Sarah sat in her apartment. Something she'd been doing the majority of the time for the past few months.
She'd requested to work from home when possible. She had talked with her boss regarding a lack of energy and an increasing sensitivity to the hustle and bustle at work. Begrudgingly her boss tried to accommodate her as much as possible. The times she was present in the office she barely spoke to anyone. It wasn't her colleagues that were the problem. They were kind and understanding of her situation, for as far they knew about it. They involved her in conversation and invited her to after-hour trips. When it was her birthday they had made her a pretty cake with one of her illustrations on it and had decorated the workplace to celebrate. Granted, it wasn't much different from other people's birthdays, but there was just a hint of them trying harder for her. While Sarah definitely appreciated it and tried her best to socialize with her coworkers, it had just become so easy to simply shut down. Professionally, her work wasn't great but it was good enough though Sarah had definitely noticed her boss was no longer hinting at a promotion. She couldn't blame him.
Outside of work she wasn't really doing better. Every now and then she would meet with her family but besides that she only did the required groceries. Somehow, her recent lackluster moods had managed to keep a better grip on her chores. Her apartment wasn't spotless but she kept the place clean enough. Chores had become soothing. Something to keep her hands busy and her mind occupied.
Karen had caught on quickly to her dwindling motivation and mood. The older woman would take her aside to talk as she visited while Robert and Toby would play. Sarah didn't really want to talk. She wouldn't know where to begin anyway.
One time, when she had been more than a little tipsy, she had mentioned that the magic had gone from her life. Something her father and stepmother took very seriously.
Of course they didn't know she meant that literally.
Ever since Jareth cut ties with her she had ceased to enjoy the things that normally brought her happiness. Every emotion on her path, good or bad, muddled into one endless stream of white noise. Even the Labyrinth, the worn novel she would usually read cover to cover every time she picked it up, was discarded not even halfway through, which had caused the bookmark to move for the first time in over twenty years. Movie nights that would have her huddled up in a comfortable bundle no longer brought her solace and the wine she would treat herself with had no flavor.
Everywhere she went she would take the notebook with her. Just in case. The petite necklace Jareth had given her was never far from her reach, if she took it off at all. Sarah had occasionally left a brief message for him but he had never responded.
At some point she'd sought out other people to make friends with, but barely anyone seemed interesting after getting to know Jareth. The people she met were so… boring. They weren't really playful or engaging. They didn't tease or push her buttons. They were just polite and pleasant. Most people she met weren't interested in fantasy beyond the occasional Hollywood movie.
She missed the little magic tricks the Goblin King would use on occasion and the somewhat comical nonchalance and arrogance he displayed at those moments. Like a peacock. The calming spells, the conjuring of crystals, dropping in out of thin air.
But moreover she just missed him. Regardless of the magic. His playfulness, his wit, his almost childlike wonder for things so normal to her. Jareth had made her feel like she was fun, special and interesting. No matter what she was talking about he was genuinely interested. Besides, he could actually talk about more supernatural and fantastical things and be genuine about it… for obvious reasons.
Now that he was gone she realized that she'd never felt so connected to anyone.
Existing seemed so dull those days. Every day was just a matter of making it from one habit to the next, whether it was taking a shower, making lunch or changing to go to bed. It felt like living the same day over and over.
She'd looked into going to a therapist. Mostly on urgent encouragement from her father and stepmother. Her father had even invested in getting her to receive good professional counseling. She had gone for several months. However, most of the time a strange form of blackout would wash over her when she had sessions. One moment she sat down, the next the hour had already passed. She'd have no idea if she'd uttered even a single word. It was such an alien and frequent occurrence that if Sarah thought of the therapist's voice she couldn't recall it.
It felt like she was just… floating. Endlessly. A vast void of nothingness. She never got sick, hungry or tired yet on autopilot she would take a painkiller, grab a sandwich or head to bed. In that same… floating manner.
About ten months later things started changing. Subtle things. Things that were so small Sarah wondered if they had happened at all.
It would start with catching a strange scent in her apartment. Something earthy, like morning dew. So fleeting that she often doubted it had been there. Things seemed misplaced or somehow… different. They weren't big things but every time it happened Sarah would have that weird sense of waking up. That moment where you weren't quite asleep yet and your body would jolt to attention.
There was no rhyme or rhythm to it. Sometimes it would happen five days in a row then nothing would happen for the next three or four days. It was then that Sarah tapped into the attempt to hone into these moments using meditation. At first it didn't seem to help or do anything. For weeks she would regularly sit silent and isolated in her apartment. Eventually she could swear she could sense something or someone there but she couldn't pinpoint what or who. For some reason it felt familiar yet at the same time she didn't recognize it.
Soon after she started having this eerie feeling of being watched. Like someone was staring in from outside her window, which was impossible seeing as her apartment was on the third floor. There weren't any trees nearby either. Whenever she went out the sense of eyes on her was unshakable. The feeling was so unsettling that Sarah was wondering if she had summoned some kind of demon with her endless meditating.
Then the dreams came. Strange dreams clad in darkness, muted colors and vague shapes. It was almost like she was looking through an ineffective blindfold. She could see things moving but could never quite make out what it was. During those dreams all her other senses were depraved. There were no smells, no noises, no taste. Every single time during these dreams Sarah would wake up at 4:32 in the morning. Like clockwork. Without fail she would be suffering anything from a decent headache to a severe migraine. They got so bad that Sarah had resorted to painkillers and a large bottle of water on her bedside and a quick dial on her phone for her boss and her father.
She tried not to bother her family with it too much. They had enough worries of their own already. Worst of which was chronic hypersomnia which Toby had developed not too long ago. The poor kid had been falling asleep almost every day in school. More and more often he would doze off and be up at night. Eventually he stopped sleeping at night completely. Karen had blindly followed him in this, out of sheer worry for her child. Countless doctors had been contacted for a diagnosis but none could offer an explanation, let alone give a solution. Now her half-brother resorted to nighttime homeschooling, depriving him of a lot of social contact and experiences.
Sarah barely saw her little brother anymore. Or Karen for that matter. Her father was worried sick for his crumbling family and would barely speak of anything else. It took effort to focus on work to keep food on the table and provide healthcare for his wife and children. The medical bills were slowly but surely consuming his generous salary.
Frankly, Sarah started feeling uncomfortable in her apartment. While she paid a good chunk of rent and utilities, her father did still chip in. With the current state of her own things going on as well as her family's issues, Sarah was seriously considering moving back home. Most likely that also meant quitting her job and finding something closer to her family that could help her provide.
Besides, city life had started to become a bore. Sarah started getting agitated by the hoards of people. She missed her family, the nice and quiet community park and the small boutiques. Sure, she had a park nearby but the green patch stretching for two or three blocks hardly offered any peace or escape from the daily things. Besides the environment, work became… work. No more, no less. While it was fun every now and then, her priority lay with the wellness of her family.
After voicing these concerns to her family they had let her know that she was more than welcome back home. They did insist that it was a big choice with big consequences, especially for Sarah's career and her future.
However, spending almost two weeks in her old family home made her realize she wanted to move back in. Aside from her own unrest she could see that her father was feeling lonely and stressed.
Once the decision was out of the way her father had helped her move back into her childhood home and into her old room. Admittedly it was a little cramped after getting used to an apartment of her own but she happily exchanged some space for time with her family. The moment she moved back in she could feel a comforting sense of belonging.
Sarah had insisted on making a schedule for chores. This essentially came down to Sarah keeping the downstairs clean, doing groceries and making breakfast. Meanwhile Karen would provide dinner, clean the upper floors, do laundry, finances and the miscellaneous things.
Things happened quickly, which provided Sarah with a renewed sense of purpose and a fresh routine. The white noise her life had become now played a vague frequency throughout that broke her out of monotony. She felt needed, which provided her with a sense of responsibility and purpose.
Which brought her to this particular day.
It was early in the morning and Toby sat sleepily at the dining table. Karen was busy cleaning the dishes after breakfast while Robert had left for work.
Sarah wrapped her arms tightly around the young boy, pressing a kiss to his sandy blonde hair. It had gotten quite long as hairdressers weren't open at night and was currently a vaguely nostalgic mess of straw. "You hanging in there, champ?"
With a loud yawn, Toby snuggled into Sarah's arm. "Totally."
"Sarah, I wrote down a grocery list last night with everything we need. There's some heavy things in there, so please wait for your father to get home from work so he can help you carry it."
Sarah let go of the little boy and grabbed the grocery list from the fridge magnet. "Actually," she said. "I have a job interview this morning. I want to get groceries out of the way right after that so I can clean up afterwards. I'm also going to do some gardening now that the weather is warming up again." She looked up at the clock. "Actually, I should get going. I want to be sure I'm on time for my interview."
"What's the interview for?" Toby asked as he crossed his arms on the table and leaned his head on it.
"Nothing too interesting. Just a store clerk at that book store downtown."
"Well, you better get a move on then, dear." Karen insisted with a smile as she dried her hands. "But don't go slaving away for pocket change."
Sarah chuckled. "Don't worry, Karen." Grabbing an apple for the road she ruffled Toby's hair. "Sleep tight, squirt. Rest up well because we're going to the park for a stroll tonight."
Karen let out a discontented sigh. "Sarah, you know I hate you two walking around outside at night."
"We'll be fine, Karen. We will be back before it gets too dark and stay in the more crowded areas." The older woman still didn't seem happy about it but remained quiet as Sarah went to get her purse, coat and keys. "See you tonight!"
A few hours later Sarah was taking out some garden waste out front when she spotted Robert's car pulling up. She dumped the garden waste in the container and gasped as one of the twigs got stuck on her necklace. Carefully getting it loose, she checked if the piece of jewelry was okay, patting it in relief when it was unharmed.
Robert was rummaging in the car, mumbling to himself. "Sarah, a little help?"
As she hurried over she grabbed his suitcase from him and looked curiously into the vehicle. He pulled out a large bouquet of red roses and Sarah gasped excitedly. "Whoa, have something to make up for, dad?"
Balancing three large folders of court documents and the bouquet he fumbled the door closed and locked the car. "No no, not at all. Just a little something."
"That's so sweet," Sarah chirped, hurrying to the front door to open it for him.
"Thank you princess. Could you perhaps help me with getting these in a vase," he asked as he walked into the house and put the binders on a side table.
The woman put his suitcase down and took the bouquet from him. "Of course. I hope we have a vase large enough." They walked over to the kitchen and Robert sank down on a chair. "So, today I had an interview at a bookstore downtown."
"That's great, darling. How did it go?"
Sarah laid down the roses, grabbing a knife. "Ah, you know… I don't think they were too impressed with me. Which is rather insulting. It's just a bookstore, hardly rocket science," she sighed. "But, we'll see. I gave it my best shot. I have three other jobs I have applied for that I'm still waiting for a response for."
"I'm very proud of you, princess. And I am very happy to have you back."
Sarah chuckled as she cut the stems and put the flowers in the vase. "Thanks, dad." They were quiet for a while, Sarah's mind wandering while Robert took a moment to wind down from the day. She briefly mentioned her walk with Toby, an idea Robert seemed a lot more fond of than Karen. After Sarah finished cutting the flowers she made her father some coffee and cleaned the kitchen. After doing so she could already hear Karen washing up and Toby rummaging around upstairs.
Shortly after Karen was heading downstairs and gasped as she spotted the flowers on the dining table. Hurrying towards them she caressed the petals. "Oh Robert, they're beautiful!"
Robert smiled fondly at her and gave her a kiss. "I'm glad you like them, honey. I thought you could use a little pick-me-up. Sarah helped me arrange them."
Sarah looked up at them as Karen smiled, a hand over her heart. Sarah could swear she was even tearing up. "I love them. Thank you… I'll get some dinner sorted." The older woman insisted, heading over to the fridge.
While Robert and Karen talked about the things they'd been up to, Sarah decided to sit in the garden for a little bit. Stepping outside she deeply inhaled the fresh spring air and the smell of freshly cut grass.
Watching her handiwork she sat down on a bench and took a calming breath. The air was comfortably warm. Just warm enough to sit outside in a thin sweater. The trees in the garden were already starting to grow new leaves and the grass had already started to fill out after the cold winter months.
She wasn't sure how or when but at some point she started working up a strange headache. It put a rather intense pressure on her head and crawled down to her neck and shoulders. It almost seemed to produce white noise. Closing her eyes she focused on the sounds of birds chirping, trees rustling in the wind and cars in the distance. She could hear a shrill screech that weirdly pierced through her head and crept under her skin, making her shiver.
"Sarah, dinner is ready!"
Sarah jolted, eyes fluttering open. She looked around trying to get her bearings. Had she fallen asleep? The strange headache persisted and made her feel cross-eyed. "Uh, coming!" The woman took a moment to calm her racing heart and walked inside, stopping by the pantry to grab a painkiller.
Grabbing a glass of water she walked up to the dining table and took the painkiller before sitting down at the table.
"Are you okay, Sarah?" Toby asked as he saw her swallow the painkiller.
"Peachy," she sighed, smiling at the boy as he looked concerned. "I'm fine, squirt. We're still going for that walk."
Small talk was tossed back and forth over dinner. Sarah remained mostly quiet, subconsciously massaging her temple.
"Mom, may Sarah and I be excused?" Toby asked as he grabbed a last bite of sweet potato. Karen usually liked to talk a little after dinner but the boy offered his best puppy dog eyes. "Please? We'll be home sooner if we leave now." The boy always knew exactly what buttons to press with Karen.
The older woman relented and excused the two, asking Robert to clear the table and do the dishes. Toby jumped up, grabbing his shoes and coat excitedly before saluting Sarah at the front door, ready to leave. Sarah chuckled at her excited little brother and hurried to keep up with him. After letting Robert and Karen know they'd be on their way she ushered the boy out and they made their way through the alleys towards the park.
Toby handed her the candy bar and started to unwrap one of his own. "Don't tell mom," he insisted.
"Do you steal food more often, Tobes?" Sarah teased.
Toby looked up at her from the corners of his eyes, pulling aside the piece of candy like he was afraid she might take it. "Maybe… I'm a growing boy, I need to eat well."
"Candy hardly is 'well'," she chastised. "Don't go around doing that too often, okay?" She added in a kinder tone, hugging him close. Quietly, she slipped the candy bar into his pocket.
"Fine," he muttered.
Sarah smiled down at him and changed the subject.
Within a few minutes they arrived at the park and sunset had started to set in. The way in which the sun beamed through the still semi-bare branches was beautiful. Several people were enjoying their walk, bringing family and pets to enjoy nature. Sarah rolled her head and shoulders, still trying to shake off that pesky headache since the painkiller proved useless. Toby started talking about the things that he saw and had been taught by Robert. The fresh air was nice but she couldn't focus on the things Toby was saying.
"Wow, Sarah, look!" The boy pointed excitedly at a nearby tree. Looking up, it took Sarah a second to spot it.
She froze.
High up in the tree she could see a barn owl, perched on a branch and huddled against the tree. Her heart raced and instinctively she raised her hand to touch her necklace. The owl seemed to be drifting off, its head sinking into its body as its eyes slipped closed repeatedly. Upon closer inspection, it didn't look like Jareht's owl form. This particular owl was even more pale, almost a pure white and a little more slender.
"Did you know that a lot of owls don't actually 'hoot'? Owls like these sound more like nails on a chalkboard." Toby puffed his chest proudly, looking up for her reaction.
"Really?" Sarah was still staring at the bird as it sleepily preened its chest.
Toby nodded enthusiastically. "Yep," he insisted as he started walking on. "Did you also know that owls puke up parts of food they can't digest? It's gross but so cool. Imagine if we did that. Sarah…?" Toby looked back at her as she wasn't following him. She was still staring up at the bird. "Sar? You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you okay?"
The woman could hear Toby talking, but nothing of what he was saying was filtering through in her mind. Once the owl had spotted her its eyes widened and stared her down without even blinking. Its gaze was intent, fully black eyes so fixed on her that it made her uncomfortable. Its head slowly moved and rolled side to side from shoulder to shoulder, like it was studying her. The motion was almost hypnotizing. It let out a shrill screech.
Her headache instantly worsened tenfold. For a brief moment she sensed all the sensations she had felt sporadically the past few months all at once. Wrestling to the forefront of her mind like a herd of rampant bulls. The earthy smell, the eyes on her, flashes of dull colors and a sense of disorientation and being lost. As her eyes almost involuntarily closed she could even see vague figures thronging behind her eyelids. The screech was so penetrating she brought up her hands to her ears to block it, eyes squeezing closed tightly.
Once she opened her eyes again she was suddenly on her knees, sitting on the dirt path. Toby was standing next to her, talking to her and touching her shoulder, but she couldn't hear what he said.
As the screech stopped her heart was racing. "Toby, let's go home."
"What," the boy moaned. "But we just got here!"
"Sorry Tobes, I just don't feel too well…" Her vision swimming, slowly contorting the dirt path ahead of her. Her eyes wearily looked back up. The owl crouched, its wings unfolding as it was still looking at her. Sarah's stomach filled with dread. She crawled up, staggering briefly before she grabbed Toby and pushed him the way they came. "Let's go," she all but whimpered. The boy was confused and grew alarmed as he heard Sarah's desperation. Something was not right. They had to leave and they had to leave now. Toby started hurrying back, Sarah in tow while she heard another screech. "Go, go!" She hurried her little brother as he still seemed a little hesitant. "Run, Toby!"
Toby now cascaded into full-blown panic and started running. He briefly checked the quiet roads before crossing as he made his way back.
Sarah looked over her shoulder, seeing the owl glide down towards her. While her legs felt like jello adrenaline was coursing so hard through her body that it made her skin tingle. Her head pounded and every step she took just made it worse.
They needed to get home. Now.
Grabbing Toby by the scruff of his coat she stopped him when she spotted a car approaching, their breaths labored. Her vision was narrow and unclear. Once Toby continued to run across the street Sarah put her faith in it that it was safe to do so, jogging wobbly after him. "Sarah, what is going on?"
"Just go, Tobes!" Toby sprinted through the turns of the alleyway. Just another minute or two and they'd be home. Once seeing the opening to the alleyway into her street Toby had already disappeared from view. Starting to calm down she had to slow down to a trot as her legs grew tired and her breath was short and painful. Her head was still pounding aggressively, making the street lights dance and curve.
Just as she reached the end of the alleyway she saw the pale owl swoop in gracefully in a flurry of feathers and light reflecting off of it. Skidding to a halt Sarah slipped and fell back into the alleyway. With another ear splitting screech the owl spread its wings, talons forward. Sarah was blinded by a bright light. As she closed her eyes her mind both raced and simultaneously ground to a halt.
Everything went black, all and any sound fading away except for the ringing in her ears.
AN: Thank you to everyone taking the time out of their day to leave a review 3 You guys make my day and make this little passion project even more fun than it would have been, had I kept it private. I hope you are all enjoying this story. Have a wonderful day and be safe! Now, onward to adventure!