The Heart of the Labyrinth Part 1

Chapter 2: Over the Wall We Go

Chapter 2: Over the Wall We Go

                Once Juliet got closer to the walls of the immense maze she started to lose a small bit of her fire. The walls towered over her and what had appeared to be a door from up on the hill turned out to be nothing but a few dead climbing vines. Desperately trying to appear just as confident as ever, Jareth was surely watching her every move, the girl jogged along the wall perimeter for a while, thinking of strategies of how to maneuver once inside the Labyrinth.

                A dot of light slashed past her face like a dragonfly would on a summer’s day. It zig-zagged along, darting this way and that the way bees did when looking for a specific flower. At first Julie couldn’t see what it was, but a voice gave it away.

                “Blasted fairies.” Turning quickly around, for the second time that day, Juliet moved out of the way, just in time, of a rather rude squat dwarf.

                “Wait.” said she. The small male paused for only a second then kept after the sprite. “Aren’t you Hogwart?” she insisted on getting a reply out of him.

                “It’s Hoggle, and I don’t see why I should waste my time on just another Wisher who’s bound to lose in the end.”  The dwarf informed her most uninterestedly.

                “Oh really?” Her tone shocked the both of them in its similarity to the Goblin King’s.

                “Who are you?” Juliet spotted the sprite that had grabbed her attention a moment ago; it was hiding in a small gap between the bricks that made up the outer wall. Casually she blocked the view of the small scared creature from the dwarf who was holding something she assumed could kill a fairy.

                “My name is Juliet and I’m going to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth.”

                “That’s what I thought” He breathed, uninterested.

                “Then why did you ask?” demanded she. With a shrug Hoggle replied.

                “I can ask what I want, I’m not lost.”

                “That doesn’t make any sense.”

                “Most things around here don’t.” The dwarf’s information wasn’t very reassuring. It puzzled her quite a bit. If nothing was what it seemed then was up down and down up? ‘You’re over thinking this Julie. Just stick simple for now. Simple is better.’  She reminded herself. Turning her attention back to the short dwarf the girl asked.

                “Do you know the way to the center?”

                “Of what?” he asked obliviously.

                “The Labyrinth!” Juliet exclaimed, then with a huff added. “It’s useless asking you anything.”

                “Not unless you ask the right ones.” Hoggle replied, trying to look around Juliet.

                “Don’t you think it would be a kind act to help someone in need?”

                “Not when it’s you. Just give up, there’s no use trying. You’ll never get to the center unless someone wants you to.”

                “Well I want to.” Juliet snapped confidently back.

                “Even then there’s, of course, the Labyrinth, then the goblins, monsters, traps, Oobliettes, not to mention the Bog of Eternal Stench and the King himself. With those odds you might as well stop before you add anything else against you.”