Labyrinth Fan Fiction ❯ To Defeat the Rotting Labyrinth ❯ Disembark ( Chapter 4 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Devabbi 
Sarah enters the Labyrinth.
Non Anime: Labyrinth Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Drama / Psychological / Romance / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.08.2008 | Pages: 1 | Words: 947 | Visits: 250 | Status: Work In Progress
Sarah enters the Labyrinth.
Non Anime: Labyrinth Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Drama / Psychological / Romance / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.08.2008 | Pages: 1 | Words: 947 | Visits: 250 | Status: Work In Progress
The gates squealed and scraped as they opened, the vicious creatures carved on them swiping and yowling at her as she passed them by. Sarah only had to kick the door once, trying not to hit any creature carved into the gate. She walked through the gates, and it got darker and colder. She was glad she had worn one jacket. If it were any colder, it might snow, and she would need that extra jacket in her bag. She hefted it over her shoulder.
She looked left and right. Both passages looked exactly the same; long, maybe endless, with no curves or turns that she could see. She looked down at her map again, and it assured her that there were dozens of openings. She just couldn't see them. The Labyrinth was full of optical illusions, she just had to remember that and rely on the map that Hoggle gave her.
The Labyrinth was also full of traps. She began to say, “I wish...” but ended her sentence there. She hadn't wished for anything in a long time, because Jareth would grant her anything and twist it wickedly. Besides, if she wished for anything, Jareth would hear it and know where she was. She frowned and hissed at the paper, “Why don't you show where traps are?”
The diagram's ink swirled and reassembled, slightly different. It added another character into the Legend in the corner, an x, labeled traps. She blinked at it. “Thank you.” The top of the map swirled and reformed to say YOU'RE WELCOME. She smiled at it. So, she did have a companion.
She jumped as the gates behind her scraped and squealed closed. She pressed her back against the wall and studied the map. Following the path to her right, she found many openings and many traps. That was the way she had gone last time. “Maybe the worm will still be there,” she mused, and started that way.
Now that she wasn't on a time frame to save Toby, she could take her time. She could explore and see the sights. She looked around at her bleak surroundings. “Not like there's much to see...” Resolute, she shook herself and picked up her pace. “Maybe on the way out.”
As she walked, she often checked her position on the map. Within minutes, she was in front of an opening. She stopped and looked closely. “This way?” she murmured down at the map.
I WOULDN'T GO THAT WAY IF I WERE YOU, it replied, and, frowning, she sensed some sarcasm.
She frowned at it, and said, “Okay...” and moved away from the opening. “Which way should I go?” It didn't respond right away, hesitating and swirling. “Show me, please,” she pleaded. “I have to get through this and save my friends.”
The top of the map swirled more violently before stopping. THERE ARE MANY WAYS THROUGH THE LABYRINTH. WHICH WAY WOULD YOU PREFER?
Sarah hesitated and thought carefully. Finally, she said, “The safest, fastest path, please.”
The entire map swirled, and now there was a red line across the map. She was on one end of it and the castle was at the other. “How long will that take?” she pressed curiously.
DEPENDS ON YOUR PACING. FOUR DAYS AT THE MOST, THREE IF YOU'RE QUICK.
She mulled that over. “I can do that,” she said, and smiled. “Could you show me where I can find more fresh and clean water?”
CAREFUL, SARAH. I CAN ONLY SHOW A FEW MODIFICATIONS. YOU CAN SEE TRAPS AND KNOW THE WAY. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS WATER ALONG THE WAY. DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO SHOW YOU?
Sarah shook her head, taking that as a warning that she had a limited number. “I'll save the modifications for an emergency,” she decided.
SMART.
Sarah walked on.
As she checked her watch for the first time, she noticed that the hands on the face of her watch had barely moved. She blinked at it in confusion, and then questioned the map, which had slowly become like a guide to her. It answered most of her questions with straight answers and information.
This time, it answered without her asking. TIME GOES DIFFERENTLY HERE. IN YOUR WORLD, YOU HAVE BEEN GONE ONLY A FEW MINUTES. YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE LABYRINTH FOR FOUR HOURS. It swirled again, as if thinking, for a long moment. She waited. YOU SHOULD REST. YOU WILL BE SAFE HERE.
She looked around at the area. It looked familiar, and she slowly realized that it was the same place where she and Hoggle had encountered the wise man with the bird for a hat. Instead of flowers and plants, there were wicked-looking thorn bushes, rosebushes without blossoms, and dead white trees. She frowned and found a comfortable, hidden corner of dirt. She went through her bag and found a granola bar. The map lay in her lap. She inspected it for red dots, and found none nearby. She tried to make herself comfortable. “It's awfully lonely out here,” she mourned.
IT'S ONLY A FEW DAYS. Sarah wasn't sure if she was supposed to be comforted by that.
She frowned. “I'm going to try to get some sleep,” she said, and tucked the wrapper of the granola bar into her pocket. She closed her eyes and didn't see the map's next quip.
I HOPE YOU'RE A LIGHT SLEEPER.
She looked left and right. Both passages looked exactly the same; long, maybe endless, with no curves or turns that she could see. She looked down at her map again, and it assured her that there were dozens of openings. She just couldn't see them. The Labyrinth was full of optical illusions, she just had to remember that and rely on the map that Hoggle gave her.
The Labyrinth was also full of traps. She began to say, “I wish...” but ended her sentence there. She hadn't wished for anything in a long time, because Jareth would grant her anything and twist it wickedly. Besides, if she wished for anything, Jareth would hear it and know where she was. She frowned and hissed at the paper, “Why don't you show where traps are?”
The diagram's ink swirled and reassembled, slightly different. It added another character into the Legend in the corner, an x, labeled traps. She blinked at it. “Thank you.” The top of the map swirled and reformed to say YOU'RE WELCOME. She smiled at it. So, she did have a companion.
She jumped as the gates behind her scraped and squealed closed. She pressed her back against the wall and studied the map. Following the path to her right, she found many openings and many traps. That was the way she had gone last time. “Maybe the worm will still be there,” she mused, and started that way.
Now that she wasn't on a time frame to save Toby, she could take her time. She could explore and see the sights. She looked around at her bleak surroundings. “Not like there's much to see...” Resolute, she shook herself and picked up her pace. “Maybe on the way out.”
As she walked, she often checked her position on the map. Within minutes, she was in front of an opening. She stopped and looked closely. “This way?” she murmured down at the map.
I WOULDN'T GO THAT WAY IF I WERE YOU, it replied, and, frowning, she sensed some sarcasm.
She frowned at it, and said, “Okay...” and moved away from the opening. “Which way should I go?” It didn't respond right away, hesitating and swirling. “Show me, please,” she pleaded. “I have to get through this and save my friends.”
The top of the map swirled more violently before stopping. THERE ARE MANY WAYS THROUGH THE LABYRINTH. WHICH WAY WOULD YOU PREFER?
Sarah hesitated and thought carefully. Finally, she said, “The safest, fastest path, please.”
The entire map swirled, and now there was a red line across the map. She was on one end of it and the castle was at the other. “How long will that take?” she pressed curiously.
DEPENDS ON YOUR PACING. FOUR DAYS AT THE MOST, THREE IF YOU'RE QUICK.
She mulled that over. “I can do that,” she said, and smiled. “Could you show me where I can find more fresh and clean water?”
CAREFUL, SARAH. I CAN ONLY SHOW A FEW MODIFICATIONS. YOU CAN SEE TRAPS AND KNOW THE WAY. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS WATER ALONG THE WAY. DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO SHOW YOU?
Sarah shook her head, taking that as a warning that she had a limited number. “I'll save the modifications for an emergency,” she decided.
SMART.
Sarah walked on.
As she checked her watch for the first time, she noticed that the hands on the face of her watch had barely moved. She blinked at it in confusion, and then questioned the map, which had slowly become like a guide to her. It answered most of her questions with straight answers and information.
This time, it answered without her asking. TIME GOES DIFFERENTLY HERE. IN YOUR WORLD, YOU HAVE BEEN GONE ONLY A FEW MINUTES. YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE LABYRINTH FOR FOUR HOURS. It swirled again, as if thinking, for a long moment. She waited. YOU SHOULD REST. YOU WILL BE SAFE HERE.
She looked around at the area. It looked familiar, and she slowly realized that it was the same place where she and Hoggle had encountered the wise man with the bird for a hat. Instead of flowers and plants, there were wicked-looking thorn bushes, rosebushes without blossoms, and dead white trees. She frowned and found a comfortable, hidden corner of dirt. She went through her bag and found a granola bar. The map lay in her lap. She inspected it for red dots, and found none nearby. She tried to make herself comfortable. “It's awfully lonely out here,” she mourned.
IT'S ONLY A FEW DAYS. Sarah wasn't sure if she was supposed to be comforted by that.
She frowned. “I'm going to try to get some sleep,” she said, and tucked the wrapper of the granola bar into her pocket. She closed her eyes and didn't see the map's next quip.
I HOPE YOU'RE A LIGHT SLEEPER.