The Storyteller

Chapter 7

Linda sat on the bed in her daughter's bedroom, she held Sarah's favourite bear tightly in her arms, tears streaming down her face.

"Tomorrow she will turn eight and my time with her will be over until she returns to the labyrinth. Even then she will not be mine for she will be with The Goblin King unless I do something but what?" She asked the bear rhetorically.

She looked around the room as she tried to think of a plan, she spotted Sarah's wooden marble maze. Linda had bought it for her last year as it reminded her of the labyrinth. She had told Sarah hundreds of stories about the creatures of the labyrinth.

"Hold on what if I change the book? That's it Lancelot I will make him seem more like a villain in the story and she will be afraid of him." Linda said to the bear.

Leaping from the bed she ran to her closet and pulled out the hidden book, she placed her hand with the ruby ring onto the book and concentrated on the changes she wanted to make. She felt the book grow warm, a soft light began to glow before it disappeared. Linda looked into the book and found the changes she had made, smiling to herself she wrapped the book back up and placed it in the pile of Sarah's other wrapped presents.

When Sarah had gone to bed Linda decided to take one last walk to the park. As she stood on the bridge a horrendous pain began pulsing through her body.

"No! It can't be happening yet. Jareth!" She shouted. Jareth appeared immediately after sensing that something was wrong. He crouched down next to her and looked at the ring suspiciously.

"I must have miscalculated by a few days." He muttered quietly.

"It's her birthday tomorrow, I can't miss that." She pleaded.

"I told you that when the magic in this ring ran out you would have to return to the underground immediately or suffer a rather slow and painful death," Jareth explained. He placed his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him.

"So be it," Linda replied defiantly.

Jareth abruptly grabbed her wrist and transported them to the underground.

"I promised your mother that I would not allow you to die up there and I keep my promises." He said through gritted teeth. He left her alone in the clearing, taking the ring with him he transported back to Sarah's house.

Jareth stood quietly in her bedroom watching as she slept soundly, she was such a sweet little girl. He knew she would become a beautiful woman, his true love but for now, he could only see her as the little girl cuddling her bear as she dreamt of mystical worlds, daring knights, and beautiful princesses.

"Soon you will be reunited with your mother and you will live in a castle of your own." He vowed as he softly as he moved her hair from her face. He placed the ring on the table beside her.

"I'll be there for you, as the world falls down." He sang quietly. He knew the pain she would feel from losing her mother but there was nothing he could do. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, Jareth felt her begin to stir and left quickly before she could see him.

"Mom?" Sarah asked sleepily.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, Sir but we have just spoken to her cast members at the theatre and they believe she was having an affair with this man." The officer held up a photo of a tall thin man with short blonde hair and unusual eyes.

"She wouldn't! She loved me and our daughter!" Robert shouted.

A female officer glared at him from where she sat consoling Sarah who was sobbing holding a small red book with a ruby ring on her finger.