The Labyrinth: Strangers Till Now

Chapter 2

The Next day was a happy one, Sarah still couldn't believe that she had beaten the labyrinth and yet was still allowed to see all her friends. To her father and stepmother Sarah seemed more mature and grown up and she had grown up, her time in the labyrinth had taught her many things like: How life isn't fair but that's the way it is.

The relationship between Toby and Sarah had grown stronger as well, her wanting to take on more responsibility for him now that she knew what it felt like to loose him.

Even though Sarah was home again she still enjoyed going out into the open field with her dog merlin reading her favourite book, she did this regularly because it gave her time to herself instead of hiding in her room. But every time she went out a white owl was also there just watching her, sometimes in the empty field other times just outside her window. A thought in the back of her mind wondered if it was The Goblin King or if it was just another ordinary owl.

After returning home from her walk with merlin Sarah went up to her room and started going through her things, organising what was junk and what she wanted to keep, it was surprising how much of her things were junk. Sarah decided to call on her friends Hoggle, Ludo and Sr Didymus to help her make the right decisions. "I wish my friends were here..... right now" and with that the three of them all appeared in her room.

"SARAH FRIEND" Ludo yelled

"Hush down"Hoggle said to Ludo "Do you want everyone to know we're here"

"Why hello again fair maiden" Sr Didymus said with a bow "How may I help thee"

Sarah ran and gave her friends a big hug "I was worried it was all a dream but it wasn't"

"What is it you need?" asked Hoggle "well I'm getting rid of some my things a lot of it is junk I need your guys help on what you think should go" her loyal friends where happy to help in fact they actually enjoyed going through her things, many of which they had never seen before. Going along Sarah found that instead of of helping her throwout her junk they where asking if they could keep some of it, Hoggle especially took an interest to her plastic jewellery. "How are things in the labyrinth?"Sarah asked "Since I left"

"Things have been going splendidly!" Sr Didymus said with a cheery tone "I continue to watch over the sweet aroma of the bog of stench and my brother Ludo has been made keeper of the rocks" Ludo gave huge smile to show his excitement.
"Hoggle what about you?" he looked up at Sarah "Everything with me is fine there's more of those pesky fairies looming around the gate, you wouldn't believe how many I've gotten" Sarah was trying to think of other questions to ask,trying to work her way up to what she really wanted to know which was how was the goblin king? all attempts to try and get her friends to casually give information had failed, so she worked up the courage to just ask "So how is the Goblin King since I left" Everyone froze, trying to see who would talk first

"Ah well" Hoggle tried to say "There hasn't been much of a change in a month"

"A MONTH?!" Sarah asked surprised

"Why yes my lady time is much different in the underground then it is up here"

Hoggle continued "Most days he just stay's in his study, if he's not in the thrown room attending to his duties he just locks himself in his study" A small part of Sarah felt bad for what she had done, had she hurt Jareth in some way? or was he just acting like a spoiled child upset that someone was finally able to beat him? After everything was taken care of her friends Hoggle Ludo and Sr Didymus decided it was time to take there leave. "Goodbye Fair maiden and remember should you need us" and with that her friends had gone back to the underground.

Everything seemed to be going fine the next day but of course that's when you should be the most worried. While setting the table Sarah was asked to run upstairs and get Toby his sweater but, to come right back down because they had exiting news for her. Unfortunately they decided to wait to say anything until the dinner was ready. Sarah ate beside her father and her stepmother ate at the end of the small table so she could feed Toby
"Well are the two of you going to tell me the news of do I have to guess?" Her father smiled "Alright calm down Sarah I'll tell you..... We're moving" Sarah was dumb founded she thought this was horrible but maybe it was a joke, just her fathers way of trying to be funny but failing. "That isn't a very funny joke" Sarah replied but her father and stepmother looked at each other in confusion they thought she might take it differently "Its not a joke" Sarah couldn't believe what she was hearing "what do you mean we're moving? what's wrong with this house?"

"Well we just figured that this house still has too much of your mothers presence and if we are going to be a real family we need a house of her own." Sarah looked from her stepmother to her father waiting for his response but he didn't give one, he avoided eye contact by eating his food or playing with Toby in his high chair.
Sarah's step mother looked at her with a small smirk in the corner of her mouth, that's when Sarah knew that her step mother had just done this to make her life miserable, her fists clenched so heard there was a risk they might bleed "THATS NOT FAIR!" Everyone paused even Toby, "What happened to our mature young lady?" asked her father "We thought you would be happy about a new start"

"Well you were wrong" and with that Sarah ran up to her bed room refusing to eat anything.

Going past her parents bedroom Sarah was so angry and hurt that the adrenalin made her want to rip everything in their bedroom apart they had no right! Sarah saw Lancelot on the floor and ran to pick him up "I HATE HER" she said furiously, talking to Lancelot Sarah said "I know I said I was done with the whole "It's not fair" thing but it's not! they should have at least asked me how I felt about it , but instead she went ahead and did it like how I feel doesn't even matter."
hearing her stepmother from downstairs saying "Don't worry she'll get over it" made Sarah think that maybe she had made the wrong choice in her journey through the labyrinth. Pacing back and forth until there were markings in the carpet something caught her attention in the corner of her eye, it was a dark piece of fabric left by the window as if someone had dropped it there, Sarah picked it up and almost couldn't believe it, the fabric was a black glove, the very same glove the Goblin King was wearing when she met him.

Thats when it hit her "The white owl" Sarah ran to her bedroom window to see if he was there but he wasn't. Sarah's heart was practically beating through her chest, what if Jareth didn't know where to find her when he came looking? there were so many questions that couldn't be answered but there was someone who could - Hoggle "I wish Hoggle was here right now" looking into the mirror.

"Oh Hoggle I need your help!" Sarah said franticly

"Of course Sarah what is it? do you need help moving more things?"

"No it isn't that, I know I just saw you yesterday but I have an important question to ask you. We are moving"

"Really where are we going?"

"Not you Hoggle me and my family I don't want to but I don't have a choice, I need to know can you and the others find me if I leave? or can you only come to this house?"

"Of course we can find you, anywhere you go you just need to call us and we will come." Sarah let out a sigh of relief "Make sure to tell the others so they don't worry" After Hoggle left Sarah wondered if her friends could find her where ever she went maybe it was the same for Jareth, maybe with his powers he would always know how to find her, but then again Hoggle said "If you call us" Sarah had never called on the goblin king and he always knew where she was would it still be the same?

There were still so many questions that went through her mind but nothing could put her at ease. Sarah sate on her bed holding the glove agents her chest it then moved from her chest to the left side of her face, Sarah leaned into the palm of the glove almost as if it was his hand that was touching her. Tears ran down her cheek why was she crying over someone who had been so cruel to her? Then again as Sarah thought about it was he really cruel?

It was after all her alone who called on him to take her brother away, it wasn't him who led her deeper into the labyrinth instead of her turning right at the beginning of her journey it was the worm that misled her, Jareth had done everything that she had asked of him he even offered her her dreams and his heart. Thinking back to her time in the Labyrinth, when she arrived at the ball the second she saw Jareth there was an instant need to find him, she could feel the love and affection by the way he held her when they danced, the things he said to her and the sad expression on his face when she broke free. It was her who had been cruel.

Sarah continued to hold the soft glove to her face as she began to talk in her head "Oh Jareth if you only had known how much I wanted to stay but I had to bring my little brother back all I want now is come back, can't you forgive me?" Sarah repeated these words has heard as she could almost hoping he could hear her cries but it was no use. She knew she had Fallon in love with the goblin king. As Sarah laid down in her bed still crying her last thoughts before falling asleep was

" Oh my sweet Jareth if what I fear is true I will never see you again"