~Chapter 1~
"The Wish"

----Original Message Follows----
From: "jadmad"
To: "labyrinth"
Subject: [labyfic] Just an idea
Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 11:08:20 -0800
Reply-To: labyrinth-fanfic@issl.atl.hp.com

Wouldn't that be cool if there was another ball that we all could go to?
Hmmm.....guess plane tickets would get pricey........I wish the
goblins would come and take the whole List away, right now!
--Jessie

==============

I had just gotten back from my lesson, my flute case still on my shoulder and my floppy sun hat still on. I had gotten some email, and I flipped through it casually, then landed on one in particular.

"No!" I screamed, staring at that last line of the email. "Un-wish, un-wish!" I shouted in my room. But I knew it was far too late.

The storms that had come late last night were still hanging around, and the rain pounded against my windows. Suddenly, with an ear-splitting crash, lightening flashed outside, and I heard a familiar sardonic laugh. I spun around, thinking he was behind me...but there they were. The Listians, grouped together before me. We were all standing on the hill overlooking the Labyrinth, and the view was spectacular. Imagine that wide shot of it in the movie. Multiply that experience by a million. You're still not close. I was in no mood for scenery, though.

"Which one of you is Jessie?" I demanded of them, figuring that a pleasant how-do-you-do-I'm-Alexa would be ineffective and possibly uncessary, considering the far-reaching fame of my flute...but I exaggerate and digress.

I whipped off my blue hat and began pointing it around. "I have a recital in two-" I found it impossible to make a two with my sun hat in my hands and slammed it back on my head, then forked my fingers into a V. "Two days! I'm not running the Labyrinth! And that's all there is to it!"

"Um, Alexa," said one girl, "I don't think you have much of a choice."

I gave her a long look, trying to puzzle out who she was. "I give up," I said. "Dreamin?"

"Katrina."

"Oh." She didn't _look_ like a goblin girl. I addressed the group. "Sorry!"

A voice responded, presumably Dreamin'. "S'okay!"

"So...is everyone here?"

"We didn't do Listian roll call, but I think most everyone is," Katrina told me.

"Well, super. So what's the holdup? We should be to Alph and Ralph by now, as well as we all know this movie."

Katrina sighed and shrugged. "That's the problem. We can't get in. We tried a while ago, but the doors won't open. And we can't find Hoggle."

"And these stupid fairies keep nibbling at us! Ouch!" said a girl in the crowd. There was a general grumble of agreement.

"Has anyone seen His Tightness?" I asked.

"Nope," said someone, coming up beside Katrina. "Maed," she said, by way of introduction. I saw the spark of mischief in her eyes and didn't doubt her a bit. "None of us have seen hide nor hair of him. We think he's waiting until we all get here."

"And how right you are," said a mysterious, teasing, alluring voice. We all turned to see Jareth standing by the tree.

"Nice outfit," someone snickered. I caught him look self-consciously down at his tights and vest just before he turned his gaze on the Listians.

"Whichever one of you said that will get theirs later. I'm making a promise there." He still sounded eerily cheerful. "You see, I'm sending you all through my Labyrinth."

"Psh," said I, waving my hand at him. "We're set."

"Yeah," Katrina snapped, raising her chin definantly. "It'll be a piece of--"

I clapped my hand over her mouth. "Don't even think about it. It's too early, anyway."

"You see," he went on, "Jessie's wish has given me a delightful opportunity. I may try my Labyrinth out on you...and have a little of my own back for your injuries against me."

"Injuries?" demanded a girl. "What injuries?"

He smiled at her. "Dear Carla, I know you were laughing at that super glue story. Don't deny it now."

It was a true mistake. We all fell into helpless giggles.

"Oh, oh, wait, what about what Maed did??" I laughed, leaning against the tree. It resulted in further helpless giggling. One girl had actually sat down on the ground, holding her sides.

Jareth was not amused. "Quiet!"

We shut up. The tone of voice was clear: he was not to be trifled with at that point.

"You'll find the Labyrinth has changed from the one Sarah went through, as already evidenced...having trouble getting in?" He chuckled at our surprised, disappointed faces. "This should be interesting. You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth, of course."

"Or what?" was the inevitable question. "You'll turn us into goblins?"

"Oh, no. Much worse. I'll take away your email forever..." He was fading away to nothing, his voice echoing weirdly. "Such a pity."

We all found ourselves reciting that last bit along with him. Then he was gone, and we were left alone with that imposing view of the Labyrinth, and the gates we couldn't open.

"This is not cool," Katrina muttered.

I was inclined to agree.

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