(A/N: So chapter one is really long at this point- I added some lines from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. And again, disclaimer, I don't own anything.)
Chapter 1
Sarah bursts into her room with such joy in her face. She then sat down on the chair of her vanity and looked at a picture of her real mother, Linda Williams, hugging a younger version of Sarah. She caressed the picture with her finger and had a smile on her face before turning to the mirror.
"Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus!" Sarah called out for her friends, but there was no response from any of them. "I need you right now." Nothing but the wind greeted her.
That's weird, Sarah thought. Each one of her friends would always reply as soon as they could.
Sarah shook at the sudden feeling that something was not right. "I have something to tell all of you! I was finally accepted into acting school, and now I can finally start to be like my mom! Isn't that wonderful?" Awkward silence only filled the entire atmosphere.
"Hoggle?" She asked tentatively while gripping her pants. Fear slowly crept into her eyes. Why haven't they showed up? Did something happen to any of them? Sarah thought they might be busy at this moment. But other thoughts that flourished in her mind continue to bother her. Could it be that... Her eyes widened at the thought of him. What could he have done to them now?
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Two years later...
Sarah is turning twenty-two in a few months. She currently studies at the University of Theatre, Film, and Drama and is continuing to pursue her dream of becoming an actress like her mother. Alongside that, she works in a burger joint to make her own money so that she won't have to feel bad asking for an allowance from her father again. Although she and her stepmother still haven't gotten along quite well, they still managed to form a small friendship to understand more about each other. Toby, who is now six years old, is now developing the ability to speak and read. Even if he still doesn't remember the whole Labyrinth thing, the young boy would often have open imaginations and draw strange things. She would even bring him along whenever she and Merlin played together at the park. Sarah even managed to contact her mother, and to her surprise, her father gave her permission to visit his ex-wife and her boyfriend anytime, despite the bitter divorce years ago.
Sarah has now begun to live her life as a young adult, and she found it way more difficult than she could've ever imagined. During her first few weeks at the university, she struggled to get along with the students as Sarah was more different from them. But she still managed to succeed in befriending a student named Eleanor Jones, who also works in the same job. And speaking of Sarah's job, she and her friend hated working at that revolting burger joint. Their co-workers are always bothering them and will always dump their work on the two young women. To make matters worse, the manager would not give a damn about anything and would never care to find a proper solution to make his employees do better. Even if she hated working there, she still had no other options left to choose from other than simply staying home and doing nothing. And, of course, she didn't want to look useless to her parents. Sarah decides that once she finally graduates, she will leave that job for good.
Sarah never forgot about her adventures in Labyrinth. How could she ever? She always remembered the time when a cowardly dwarf who tricked her became her newfound friend. The time she saved a large beast who turned out to be lonely and only wanted friends. The time when she encountered a brave and noble knight who would do anything to keep anyone out of danger. Though his noble steed would hide amidst a battle most of the time. Even after leaving their world, Sarah would contact them most of the time through her mirror. Talking about her usual life, explaining the kind of events that her world would have, and what people like her do for a living. But of course, after trying to forget countless times, he would somehow make it into her mind.
The Goblin King. The man who stole her brother and gave her thirteen hours to solve his Labyrinth. Always leading her into the worst situations possible. Used her dwarf friend to drug her so that she would forget about her own brother. And in the end, convinced her that he had always been generous to her. Does he really think the things he had done to Sarah were right and just? Years have passed, and she no longer fears him anymore. At least, that's what she convinced herself.
Sarah tried her best multiple times to contact her friends through the mirror, but so far there hasn't been any success. But she isn't determined to give up. Not yet. The young woman hoped for the safety of the three who helped her solve the Labyrinth and take her brother back. Sarah hasn't seen the goblin king either. She would always manage to catch him in his owl form spying on her every time she, Toby, and Merlin would play together outside. Of course, Sarah found a way to avoid the owl as much as possible by calling him out or even going to a different location. Either way, Jareth would continue to spy on the girl. Sarah would always think that he might have done something, which would explain why her friends haven't been able to communicate back. And if he did, she would wish herself back for the sake of saving them. Although she despised him, she must admit that he did teach her a lesson. Sarah was a silly and spoiled girl who refused to grow and would always distance herself from reality. Because of that, she struggled for thirteen hours trying to get Toby back. Now that Sarah has matured a little, she is trying to make up for all her mistakes by learning what she experienced during her time in the Labyrinth.
"Places everyone!" Ms. Juniper called, "Break time's over! We start where we left off before we end this class!"
She turned to the crowd. "Sarah, Jamie, Ian, and Alex. All four of you on the stage, please! And of course, don't forget your scripts!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The four immediately went on stage while the others stood from behind and watched. Ms. Juniper sat down and wore her reading glasses. "A Midsummer Night's Dream. Act three, scene one. Bottom," she turned to Jamie. "Sings for the sleeping Titania," she said, then turned to Sarah. "Enter Snout," she said, turning to Ian. "And begin!"
"O Bottom, thou art changed! What do I see on thee?"
Jamie stepped into the spotlight. "What do you see? You see an ass-head of your own, do you?"
Instead of simply standing and waiting for them to do their part, Ms. Juniper kept on insisting on practicing as if the whole world looked upon them. But the final performance starts in the last week of December. And so Sarah was forced to lay on a mattress, for God knows where it came from or what it's been through. She squinted her eyes open to spot a certain person among the crowd of students behind their teacher. Sarah was able to catch a glimpse of Eleanor looking at the play. She's probably waiting for her to finish so they can plan what they should do during their day off from work.
Eleanor instantly felt Sarah's gaze and winked back at her. Sarah smiled back while also trying not to get caught by Ms. Juniper. When Jamie opened his mouth and sang out loud, Eleanor began cringing at his voice, even going as far as mocking his facial expressions and the way he sang. Sarah stifled her laughter when she saw her friend acting ridiculous from behind, but she didn't realize that it was her turn to be in the spotlight. When Sarah heard Ms. Juniper clearing her throat, she immediately stopped making eye contact with Eleanor and focused on her part as the fairy queen.
Sarah slowly rises from the mattress she laid on. "What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed?"
Jamie slowly approaches Sarah and sings again. After his part, Sarah spoke her lines.
"I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again. Mine ear is much enamored of thy note, so is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape, and thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me. On the first view to say, to swear, I-"
Sarah paused after she realized that something was wrong. She was no longer in the school's auditorium but rather in a pitch-black room that seemed endless. Sarah was in a state of dismay as she observed her surroundings. Where was she?
What the hell? How did I…
Sarah.
The young woman jumped upon hearing a sudden voice. She looked from left to right, front and behind, but there was no one. It was then that the sound of glitter began rattling in Sarah's ears. Annoyed, Sarah tries to ignore the strange sound when she feels a very familiar notion coming from behind her. Slightly hesitating, she spun around to see what was the source of that sudden feeling.
Sarah then found herself staring at the back of a man. He wore a dazzling blue ragged cloak, and even from behind, she could see that he had blonde hair that was long and wild. She stood there, frozen, wondering if this was just a hallucination. It's only been a few years since Sarah last saw him in this form, and it was the time when he offered everything to her, only for her to turn it down.
I can be generous up until now. But I can be cruel.
His familiar words suddenly came echoing back in her mind.
I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you!
Look what I'm offering you. Your dreams.
Her breathing became heavy when she remembered the offer he made years ago.
Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave.
Out of the blue, Sarah hears her own voice.
You have no power over me.
The disembodied voice came back to her.
Sarah Williams. Champion of the Labyrinth. Only the champion can save us. Only you can save us.
Sarah begins feeling dizzy, and her vision starts to blur. But she was still able to catch a glimpse of the man turning toward her.
Sarah.
Sarah.
Sarah.
Sarah.
Sarah.
…
"Hey, Sarah! Sarah? Sarah? Earth to Sarah? SARAH WILLIAMS!"
Sarah nearly jumped from her chair. "W-what?!" She looked around before her eyes turned to her friend, who continued staring at her.
"I'm sorry, what did you say again? My mind was somewhere else for a moment."
Eleanor sighed. The same thing happened to Sarah at the rehearsal nearly an hour ago. Stood there like a statue for more than a minute or so and openly gawked at Jamie. It was weird, but she still found the confusion on Jamie's face amusing. "So what are your plans for tomorrow night?"
Sarah thought about it for a moment. She and Eleanor thought it was a good time to talk about what they should do during their day off at the burger joint.
"Not sure," Sarah replied. "My parents might be busy, and I have to babysit Toby as usual. How about we go to the movies once they finally finish with whatever they're doing?"
Eleanor gave her a look. "There's gotta be something more than just going to the movies. Plus, I overheard Jamie and his friends going too. I am not going to let his bullshit ruin our night off from work."
Sarah sighed. One of Sarah's schoolmates, Jamie Romero, had always held a grudge against Eleanor. Not just because they're cousins, but because they have always rivaled each other ever since. Both cousins always competed to see who would become the most famous actor or actress in the future. Despite his rivalry with Eleanor, he would always try to flirt with his cousin's friend when he had the chance. Even if Sarah rejected him multiple times, he would always find a way to try to get her attention. She doesn't have the time to find guys to date anymore.
And speaking of dating, Sarah did have past lovers. Most of them were introduced by Eleanor. But in the end, none of their relationships with Sarah lasted long enough. After many heartbreaks that occurred, she decided to take a break from her love life.
"Why don't we check out that new arcade that just opened two days ago?" Sarah suggested.
Eleanor's face gleamed in excitement. "Now that's more like it."
Once school was over, Sarah invited Eleanor to come over to her house to watch some television once her brother was asleep.
"Don't forget to bring snacks!" Sarah yelled out.
Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Well, of course I never forget about the snacks!"
They laughed and then said their goodbyes. Sarah left the school and walked all the way home. She noticed that the sky was turning gray, so she tried her best to keep up before the rain started pouring all over her and her assignments. The way to her house was much farther compared to the park. When she finally approached her house, she found Merlin lying down outside. She went over to him and gave him a pat.
"She still won't let you inside, huh?" Sarah said.
Merlin grumbled, and Sarah sighed. "Come on, Merlin. I'll get you in the garage; you don't want to get soaked all over."
Sarah was concerned for her dog. Merlin used to be so outgoing all the time. He's already turning eight and is always acting so grumpy. Despite this, she would never miss a chance to spend time with the dog that was given to her by her mother. When Sarah came inside, she found Toby and her stepmother playing together.
"Ah, Sarah! Just in time!" She stood up and approached her stepdaughter. "Your father and I are going out for a while. We'll be back after midnight, and don't forget to-"
"Get Toby to sleep," Sarah replied with a smile. "Also, do you mind if Eleanor comes over?"
"Sure, honey. You two can have all the fun you like," her father replied as soon as he came into the room.
Irene gave him a look of disagreement. "Robert, you know I don't trust-"
"Just give Sarah a chance to have all the fun," he assured his wife. "Besides, she's already old enough to handle herself on her own, and once she moves out, you don't have to worry about the teenage parties she'll throw in the house anymore."
Sarah and her father looked at Irene with the expected looks on their faces. And after some convincing, Irene finally gave in. "Alright! Just make sure you two don't trash the entire house and wake Toby up. Understand?"
Sarah nodded and gave her a mock salute. "Don't worry, we won't mess anything up."
After she heard the sound of her father's car driving away, Sarah thought that now was the time to put Toby to sleep. There was a thing about her brother that bothered her a little for the past few years. Toby hasn't been such a crybaby since they both left the Labyrinth. Sarah thought that something might have happened to him when Jareth held him hostage. When she approached her brother, she noticed that he was coloring his drawings. She leaned down and smiled. "What are you drawing there?"
Her eyes widened as she observed the drawings he made. There were several green-scribbled circles with red eyes and gray clothes. Along with a tall figure with messy yellow hair and brown clothes. It can't be. How could he remember this much? He was barely a year old when the abduction happened.
"Sarah! Sarah, look!" Toby waved his arms around as he stood up.
"Dance magic! Dance magic!" Her brother repeated.
Sarah didn't know what he meant by that. All she could do was sigh and smile at him. Sarah thought that she was stupid after her brother almost turned into a goblin because of her selfishness. Even though five years have passed, she still regrets wishing him away to this very day. But all that matters is that he is safe and sound, with no goblins or goblin king to take him away from her. Sarah picked her little brother up and carried him upstairs. Once she brought him into the room, Toby tugged on her shirt.
"Can you read to me the story of the goblins?" he asked.
Sarah smiled. "Alright. But promise me that you'll sleep after, 'kay?"
"Mhm!"
Sarah puts him on the bed and tucks him in before sitting down on a chair. She began clearing her throat.
"Once upon a time..."
Sarah sighs after she ends the story. She kisses Toby's forehead and gives him his beloved teddy bear, Lancelot, before turning off the lights and closing the door. Sarah winced at the sound of thunder that echoed throughout the neighborhood. And it took a little while before it began raining. Once she went inside her room to change, her gaze slowly turned to her bedroom window.
Hmm? Déjà vu?
She changed from her casual school outfit to wearing a violet v-neck tight and layered sweater with mom jeans. After she took off her leather boots, Sarah made sure the place was clean enough so that it would make her friend more comfortable in her home. Just then, she heard the doorbell ring outside. Sarah immediately rushed to open the door. As soon as she opened it, Eleanor greeted her with an exhausted smile while holding a bag of snacks and a broken umbrella as the wind blew stronger and more rain kept pouring outside. Her short, dark blonde hair looked wet and messy from the rain, and visible eye bags could be seen under her hazel eyes.
"You have no idea what I had just gone through during that walk," Eleanor said the moment she stepped inside the house. "My parents wouldn't let me out of the house unless I finished my school work, and then that bastard Jamie switched up my umbrella, and I spent ten minutes walking to your house barely having anything to cover up my head! I'm going to throw him a knuckle sandwich by the time I get home."
Sarah chuckled. Eleanor had always been so stubborn. Always looking for a fight whenever she needed to. "Is the little guy asleep?"
"He's sound asleep," Sarah assured her. Eleanor had met Toby during one of the school's plays. She commented on how he was much calmer and less noisy than the rest of her younger siblings, who turned her home into a loud house. After her friend settled in, Sarah switched the television on. They decided to watch a few episodes of Golden Girls since it was both of their favorite shows. They continued talking without trying to make too much noise that would wake Toby up as they ate some chips. Later that night, Sarah found herself talking about the "imaginary" adventures she had in the Labyrinth.
"So you're saying you 'accidentally' wished your brother to the goblins. And the Goblin King, who isn't a goblin at all but a man, gave you thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth to take your brother back before he turns into a goblin?"
"That's pretty much it," Sarah replied. She thought Eleanor would also call her crazy, just like the other students, but her reaction was not what she expected.
"That's one hell of a dream," Eleanor commented. "But trust me, my imaginations as a kid are way crazier than you think. I had an imagination about me rescuing my whole family from gummy bears and nutcracker soldiers from Candyland. There was also a time that I dreamt that I became a giant cat and ate my grandma. Even my own parents think that I'm crazy."
Both girls laughed for a little while before Sarah sighed. "But after that kind of dream I had, it made me realize how much I've been such a spoiled brat all the time. Ever since my mother left, I would always drowse off from reality by living in my dreams and imaginations. I still feel like a jerk after I wished Toby away. No matter how many times I try to forget everything about that night, I still can't get everything off my mind. Even if it might be just all in my head, I just feel like everything I've been through in that dream, it was all real. Almost as if I have a strange attachment to it."
Eleanor placed her hand on Sarah's shoulder and looked at her with an assuring smile on her face. "Cool it down, girl. I get it. Sometimes people don't understand what we really love, especially the ones who raised us. Whether I believe what you saw in your dream is real or not, don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Cross my heart. I also get called out for being a completely insane human being. And besides, you already started bonding with your stepmother, and as for me? Well, none of my family members really care about trying to understand me. Take my parents, for example, always comparing me to that jerk cousin of mine. But there are times when we need to let go of the damn past so that we can move on to the future, you know?"
The last thing Sarah thought of was Eleanor giving advice. Most of the time, she would trash talk about the idiots at their school, especially their co-workers and boss. Eleanor was right; she was exactly like her. Getting called crazy and having a hard time bonding with other people just because you're different from them. Sarah was lucky to have Eleanor as a friend. Someone who understands her. Even though it seems embarrassing to share the past sometimes. "I'm glad to have you as my friend, Eleanor."
"Oh, don't make this too emotional for me!" Eleanor let out a laugh. "But yeah, I'm also glad to have you as my friend, Sarah."
Sarah smiled at her and then turned to the television.
"Oh, and one more thing," Eleanor said. "This goblin king you've dreamed about who took your brother... What's his name again?"
"Jareth."
"Right, would you mind telling me what he exactly looks like?" Eleanor asked out of curiosity.
Sarah tilted her head. "Well, he has long blonde hair that runs wild in the wind, and he has those mismatched eyes that portray his sly and intimidating attitude. And usually, he appears with glitter all over him every time he pops up out of nowhere."
"But is he handsome?"
"Yeah, he is handsome," Sarah replied reluctantly before realizing what she had just said. "Uh, why do you ask?"
Eleanor looked away from Sarah with an evil smirk on her face. "Oh, nothing. But you did mention you had a crush on him before, right?"
Hold up, what did she just say?
"What?! Of course not!" Sarah turned away with a slight blush on her face before sighing in defeat. "W-well…Yeah, I did, I used to. But I still won't forgive him after what happened. He took Toby away and then drugged me with a peach that nearly had me forgetting about everything! I hate peaches now. He even tried to offer me his love and kept saying that he was being generous after everything I've gone through because of him. Generous? Since when was he ever generous to me during those thirteen hours of pain?"
"I mean, I can't blame him, though," Eleanor said. "You asked Toby to be taken, and he took him just like you wanted."
Sarah gave her a look.
"What? It's true, though!"
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It was almost 10 p.m. Eleanor had to leave already because her parents might lock her out of the house if she didn't make it home on time.
"Man, I had a great time today! Too bad my stuck-up parents won't let me stay any longer. Anyway, good night, Sarah!"
"Wait!" Sarah called. "You'll probably need this." She then handed an umbrella to Eleanor.
"Oh, gee, thanks!" Eleanor smiled as she took the umbrella from Sarah's hands. "I'll return this by tomorrow, I promise."
"Good night, Elle."
"See you tomorrow at the arcade, Sarah," Eleanor said, hugging her friend.
A while after she left, Sarah turned the television off and began cleaning up the mess they both made in the living room. After that, she headed upstairs quietly and went into her room to finally rest for another day tomorrow. But before that, she decided to make another attempt to contact her friends. She took a deep breath and sat in the chair. Sarah gazed at her reflection in the mirror on the vanity. It's been too long since she last communicated with her dear friends. If Sarah continues to focus more on this, then she may lose concentration every time she continues to study and work hard. She finally decided that this would be her last chance. If she fails once again, it is time to let go of everything and continue to pursue her dream of acting. She opened a drawer and took out the red book. After all this time, she had always kept it, for any reason at all.
She held the book tightly to her chest and said the words out loud.
"I wish the Goblin King would appear right now!" She was already eager to meet him and save her friends from whatever they're going through. There was nothing, but only the wind greeted her.
Sarah sighed in frustration and said once again, "I wish my friends were here!"
Still, there wasn't even the slightest response.
And remember, should you need us, they said.
She tried to hold in her tears, trying to stay strong.
"I do need you. All of you," she whispered furiously. Her decision to finally move on was too difficult for her to bear. She still continued gazing in the mirror while holding the book tightly to her chest.
"What's going on?" she asked with a stern tone that slowly shifted to a worrisome one. "Why aren't any of you guys responding to me?" And yet again, only silence filled the room.
"Please, I need you, Hoggle. I need all of you." Her voice broke as a tear emerged from her eye.
"Ludo? Sir Didymus?" Her hands continuously gripped the book.
"You promised. You said if I ever needed you, you would-" She paused as more tears poured out from both of her eyes.
"You promised," she said one last time before standing up and shoving the red book under her bed. Sarah then turned the lights off and threw herself on the bed. She covered her face full of tears with a pillow, hoping to finally let go of the burden of fantasies she had carried for so long.
