The Darkened World

Odd Endings

Sarah awoke with a scream upon her lips, one that she quickly and quietly swallowed. It would not do to bring half the forest upon her. Even if the trees and campsite protected her, she would not be able to bring it with her on her search. After a dream like that it seemed impossible to sleep once more, and yet she fell into darkness-this time without dreams. 

 When Sarah once more awoke she found that she was alone, Drake had left her, and she did not find herself surprised. He did not seem to be a loyal companion and yet she was sorry for his departure. So it was with that she found her way passing by the bog, the scent impossible to ignore.

Sarah was sad to find that her faithful knight was nowhere to be seen, his little home appeared empty, and she could not even find any of his belongings. She had been hoping to find a faithful companion to aid in her search, but she should have known that Jareth would not have made it so easy for her. Though she supposed she should be thanking him for telling his subjects not to harm her, if Drake had not come to her rescue she was unsure what she would have done. 

The old bridge had been repaired, yet Sarah did not trust it, never again after what happened the first time around. She found that Ludo's bridge still stood and she took it. The rocks were dry, though a faint shade of putrid green, and they were solid beneath her feet. In no time at all, Sarah was on the other side and found that she wanted one last look at the bog. Why, she could not say for most sane beings would leave the bog as quickly as their feet could carry them. 

Yet Sarah found herself hesitating. 

As she looked over her shoulder, Sarah found herself remembering the fear she had first felt when the bridge had first collapsed beneath her. As she thought on it, Sarah realized that there had been a branch that appeared right as she needed it. There had always been things she needed when she was in danger, though the danger now seemed laughable. 

Had she ever truly been in danger? Thinking back on her first adventure, Sarah realized that it had been a child's journey, that it had been cushioned and safe. At the time, it had felt as if nothing could be more dangerous, as if she could die in the labyrinth. 

Now, now Sarah realized that she truly could die. But Jareth continued to send help her way when she needed it, when she was in danger. Did he truly need her that much? Why could he not find what she had lost, why did she have to find it? 

Sarah decided that the best way to find what she needed was to seek advise. She was past the wiseman's courtyard, but she doubted that he would remain in the same place for so many years. If she was an old man with a talking hat, where would she live?

It would need to be a place that was comfortable and warm and Sarah knew she had only seen a fraction of the labyrinth during her first run. The solution, she decided, would be to find a place she had not yet been to. Besides, if Jareth could order all of his subjects to be watchful of her, if he could send her faithful companions, and slow her fall when she jumped, then he could shift the labyrinth a little for her and help her along her way. 

Sarah knew that the labyrinth would take her where she needed to go. All she had to do was walk and place her faith in the labyrinth's wisdom. 

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Sarah was seriously doubting the labyrinth's wisdom. So far she had been sent into a garden filled with vengeful fairies, chased by brownies (not as cute as she had originally believed), had pine cones thrown at her by what she believed to be magpies, and spat at by dragonflies, actual dragon flies. 

She was completely doubting the wisdom of the labyrinth. In fact, she had suspicions that the labyrinth enjoyed her misfortunes just as much as its master.