By the time they had returned from the labyrinth - all of them wearing sneaky grins and masquerade dresses - the roommates found themselves nearly out of time. Their contract ended on the 13th of August. The golden summer of their youth was spent, and now it was time for the credits to roll. They might have wept if they weren't in such a rush.
Packing all of their things took the better part of two days. When they'd finally boxed up all of the Calvin and Hobbes books, the miscellaneous action figures, the plethora of plants, the posters of sexy men, the several weapons, the toaster, and their Weasley clock, it was time for more ceremonial matters: they assembled a time capsule.
A small, brown envelope was the chosen vessel for their memories. They enclosed their entire collection of quotes, doodles they'd compiled together, a photograph of Grosland's elderly suitor, and letters written to their future selves. They planned to open the capsule in two years - after Beth returned from her mission to OtherPlace - and celebrate all over again this wonderful summer they'd shared.
That night they huddled on the couch (in the newly sparse apartment) with a fine pile of junk food, wrapped some blankets around themselves, and watched Labyrinth together one last time.
Well, at least, it was the last time in that apartment.
* * * * *
They left on Saturday morning, after scrambling to finish cleaning out their apartment before the final cleaning check (which they passed handily). Grosland and Beth had moved most of their stuff back to their parents' houses, since they'd both be leaving the state soon - Grosland only had two weeks until she left for Russia, and Beth could be leaving anytime in the next six months for who-knows-where. But Erin was staying in the same apartment complex, so after their cleaning check was over the other two helped Erin move her stuff into the new place. Erin's new roommates were friendly and helpful, even if they did turn out to be Justin Bieber fans.
It didn't take very long to get all of Erin's stuff inside; when they were done, the three of them stood looking at each other in the parking lot. The air between them seemed thick with unsaid words.
Erin held out her arms, and they all hugged each other tightly. They knew that this wasn't the end of it; they'd already made plans for play-dates between their future children. But though this wasn't the end of their friendship - by far - it was the end of The Jareth Chronicles. As they held on to each other for one last moment, the curtain was already coming down on their summer and they knew it.
But before they walked away, to their separate homes this time, they put a final stamp on the whole thing with their customized, not-quite-secret handshake. Jessica Grosland, Erin Asay, and Beth Black stood formally in a triangle formation and held out their right arms. They slapped hands in the center, smacked their chests with their fists, then thumbed their noses at each other. After standing erect for a moment longer, each of them broke into a wide grin, and they all started to laugh.
No, it wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
THE END
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Day 106
Two weeks later, everything had gone back to normal. And by normal, I mean boring. Beth was sitting on the floor - refusing to place herself on the brand new couches that had been forced upon them - playing Lord of the Rings Online on her computer. Grosland was sitting next to Beth, squirming and moaning miserably as Beth's on-screen hobbit fought large and ominous spiders. Erin was tilting her head at a ridiculous angle as she tried to draw toast.
After several hours of this, all three girls sighed and put away their toys. Even being lame could get dull after a while. They resigned themselves to sitting in silence for a while longer. Then Beth said, "What are we going to do tonight, you guys?"
"I dunno," Erin mumbled, sprawling out over the new couches - which she rather preferred to their old, ratty, plaid cushions.
"Let's do . . . nothing," Gros said, tiredly.
"Yeah," Beth sighed, relenting to the inevitable. "Nothing."
"Nothing," Erin mumbled into the cushions.
"NOTHING?"
That voice. All three girls sat up straight immediately as the voice echoed spookily around them.
"Nothing? Nothing tra la la!?"
Without daring to speak, all of the girls turned simultaneously towards the Labyrinth poster on their wall. As they stared, their pitiful hearts swollen with hope, the glossy surface of the poster began to blur. The images smeared and became a swirling, sparkling vortex. And then the impossible happened. He walked through. Shining like the sun, his golden hair perfectly framing his chiseled features, the Goblin King looked at them with his mismatched eyes and sneered regally.
"Ladies," he began. "This is disgraceful."
They remained silent, staring up at him with their mouths half-open. Erin's nose had started to bleed.
"For years, you three have been wreaking havoc on the human realm. You have fed off of each others' exuberance, encouraged each other toward more and more reckless plots. Patience, prudence, common sense had no home in your plans." He was pacing now, surely leaving a trail of glitter that would be impossible for them to vacuum before cleaning checks, but the girls were too enraptured to notice. The Goblin King was coldly outraged, his lecture growing more insistent.
"This was to be your last great adventure!" he cried. "Before the world stole you away from each other. This was your chance to be glorious. And you took advantage of that. For a while." He stopped pacing and looked at them, his eyes fierce. "But you have become . . . lazy." The word sounded unusually filthy, the way he said it. "You never leave the house except to perform necessary societal duties, and then when you are home you sit in silence and watch your lives slip away, moment by moment.
"And now, with fewer than five days left to you, you plan to sit around and do nothing." His voice had grown soft, a malevolent whisper. It didn't matter; the girls were utterly silent. They wouldn't have missed a word he said. He raised an eyebrow at them and continued acidly, "This is your climax, girls? After all the weeks you've spent living together, this is how you spend your final days? This is your last scene? No. You each deserve - your friendship deserves - better."
The trio was silent still. Their eyes were shining with tears of joy and misery. He was right, of course. Their summer together had been grand. How could they let it go out on such a mediocre note? They needed to do something spectacular. Something wondrous. But what?
The Goblin King read the question in their eyes. He considered them for a moment longer, then laughed once. His harsh features relaxed into a dazzling grin. Grosland started to cry. "Come on, girls," Jareth said teasingly. He gave them a significant look, his eyes flashing. His next words came softly, slowly. "Say your right words."
They each blinked in disbelief. For the first time since Jareth had arrived they tore their eyes from him to glance at each other in amazement. Could it really be time? After so many years of waiting?
They shared a look of deep meaning, then they looked back at the Goblin King, and each began speaking at the same moment. Their voices were steady, despite everything.
"We wish the goblins would come and take us away . . . right now."
Jareth grinned slyly once more.
And then they all four were gone.
After several hours of this, all three girls sighed and put away their toys. Even being lame could get dull after a while. They resigned themselves to sitting in silence for a while longer. Then Beth said, "What are we going to do tonight, you guys?"
"I dunno," Erin mumbled, sprawling out over the new couches - which she rather preferred to their old, ratty, plaid cushions.
"Let's do . . . nothing," Gros said, tiredly.
"Yeah," Beth sighed, relenting to the inevitable. "Nothing."
"Nothing," Erin mumbled into the cushions.
"NOTHING?"
That voice. All three girls sat up straight immediately as the voice echoed spookily around them.
"Nothing? Nothing tra la la!?"
Without daring to speak, all of the girls turned simultaneously towards the Labyrinth poster on their wall. As they stared, their pitiful hearts swollen with hope, the glossy surface of the poster began to blur. The images smeared and became a swirling, sparkling vortex. And then the impossible happened. He walked through. Shining like the sun, his golden hair perfectly framing his chiseled features, the Goblin King looked at them with his mismatched eyes and sneered regally.
"Ladies," he began. "This is disgraceful."
They remained silent, staring up at him with their mouths half-open. Erin's nose had started to bleed.
"For years, you three have been wreaking havoc on the human realm. You have fed off of each others' exuberance, encouraged each other toward more and more reckless plots. Patience, prudence, common sense had no home in your plans." He was pacing now, surely leaving a trail of glitter that would be impossible for them to vacuum before cleaning checks, but the girls were too enraptured to notice. The Goblin King was coldly outraged, his lecture growing more insistent.
"This was to be your last great adventure!" he cried. "Before the world stole you away from each other. This was your chance to be glorious. And you took advantage of that. For a while." He stopped pacing and looked at them, his eyes fierce. "But you have become . . . lazy." The word sounded unusually filthy, the way he said it. "You never leave the house except to perform necessary societal duties, and then when you are home you sit in silence and watch your lives slip away, moment by moment.
"And now, with fewer than five days left to you, you plan to sit around and do nothing." His voice had grown soft, a malevolent whisper. It didn't matter; the girls were utterly silent. They wouldn't have missed a word he said. He raised an eyebrow at them and continued acidly, "This is your climax, girls? After all the weeks you've spent living together, this is how you spend your final days? This is your last scene? No. You each deserve - your friendship deserves - better."
The trio was silent still. Their eyes were shining with tears of joy and misery. He was right, of course. Their summer together had been grand. How could they let it go out on such a mediocre note? They needed to do something spectacular. Something wondrous. But what?
The Goblin King read the question in their eyes. He considered them for a moment longer, then laughed once. His harsh features relaxed into a dazzling grin. Grosland started to cry. "Come on, girls," Jareth said teasingly. He gave them a significant look, his eyes flashing. His next words came softly, slowly. "Say your right words."
They each blinked in disbelief. For the first time since Jareth had arrived they tore their eyes from him to glance at each other in amazement. Could it really be time? After so many years of waiting?
They shared a look of deep meaning, then they looked back at the Goblin King, and each began speaking at the same moment. Their voices were steady, despite everything.
"We wish the goblins would come and take us away . . . right now."
Jareth grinned slyly once more.
And then they all four were gone.
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