Looking for an Echo || Jareth and Sarah
When Sarah defeated the Goblin King at his own game and returned home with her brother, she worried that things wouldn't end there - that she'd be forever looking over her shoulder - and for awhile, she did. But time passed, and things changed, and it wasn't long before Jareth became the least of her worries.
When something began to change within her it was both simple and gradual. So much so, that the girl spent years not even noticing - how she could always find lost objects, and people always seemed to have a hard time saying 'no' when she asked for favors, or how she never seemed to lose her sense of direction - even when driving through towns she'd never been before. They were all such small, innocuous things - hardly worth noticing, and not entirely out-of-the-ordinary. Sarah called it 'good luck', and chose to look for no deeper explanation. After all, what else could it be? She was living a mundane life - the only abnormality being her journey into the Labyrinth...an event which she tried long and hard to simply forget. However, it seemed that, whenever her memories of the Goblin King's realm began to fade, something would always happen to refresh them. Eventually the woman decided to use those memories instead of fighting them, writing books about her childhood journey. And if her 'luck' seemed to be improving over time, Sarah was far too busy with her new writing career to notice.
Everything changed one night as she arrived home after nearly four weeks on a book tour. Several vases of flowers were waiting for her - gifts from a birthday missed while on the road - but they'd all wilted in her absence. Trailing fingers across several of the faded blossoms, the author sighed softly, regretting that she hadn't had the chance to enjoy them. With soft steps, she went upstairs to unpack, changing into her favorite pair of flannel PJs and some fluffy bunny slippers. Feeling a bit more comfortable, Sarah headed back downstairs. As she reached the bottom, the woman froze, staring with wide eyes at the flowers...which were all suddenly in full bloom. Not even a single wilted petal to suggest how they'd looked mere moments before.
"What...the hell...?" she murmured softly as a small niggle of fear wormed it's way into her mind. The fact there there was magic involved here was inarguable...but with that thought came the memory of...him. The author couldn't deny being a bit curious as to why he'd decide to interfere with her life after all these years, but she was also worried. Whatever Jareth's reasons were, she doubted they were good ones. "Okay, you've had your fun, " she spoke aloud, glancing around the house and wondering if she should turn on a few more lights. "Just show yourself, and tell me what's going on..." But the house stayed silent. Sighing, Sarah continued, "Look, it's been a long month. I'm tired...and I really don't have time for this, so just..."
Suddenly her vision began to swim, and the woman had to reach out a hand to the wall in an effort to stay balanced. Closing her eyes tight, she tried to will the sensation away. "I am so not in the mood for this, " she murmured as the swimming in her head slowly began to fade. Upon opening her eyes it took Sarah a moment for her mind to catch up with what her sight was showing her. Panic and anger flared within her almost simultaneously; she was back in the Labyrinth. "No...no, no, no...absolutely not!" She whirled, looking for the man who must have brought her here, her expression already demanding an explanation.
