AN: I have recently bought a pair of leather shoes that I am in love with, I own a couple of cute t-shirts and a pair of jeans that apparently make my bum look good, however there is not much else in the world that I can officially state as belonging to me. Especially any good movie or story, including The Labyrinth. I have recently drooled over a few excellent stories by Jack Hawksmoor, Nico Morrison and Lixxle. However, I also do not own these and can only dream of a visit by a slightly over-dressed goblin, welding a fork. Thank you to all those before me for inspiring me to write my own Labyrinth tale, I can only apologize for any people being put off such a great movie by my story efforts – I only write because I have so enjoyed the efforts of those before me. xxLani
Chapter1: A Call for Help
Sarah sighed as she opened her eyes, and took in her surroundings. She was sitting at a picnic bench close to the edge of a creek. It was a cloudy, misty sort of day, with a hint of a breeze that rustled the weeping willows that lined the edge of the river. There was no-one else here on this slightly damp Saturday afternoon. A place that normally would be over-run with happy families on a sunny week-end day, was quiet and somber – just the way Sarah liked it. It was on days like this that she would come here and daydream.
She shook her head at herself and smiled ruefully. It was a waste of her time coming here, she knew, but it was an addiction that was just too hard to give up. A moments reprieve from an ordinary life. A life where she would walk down the street and no-one would notice, where work was a never-ending cycle with the small window of the week-end as a chance for something interesting, something different that could happen, but usually didn't. She slowly walked back to her car and longed for something different in her life. "I wish"… she said out loud and smiled. It had been years since she had spoken those words aloud – oh, well, may as well finish it, its was out there now. "I wish that I was needed, that I was wanted by someone… somewhere."
And somewhere, in a different time and place, in a world different to hers, where the dark skies of night-time looked down upon a stony maze that surrounded a castle high on a hill, a star fell.
Sarah awoke suddenly. She had been falling endlessly and felt there had been someone calling to her for help. But the voice was distant and hard to hear and she didn't recognize the caller. That is so wrong and you know it, she told herself as her breathing returned to normal. There was something familiar about that voice in her dream – she didn't recognize it, but she knew in her heart that she had to know that person, whoever it was she had met them – him - somewhere before. Him, she thought as she got ready for work, now why did that disturb her even more knowing that it was a man? She concentrated hard on the voice as she brushed her teeth and put her hair up, and shook her head. There were no words in the dream, just a far off voice, scared, needing help, and it pained her heart hearing the doubt and fear in it.
Sarah tried to put the dream out of her head as she got to the office, Mondays were always the worst day of the week for her, as for most people. Being an accountant, Sarah earned enough money to be comfortable, but she was caring less about the money these days and her thoughts constantly went to what her life may have been like if she hadn't given away her dreams of being an actress when she was only 16. She had put aside her childish, selfish ways and had grown up. She had become sensible. Too much so, according to her best friend Lynne who opened Sarah's door with a flourish and collapsed into the chair opposite, "Well, Sarah, I hope you had a good reason for blowing me off on Saturday night – although, I did end up being the only person Nathan talked to all night. I guess that would have been different if you had come." Lynne pouted a bit and looked for Sarah's response. "I am sorry Lynne, your party was on this weekend? I thought it was the next one! Your birthday is on Friday, after all. I promise, I won't forget that – in fact I did happen to buy the most gorgeous present for you." She smiled at Lynne, "Actually, I have it here now, I couldn't wait until Friday to give it to you." Holding out the small box to Lynne, Sarah knew she was forgiven.
Lynne ripped the purple tissue paper off the box and squealed when she saw the bracelet inside. "It's beautiful," she sighed as she fixed the clasp on the fine gold bracelet and held up her arm to admire it. "Speaking of beautiful," her eyes sliding from the jewelry to Sarah's face, "Mike was asking about you on Saturday night." Sarah laughed, "Mike isn't beautiful, he's …" she paused, looking for the right word, "he's rugged," she said and sighed. Lynne knew the type Sarah went for, the pretty boys never even caught a glance from Sarah when she walked on by, and this suited Lynne just fine. She would take them and Sarah would go for the dark, handsome type. At least that's how Sarah described them, as handsome, but Lynne though of them more as rough. Not bad looking, certainly, but they both had different taste in men, which worked well for their friendship. "So, what did he say?" Sarah tried to sound nonchalant. "Ha, I knew it!" Lynne's face gleamed wickedly, "You are so hot for him!" "I don't think 'hot' is the correct term," Sarah shifted in her seat uncomfortably, "maybe just a bit curious?" "Well," Lynne said as she rose from her seat, admiring her bracelet again, "perhaps if you are curious enough, you might be willing to find out from the man himself what he said. I'll see you for lunch." And with that Lynne was gone leaving Sarah to her work and thoughts on Mike – her dream and that voice, now the last thing on her mind.
Sarah sighed as she walked through the front door of her apartment. Lynne had given no more away on what Mike had said at the party, and though Sarah was somewhat interested in the unusual man… it wasn't enough to pursue him. True, Sarah was the type to daydream. She would fantasize about the romantic man that would rescue her from a dreary life and sweep her off her feet…. But she wouldn't go chasing him. In fact, she always had thought, with her over-active imagination, that if ever a man caught her attention enough for her to go after him, then surely he would be the one. Oh, there had been plenty of good-looking guys that Sarah had found attractive enough and had been interested in her, but unless they instigated things, it never really seemed to happen. And even through the relationship, she dreamed of a man that would take her breath away, that would make her feel… like she was dancing on the air.
She grimaced at herself as she got ready for bed that night. If only she would let her hair down a bit, take a chance, then maybe something amazing would happen to her. Sarah scrubbed her face and looked into the bathroom mirror. Some mornings she would look at herself and see an attractive, confident woman in the mirror. Ready to take on all the adventures the universe could possibly throw at her. On other days she would see the bags beneath her eyes and the self-doubt in her eyes. It was this thought that spurred her to action. I don't want that anymore, she thought to herself. As she prepared to sleep she opened her window in her small room and impulsively said to the night, "Here I am, I'm ready."
She left the window open that night and lay down to sleep. She felt a bit foolish for what she had said out the window, but mostly relieved. As if a burden had been lifted from her. And when she shut her eyes to sleep, she fell. But not as in a dream when the falling is the last, and you awaken breathless and sweaty. But this was the beginning, and when Sarah awoke she found she was running, and the dreaming was, in fact, the waking.