As the World Falls Down
Chapter 1
Sarah entered the drafty lecture hall and went for her usual seat near her friends Tiffany and Jaime. Tiffany had her nose in her sketch book trying to make the fabric drape right on the dress she was designing for her Costume Design class, while Jaime had her Walkman on trying to learn the words for a song she wanted to perform at the end of term performances. Sarah sat down and began to pull out her supplies for class when the cheerful Professor Lutz drifted into the lecture hall carrying a rather large rolled poster.
"Class," she began, "I am pleased to inform you that next week we will be beginning auditions for a play with a guest producer." She paused for a moment to let the murmuring from her students quiet down then continued, "The producer is an old friend of mine for many years ago, and when he mentioned he want to produce this play I couldn't say no." Professor Lutz went to the board and taking a few pushpins began to pin up the poster slowly unrolling it to reveal the poster for the play Labyrinth. "Now class," Professor Lutz spoke again, "There is no grade associated with this performance but for those who wish to participate in auditions I will be willing to offer a 15 point bonus on your midterm exams. Try out scripts will be available on the table in front of my office starting at noon today. Now please open your books to page 394."
The class began to open their books and prepare for the days lesson, but for Sarah it was like a bit of magic took hold and just for one moment the little dwarf on the poster winked at Sarah. It couldn't, could it? In her teens Sarah used to dream of traversing a maze with dangers untold and hardships unnumbered accompanied by a smart mouthed, sarcastic dwarf named Hogwart. No, it was Hoggle she thought with a sad smile. In the poster the little dwarf was being dangled precarious over the Bog of Eternal Stench. No, that's not right. There was no Bog of Eternal Stench mentioned in that play. Wherever did that name come from? Just as Sarah began pondering such a silly, and funny name Professor Lutz called out, "Sarah, this is not time for daydreaming."
"Oh right, sorry Professor." Replied Sarah as she turned her attention back to a chapter on Singing while playing characters that were mythical or fairytale in nature, like werewolves, vampires, fairies, and other magical creatures. The section that the professor has on the overhead transparency projector was about Werewolves and how to bring out the beast or feral nature of a creature when acting while making sure you project your voice. While Sarah was very sure this skill was important for her ability to act in several plays, she couldn't focus on the less. So she pretended to take notes while she daydreamed about her dream adventures from so long ago.
Daydreaming. Daydreaming was something Sarah had always been good at going, much to her teacher's dismay. Sarah had always been a solid student in school from Kindergarten straight through High School. Yet year after year, Sarah's teachers were always sending home notes about her lack of focus or her constant daydreaming. Her father Robert, had done his best to encourage Sarah to be more attentive in school, but gave up since she was doing well despite her daydreaming so he let her be.
In Sarah's dream the plays she loved so much became her life. She was a princess who was besieged in a castle, a simple maiden who took up a warriors shield and sword to defend her kingdom, or her favorite a silly young girl who in a moment of selfishness wished her colicky baby brother away to the Goblin King. The last daydream consumed her high school years. Sarah was so invested in her play-acting daydreams that one stormy night she dreamed that the goblins really did take her baby brother Toby away to the Goblin King. There, Sarah had 13 hours to save Toby or lose him forever. While fighting to win back Toby she had to traverse a giant Labyrinth where right was wrong and left was right, where creature lied easily, but only told the truth if you asked the right question, and where even if you got the riddle right you still had to beware that one last trap.
In that dream Sarah finally made her way through all the traps, tricks, and tribulations, to face off against the Goblin King; the very same King who still haunted her dreams to this very day. In the dream Sarah had given her proud monologue for the play and after a brief slip of memory, had delivered the final "You have no power over me" as the world crumbled and Sarah awoke in bed to find Toby quietly asleep. That was 4 years ago, but still she dreamed of the king who professed that he would do anything and everything for her if only she would give totally, truly, and fully of herself to him.
That was a dream though. The world moved on and so too did Sarah. Sarah finished her secondary education with good enough grades to get into any school she desired and so she entered her current college to begin studying to be the actress she knew she was destined to be. The play that had been so pivotal to her childhood and her dreams was still sitting on her bookshelf. Still untouched since that day in the park when Sarah and Merlin her faithful dog had to run home in the rain.
Nothing had changed, and yet everything had changed for Sarah. She was still a beautiful young woman who was at the beginning of a promising career in the performing arts and yet she had grown and matured from the selfish sometimes-bratty child she was. Gone were the days of life needing to be "fair", and now Sarah was focused on being the best she could be as a student, actress, daughter, and big sister. Sarah no longer resented Toby and her father's remarriage to Irene. Now Sarah loved and doted on Toby.
Her father and stepmother would say that Toby and Sarah's relationship changed when Toby grew out of colic and began to sleep the night. Sarah, of course, knew differently. It was the Labyrinth that changed Sarah and her love for Toby. Toby, who grew up squealing the word again whenever Sarah would tell him of their adventures in the Labyrinth. Toby who still snuggled with Sarah's bear Lancelot every night. Toby who insisted Sarah take a day off from her college studies to come to his first day of Kindergarten. Now Toby was one of the most important people in her life.
Forty-five minutes seemed to fly by as the professor dismissed the class for the day. As Sarah was walking out the Professor stopped her for a moment and said, "I do not know what came over you today, but please do not make it a habit, alright? Also I really do want to urge you to pick up a script and try out. A lead role, perhaps? You always seem to go for the small roles but I think you have it in you to take a lead and go far." Sarah thanked her professor and headed off to her second class of College Calculus. Even Theater majors need to take math classes too.