Sarah arrived at the front of the hotel, huffing and puffing from exhertion. As a boisterous crowd of young adults were exiting the building, Sarah frantically searched the crowd for anyone in her group. Luckily she spied Lizzy who's arms were locked around Bryan. The red headded girl was smiling from ear to ear and fixated on the young man by her side.
"Lizzy, Lizzy! I am glad I found you, I need to go home!" Sarah said as she rushed towards the couple.
The look on Sarah's face made Lizzy's smile fade into a look of concern
"What's wrong Sarah?"
Sarah didn't want to go into details of the last few minutes...besides who would believe her?
"Can we just please go?"
"But...uh...Bryan invited us to an after party!"
"I can't...uh...I have curfew and my dad's strict, and he wanted me promptly home!" Sarah lied.
Lizzy's face slid from a look of concern to a pout.
"Aweee, Sarah! Why didn't you tell me this before?
A sense of guilt welled up in Sarah. She didn't really have to be home right away, as a matter of fact Karen insisted that she stay out late with her friends. The woman was always worried that Sarah wasn't the typical teenage girl and encouraged her to do typical teenage things.
"Well can't we get the limo to drop me off home first?"
"OK...I wish..."
Sarah's eyes grew to the size of saucers and rushed to hush the red head with a hand on her mouth.
"NO! DON'T SAY THAT!", Sarah shouted.
Lizzy ripped Sarah's hand away.
"Don't say what?"
"Just don't! Don't wish for anything!"
"Ok Sarah, you are acting weird! Did something happen?"
How could Sarah say to her that wishing was dangerous? That consequences could occur on such a carelessly used phrase. Sarah wasn't sure on the extent of the powers that were granted to her but she didn't want to tempt fate, regardless of who was going to make a wish.
Sarah looked down, "Nothing happened, I just need to get home please."
"Hey" Bryan chimed in," I can't go in the limo, 'cause I have my Dad's Buick tonight. Why don't we just send Sarah home in the limo and the rest of the group can go with us in the car? Ha ha you can fit twenty people in that thing!" Bryan offered up.
Worry filled Sarah, she didn't want to be alone , but knew she shouldn't be the party pooper. Lizzy smiled at Bryan's idea, "Oh, that would be great! Would you mind Sarah?"
"No, you go ahead, have fun." She softly smiled to her friend.
Lizzy quickly hugged her friend, "Thanks, Sar, I'm sorry you can't join us. But we did have fun tonight right?"
"Yeah, it was great. I'm glad things turned out to be great for you." Sarah gently smiled at her friend.
"Hey we better get going." Bryan prompted the girls' final farewells for the evening.
"Yeah, you had better get going. I'll be fine. Go have fun, and Bryan, be careful with my friend, she's the best one I got!"
The two girls waved to each other as the crowd thinned to a few people. Sarah made her way to the waiting limo. The driver held the door for her and looking for the rest of former passengers.
"Sorry, it's only me tonight...I'm going back home."
"Already on a special night?"
"Ha, yeah, strict parents. Hey do you mind if I ride up front, I don't like sitting alone in the back."
"Sure thing."
The ride home was uneventful, but slightly nerve wracking. Sarah didn't want to be alone. The memories of the last few moment's of the evening kept replaying in her mind. Question after question kept popping up. She stared distractedly out of the moving vehicle's window. Before long the limo pulled up in front of Sarah's house.
"Thanks again." Sarah smiled to the driver.
"Oh, can you please wait till I get into the house before you drive away?"
"Yes ma'am"
"Thanks..." Sarah smiled again.
As Sarah exited the vehicle, she looked around the dark neighborhood. Looking to see if anything was lurking in the darkness. A shadow or perhaps even the white from of an owl on a branch. She quickly and quietly made her way up to the house. As she fumbled for her house key, a light breeze rustled the branches of the trees and bushes near by. The sound made her feel weary and she looked over her shoulder to see if the limo was still there, keeping sentinel till she made it into the house. Her nervous hand finally made the key work and she gave a cursory wave to the driver to let him know that she made it in alright.
As soon as Sarah made it into the house she dead bolted the door, and she sighed with relief. The noise brought Karen from the living room into the foyer.
"Sarah? What are you doing home so early? Is the dance over already?"
"Yeah, it ended at ten, and my friends wanted to go to a party, and I didn't want to go."
"Oh Sarah, you should have gone..."
"No it's ok, I'd rather be here with you guys than some dumb party."
That made Karen smile, but knew something was up with Sarah. The girl had been acting more odd than usual.
"Well all we are doing is watching some tv, the late night movie is about to start. Why don't you get out of that dress and come join us?"
Sarah liked the sound of that, even though she felt safe in her own home, she still didn't want to be alone.
"I'll pop some pop corn and make us something to drink, do you want soda?"
"Can you make some coffee?"
"Coffee? You don't drink coffee!"
"I'm kinda pooped and I want to stay up and watch the movie with you guys."
"Okay, but not too strong, I don't want you staying up all night."
What Karen did not know that was the agenda. Sarah was afraid to go to sleep. She didn't want to chance that she might dream of the Goblin King again.
Up in her room Sarah changed out of the red dress and matching shoes. It was probably the last time she would get the opportunity to wear the dress anyway. Her day to day modern life seldom required her to dress so formally. Her thoughts wandered to a time where aristocrats dressed at different intervals throughout a day. The passing thoughts prompted her to think about the Goblin King, supposing that he was an aristocrat in his own way, seemed to never be in the same outfit twice. Not that she could remember. Ugh! Why am I thinking of him? She chided herself. Shaking her head, she forced self distraction and hurried to get into her comfy pajamas and hastened downstairs.
Downstairs in the living room Sarah's parents were waiting for her. They had fresh popcorn and Karen had made a small pot of the requested coffee. Sarah was not accustomed to the brewed beverage. She tried to sip the black liquid and couldn't help but grimace every time. Although she was not a fan of the drink, she didn't mind it's famed stimulating effects. Anything was worth to try and stay awake.
Toby had already fallen asleep and was tucked away in his bed upstairs. So that just left the three of them to catch the late night eleven o'clock movie on the tv. The movie that evening was The Blue Lagoon. Sarah mused how funny that the two children marooned on the deserted island reminded her being left on her own in the Labyrinth. Sarah shook her head again in chastisement for thinking of the subject again. She needed to stop thinking about it! Alas, scene after scene from the movie would trigger a memory. The interior jungle of the island reminded her of the dark forest. The sight and sounds of the vegetation on the screen triggered the memory of wandering cautiously through the forest. Not knowing what lurked in it's depths, especially right after Ludo the Rock Caller had disappeared. The gentle giant, who looked so formidable with his horns, fangs and size, whimpered the whole time. Then suddenly he was gone, without a trace, leaving Sarah to wander in the unknown. She could remember the peat like smell of the forest floor. She seemed to meander around the mature trees. Their thick trunks glistened in the faint light coming through the canopy. When she came upon a clearing, she got a sense of familiarity. Suddenly in the center of the clearing, a great spark of fire flashed to life. Sarah jumped, and anticipated the appearance of the bright orange rambunctious creatures who once tried to dismember her. This time no such creatures leapt from the darkness into the light. Confused, Sarah began to look around. From behind her, she heard a voice.
"Why did you run from me?"
The girl spun around to the owner of the voice and looked into a particular set of eyes.