Chapter 7

Sarah's P.O.V

Anger surged through Sarah. How dare he kiss me after blackmailing me! She thought. She whirled around and brought her fist down on her dressing table trying to fight back tears that threatened to fall. Her jewellery box burst open and a load of plastic jewellery tumbled out she grabbed them and hurled them at the wall with a cry of frustration.

A knock sounded at her door, Sarah froze.

"Sarah honey? Are you ok? What was that bang?" Her dad called from the other side of the door. Sarah took in a deep breath trying to reign in her temper.

"I'm ok... my um... history book fell onto the floor." She said lamely, however her father didn't seem to notice her weak excuse.

"Right, well dinner will be ready in five." He called

Sarah leaned against her vanity to support as the anger seemed to drain out of her leaving her feel empty and dejected. She heard her father's footsteps going down the stairs and rushed over to the door. Wrenching it open she learned out.

"I don't really feel like dinner tonight, do you mind if I just go to bed? She called.

"No that's fine, hope you feel better." Her father called from downstairs.

She shut the door and pressed her back, the miserable feeling inside of her growing. She slowly slid down the door till she sat on the floor. She had thirteen hours to choose between her family and her friends. How could she make a choice like that in only thirteen hours? Sarah didn't know how long she sat there by the door but by the time she roused herself away from the tangle of thought that were buzzing around her head, the light had faded from the sky and her room was very dark.

She clambered over to her bed and fell exhausted onto it without bothering to change into her night clothes. Sleep evaded her for hours; she was still tossing and turning when she heard her Father and Karen go to bed. Her friends had done so much for her; if it wasn't for them she never would have rescued Toby. But how could she leave her Father and Toby behind? Her father had been her rock when her mother had left and she had only recently discovered how much fun having a little brother could be. Was she really willing to give up her whole life to save her friends? If she did she would never see her family again, she would become a faint memory to Toby, an older sister he didn't quite remember.

Finally sleep came but it was restless. Sarah found herself back in the Labyrinth again and up ahead she saw the familiar figure of Hoggle she called out to him he turned towards her a look of relief crossing his leathery face. She ran towards him but the walls of the Labyrinth shifted and blocked her path to him.

"Hoggle!" she screamed as she ran down different paths trying to find a way to reach her friend. She hardly noticed as the stone walls turned to neat hedges as she ran passed.

"Sawah!" a deep voice boomed behind her. Sarah skidded to a halt and spun. There behind her at the end of the passage was Ludo, his orange brown fur stood out against the lush green of the hedges.

"Don't worry Ludo I'm coming!" She called and began to run towards him. But again, just before she reached him a hedge magically grew to bar her path.

"No!" she screamed as she tried in pain to push her way through the hedge that stood between her and Ludo.

Just then a hysterical laughter came from her right she turned just as two of the Fire Gang burst through the hedge.

"Hey Lady! You still got your head!" One cackled

"What do you want?" Sarah asked cautiously.

"What us?" asked the second one

She nodded

"We're just having ourselves a good time. Wahoo" a third shouted as it jumped out of the hedge directly behind Sarah causing her to jump.

"Hey! Maybe she should join us!" The fist one shirked.

"Yeah! Take of your head!" The others yelled as they clustered around her.

"Not again!" Sarah cried as she pushed her way through the growing horde of Fieries.

"Hey get back here!" They yelled as they began to give chase.

"Leave me alone!" She yelled over her shoulder.

"Don't worry Milady I shall save thee!" Sarah glanced behind her in time to see Sir Didymus rushing into the throng of Fieries.

"Sir Didymus!" she called as the little Fox knight was swept away in a mass of red fur and flaying limbs.

Now Sarah found herself all alone in the fiery forest.

"Hoggle? Ludo?" she called desperately.

"They're not far Sarah love. You can find them easily enough." Sarah recognised the male voice that came from behind her and turned slowly to face the Goblin King.

He stood there dressed in his goblin army regalia. Slowly he walked up and circled her before stopping in front of her and offered her a crystal.

"All you have to do is except my offer and they all are free."

Sarah eyed the crystal, she was very tired. Would it be so very bad to accept his offer? She watched as her hand reached out and paused just above the crystal. Stop! A small part of her brain screamed, don't give in! She withdrew her hand.

"I'll find another way!" she hissed and turned and ran through the woods determined to find her friends no matter how long it took.

The ground gave way beneath her and suddenly she was falling. She was back in the tunnel of helping hands but this time they refused to help her and let her fall.

"Somebody help me!" Sarah cried out. Sarah felt her hand grabbed and her fall halted. She looked up but could see only blackness. Sarah felt herself being slowly pulled up and abruptly she finds herself out in the open in the dry wasteland that surrounds the outside of the Labyrinth.

"Are you alright?" a female voice asks from Sarah's side. She turned her head to see a black cloaked figure kneeling beside her. Sarah could see nothing of her face as it was hidden in shadows of a hood.

"Who are you?" Sarah asked scooting away, who knew what was under that hood?.

The figure straightened up.

"I'm a friend Sarah so don't be scared."

"How do you know my name?" she asked also getting up.

"Everyone in the Underground knows of the girl who defeated the Goblin King. You're something of a novelty."

"Where are we?" Sarah asked looking around.

The figure shrugged.

"It's your dream so you tell me. If I had to guess though I'd say we are a few miles away from the entrance to the Labyrinth."

"My dream? The figure nodded, "so all this is in my head? It's not real?"

"Nope although horrible things that just happened came from you own head. You humans are slaves to your own minds."

"So you're not real either?" Sarah asked.

"Oh I'm real, I've just manifested myself into you dream which isn't an easy thing to do you know."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here because you need my help." The female said simply.

"How can you help?"

"I can help by saving you from the Goblin King."

"You can rescue my friends?" Sarah asked eagerly. The figure shook her head.

"Only you can do that Sarah. If you accept the Goblin King's offer he will release them from the dungeons and then I will be able to send them far away where the goblin King will never be able to find them."

"But then I'll be trapped with the Goblin King!" Sarah sobbed.

"Not for long, with your friends gone he will have no leverage over you and I can easily open a portal back to the Aboveground. You and your friends would be out of his reach before he knew you had gone."

"Why should I trust you? I don't even know you. Why won't you show me your face?" Sarah asked. The cloaked figure shifted uneasily.

"I said manifesting was hard. I'm not very good at dream magic, by appearing as a cloaked figure, I don't have to consternate on holding the details of my appearance together."

"You can use magic? Does that mean you're the same as the Goblin King?"

"No," The figure said indignantly "I'm a witch."

"You mean you wear a pointy hat and fly on a broomstick?"

The figure raised its arms in exasperation.

"You humans and your stereotypes. No Sarah not that kind of Witch."

"Why do you want to help me? I thought witches were evil." Sarah asked

"I want to help you because I'm tired of the Goblin King thinking he can take everything he wants. You are one of the last Humans in the Aboveground that still believes in magic without your believe Sarah magic would die out in the Aboveground. He might not care about that but I do. As for Witches being evil that's a rumour put about by the church to persuade people to burn us."

"That's horrible!"

"That's Human nature. You fear what you don't understand and your fear makes you do horrible things. Lucky for you I don't hold a grudge. Now we're running out of time will you accept my help or not?"

"Yes but you have to promise that you will return me to my Family."

"I swear by my life's blood that I will return you to your Family."

"Thank you."

The wasteland around them began to blur.

"What's happening?" Sarah asked worriedly.

"Your waking up, here take this." An amulet of Celtic knot design with a red stone at the centre was thrust into her hands. "When you're in the Underground it will lead you to me."

"Wait! I don't even know your name!" Sarah called after the figure who was rapidly fading away.

"I'll tell you when next we meet!" the distant reply came.

Sarah woke abruptly; she was lying on her bed in the clothes she had worn the day before. Was that real? She asked herself she looked down at her hands, there was no amulet. You sighed miserable just her luck to dream about having a way out only wake and find that she didn't. She glanced at her clock, 7:25, she thought back to the previous evening. By her counting her thirteen hours were almost up.

She got up and walked over to her vanity, sat down and began to brush her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror she was very pale and had dark shadows under her eyes both signs of her restless night. Her clothes had the crinkled look that all clothes get after having been slept in. In fact the only thing that looked good about Sarah's dishevelled refection was the beautiful gold amulet with the red stone that hung around her neck.

Sarah did a double take. It was the necklace from her dream. She raised a hand to where the pendant lay on her chest. Yes it was there, warm to the touch as if she'd been wearing all night. She fingered the jewel and watched as its refection flashed in the early morning light.

"It was real." she whispered. Relief flooded through her she could save her friends and return to her family. She smiled as she tucked the amulet inside her shirt and went back to brushing her hair.

A few minutes later she was startled by The Goblin Kings strong voice from behind her.

"Well then precious have you made your decision?"

Sarah turned in her seat to glare at the Goblin King.

"Do you have to do that?"

"Do what love?"

"Appear suddenly out of nowhere?"

The Goblin King smirked down at her.

"It wouldn't be half so fun if people knew I was just about to appear my dear."

"It's irritating." She snapped at him and she turned back to her mirror. She watched him carefully in the mirror. Today he was dressed in black from head to toe and it made him seem more menacing.

"Really Sarah is that the way you should speak to someone who has your friends locked in a dungeon?" He asked strolling up behind her and leaning down over her shoulder watching her reflection in the mirror. Sarah pursed her lips but said nothing. The Goblin King turned his head slightly so he could whisper directly into her ear.

"So my dear, what's it going to be?" he asked. Sarah squirmed slightly as his breath tickled her ear.

"You will release my friends and not harm them?" she asked staring into the mirror.

"So long as you behave yourself precious." He replied a grin playing across his lips.

"Then I will go."

She saw the Goblin king's reflection smile.

"Smart choice Precious."

He quickly kissed her on the cheek before grabbing her hand and pulling her out of her seat.

"Stop doing that!" Sarah complained whipping her hand across the cheek he had kissed. He only laughed.

"You'll have to get used to that my dear; I'm going to be doing it a lot."

"Not if I can help it." Sarah muttered under her breath, he ignored her.

"Since I am pleased with you acceptance Sarah, I shall allow you to take one thing with you."

"One thing! You mean you won't let me pack any of my clothes?" She asked horrified.

The Goblin King gaze swept over the clothes she was wearing.

"Human clothing won't do for my Queen and anyway I've already had a new wardrobe made for you."

Sarah scowled up at him.

"How did you know I would say yes?"

"Because my dear you aren't the type of girl who would let her friends rot in a dungeon. Now hurry up and choose what you wish to take."

Sarah looked around her room and her eyes rested on a small red velvet book.

"I'll take this." she said picking up The Labyrinth. The Goblin King smiled.

"Ah yes our story, what an excellent choice." Quick as a flash he snaked his arm around Sarah's waist pulling her against his chest. In a whirl of glitter both Sarah and the Goblin King disappeared from the room.