Fic: Beyond the Thirteenth Hour
Title: Beyond the Thirteenth Hour
Chapter: 4/16 (The Return)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,897
Summary: Two years have passed since Sarah's adventure in the Underground, and she's now coming to terms with her family's recent move. Not long afterwards, she receives a sudden plea for help from the Underground. Returning to the Labyrinth once again, she sets out with old friends, and a few new ones, to defeat Jareth again.
Note: This story has no beta, so please overlook the occasional mistake. Thanks in advance.
With Stacey’s help, Sarah managed to find her new house without any trouble.
“This is the house you moved into?” Stacey eyed the Dutch Colonial as the two girls headed up the walk.
“Is something wrong with that?” Sarah paused, glancing back at the blue-eyed girl behind her.
“No. This is just one of the houses Wayne helped build, and it’s always been one of my favorites. Out of curiousity, which bedroom is yours?”
“The one that’s across the hall from the staircase, and a bit to the left.”
“Good choice. There’s a secret about that room,” Stacey announced. “The closet in that room has a door built into the ceiling. It leads to a small attic room. You could easily turn it into a private room or something like that.” Sarah was just about to inquire more about the hidden attic room when the front door opened and Irene stepped out, looking furious.
“Sarah, I thought you were over this,” she scolded. “I told you that your father and I needed help with the unpacking. I gave you a little more time to come home, since you called and said you were going to be five minutes late, but that was well over an hour ago.” Sarah started to open her mouth to explain, but Irene cut her off before she could begin. “No, I don’t want to hear it! You were supposed to come home right after school….”
“Please, Mrs. Williams,” Stacey suddenly interrupted, stepping forward. “It really isn’t Sarah’s fault. I mean, you just moved here, so you really can’t expect her to know her way around very well just yet. If you don’t mind me saying so, blaming her for getting lost is rather unreasonable.”
“Y…yeah, that’s right,” Sarah agreed, using her acting skills to pretend Stacey’s story wasn’t new to her. “If I hadn’t run into my new classmate, Stacey, I’d probably still be going in circles.”
“I see,” Irene nodded, seeming less stern as she glanced over at Stacey. “In that case, thank you for helping Sarah get back home.”
“Yeah, sure,” Stacey shrugged, turning to leave.
“Hang on!” Sarah stopped her. “You want to spend the night here?” Ignoring Stacey’s sudden look of shock, Sarah turned back to Irene. “That’s okay, right?”
“As long as she’ll excuse the mess, and doesn’t expect anything fancy for dinner. The boxes with most of my cooking things are still buried at the bottom of the pile.” Once Irene had gone back inside, Stacey frowned at Sarah.
“And when were you going to ask if I wanted to spend the night?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “I don’t really do that ‘girl slumber party’ thing, you know.”
“Didn’t you tell me about how Wayne raised you to repay people?” Sarah smiled. “Well, you repaid me for returning your bag by helping me find my house. Now I can repay you for getting me out of trouble with my stepmother by having you over for the night.” Stacey pursed her lips, thinking about this.
“I know I’m going to regret this,” she replied finally, “but I can’t come up with a good argument for that. Although, I don’t exactly have what I need to spend the night anywhere.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Sarah insisted. “I have a spare toothbrush that’s never been opened, and you can just borrow some pajamas.”
-----
When dinner time came around, Stacey joined the Williams family at the table, with the pizza that had been delivered sitting in the table’s center. From the very start of the meal, Toby immediately became chummy with Stacey, talking to her without any sign of stopping. That didn’t change even after the remaining pizza slices had been placed in the refrigerator as leftovers. Toby continued to act as a second shadow for Stacey when everyone moved to the family room to watch what little TV they could, since the cable had not been hooked up yet, and began showing off a stuffed bear.
“‘Arah gave ‘im to me,” Toby announced proudly. “His name’s ‘Anceot, an’ he’s my favrite.”
“Well, he looks like a very nice bear,” Stacey replied, smiling at the little boy’s attempts at saying ‘Lancelot’ and ‘favorite’.
“You got any bears?” Toby asked.
“Um…no. I actually didn’t have many toys when I was your age.”
“‘Ow come?”
“Because the closest thing I had to a Mommy and Daddy was Wayne, and he could only afford to give me a few presents every year.”
“All right, Toby,” Irene stepped in, seemingly worried that her son might unknowingly be bringing up a sensitive topic with their guest. “Come on, it’s your bedtime.”
“I’m not ‘ired!” Toby insisted.
“Yes, you are,” Irene persisted, scooping the boy up and leaving the room.
“No I’m not!” Toby’s voice echoed from the staircase.
“Cute kid,” Stacey commented casually. Sarah didn’t reply, and simply thought about how amazed she was that Toby had taken to Stacey so fast. Usually, when someone he didn’t know came over, Toby spent most of the time hiding behind Irene.
“So, Stacey,” Robert leaned forward slightly, wanting to learn all about his daughter’s potential new friend. “Why don’t you tell us about yourself?”
“Owls are my favorite animal,” Stacey offered. “My favorite food is roasted chicken, and my favorite color is aquamarine. I’ve been playing chess since I was nine, when Wayne taught me, and I’ve been the champion of the chess club at school for the past three years. And I like reading.” The hints of a smile started forming in the corners of her mouth as she paused. “Are you trying to see if I’m good enough to date your daughter or something?” Catching onto the joke about his third degree, Robert chucked for a moment.
“Dad, not to be rude or anything,” Sarah spoke up, “I was going to show Stacey up into my room to get settled.”
“Of course,” Robert agreed. “You two go on up. Have a good night.” Not needing any more invitation, Sarah and Stacey left the room and proceeded up the stairs to Sarah’s room.
“I’d offer you a tour of this place,” Sarah began, “but you said Wayne helped build it, so you probably know more about this place than I do.”
“I’d say that’s a bet you’d win,” Stacey confirmed as Sarah opened the door to her room.
“Like my stepmother said, we’re still unpacking, so most of my stuff is still in the boxes,” Sarah gestured to the couple of boxes piled in the corner of the room.
“Listen, Sarah,” Stacey spoke up, crossing the room to the window. “I understand you want to be a good hostess or something, but it’s not necessary. I’m not used to anything better than this. Even with all your stuff packed away, this room is still more furnished than mine.” Without letting Sarah reply, Stacey opened the window, allowing Daedalus to soar into the room.
“What’s he doing here?” Sarah gaped as the owl landed on her bed.
“Probably followed me here,” Stacey replied, lightly stroking a finger over Daedalus’ back. “He’s a smart owl, isn’t he? Knew I was here, and followed me.”
“I just hope my stepmother doesn’t find him up here,” Sarah commented, closing the window again, just in case some other animal tried to get in. “If she came in and saw there was an owl loose in her house….” Sarah was cut off by the sound of Stacey’s startled shout. Turning back, she saw Stacey staring at the dresser mirror, breathing heavily. “What’s wrong?”
“There…there was something in the mirror,” Stacey stammered, pointing. “Something…it wasn’t even human. It was….just looking at me.”
“What are you talking about,” Sarah asked, looking at the mirror in question. “There’s nothing there.”
“I’m telling you, there was…an it! A giant it! Some sort of…monster, with orange brown fur, floppy dog ears, and…these two huge horns.” Sarah’s breath immediately caught in her throat upon hearing that particular description. In her mind’s eye, the image of an old friend began to form; a large, lumbering yeti who was only fearsome in appearance.
“Ludo,” Sarah whispered, almost to herself.
“What was that?” Stacey blinked over at the dark-haired girl.
“It was Ludo,” Sarah repeated, still not quite believing it.
“I’m sorry, but what does a board game have to do with what I just saw in your mirror?”
“That’s his name. That beast you saw is called Ludo. He’s my friend.”
“Hang on; are you trying to say that there’s a creature living in your mirror? What is this? Through the Looking Glass? Did I just see a Jabberwocky?” Sarah ignored Stacey’s comment, recalling the last time she saw Ludo and her other friends from the Underground, Hoggle and Sir Didymus. Back them, she had promised them all that if she ever needed them, she would call, but they had never decided, or even considered, what they would do if it were the other way around. What if Ludo was trying to contact her, to ask for help? If that was the case, she had to go back. The question was, how? She wasn’t entirely certain how she went there the first time.
“Ludo,” whispered, laying a hand on the glass face of her dresser mirror, closing her eyes in concentration. “I know you’re trying to reach me. Please, help me come back.” When Sarah opened her eyes, all she saw was her reflection. Beginning to feel discouraged, she let her hand fall to her side in defeat, but just as she started to turn away, she saw the image in the mirror start to ripple, the way a pond would if someone tossed a pebble into the water. Eyes growing wide in hope, Sarah watched intently as the image in the mirror slowly changed, until she no longer saw herself in the mirror. Instead, she was looking at the familiar and massive expanse of the Underground’s Labyrinth.
“Okay, time out,” Stacey breathed, moving closer to the mirror in amazement. “Is this a trick mirror or something? First the beast and now this? What is going on here?” Before Sarah could reply, a sudden wind swept through the entire room, growing stronger every second until it was even strong enough to send Stacey and Sarah flying into the mirror. Instead of crashing into it, the two girls passed right through the mirror, disappearing instantly. Letting out a high, whistling cry, Daedalus spread his wings and followed them through the mirror. In seconds, the wind dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Sarah’s room undisturbed but vacant.
-----
Sarah slowly opened her eyes when she once again felt solid ground beneath her feet. Looking around to take in her surroundings, a large smile formed on her face. This was it. She was back; standing on the same hill overlooking the Labyrinth where she’d first came to the Underground on that night two years ago. Instinctively, she glanced back at the spot where she remembered Jareth had been standing upon her first arrival to this world. This time, Stacey was the one standing in that spot, with Daedalus perched on the nearby tree.
“What is this place?” Stacey asked, taken aback by the sudden and unexpected change in scenery. “What happened?”
“We’re in another world, Stacey,” Sarah explained, unable to keep her excitement out of her voice. “You’re in the Underground.”
Chapter: 4/16 (The Return)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,897
Summary: Two years have passed since Sarah's adventure in the Underground, and she's now coming to terms with her family's recent move. Not long afterwards, she receives a sudden plea for help from the Underground. Returning to the Labyrinth once again, she sets out with old friends, and a few new ones, to defeat Jareth again.
Note: This story has no beta, so please overlook the occasional mistake. Thanks in advance.
With Stacey’s help, Sarah managed to find her new house without any trouble.
“This is the house you moved into?” Stacey eyed the Dutch Colonial as the two girls headed up the walk.
“Is something wrong with that?” Sarah paused, glancing back at the blue-eyed girl behind her.
“No. This is just one of the houses Wayne helped build, and it’s always been one of my favorites. Out of curiousity, which bedroom is yours?”
“The one that’s across the hall from the staircase, and a bit to the left.”
“Good choice. There’s a secret about that room,” Stacey announced. “The closet in that room has a door built into the ceiling. It leads to a small attic room. You could easily turn it into a private room or something like that.” Sarah was just about to inquire more about the hidden attic room when the front door opened and Irene stepped out, looking furious.
“Sarah, I thought you were over this,” she scolded. “I told you that your father and I needed help with the unpacking. I gave you a little more time to come home, since you called and said you were going to be five minutes late, but that was well over an hour ago.” Sarah started to open her mouth to explain, but Irene cut her off before she could begin. “No, I don’t want to hear it! You were supposed to come home right after school….”
“Please, Mrs. Williams,” Stacey suddenly interrupted, stepping forward. “It really isn’t Sarah’s fault. I mean, you just moved here, so you really can’t expect her to know her way around very well just yet. If you don’t mind me saying so, blaming her for getting lost is rather unreasonable.”
“Y…yeah, that’s right,” Sarah agreed, using her acting skills to pretend Stacey’s story wasn’t new to her. “If I hadn’t run into my new classmate, Stacey, I’d probably still be going in circles.”
“I see,” Irene nodded, seeming less stern as she glanced over at Stacey. “In that case, thank you for helping Sarah get back home.”
“Yeah, sure,” Stacey shrugged, turning to leave.
“Hang on!” Sarah stopped her. “You want to spend the night here?” Ignoring Stacey’s sudden look of shock, Sarah turned back to Irene. “That’s okay, right?”
“As long as she’ll excuse the mess, and doesn’t expect anything fancy for dinner. The boxes with most of my cooking things are still buried at the bottom of the pile.” Once Irene had gone back inside, Stacey frowned at Sarah.
“And when were you going to ask if I wanted to spend the night?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “I don’t really do that ‘girl slumber party’ thing, you know.”
“Didn’t you tell me about how Wayne raised you to repay people?” Sarah smiled. “Well, you repaid me for returning your bag by helping me find my house. Now I can repay you for getting me out of trouble with my stepmother by having you over for the night.” Stacey pursed her lips, thinking about this.
“I know I’m going to regret this,” she replied finally, “but I can’t come up with a good argument for that. Although, I don’t exactly have what I need to spend the night anywhere.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Sarah insisted. “I have a spare toothbrush that’s never been opened, and you can just borrow some pajamas.”
-----
When dinner time came around, Stacey joined the Williams family at the table, with the pizza that had been delivered sitting in the table’s center. From the very start of the meal, Toby immediately became chummy with Stacey, talking to her without any sign of stopping. That didn’t change even after the remaining pizza slices had been placed in the refrigerator as leftovers. Toby continued to act as a second shadow for Stacey when everyone moved to the family room to watch what little TV they could, since the cable had not been hooked up yet, and began showing off a stuffed bear.
“‘Arah gave ‘im to me,” Toby announced proudly. “His name’s ‘Anceot, an’ he’s my favrite.”
“Well, he looks like a very nice bear,” Stacey replied, smiling at the little boy’s attempts at saying ‘Lancelot’ and ‘favorite’.
“You got any bears?” Toby asked.
“Um…no. I actually didn’t have many toys when I was your age.”
“‘Ow come?”
“Because the closest thing I had to a Mommy and Daddy was Wayne, and he could only afford to give me a few presents every year.”
“All right, Toby,” Irene stepped in, seemingly worried that her son might unknowingly be bringing up a sensitive topic with their guest. “Come on, it’s your bedtime.”
“I’m not ‘ired!” Toby insisted.
“Yes, you are,” Irene persisted, scooping the boy up and leaving the room.
“No I’m not!” Toby’s voice echoed from the staircase.
“Cute kid,” Stacey commented casually. Sarah didn’t reply, and simply thought about how amazed she was that Toby had taken to Stacey so fast. Usually, when someone he didn’t know came over, Toby spent most of the time hiding behind Irene.
“So, Stacey,” Robert leaned forward slightly, wanting to learn all about his daughter’s potential new friend. “Why don’t you tell us about yourself?”
“Owls are my favorite animal,” Stacey offered. “My favorite food is roasted chicken, and my favorite color is aquamarine. I’ve been playing chess since I was nine, when Wayne taught me, and I’ve been the champion of the chess club at school for the past three years. And I like reading.” The hints of a smile started forming in the corners of her mouth as she paused. “Are you trying to see if I’m good enough to date your daughter or something?” Catching onto the joke about his third degree, Robert chucked for a moment.
“Dad, not to be rude or anything,” Sarah spoke up, “I was going to show Stacey up into my room to get settled.”
“Of course,” Robert agreed. “You two go on up. Have a good night.” Not needing any more invitation, Sarah and Stacey left the room and proceeded up the stairs to Sarah’s room.
“I’d offer you a tour of this place,” Sarah began, “but you said Wayne helped build it, so you probably know more about this place than I do.”
“I’d say that’s a bet you’d win,” Stacey confirmed as Sarah opened the door to her room.
“Like my stepmother said, we’re still unpacking, so most of my stuff is still in the boxes,” Sarah gestured to the couple of boxes piled in the corner of the room.
“Listen, Sarah,” Stacey spoke up, crossing the room to the window. “I understand you want to be a good hostess or something, but it’s not necessary. I’m not used to anything better than this. Even with all your stuff packed away, this room is still more furnished than mine.” Without letting Sarah reply, Stacey opened the window, allowing Daedalus to soar into the room.
“What’s he doing here?” Sarah gaped as the owl landed on her bed.
“Probably followed me here,” Stacey replied, lightly stroking a finger over Daedalus’ back. “He’s a smart owl, isn’t he? Knew I was here, and followed me.”
“I just hope my stepmother doesn’t find him up here,” Sarah commented, closing the window again, just in case some other animal tried to get in. “If she came in and saw there was an owl loose in her house….” Sarah was cut off by the sound of Stacey’s startled shout. Turning back, she saw Stacey staring at the dresser mirror, breathing heavily. “What’s wrong?”
“There…there was something in the mirror,” Stacey stammered, pointing. “Something…it wasn’t even human. It was….just looking at me.”
“What are you talking about,” Sarah asked, looking at the mirror in question. “There’s nothing there.”
“I’m telling you, there was…an it! A giant it! Some sort of…monster, with orange brown fur, floppy dog ears, and…these two huge horns.” Sarah’s breath immediately caught in her throat upon hearing that particular description. In her mind’s eye, the image of an old friend began to form; a large, lumbering yeti who was only fearsome in appearance.
“Ludo,” Sarah whispered, almost to herself.
“What was that?” Stacey blinked over at the dark-haired girl.
“It was Ludo,” Sarah repeated, still not quite believing it.
“I’m sorry, but what does a board game have to do with what I just saw in your mirror?”
“That’s his name. That beast you saw is called Ludo. He’s my friend.”
“Hang on; are you trying to say that there’s a creature living in your mirror? What is this? Through the Looking Glass? Did I just see a Jabberwocky?” Sarah ignored Stacey’s comment, recalling the last time she saw Ludo and her other friends from the Underground, Hoggle and Sir Didymus. Back them, she had promised them all that if she ever needed them, she would call, but they had never decided, or even considered, what they would do if it were the other way around. What if Ludo was trying to contact her, to ask for help? If that was the case, she had to go back. The question was, how? She wasn’t entirely certain how she went there the first time.
“Ludo,” whispered, laying a hand on the glass face of her dresser mirror, closing her eyes in concentration. “I know you’re trying to reach me. Please, help me come back.” When Sarah opened her eyes, all she saw was her reflection. Beginning to feel discouraged, she let her hand fall to her side in defeat, but just as she started to turn away, she saw the image in the mirror start to ripple, the way a pond would if someone tossed a pebble into the water. Eyes growing wide in hope, Sarah watched intently as the image in the mirror slowly changed, until she no longer saw herself in the mirror. Instead, she was looking at the familiar and massive expanse of the Underground’s Labyrinth.
“Okay, time out,” Stacey breathed, moving closer to the mirror in amazement. “Is this a trick mirror or something? First the beast and now this? What is going on here?” Before Sarah could reply, a sudden wind swept through the entire room, growing stronger every second until it was even strong enough to send Stacey and Sarah flying into the mirror. Instead of crashing into it, the two girls passed right through the mirror, disappearing instantly. Letting out a high, whistling cry, Daedalus spread his wings and followed them through the mirror. In seconds, the wind dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Sarah’s room undisturbed but vacant.
-----
Sarah slowly opened her eyes when she once again felt solid ground beneath her feet. Looking around to take in her surroundings, a large smile formed on her face. This was it. She was back; standing on the same hill overlooking the Labyrinth where she’d first came to the Underground on that night two years ago. Instinctively, she glanced back at the spot where she remembered Jareth had been standing upon her first arrival to this world. This time, Stacey was the one standing in that spot, with Daedalus perched on the nearby tree.
“What is this place?” Stacey asked, taken aback by the sudden and unexpected change in scenery. “What happened?”
“We’re in another world, Stacey,” Sarah explained, unable to keep her excitement out of her voice. “You’re in the Underground.”