Labyrinth Fan Fiction ❯ Retold ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Exhausted from running mile after mile through the seemingly straight hallway Sarah finally threw herself to the ground in defeat. Sobbing into her knees she saw a huge snake slither up beside her along the wall. Startled she jumped up only to find a tiny, harmless blue inch worm gazing up at her. Great now my eyes are messing with my head too.
" Hello there." The voice was friendly and warm, but some how a chill went up Sarah's spine as she fancied it darker, sinister and hissing. For just an instant she would have sworn the worm was looking on her hungrily. Sarah looked around, partly to be sure the worm was talking to her and partly to make sure no one would see her talking back.
" Were you talking to me?"
"Why yes. Pardon my interuption but you seem a bit distressed, my Lady. Why don't you come on into my .. home, have a cuppa with the missus." Once again she almost caught a flash of hunger in the tiny worm's eye. She could have swore she heard the king's voice echo through her head The devil's greatest achievement was convincing the world he didn't exist. Sarah had to stop from rolling her eyes at her own foolishness Get a grip its just a damn worm.
" I would but I must solve this labrynth but there arn't any twists or turns or anything. It just goes on and on!"
" Of course there are, there is one right in front of you! Go on look."
Sarah stood up and walked to the wall opposite her. Puzzled she studied it, each brick seemed in place. No cracks to tell of a secret door.
"What do you mean? Its just a wall."
" Go on try and walk through it." He gave her a seemingly encouraging look. Sarah walked through waiting for impact and found that there was an opening cleverly disguised as part of the wall face.
"Oh thank you!" Sarah turned to her left and continued on her way.
"Wait! Stop! Don't ever go THAT way!" Sarah looked puzzled for a moment then shrugged it off and headed to the right. If she had bothered to look back she would have seen a snake larger then life. Beautiful and deadly looking after her with a mixture of hunger and regret. "His Majesty would have been quite put out with me if she had walked straight up to that damned castle." He considered following after her but a gruff voice distracted him.
" He would have been more than put out if she fell for the tea bit. Jareth has laid claim to this one. Let the other nightshade worms know, it's His wrath to any who harm the girl before he gets to her." The snake stared after the malformed dwarf as he took off after the young girl's direction muttering under his breath. " Foolish child .. damned snake ain't even the worst of it....never learn...deserve each other."
The snake sighed and went in search of less costly prey.
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Jareth lounged across his throne nonchalantly, gazing into a crystal. He watched as she walked in circles, too arrogant to check the wall for openings. He watched as the deceptively innocent worm tried to lure her into his lair. He watched as she was steered away from the castle and deeper into the dangers of his kingdom. Oh, already she was proving to be great fun. Watching the way she held her head in defeat, the curve of her neck as head tilted she questioned the reality of the wall. He watched her as he has watched her since childhood, waiting for the perfect moment to take what was his. He will own her, rule her, bend her to his will. He will twist her face with both passion and exquisite pain. The King smiled to himself as he noticed her marking a path as she wandered aimlessly, then laughed outright when he noticed the brownies who lived under the flag stones turn the arrows every wich way. This will be even easier then I thought.
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Every where Sarah went she felt like she was being watched, a tingling sensation that she just couldn't shake. Several times she had felt as if some one were breathing right behind her, spinning around only to star at empty space. She knelt and marked another square with her lipstick. She stood up only to came face to face with a dead end. Checking her mark on the ground her face went slack with shock when the flag stone was empty. "Thats not fair!" There was a lound cracking noise from behind her. Sarah spun around and froze with disbelief. Just moments before that same spot had been nothing but a wall of vine covered brick, now there stood two intricately carved doors with a stooped and frail woman standing between. She had her eyes closed and looked to be sleeping.. or dead Sarah hadn't decided yet. Upon closer inspection Sarah realized that one door was glowing, beautiful, white marble housed angel faced cherubs frolicing amidst airy clouds. The other door was darkness and terror. The black seemed to absorb all light from the surrounding area. Tortured mortals screamed in pain, clawing their way around each other in a pit full of nightmarish demons.
"This.. this wasn't here." Sarah stuttered as she looked fearfully behind her. The dead end... it had moved. She was now trapped here except for the two doors.
"Well wich door ya goin through dearie?" the woman partially opened on eye to star at the girl. " Yea can only choose one.. wich is it?"
"Well... where do they go?"
"One leads ya safely t' the castle. The other leads yea to a wretched death."
Sarahs eyes widened. She knew it was a useless effort but she tried anyway, " Wich is wich?"
"Dunno dearie, I just looks to the doors I dun take a notion to pass through em."
Sarah drew closer to study them. One would assume the white one lead to safety and the evil looking black one ment doom, but..
"Nothing is as it seems round these parts." The old woman said cheerfully.
Well the white one would lead to doom because it looks safe.. but I know they know I would know that so the black one should lead to the castle, but maybe they know I'd figure that out and make it the white one knowing i would know it was the black one. Nothing is as it seems huh? Well the white one seems safe.... Sarah squared her shoulders and yanked open the black door, taking a deep calming breath she passed through. The door slammed closed behind her leaving her no escape. After a few steps she suddenly fell through the pathway into a deep dark hole.
On the other side of the door Hoggle stood with the old woman. He startled when Sarah's scream echoed through out the labrynith.
"Did she pick the wrong one?"
The old woman dropped all traces of the humble accent and stood up straight and youthful. Her face lost its wrinkles and became beautiful yet her eyes were cloudied with a heavy heart. She sighed sadly as she answered the dwarfs question. "My dear, it never mattered wich door she took, in this kingdom all paths lead to Jareth." Her task completed she faded away untill the next foolish mortal came upon the wretched doors.
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< b>A/N Very few characters from here on out will remain the same if I can help it, I'm not looking for muppets here. The serious J/S is starting next chapter and no more author's notes the rest of the story. Have questions send message. Please review.