Labyrinth

Chapter 5: The Puzzles of The Labyrinth

Sarah looked at the doors that were before her. The doors were two funny looking guards with shields, more or less.

"Why does this Labyrinth keep changing?"

"Didn't the princess just tell you?" One of the guards said.

"Unless you didn't really pay attention. No wonder she is so steamed about you." The other one said.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked and the guards looked at her weird.

"You really think she is like this all the time? "

"She seemed quite mean."

"Trust me, she is one of the sweetest here."

"Really?! She has been really mean to me."

"It's because she is protecting her home. Wouldn't you do the same?" The one guard said.

"I guess I would, but she doesn't have to be so rude."

"That's her father's side shining through. She doesn't show it often around here." The other guard said then he cleared his throat.

"Anyway, you should be picking a door."

"Right..."

"One leads toward the castle and the other leads to..."

"Bum bum bum!"

"Certain death!" And they both laughed.

"But there is also a catch." One said

"Yes! One of always tells the truth and one of us always lies." The other said.

Sarah though a bit. How was she going to find the right door?

"Ok, so I can ask you two."

"Afraid not, miss." One guard said. "You can only ask one of us."

Flustered at first by this new information, she then gained her composure again and decided to ask the blue guard instead of the one decked in red.

"So would he tell me that this door leads to certain death?"

The blue guard thought about it for a moment.

"...yes?" Was all he said.

"So this door leads to the center of the Labyrinth and the other leads to certain death." Sarah concluded as she told the guards.

Both guards were floored by her sudden answer.

"How do you know?" The red guard said.

Sarah then explained how she figured that no matter which one said which door, the door she picked was right.

Both guards looked at each other.

"Well I didn't really understand this puzzle in the first place." One guard said which made them both laugh.

"But I know I'm right." Sarah said aloud. "I must be getting smarter." She said as she opened the door that she dubbed the good door and suddenly she dropped down.

She was free falling down a deep, dark, and dusty hole. Sarah screamed, scared that she chose wrong.

"I chose wrong and I'm going to die! Oh no oh no oh no!" Was the thoughts that ran through her head while she screamed.

Suddenly, she felt hands grabbing her. At first she felt very violated being grabbed, but she did stop falling.

"Let go of me!" She screamed at the hands.

"If that is what you want." A voice said as the other hands let go.

"No no no! Never mind! Please help me!" She screamed and the hands in return caught her again.

"Make up your bloody mind, runner!" One voice said as the hands made a face.

"Yes, make up your mind." Another hand face said.

"What are you?" Sarah asked as she looked around. Her eyes adjusted and she noticed the arthritic, green, and dirty hands that were holding her. Another hand face appeared.

"We are The Helping Hands of the Labyrinth." It said.

"Yes, we are so very helpful, indeed." Another face hand said.

Sarah looked around. "Well you did stop my fall..."

The hand face appeared next to Sarah. "So which way?"

"Which way do you want to go?" Another said.

"Up or down?" Another below Sarah said.

Sarah looked up and down. She though about it a bit, but the hands were growing impatient.

"We haven't got all day, runner."A face hand said.

"Yes, make up your bloody mind!" Another said as Sarah tried to figure out what way she wanted to go.

"Well since I'm going down I should just keep going..." and with that conclusion the hands started to talk excitedly.

"She chose down!" They howled and then started to drop her.

"Did I choose wrong?!" She screamed as she was now falling again and into a dark and dusty room underneath the Labyrinth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile in the castle, Roselea returned to her father watching the crystal while on his throne. Toby was sleeping with some of the passed out goblins. Some goblins circled around Jareth.

"I'm back, Father." Jareth didn't take his eyes off the crystal.

"Oh yes, hello my little rose. How is our runner?"

"Pathetic. She thinks she can solve this Labyrinth easily. She is way over her head."

Jareth just kept watching the crystal.

"Yes yes, of course."

"Father?"

"Yes, love?"

"Why aren't you even looking at me while I'm talking to you?" Then the King looked up from his crystal to see his daughter.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, Roselea. I'm just busy. It's been quite awhile since we have had a runner and I just wanted to make sure she wasn't solving the Labyrinth,my dear."

Roselea frowned a little. "But you are paying so much attention to her. Don't you even care about me?"

"Of course I do, I really do but-" then out of the corner of his eye he watched Sarah drop into the dark room.

"She is in the Oubliette..." Jareth said as he stared at the crystal.

The goblins around him laughed, but he promptly shut them up.

"She shouldn't have gotten there by now..."

Roselea looked into the crystal with disgust. She didn't want to see Sarah win. She wanted her father to win.

"I'll go back and waste her time." Roselea said but Jareth stopped her.

"It's my turn, little rose. You stay here and watch the babe." And with those words Jareth quickly left for the oubliette and Roselea was left on her own, her blood boiling as she watched Sarah stumble in the dark Oubliette.