Disclaimer: I lied on the last one, I'm sorry.

Chapter 2: blackmail with a little white mail

It was around two o'clock where Sarah began getting those 'uh oh' vibes. Those ones that can make a person want to check every door, every window…grab a baseball bat... Well, she didn't grab a baseball bat. She was in the kitchen so she held up a dinky plastic spatula like a weapon. Shake it off girl, you're just getting those after-underground boogities, Her mind chastised her.

I was really strange though… at first she was happily preparing herself some scrabbled eggs, which were beginning to burn she could smell, and then she had a scary sensation of intrusion. As if someone was-

Around…

"Hello?"

No answer sounded predictably in her empty house, Karen and the baby were out shopping and her dad was at work, so it made sense that no one should answer.

But…

Sarah sighed. Perhaps she was just jumpy, and it totally made sense. Yesterday she went to a different dimension and found out fairy tales were true. Seriously, that is not of the norm. Jitters were acceptable.

She may even be like this for days. Last night she had dreamt she was back in an oubliette. It was scary at first, but when she woke up- her eggs were burning.

"Crap!"

She grabbed for the pan, pulling it off the stove a little too quickly because the eggs slid onto her hand causing her to drop it.

"Ahh! Double crap!"

Her voice chorused the same time the pan hit the floor. Sighing again, a little more exaggerated this time, she chucked her weapon on the counter and kicked egg bits off her foot.

She guessed she'd be surprising Karen with a freshly moped floor…oh boy…

The mop was in a small closet next to the basement stairs which were located on the other side of the kitchen. Without looking in, and just feeling around for it Sarah yanked on the mop causing several miscellaneous cleaning supplies to clamor against her shins.

When she made it back to the kitchen counter Merlin was already gobbling up her spilt lunch.

"Well, I'm glad somebody likes my cooking, ehn puppy?"

He made a happy little woof.

"Truth is, a few minutes ago I was feeling a little creeped out so I'm glad you found your way inside…" He had something on his back. "…hey boy what'cha got on ya? Is that…is that a little saddl--?"

WAIT.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no….."

'He's my loyal steed…'

"Hello Ambrosious..."

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So that was a 'somebody's here' vibe!

"Sir Didymous!! Sir Didymous are you here??" She searched all around her house. Ambrosious followed her halfway through her search, and then apparently gave up and fell asleep curled on the couch.

"Sir Didymous! Answer me! Are you here?!"

This was a problem. It wasn't that she didn't love her friends, but she wondered if anything else from the labyrinth could wander to and fro each world. Imagine what the goblins would do…the junk people… the fierys… 'Eh? 'er 'ead don' come off!'

Good lord. Not the fierys!

"Sir Didymous! You've got to be here!! Hello?"

When she swung open her bedroom door her entire room was filled with a sort of mist. Covering her nose she cautiously entered. Nothing seemed moved, no everything was in order…except… a small envelope taped on to her mirror.

It was foggy, but she could clearly make out the small word seemingly rushed when it was written on top of it.

'HELP'

Grabbing the envelope quickly and dashing out of her room, she closed the door with a slam and watched as some of the fog was seeping out underneath and on the sides of it.

Wasting no more time, Sarah ripped open the envelope revealing a small white card that also had one word on it with the same rushed handwriting.

'BALCONY'

She knew what it meant. Her parent's balcony was the place she entered the labyrinth from the first time. It meant it wanted her to go back there, to do it again…

"Oh no. No. No… No…" Each no gave off a more and more doomed sound.

In the back of her mind she knew this had to be a trap. If they were so rushed that they couldn't even write neatly, why did they bother placing in an envelope? Or taping it to her mirror? Wasn't yelling faster than writing also? Why didn't they scream for her? She was already assuming that this was sent by her friends- in particular Sir Didymous- but, everything about it was so strange… and also, she really, really (safe to add a couple more 'reallys' in there) didn't want to go back.

She had to think about this. She decided to count the pros and cons.

"Okay, they're my friends. I need to save them. (One.)

But I don't actually know if this was sent by my friends! (Two.)

Okay. But who else would? (Three.)

I'd rather chew my own foot than go back in there. (Four.)

They saved me. (Five.)

This has to be a trap. (Six.)

It might not be…they might really be in trouble. (Seven.)

I don't have a choice. (Eight. And Final.)"

Thinking briefly that she should grab supplies- she ran, faster then one would assume, downstairs to grab a flashlight, bottled water, some granola bars and a couple apples, a switch blade, a box of band-aids (bandages would be better, but she had no idea if she had any), a lighter and some multi-colored rubber bands (hey- Hoggle loved her cheapo plastic bracelet, perhaps she could use them as a type of currency…) and shoved them all in a small backpack she had used as a purse for a while. She then grabbed a denim jacket and slowly made her way back upstairs.

"Ambrosious… here, boy.. wrrtwrrrtwrrt" She whistled as she cautiously took each step up.

She probably should change out of her skirt as well, she realized, but as she came up the stairs she saw that the mist escaping her room was beginning to liquefy and become some sort of nasty grey ooze.

"Lovely…" She whispered. Ambrosious brushed again her leg. She hadn't even heard him follow her.

"Good boy."

They stopped right at her parent's and Toby's room.

"Well boy… this is it. This is what separates the boys from men. Err… girls from women, and puppies from…yeah. Let's go."

Clutching the door handle, she didn't even get to walk in before everything swirled around her and went black.

………………………..

a/n ohh two chapters in one day… nifty ja?  I love you people. Your comments are so sweet.

Next Chapter: Wanna go underground?