"No other path
No other way
No day but today

There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
Or life is yours to miss"
--Jonathan Larson, RENT
 
The bittersweet taste was in her mouth. It reminded her of those days by the lake, the vacations she would take with her family. Funny, seemed like so long ago.... Carolyn knew there wouldn't be another trip to the lake. No more sun bathing below the light blue sky, no more swimming in the blue waters that ran to the horizon. Her family had sold the cabin last year, and after her sister headed off to college, things had never been the same.

"I didn't think I wanted this," Carolyn whispered to herself. She was afraid. She admitted it freely to herself. But fear had kept her too long in pain. Fear had robbed her of chances. Irrational, unrelenting nervousness of the unknown. "I thought I had given this type of thing up. Guess I was wrong. Oh well."

The courage she had been building flooded her mind. There was nothing to fear. Nothing but the unknown she was going to escape. That which was ahead didn't matter as much as the 'what if?' possibilities. All soon. Carolyn felt it, the time was coming.

Reaching to the table beside her, Carolyn picked up the cheap Bic lighter. With a deft movement, she ignited it and lit the vanilla candle that sat next to it. The flame licked up, glowing like the eyes of the phoinex.

"Such a pity... you were a good candle...," Carolyn's murmurings reminded her of something. Yes, now she remembered. That book. 'The Labyrinth'. The one with the girl, the goblins and faeries, and that tall, mysterious king. Back then, she'd bothered dreaming. But what was the point now, when all that there is are those people, those damned people, always saying to wake up and live in reality. To deal with work, school, at the stuff out there. Carolyn didn't give a damn about any of it, but now she was to weary to fight them. Them and their stupid assignments and counselors and words. Pointless words, not like the other words, the words from the book. Not that they worked, not that anything worked like she wanted.

"Ahh... beauty true," Carolyn remembered her purpose. Not that it had ever slipped her mind, the joyful freedom. Reaching her hand out once again, she grasped the cool metal gun. Raising it up with a caress, she smiled slightly, the first in months. "Thanks Dad, for not hiding my salvation well."

Her eyes flicked for a moment to the envelope lying on her dresser across the room. It was for him. The only one, really, she she knew cared. Hopefully, someone would give it to him. He'd understand, Carolyn knew, that she had to do this. That she didn't have a future worth it.

The metal pressed against her forehead. Carolyn really would have preferred a different method, one that would make a statement to all those that screwed her, to the life that had turned. But this was the way that wouldn't be interrupted. Here, in this room that she no longer recognized.

Her finger itched on the trigger. Taking a breath, Carolyn anticipated what may be next. Perhaps she would see her true soul-friend again. Perhaps she would meet the shadow that haunted her. Or the Goblin King, if all things were truly possible.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Carolyn jumped at the voice. No one was supposed to be home. This was supposed to be her chance! Turning, she looked for the source of the voice. She was alone. Puzzled, her eyes glanced around the room, wary that something may interfere.

"I think you have more than you understand."

That voice. That sound, solid as marble, smooth as the first rays of the sunset. A voice that seemed unearthly. Carolyn noticed something strange out of the corner of her eye. A small mirror, stuck on her closet, showed a pair of mismatched eyes. The gun fell from her hand, and she stared at the eyes, enchanted by them.

"Who are you?" Carolyn didn't think it could be...

"You know who I am." Now the voice was behind her. She quickly turned to see an imposing figure standing in her doorway. Hair streaked with moonlight, pale skin, dressed in fine black garments, clouded in an air of royalty.

"You look like him, from the book..." Carolyn recalled the sketch in the front of the mysterious Goblin King. "Why are you here?"

He strode over to her, his hand taking hers. Carolyn felt rage boiling up. Who was this creature, who stopped her, wanted to cause her more pain? Yet as she felt the soft eyes on her, her anger lessened.

"I'm here to help you. You called me." His voice was comforting.

She drew back her hand. "I didn't. You're not supposed to be real."

His eyebrows arched and lips curled up into a smirk. "I'm not *supposed* to be real? Then why am I here? And you did call me... you just didn't know it."

He sat on the bed beside her, and flicked his wrist. A crystal appeared, rolling over his hand. Carolyn was intrigued by the motion, the light from the candle reflected in the crystal, as if he were manuvering the moon around his wrist.

"Look into it." He commanded.

Carolyn hesitated, but figured things couldn't be worse. Her eyes focused on the depths of the crystal. She felt herself being drawn into it, into the amazing wonders held within. It was if, for a moment, she was everywhere. Every realm, every dream, every soul. For one moment, she felt free.

Suddenly, the crystal vanished, and Carolyn found herself back in her room on her bed, the images beginning to fade, only leaving faint impressions. "I saw... it was.... and...." She struggled to explain it.

Jareth put a hand on her arm. "Some hope for you. You're but a child. Try living before you give up." His hand lightly touched her cheek, and with a smirk still on his face, the Goblin King vanished, leaving Carolyn alone in her room, gun on the bed in front of her.

She studied it, the faint memories of the crystal in her head. 'Try living before you give up', he had said. Maybe... maybe she could dream again. A decision in her mind, Carolyn picked up the gun, and took it back to her parents room.

Live this moment as the last. No day but today.