"I Will Always Love You"
By Aimee E. Zapolya
Sitting at a bedroom window sits a young woman. She sits looking up at the full moon reminising about a time seven years ago.
She was fifteen years old then and had come home one hour late. She had run all the way from the park to her house. She had been acompanied by her late dog Merlin.
When she arrived home her stepmother had been on the porch waiting for her. Her stepmother had made her put Merlin in the garage for he was soaking wet. And she didn't want a wet dog in her clean, dry house.
The girl had gone to her bedroom after she and her stepmother had gotten into a quarl over her lateness and how she had to babysit her half brother Toby.
After her father and stepmother had left to go out dancing, the girl had noticed one of her stuffed bears was gone. And it was her favorite stuffed bear Lancelot.
She had ran into her parent's bed room where Toby was crying his eyes out. The girl was angry and had no patience for settling a crying baby. So she had decided to tell the baby a story. So he would stop crying and go to sleep. The story she had picked was the story line from the play 'The Labyrinth'.
She had told Toby some of the story but it didn't help at all. And just as she had turned out the lights she had wished the goblins to take Toby away.
Once out the door, Toby's crying had stopped abruptly. Too abruptly. The girl had gone back into the room worried for her brother. She had pulled back the covers in Toby's crib and found him gone. And a white owl had appeared at the french doors wanting entrence to the room.
Then weired shapes started to pop up out of no where laughing. She kept turning here and there to try and see what was in the room when the french doors burst open letting the owl in. It flew right at the girl who covered her head if the owl should attack her. The owl instead flew back to the french doors and had transformed into it's human form.
When the girl looked up to see where the owl had perched she found a strange man standing before her instead. That was when she first met 'him'.
"Sarah? Are you awake?" a familiar voice said drawing the young woman's attention from her memories.
"Yes mom, I'm awake." Sarah said answering her stepmother's question.
"Are you okay Sarah?" Sarah's stepmother asked as she came into the dark room.
"Ya, I'm fine. Just reminising about the past. That's all." Sarah said not looking at her stepmother.
"Well dinner's ready. So why don't you wash up and come down stairs. Okay?"
"Ya. I'll be right down."
As Sarah's stepmother closed the door, Sarah had not once turned to look at her stepmother. She had kept her eyes on the full moon with a heavy heart.
Thinking about 'him' had brought old feelings up to the serface. Strong feelings Sarah had thought had vanished.
"It's not as if I'm ever going to see him again. So I'd just better get used to the fact that he's gone permanently." Sarah said to herself as she got up and walked out of her room and went down stairs to join her family for dinner.
Outside of Sarah's parent's house a white owl had been watching Sarah sit at the window.
The owl had also heard every word that was spoken by Sarah and her stepmother. But he did not fly down to the dining room window for he did not want to watch Sarah sit at a table which was partly occupied by her fiance.
'Only if I was able to transform back into my human form again. Then none of this would be happening,' the owl thought as he hung his head in depression.
Down stairs at the dinner table everyone was talking except for Sarah. She was in a depressed mood. She kept trying to figure out if she truely loves Nick. No one at the table seemed to notice Sarah's glumy mood. And all she did was sit at the table and eat mechanically.
After dinner Sarah decided she needed to get some fresh air. So she she left her parent's house she headed for the park.
The night was clear and cool. Millons of stars twinkled in the dark sky like tiny jewels.
Sarah closed her eyes to try to calm her rattled mind. She started to walk down the walk way to the side walk and headed for the park.
'What's wrong with me? I'm engaged to a terrific guy, everything with my job is going great . . . then what's wrong? I feel as if something is missing from my life. But what?' Sarah thought to herself as she crossed the street.
The front door opened and Sarah came out, alone. She walked passed her car and accross the street. The owl was puzzled as to why Nick wasn't with her, so he flew after her.
Sarah walked till she found herself at the park walking down one of the paths that lead deeper into the vast park. She sat on one of the stone benches and tried to clear her mind and tried not to think. But she kept finding she couldn't help but continue to wonder where 'he' was at the moment.
'Maybe I don't love Nick. Maybe marrying Nick is a big mistake. Oh! I don't know!' Sarah thought as she put her head in her hands and started to cry.
The owl watched as Sarah started to cry. He was puzzled as to why she was crying and the reason. He knew she something on her mind, but he hadn't realized what ever it was was a large burden for her.
A few minutes later Sarah stopped crying and sat up. She pulled out a hankerchief and whiped her eyes and cheeks.
"Why am I crying? I'm acting like a child," Sarah said knowing full well why she was cryng.
"Sarah?"
"Huh? Oh Nick, I didn't hear you walk up."
"Are you okay?" he asked as Sarah stood up. He put his arm around her shoulders.
"Ya I'm fine. Did you want to talk about anything?" Sarah said hoping he would go away and leave her alone to her own heart ache.
When Nick showed up, the owl tryed not to let into his desire to shread Nick's face appart with his talons over whelm him, so he stayed on his pearch trying not to draw any attention to himself.
'Can't that jerk see that she wants to be alone?' the owl fumed to himself.
"Nick if you don't mind I would like to be alone a while. There are some things on my mind and I need to sort them out." Sarah said wanting desperetly for Nick to let go of her and leave.
But of course Nick didn't get the hint.
"Maybe I could help. You can talk to me." Nick pressed.
"It's okay Nick. I just need to figure this one out for myself. Okay?" she said and Nick finally got the message.
"Okay Sarah. But if you need to talk about it just let me know," Nick said then finally left.
"I'm making a big mistake. How can I break off he engagement without hurting Nick's feelings?" Sarah whispered to herself not too sure Nick was out of ear shot.
She sat back on the bench to think of a way to break the engagement but nothing came to mind. When Nick had held Sarah she knew right then and there that she didn't love Nick. She thought of him more as a brother than a soul mate. She felt rather uncomfortable in Nick's arms. She felt that if he had held her any longer she would suffocate.
When the owl had heard Sarah say she was going to break off the engagement he knew if he had any chance of telling Sarah how he felt about her he needed to find some way of finding the rest of his magic so he could transform back into his human form.
'I had better find away quickly before Sarah desides to change her mind.' the owl thought as he flew off back to the Underground to consult an old friend.
When the owl had taken off the rustle of the tree branch had caught Sarah's attention. She saw the owl fly off and disappear over some trees in the distance.
'Could it be? Could that have been . . . ?' she tought. Getting up Sarah hadn't taken her eyes off of where the white owl had disappeared. "Jareth?" she said as a tear fell from her eye. Then she turned and headed back to her parent's house.
The next day, Nick had gone over to Sarah's apartment to talk to her. A question pleagued his mind and he wouldn't be able to rest till it was answered.
When he arrived at Sarah's apartment he rang the door bell and was admitted in. When he got to Sarah's door she was waiting there for him.
"Nick why didn't you tell me you where going to come over today?" Sarah asked trying to sound cheerful when she really wasn't. Especially when she noticed Nick's expression.
"I need to ask you something." Nick said as he walked into Sarah's apartment.
"What did you want to ask me?"Sarah asked after he hadn't continued to talking.
"Who is Jareth?" He asked her getting right to the point.
"What?" Sarah said shocked that he had some how known about what was causing her unhappy mood.
"Who is Jareth?" Nick asked her again. But Sarah was so dumb struck that she didn't answer. "Who is he?!"
"He is an aquaintence of mine. Why?" She asked.
"An aquaintence huh? What kind? Your boy friend?" Nick said his anger rising along with his voice.
"No! I haven't seen him, let alone speak with him in almost seven years. Why?"
"Because you seemed a little distraught last night and I wasn't sure as to why untill you said his name out loud."
"You where spying on me?" Sarah said shocked that Nick would do such a thing.
"Who is he!? How long have you been seeing him!?"
"I don't believe this. Like I said earlier . . . I haven't seen him in almost seven years!" Sarah said as her own anger rose. Then she turned her back on Nick staring out the window.
"Ya right! And don't turn your back on me when I'm talking to you!" Nick yelled as he turned her around and slaped her across the face causing her to fall backward landing on the floor.
Getting up Sarah held her hand to her face where Nick had slapped her. "Well, the tiger finally bares his fangs and claws. Get out." Sarah said in a deadly clam voice.
'Don't ever order me around ever again! You are engaged to me and don't ever treat me without respect! Do you hear me!?" Nick said as he hit her again but much harder in the same spot as before.
"No one ever hits me. Now, Get . . . OUT!" Sarah said as she shoved him into a wall. Grabing him by the collar she dragged him to the door which was still open and tossed him out. "Oh . . . and by the way . . . the engagement is off! And I never want to see you again!" With that she took off the ring from her finger and threw it at Nick who was getting up.
Sarah slamed the door in Nick's face then locked it.
Nick banged his fists on her door yelling, "You'll be crawling back to me begging me to take you back! Just wait and see!" He then turned to find several of Sarah's neighbors staring at him. "What are you staring at!?" he yell at the neighbors. Then left.
In her apartment, Sarah had gone to her bedroom in tears. She had never thought Nick would ever hit her let alone yell at her. She felt so alone and used. She lay on her bed crying till she fell asleep.
The next day when Sarah looked in the mirror in her bathroom she saw a large black and blue bruise that had formed while she had slept. Her cheek was a little swolen as well. She knew that make-up wouldn't be of much help in covering it up for it was too large and dark. She washed her face then headed to the kitchen to get some ice for her cheek.
Sarah was still a little shocked at Nick's behavior. He had never hit her or ever hurt her in any way. Not once, ever. This was such a shock that Sarah moved about the apartment like a robot. Knowing what to do but giving any emotion to it.
After getting ice for her face she called her mother and stepmother to tell them that the engagement to Nick was off.
When both of Sarah'd mothers finished talking to their daughter they both headed out for Sarah's apartment to talk to her face to face.
With both of her mothers showing up at the same time, Sarah wasn't sure if she should be glad that they both where worried for her or embarrased because of the large bruise on her face.
The shock on both mother's faces was of comlete horror. The bruise on Sarah's face was larger than one's hand. They both hugged Sarah asking her if her the bruise hurt or not.
"Ya it hurts. But just a bit. What really hurts is the fact that Nick hurt me in the first place." Sarah said as she sat on the couch.
"Men! They can be such jerks! How dare he lay a hand on you! No man should ever hit a lady!" Sarah's stepmother said with eritation.
"Sarah you don't need Nick or any one who hurts you or tries to. You can do just as well without a man. Do you understand?" Sarah's mother said as Sarah noded her understanding.
After her both of her mothers left, Sarah had decided to finish up the novel she was working on. So she went to her bedroom and got her laptop computer, her diskettes, notebook, pencil, eracer and from the kitchen some left over chinese takeout and a can of diet cola. (Of course she didn't take everything all at once. She would have dropped everything.) Then she went out on to the balcony to try and enjoy the beautiful sunny day.
Sarah ate some of the cold chinese food and then started on her novel 'I Will Always Love You'. The novel was about two people who loved each other deeply but they never told the other how he or she felt. And when one of them went away they both seemed to lead boring uneventful lives. They hadn't seen each other in a long while that they both missed the other deeply.
Sarah was half way through the novel and by the time the sun had set she haden't gotten much further. About four pages further the be precise.
The incedent with Nick had caused her to lose intrest in the novel. When she tried to read what she had written she broke into tears. As she cried she knew that she wasn't crying over Nick. "Why am I crying? I'm a grown woman now. I shouldn't be crying like a child." But trying to convince herself that she was crying over nothing just made her heartache worse.
As Sarah tried to stop her crying the white owl flew up to her balcony. He was shocked to find her in tears. He landed on a tree near by and watched as Sarah tried to restrain her tears.
Sarah leaned back against the chair she sat on and closed her eyes. She took several deep breaths to clear her mind. She just sat there listening to the sounds around her. A birds chirped, some where a car passed by, the sound of the wind in the trees. She just listened to what ever sound was near.
Then an image formed in her mind. At first she was curious as to what it could be till the image took form.
Sarah's eyes snaped open. She, for the past month she kept seeing a strange scene in her mind's eye. It always seemed to be a bag made of dark blue velvet. And inside was something heavy and round. When ever she would open the bag and peer in, what ever was in the bag it had shocked her and she awakened with some sort of need to find the bag, if it truly existed. But every time she had this dream she never found out what exactically what was in the blue velvet bag and it pleagued her mind.
"What is wrong with me?" Sarah said as she sat up and looked out at the dark night sky. "First I find I don't love Nick, then he hits me and acuses me of having an affair, then I find a huge nasty bruise on my face, and during all of this I keep having a dream of some sort of blue velvet bag. What 'is' wrong with me?" Sarah asked herself. She knew that her bruised face and everything with Nick wasn't her fault but for some reason it felt like it was her fault.
As the white owl watched Sarah he noticed the large bruise on her face. 'What?! Why would Nick hit her? Well what ever the reason she has broken off the engagement. And it would seem Shinwa was correct in knowing where the rest of my magic is.' the owl thught to himself hoping Sarah would be able to find the bag before his kingdom was nothing more than a pile of ruble.
Over the past seven years that Jarath had been traped in his owl form his kingdom had been torn apart. Many had tried for the Goblin King's throne but so far no one had claimed it. Every one was still fighting over it. He had been watching over his Labyrinth and with what magic he still had he used to cast a spell over those who seeked his throne so they would be so caught up in their fighting that no one ever got near the throne. And the longer he remained as an owl the more impatiant he became.
In Sarah's apartment the telephone rang. She let it ring till the answering mashine picked it up.
Over the answering mashine's speakers Nick's voice couls be heard. And it sent shivers down Sarah's spine.
"Sarah! I know you're there so pick up the phone! Sarah pick up the pho . . . " Nick said as he was cut off by Sarah who picked up the receiver and answered in a deadly calm voice.
"I told you Nick you are not to call here or come near me."
"We need to talk!"
"There isn't a thing we need to discuss. So I suggest you don't call again because I wont pick up the phone." And with that she slamed down the reciever and went back out onto the balcony.
A few weeks later, Sarah went over to her parent's house to pick up a box of her things that was found in the attic.
When sarah got to her parent's house her younger brother Toby ran out of the house to hug her as she closed the door to her car.
"Sarah!" Toby cried as he launched himself into Sarah's arms.
"Hello Toby! How's my favorite little rother?" She said as she hugged Toby.
"Sarah! I'm your only little brother."
"Well that makes you all the more special doesn't it?"
"Ya!" Toby agreed as Sarah caried him in to the house where there parent's where waiting.
Inside the house Sarah and her stepmother had gone up to the attic to get the box she had over looked when she had moved to her apartment.
"I can't believe that I over looked one of my boxes." Sarah said as her stepmother pulled put the box.
"I can't believe it either. You could emagin my surprise when I found it.
After she had brought down the box and put it into her car Sarah stayed for lunch then left so she could see what was in the box.
Back at her apartment, Sarah sat in the middle of the living room opening the box.
'Maybe I'll find my music box in here.' She tought as she opened the box to find that she was correct.
"Oh it is here! And all of my stuffed bears as well!" Sarah cried as she pulled one item out at a time.
Outside, the owl watched in anticipation as Sarah pulled out one item after the other. He was hoping that his magic was in fact in a guise and in the box Sarah was rumaging through.
Unaware of the owl watching her, Sarah pulled out a little red book entitled "The Labyrinth". Finding the book brought up images from her trip to the Labyrinth it self. She had made so many friends there and hasd kept in contact with them.
When she had spoken to Hoggle last he had told her that the Labyrinth was a mess due to the fact that Jareth was missing. no one had seen of him in seven years. And Sarah thought it strange that Goblin King has been missing for the exact amount of time since her visit. She hadn't made heads or tails of Jareth's disapearence.
She put the book aside and pulled out the last stuffed bear in the box. After she had picked it up she looked back into the box breifly to see if anything was left. She slowly placed the bear next to the box keeping her eyes on the fial object in the box.
The owl had noticed Sarah's face turn white as she had looked into the box. He watched curiously as to what would cause her to be so shocked. Then when she picked up the last item from the box his own eyes went wide. 'She does have it!' He thought as Sarah held the blue velvet bag in her hands.
When she had seen the blue velvet bag just stting in the box the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "Oh my, it isn't a dream." She whispered as she untied the gold rope that sealed the bag.
When she finally saw what was in the bag curiousity took over her fear. "What? Where ever did I get a crystal ball?"
After Sarah had pulled out the crystal ball, the owl had flown over to the balcony and landed on the railing. He wanted Sarah to see him. 'Sarah please see me and open the door. Please.' The owl pleaded silently as he watched her intently.
After about four minutes Sarah looked up sensing that she was being watched. She turned her head to the balcony to see a familiar white owl pearched on the balcony railing.
She got up and headed for the balcony. She still heald the crystal ball in her hand.
Just as Sarah got to the balcony door someone caught Sarah's attention by banging his or her fist on her front door. Sarah turned abruptly not expecting anyone.
Before she could do anything Nick's voice was heard from the other side of the door. "Sarah! Open this door! We need to talk!"
With the sound of Nick's voice anger weld up inside of her. She put the crystal ball down on the table next to the balcony door and in a cloud of anger went to tell Nick off.
"There isn't anything to discuss! Now leave!" Sarah yelled from behind the door. She wasn't about to open the door for she figured if she did he would probably attack her in some way.
Her responce only made Nick angeryer. And his banging became even harder. "Open this door now! I mean it! Open up!"
Sarah decided not to answer him. She turned and went back to the living room and started to put all her belongings back in the box they came in.
Nick kept on banging his fists against the door yelling at Sarah to let him in. And Sarah ignored him. She was hoping that he would leave and not cause any more trouble than he had already caused.
He didn't. He decided that if Sarah wasn't going to let him in, he figured the way to talk to her was barging in. So he broke through the door causing Sarah to jump to her feet in shock.
'He's crazy!' she thought to her self as Nick stalked in. "Nick get out! I told you there isn't anything to discuss. Now leave!
"Sarah there is plenty to discuss. And you are going to listen. Got that?" Nick said as he advanced on her.
Sarah backed away from Nick as he stalked forward. She ended up against the glass door to the balcony.
The owl watched the scene take place before him. He wanted to help Sarah but he couldn't for he was locked outside and was in owl form. 'How am I going to help her when I'mout here and the door is closed? Maybe I could get Nick's attention he would open the door. But how?' the owl thought as Sarah came in contact with the glass door.
"Now. What to do about your disobediance? You where wrong to kick me out that night and you should never have ignored my phone calls. How should I punish you?" Nick said. He was about to slap Sarah when a movement cought his attention. "What do we have here? A little owl. How cute. I think it likes you Sarah. Well we can't have that now can we?"
Nick pushed Sarah aside to open the door so he could get rid of the bird. "Here you dumb bird." Nick said as he opened the balcony door.
"Nick don't!" Sarah cried as Nick tossed her to the floor behind him.
The owl ruffled it's feathers as it got ready to fly at Nick. Then when the door was open and Nick's hand was off the door's handle, he flew right at Nick who jumped back surprised and tripped over Sarah's leg falling to the floor.
The owl flew right in to the living room and pearched himself on a chair.
Before the owl had flown in Sarah had moved next to the table that was next to the balcony door. She had noticed how the owl seemed to get ready to fly at Nick and decided that maybe if he stumbled backwards she could trip Nick and the owl wouldn't get hurt. She hoped.
As Nick got up he turned to see the owl staring him down. Nick was so interested in the owl that he payed Sarah no mind. Nick wanted to know what signifigance it had to Sarah for it seemed to protect her.
"Come here you flying rat!" Nick said as he advanced on the owl.
'Flying rat? Me? We'll see who is a flying rat.' the owl thought as Nick grabed at the owl who avoided Nick's grasp and flew to a chair near Sarah who seemed to be worried more about the owl than Nick.
Before Nick turned to see where the owl had gotten to, the owl noticed that the crystal ball was dirctly next to Sarah. He turned to Sarah using what magic he had to comunicate telepathically to her.
'Sarah. Hand me the crystal ball that you placed on the table next to you.' the owl thought as he stared at her.
Sarah turned her head to the owl not too sure she heard correctly. She was about to say something when Nick stalked over to Sarah. "I this some sort of pet of yours?"
"No." Was Sarah's only answer because she heard in her mind the same voice telling her to hand him the crystal ball. She picked up the crystal ball and looked at it. She seemed to feel some sort of energy coursing through it.
Nick was confused by Sarah's strange behavior. He had expected her to say more than just 'No'. "You think you can wish for help by using that thing?" Nick laughed. He kept laughing as he walked over to the couch and sat down still laughing.
'Please Sarah hand me the crystal ball.' the owl said as Sarah haanded the crystal to the owl.
This action caused Nick to laugh even harder. "Oh please Sarah. Do you think that the bird will take it? That thing is probably way too heavy not to mention too big."
Sarah glared at Nick who continued to laugh when the owl took the crystal ball which disapeared at the owl's touch.
Nick had stopped laughing when the crystal disapeared. "What the . . . ?" Nick said as he got up.
When Nick got up the owl flew a few feet before it transformed into it's true form.
"What in the world? Who are you?" Nick said as he stared at the now human wearin a shirt that was ashhen-colored, loose-sleeved, with silken cuffs at the wrist. Over it he wore a black doublet. He wore a long black cape with a high collar. The cape looked as if it were made of the night sky. He was shod in black boots, over gray tights, and on his hands were black gloves.
"Don't you know that breaking into a someone else's home is a crime?" The Goblin King said as he crossed hs arms, glaring at Nick.
"Ya but she is my fiance."
"'Ex-fiance' you mean. Or have you forgotten that I broke off our engagement?" Sarah said irritated with Nick's behavior.
"What ever. You're trespassing as well. So you really shouldn't be talking. And if you know what's good for you, you had better leave." Nick said trying to threaten the Goblin King.
The treat didn't work.
The Goblin King picked up Nick by the neck and tossed him into the couch.
"Who are you?" Nick said as he got up starting to fear this strange guy.
"Actually, you let me in."
"Who are you? Sarah who is this guy?" Nick asked looking at Sarah who seemed to find his frightened state amusing.
"He is an aquaintence of mine, from seven years ago." she said in a calm voice.
"Him? You're telling mr that he is a 'aquaintence' of yours?" Nick said disbelieving what Sarah had just said.
Sarah noded not saying abother word.
Addressing Sarah's 'aquaintence' Nick asked, "Who are you? And this time answer me."
"The Goblin King." Jareth said knowing full well that Nick wouldn't believe him.
"The Goblin King? You're pulling my leg."
"I knew you wouldn't believe me. You wouldn't have believed Sarah either if she had told you."
"Then if you are the Goblin King prove it. Turn me into a goblin then." Nick challenged.
"You're too old to be turned into a goblin. Besides even if I could I wouldn't. You're too annoying as it is. And I don't need another abochtious goblin. I have too many as it is."
"Then turn me into something else. I'd love to see that." Nick said as he laughed.
Turning to Sarah, Jareth asked, "What do you think I should turn him into?"
With a smile, Sarah whispered in to Jareth's ear her suggestion.
Jareth laughed after hearing Sarah's suggestion. "A very good idea." He said as he smiled at her.Nick didn't like the way the conversation was going and it caused him to get a little nervous.