Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or any of the characters from Labyrinth they belong to Jim Henson, everything else is mine.

Surviver

The rain lashed into Sarah's face as she marched home. Karen was going to kill her for sure, this was the fifth time this week she had been late.

"I don't see what her problem is" Sarah grumbled to herself. "Its not like I'm out drinking or doing drugs, I just like to spend time at the library" she continued.

Thunder rolled in the distance and Sarah upped the pace deciding to take a short cut through the woods. She shivered as she looked around, it wasn't even dark yet, still she broke into a run in a bid to make her visit through the woods as brief as possible.

The rain was thundering down and by the time Sarah got home she was soaked through, she carefully opened the door and slipped into the house hoping she wouldn't be heard

How wrong she was, Karen was standing in the hall, hands on hips looking fiercely at her step daughter..

"Sarah look at the time" she yelled, "do you not know what I mean when I say be back at nine o'clock at the latest, you can tell the time cant you?"

"Yes" Sarah mumbled staring at her feet

"Sarah I can't hear you!" Karen shouted

"I said yes" Sarah shouted back. "I'm not a child anymore, so stop treating me like one!"

"If you didn't act like a child I wouldn't have to treat you like one!" Karen yelled back, fuming. "I think you should go to your room Sarah," Karen continued as she pointed up the stairs.

Sarah stormed past muttering to herself and slammed her bedroom door closed.

"Who does she think she is?" Sarah moaned as she kicked her shoes across the room "I'm nearly 19 years old and she treats me like I'm 12 or something."

She flung open her wardrobe with such force that one of the boxes sitting on top off it fell off onto the floor.

"Crap", she hissed as the contents spilled onto the floor.

She bent down and began to tidy up the mess and she heard a loud knock at the door.

"What?" she yelled not even bothering to look round.

Karen opened the door and popped her head in. "Sarah your room is a mess! You really need to tidy it up."

Sarah turned round her hands full of old books and toys "what the hell do you think I'm doing Karen." She shouted.

Karen pointed her finger menacingly at her. "Don't speak to me like that Sarah." She said quietly but sternly as she stepped further into the room and started looking around. Sarah made a face at her stepmother as her back turned. "You are getting older now Sarah and well" Karen hesitated, "Your father and I have been thinking its time you moved out."

"What!" Sarah screamed

"Sarah keep your voice down you'll wake Toby" Karen said calmly her back still turned. She bent down and started looking under Sarah's bed.

Sarah stood up" You can't kick me out!" Sarah shouted defiantly. "And why the hell are you snooping around under my bed!"

Karen looked round still on her hands and knees and sighed "yes Sarah we can 'kick you out' and as you said earlier your not a child any more and Robert agrees it is time. Also we cant really afford to keep this house any more since your father lost his job and has to work nightshift at that infernal fast food place." Karen said, an edge of bitterness in her voice

"I've found a nice flat in town and its just not big enough for all four of us I'm afraid." Karen looked up at Sarah, her face full of fake sympathy and continued to sweep her hand under Sarah's bed "I'm looking for the bear a gave Toby for his last birthday since you asked. All he has at the moment is that moth eaten hand me down of yours" She continued. "Don't worry we'll help you find a little place of your own" She smiled sweetly at her stepdaughter, though the smile did not extend to her eyes.

Sarah was about to give Karen a piece of her mind when Toby peered round the door clutching Lancelot and sucking his thumb. "Hey sweetie, can't you sleep?" Sarah said softly and smiled at her brother.

"I woked up," Toby mumbled

"Come over here and give your big sis a hug then," She said smiling and knelt down on the floor opening her arms to Toby.

"Sarah I told you not to shout so loud" Karen barked at her. Sarah glared at her over Toby's shoulder.

Karen pulled something out from under Sarah's bed and waved it in the air. "Another one of these bloody fantasy books" She yelled as she dumped the book on her bed. "Maybe if you had kept your nose out of these kinds of books you could have got good enough grades to go to college this year"

Karen then pulled something big, blue and fluffy out from under the bed "Ah here we are Toby look who it is, Mr Snuggles." Toby Suck his tongue out. "Don't do that now Toby, come on I think its off to bed with you now."

"Sawah put me to bed." Toby yawned.

"Oh very well" Karen grumbled and marched out of the room complete with the bear and the book.

"Come on sleepy head" Sarah whispered and scooped Toby into her arms.

She placed Toby in his bed and sang softly to him. Karen stuck her head round the door.

"Sarah stop that infernal singing you'll wake him again, go and tidy your room we can talk more in the morning" she whispered menacingly and then disappeared back into her room.

Sarah softly kissed Toby on the forehead "sweet dreams" she whispered and quietly left his room and switched off the light.

Karen sat on her bed looking at the little red book. She turned it over, "Labyrinth" She said out loud and began to flick through the book pausing every so often to read a few lines. "No wonder that girl has to repeat her senior year," She grumbled. "Gobins, mazes, Fairies, kings, magical powers. She is dreaming her life away." Karen took the hairbrush from her dressing table and sat on the edge of her bed brushing her hair.

Sarah flung her door open and was about to slam it shut when she remembered Toby in the next room so she shut the door softly. She sat on her bed and removed her sodden jeans and shirt. She then grabbed her night shirt and pulled it over her head.

Karen sat still brushing her hair and grumbling to herself "You know sometimes I wish the goblins would come and take Sarah away," She said angrily and thumped the brush down. "Right now."

The thunder rumbled outside and Karen was suddenly overcome with sleepiness, she fell backwards onto the bed and began to snore softly.

Sarah looked down at the smiling cartoon lion face on her shirt and poked it with her finger

"What are you so happy about?" She sighed. "Damn you Karen" She said a little louder as a tear silently fell down her cheek. "It's not fair!" She said louder and buried her head in her pillows.

"You say that so often," a familiar voice said. "I wonder what you basis for comparison is."

Sarah slowly sat up. "Jareth" she whispered her eyes wide with fear.