Return to the Labyrinth

Oh come on! You don’t really think she’ll jump do you? As if I’m about to end the story before our favorite royal pain in the ass shows up.

Who, incidentally, does not belong to me, because if he did I’d never leave my bedroom, and neither would he. It’s okay folks, my fiance already knows that Jareth (Property of Jim Henson) and Captain Jack (Property of Disney) are the only men I’d leave him for. Lucky bastard ;)

The title of this chapter is taken from a lovely poem by Dylan Thomas.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.


Sarah’s mind was whirling, turning over and over Amaranth’s last words. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be real. The Castle beyond the Goblin City. The image of its twisting stones was as vivid in her mind now as if it had been only yesterday. How could that be when every dream she’d ever had had faded into oblivion?

It was then that realization struck her. It was a memory, not a dream. Not a dream. She had buried it, ignored it, for so long that it hadn’t struck her until then. It was a memory? The Labyrinth was real? But if the Labyrinth was real, then…

Her head shot up to look at Amaranth. She was standing just as before, watching, her expression mild, curious. “The Go…”Sarah started to say, but caught herself. Would saying his name catch his attention? She paused and rephrased. “So, this is about him after all. What he did to me.”

Amaranth’s eyes crinkled in amusement, her lips turning up in a small smile. She shook her head as if in exasperation. “Foolish girl,” she said lightly. Sarah squirmed at the amusement in her voice. “Don’t be ridiculous. He didn’t do anything to you. You did it to yourself, as I keep telling you. Stop shifting blame.” Her unease turned to a frown of confusion.

“But, then, you can just give me back my dreams?” she asked.

“No,” Amaranth said solemnly, shaking her head.

Sarah’s thoughts plummeted, her voice taking on a wounded tone. “But, you said…” Amaranth held up one hand to silence her.

“I can’t just anything,” she continued calmly. “This is your show. It always has been.”

“So you’re offering to, what, to help? To help what? Find them?” Sarah asked, starting to feel a little irritated. However, since it was the first thing other than apathy that she had felt in a long time, she didn’t fight it. Why couldn’t the woman just answer a question?

“Sort of. I can help you with getting started, and a few other things,” she shrugged but did not elaborate. The sun had dipped below the horizon and Amaranth’s hair no longer glittered gold. But now small lights seemed to twinkle out of her deep, black eyes.

“Well that’s not cryptic or anything,” Sarah snarked, refusing to feel uneasy about those strange eyes. She pursed her lips, trying to concentrate on her train of thought. “And in return? I mean, why are you doing this? What’s in it for you?” She peered at Amaranth warily. “What do you want?”

Amaranth quirked an eyebrow, but her expression seemed pleased. “Who is to say I want anything?” she asked lightly.

“No…no. Don’t bullshit me,” Sarah said, determination entering her voice. “I know how it works. You don’t do something for nothing. Not down there.”

“No,” Amaranth conceded, “you don’t.” Sarah waited for her to continue, but wasn’t surprised when she didn’t.

“So then,” she sighed in frustration, “What do you want?”

Amaranth shook her head. “No, make your choice first, Sarah. Just remember, a mortal cannot survive aboveground without dreams. You know this.” Her voice was firm, but compassionate, leaving no room to argue. Sarah did know. She certainly couldn’t. But still, she needed a little more to go on here, and Amaranth wasn’t giving her anything.

“You said its about choices,” she accused, “but you won’t answer my questions so I can make an informed decision.” Sarah tensed up, feeling real anger start to germinate. Then again, maybe that was her intention. Maybe Amaranth was hoping desperation would push her into making the choice. Sarah began to remember how much she hated being railroaded into things.

Amaranth’s eyes flashed, a fleeting sight, but her expression remained calm. “Enough whining, Sarah,” she said softly, but with authority.

“I’m not…” Sarah began angrily, but Amaranth held up one hand to stop her. Sarah pinched her lips tight together, but held her tongue.

“ What is it you think lies beyond those rocks?” Amaranth asked, pointing to the dark water below. “Do you truly know where it leads? What the price will be?” She shook her head before continuing. Sarah could already see where she was going and her righteous anger was beginning to dissipate. “You already know as much about this path as that one. You are waiting for me to convince you that mine is the better choice, and I will not do that.”

She was right, Sarah realized, looking down at the water. Both paths held temptation, both unknowns. She was trying to avoid making a choice. She hadn’t used to be so timid. Finally she looked back up at Amaranth. She had one final question. “And how do I know you can really help me? How do I know this isn’t just another illusion? Another lie?” She felt her eyes burning with unshed tears, but fought them back. “Things aren’t always what they seem,” she muttered bitterly, remembering a lesson well learned from her last visit to the Labyrinth.

“You’re thinking too hard, Sarah,” Amaranth said gently, “It’s what got you in trouble in the first place.” She sighed. “Still…if it’s proof you want…” Gliding around the back of the car, she stopped in front of Sarah. In her hand she was holding out a small wooden goblet. Sarah hadn’t seen where she got it from and didn’t have a chance to wonder. At the bottom was a very small amount of silver liquid, almost like mercury, moving sluggishly as if alive.

“What…what is that.” Sarah asked, brows furrowed. She moved closer until her nose was almost touching the rim of the cup. The substance inside seemed to react to her nearness. One thin tendril oozed up the side of the cup and seemed to reach out to the hovering girl. Sarah jerked her head back, and the tendril retracted. She looked up at Amaranth.

“Pure Dreamstuff. Yours actually,” the redhead said softly, as if afraid of startling it. She shook her head. “You have no idea how hard it was to collect even this small bit.” She paused, watching the rippling liquid, then looked at Sarah. “Here, hold out your hand,” she said, wrapping Sarah’s limp fingers around the goblet. “It’s very weak…it won’t last much longer aboveground.”

She looked Sarah in the eye, her gaze glittering brighter than the stars above them. Sarah couldn’t bring herself to keep meeting that gaze, so she turned away to look back across the water. Amaranth spoke once more from behind her. “It’s almost time for me to leave Sarah. I was not meant to linger so long in this world.” She paused. “It is time to choose.” She backed away, leaving Sarah alone on the cliff edge, and waited.

The whole of the last ten years of her wasted life weighed down on Sarah. The bitterness, the sorrow, and the numbing fear washed over her. She stood at the edge of infinity and didn’t know if she had the will to step back from it, or the courage to step over it. Looking down into the darkness she could not see the rocks that would be her end, could only hear the sound of the waves breaking themselves against them. Could you have hope for a better life when you couldn’t even imagine one?

She stood there for what seemed like ages, but in reality was only a few seconds. She was startled from her reverie by the touch of something shockingly, refreshingly cold against her hand. The tendril of dream had reached out again and this time touched her skin. It seemed almost to be tasting her, and regretfully she gently pulled her hand away. Closing her eyes and firming her shoulders, Sarah took one last deep breath before the plunge into the unknown.

“Alright,” she said, turning to face the waiting Amaranth, “I’ll go back. Tell me what I need to do.”

Amaranth’s solemn expression turned instantly into a brilliant smile. “Easy,” she replied, nodding at the cup in Sarah’s hands, “Drink up.” Sarah’s eyes widened in disbelief, but Amaranth just laughed. “Trust me.”

Sarah realized she had already made her decision, and there was no point in getting squeamish now. The silver dream in the cup was spinning energetically, almost as if it were excited…or agitated. Squeezing her eyes shut, Sarah lifted the cup to her lips and tipped it.

The liquid didn’t so much flow into her mouth as rush, as if with its own momentum. It was like a cold fire racing down her throat, and then every where. Her whole body felt infused with a cold, refreshing energy that made her eyes pop wide open. Then suddenly the feeling was gone, and all her energy with it. She felt tired, so tired. Her limbs began to give way and her vision dim as exhaustion overcame her, but strong arms encircled her before she collapsed. The last thing she saw as she fell into magical slumber was Amaranth’s twinkling eyes as her voice whispered against her cheek. “Shhhh, my pet. Everything will work out fine.”

Thank you all for your kind reviews. It definitely inspires me to keep going…sooo…keep at it!