6So, I am working on The Way Forward, it's just been a busy few weeks over the summer with the kids and work and everything else and I keep getting distracted writing future chapters instead of focusing on the next one. When you have to write you have to write, right?!
With that in mind I wanted to share a sneak peek, a short piece of a future chapter of TWF as a one-shot, anyone who hasn't read it can simply fill in the blanks however you wish...
Disclaimer: No I do not own Labyrinth or any characters therein, sometimes they enjoy a fun jaunt around my mind for reasons known only to themselves and perhaps my inner psyche...
Precipice
"Aarrgghhhh!" Sarah groaned as she slammed the car door shut and without a backward glance gratefully escaped another nightmare evening. She unlocked the door, being careful not to make noise, and let herself into a quiet house. She breathed in relief and sunk down onto the bottom step of the stairs.
Without warning several hot tears pricked at her eyes and dropped onto her dress. It wasn't even Adam's fault, not really. He was a nice enough boy and they'd had a nice enough evening going for pizza and a movie. And then he'd driven them to Hart Summit, the favourite make-out spot for local kids.
Sarah knew it was a bad idea. Nice as the evening had been, there was no connection there, no spark, nothing of the things she was looking for in a boyfriend.
And he was a kid, at 16 he was still so young and to her virtual age of 28 he was too young in so many ways. Add to that it was all just a bit wrong too. How could she continue to accept dates with these boys?
She wasn't even sure her ideal existed or perhaps he did, she tried not to dwell too deeply on that. But in any case, he certainly wasn't contained within some teenager.
"Sarah," Adam had turned off the car's engine and started leaning toward her. He was wearing a slightly smug smile and doing some creepy suggestive eyebrow movement.
Sarah tried not to lean backwards though all her instincts were screaming at her to move away. She felt like she had to persevere, had to try for a second just to know for sure. To perhaps satisfy whatever cruel twist of fate had led her to be living in this moment.
His lips touched hers, slightly cold and accompanied by a warm chilli pizza tainted breath. They moved over hers and immediately she felt his tongue invade her mouth lapping at her like a dog. She attempted to kiss him back for a couple of seconds, but it just wasn't right.
She leaned away just as one of his hands made a grab for her breast and squeezed it quite forcefully. He clearly wasn't going to give up easily, his other hand quickly came up behind her to cup the back of her head. He pulled her more roughly back towards him and tried to kiss her again.
She had to push this time, only slightly, but he wasn't taking the hint.
"I don't think this is a good idea Adam," She stated plainly, holding him at arms-length as he tried to scoot closer for better leverage.
He shook his head whilst smiling in a sickening patronising kind of way.
"Course it's a good idea, it's just you and me, we've had a nice date and no one around to see. You know, you're very pretty Sarah,"
He said all this in a needling kind of voice that only irritated her. She wondered if he found that worked with other girls, that gentle reasonable pressure and a little compliment here and there.
She tried not to shudder. Some boys seemed driven by hormones alone; why was it that she seemed to attract the ones that were looking for that 'one thing'?
"No, I don't think so, please can you drive me home before I have to get my cell out and call my Dad?"
She had no intention of disturbing her Dad or worrying him and Irene, but Adam wasn't to know that. He certainly would have found the threat of a fantasy king laughable and probably tell the entire school she was a loon.
As it was, he was almost definitely going to run back and reassure everyone that the title of Ice Queen still belonged to the forever frigid Sarah Williams. How original that was, he'd probably also add, for good measure, that he doubted she'd ever get laid.
She tried not to care, she was fairly used to it. Thank goodness she was far too old to be bothered by such rubbish or the pressure that young girls felt to be perfect and to please the quarterback at all costs. Sarah worried about them all and the society they were all growing up into. And then realised she felt like an old woman for such lamenting sensible thoughts.
Adam looked at her as he withdrew, his resolve weakening but hormones still in overdrive. When faced with the prospect of scary lawyer man Williams he managed to calm himself down.
"Ugh, whatever you say, the princess always gets what she wants doesn't she." His voice now sarcastic and full of scorn.
"I thought I was a Queen," She replied haughtily, trying not to laugh at her own expense.
He harrumphed in reply and started the car again.
Sarah found herself hoping, not for the first time, that she might learn to drive soon and then she could steer her own way. Then she wouldn't be left relying on unfortunates like Adam to drive her home. Not that she'd be going on a date again for a good long while. If ever.
She felt doomed. Sitting there on the stairs it still felt like she had a mountain to climb. She'd come so far but nothing was clear. For once it would be nice to feel normal. To feel like someone cared about her, was interested in her, wanted to be close to her. Someone who wasn't an immature adolescent looking for a quick lay.
At least Jareth accomplished some of those things. As her friend and guide he was there for her, did care about her and she wasn't completely alone. Once upon a time he had more than cared about her, but time moves on, life goes on.
She had mused, quite wisely for her, that too often things happen at the wrong time. A victim of time and circumstance.
But she had a friend to confide in, that was something.
Slowly, she climbed the stairs, careful not to wake anyone. Toby still didn't sleep all that well yet and both Irene and her Dad were exhausted ninety percent of the time.
Once in her bathroom she brushed her teeth and began to get changed. She'd only just taken off her stockings when she felt rather than heard a small ripple of something, someone was there.
Once back in her room she glanced at her mirror, sure enough he was waiting.
"Jareth," She smiled, though she was tired he always made her feel better somehow. Even if he wasn't in the room.
"Sarah, you look…very lovely," He said hesitantly, eyeing the dress which flared out in a pretty 50's lindy bop style and flattered her curves in all the right places. "I trust you had a pleasant evening?"
Ah so he was checking up on her? How old was she again?
But Sarah didn't really mind, it showed he cared. Occasionally she wondered if it was something more than that.
"It was, nice enough," She shrugged and tried not to grimace, communicating a fair amount through those small gestures.
"That good?" He responded, looking amused.
"I'm glad my pathetic love life is so very entertaining for you." She couldn't help but bite back, feeling upset and pissed off.
"Sarah," He chided very softly,
Sarah looked away, neither one was comfortable with cross words between them now. That had never been fun and had only led them toward trouble.
"What happened?" He prodded ever so gently.
She shrugged and groaned,
"I don't really want to talk about it,"
His eyes narrowed,
'Did this young man, make inappropriate advances?' He asked. He looked incensed.
Seeing his stormy expression, she almost laughed out loud.
"But Jareth they aren't even that inappropriate for a 16 or 17-year-old on a date, not really. It was a nice enough date until that point. Obviously, his automatic assumption is that he'll get a bit of a kiss at the end of it, which is pretty normal, perhaps his other moves were…uncalled for,'
As she spoke Sarah continued to watch his reaction in the mirror, enjoying it a little too much.
Sometimes his protectiveness was quite funny, and in a way, it was comforting too.
But then his image no longer looked back at her,
"He dared to do what?" Jareth announced his presence in her room with angry words and the usual unnecessary amount of glitter. He was clearly furious.
"Ssshhhhh, you'll wake them up," She admonished in a violent whisper.
"Oh hush, they will never hear us when I'm around Sarah, I do have a habit of protecting us you know,"
She raised an eyebrow, smiling at his choice of words and their current double meaning,
"I had noticed," She told him.
He smiled sheepishly,
"Can you blame me? No lad should be going further than they ought to, no further than what is invited, what are they teaching them these days? And with you? No." He grumbled, his eyes lined with steel.
"Oh, it was fine." She dismissed airily, choosing to focus instead on a bugbear of teen culture.
"Though unfortunately for some, the internet has a lot to answer for when it comes to educating kids on what is or isn't appropriate relationship behaviour. A lot gets very skewed as a result."
Jareth looked like he was about to leap off into the night to do who knows what. She forestalled him, gently laying a hand on his arm to gain his attention.
"Listen nothing happened, he actually listened to me, some others might not have. And my reputation as Ice Queen is very much intact," She sat down heavily on the end of her bed, feeling vaguely depressed again.
He did the same, sitting next to her with some difficulty whilst trying to read her expression.
"Is that what is bothering you?" His gentle prodding was always too effective at taking down her walls.
"No, not that, though it doesn't help," She sighed, looking sideways at him before going on, "I just want to feel normal for once. I can't date these children anymore, that's what they are, and I can't, it's wrong, I'm wrong. It's ridiculous to expect me to carry on doing that. I just want to feel a tiny bit normal for a second, just a moment where I feel special to someone. Not just special because I'm a grown-up in a kid's body, or because I sent myself back in time or cos I'm full of potential freak-filled power."
Sarah paused only momentarily during this outburst to breathe and look at him again. She realised that the next words that seemed determined to come out of her mouth were perhaps a stupid idea. Maybe dangerous and even a little cruel if…but she couldn't stop herself now. It was a strange compulsion that had niggled at her for a while and now she found it impossible to put a stop to it.
"Jay, please can you just kiss me, a real kiss, my first in a long time. I need you to show me it's not me, I'm not crazy, I'm normal? I need you to show me something real for once. Like someone cares about me? I need to feel something…"
Sarah trailed off her ranting looking slightly abashed, was she really asking him to do this? She'd shocked herself despite the long-held pressure to do so and he just looked completely stunned.
He had swiftly stood up and moved across the room. Whether it was shock or to put distance between them and this crazy notion she wasn't sure.
"Sarah," His breath rushed out as he spoke her name. It was a breathy kind of tone she hadn't heard before.
It was all the reply he could muster, he ran a hand through his hair, looking unusually pained and shocked and unsure.
Jareth for his own part felt like he deserved a medal for not giving in that very second and kissing her senseless. Not only that but taking her body and soul in that very room, so strong was his continuing feeling for her. There was really no point in denying it.
But no, he couldn't do that.
He swallowed palpably. What the hell had come over her?!
You just can't, this is Sarah, you care too much you fool. How the hell would this end? How would it leave things?
He wasn't sure whether to feel sick or elated.
She had asked him to kiss her.
She declared that she needed him.
If there was anything that might free him from whatever he was bound by when it came to her that would be it.
But no, he couldn't do it. He was too wary of the possible outcome. No matter how much he had longed for it, or how desperately he wanted to fulfil this wish, he was loath to begin the breaking of his heart all over again. This time would likely be that much more destructive because this was not a fantasy story any longer, the friendship they now had was real. He had been so singled minded in his belief they could build on their precious friendship once she had grown up again.
But he had waited so damn long for even a glimmer of an idea that someday this may come to pass.
And here it was.
She was still looking at him with that same expression.
Desperation, frustration, expectation, kindness, perhaps even desire.
And seeing all those things he found it impossible to remain logical or indeed control his long-held yearning.
He made the decision. He crossed the very short distance across her bedroom and lifted her to him. He inclined his head towards hers just as her eyes flickered with realisation and victory, perhaps excitement. His lips touched hers so gently, reverently, one of his hands was behind her head and the other pulling her close, her body against his. He teased her mouth with his tongue as hers jolted into life in response.
And in all this he was so very careful to only half release the fire he held within him; the fire he held only for her.
It was like nothing he'd felt before, far exceeding anything he'd dreamt of. He felt their combined power intertwine in accord with them and this moment, clearly sensitive and responsive to this development. Even bound he could feel Sarah's power soar with his.
His mind almost couldn't cope with the euphoric feeling now running through his veins.
Was she feeling that too?
How did they get here?
All he knew is that he never wanted to let go.
And then the unthinkable, the mind-numbingly stupid, a voice called to her.
"Sarah, are you ok? Did you get in alright?" Her father's voice came through the door, checking up on her post-evening out. He sounded slightly bleary and had obviously just woken up, they went to bed early most nights these days.
They broke apart, jumping feet from the other. They gasped for breath, hearts racing, blood pumping, senses on overload, eyes locked together, neither daring to move another inch.
"Sarah?" His concerned voice was now closer on the other side of the door.
Finally, she managed to stutter out a few rushed words.
"Yeah Dad I'm fine, thanks. Night!"
Her eyes flickered toward the door and then back to Jareth.
"Ok hon, goodnight,"
They heard him walk back across the hallway and close the door to his and Irene's room.
Still no one moved.
"I…" She attempted to begin to say something but immediately faltered.
What could she say after that?
The truth was she didn't want to say anything, she just wanted that feeling back. The incredible feeling of his lips against hers and that thrumming of power. She could feel it even though her magic remained bound.
Good grief what would it feel like if her power was released?
If they didn't stop kissing, if they kept going?
Her mind suspected it might implode.
She imagined something amazing.
She took a step toward him.
He took a step back, his face not quite masking his true feelings.
He clearly wanted her, she'd felt it, no one could kiss like that and not want that person. But he was very quickly closing himself down again.
"Jay," She spoke so quietly, taking another step toward him, afraid of what he was about to do, "Don't go…please?"
But he was shaking his head, refusing to meet her gaze.
"Time," Was the only thing she heard him say,
Time?
What the hell did that mean?
A second later all that remained was a smattering of glitter on her carpet. Nothing new there, but it was, everything was new now, and my goodness she wanted it.
Re-edited Feb '19
Any reviews would be amazing and are always appreciated
B x