Disclaimer: Oh, holy cow, what? I'm updating? I have been away from this too long. I only borrow Jareth and his gang, but, sorry kiddies, you can't touch Wren or her posse because they are mine and I don't let a-nobody go touching… wait, what was my point again?
DanikaLareyna: Pretty? You are so insane.
Nikki: Hee! Glad you enjoyed it!
Sammi C: So sorry about the scare! Oh, but it begged to happen, with April Fools! And… I admit… it made me snicker.
Anij: Okay, dude, those two reviews cracked me up. Oh, you think Ms. Flemming is untrustworthy? I wouldn't say that, exactly… she's just… out to find happiness as much as the next person, really. And you were the ONLY one to even remember the roses! By the end of that chapter, everyone had forgotten, it seemed! Hee.
PyroSlytherin: Aw, I'm so glad you liked it, and that you weren't completely fooled by the previous chapter!
DrunkenLandlord: Yay! Glad you liked it – and thanks for the DA comments, too!
Swampfire Leatherweed: I shall most definitely pass the compliments along – and thank you!
Salsagirl626: Hee. Believe it! You have no idea how long that chapter had been in the works… oh, that was fun. Thanks for the review!
DarkHero87: You know, that was MY reaction, too! Man, it nearly sent me into fits! But… if it had been any less, it wouldn't have been so fun! Hee.
Contraltissimo: Hee. Part of me feels for TJ, too… and suddenly, I'm slightly weirded out by the fact that I'm talking about a character I created, as if he's a real person…
Notwritten: Aw, thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!
Frelliesoot: Ahahaha! Whoa, careful there! Too much GK&I at once can give you terrible toothaches! All that fluff… Oh, if only I could. Too bad the Henson company won't allow it. I'll just have to write something original, in a similar fashion.
Baby.turtle.cute: Toby, huh? Interesting guess. I'm getting quite a few guesses about TJ. Well, whatever he is, you'll just have to wait and see! More is on the way… I swear…
Katie: Aw, Squyshee. He's so cute. Thanks for the review!
Sailor Phantom of Middle Earth: Yeah, a few words get stuck together… have to go fix those, sometime… And, to keep on top of what's going on (I was aiming, at that time, for a more random sort of fic… my, how things have changed…) pay attention to the titles and the author's notes. It does skip around a bit, in the beginning. I'm all but past that, now.
Dragonlilly396: Follow the author's notes, my dear! That cutting chapter was my huge April Fool's prank! It was just a joke, I swear!
MagicalGirl23: Dear me, so many guesses… don't thank me yet. Believe it or not, Ms. Flemming has been in the works for a long time – I was planning her character for a long time. I was just waiting for the right time to bring her in! So no fur flying at this time. Heh. Oh, your speculations on TJ amuse me to no end! Mere? Just mere? No, he has all his cylinders, he just… happens to like a pretty girl. Hee.
Niftyness19: Don't we all… -sigh-. Updation is coming soon!
Wavecutter: Holy flying buffalos! That WOULD be a minefield, wouldn't it? Sarah and Toby??? Dude. I might explode from that. Hmm, Muck, you say? Isn't it Danika's turn? I shall nag her about it. Unfortunately, this will probably get updated before Muck does. And… I'm already on the next chapter, so here's hoping that this will get updated quicker! Thank you for the review – you REALLY made me happy.
TheCrazyHat: oh, have I? Hee. Yes, the April Fools chapter was a shocker, wasn't it? I'm so glad you like this story!!! Updation coming soon!
Music Recommendations:
Oh, Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison – whoa, man, all ye beware, I am in a very fluffy mood.
Trouble by Pink – not sure who this applies to more, Wren or Jareth… either way, it totally fueled me in this.
The Prettiest Star by David Bowie – hee. Every time I hear this, I think it would sound great if sung A Cappella, you know? It's just so bouncy and sweet… hee.
A/N: 'Ello everyone! Dear me, how long have I been away from this? On second thought… don't answer that. Anyway, um, fear not, my fan fiction friends! I have not forgotten you! I only came down with a heavy case of funk-induced writer's/artist's block (or something like that), and found myself stuck on pretty much everything I tried to do. So sorry it has taken me this long to update, but said funk was pretty hard to yank out of. It is my solemn plea that you will all pardon my leave of absence, and also pardon any… strange oddities that may be in this. I am wretchedly out of practice.
From the very moment I woke up, I just had the sneakiest suspicion that it was going to be an… interesting day. I didn't know what made me feel like that, or even if said 'interesting' would be good or bad. I just couldn't shake that feeling that even if I wanted to, hiding under my covers and waiting for tomorrow wasn't an option.
So, reluctantly and blearily, I opened my eyes. I couldn't help but feel as if something was missing. I couldn't really figure out what that might be, so I decided to take inventory of my surroundings. Without moving more than my eyes and my head a little bit, I glanced around the room. Computer desk? Check. Bookshelf? Check. Bed? Mmm... warm and snuggly. My inventory almost stopped there as my body tried very hard to convince my brain to call in with a personal day and go back to sleep for a bit, but I forced my eyes to stay open. What else? Beanbag chair? Check.
Something about the beanbag chair tickled the back of my mind, though I couldn't figure out why. I sat up and stared at it for a minute. Why would the beanbag chair make me feel empty inside? That didn't make any sense at all. I mean, I hardly ever even sat in it anymore. The only one who used it was...
Suddenly, I realized what was missing. In denial, my eyes darted to my hand... my empty hand. I gasped and twisted my hand around, as if the piece of jewelry were somehow hiding from my sight. But of course it wasn't. It was gone.
My ring was missing.
I felt a shiver run down my spine. No wonder I felt weird. I only remove that ring when I shower, or when I was seriously angry with Jareth – and that had only happened once, when he had messed with my story. It had been strange enough to have the ring moved to my other hand when I spent my vacation Underground and wore his own ring for protection, instead.
For half a second, I thought to call for Jareth, but when I opened my mouth, I hesitated. For one thing, it was still really early and I didn't want to wake him up, but mostly... Ok, I admit, I didn't want Jareth to think I would be so careless with something he gave me. My hand clenched into a fist on my knee, the familiar hardness of my ring conspicuous in its absence. Biting my lip, I decided I would only call Jareth as a last resort. I had to try my best to find my ring on my own, first.
"Maybe it just fell off," I muttered. I wanted to believe it, I really did, but as the ring had always fit perfectly- snug but not tight – I knew that I was grasping at straws. Still, I began to search my bedding, frantically.
Moments later, my bedclothes were heaped on my bedroom floor in a complete mess. My bed was in shambles. I had been very thorough in my search, which had included the insides of my pillowcases, between the mattresses and under the bed. My ring was nowhere to be found and I was quickly beginning to panic.
I plopped down on my mattress (which was bare and at an odd angle to the rest of the bed), feeling rather sick. Closing my eyes, I backtracked.
I knew that I had had my ring at work the previous day because I had specifically looked at it during my ten minute break, wishing that I could steal the time to run to the Underground. I had been doing that a lot, lately, but sadly couldn't because I had to go through some school files on my computer (yes, even my work computer), and clear them out. But, the thought of blowing off the school files had been tempting, and so I distinctly remembered having it. Then, that night, Jareth had come to see me. We'd chatted and had a couple of good laughs in my room, in our old way of sitting on my bed, our backs against the wall. Jareth, though, had left somewhat early, saying he had some preparations to attend to, kissed me goodnight, and left. I'm sure I'd still had it on at that point. So… then what? I'd gone to my closet, to put some clothes away…
My eyes popped open. I had to find that thing. Could I have dropped it in my closet? An odd place, sure, but this is me we're talking about. My life is anything but normal, and I can say, most confidently, that stranger things could, and most definitely have, happened. It was worth a look.
I bounded off my mattress and raced to the closet doors. With a loud clunk, I threw them open…
… and came almost face to face with a snoozing Squyshee.
I didn't think. For a brief moment there, I had been terrified that I was going to do a sort of Thirteen Going on Thirty thing, finding out that it had all been a dream… like, at any minute, I would realize that all the happy times with Jareth in the Underground had all been a sick joke from my own brain, or something. Especially with my ring gone, and there being no obviously visible evidence of Jareth having been in my room (because there can't be – if there was, my parents would go nuts). But, in seeing the small goblin, physical proof that no, it was all real and I had not gone insane, I squeaked and gathered him up in a tight hug, "Squyshee!" I almost cried, being so utterly happy to see him.
He'd been curled up in the hood of my coat which was hanging up fairly near the front, with his feet propped up on the other hangers and such, and his head had been leaning back on the coat's collar.
Poor thing. I think I gave him a good scare.
He made a startled noise and wiggled almost frantically in my arms. I wasn't about to let go, though, and after a second, he made a happy sort of noise and hugged me back.
"Mornings, Lady," he said, happily, "Scared the patoodles out of me, you did, but hugs makes everything better!"
I released him and sat him in the hood again, wiping the tears from my eyes, "Sorry to have scared you, Squyshee."
The small goblin grinned, "Is okay, Lady! Hugs is okay with me, and they's make it all better!"
I breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good to hear," it suddenly occurred to me that maybe Squyshee might be able to help me find my ring. "Squyshee! Hey! I'm glad you're here, in more ways than one…," I cleared my throat, "Maybe you could help me…"
He shook his little head back and forth, his ears flapping as he did so. "Nopes, sorry Lady. Can't go a-helpin' today."
My face fell, "What? But… I mean… I know you're probably pretty busy and all, but this is important," I paused, "Wait a minute. Why are you here, anyway?"
He sucked on a finger for a second before answering me. "I was waitin' for the King's Lady to wake up. King tolds me I had to get here really early, and," his head drooped, "I got sleepy, and your coat was very, very, nice and I went to sleepy. Prolly gonna get kicked for forgetting why's I was commin'."
I swallowed. He was here by Jareth's orders? Uh-oh. Still… "I won't let you get kicked," I said, firmly, meaning every word of it. "If the King even thinks about kicking you, he'll be getting more than an earful from me about it."
Squyshee brought his small hands up to his face and giggled into his fingers, "We likes the King's Lady," he said, shyly, "She's always very nice."
I blushed, but remembered why I had been nervous. "Squyshee, why did Jareth send you?"
He straightened up with the feeling of importance and cleared his throat, probably louder than was needed, "The King ask-ed me to comes and fomerdily tells his Lady to come Underground today!" he finished with his hands in the air.
I raised one eyebrow, considering. Jareth was, uh, formally inviting me to the Underground? Well, I did have plenty of vacation, and I knew we hadn't been too busy at work lately, so Allie could cover for me. But, of course, I had to wonder – what was he up to? And then there was still the matter of my ring…
I blanched – my ring! Ack! I couldn't get to the Underground without it!
I shuffled my feet a little and looked at the small goblin. With a heavy sigh, and my head drooping, I confessed my failure. "I'd like to, Sqyushee, but you see…" I swallowed and motioned to the mess around my room, "I can't because I… I…" deep breaths, "I lost my ring," there was a choke and I sniffed involuntarily, "I looked all over, but I can't find it at all…" hot tears began falling down my cheeks.
Squyshee's eyes got large and round with worry and concern. Wobbling a little, he leaned forward, placing one hand on my shoulder for support and gently swiped away the tears on my face with the fingers of the other. "Lady," he said in a quiet voice, "Is okay – the King knows."
I let out a squawk and quickly covered my mouth with one hand, "No! He knows? How does he know? Oh – oh – oh dear,"
Poor goblin – he looked rather confused. "Don't worry, Lady. The King a-sent me to bring you back!"
"You can bring me? I thought… I thought only Jareth could." I said, still confused and panicky.
"Nopes," he said, "All goblins can brings peoples, iffa the King a-lets 'em," he put on a tough face, reminding me of a small child being mockly-stern with a parent or guardian, "Now, King's Lady, are yous ready?"
I stepped back, feeling even sicker. "Give me a few minutes, Squyshee… I'll be right back."
Twenty minutes later, I had called Lisa to tell her I wouldn't be in to work, called Allie to see if she definitely could cover for me, and had gotten myself washed and dressed for the day. I returned to the closet, to finding Squyshee playing a sort of cat's cradle with an old shoelace tangled over his fingers.
"All readies?" he asked brightly, seeing me.
I nodded, "As ready as I'm going to be." Jareth was going to kill me. I looked over at my book shelf, one last time, hoping that somehow my ring would be sitting there in a place that was so obvious that I could have a good laugh at myself for not spotting it sooner. No such luck.
Tucking his shoelace away into a pocket of his pants, Squyshee reached out his hands to me. A smile touched my lips as he did this, just as I considered how small his hands were, and how child-like he was. I loved kids – perhaps that was why he and I got along so well. When I reached back, he surprised me a little. Rather than hopping down or just taking my hands or something, he dropped and swung himself up, scrabbling around so that he was sitting on my shoulders, one leg on each side.
I laughed a little, unable to help myself, and made a mental note that, should I ever need to carry him around in the future, this was the best way to do so. He wasn't very heavy at all – lighter than Leyla, in fact.
He leaned around to smile at me, "Readies?" he asked, almost giddy.
"Let's go," I said.
"Okay! Lady, holds onto my shoesies," I obligingly lifted my hands to hold his feet – a natural thing for me to do with a kid on my shoulders, anyway, "And I gets to cover your eyes," his small hands clamped firmly over my eyes, blocking out even the smallest pricks of light, "And away we go!"
I gasped and staggered a little bit as a very strange sensation swept over me. Imagine being completely blindfolded and having the carpet beneath your feet suddenly pulled out from underneath you, and all that while trying to balance a kid on your shoulders. There was wind, at first harsh and slightly stinging, but then it lessened to a breeze. I had staggered forward, half expecting myself to fall into my closet and become tangled in my coats and sweaters, but the fall never came – a very strange feeling, especially when you know with certainty that you had probably gone forward five feet or so, at the very least.
Squyshee giggled above my head and released my eyes. I blinked, more than startled by my surroundings. I had expected to find myself in Jareth's throne room, with Jareth not too far away, a glare on his face, ready to reprimand me about misplacing my ring. I had surely not been expecting to find myself on the dusty hill top outside the Labyrinth walls, where all the runners begin their journeys to win back what they had wished away – where I, too, had once found myself after being knocked unconscious by a frustrated and then-somewhat-depressed Goblin King.
"We is here!" Squyshee declared, slipping down my arm and dropping to the ground with a little bounce. He looked up at me, "Very good, Lady! You didn't even fall on your tushy!"
I snickered, briefly, but continued to look around me with confusion. "Thanks, Squyshee… but, why are we here?"
He didn't seem to be listening to me. "I gots to go," he was saying, "Before I get kicked! I hafta keeps Spoonikity from lickin' off the sweet pink fluffies!"
I blinked, completely unsure of what in the world he was talking about. "Squyshee…"
He waved at me, "See yous later, Lady!"
"Squyshee, wait!" But, too late. With a small pop, he was gone from sight.
I sighed and looked around me. I was nearly overwhelmed with a sort of nightmarish fear – this was really like a strange dream. I had lost my ring, had been taken here, and left here, by a small goblin who had just told me something about pink fluffies – whatever the heck those were. I was all alone, except for the breeze which lightly tangled in my hair, dragging it casually across my face and neck to blow off to the side.
I've always liked wind – no clue why, exactly. Even though I was all alone and completely bewildered, I took the moment to enjoy the breeze. My eyes drifted shut as it swirled about neck and ears, caressing me gently before teasing my hair away in ripples and swirls. It was the caress that had me most transfixed; the softness of it becoming almost tangible, like fingers tracing small patterns around my neck and behind my ears, and then settling to rest on my shoulders…
He had somehow managed to sneak up on me, for the first time in a very long time. I heaved a sigh of relief as I felt his hands rest on my shoulders, his presence familiar and unmistakable. I turned around, all but flinging myself into his open arms.
"Ouch," I drew back, sharply, stunned by hard armor instead of a soft vest and ruffled shirt. I blinked – oh, yes, this day was turning out to be most interesting indeed. Jareth stood there, completely decked out in his full King regalia. Black detailed armor, high collared cape, thick leather gloves, and his pendant displayed proudly on his chest.
"Hello, my dearling," he said, a warm smile touching his lips – something I was so glad to see… had he not smiled at me, I would have toyed with that insanity idea, again.
"GK," I said, still taking in his appearance before I met his gaze, "What's going on?"
He reached out and took my hands, slowly turning me to look at his Labyrinth. Once my back was again at his chest, he lowered his head to rest against mine, his mouth not too far from my ear, where I could hear him clearly. "My Wren, do you recall the first time you stood here?"
I snorted, squeezing his hands, "You mean, after you popped me in the head with a crystal to bring me here? Yes, I remember."
He chuckled faintly, "Yes, we had quite a bumpy start, did we not?"
I leaned back against him as he settled his hands, still holding mine, around my waist. "That would be quite the understatement, GK."
He paused, and I felt him straighten up. "You, Wren, like many before you, made a hasty wish that day. Such haste, though, was not without cause or purpose, and you were brought here, to my Labyrinth to face the challenges you needed to overcome the most desperately."
I stepped forward and faced him as he spoke to me. What was he getting at? I wanted to ask, but I could tell that he was getting on to one of his special sort of speeches, and decided to just hold my tongue and listen to what he was saying.
"You bravely faced the challenge," he continued, his face ceremoniously serious, "To obtain what you desired most. Of course, it fell to my charge, as it always does, to ensure that you were able to accomplish what you needed and not merely get what you wanted. Yet, unlike any former runner of the Labyrinth, I found that you needed something unique, something that I was entirely unaccustomed to supplying," he paused, a smile touching his lips, "Companionship. Friendship."
I grinned.
"That day, Wren," he went on, "You faced a great deal, and while you did not finish the test of your own accord to earn your wish, you did achieve what you needed to, and won something of great value."
I tilted my head to the side, blushing, "Your friendship,"
He smirked and raised an eyebrow, "True, but that is not the prize I am referring to."
My smile slowly dropped from my face and I involuntarily shoved my hands in my jean pockets. "You mean… my ring, right?"
He grinned, "That I do."
There was a terribly awkward pause that spanned out between us before I noticed he was still grinning at me. I frowned, "What are you up to, Jareth? What… what do you know about my ring?"
"Honestly," he said, a haughty mask covering his face, "I thought you would have called for my help the moment you noticed your finger was bare."
I kinda gasped and I think I paled a bit, too. Did he mean…? He couldn't have known about it, unless… "Jareth," I started, feeling a rather sinking feeling in my stomach, "You don't… you don't have my ring, do you?"
Much like Squyshee, he didn't seem to be listening to me, even though he was looking right at me. He just went on speaking. "I was almost insulted, Wren. Here, I created that ring, and could therefore find it in a second, and you still were determined to find it on your own before calling for my assistance."
My mouth fell open. "Answer me, GK, did you…" a lump formed in my throat, as I recalled the last time he had taken it from me. True, it had only been for a moment, to make a modification to it, to let him know when I used it to come Underground, but at the time, I had been terrified that he'd be taking it from me permanently. A similar feeling was now settling in my stomach. He had sent a goblin to bring me here rather than doing it himself, I had been brought to the outsides of the Labyrinth rather than straight to his castle or city, and now it seemed that he might have taken my ring back from me. My head was starting to hurt. "…did you take it?"
He cocked his head to the side and gave me a knowing look, "Now, why would I do that?" With elegant ease, he stepped forward and raised my chin with one finger, so he could look into my eyes, "You need not worry so, Wren."
"Where is it?" I all but sobbed.
He stepped back, "You know very well where it is."
Huh? That… I knew that… My eyes widened, a slight dawning of understanding spreading through my mind. Oh, yes, he was most definitely up to something, and I was slowly beginning to comprehend what. "You have it at your castle, don't you?"
He swished his cape a little, motioning to the Labyrinth and the Castle, far in the distance. "Wren," he started, his voice sounding very royal and grand, "You have thirteen hours to complete the Labyrinth, or dire consequences will befall you."
"What!" I looked around, unsure if this was real or some sort of a joke, "You can't be serious!"
"Oh, I assure you, I am," he said, "Thirteen hours Wren, to make it to your ring, where it waits, at the center. Remember, it is farther than you think, time is short, and…" he smirked at me as he began fading from view, "I am highly inclined to distract you, along the way."
"Jareth!" I screeched, lunging forward, but he was already gone. I stood there, dumbfounded. Why was he doing this? It made no sense! Why take my ring back and make me re-run the Labyrinth to get it back – and threaten me with dire consequences should I fail?
With a sigh, I turned and began making my way down the hill towards the Labyrinth. He was right, time is short. My stubborn nature may have been screaming at me to flatly refuse to run, but that wouldn't get me anywhere. I could analyze the situation, and mope, along the way.
By the time I had come to the gate, I had come to a strange and stubbornly odd conclusion. Jareth was Fae, meaning he loved games and a good intrigue. This was a game, and I knew it. Unfortunately, I was still stumped as to why he was deciding to play this game with me now, at this particular time, and it was utterly infuriating. Even worse was that I knew my answers would be waiting for me at the end of the game, and so if I really wanted to know what was going on, I had to play. I would have to trust Jareth, that there was a reason behind this, and that he wouldn't let me get hurt along the way.
"Hello again," I said, dully, to the gate as I took a moment to be grumpy over the situation before setting out to get to the center. I couldn't help it – I hate being left in the dark about things – at least the last time I ran, I knew why I was running. This time, I felt… blindfolded. "Remember me? You only let me squeeze through you, the last time I was here. Nearly got myself smushed…"
I approached the gate and raised a hand to it, expecting to have to push on it or pull or something, but the moment my skin grazed the cool surface, the doors swung open. I had to jump back to keep them from hitting me as they did so.
"Uh, thank you," I said, feeling a little awkward as I passed through the gate. The first corridor was the deceiving one, just as I remembered. It seemed to go on forever in each direction, but of course did not. I also had to remind myself that I really hadn't made a wish, so this wasn't my vision the Labyrinth. Jareth had told me, and I had even seen first hand, how the Goblin Kingdom changed to match the wishes of the runners who came to be tested by it. This adventure wasn't going to be as it had been before, mostly because in my time with Jareth and in his Kingdom, I had seen the Labyrinth and city as it truly was – and that was now how I envisioned it. This was truly Jareth's Labyrinth.
Something in that thought stuck an odd chord in me, something strange and deep and low, ringing with a hint of honor and pride. Jareth's Labyrinth. I was being led through his world, as he saw fit. A small smile touched my lips, and I went on.
"First things first," I said, aloud, mostly to myself, "Which direction to take? Huh?" My eyes spied a bit of color. Considering that everything else around me was a brown coated in only faint sparkles, it was rather hard to miss. I approached it with curiosity. Tucked into the wall in front of me, in a crack that couldn't be larger than the diameter of dime, if that, and at my eye level, was what I could certainly identify as a bright blue ribbon, nearly sky blue.
The color of Jareth's eyes.
There wasn't more than an inch of it, but it was sticking out of the small crack in the bricks fluttering in the wind, as if someone had just randomly shoved it in there.
But there was something more about it, something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I'll just have to settle and say that it looked incredibly soft to the touch, because it did, but trust me when I say there was just something more. I bit my lip gently and raised one eyebrow. The more I looked at it, the more I wanted to touch it, and the more I thought about touching it, the more it seemed to flutter in the faint breeze, as if to beg me to do so.
I heaved a sigh, "Well, Jareth, all I can say is that if this thing leads me into an Oubliette, you're dead meat." And with that, I grasped it firmly between my thumb and forefinger, and yanked.
Ever pulled one of those party crackers, like, say, at New Years? Poppers? Um, yes, this was much like that. There was a sort of explosion, and I found myself in a twinkling shower of glitter and sparkles. I blinked, brushing my fingers over my eyes to brush the stuff from my lashes.
It was still settling when I looked around me to see what the heck had happened, and if the ribbon was still around. Lying at my feet, just as if I had pulled the ends of a large party popper, was a wreath of flowers. Blushing and feeling a little confused, I bent to retrieve it.
The wreath was beautiful and strange to me - Underground flowers, I knew. Bright spring colored petals that were rounded, fluttery, and utterly adorable. A very cheesy grin plastered itself on my face as I settled the wreath on top of my head. I reached up to test and make sure they were secure, and wouldn't fall off, but… with one gentle tug, and then another, I realized that the flowers liked where they were, and weren't coming off my head anytime soon. Several, less gentle tugs confirmed it – the wreath had decided to stay put.
This initially freaked me out. I almost had a reaction similar to Jareth's, after he realized I had put tiny braids in his hair – you know, jumping about and flailing, trying to get them out. But, I reminded myself, the flowers weren't doing any harm, so I could worry about them later. Time would run out if I let myself get distracted so easily.
Besides… I felt like a princess with them on my head and they emitted a faint tinkling sound in the breeze that just sounded magical.
With a shrug, I turned to locate the ribbon, to see if it was still around, but was unable to find it anywhere. "Oh well,"
But, the moment I said the words, far down the corridor to my left I spotted a flicker of pale blue. I faced that direction with determination.
"Okay, I see how this is going to go, now. Off we go."
At first, things seemed rather uneventful. I followed the corridor down the direction I had seen the flicker of blue, looking for an opening in the wall. I did notice, however, that the Labyrinth was quite different from the last time I had run. No more was the corridor littered with clusters of dead twigs, branches, and the incredibly creepy eyeball lichen. Instead, it was clear, and here and there I came across patches of soft primrose-looking flowers.
At last, I found the opening. It was brick archway to my right. I ducked in and started down the path I found there. Slowly, the brick work changed from small brown bricks to large flat sandstone. I kept going. Somehow, I had been hoping to find another glimpse of blue once I had reached the point where I had seen the blue disappear, but was rather disappointed. No blue.
The stone walls I passed by looked all the same, but somehow, regardless of how many branches off the main path there were, the way remained clear to be seen. Sure, I could take an unnecessary turn to the left or right, but when that happened, It would quickly become apparent that I was going the wrong way, or it would quickly lead to a dead end. I found that, after a few experimentations with this, that I was able to recognize which ways were the right ones.
Almost… almost as if the right way is always there before you, if you only look for it. I suppose that if more runners were less self-centered and were more open to face the Labyrinth as it was, rather than make terrible assumptions or push their own images upon it, then they wouldn't have much of a challenge to face.
My mind began contemplating this concept, and I guess I began to zone out on where I was going. I rounded a corner and, since the sandstone blended in with itself so well, I didn't even see the slope. A rather steep slope at that – like one of those sickening moments where you realized a little too late that there was a step down, and there is that horrible lurch when your foot doesn't touch ground that you were expecting to be there. Only… I think that, in this case, it was worse, because unlike a single step down, where I could possibly just fall flat on my face and promptly get back up, I was now sliding down a slippery slide of a sort.
I'm honestly not sure what surprised me more – the fact that I had fallen at all, or the fact that I had miraculously managed to keep my feet first, rather than falling face first. I still haven't figured that out. A scream sounded from my throat as I slid, accompanied by the slightly shrill ringing of the flowers on my head. It was a strange combination, to say the least.
It was a spiral slide, a terribly long one at that. I'm not sure how many times I went around, nor was I sure when it was exactly that I landed, on my rump, on a large and plushy sort of pillow that awaited me at the end.
"Oof!" I landed somewhat indignantly, and was very grateful that Jareth wasn't around. Oh, I'm sure he could probably see me, but I refused to think of that. Man, I was even more grateful that I had worn jeans and a sensible shirt, else the sprawled state in which I landed would have been rather embarrassing.
It took my eyes a minute to adjust to the lower lighting – I was now in a tunnel, I was pretty certain. Once I could see, I stood, brushed myself off, straightened my hair (which was a little tricky, as some of the strands had gotten tangled in the flowers, but after a tug or two, the flowers were more than happy to release them… just not the rest of my hair), and began heading down the tunnel. I knew there wasn't much point in trying to backtrack. It had been too steep and too slippery, first off, but also, even though I had been in my own thoughts, I had been sure that the turn I had made had been the correct one. Even as I began walking in the dark, I could somewhat feel that I was in the right place – right on track.
"My, you came so quickly! You're doing very well, to be so ahead of schedule!" boomed a voice to my right.
"Aaah!" I jumped back against the wall to my left.
"Ouch! My eye!" boomed a voice right behind me – I could feel the wall moving. I screamed and ran back the way I came.
"No, please! Don't go!" Called the first voice, loud and deep.
I paused. "What are you?" I demanded, "And how many are you? What's going on?"
The second voice laughed, merrily, "She's very smart not to be overly trusting, you know. Very smart indeed."
"We," said the first voice, "Are usually False Alarms. I am sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."
I put a hand on my heart, trying to calm myself, and slowly re-approached the Alarms. "Aren't… aren't you supposed to tell me I'm going the wrong way, or something? You know, alarm me, falsely?"
The first one laughed, "Yes, but you aren't here running, are you? You're here for a different reason."
"You, young lady, are being courted by the King," the second one said, his big stone face now in my sight (and a little creepy… it was so big, it's stone eyes looking at me, unblinkingly), "That is something very different, indeed."
My cheeks reddened, "Ah, well…" I looked at the second one, the one I had accidentally poked. "I'm sorry about your eye… I didn't see you there."
It smiled at me, "No problem at all – it was more my own fault, Lady," it said, "I should have spoken up sooner. It isn't every day that a pretty lady like your self comes through our corridor, and I confess I was distracted."
I went even redder, "Oh… heh… so, you're not hurt, then?"
It smiled and looked away, "She's so kind! No, lady, I am just fine. I'm stone, after all."
"Of course," I said, feeling slightly silly. I slowly moved farther into the corridor, nodding to the face belonging to the first voice, "And I didn't mean to scream at you, either…"
"She is kind," said the first voice, more to the second one, than to me, "Your reaction was most understandable – now, you had better hurry on, you still have a ways to go."
I nodded, "I guess your right, thank you, and you," I said, to both of them, passing them and moving farther into the corridor.
"Oh, and she's so polite!" said a new but equally deep voice on my left. I jumped a little, then reminded myself that certainly there was bound to be more False Alarms.
"Hello," I said, unable to hide the red that still plagued my face, "Uh, thank you…"
"Polite, yes, and lovely," said one to my right, softly, making me giggle a little, "I didn't know she would be so fair."
I started to stammer a reply, but was cut off by another voice, equally as praising of me. I wanted to correct them, to tell them no, I wasn't really what they seemed to think of me, but after awhile, I decided the most polite thing to do would be to smile and nod as I passed them, and take their compliments graciously.
"Oh, it seems the King has chosen a wonderful girl!" said the first one, again.
"Yes, yes, I quite agree! She's so graceful and treads so softly!" said a new one.
"Oh, how true. So many just plod past us, but she's so delicate and gentle!" said one I had already passed, to my right… I was starting to lose track.
"Modest, too. We don't see many modest ones, these days. Very sensible, it seems."
"She has beautiful eyes – have you seen her eyes? Very soft."
"I didn't see her eyes," one said, farther back, "But I thought her hair looked very soft."
"It was!" called the second one, from down at the other end of the tunnel, "Very soft, and beautiful!"
"So demure, so gracious," cooed one in a corner that was somewhat facing me as I approached, "It's a pity we don't see more like this one. I'm rather fond of her,"
"Oh, please," I said, pressing my palms on my cheeks, "You're embarrassing me!" unfortunately, my voice came out with very little conviction, and was rather squeaky.
It smiled at me, "But, it is true. You are very nice, you know. We don't see many people who are so nice. You can't blame us."
I smiled, but kept walking. I could see a little more light up ahead, and so I figured that the tunnel of False Alarms was probably coming to an end, soon.
"She has such a nice smile, and her teeth are pretty too. Did anyone else see her teeth?"
A couple more down the corridor were discussing my teeth, at that point. I think I could still hear that second one talking about my hair, too. Well, I thought to myself, at the very least, I would be leaving this tunnel with a smile.
"Whoo, work it, girl!"
I stopped, turning slowly to face the False Alarm that had addressed me, last. "Excuse me?"
It blinked, innocently, "Uh… I mean… you so fine, you blow my mind…?"
I pulled a slight face, "I beg your pardon?"
It cleared its throat and said, in a disturbingly proper voice, "Why, you are pretty hot and tempting, sexy mamma. Strut your stuff, sugar."
My jaw nearly hit the floor and I felt my fists clenching at my sides, "You… you… how dare you!" if any man ever said something like that to me, I'd probably slap them. As it was, I figured that slapping a False Alarm might break the bones in my hand, so I decided to just walk away.
"Oh, yeah, baby got back!"
And my temper blew.
I whirled around and charged at the False Alarm. I almost reached him, too, except that a couple of arms grabbed me around the waist and began to haul me in the opposite direction.
"Let me go!" I hollered, kicking and wiggling to get free, "Let me at him! Lemme go!"
A gentle voice sighed, and there was a strange sort or lurch in my anger-blurred vision. The next thing I knew, I was up in the air… sort of. I blinked to figure out where I was. I still had an arm around my waist, but I was going backward, and I could see the ground below me, and boots… oh, wait. I was being carried, over a shoulder, if I wasn't mistaken. I turned my head down to see who had me. I could see blond hair to my left, a deep maroon jacket, black boots, and tight breeches. "Jareth?"
"Yes, dearling," he said.
"What are you doing here?"
"Preventing you from doing damage."
I frowned, "Jareth… did you hear what that Alarm said to me?"
He sighed, "Wren, they only had the nicest things to say to you, I was certain."
"Jareth… that thing had some sort of Aboveground hip-hop slang about how lovely my backside is. I wouldn't exactly say that was nice."
He paused, "Well, you do… wait, did you say that it was not very nice?"
"Yep. Kinda derrogatory."
He muttered a curse, under his breath, "I knew I should not have asked for Tillan's help on these…"
I growled, looking back at the fading view of the False Alarms – well, for me it was forward, as I was being hauled backwards. "Put me down, Jareth."
"Not until we are a bit farther down this tunnel. You cannot blame the poor Alarm – it thought it was saying something especially sweet to you."
"I won't go back, looking for a fight, I swear, now put me down!" I hated feeling like a sack of potatoes.
"Not yet," he said, stubbornly.
"Jareth! Gah!" I wiggled, but he only shifted his grip on me so he was holding my legs tightly around the thighs, preventing them from doing much wiggling. In frustration, and with a grin on my face, I raised my hand up and smacked him on the back of his tight breeches.
"Wren!" he gasped, stopping abruptly and staggering a step.
"Put me down, please?" I asked, snickering.
I felt his shoulders shake with laughter. "Not yet," he said again, giving me a good smack on my rump.
I made an indignant sort of squawk, but held still until had reached whatever point of safety he'd determined was appropriate, and sat me down on my feet. I folded my arms across my chest and frowned up at him. "You didn't have to haul me away like that, you know."
He smiled and cocked his head to the side, "Oh? Someone had to save that poor Alarm from your wrath. He is, though stationary, one of my subjects, you realize – I had to protect him."
"Him? Him? You know I found…" I trailed off as Jareth took two steps towards me. I backed up, but found that with the wall behind me, I only had one step to take. He smirked and leaned in very close to my face, resting his hands on the wall behind me and on either side of my head.
"I do not believe you realize, Wren," he said in a soft voice, just above a whisper, "How vibrantly lovely you become when so angered." Then he ducked his face even closer and pressed his lips to mine.
I had, at first, been thinking of some sort of reply, but it took only a moment of his kiss to erase it from my thoughts. What did it really matter, anyhow? Frankly, nothing really mattered whenever Jareth took to kissing me.
I fell forward a step when he pulled back. Luckily, he didn't move away and so I fell against him rather than falling on my face. Not that it was certain that I would have fallen on my face, but I tell you, after a kiss like that, it could have been a definite possibility. I stared up at him sheepishly as he stole a minute to brush the hair from my eyes and stroke his gloved fingertips across my cheek.
"So, Wren," he began stepping back from me and clasping his hands behind his back, "How are you enjoying the Labyrinth, so far?"
I grinned at him, slyly, "I'm finding it very different than before."
"Different – but are you pleased with it?"
"I'm not displeased," I said, truthfully, "But I still can't help but wonder what you're up to."
He pulled a most adorably confused face, "Truly? You have not figured it out, yet? Wren, I am shocked! Certainly you have realized my motives, at least, if not the entire purpose?"
I frowned at him and balled my hands at my hips, "GK, I woke up this morning to find a sleeping goblin in the hood of my coat, in my closet, telling me that you were requesting me to come, take the day off work, and rerun your Labyrinth, despite having already done so, way back when. I am afraid your motives or purpose or whatever isn't clear at all. I'm a lot of things, but a mind reader isn't one of them."
He reached out a gloved hand and lifted my chin with two fingers, "You have no idea how close you are, do you?"
"Close to what?"
"The answer you seem to be searching for, of course," he smiled.
"Jareth," I said, turning my head to the side, "I don't get it."
He sighed, "Like all good riddles, Wren, the answer may not be as complicated as it seems, and just takes a bit of thought on your part. In fact, it may be obvious. You are a clever girl, my dearling, and I have faith in your logical reasoning." He began to step away and down the corridor.
"Wait," I said, "You're leaving?" Urgh, it was a stupid question, even to my own ears.
He grinned at me over his shoulder, "Now, where would be the fun in any riddle if someone walked you through it? No, no, I shall leave you to it. Have no fear, I am sure you will breeze through it in no time." His grin broadened as he lifted up a crystal on his finger tips.
"Jareth…" my voice held a wary tone to it that I just didn't quite have words for.
He snapped his fingers and the crystal popped. Instantly he faded from sight, and a sharp breeze picked up in the corridor. It blew my hair backwards and most definitely began to tug against my clothes. I had to squint against it and would have covered my eyes, except that, in the small space, it began to howl rather loudly and I had to cover my ears instead.
Then, far ahead, I caught an odd glint of color. Not just any color, though – of blue. Ribbon blue. It came at me so quickly, I didn't have much time to think or react, and, I tell you, catching a ribbon on a furious wind is no easy thing. I leapt up in the air, and while I felt the soft ribbon quickly whip past my fingers, I had no hope of actually holding on to it. There was just no way.
I landed and turned my back to the wind, determined. I saw the ribbon blow down the corridor, catch on a corner that was almost invisible to my eyes from this distance (in fact, I wouldn't have seen it at all, had it not been for the blue ribbon), flutter as if to wave farewell, and then vanished from sight.
"Here we go," I said against the howling wind.
I started down the corridor or tunnel or whatever you'd call it at a high run. I'm not much of a runner, but there is something to be said about running with a high wind. It makes you feel like you are a runner or something. It takes considerably less effort, I admit, and after a bit of it, I was smiling and having much fun. I was almost flying! Sure, it was probably dangerous but… oh, I trusted Jareth. He wouldn't send me barreling into a wall.
The breeze died just enough when I met the curve and corner that the ribbon had rounded and, while I didn't see the ribbon there (nor had I honestly expected to), it picked up again, almost doubling, I was certain. I lept lightly, each stride seeming to be about the length of what three of mine would have been, without the wind behind me, lifting me along. Admittedly, the high wind did sting a little on my back as it howled and passed me, but I was having too much fun to care.
Down and around lots of curves I flew, eventually squealing with delight, as if I was riding a roller coaster, without a care at all. No cares, that is, until the thought tickled the back of my mind, wondering what I was going to do at the end of the tunnel. Would the wind stop? Would it rocket me out of a tube, shooting me half-way into the forest, or something? What would happen?
Well, dang, I sure didn't know.
And, even then, it wasn't until I saw the dark wall of mottled green ahead of me that I really worried about it.
I let out a startled shriek and tried to stop – unfortunately, there wasn't much I could do at that point to slow down sufficiently. I threw my hands up in the air to, I don't know, grab something or stop myself from becoming a smear on the green wall or something, because impact was unavoidable. I was flung out over a sheer drop – the tunnel literally just ended with a drop! I was terrified…
… but I didn't fall.
There were hands on my shoulders to steady me, and a couple beneath my feet… in fact, there were hands everywhere. Green, gnarly hands above me, below me, to my left and right, sticking out a foot or two from the wall.
Helping hands.
Why was I not grossed out by this? I'm not sure. I found it fascinating, in a very odd sort of way. I looked around me in awe. Several hands came together and made faces to watch me, others simply waved excitedly.
"Hello," I said, still panting and trying to get my heart rate back to normal.
Several hands in front of me came together to form a bright and smiling face. "Hello, to you, too," it said in strange echoing tones that reverberated lightly off the walls around me. "You came! We heard about you, about the King's Lady, but we didn't ever think we would get to meet you!"
"Oh," I said, going very red, indeed, "I'm very sorry not to have met you all sooner… I am very pleased to meet you – whoa!" I wobbled on the palms I was standing on.
Another face appeared, just to my left, with a mustache and thick eyebrows, "Don't worry, we won't let you fall!"
"I appreciate that," I said, hurriedly. "Uh, so where to now?"
A third face appeared to my right, "Well, you would have a choice, either up or down, you see,"
"Yes," agreed the middle face, "But you need to go up."
"Up?" I asked, looking above me. About fifty feet or so, there was a light – I assumed it was the exit. "Okay, how do I get there?"
The face grinned, "That's what we're for!"
"That's right!" said the face on the left, "We are here to help you! Come on, now. We will give you hands to hold,"
"Yes," said the face on the right, "And places for your feet to climb! We are here to help, after all."
I looked all around me – there were several more faces formed, now, of all sorts of shapes and sizes. "That's awfully nice – and it kinda sounds like fun," I reached a hand up above my head, "What do I grab first?"
Several of the faces dissolved to just hands. One shot out, snapped once to get my attention, then held itself out to me, palm upward. I giggled and took it, then looked down to find one ready for my foot. Several hands were now coming together, almost like they did for their faces, only they were lacing together, palms upward, as though someone were kneeling down to help me get up on a horse. In alternating patterns they laced, forming quite a nice ladder for my feet.
Not to say it wasn't an awkward climb. I couldn't help but feel like I was stepping on people or something. I kept expecting someone to shout out or complain that I was hurting them, or something, but they never did. In fact, as I climbed up, several new faces chatted with me, merrily, asking me this or that. Yet, strange and interesting as it was, it wasn't long before I was tired – my shoulders were terribly sore from pulling myself upward. My legs could have handled the climb alone, but they were also a little tired from running down the tunnel, before I came to the hands.
When I paused to catch my breath and roll my shoulders, a new face appeared to my left, "Are you doing alright?" it asked, worriedly.
I smiled at it, "I'm fine, I'm just a little tired from the climb. You are all very helpful to me, and I can't thank you enough, but my shoulders are a little tired."
"Would you like us to lift you?" it asked, sounding nothing but helpful.
Uh, that's a no. I don't like being lifted, as though I can't do anything. The only person who I don't mind lifting me, is Jareth, and that is because he somehow manages to do so effortlessly, as though I don't weigh a thing, and it's always very comfy when he does. But others? Even the Helping hands? "No, thank you," I said, quickly, "I don't mind climbing up – it's quite fun, really – my shoulders are just tired. A short rest, and I'll be good to go."
"Oh," it said, smiling, "Well, we can help with that, too. We've helped the King, many times, when he is stressed, you know."
"You what?" I didn't understand, exactly. What did they help with?
My answer came when two hands extended out on the wall behind me, taking hold of my shoulders. Slowly and with deliberate pressure, the fingers began to knead my muscles. Sure, it was a little creepy, but it did feel nice. I wish I could have relaxed more, though. Unfortunately, the moment I thought to close my eyes for a bit, a small something niggled at the back of my mind, reminding me that I really had to get going. Sure, I'm certain I had plenty of time to spare, but it wasn't wise to take things for granted in the Labyrinth.
I shrugged and rolled my shoulders, "Thank you – that feels much better,"
"Ready to climb again?" a face asked me.
I nodded with a smile, "You bet, let's go."
At the top of the shaft, I found a relatively simple hatch that opened nicely when I pushed on it. I scrambled up and out, turning to wave at all the hands and holler down a final thanks and farewell before I closed the hatch.
It was a bright day, but as my eyes adjusted, I realized that it wasn't as bright as I was expecting. It was close to either noon or one o'clock, I was sure, but the trees overhead and all around were thick enough to block out most of the glare. I was now in the Firey forest.
Getting to my feet and brushing off my knees, I stood and tried to figure out which way to go. Given that the trees hid the sun so well, it was rather difficult to tell which way was which. I was hoping to see a flash of blue, since that ribbon had seemed to lead me along pretty good, so far, but I was only surrounded by the browns and greens of the undergrowth.
Faintly, far ahead, I could hear music. A small ripple of fear ran through me, thinking about the Fireys, and what they would have in store for me – true, the last time I dealt with them it had been an act for a runner, but that didn't mean it hadn't been frightening. In general, they were rather terrifying, and a bit wilder than I cared for.
Still… the music wasn't wild or crazy. The more I strained to listen, the more intrigued I became. I followed in the direction of the music, letting it guide me. Perhaps, I thought, it wasn't the Fireys. Perhaps it was something else in the Labyrinth that I had yet to see. Who knew? I followed without fear.
As it turned out, I was both right and wrong. The music was coming from the Fireys, but I could honestly say that this was something I hadn't seen before. The first one I spotted was sitting up in a tree, its feet dangling off the edges of a branch. As it sat there, humming a somewhat deep rhythm of a sort, it started snapping its fingers a little bit. A ways further down, I heard similar snapping, and then some even farther. It was a signal that I had arrived.
So, apparently, Jareth had let them know I'd be coming. What the heck was he up to, here?
I passed the first one and began to catch, more clearly, the harmonizing voices of the others. The song was very familiar, but I couldn't quite place it, yet. And, seriously, it was familiar, and in a really strange way…
It was the second Firey I passed that took up the melody and main lyrics of the song. I jumped when I saw him, hanging upside down from a tree in a rather causal fashion – as though it were as natural to him as walking upright was for me. Heck, for all I know, it was natural to him, but it startled me, all the same. I really didn't know much about them, a fact that struck me somewhat strangely as I mused about it. Why not? I'd have to pester Jareth for more info about them, later on. He gave me what I assumed to be a bird-like grin, and, of all things, began to sing.
"Cold fire," he sang, "You've got everything but cold fire, you will be my rest and peace child," he swung to sit upright on the branch, "I moved up to take a place near you!"
I pulled a face and kept walking. Was that…? I giggled, catching sight of a few more of them, up in the trees ahead of me, most of them snapping their fingers and keeping a doo-wop sort of tempo going, but one of them cleared his throat to take the lead.
"So tired," he went, "It's the sky that makes you feel tired, it's a trick to make you see wide, it can all but break your heart in pieces…"
And so the song went on, passed from one Firey to the other as I walked onward down the path. I giggled and snickered endlessly. I never thought to get serenaded by the Fireys, ever, and never with a David Bowie song, and never with, of all the songs, The Prettiest Star.
"Staying back in your memory,
Are the movies in the past
How you moved is all it takes
To sing a song of when I loved
The prettiest star
One day
Though it might as well be someday
You and I will rise up all the way
All because of what you are
The Prettiest Star!"
They ran the chorus a couple of times through, and when they had finished, I found that, before me, the trees were clearing, and I could see, not too far off, the Goblin City. I halted in my steps and looked behind me. I had come up in the forest, yes, so how come I wasn't coming up to, say, the bog? Wasn't that next in line? Surely Jareth hadn't gotten rid of it? It was so iconic… as bad as it smelled, it was still important, right?
I looked ahead at the city, feeling a little puzzled. How could I have by passed the bog? It was not as if that thing could go unnoticed. A glance behind me, and I nearly came out of my skin – a Firey was right there, grinning at me. Or, well, as much of a grin as a bird-like thing can do.
"Relax, Lady," he said, waving a hand at me, somewhat lazily, "You seem a little uptight. Just relax! The city is right there, you're almost there, and you've got plenty of time!"
Calming myself, I laughed, "I'm relaxing, you just startled me, is all. You weren't there, a second ago."
He shrugged, "You didn't look confused a second ago."
I gave him a thoughtful look, "Can you answer me a question?"
"I might. I can try," he said, seeming to half-heartedly ponder it, "But just for you, pretty Lady." Firelight rippled through his buggy eyes.
I shivered, just a little, and not because it was cold or anything. It was, after all, barely two in the afternoon, at the latest. I couldn't help it – at a close range, while fascinating, the Fireys were also creepy. Just a bit.
"Awesome," I started, "So, okay, I came up in the forest, so how come I didn't pass the bog?"
He threw his head back and cackled, holding his stomach as if I had just told the funniest joke ever. "Lady!" he said, making very little effort to compose himself, "You already passed it, before you came up! You went right around it, on the underside, you see? You think the King would let a sweet thing like you go sniffing that, and today of all days?"
"Well," I said, hesitantly, "I guess not… so I already passed it, then, before I even met the Helping Hands. Alright, then, that's one less thing to worry about. Thank you," I started to head towards the junk yard, and the city beyond, when I turned back, suddenly. "Hey, wait!" I called to the Firey, who was now doing a handstand and walking backwards to the forest, "What's so special about today?"
He shook his head, which promptly fell off and rolled off to the side – I gasped and covered my mouth – but he still smiled. "No can do there, babe," it hollered as its body fumbled to find the head, while balancing on one hand, "One question asked, one answer given. Now, get moving! You'll figure it out!"
I frowned and wanted to press the matter further, but didn't think I could handle the sight of the creature dealing with it's own head, so I decided to just try and use my head on this. Perhaps I could figure it out while I passed through the junk.
As I entered the junk yard, I saw several of the Junk people, but they gave me wide berth and paid me no mind. Still, from my perspective, though, they didn't seem to be just aimless people wandering in the junk, obsessing over items lost or forgotten… it was almost like they were sorting through it, you know? I noticed one that seemed to be carrying, primarily, stuffed toys on its back. Another had what looked like kitchen equipment. I didn't feel comfortable calling them 'junk people', as they seemed to be more like Junk Keepers or something.
As the thought occurred to me, something flashed through my mind. It was an odd sort of image, one composed of several ideas but rather vague in the purpose of it. Somehow, I understood what it meant. When someone ran, the Labyrinth had to change to accommodate it. In some cases, it needed to be frightening, others it had to be friendly. This junk yard all of a sudden changed in my eyes – it wasn't just junk, but more like props. The random and somewhat messy prop department of a company or production team that often had to put on plays from every genre and style imaginable. The people running around and through it were doing they're very best to keep it organized – or to at least know where things were, and what all they had available for when a specific thing was needed.
I smiled, wondering if this was how Jareth saw this place. So much of the Labyrinth had changed in my mind in the last few hours… and I felt really honored for it.
Pressing forward, though slowly, I continued through the yard and began to contemplate what the deal was about today.
"Alright," I muttered to myself, "Time to analyze the facts here. Jareth set this up, apparently with quite the pomp and circumstance, so this is important. Important to Jareth, at least. What else do I know? Hmm. I know that there has been a blue ribbon floating around… eh, I don't think that's got much to do about today, though. What else?" I stepped across a pole and continued down the path, eyeing the castle spires in the distance, "I do know that Jareth said I was so close, down in the tunnels. What had I said? Something… something about taking the day off work to rerun this thing, after already doing it a year ago, and then he said that I was close…"
I gasped and stopped in my tracks. A year ago. Yep, I had run the Labyrinth a year ago. What day was it? I ticked off the days in my head and recalled the date…
"Holy crap," I said aloud, "Today's the year mark since I wished myself away! How could I have forgotten that?! It's… it's…" I pressed my palms to my cheeks, "It's the anniversary of when we first met!"
And, at that pronouncement, the ground beneath my feet fell away and I was swallowed up in darkness.
The fall somewhat disoriented me, and for a split second I thought that, for certain, I was, or had been, unconscious. The second after that, I realized that, no, I had not lost consciousness, but was only in the dark, surrounded solely by the tinkling sound of the flowers on my head.
I also had the strange feeling that I had not fallen in a straight drop. Reaching a hand behind me confirmed that idea, my fingers finding a slope, similar to the slide that had led me to the tunnel of the False Alarms, except that it was straight, rather than a spiral. Beneath me, as well, I felt a soft cushion that had broken my fall – it seemed that Jareth had made sure that this time I would not break my leg, as had happened on my first run. The sentiment and the extra thought made me smile. He certainly had thought this out.
"Well," I said, softly to myself, "This is an Oubliette, but for what purpose?" I knew exactly what an Oubliette was for, especially in the Labyrinth, but I also knew that in this run, everything had some sort of purpose, generally all tuned towards being a surprise for me, in some way or another – something that now made me feel embarrassed, especially since I hadn't even thought of the anniversary of when we met. Of our first official date, sure, and of when he first kissed me, yes, but my wish? I had known it in the back of my mind, but it had somehow slipped my thoughts, and I felt rotten for it. Some girlfriend I was.
But my negative thoughts were interrupted by faint and ever growing light up ahead. The illumination increased dramatically, revealing the room I was in to be more than an average Oubliette. No chains or skeletons or anything dark. No, instead there were dark but elegant drapes hanging on the walls, a slight shimmer on them that flickered in the growing light. Other than the slide on which I had entered, there seemed to be no other door to the place, and by all appearances it was a circular room.
And, though I can't quite explain how I knew it, I could feel magic in the air all around me.
I turned my attention to the source of the light. It seemed to be emanating from a pedestal which stood in the center of the circular room. I got to my feet, brushed myself off, and approached it with curiosity. Sitting innocently on a small cushion atop the pedestal was a crystal, about the size of my fist, twinkling and flickering like a star. Resting beside it was a piece of parchment. My hand reached out and retrieved the stiff parchment and, holding it up in the light of the crystal, I read the familiar looping pen. It said:
My Dearling Wren,
Have you guessed it now? My smart girl, I knew you would. One year ago, this very evening, you made a wish that changed both our lives. I doubt you will ever truly know how much that wish now means to me.
Without adequate words, I wish to express my gratitude alternatively. For you, I have a gift.
The crystal before you is rare and unique and I am certain you will enjoy what you find inside. Hold this crystal and turn it carefully. It will show you the secret desires of your heart, your greatest ambition, your loftiest goal, and your most treasured wish – your dreams. No, I do not know the contents – they are yours and yours alone, and I will not intrude.
Yet, unlike the dreams for others, meant to indulge in the wildest fantasies, I have placed a restriction. I could not bear to see you heartbroken with dreams that cannot come true, so I give you only that which you may obtain – all that lies within your reach. May they inspire you, give you hope, make you laugh, and bring you joy…
… all that your presence has given me.
Truly yours,
Jareth
Somewhere in there, a few tears had sprung from the corners of my eyes to roll down my cheeks. I swiped them away with my fingers, sniffed, then carefully folded the note and placed it tenderly in my pocket.
I stared intently at the crystal. It had ceased it's flickering, as though it knew it now had my full attention. My heart was beating quite quickly now… this little thing held my dreams? It would show them to me? The question was, though, did I want to know them? There seemed to be a danger in taking this gift, however innocently given. Jareth restricted it to show me only what was possible – so no wildly impossible things – yet to see something and know that you, yourself, have the power to achieve it… well, what if you don't get it?
I mean, think about it. If you saw yourself being an astronaut or discovering a cure for cancer while also winning an Oscar, and that never happened, well, you wouldn't really feel too terribly disappointed, would you? It would only be, after all, a wild and crazy dream. But something like getting a new car or a promotion at work, the actually possible things? If they don't come true, well, that puts the blame on you, doesn't it? You would know that you could have had those things, if you had only done something differently. It was not an easy thing to accept.
But yet…
There was an inaudible hum in the room – I could feel it. It was magic, great magic, pulsing from the crystal, but also in another way that I couldn't quite understand. In the same sense that I could tell where Jareth was in his castle each time I counted the crystals in my ring to go Underground, I could feel that there was something else in store for me, should I take this gift. I couldn't explain it, but I did feel that there was some higher purpose in me taking the crystal, that whether I took it or not, something special would come about – and, in that case, this crystal would truly be a gift, to allow me to understand something or other, before hand.
And, having that knowledge with me, I reached out with both hands and scooped it up.
The room erupted in tiny sparkles all over and the crystal began to glow. I inhaled sharply, for it sent a feeling through my hands that I had only felt once before – when Jareth's bare palm had crossed mine. Yes, this was most definitely magic, perhaps the clearest manifestation of Jareth's powers that I had seen so far, and it was leaving me breathless.
Setting my feet firmly apart and steadying myself as best I could, I lifted the orb up and twisted it carefully in my fingers. It was only a fractional rotation, but the results were entirely startling. Imagine suddenly having super vision; it brought the swirling depths of the crystal up before my eyes with absolute clarity.
And with that, I could see my dreams.
Everything was slightly hazy.
First thing I saw was my room, and my own self, walking around in it. There were boxes being stacked up and taken out one by one by myself and some men I didn't quite recognize. I was taking things off my bookshelf and placing them in a box, which I taped up and handed off to a man. Another man came in and retrieved my beanbag chair – I quickly pointed a finger at him and told him to be careful with it.
Things swirled and the image changed. Now the men were bringing the boxes in, but the room was different. It was a living room, and I was standing in the middle of it, my hands on my hips and a smile on my face as I looked around. I was saying something about freedom and it's value. In the front door, between the men who were carrying the boxes, walked Persephone, who came up and hugged me tightly, saying something about how wonderful I was and how glad she was that I was striking out on my own.
The image faded, showing me my cubicle at work. We were all there, working, and I could see Allie in the back. She stood, suddenly, and said to our team that she had an announcement she wanted to tell us. The image changed, and I now saw myself hugging her tightly, along with Kay and Dan. Kay was examining her left hand which now had a ring on the third finger.
That image seemed to zoom out a little, and I spotted the security guard. No, wait, it was Jareth. He was there, in the back, smiling at Allie, too.
Jareth…
Orla came into view, then. I felt my nose turn up. But, wait, she wasn't the same… her face was quite plain – no makeup, at all. Strangely, she looked quite a bit like Mom without all that glam. She was sitting quietly on a couch, and I was sitting beside her. We were both holding books and reading quietly. Her book seemed rather thick, for her taste.
New image – I was in a kitchen, making cookies. Turning my head away from the mixing bowl for just a second, a long and elegant finger reached over my shoulder to dip in and steal a glob of the mix. I turned, both angry and laughing, to swat at Jareth and scold him for touching my cookies. He was laughing and dancing out of my reach.
I saw Orla again. This time, she had a little makeup on, but still not like herself. She looked so very happy, though. A man I didn't know came up beside her. He was her same height and had a receding hair line, but he kissed her and held her hand, lovingly. I noticed then that she was wearing Mom's wedding dress. I came up beside her, in a blue dress, and she turned and hugged me tightly, saying something about a thank you and an apology… I said something about how it wasn't needed. I stepped back from her, and I saw someone come up behind me, grabbing me gently by the waist. It was Jareth, wearing a tuxedo. I leaned against him, smiling as he nuzzled my hair.
Jareth…
I now saw Jareth, approaching me, flowers in his hands. He extended them out to me, and I saw myself, taking them and blushing. Was that even me? Yes, it was, but I wasn't quite the same. I almost looked a tiny bit taller, or something. Jareth reached out a hand and stroked my cheek – I leaned into his hand, which was ungloved.
The image flashed, and I saw, briefly, Jareth standing in a very grand suit, looking very much like the Goblin King, and surrounded by royalty. He was haughty and proper, everything about him crisp and immaculate. Yes, I was saying to myself, though I could not see myself, he was King.
The flash died, and I saw the two of us cuddling together in an oversized beanbag chair by the fire. Our clothes were as average as they could be, and both of us had ruffled and rather windblown looking hair. I was in a plain t-shirt and jeans, Jareth in a casual shirt and dark pants. Unlike the previous image, he looked like my Jareth, not necessarily the Goblin King. I was watching the fire, Jareth was watching me. One arm around me, he was pulling the hair away from my face, strand by strand. I saw my eyes drift shut at the action, and with that he leant over and kissed me. As he pulled away, I followed, resting my head tightly against him and he enfolded me in his arms. We seemed to be falling asleep.
Jareth again. This time, the two of us were strolling down the streets of the Goblin city. Jareth was openly holding my hand, and a group of goblin children were pointing and smiling.
Then we were dancing. I don't know where, but Jareth was twirling me around across a dance floor, and we were both smiling. It shifted, though, and I saw, at a great distance, Jareth kneeling before me.
My sight swirled. Jareth's mouth inches from mine, whispering something so soft I couldn't hear it. Then our lips were meeting, softly at first, but with an increasing fervor that made my face heat.
The image returned of Jareth, kneeling. It was closer this time, and I could see him clearly, holding my hand. He was on one knee.
With a gasp, the image vanished, showing me myself, standing on a dance floor, with, oddly enough, my father. He was rocking me, back and forth, to a faint song I didn't know, like when I was small and used to stand on his feet. My hair was curly and done up elaborately – more so than I ever do it, myself. Daddy is telling me how proud he is of me, and how happy he is for me. We pause when someone taps my father on the shoulder, but it isn't a surprise by the looks on both our faces – we seemed to know it was coming. My father leans down and I hug him tearfully before I turn to accept the dance of who was cutting in – my face lights up as Jareth takes me in his arms. This image is fuzzy, almost in black and white, and the most I can tell is that Jareth is wearing a dark suit – though, most definitely his usual style – and my dress is pale.
I exhaled sharply and the world swam. I blinked, now seeing myself, asleep in a bed. Sitting beside me, on the edge of the bed, is Jareth. He's watching me sleep. He leans down to wake me with a kiss. When my eyes open, he reaches up to brush the hair from my eyes and asks how I'm feeling. I say something about how I'm good, but I'm starving. With a smirk, Jareth comments that he'll take care of that. I see him stroke my cheek as he pulls away from me, sitting up, and then rests a hand on my stomach, very tenderly.
This images dissolved into a series of flashes. Another kiss. Me, watching myself in the mirror, examining a very protruding belly. Jareth and I, laughing. Myself, frowning over a scroll of parchment, at Jareth's desk. Jareth and I, sleeping, my head on his chest. My face, screaming, with sweaty hair sticking to my face and curling around my ears. A rose. A kiss on a cheek. A dance. Holding hands. A smile. The images came faster, and I could hardly make them out, until I saw Jareth, holding Leyla, and then just Jareth, his eyes watching me, smiling.
There was a blinding flash and I was again in the Oubliette. I stumbled backwards, returning to reality with a jolt. I rubbed a hand on my face, clearing the last images from my eyes. It had been like a dream, though, and I was afraid I would forget all that I'd seen. I carefully went over each image in my head, finding that, oddly so, I could remember each one clearly.
Time was getting on, I knew, and I needed to get going and start looking for an exit, but my legs were still shaking, and I was still thinking about all I'd seen. Those were my dreams, my desires, and things that could possibly come true one day.
I got terribly light headed and my legs gave out from underneath me. With a plop, I landed on the ground. I wrapped my arms around myself and tried to calm my breathing. I knew, long ago, that I cared about Jareth. I mean, I always cared about him. He had always been gracious and kind and made me so happy. But… now there was no denying or avoiding what my heart had been trying to tell me for some time. I had seen the proof of it, with my own eyes.
"My word," I breathed between gasps, "I love him. I've fallen in love with Jareth."
The crystal in my hands had become a solid comfort for me as I sat in the darkness, dealing with my epiphany. I was currently alternating between laughing giddily and then almost hyperventilating. In a strange way, my world felt very unstable, and so I sat there gripping the crystal as though my life depended on it.
Shaking, I finally peeled my fingers off the crystal and looked down at it. I turned it again, but nothing happened this time. No, I wasn't saddened, as I could still clearly recall all I had seen. I stroked it, thinking about what I had to do.
First of all, I had never loved anyone like this before. I was terrified – it was dangerous territory for my heart to be in, a prime place for it to get broken. I was thrilled – I never thought I would find someone who would care about me enough that I would fall for them. I was hopeful – because I had seen images of a future with Jareth, it meant that that was a possibility. I was scared – Jareth was Fae, and very long-lived at that. Even though we had been together for a year, that wasn't very long for him. I could still be a passing fancy for him, and I wasn't certain that he loved me, or if he ever would love me.
But then, each time negative thoughts entered my mind, I remembered that kiss in the tunnel, along with so many other tender expressions I had had from him in the last year, going all the way back to that day at the fountain, when he confessed he fancied me and kissed me for the first time. And those things brought me around to hope again.
After a long amount of time – I'm not sure how long – I set a resolve. I loved him as much now as I had this morning or yesterday or the day before that. I just knew it with certainty, now. Other than that, nothing had changed, and so I should give myself time. I would keep my heart to myself, for now, and go on with the Labyrinth. Besides, if I told Jareth that I loved him, I wanted to do so at the right moment, and something whispered in my ear that now was not it, at least for him. Maybe, just maybe, he needed a bit more time.
And, surprisingly, I was alright with that. I certainly could use a little more time to deal with it, myself.
With a reassuring nod to myself, I stood, crystal in hand, ready to finish my second run. Somehow, though, I had been too much in my thoughts, and I smacked right into the pedestal, and the crystal dropped from my hand.
"No!" I cried out, fearing it would shatter on the ground, but it didn't. Instead, it bounced and rolled to the far wall. When it touched the dark drapes there, it popped like a bubble, sending some light into the room.
And there, where the crystal had been, rested the blue ribbon.
I grinned, "And so it returns." I approached it, squatted, and reached out to the ribbon. For a second, I expected it to dance out of my reach or something, but it did not. In fact, it did the exact opposite. As if it had a life of it's own, the ribbon swirled up and wrapped around my left wrist, tying itself in a fluffy bow.
A frown spread across my face, and I tugged at the ribbon with my right hand, but it didn't budge. "What the heck?"
I moved to stand, and as I did so, the drapes parted, revealing an archway that led out into the bright sunlight. I covered my eyes for a moment while they adjusted. Something began to pull me towards the sunlight, and the wreath of flowers on my head jingled in a faint breeze. I blinked repeatedly, finally noticing the strange sight before me. The ribbon was, well, leading me. Literally. The end of it was tied around my wrist, and it stretched out beyond what was possible, especially if it was the same ribbon I had been seeing during my run. It extended out, like a rope or something, down a path that I could see led straight to the City. It was taught, though, and I was being pulled closer to wherever the other end of the ribbon was, somewhere far ahead and out of my sight.
Without much choice in the matter, I moved my feet to follow. It had been leading me this far with positive results, I figured it couldn't hurt to trust whatever it had in mind.
I passed quickly through the junkyard, this time with a few of the Junk Keepers watching me from the edge of the path. Some smiled, a few waved. They really fascinated me, and I would have loved to have talked with them, but the ribbon would have none of that and I was led relentlessly towards the city gates.
The gates were open wide, several goblins and other creatures near the entrance were waiting and watching me, bright smiles on there faces. They all waved and cheered when they saw me, as if I was some sort of parade. But, there was no time to allow for me to ponder on that much – I had to pick up the pace. My arm was now outstretched as the ribbon led me along, quickly.
Through the city I went, twisting around the houses and buildings. They were nicer than the last time I had seen them. Many of the house fronts had been whitewashed or other wise washed and cleaned up. I saw small goblin children watching me from windows and doors, mothers with aprons just behind them, and a few fathers, too. The whole city seemed to be celebrating. I wanted to hide my face, but there wasn't time for that. Each time I paused or slowed down, the ribbon tugged impatiently and I had to start off again. The only time it seemed to allow me to stop was when a small ball rolled out into my path. Some small children had been playing with it in the yard of a modest goblin house, and it had bounced over the wall and out in front of me. The children looked all shocked, one even looked frightened.
With a laugh and a smile, I retrieved the ball and returned it to the kids – who promptly ran, squealing with delight, to where their mother stood in the doorway, to show them the ball and how I had stopped to give it to them.
I wanted to say something, introduce myself at least, but the ribbon tugged again, and I was off at a trot.
Finally, I entered the large square before the castle. There was a great multitude of very happy goblins dancing around, here and there. I could see they were all dressed up and excited to be there. There was magic on the wind, sparkling about as it swirled through the square.
The castle doors were open wide. Standing there, at the top of the steps, dressed in an elegant navy suit, a smirk on his face, stood Jareth. In one gloved hand, he held the other end of the ribbon.
Just seeing him made me giggle nervously and flush in my cheeks. Despite the tug on the ribbon (which, from all appearances, seemed to be shrinking back to its proper length in order to bring me to him), I slowed down to a stroll as I approached him.
When I reached the bottom step, I stopped, looking up at him expectantly. "Do I win, then?"
Sedately, and with a widening grin on his face, he descended to the first step, still holding the end of the ribbon up in one hand. His eyes were deep and intense, making my heart beat just a little faster. "Always," he said in a gentle voice, meant only for me to hear.
Holding up the hand bound by the bow, I gave him a look, "Care to set me free?"
Without a word, and still holding my gaze, he lifted my hand in his. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a shinning spark– my ring! Oh, I was so glad to see it! He slipped it back to its proper place on the middle finger of my left hand, then gently lifted that hand and kissed it.
Several goblins who were watching intently, applauded. I blushed, terribly.
Jareth chuckled, then met my gaze again. Turning my wrist upside down, he tugged the ribbon and it slid from my arm. My eyes widened as he turned his head and pressed a kiss to the inside of my wrist, sending shivers down my spine.
"Th-thank you," I stammered, pulling back and clutching my hand, "And not just for this… thank you for everything, Jareth."
His smirk lost all pretenses and softened to one of his true smiles. "Did you enjoy it?" he asked, tentatively.
I nodded.
"Good," he said, now toying with the ribbon in his fingers, "I am glad." Taking the last step from the stairway, he moved to stand at my back. I started to turn and face him, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. My eyes drifted closed as he gathered my hair in his hands and tied it back with the ribbon. Why does it feel so good to have someone play with your hair? I'll never know. His fingers caressed my neck; I smiled and tilted my head to the side, enjoying the sensation of his soft silk-like gloves on my skin.
There was an electric shock that went through my whole body, causing my eyes to pop open, as I felt warm breath and soft lips press a kiss to where my neck met my shoulder. I gasped involuntarily when another kiss was placed just behind my ear.
I spun, facing him, my eyes wide with surprise. He was smiling softly, but there was definite mirth dancing behind his blue eyes. I smacked his shoulder, lightly, but the action of lifting my arm opened an opportunity for him to wrap his around my waist and pull me closer to him. I took the initiative this time and reached my hand up to his neck, pulling his head down and capturing his lips in a kiss. Soft at first, it reminded me of the one I had dreamt of, quickly deepening and causing my face heat up – and caused the majority of the watching goblins to explode in a cacophony of cheers.
Oh, I felt so embarrassed. I pulled back and buried my face in his chest. It felt so safe there. With my face in his shirt and jacket, I was felt hidden from the world, safe and protected. He was kind enough to allow me my moment to hide.
"Alright," he said at length, stepping back from me, "I think it is high time we joined the celebration."
I looked up at him, now curious. "Celebration?"
He took my hand and led me up the steps, "Naturally. You did realize what today is, yes?"
I paused and looked away, feeling ashamed, "I did – oh, gosh, Jareth, I'm so sorry I forgot… I feel terrible."
He reached out and turned my face back to him, "Wren, do not feel so. Remember, time is… different for me. A year is important in any sort of relationship, but my longevity would place that time more like a month for you. Did you remember the first month after our initial meeting?"
A smile settled on my lips, "Of course I did."
He shrugged, "Well, there you have it, then. Besides, my dearling, had you remembered, I would not have had such fun planning today and watching you run. It was very amusing."
I laughed, "Okay, fine then, but… I got a pretty wreath of flowers – which you will have to detangle from my hair, by the way – a ribbon, a shoulder massage, a serenade, compliments, not to mention my dreams… and, well, I didn't know, so, what did you get?"
He paused, turning to look at me, a bemused expression on his face, as if I should know this answer already and said, simply, "You."
"Me?"
"Yes, you… and the smile on your face," his voice dropped to a whisper and he tapped the end of my nose with his finger, "Your beautiful smile made it worth every moment."
My eyes watered, but I refused to let any tears fall. We stood there, watching each other silently. I love you, I said, silently. I love you so much – more now than ever.
"Lady mades it!" came a squeal, breaking our moment. I was almost knocked over as Squyshee came running and grabbed onto my leg, hugging me. Jareth and I both began laughing while I pried him off.
"Yes, yes, Squyshee, I made it," I said, squatting down and patting him on the head.
"Did the King's Lady have fun?" he asked, dancing back and forth on his feet.
I nodded, "Sure did. But, I have one question for you." He looked puzzled. I continued. "What the heck are sweet, pink fluffies, and why does Spoonickty want to lick them off? And off what?"
He giggled and covered his mouth, then motioned for Jareth and I to follow him. "It's the parties, Lady! Comes on!" he dashed off towards the throne room.
I looked at Jareth, who offered me his arm. I took it, and let him lead me after Squyshee. As it turned out, the pink fluffies were iced flowers on a cake that the kitchen goblins had put together for the King's special celebration. When we entered the throne room, Squyshee was chasing a chubby goblin about a head taller than himself away from the cake, and swatting at him. The goblins cheered as we entered, and began to dance around, happily, music filling the room as they did so.
Jareth and I made our way to his throne. He seated himself, then, as was becoming a custom for us on such occasions, he pulled me onto his lap where I curled up and rested my head on his shoulder.
"Jareth? What do you think they're more excited over, us coming in, or the fact that they can now eat some cake?"
"Both, I think. They are happy though, as are you, and as am I. Does it truly matter why?"
I shook my head, laughing, "No, I suppose not."
We sat, content to watch them play and dance. In a few minutes, I would pester Jareth for a dance, but for now, I was happy where I was. How could I not be? I had a whole year of magic and wonders that, before Jareth, I had only ever dreamed existed. I closed my eyes and smiled. It was a very good thing to have my ring, to know that yes, this world around me was real and I was apart of it, and to know that I was in the arms of my dream-come-true.
A/N: Yes, everyone! It has been one year since I began this story… well, a bit belated, as this chapter took me forever to write. I wanted to have it up sooner, but it just kept getting longer and longer. Hope none of you mind!
Also hope I didn't give anyone a toothache with all that high-concentration fluff going on.
Well after a whole year, I have to say thank you all, so very much, for supporting me in this story! I love writing it, and love to hear how much you all love it, too. It has been a wonderful year, and I am so glad that so many of you become so loyal to this – it really means the world to me. All of your reviews just make me smile, to no end, and I appreciate them so very much! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, thus far!
Now, hopefully, I can stay funk-free, and update this story sooner…
Until next,
Much love,
Marti
P.S. Now, I am going to go listen to Young Americans. Take THAT, Danika! Muahahaha!