Persephone: The Sequel to The Labyrinth

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was another perfect spring day. Sarah walked along main street, window-shopping. Normally she would have gone to the park, but Sarah wanted a change of pace. Oh, she saw the other residents around her watching her. Who knew what they thought? Long ago, she had gotten used to the stares. The first were the ones because of her mother, then because of her play-acting. Now she didn't care.

Sarah stopped and looked into window of a local clothing store, well the only one in town. She did need some new clothes. Only last week she had donated a good bit of things, mostly clothes. So she opened the door and walked in. Sarah walked among the groupings of clothing. Nothing really called to her. So after thirty minute, Sarah walked out without anything.

She walked down the street to the bookstore. Sarah opened the door and was greeted with the smell of old books. She walked in and let the door shut behind her. This was her favorite store in town. She waved to the owner, who smiled at her. Sarah made her way to the fantasy/mythology section. She smiled as she ran her fingers over the shelves. Here was where her friends lived, inside the pages of these books. This was the very store she had found her little red book, The Labyrinth. The book that had not only changed her life, but had been her life for years. Well not since that night three years ago.

After her run through the Labyrinth, Sarah had put the book away, but every so often the story would come back to her. She would be reading, writing, doing schoolwork, and well anything, and the story came back to her, especially the beginning and the end.

As she had been running, Sarah had forgotten some lines from the beginning of the book. It wasn't till she was home did she remember, "What no one knew was that the King of The Goblins had fallen in love with the girl." For the last three years she had wondered if that line was true. All she had to go on was what the Goblin King had said, in the book. He had said, " Love me. Fear me." He had asked for her love or had he?

Sarah began to browse the section. She never left without something, but she never had a book she was looking for. The books just called to her, just as The Labyrinth had.

She glanced at the titles. Nothing really caught her eye. All she could see was fairytales. Then as she came upon the last shelf, a book caught her eye. Sarah pulled the book out and opened it. She looked at the Table of Contents and read the preface. It was a collection of Greek Love Myths. It had Daphne, Adonis, Paris, Psyche, Zeus's exploits, and Persephone. Sarah smiled. She had been looking for "The Rape of Persephone" for years. Her father would not let her read it, so she had gone to the library and read it there. Now she could own a copy of her favorite myth.

Sarah closed the book and walked to the register. After paying, she walked out with a smile. Since it was almost noon, Sarah decided to head to the local café. So she crossed the street and walked in. About an hour later, she walked out and made her way back to the house.

Sarah lounged on the bed, reading her new book. Classical music softly filled the room. THUMP. She glanced up wondering what had caused the sound. Shaking her head, Sarah returned to reading the myth about Persephone. She could almost laugh at the story. It felt so familiar. Of course she had read it before, but not it felt different. Sarah reached for her glass of tea and found it was empty. After placing her book on the bed, to save her place, she walked to the kitchen to refill her glass.

As she was heading back she heard the thump again. She only shook her head and returned to her book.

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Jareth smirked to himself as he watched Sarah. If she looked out the window, Sarah could see him. So now she was reading the very myth that had caused him to give her the peach. He still didn't know why he had done it, but not he was glad he had.

Sarah was his. Plain and simple. He could take her now if he wanted to, but he wasn't ready. OH, he was going to, but Jareth had yet to decided when or how he would do it. Oh, could grab her as she slept, but he wanted her kicking and screaming as he dragged her to his form of hell.

He waited until she was fast asleep and then flew back to his castle. Tonight she would burn for him as he burned for her.