Title: Of Memories

Fandom: labyrinth

Rating: G/PG

Parts: one

Disclaimer: I don't own jareth, sarah or any other aspects of labyrinth

Summary: jareth visits sarah in her old age and has to deal with the fact

that she no longer knows who he is; written while dealing with my

grandmother's alzheimers

      She sat silently in her room, gazing out the window. No one was

doing much today. They were probably all in the other room, playing

bingo or something. Not that she cared. She was perfectly content to

watch life go by, for that was all she could do anymore: watch as the

visions played out in front of her and then escaped her five minutes

later. Sighing, the woman grunted softly as she raised from her

armchair to look for that box thing that turned on the

television...where had she put it? Looking around proved no help;

someone probably came in and took it. That was the trouble with these

hotels; they had great service and gave you everything, but there was

no security!

            Sighing, she turned to go back to her chair and paused by the bathroom

door. She could see her reflection in the mirror from there. Her eyes

had long ago lost their marvelous sparkle, leaving only empty brown

pools. Her skin, once smooth and pure was now wrinkled and dotted with

the freckles of the aged. Even her teeth had yellowed and more were

false than were real. Her hair wasn't as long as it once was and was

streaked with grey, no matter how often she attempted to dye it. It

hung in wisps about her face, adding to the morbid beauty that was the

woman. How old was she now? Sixty...eighty? She had forgotten quite

some time ago, like she had with everything else. Briefly she wondered

if those nice people who often came to say hello or take her out to eat

would come by that day; even though one of them always called to remind

her, she still could never place the voice. Even their faces, now...she

knew them from somewhere, but she could never quite remember if they

were her children, her friends, or other relations. It didn't matter,

though; they were friendly and seemed to care about her. That was

enough for an old woman. Sighing, the air puffing out of her in a tired

rush, she pushed herself back down into the chair and resumed watching

the world go by.

**********************************

            The man walked slowly into the nursing home...he didn't know why he

was visiting her...it had been more than fifty years since their last

encounter. Call it curiousity, call it boredom...whatever it was, it

wouldn't leave him alone until he saw her face to face.

            Upon entering, he noticed the smell right away. The smell of sterile

cleanliness masking the smell of decay. Breathing through his mouth, he

continued, trying to not let any reaction show on his face. The next

thing he noticed were the bright lights in the hall..and the alarm that

sounded when he opened the door, notifying the staff that someone was

entering or leaving. The man easily navigated the hallway to the

nurse's station, occassionally having to step out of the path of a

wheelchair or walker. Glancing at the poor souls proved very hard,

indeed. People who were just there and nothing else. People who just

stared at what was in front of them for hours on end, trapped in their

own minds, everything a mystery.

            He adjusted his tie, grimacing at how uncomfortable his whole get-up

was. Why bother, why do so much just to visit a past memory? But

something about her stuck in his mind...not in any special sort of way,

merely a recollection. Besides, it wasn't like he had anything better

to do. He turned abruptly at the sound of an inhuman shout...it came

from one that was very much a mortal...but the sound of it. He never

knew it could be produced from a living creature, let alone a human.

            Turning his attention to the station that was in front of him, he

smiled to the nurse that was on duty.

            "Hello...I'm here to see Sarah Williams...we spoke on the phone?"

            "Of course, sir...right this way," she replied with a friendly smile,

coming out from behind the desk to lead him down another series of

corridors.

            "So, are you a relative or a friend? Her grandson, perhaps?" He had to

refrain from chuckling; if only she knew. True, he still looked exactly

like he had when they had last seen each other, but grandson! What an

ironic situation...

            " I suppose you could say that I'm an old friend," he replied simply,

a mysterious smile playing across his lips. Then they were there, at

the doorway. Her doorway...her room. My, but it was much different than

the last room he knew her to live in. Nothing to show any love of

anything...merely some furniture, a few potted plants, a

television...Nothing that even referred to her former glory, her former

hobbies, her former loves and dreams. No one would ever guess this was

how the famous actress Sarah Williams would end up...everyone knew she

had gone on to be a Broadway star, get married and have a family...and

everyone knew about how her husband had left her and she had quit the

stage to raise her children. But no one knew about this. No one except

her children, who visited her...no one except her brother, who called

her. No one except him, who...

            "Sarah, you have a visitor, dear! At least say hello!" To the man she

whispered, "I'll leave you to alone so you can get caught up." She

waved him inside and he stood there for an uncomfortable moment,

watching as the one he had known as a strong, impossible girl turn in

her chair to face him, now a shell of a human being.

            "Hello, Sarah...do you know me?" he asked softly in a friendly tone.

Slowly, he took a seat in the chair across from her, watching as hints

of emotions played across her withered features.

            "I...I know I've seen you somewhere..." Her voice was thin and raspy,

no longer the voice that dazzled audiences, reaching each one, even

those in the back of huge theatres. "You're...you're...Toby? Is it

you?"

            He almost objected, almost stopped her right there, but her expression

of such childlike hope...he knew her brother called often, but didn't

have much time to pay a visit. After all, plane fair from Britain to

Massachusetts could get quite expensive.

            "Yes," he found himself answering, "Yes, it's me, Toby. How are you,

Sarah?"

            "Oh, okay, I guess," she replied, settling down into comfortable

conversation. "Yesterday I went out with some nice people to eat...I

think it was yesterday." She turned her full gaze on him and her

expression grew thoughtful, almost as if she were coming upon an

answer...then she tilted her head, furrowed her brow and gave him a

thin-lipped smile. "You know...you look so familiar to me...don't I

know you?"

            "Of course, Sarah; I'm your brother, Toby." So what he had heard was

true. She had no recollection of things five minutes before. He

supposed that should make him feel superior...the things one could do

with an opportunity like this! But all he felt was pity...what a waste,

what a tragic turn...

            "Toby...Toby my father?"

            "No...you're brother," he gently reminded her. "Sarah...would you like

to go for a walk?"

            "I walked outside this morning...it was chilly, but there were birds

singin'."

            "That's nice...don't you want to go down and see what others are

doing?"

            She paused, pursing her lips while her eyes darkened slightly. "No...I

don't think I do."

            "Then what do you say I read you a story?" He knew it might be

considered cruel, but under the circumstances he could see nothing

wrong with it. It might give her some relief, even.

            "All right..." she consented. Smiling, he took out the small book with

the red leather cover from his coat pocket. Slowly, he licked his

finger, turned the page and began to read. "Once upon a time..."

******************

            He leaned back in his chair as the woman considered the tale she had

just been told. She had adored it like a child, asking questions and

telling parts that had already been told with wonder. "So, Sarah...did

you like that story?"

            "Oh, yes...it was very nice...very beautiful..."

            "It doesn't sound familiar at all?" For some reason his tone was

hopeful, as if an affirmation would make everything all right...as if

it would assure him this was really the girl who had beaten him decades

ago.

            "I don't think so...but it was very nice. Thank you." Nodding, he

smiled again, although inside it was like the Escher room was crumbling

again. She really had no idea. That should make him feel triumphant,

happy even. But it didn't. It didn't make him feel anything but sorrow.

Drawing his focus back to the woman, he could tell she was tired and it

was time for him to be going.

            "Well Sarah...I really have to go, but it was nice talking to you."

            "Oh, yes...I enjoyed our conversation very much!"

            "Good..." Slowly he clasped one of her gnarled hands in both his

smooth, unaged ones. "I must tell you that many of your friends say

hello and wish you well, as do I." He could always use magic to give

her that one memory back, but it could very well destroy her fragile

psyche. He didn't want people thinking she was insane as well as aged.

Besides, if it gave her pain...this way was better. This way she lived

in constant wonder...there was conflict, but she would never remember

it an hour after the tears had dried. It didn't exist then...only the

present would exist to her. After he left...even he wouldn't exist to

her. That thought surfacing, he knew he treasured this moment, this

present...and that he should continue to do so for each moment through

eternity. He was very lucky. If only she hadn't declared that he had

had no power over her...then, then when she left this life he could

take her to the realm of magic, he could give her another chance...she

would have loved living in the forest of the elfin people; they didn't

bite. But now...now he had no idea what would await her after her

death...there was nothing he could do for her, even though, for once,

he wanted to. Maybe...maybe somehow this memory would stick in her head

a little longer than the rest...at least he could hope it would.

            "Good-bye Sarah..." he whispered, kissing her lightly on her wrinkled

cheek before departing, a single tear sliding down his cheek as he

passed the nurse's station and exited through the front door,

disappearing into the evening sun.

***********************************

            That was nice of the young man to come and visit...and he had told her

a story, too...no one did that any more. She couldn't remember if she

liked stories or not, but she had liked that one, whatever it was

about. And his eyes...he was such a nice man! Now there was one that

was truly a good person, that truly cared about others, she could tell.

Smiling, she settled into her bed for a nap. He really was such a nice

man.

            Whoever he was.