Labyrinth Dancer

Chapter 12: A Mother's Secret

Sarah quickly ushered Inara inside. She didn't look up from her feet as Sarah carefully lead her into the kitchen. Jareth had already vanished, Sarah knew he hadn't gone far but focused on the young girl before her.

She didn't look up even as she silently took the seat at the bar, her hands loosely sitting on her lap, just another hint at submission.

Even in the dim light Sarah could see the fresh bruises on her face; she knew without asking that those jacket covered arms probably held painful marks. But, it was the scarf loosely around her neck that concerned Sarah.

"I can't go back...."

Her weak soft voice surprised Sarah for a moment but she quickly recovered and nodded.

"You can stay here as long as you want to Inara."

She weakly nodded and brought her bruised gaze up to Sarah's half heartedly.

In that moment Sarah could see the burden that Inara had carried for so long. The burden according to local legends that had been carried by all the woman in her line.

"I know you've heard the legends about the woman in my family... People talk, stories change and monsters are born in some shape or fashion in the eyes of others..."

She trailed off for a moment then cautiously pulled off her scarf, Sarah held back a gasp at the dark bruises already forming.

"Yet, no one seems to realize we protect everyone from our past...from our curse, and our fates..." 

She trailed off, leaving her words to fill the air around her. Tears suddenly pooled in her eyes as Sarah watched her before she blinked, sending them flowing down her cheeks.

"I didn't want this..." Her voice cracked as she cried, the weight of everything she had been through crashing down on her as she fell apart.

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Sarah got Inara settled on the couch, the poor girl so exhausted she fell asleep right away, tear stains on her face as she slept deeply.

Sarah glanced up at Jareth who stood at the doorway looking over the girl.

"He nearly killed her Sarah..."