Labyrinth: Herbs and Birds

Chapter 2, A New Secret

I barely made it to class on time, it was a miracle that Judy Bakerson hadn't tried to take my seat in the front row again, she was always was looking for ways to get on my case since I started as a freshman at the local community college, now here she was years later always trying to get on my nerves. Do I detest the young woman? I wish I didn't but yes, the blonde coo-coo head seemed to have a life goal in making my miserable. Even though I got my seat in time, she had decided to threaten my poor desk mate into leaving so she could sit next to me before the teacher arrived, I chose to ignore her as she gave me her phony Cover girl sticky smile.

"SSooooo, what's new Alex?"

"Morning Judy, sorry can't talk need to study."

The blonde twirled her newly highlighted platinum hair with a manicured finger, "That's not much of a greeting, so what's new?"

I put on my reading glasses and continued to ignore her, "need to study Judy bug off."

"That's not what Rob said last night"

That's her idea of torturing me this morning? No blackmail for answers on the next test, or making me do her hw? No, today she just wanted to try and open an old wound in the heart to make me lose my cool. Rob was my ex-fiancé, we were engaged for three years of supposed bliss, till I found out Judy seduced him and got him to end our engagement. Judy knew from Rob that I was still a virgin and didn't want to enjoy sex until marriage, unlike Judy I have principles. Rob has been hers for about a year now since we began RN training, and the girl always found an opportunity to rub it in my face.

I decide to ignore her and look out the window instead, hoping to escape and run outdoors feeling the long green grass between my toes and enjoy the early spring sights and smells.

I could have sworn that I saw the same handsome barn owl from that morning in my garden; he was perched in a tree next to the classroom window, the same one that transformed into a man, a prince, a king? I shook my head, maybe I'm not getting enough sleep? I convince myself that I was losing my mind and chose to ignore him, hoping he would go away. All the students in the class noticed him as well and soon there was a crowd by the room windows to stare at the owl. I glanced over my shoulder again and saw the owl's mismatched eyes stare right at me! I hid my face in my textbook when our Instructor walked, people still didn't move from the window.

"Good Morning, why are you all at the window?"

When everyone looked at the teacher to answer, the owl vanished! After some groans in disappointment for the distraction, life seemed to return to normal for me. I listened and took notes during lectures, did drills with new medical equipment in the classroom lab, but I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was still watching me.

It was around 4pm when I finished my long classes and drove to my Mom's bookstore to work. As I worked on dusting shelves, rearranging volumes, setting up the latest novels at the shop window, I once again looked up and saw the same owl sitting on top of one of the town's lampposts! He was once again staring at my every move no matter how much I tried to avoid his gaze. Why was he doing this? Then I remembered the parchment that was delivered to me that morning, I realized at I hadn't spoken to Sarah for two weeks now, both of us were preparing for Midterms, and her Literature classes were on the other side of the campus from the medical buildings. We usually called of hung out on the weekend, but we were so caught up in school work we haven't had the time. Was the invitation true? Could the Labyrinth exist? Or has Sarah's fascination of the Goblin King gone too far?

Then it hit me while I cleaned the counter near the register, Sarah does have feelings for the Goblin King! That explained all the signs over the years, her blushing cheeks, girlish urges for more sketches of him, the perfectly elaborate details, the day dreaming, it all made sense now! My cousin and best friend had fallen for a fantasy book character!

Once my shift was over, I went into my Mom's back office and shut the door behind me, I used the office phone to call Sarah's apartment. She had decided to move out so she would be closer to the campus so she wouldn't need to buy a car she rode her bicycle to school as a form of exercise. I got no answer, so I called Aunt Karen's home phone.

"Hey Karen? It's Alex-"

"Alex? Have you heard the good news?"

I held the receiver away from my ear as she squealed over the other end,

"So it is true? Sarah's-?"

She cut me off again in all of her excitement, " She's engaged! And to handsome foreign man! British I think…very smooth charmer! He's very mature! And a successful businessman! He even has a compassionate side of him, Toby adored him right away! I've never seen him react that way to a strange man before! Kept calling him a king! And I don't blame him, he carries himself as if he had royal blood lines, which he probably does! Ooooohhhhhh I'm so excited! A union like this such a hot topic of gossip with the girls at the country club this weekend, I bet you just found out that your part of the wedding party? You and Sarah were always such peas in a pod!"

"Well, I guess, but Karen-"

"Oh! When are you going to get hitched? I understand this could be your last semester before you graduate? Maybe Mr. King could introduce you to a couple of eligible bachelor friends at the wedding?"

"Wait! Who?" I've learned long ago from Sarah when it was a good time to halt Karen from her rabbling gossip, and when to keep silent to learn all she could.

"Jareth King dear, you remember him of course! Sarah told me you and her have known him for years, she said she would spend hours begging you to draw his portrait for her. I personally I don't blame her! Such a handsome face like that could have been carven by angels!"

The name sounded familiar, but the part that hit me was the fact that she said that Sarah had me draw his profile, it couldn't be…

"Hello? Alex? You still there?"

"Uhhhh, yes, I'm here, I-"

"Oops! Gotta go dear, Toby just got home, talk to you about wedding details soon!"

With that she hung up, and I was left dazed with the dial tone going off in my ears, was this really happening?

I snapped out of it and returned the phone to its cradle. I thought more about the recent turn of events as I gathered my back pack and walked to the parking lot across the street:

A strange invitation arrived (by bubble!) into the gazebo

A handsome stranger (with similar trademarks of the Goblin King sketches) flies (as an owl) into my garden to take me to my cousin

The same strange owl has been following me around school (literally) then disappears

Karen confirms that Sarah is engaged, to some British rich guy who carries himself like a king,(who happens to share the same name as the Goblin King in her favorite fairy tale)

Karen says that I have been sketching the man she loves for years

I got into my car, locked the doors and rubbed my temple, feeling a headache coming on. It made no sense, yet to me it did make sense! All the evident given to me has been pointing me to the Labyrinth story! Yet, why did my logical mind refuse to believe that any of it was real? I mean I do remember wishing in the past that the world would be real to make Sarah happy, but not all wishes come true right? Heck, if all wishes came true I would have been married and on my way to Ireland for my honeymoon by now.

I sighed and started the engine to drive home, not noticing the owl was once again following me.

Once I got home, I noticed something was different when I got into the house, it was dark. It was almost evening and it was getting dark outside, Dad should have been home already making a fire to greet Mom with before she could start dinner. As I glanced around the quiet house, I realized that no one was home. Then I heard a crashing noise coming from my bedroom down the hall. I grabbed the poker by the fire place and softly walked down the hallway to my room, where, I think I heard giggling from inside. Giggles that you would likely hear from small children, it made me wonder how children got this deep into the forest and entered a locked house? I gripped the door handle, took a quick breath and flew open the door to find-

"what the He-?"

"Hiya Lady! We help! We help!"

I couldn't believe my eyes, there were little creatures in my room! They are throwing things around, jumping on my bed, pulling things out of my drawers and clothset, and tossing my makeup from my bathroom into the air! I didn't know what to think or react shock or rage?

Then they suddenly bowed on their knees, one of them that seemed to be the leader of the crazy band spoke, "Welcome your Majesty, we help the Lady Sarah's Lady Cousin!"

That is when I felt someone's hot breathing on the back of my neck, I turned around quickly only to be standing a few inches away from the owl stranger, who was now somewhat human again. On closer inspection I could see that his ears looked pointed and his eyes really were mismatched. There was a difference as well, there was a white taped bandage over the bridge of his nose. I wasn't seeing things after all!

"I allowed you the time you needed to go to school, I assume your life is no longer at risk? We have already wasted enough time, don't you wish to see your cousin?"

I was completely tongue tied by everything happening to me, I found myself stuttering.

"I…I…d-don't understand, what?"

The giant man just arrogantly smirked down at my confused face. The smug jerk knew I was uncomfortable, yet he didn't look so intimidating anymore with that damaged nose.

"Miss Williams, if we do not leave now, the King will have my head, even if he is my brother."

I swallowed and somehow found my voice again.

"The, Goblin King, right? King Jareth?"

The man, Garth I think his name was, sighed, "Your cousin said that you were clever Miss Williams, I didn't expect a challenge out of you."

"Pardon me?"

The man stepped further down the hall and indicated with a gloved hand for me to follow; I cautiously followed, still gripping the poker in my hand. As we walked into the living room, he seemed to form what looked like a perfectly rounded crystal in his hand. I felt mesmerized by the magician's trick and wondered if I hadn't lost my mind. Inside the crystal I swore I could see a tall dark castle with a sunset background, Garth spoke again.

"This is where I'll escort you Miss Williams, but in order to get there the first time you must repeat these words."

He handed me a piece of paper that had the words written in ink similar to the invitation, it read:

I wish the goblins would come and take me away right now!

I looked back Garth who stood impatiently waiting for me to say the words.

"Wait a second!" I said, "In the book it says that when a person says these words they have to run the Labyrinth, and possibly stay in this realm forever and ever as a goblin. How do I know if this will not get me trapped in your world? And as a goblin no less?"

Garth sighed again and rubbed his temples, "Miss Williams, that famous book doesn't give ALL the details. These words just wish you into the Underground the first time, or if you are not in the company of a royal escort. And we don't turn our guests into goblins because they over populate as it is, why do we need more? To answer your frightful question, Miss Williams, you'll have to try and see what happens if you can't trust me, trust Lady Sarah."

I took a deep breath and prayed that I was making the right decision. I glanced up at the tall man and nodded my head.

"I'm sorry again about breaking your nose, you scared me silly."

He raised an eyebrow and offered his arm like a gentleman, "Under the circumstances I'll forgive you for such odd behavior. Come along then, and it will help if you shut your eyes before we transport, otherwise you'll feel nauseous this being your first time."

I carefully put my hand on his arm, not underneath, "thanks I'll keep that is mind."

I spoke the words and shut my eyes, a sweeping sensation carried my body as if I was floating in the air of zero gravity.

Then my feet found solid ground somehow in an upright position, I still didn't open my eyes till I heard a familiar voice call my name.

"Alex! You made it!"

I opened my eyes and saw Sarah rush towards me in a medieval green dress with long wide bell sleeves, dark green ribbons were woven as a belt around her thin waist, and the bodice was covered with gold flowers and a half crescent moon that looked familiar. Her long dark hair was braided in a French braid with more green ribbons with the rest of her hair curling down her back. Her green eyes were glowing and her cheeks were flushed, never have I seen her that excited to see me.

When we hugged each other I knew that she was real and my best friend, my woman's intuition reassured me that it was not a dream. I tried to pinch my arm anyways.

"Ouch!"

Sarah laughed her beautiful soprano laugh, "What are you doing silly?"

"Pinching myself to be sure this is not a dream! Is this not a dream?"

Sarah smiled and turned me aside to look out a stone window, that's when I saw it, the Labyrinth! Better than any sketch I could have ever come up with from my imagination! It was vast and full of differences, a hedge maze on one end, a forest near the stone walls, a lake near a series of small hills, a city dump near a gate opening, and something at a further distance that was clouded by darkness. The city itself inside the labyrinth, when I looked down from the view, was vast and busy with more creatures than I could count! I found myself beginning to like the new world I seemed to have wished myself away to.

Loud laughter filled the room we were standing in and we bother turned around to see what looked like a large reception area (in medieval décor of course), where there was an odd throne made out of what looked like elephant tusks and purple drapes. There was a circular pit in the center of the stone walled room that was filled with red soft cousins. The laughter was coming from the tall blond man who was wearing what looked like riding apparel of gray breaches, a white frilly shirt, black vest, and high black riding boots. The man had sharp handsome features, yet a wide grip as he laughed, his long wild hair bobbing as he clapped a gloved hand on Garth's back.

"She broke your nose? Come on mate! What's the matter with you? You've never had a woman stand you up before?"

My eyes widened when I recognized the blond man with a deeper British accent that Gareth.

"Sarah, is that who I think it is?"

Sarah grinned at me, "yep, that's Jareth, the Goblin King, also my future husband."

My eyes widened when I looked at her, then looked down at her left hand. Sure enough, there was a big, beautiful, shiny diamonds and emeralds ring on her finger.

I whistled softly so the men wouldn't hear, "Sarah, are you sure about this? I'm happy for you but how did all of this happen?"

Sarah's face softened and she took my hand leading me towards the royals talking, "it's a long story, I think Jareth and I need to both tell you."

…

About an hour and a few cups of tea later, I sat in the cushioned pit, Gareth stood by the window looking out, and Jareth and Sarah both shared the round throne as they explained their odd love story.

Before when Sarah could begin, she introduced me to her royal fiancé, asked a goblin to bring some tea for my aching head, then proceeded to sit next to me in the pit, but Jareth swooped in picking her up bridal style and placed her on his lap as he sat on the throne. They playfully badgered about being proper in front of family members till Gareth cleared his throat reminding them to tell the story.

I was thrown in for a loop as I listened closely, Sarah during one of her bitter nights at the age of 15 had wished baby Toby away to the goblins to threaten him to stop crying. And lo and behold the King of the Goblins shows up himself in a burst of glitter to offer Sarah her dreams, she rejects them in order to save Toby, then is sent on a journey to solve the labyrinth in 13 hours. They told me about the challenges she faced and friends she made, including how Jareth was watching her and Toby the entire time through his magical crystals. He even tried to trap her in one of her dreams, only to be surprised that the dream she had created was a goblin masked ball that included a dance with him. Sarah's face was shyly blushing like a tomato during this part of the story. She had escaped the dream, gave up all her selfish greed to continue on her journey to the goblin city, where she was met by a giant robotic guard with a battle ax to then be chased by an entire army of goblins! Both of them recounted when she found a room full of stairs (sounded like an Escher room to me) where she had to face Jareth alone as an adversary to find her brother. She quoted the same dialogue that the princess in the book used to defeat the Goblin King to win her brother back. Both she and Toby were returned home, where her labyrinth friends threw her a party.

In the end, Sarah had changed that day from becoming a selfish brat to a more mature young woman, which she credits Jareth for teaching her. But what Sarah didn't know was that the girl in the book was actually a prophecy story in the Underground that claimed that any maiden who challenged the labyrinth and was successful would become the next Goblin Queen. Jareth like his father before him carried on the tradition patiently because unlike the other rulers of the neighboring kingdoms, this prophecy gave them the right to marry for love.

Jareth explained that he continued to visit the Aboveground in his owl form to keep an eye on Sarah, and to see if she still remembered him. She still had her labyrinth friends, the dwarf Hoggle, the beast Ludo, and the fox knight Sir Didymous, visit on a weekly basis, but was too scared to call on Jareth thinking he might reject her. This lasted about four months of depression for Sarah. What no one knew was that Sarah had fallen in love with the Goblin King and continued to have many dreams about him.

That is where Gareth comes into the picture, Jareth had gone to his younger brother to ask to look into Sarah's dreams to see if she had rejected him or not. What surprised him was that in almost all of her romantic dreams he was holding her in his arms, both of them happy. He flew into Sarah's room to confront her, but she was out watching a moving with me at the time so he wasn't able to talk to her, but he did find the sketch book I had traded back and forth with Sarah full of Goblin King sketches. At this time, Jareth told me that the drawings did him no justice, which made Sarah laugh. She continued on telling me how she had gotten home and caught him in her room with the drawings. Before he could leave through the open window in his owl form, she quickly made a wish for him to stay with her. This surprised them both at the time, and soon they were sitting in her room talking and becoming fast friends with similar interests. It was then and there that they agreed to continue seeing each other as just friends every few days, providing that there wasn't a runner in the labyrinth or Sarah had to study for a test.

After two years of frequent visits and secret dates between both worlds, both of them decided to take their courtship to the next stage romantically. Jareth was an honorable man so he didn't push Sarah towards any temptations that were considered inappropriate to distract her from college work. Both of them seemed to fall more in love everyday they spent together, but continued to keep their relationship a secret from their families and friends (only Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymous were their middle men if one of them couldn't contact the other). They had their fair share of arguments, which were quickly made up of course. Sarah would help Jareth with governmental conflicts he would complain on stressful days, and in turn he would help her with her college homework. It wasn't until recently when Jareth realized that Sarah would be graduating from college soon (same time as me) so he had asked her what she wanted to do with her life with a degree. She surprised him by simply saying she would rather work in the Goblin Kingdom as an advisor so she could be near him and her friends since the job she wanted in consulting was not a growing business in her area. A week later, Jareth asked her to marry him, but send out the invitations (different ones for the different ceremonies Above and Underground) till a month later. The reason it took so long was because Jareth had to convince the Fae Royal Council that Sarah was the Campion of the Labyrinth and that she would become an immortal being once they married.

I was shocked to hear that, and even more surprised by what Sarah asked me to do next.

"Alex, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me and that I had become loony."

"It's ok Sar, I understand, I'm feeling crazy just taking all this in!"

"Alex, I need to trust you with something very important before explain wedding details."

"Sure, anything."

"You can't tell anyone about this, not even Toby."

(Please rate and review to let us know how you like this idea, and thoughts would be most appreciated)

"Please leave a contribution in the little box"