I've been gone a while, and I apologise for it. Enjoy the chapter.
"I have no idea where I am," Danica admitted with a sigh. She slumped down on a nearby boulder, drawing her knees up to her chest.
There was a wall of trees in front of her, blocking her from moving farther down the path. Though, she supposed that every maze would have dead ends. She'd have to turn around.
With a sigh she glanced at her watch; eight hours left. But once she turned to head back the way she came, a wall had appeared there. She was boxed in.
"Hey, over here," a small goblin called.
The goblin was perched in front of a door, which hadn't been there before. He grinned up at her, showing her his yellowing teeth.
"The name's Bob," the goblin said, "and I'm here to tell you that you've got a choice. Either go back the way you came or go through this here door."
Danica glanced back at the stone wall that should have been the path she had taken before looking back at Bob. His furry face and pointed ears were a dark orange, and the rest of him was purple. He was leaning against the door, his arms crossed over his chest.
"I'll go through this door," Danica said and lifted her hand to turn the knob.
"Wait!" Bob cried, "You can't just go barging in there, what ifs the people were sleeping in there?"
"Why would they be sleeping? It's still light out."
Bob scratched his chin before grinning at Danica, "You have a point. But before you can go through, I want something in return."
"What?" Danica asked, "My first born, or one of my siblings?"
"No,no. What would I do with that?" Bob stuck out his tungue and gagged.
"Then what?"
"I want a kiss." Bob nodded to himself.
"A kiss? Why?"
"'cause kingy said if I get a girl to kiss me I'd turn into a prince," Bob said with a prided smile, "Kingy said I couldn't kiss his lady, I had to find my own."
"And what if you don't turn into a prince?" Danica asked.
"Then I'll be angry, at kingy not at you." Bob didn't stop smiling, though.
"Alright."
Danica bent down and kissed Bob on his cheek. Nothing happened and Bob frowned, twirling his fingers in front of him. Then he started to sniffle before he started to full out cry.
"Ah, don't cry. You look like a prince to me. Just like a mini Goblin King," Danica said, hugging Bob to her.
"You think so?" Bob asked as he pulled away, "I looks like kingy?"
"Yes."
Bob beamed up at her before he turned and opened the door behind him. Danica stepped past him and made it about two steps before the ground gave out beneath her.
"Help!"
RJRJR
"Greetings, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said, making Sarah jump in surprise.
She held her hand to her chest as she searched for him, her eyes dancing past the large bookcases that took up most of the space in the library. He was sitting in the window across from her chair.
She smiled at him and put her book down, "Rumpel, it's really good to see you. You should have come by the palace sooner."
"Jareth wouldn't have liked that," he said, scrunching his nose and baring his rotting teeth.
"Since when do you care what he thinks?" Sarah laughed, "You certainly didn't care when you crashed our wedding and scared half our guests to death."
"That's different," he said, "he owed me a favour and I was craving for wedding cake."
Sarah stood and made her way to Rumplestiltskin.
"It's really good to see you," Sarah said.
Rumplestiltskin giggled and jumped to his feet before he bowed to her. He stared up at her mid-bow to flash his dirty teeth at her.
"I heard you're helping my niece with the Labyrinth."
"Haven't helped yet, she has to sign the contract first," Rumplestiltskin said and giggled, sitting back on the windowsill.
Sarah sighed and sat down next to Rumplestiltskin. "Who's the baby for this time?"
"You."
Sarah's eyes grew wide, "Why?" She scooted away from Rumplestiltskin so that her back was against the wall. Her hand strayed to her stomach.
"No need to worry, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said, holding his hands in the air before pointing to her stomach, "That one won't be harmed."
Sarah sighed, allowing her shoulders to slump, "Then why?"
Rumplestiltskin giggled and twirled his fingers in the air, "A child born with magic will need a strong hand in raising it- not an eighteen year old with her own issues to sort out."
"Danica..."
"Yes, yes, yes. She'll meet a stranger whom she'll think she loves. And then the child will be born."
"Does Jareth know?"
"No."
Rumplestiltskin flung his head to the side. A sigh escaped his lips. "I have to save that niece of yours."
He disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
RJRJR
Danica hung upside down over an abyss by her foot, which had caught on a vine. Soil and who-knows-what kept trickling down her legs and back.
"Hold on, girly!" Bob cried.
Danica felt Bob climb down her back. His head appeared in her vision moments later as he hung from her shoulders.
"Helo."
"Bob, go find help."
"I'm helping," Bob stated, nodding his head frantically.
For long moments they only stared at each other before Bob started to giggle and nearly lost his balance because of it. Danica steadied him just in time.
"Bob, please. Go find help."
"You could have called, dearie," Rumplestiltskin called from above.
"I'm not going to sign my children over to you!"
Rumplestiltskin giggled, "I want just the one- the first one."
Danica cried out in frustration, nearly letting Bob fall from her shoulders. She heard Rumplestiltskin giggle from above.
"I can't."
"Then you'll fall, dearie, for all eternity."
"I can't think with all this blood rushing to my head!" Danica cried.
"It's easier than you think, dearie. Agree to our deal and I'll save your life."
"How about I owe you another favour."
"No, I'd like to cash the first one, dearie. Sign the contract, save your life and clear your debt."
"Then I don't really have a choice..."
"Oh, you always have a choice, dearie."
"I agree..."
She hardly had time to scream when the vine snapped and she started to plummet to her death.