Flipping the channels on her stereo in her car Sarah Williams slammed the off button tired of trying to find something suitable for her to listen to. Running her fingers through her long straight brown hair she frowned as a car cut in front of her without using its blinker, “Oh, thanks. I really liked your invisible blinker… Jerk!” ‘You would think that people would learn how to drive before they’re given a license to drive. Oh, whatever. Why am I in such a hurry to get home anyway? Like listening to Karen gripe at me about how I need to make up my mind on what college scholarship I’m going to accept. Oh, and don’t forget about how much dad loves to talk to me. You would think it would kill him to say something other than hi to me.’ Sarah ruefully thought to herself.

            Coming closer to where she lived with her stepmother and her father she slowly pulled up into the driveway behind the large house. Turning off the ignition to her black 1995 Honda Civic she lay back in her seat looking up at the house before her. Her mind lazily drifted back to the past.

She was wearing a costume that her real mother had given to her from one of her medieval plays. With red leather bound book in hand she recited her part to her sheep dog Merlin, who was sitting in a park bench in front of her. Later that night she would discover that the play, “Labyrinth” she had memorized by heart was based on reality. She had foolishly said those words that started her first meeting with the Goblin King and her adventures through the dangers untold of the labyrinth. She specifically remembered her time at the ball when she was drugged. His arms wrapped around her as they danced in each other’s arms. Eyes locked with his mismatched ones, almost drowning within their intense gaze. Sarah shook her head at that image, the image that she could not, even after all of the years that had past, forget.

            “Earth to Sarah! Stop thinking about that.” ‘ Why can I not get HIM out of my mind. It’s bad enough that I dream about that ball almost every night.’ Stepping out of her car she made her way into the house trying to be as quiet as possible. One thing she was sure of was that if Karen heard her she would jump on her again about what ever small thing she could dredge up to throw at her. For years since her adventure through the Labyrinth she had tried to get along with her stepmother but that lady never did like her to begin with. Sarah could not wait to get out of that house and away from her and her consistent nagging.

            Making it successfully to her bedroom without Karen noticing she softly closed her bedroom door and leaned her back against it. Letting out a long breath she slowly made it to her vanity and sat down. Looking at her reflection she took her hairbrush and began to brush out her long brown hair, her mind idly thinking about the labyrinth once again.

            She had made her leap from the stairs to her baby brother Toby in a desperate attempt to get to him. The stairs and walls floated about her as she fell slowly and then gently landing on the floor below her feet. Jareth, the Goblin King, dressed in white came from the shadows to confront her.

            “Give me the child…” automatically came from her lips.

Just as Sarah was about to recite the lines she had practiced so often but never thought until now the circumstances of if she failed, was stopped by him as he spoke her name, “Sarah! Beware I have been generous up until now but I can be cruel.”

            Sarah looked to him disbelievingly, “Generous! What have you done that is generous.”

            “Everything, everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken and I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time, I have turned the world upside down and I have done it all for you. I am exhausted living up to your expectations of me. Isn’t that generous.”

            Sarah continued forwards towards him determined to defeat him, “Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom…”

            Jareth threw up his hand towards her to stop her descent, “Stop! Wait! Look Sarah, look at what I am offering you. Your dreams.” As he spoke to her he formed one of his crystals in his offered hand.

            Sarah glanced at the crystal but did not falter as she continued forward drawing him back, “and my kingdom is as great.”

            Jareth continued trying to stop her from saying the last words. The words that would finally defeat him, “I ask for so little just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want.”

            Sarah struggled with the last line, how she hated that she could never remember that line, “Kingdom as great… Damn, I can never remember that line.” Time was running out and she had little time to remember. She searched her mind fiercely.

            “Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave.” His eyes held such desperation as if crying out for her to stop before it was to late.

            “My kingdom is as great, my kingdom as great…YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!” her voice echoed around her as she said those finale words. Jareth looked to her with such disappointment, pain, and despair. He tossed the crystal to her, catching it in her hand and watching as it popped as if a soap bubble. The room around her transforming into her living room and Jareth falling down with his white robes flying about him as he dissolves into the white barn owl. She watched as he flew around her and then out the window as the grandfather clock in her living room chimed on.

            Sarah’s mind came crashing down back to reality as she heard the faint cry of an owl. She looked into her own eyes with question, ‘When had I started to cry?’ she thought to herself as she saw the water collecting at the border of her eyes and falling down her cheeks.

            The faint hoot of an owl pierced her ears once again drawing her to her bedroom window. Nothing…the only vision that came to view was the large tree that was always outside of her window and the night sky. Shaking it off as her over active imagination running overtime she turned back towards her bedroom and headed straight to her dresser to change into her pajamas.

            Within the darkened room he gazed in on her watching her through his crystal as she brushed her hair and thought about him. He knew whenever she was thinking about him.

            “Are you thinking of me Sarah? I know that you are. You have grown into such a beautiful woman, Sarah. Do you really think that it’s over my dear? It is only the beginning.”

            Vanishing the crystal with the flourish of his wrist Jareth’s lips tightened into a knowing grin.

            She stood in the middle of the park in front of the park bench where she used to recite the Labyrinth to her sheep dog Merlin. Looking around her she felt confused as to how she had gotten there. The darkness of the night was made faint as the light from the stars above and some street lamps light her surroundings. Sarah wrapped her arms about her self, as she felt suddenly chilled as if someone were watching her. Her eyes darted about herself looking for someone to come out from the shadows.

            In the distance a shadowy form started to emerge from the darkness of the shadows. Her eyes searched the form for some kind of recognition. He was dressed in black jeans and a black leather jacket over a dark red shirt, the collar lifted up around his neck as in some 80’s retro style. His skin a sickly pale as he came ever so closer.

            Her heart raced in her throat as a sense of dread crept up within her very soul. Sarah stumbled back slightly not sure what was about to happen but knowing that it could not be good.

            The man grinned to her and within a moment the smooth surface of his face changed into a horrid sight. His forehead heightened and roughened as his teeth were replaced with horrid fangs.

            Sarah fell back as her foot caught on a tree root protruding loosely from the soil beneath her feet. Gasping out from the force of her impact and the horror before her, he neared towards her barring his fangs with a growl.

            Her mind flooded with confusion, not knowing what she should do. She was alone with no means of defense nor escape. Her desperate thoughts were broken as she heard a woman’s voice call out to the creature before her.

            “Hey ugly!”

            The creature turned towards the voice allowing Sarah to see what the women looked like. She had dark wavy black hair and wore a black leather jacket and pants not unlike the creature but she wore it more successfully making it look a lot more stylish and flattering to her form. The creature lunged for her but stumbled back slightly as the young woman punched and kicked him. As the creature stumbled back the young woman performed a jump kick sending him flying back an amazing distance landing almost just behind Sarah.

            Gasping out in surprise Sarah rolled away from the fallen creature and rolled to her feet. As she came to her feet she watched as the young woman pulled what looked to be some kind of wooden stake from the back of her pants and plunged it into the creature's heart. As the stake hit its target the creature crumbled and burst into dust. Sarah’s hands came to her mouth covering her startled surprise. Just then she knew that she had to be dreaming. There were no such things as Vampires, that, she was sure of.

            The young woman looked to Sarah smiling, “Yeah well, you might be dreamin but vampire’s really do exist.”

            Sarah looked onto the young woman confused, “Who are you?”

            “The names Faith and I’ve dropped by to tell you that your life’s about to change.”

            Sarah looked to Faith still with a confused expression as she approached her, “If this is a dream then…”

            Faith held up her hand to stop her from continuing, “This isn’t exactly just a dream.” She winked, “I’m surprised at you though. You would think after meeting the Goblin King and venturing through that maze of his that you could believe that other things were possible.”

            Sarah couldn’t argue with the woman’s logic remembering that she often wondered if all those stories and legends weren’t maybe true. Then the sudden realization of Faith’s earlier statement dawned on her, “What do you mean my life’s about to change?”

            Faith came closer eyeing her as in thought, “Let me just say…Welcome to the club. I’m, well, I used to be a Slayer. See, once in a generation a slayer is born to fight and defend against evil, Demons and Vampires and all that. When a slayer dies another is born to take her place, and, well, you’re it hun.”

            Sarah backed away slightly, “This is crazy.”

            “I know but I didn’t make the rules. Oh, don’t tell anyone about this, they probably would think that you’re nuts.” Faith touched her back bringing her hand up looking at it. Covered in blood she knew that she was running out of time, “Damn! Sorry but I can’t stay much longer. Say hi to B for me when you see her and tell her that I’m really sorry about what I did.”

            Faith started to fade as Sarah reached out for her. Faith just smiled as her hand passed through her and walked forward disappearing completely as she stepped through Sarah. Sarah shot up from her bed, heart pounding in her ears, the sheets tangled in a soaked mass about her legs. Looking over at her alarm clock on her vanity she saw the lighted time on the clock’s face reading 5:00 am. Slamming back down into her bed she stared at the dark ceiling of her room remembering her dream from just moments ago. “The Slayer,” she mumbled to herself trying to comprehend the words spoken to her by Faith.