Ring! Ring! My alarm startled me awake. My flailing arms reaching for my phone threw me off my bed and woke my roommate. The piercing noise and bright light made turning off my alarm even more of a challenge. Once it was off, I stood up and glanced at my roommate with the pillow over her head. I looked at the time and dropped my head in hopelessness. My alarm had been set for four in the morning and not six. I would have to wait two hours before I could start getting ready. Normally this problem wouldn't be a problem for someone but for me it was huge. Once I'm up, I'm up for the day.
I hopped back up onto my bed and closed my eyes. My mind drifted to the thought of how my family was doing at home. Toby was approaching his fifth birthday and my step mom had pleaded with me to help plan his birthday. Of course I said yes but I did not understand why he needed a birthday blowout at the age of five. My father had thought a party was fine but sided with me when he heard my stepmother was inviting sixty people.
Maybe Hoggle or Ludo will come to say happy birthday to Toby. Oh it has been so long since I have seen them I thought with a smile fading slowly on my face. I wanted to see them again desperately. I had done everything to prove to myself it wasn't a dream. But the only thing I had not done was call on the goblin king. I refused out of fear of what would happen this time. He stole my brother, who knew who or what he would steal this time.
My mind replayed the entire time I had in the underground until my alarm rang out for class. I was sad somewhat of having to leave the memory. The other part of me was happy the memory was fading so much. I had forgotten what the voice of Jareth and the others. The memory had been so warn by time that their faces were smeared in my imagination.
I threw off the covers that entangled my body and stood up. The cold floor froze my feet and the overwhelming feeling of wanting to skip my lecture today hung on me like a thick blanket. Instead of obliging to the thought, I pushed forward and grabbed a towel and a change of clothes. I stepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on. I placed the clothes on the sink counter before throwing the towel over the shower door. My eyelids fluttered as I waited for the shower to heat up. I had to lean on the wall to keep my exhausted body from falling over.
When I finally stepped into the shower I breathed in deeply and closed my eyes. I trance over me was soon lost with the soothing water beating down on my back. I massaged my new shampoo in my hair and watched the steam swirl around me. The shower started to smell like roses from my shampoo and I washed the shampoo out of my hair. I used a same smelling conditioner on my hair before washing my body and shaving my legs. I had gotten up so early that I could take my precious time to shave because whenever I rushed, I had red spots all over my legs. It's not fun wearing pants in summer.
I finished my shower soon after and wrapped myself in a towel. Its embrace felt like a hug. I reached for my clothes and quickly dressed myself. I wore a pair of dark skinny jeans, white tank top, blue flannel shirt, white beanie, and my short brown boots with a small heel. To finish my outfit, I took my mother's necklace that my father had given me for my sixteenth birthday and put it around my neck. It was a silver necklace that held a small tear shaped diamond on the end with silver leaves leading up to it. I touched the small diamond and smiled before grabbing my books and running out of my room.
***
After my classes had ended, I rushed to the small café and sat down at a table and looked around. It was not as busy as usual, but a few students were sitting around. I enjoyed the quietness of the cafe. I did my homework here every day. I forgot how I found the small cafe, but I don't regret it.The comfy café was on the edge of campus. I had to walk between two buildings and around the back of another to get here. The Victorian café was beautiful with tables on one side and couches on the other surrounding a fireplace. The two sides were diving by the counter to get your coffee. The hardwood floors shined under the glow of the fireplace and the setting sun outside.
I opened my light brown leather journal with vines on the edge that somehow reminded me of the Labyrinth. I jotted down my thoughts of the day and turned through my many stories I had come up with over the past years. From reading the stories as a teen and younger girl, it had inspired me to write. I had filled four other journals with short stories. They ranged from love to betrayal. Most were based on how I felt in that time frame and what I felt would grab anyone's attention.
I was halfway done writing a story when a coffee was set in front of me. I looked up into the face of my boyfriend whose grim expression told me he was in a bad mood. "What's up?" I asked pushing out the seat across from me with my foot for him to sit. He took the seat and rubbed his forehead in his hands. "Sarah... it has been such a long year with my studies and parents" I set down my journal completely now and gave him my full attention. "What do you mean?" I asked him concerned.
His short brown hair was messier than usual and his eyes were bloodshot and puffy from lack of sleep. His shirt was wrinkled and the khakis were too short on him. His ear that usually held up a pencil from a long day of studying was gone. His bitten fingernails tapped the table rapidly before he placed his hands in his lap. He was hunched over in thought with worry written all over his face. When he looked up he was completely composed and sure of himself. He smiled and set his now steady hands on the table.
"Well you see I have been thinking a lot lately and have decided to move to a different school, one that has the best program for me to become a lawyer" He said. "Okay, and your sure this is what you want to do?" I asked him. "Yes, I made it official this morning but Sarah, there is something I need to tell you" He muttered. "Anything" I smiled. "I do not want to have any distraction while I am at school so I can get the best schooling before they shove me into the world to fend for myself. That means I have set boundaries and one of them is to have no relationships until I am finished with school and have a steady job" He bit his lip and looked into my eyes waiting for me to reply.
Hurt, confusion, pain, uncertainty, I am not sure which emotion was more prominent. My breath left me and my gaze became hard. "I am sorry" He said. "Two years" I croaked. "Two years we have been together and-" I stopped talking and shook my head. He got up and took several steps back. "I hope to see you again and that we can stay friends" He said. "I guess we have opposite hopes now" I said and he turned and fled the café.
I looked at the drink he brought me disgusted and a tear glided down my face. Right then my phone rang and my stepmothers face appeared. I threw the coffee away as hard as I could and picked up my books. Pressing the answer button on my phone, I put my head in my free hand. I took a breath before finally answering.
"Hello" I said with another tear sliding down my cheek. "Sarah, are you alright?" My stepmother's voice asked. "Yes, just thinking" I said. "Okay, well I have some bad news. It looks like your brother caught the flu. I had to cancel his birthday party tomorrow and reschedule it. So you do not have to come home this weekend if you do not want to get sick... Are you sure you're okay?" She asked. "Is he alright? Yes I am fine" I answered. "He is such a pitiful little boy. He likes to milk it as much as he can" She said in which I could tell she was smiling. She loved Toby so much. "Tell him I said to get better as soon as he can. I will come home next weekend to see him but this weekend I have so much to study." We said our goodbye's and hung up with promises of shopping next weekend.
Clouds had gathered outside and I shoved my phone in my back pocket before pushing open the door. I needed to get back to my dorm room before the storm came. Tears came freely down my cheeks and I took each step and I looked around. "Get a grip of yourself Sarah. You are stronger than this" I muttered to myself. Another tear slipped down my cheek and with that tear it seemed to signal the sky to break free. I groaned as the sky opened up and started to cry with me.
I ran under the dark sky behind the building to between the other two. I tripped on some trash and my books flew from my arms to the soaking ground. I reached down to pick them up but I slipped on a puddle. I crashed down next to my books and rage filled me. I let out a cry of frustration and threw one of my books at the wall.
I stood up and started walking over to pick it up when a noise filled my ears. Whispering and laughing sounded everywhere at once and fear rose within me. "Who's there?" I called out. Noises behind a trashcan rattled and I walked towards it. Something ran past me and I turned around sharply. I took a couple steps when something tripped me. I regained my balance before something hit my leg. I gasped before getting steady again. One last knock came to my leg sending me to the ground. My vision went hazy and the last thing I saw was a shadow bending over my body.
***
My eyes opened slightly to see a figure carrying me. I wanted to scream, to fight, but I couldn't. I felt completely discombobulated. "Oh come now..." A voice said with amusement. I groaned and tried to move, but the walking person held me tight. "Not yet Sarah" The voice whispered. It was so eerie. I shivered from its ease. I was set down and terrified. My head rolled to the side and the person's face was right next to mine.
I felt breathing by my ear and down my neck. "Sleep my dear Sarah. You have a long journey ahead of you. Sleep..." The icy voice was so compelling, so I listened to it. My eyes fell and I was caught in a pit of darkness.
Hey! Well I've started the editing process! I hope you liked the added details and the small encounter at the very end! Please comment, like, and share! I would love to know what you think! The next edit should be out very soon!
-JCross