Sunrise Sunset

She was sitting on a gilded throne watching people dance around her. No one paid her any notice.

Sarah knew she was dreaming this time. She knew where she was, in a ballroom he had created. A ballroom made to seduce, and be seduced by the call of the music.
A piano started to play and the crowd parted, letting Sarah see the dance floor.
He was there, reaching out to a woman with dark hair. She took his arm and he spun her towards him.

Together they danced gracefully, with him leading her clockwise with a graceful spin. She was unsure of his lead and would stumble a few times before she was able to follow the simple three steps and a double turn broken by a pause with confidence.

A double base joined in and she took lead and led him towards the chair. Always in a simple three step pattern broken by a brief pause. Their eyes never left each other’s faces as they sidestepped as one away from her and parted.

Each turned their faces away and walked a few steps before he closed his eyes, turned back reached out to her. She ran into his embrace. Sarah saw love in the woman’s eyes and longing in his as they continued their dance, more fluidly than before. The simple pattern gone as this dance was elaborate and advanced. The chorography enhanced they moved like they were two people with one soul. No one was leading, they just moved in a way that stole her heart. The movements were gentile but full of passion. Sarah was reminded of a story, a longing look and a sad memory.

As they danced the woman grew older and older. Lines began to show on her face though he remained young. Her hair thinned though his remained full and vibrant. The woman’s steps faltered and she paused. She held her wrinkled and twisted hand out and looked between it and her partner who was as youthful as he was when they started. Finally she pushed him away from her, forcing him away from her to dance on his own. She continued the dance on alone and instead of moving he just watched her silent and brooding.

Her steps alone were tentative at first, unsure of what to do without him by her side. She would move a few steps, stop and look to him; she would then frown and try again. He watched her silently, standing apart from her but never returning to the crowd. His body alert, ready to rush to her side if she ever reached out to him, but she didn’t.

Soon she began to gather her courage and she moved as innocently as she did at the first. Gliding by herself across the dance floor moving with grace across the floor though her back started to bow with age and her hair whiten.

During her aging he pulled his eyes from her and scowled at the floor. It was if he knew he could have done something if she would just reach out to him.

The music changed slightly and Sarah watched the dancer again. The dancer was now leading a young girl across the floor teaching her the simple steps and then letting the girl learn the rest on her own.
The girl had long dark hair and a dreamy expression on her face. But she was very young. Her eyes shone with innocence. Her movements mimicked the older woman’s for a while and then they changed. She was dancing her own way now preferring a more direct movement instead of the turns and pauses that the older woman favoured.

His attention was brought back to the dance floor. He watched the duo with interest, as both of them danced on their own side by side, each growing older.
He walked back to the floor during the crescendo and took the girl/woman’s hand as the older woman started to fade away.

The crowd filled the dance floor and blocked Sarah’s sight, before the music could finish. She didn’t know if the girl had accepted his hand or not.
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Sarah left thet oft of her family to their Sunday routine. She needed to think so she grabbed a book and her jacket. Normally she would go and read on a park bench or in a coffee shop, though today she didn’t want the escape and distraction she got in reading a book. She wanted to think.
“Going for a walk” she called out as the door shut behind her. Sarah was abrupt and didn’t leave any room for comment. Sarah didn’t want to answer any questions today; She didn’t even know if she d, sd, she had no answers.

The early November weather was starting to change from the hazy heat leftover from the Indian summer. She could see her breath in the morning air as she picked up the pace. Autumn was almost over and soon the snow d fad fall. Sarah loved the joy found in everyone during thely wly winter months. It was so magical how everyone was happy in the build up to Christmas. Magic; Jareth; Sarah’s mind started to turn over the questions in her head.

Where had Jareth come from? Why was he back? Well that was obvious. He had come for her. But why did he show up now? Why choose the bookstore, last time he just walked into her life. This time he was being subtle, as if he was hiding something.
What about that dream? Normally she was the one dancing with the mysterious Goblin King. Who was this other woman? And why did she shove him away and dance alone for so long?

He had looked so hurt and helpless, but ready to run to that woman if she only reached out to him. Was that a shadow of what is to be? Sarah wondered. Will she push Jareth away?

She stopped at a streetlight and rethought her direction. She turned left and started for the formal gardens she used to play in. Today was cold, and a warm cup of hot chocolate was tempting but Sarah felt she still needed to think, and the gardens called her.

The last time she had been there was 7 years ago. The night she called to him and her world changed. Since then it just hadn’t felt right to play there, or even visit. It was if she was waiting. She almost ustoostood she was waiting for Jareth to return. But what was it about those gardens that tied them together? The garden was her stage and playground in her youth. It had seen all of her innocent adventures and games. Then her biggest adventure to a place far away from the maintained landscape, in his kingdom, with Jareth.

When Sarah had first met him he had terrified her. He used magic to try and intimidate her, to make her too scared to act and give up. But Sarah had already become determined. She was starting to mature in front of him. He couldn’t intimidate her with parlour tricks.
When that had failed his music and voice taunted her while she searched franticly through his maze. She could hear him and Toby like a distant echo teasing her or calling her a child and threatening to free Toby with magic. Still she didn’t stop, it would have been easy to give up but Sarah wouldn’t let Toby pay for her selfish mistakes. But then she had fallen, deep ia daa dark hole.

He could have forgotten about her. Leaver her to the misery and failure, but instead he gave her back her brother. She had proven herself; she was no longer a selfish child, that she would be responsible for her actions.
He held her and shown her a dream.
Then he let her go, safe and changed, with a promise to return for her. Now she knew he was back to claim her. But she had built a life here waiting for him.

She was no longer so selfish that she expected the world to revolve around her. Life needed to be lived and taken by the hand. He had shown her that, given her a taste of life with his song. She had taken his lesson to heart and instead of moping in her bedroom hiding and waiting for him, she had gone to school and gotten a job. Dee was the perfect employer and an even better friend.

But Dee, Sarah hung her head low and sat down on the side of the bridge. There was something special in Dee; Sarah knew that from the start.

That one Saturday, not long after Sarah had returned from the Labyrinth, she walked into the bookstore holding her simple resume in her hands. Her eyes were wide at the mystery of the place; it was like a library out of her dreams. With oak shelves and rows and rows of books. But the matronly woman who greeted her with a warm smile, shining like a fairy godmother, held Sarah’s attention.

Dee took the paper out of Sarah’s hand, guided her to a table, and sat her down ready for the interview.
“So,” Dee lookt tht the paper, “Sarah. Why do you want to work here?”

Sarah’s eyes were still filled with wonder as she looked at the elderly woman. “It’s full of magic.” Sarah whispered she was caught up in the spirit of the bookstore. “I can taste it. There are dreams here.” Then Sarah realised what she had been saying and blushed. She hung her head and mumbled an apology.
don?don?” Dee asked
“I’m sorry that was unprofessional.” Sarah looked up. “I meant to say I love books and I like meeting new people. I”
Dee interrupted the young girl. “Your first answer was the one I needed. You have the job. Come in next week and we’ll start training you.” Dee reached out her hand. “I have a feeling you and I are going to get along wonderfully.”

Sarah heen een working there ever since. She and Dee had become more than Employee and Employer. Dee had adopted Sarah has her granddaughter and often mentioneavinaving the store to Sarah.

“Since I have no children of my own Sarah, would you mind taking over the store?” Dee asked over her knitting 3 years ago. “You run the business just about now, it would only be a matter of signing it over to you.”
“Dee, I won’t take the store from you, you are a part of it.” Sarah said
“Well at least will you like to inherit it then?” Dee smiled.
“Yeah I think I would like that.” Sarah said casually.
The next thing Sarah knew there was a lawyer in the store helping Dee go over her will. Sarah didn’t snoop into what was said but she did hear her name and the store mentioned once or twice. She really hadn’t thought about it since then, but she guessed that Dee had written Sarah into her will. Dee had no family that Sarah knew of, so it almost made sense.

Now Dee was acting strangely and talking about leaving more often than she talked about anything else. Also there was that dizzy spell of hers. Dee wasn’t well; Sarah was worried that Dee was ready to give up. This idea made Sarah panic a little. She wasn’t ready for Dee to go. Sarah had only known her a short time and there was still so much to be said. So many stories left to hear. She didn’t want Dee to die.

Sarah decided she would dash home and call Dee to check up on her, in only to relieve her own mind

Without entering the garden Sarah turned around and ran back to the house.