𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 // labyrinth (1986)

004: the entrance to the labyrinth

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CHAPTER FOUR OF ??

❝ the entrance to the labyrinth ❞

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3RD PERSON POV. 1986, THE LABYRINTH, JARETH'S WORLD.

(NAME) RACED DOWN THE HILL AS THE SUN ROSE UP. Dawn. It was dawn. It was a lovely sunrise, but she didn't watch it for long. She only had thirteen hours to save Toby. After a quick run down the hill, she found herself by the outer walls of the labyrinth. But there was no gate or door. Or anything.

She yawned and stretched her arms like a cat momentarily before heading on. She cringed, looking away as she saw the figure of Dwarf (which resembled the wooden, hand-carved Dwarf that her mother had gifted her for her sixth birthday) pissing into a square-shaped pond, humming to himself.

She averted her eyes, looking upwards. "Excuse me?" she awkwardly asked, scrunching her features as the Dwarf jumped slightly, clearly embarrassed, tugging up his maroon-coloured breeches.

"Oh! Excuse me!" the Dwarf hastily spoke. He turned around and his expression changed, "Oh. It's you,". A significant sense of distaste coated his tone of voice as he looked at (Name). He picked up what appeared to be a medieval-looking, wooden spray bottle and walked away.

She huffed. "Excuse me, but, uh," she spoke, "I have to get through that stupid labyrinth. Can you help me, please?". The Dwarf ignored her, walking over to a small, winged creature that fluttered about, trying to spray it.

(Name) fondly smiled at the creature. It was a faerie, with silvery, translucent wings, long white hair and a dress made from white rose petals. "Oh, how sweet," (Name) fondly spoke, "Sarah would kill to be here right now...more or less. I can't wait to tell her when I get back- would she believe me? I dunno. She might,".

The Dwarf sprayed the contents of the bottle at the faerie, which quickly fell to the floor. "Fifty-seven!" the Dwarf cheered, as (Name) scurried towards the faerie on the floor, as the Dwarf walked away. "How could you!" (Name) snapped, crouching down and scooping the injured faerie into her hands, "Poor thing. You monster- OW!".

(Name) was quick to drop the faerie back onto the ground, holding her hand. "That little shit just bit me!" she scoffed, clutching the tiny bite marks, wincing. Despite the wound being tiny, it hurt like hell. But the pain subsided momentarily.

The Dwarf laughed. "Well," the Dwarf mused, turning to look at the eighteen-year-old, "What did you expect faeries to do?". (Name) scowled bitterly at him.

"Damn, I thought they did nice things," (Name) darkly muttered, "Like- Like granting wishes or shit like that! I don't know!". She huffed, kicking the faerie away with her black Doc Marten boot until it fell into the pond and slowly drowned.

The Dwarf huffed, returning back to his work. "Shows what you know, don't it?" the Dwarf nastily remarked, turning away from (Name), spraying another of the faeries, which fell to the floor on impact, "Fifty-eight!".

"God, you're horrible!" (Name) snapped, "I mean, I can't say much I just drowned a fucking faerie. But you're poisoning them. Slow death, quick death. Potato, Po-tah-to,". (Name) shoved her hands in her pockets.

The Dwarf paused, turning back to look at the girl. "No I ain't," the Dwarf insisted firmly, jabbing his free hand toward his chest, "I'm Hoggle. Who are you?". He looked the eighteen-year-old up and down briefly, taking in her clothes which Stevie Nicks and Madonna's own choice of clothing had inspired and influenced.

"(Name)," (Name) greeted, looking at the Dwarf, "(Name) Fraser,". The Dwarf immediately scoffed, as (Name) frowned at the creature before her. She looked and acted every part of the outlander in Jareth's kingdom. Hoggle thought it'd be a miracle if she even got through the labyrinth. 

"That's what I thought," Hoggle dismissively said, before turning away from the girl and walking away. He sprayed another faerie, which fell down to the dusty floor, being kicked away by Hoggle and caked in dust, "Fifty-nine! Ha ha!".

(Name) followed behind Hoggle. "Do you know where the door to the labyrinth is?" (Name) questioned, as she toyed with one of the necklaces she wore around her neck. "Ooh, maybe," Hoggle heckled mockingly and playfully, as (Name) rolled her eyes, before going to spray yet another faerie. "Sixty!" Hoggle cheered, going a quick jump to signal his joy.

"Well, where the hell is it?" (Name) asked, before stopping to think. She and Sarah had enacted a scene like this for hours at a time in the park and for the years they'd been friends, "How do I get into the labyrinth?".

Hoggle stopped, turning around. He gasped lowly in realisation. "Now, you're asking the right questions," Hoggle says, "Now that's more like it. You gets in there,". Hoggle pointed his index finger at a mysterious set of double doors that hadn't been there before. They were a dark-coloured wood and covered in thorns and white roses, with a slight glitter to them beneath the rising sun.

The doors opened slowly with a creak and a slight flourish of white smoke and silver glitter. What was it with Jareth and all this glitter? After this, she'd be finding traces of glitter on her body in weird places for the rest of her life. (Name) began to walk forward. "You...uh," Hoggle nervously spoke, his sassy persona quickly fading, "Really going in there, aren't you?".

(Name) turned to look at Hoggle. "I mean, yeah," (Name) said, "I kinda have to. If I don't get my brother back, my stepmom and dad will murder me and bury me under the porch. And that's not the worst thing they'd do,". (Name) felt an odd shiver fall down her spine as she stepped into the ornate labyrinth. 

The brown walls were slanted and had a glossy, shimmery look to them. Perfect enough to scale or climb. The beginning of the labyrinth seemed to stretch on for miles upon miles, seemingly endless. "Cosy isn't in?" Hoggle mocked as (Name) nearly jumped out of her skin as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere, as Hoggle cackled, "Now, would you go left...or right?".

(Name) chewed on the side of her mouth as she looked down both ways. "Uh, which way would you go?" (Name) asked, looking at Hoggle with a slight desperation of helplessness in her eyes, trying not to ask a stupid question.

"Me?" Hoggle parrotted, looking nervously down at each way, "I wouldn't go either way. Even if you get to the centre of the labyrinth, you'll never get out again,". (Name) rolled her eyes, stuffing her hands into her pockets again, rocking back and forth on her heels and her toes casually and slowly. 

"You're as helpful as a broken pocketwatch," (Name) retorted, "I think I'll go left. Your opinion,".(Name) turned left and began to walk down the left side. "Well, it's a lot better than yours," Hoggle retorted. The girl turned to look at the Dwarf, smirking mischievously. "Thanks for nothing, Hogwart," (Name) sassed. 

Hoggle groaned loudly. "Oh, it's HOGGLE," Hoggle scoffed, jabbing a finger at her as he began to exit the labyrinth, "And don't say I didn't warn you!". The doors to the labyrinth closed themselves as Hoggle exited, leaving (Name) alone in the labyrinth. She sighed beginning her trek through the labyrinth.