look into their eyes. It was clear to see I had nailed it, "Yes Sarah," my father looked at me almost as if he was going to strike me. "It's about that ridiculous book of yours'!" His voice became shrill and unpleasant, "What book?! I haven't been inside this home in nearly seven years!"
Irene spent the next half hour trying to settle us down from a family feud, her being the supposed peacemaker, "I'll repeat it one more time old man, what book?" Irene had pulled a small red leather bound book, "Labyrinth"
"Where did you get this dad?" my eyes became large and dilated as I looked in terror; I had spent years trying to destroy that book, yet it always came back into my life. "Get it away from me now," I staggered my breathing as I became light-headed, "Not until you tell us why Toby is getting all worked up over this book!" A numb feeling became to take over my body as I felt light and scared, "Get it away from me please!" he continued to press me until I busted, "Get that fucking bloody book away from me!!"
I don't remember what happened afterwards, but I woke up inside my old room. That's when I heard him inside my head, 'And you believed you could forget me? Silly girl' my nails dug into my skin as I tried to erase that voice. "Sarah? It's Toby," my brother had walked in, looking me up and down in panic, "It's my fault I'm sorry!" he cried to me sitting on my bed.
"I called them! I called them!" his eyes were rimmed with red as if he had been crying, "Toby who'd you call?" I was frightened more than before. "I don't want to see you hurt anymore by him anymore, and I tried to get rid of that book so you wouldn't have to see it anymore. I know you told me not to go inside your room, but I missed you so much I wanted to see room, and I found that book! That stupid book you kept trying to get rid of! And…And…." I caressed the top of his platinum head, "Relax kid, it was nightmare. A really bad nightmare ok? It never happened. They're not going to take you away again ok?"
The expression on his face had changed drastically as if he had woken up, "Pull it together alright? You're supposed to be playing Macbeth tomorrow, he's the bad guy and you certainly don't look like one right now" I laughed slightly and patted his head. "I know Irene and Dad have been stressing you out, but that's their fight not yours. No matter what happens kid, you've got me and I'm not going anywhere" this was one the rare occasions where I didn't fall asleep in the fetal position, and I was happy about it.
"You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King! I want my brother back, please, if it's all the same." My voice called out foolishly towards the monstrosity before me, mocking my foolish wish. "What's said is said," his hands toyed with a small crystal starring me down as if I was his prey, coyly trying to twist my answers and wishes, "But, I didn't mean it!"
"Oh, you didn't?"
"Toby!" My arms grasped a small blonde head towards my chest as I heaved in fright, "I'm right here and you're crushing my skull Sarah!" I let him out of my grasp as I sighed and wiped the sweat off of my head, "You alright Sarah?" I nodded my head silently waiting for my heart race to slow down, "Yeah, just a really bad dream that's all. A really bad dream."
'Could you really ever forget Sarah?'
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