Nothing Is What It Seems

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Late the next afternoon, Sarah stood in front of her vanity. Everything she couldn't leave behind fitted into two duffel bags and a magical box. Everything. Sarah held her head up high she refused to cry. She had told them this morning she was leaving. Her father had only nodded, while Irene had smiled smugly. There was no going back now. Her father wasn't going to stand up for her. Irene made her life here hell, it was time to go.

"Hoggle."

Slowly he appeared in the mirror.

"Ready, Sarah?"

Nodding, she handed the box through the mirror. "Yes. They won't know I'm gone more than likely till tomorrow. Or do they forget about me once I enter the underground?"

"They won't forget you. That's now how it works."

Sarah gave a quick nod as she handed him the first of the duffel bags. "It really didn't matter either way."

Hoggle frowned at her as he put the bag down on his side. "True."

Sarah past him the final bag. "So how exactly does this disguise work?"

Hoggle took the bag over. "You just put it on, I think. She didn't exactly say."

Sarah picked up the fur coat off her bed. "Well, here goes." She pulled the heavy coat on. It just made it to her waist and actually didn't feel as heavy as she had thought.

Hoggle looked at her. "Well, I don't see anything different."

"You said that those who truly know me would see past it." Sarah looked at him smiling slightly.

Shrugging, Hoggle moved to the side of the mirror. "I still thought that maybe I would see something, but you just look like you in a coat."

Sarah shook her head slightly. "Well, this is it."

Hoggle nodded as Sarah walked back over to the vanity and sat on top of it, in front of the mirror.

Taking a deep breath, Sarah slid her feet then her legs through the mirror. Pausing for a moment, she took one last look at her room before pushing herself entirely through the mirror and into the Underground.

Sarah stood up on the other side of the mirror and looked around. She had thought the mirror exited in Hoggle's home, but no it exited in a cave with multicolored glittery walls.

She turned to her friend. "Hoggle, where are we?"

Hoggle lifted the box off the floor. "One of the caves near the start of the Labyrinth. My home's not far, but we have a problem."

Sarah picked up the two duffel bags and swung the long straps onto her shoulders. "And what would that be?"

"You won't fit in my house."

Sarah almost frowned. "But you have an idea?"

Hoggle nodded. "The person who gave me your disguise might be willing to let you stay with her until she finds something for you."

Sarah followed after Hoggle as he began to walk away from where her old world met her new one. It took everything she had not to look back. Slowly, they exited the cave.

"How far does his kingdom actually reach?" Sarah shuffled the bags a bit as they began to climb up from the cave's entrance. She looked around her at the moonlit outer wall of the Labyrinth as she reached the top of the slope that came from the cave's entrance behind Hoggle.

"Farther than you can see." He glanced back at her. "Evera's house isn't too far."

Sarah followed after Hoggle as he walked gingerly over the landscape until they reached a small house with softly lit windows.

Hoggle stopped and looked at her as she stopped beside him. "Here we are. No doubt she already knows we're coming." After a moment, he began walking up the small walkway that lead up to the door. Taking one last glance around her, Sarah followed after him.

She came up to the door, just as Hoggle knocked on it. After a few moments, the door slowly opened.

"Well, let's get you inside. No doubt he'll realize something has happened and come looking."

Sarah was greeted with a smiling female Fae with blue eyes. "Ah, hello."

The woman nodded. "Hello, Sarah. Now please come in."

Frowning, Sarah walked in behind Hoggle into the warmly lit house. She turned to face the door as the woman shut it.

"Relax, I don't have any reason to harm you. Put you things buy the door, and come sit by the fire." The woman walked over to the fire place and took a sit in one of the two arm chairs.

Sarah glanced at Hoggle as she sat her bags by the door and he the box. She wasn't sure she could trust the woman, even if Hoggle did.

Hoggle looked back at the woman. "Evera, I hate to ask you, but..."

Evera smiled. "I already know, Hoggle. She's welcomed to stay. I've actually already found her a job."

Hoggle walked over to Evera, with Sarah following behind him. "Really? So quick."

Evera sighed. "It's in the kitchen of the Castle."

Sarah frowned. "I'm not sure about this."

Evera shook her head. "Don't worry. The King won't know who you are. Only your friends and I can see you as you truly are. To all others you are a cat goblin."

Sarah frowned. "A cat goblin?"

"Well, more like a cat humanoid. They are basically cats who have some human characteristics."

Sarah nodded as she sat in the chair opposite of Evera. "I guess that makes sense cause of my eyes."

Evera nodded in return. "Don't worry. I promise you'll be safe. The goblin chef won't be too hard on you or he'll have to deal with me."

"I don't know how I can repay you." Sarah looked at the woman who sat opposite her.

Evera gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Sarah. I have a feeling you'll do something wonderful."