19 MIRACLES IN THE DARK
Sarah wasn't sure how long they walked. It seemed like hours as she tormented herself with the how's and why's. Many a time it seemed as though they'd doubled back on themselves and soon she'd lost any sense of direction, hoping against hope that Hoggle really did know where he was going. She could feel a slight tug of fear on her heart at the thought that if he did not, they were hopelessly lost. They might never find a way out, and once again she was without food, and had been for several hours. Strange that she craved food when she had so much else on her mind, but there was no chance of finding food anywhere in here, the place was desolate. It consisted of circular stone walls, covered in places by slimy moss and lichen. How it grew here she had no idea as there was no light, but grow it did and at times made the going quite hard. It was as she slipped on a large chunk of wet moss, barely managing to keep her balance, that her stomach gave forth a mighty growl.
"Yes Sarah, I must admit I too am hungry."
At that Sarah did actually fall, due to the shock she felt at hearing Devon speak. She'd never heard him speak and although she never doubted for a second that he was an intelligent creature, the various looks she'd seen on his face told her that much, she had never expected him to actually speak to her. As she felt her feet go out from under her, her arms lashed out automatically in an attempt to find something to grab on to, and that's when she had her second shock as left hand closed around a sturdy branch. Steadying herself on it she stood up again and looked up to find herself staring at an apple tree. Her earlier comment of nothing in the Labyrinth surprising her anymore flew into her head and she realised how naïve she really was. Of course it surprised her, it surprised her at every turn. Everything she saw was a shock to her system, this world was so different to her own, how could she help but be surprised. And now she was staring at an enormous apple tree.
The trunk itself must have been almost a meter in diameter, taking up more than half of the tunnel. The branch she had grabbed hold of, and most of the others as well, was thicker than her arm. Its branches extended up and over the roof, going on into the distance until they were no longer visible. The apples themselves seemed larger than normal apples, at least half the size again of what she was used to. It was only as she looked closer at them that she realised they were Golden Delicious and gave a quiet laugh. They were her favourite apple, hell they were the only apples she actually liked and here was an entire tree of them. She looked down at Hoggle and Samael's faces and the confusion on them showed the tree had not been there moments before when they had passed, and so Sarah's suspicions were confirmed. It was a gift from Jareth. She wasn't sure how she knew this, she just did, and it gave her hope. Hope that he was actually watching over her, that he'd always been watching over her and that he cared for her, as she cared for him.
As she looked around at her friends, the looks on their faces told her she had spoken aloud. Blushing furiously she reached for an apple. For a fleeting moment as she plucked it from the tree she worried these may have a spell on them like the peach, but she quickly dismissed the thought from her mind. Why would Jareth do that? What advantage would it give him? She wasn't running the Labyrinth, there was no point bespelling the apples, so quickly she bit into the one in her hand and was instantly delighted by the juiciness of it. She'd barely swallowed the first bite when she felt a familiar dizziness and disorientation. Her legs became weak and once more she grabbed onto the tree for support before her legs finally gave way and she collapsed. Looking up she could see Hoggle's worried face seemingly floating in front of her, his mouth moving, his words unrecognisable to her ears. A blurred language of which she could discern no meaning. Slowly the darkness descended on her until she passed into unconsciousness.