10 Rules About What Not To Do With Fae.

DISCLAIMER: Labyrinth and its characters are not mine. More is the pity...

1. Do not forget them.

Sarah stepped out of her car and shivered as the wind pierced straight through her knitted wool sweater. On a late November night the sky was a velvet black, stars glinting like so many scattered diamonds. She shook her head and focused on getting into the house as fast as possible. Time enough later to look at the sky through a window while holding a mug of hot chocolate.

She ran up the stairs in front of the house and hopped from foot to foot as she dug through her purse looking for keys. When had it gotten so cold? She cheered to herself as her fingers brushed the key chain and the jangle of metal rung a triumphant chorus as she unlocked the door and rushed inside.

Teeth chattering, Sarah toed off her shoes and padded into the kitchen on kitten paws. Work had kept her late; there had been a last minute submission to the publisher and the senior editors had taken one look at it and loved it. So she had been proof-reading like mad for the past twelve hours before declaring it good and fine and had escaped out the back door. Now it was nearly midnight.

Her roommate Katherine would be asleep up on the second floor. The other girl had just started work at a coffee shop and being the new recruit, the poor dear was stuck with the opening hours. Sarah shuddered, she would much rather take the late shifts than to be aware and caffeinated before the sun even thought to rise.

The kitchen has lit by a single fat candle on the island. Sarah smiled; Katherine was such an angel. By the candle was a plate of coffee shop brownies and a note that read, "To Sarah - you friggin night owl." Giggling the editor pulled the electric kettle from the cupboards and busied herself with making that promised hot chocolate.

Ten minutes later Sarah was sitting in her room, lounging in the window seat: a plate of brownies in her lap, hot drink in hand, a fluffy white blanket around her shoulders, cushions galore and lit candles on a near-by wooden stool. Heaven!

Snuggling further into the downy softness, Sarah slipped a hand down to reach for the vampire book she had stashed in the pillows. Katherine was always teasing her about her blood-sucking seducers so Sarah had taken to hiding them around the house. It had evolved into a game where Sarah would hide a book, Katherine would find it and replace it with a more "wholesome" romance novel from the nearby gas station.

The night owl grinned to herself as she propped open the book on her knees and munched on a brownie. She had really lucked out with Katherine. Ever since bumping into each other in the college library three years ago, the two of them had become fast friends. Though sometimes they mock-fought over the latest novel of a mutually loved series. Laurell K. Hamilton never had more avid fans. Speaking of Hamilton's work, Sarah hunched over her hardcover book and giggled as she followed the convoluted adventures of Anita, the vampire executioner.

Hours later a chime from her watch reminded her that it was two in the morning The book worm stretched and groaned when her back popped in three places at once. Humming, she tucked the ribbon between the pages and concealed the book back under the pillows. The mug and plate slid in next to the candles on the stool and the whole arrangement was pushed to the side as Sarah made room to swing her legs from the seat. Pausing, she blinked. Right, she had wanted to take a look at the sky before going to bed. She leaned back against the pillows and gazed up at the sky, idly playing connect the dots with the blazing stars above.

Wait. The moon is up there, she glanced higher in the sky. The shadow in front of me is a tree. She peered at the black tracery of branches that, without its wealth of oak leaves, did nothing to hide the winter sky. Except on a branch straight ahead, the stars were... So then, what is that blotch there?

The blotch in question moved and Sarah yelped as a head swiveled, and yellow eyes caught the faint candle light and blazed forth a sudden gold.

AN

Itsy was putting together a story for Velvy, so I figured, I will too!

Merry Christmas Velvy! More to come!