From: Stacy Barrington <[email protected]>
Date: Sat Feb 8, 2003 12:40 am
Subject: Befuddled (Chapter One)




This is my variation on the movie 'Bedazzled', a
1967 comedy starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
There was a 2000 version done with Brendan Frasier and
Elizabeth Hurley, but the original was so much better!

Bedazzled was itself based on the old Faust theme; a
man sells his soul to the devil to be granted seven
wishes.

My thanks to Robin as my creative consultant on this
story; this will be a fun project because we both
really love Bedazzled. If anyone ever gets a chance
to see it, please do!


--


Title: Befuddled

Author: Stacy 'Little Magpie' Barrington

Rating: PG-13 (Adult humor)

Summary: A variation on the movie 'Labyrinth' and
on the movie 'Bedazzled'. Sarah sells her soul to the
devil (who is also the Goblin King) in exchange for
seven wishes.


--


The Williams household was in the midst of yet
another family conflict. Sixteen-year-old Sarah was
snapping at her parents for forcing her to stay home
and watch her year-old brother, Toby.

"Why again?" Sarah squealed. "I wanted to go out
to a movie tonight!"

"Don't sass us, young lady," warned Karen, Sarah's
stepmother, whose red hair matched her temper.

"Listen to your mother, Sarah," Robert, Sarah's
darker-haired father, intoned. "We realize you need
private time, but it's important to let your mother
and I get out sometimes."

Sarah flicked her long ebony hair as she tossed her
head in anger. "Why is it so important to you?"

"Not another word, Sarah," Karen said, not looking
up as she buttoned her purse closed. "We're going out
and you're baby-sitting."

Sarah opened her mouth with the intention of
shouting, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to waste
her breath.

'How smartly dressed my parents are', Sarah fumed to
herself. 'Why can't I have a chance to dress up and
do something special?'

Sarah's parents walked out the front door without
even thanking her for sacrificing her free time.
Sarah miserably went upstairs to her bedroom.

There were all manner of toys and storybooks about
the room. Sarah was dressed in her favorite white
blouse with cream-colored vest and blue jeans, and her
soft tan shoes. This casual ensemble made her feel
comfy around the house, what little comfort she could
muster in such a tense household.

The baby was asleep in his crib in the nursery
across the hall. At least it was quiet for Sarah.
Maybe baby-sitting would be a breeze this time. Last
time was a nightmare. Toby had a bout of mild colic
that made him howl and scream. It took three days for
Sarah's stress headache to go away.

Lying on her bed, Sarah started to nod off. She was
relieved to be in a state of peace.

That was until Toby woke up and started bawling.
Sarah groaned aloud. 'No, please,' she thought to
herself. 'Leave me alone.' She very reluctantly got
up and headed for the nursery.

The din got worse as Sarah entered the room, and
resounded through her eardrums. The nursery was dark
enough, why didn't the baby stay asleep?

"I'm the one who should be crying," Sarah grumbled.
She decided to go to the kitchen to get Toby's bottle
and fill it with warm milk. Maybe he was just hungry.

Even as she walked downstairs, Sarah could hear
Toby's cries. "I'm too young to get ulcers," she
said under her breath.

As she entered the kitchen and turned on the light,
she got Toby's bottle and a small pot out of the
cupboard. She turned on the water in the sink to
rinse out the bottle. When she pulled the milk out of
the refrigerator, her nose quickly alerted her to the
fact that it had finally reached its expiration date.
It smelled worse than Toby's soiled diapers. "Damn!"
Sarah cursed aloud. She tossed the carton into the
trash can without pouring out the contents first.

"I'd sell my soul to the devil to get out of here!"
Sarah shouted at the top of her lungs. With a final
groan she exited the kitchen, violently flicking off
the light switch as she did so.

A dark silhouetted figure was looking through the
kitchen window into the now black room, then vanished
very suddenly.

Sarah went back to the nursery. Toby was no longer
screaming, but asleep, snug under the blanket and his
fleece romper. Evidently he was just grouchy and
wanted attention, so Sarah bringing a bottle would
have been a waste of time.

Sarah quietly went back to her bedroom, grateful for
the reprieve.

***

"That's it," Sarah said with tears in her eyes. "I
want out of this family." She was packing a satchel
with her clothes and Launcelot, her favorite teddy
bear.

The satchel bulging with an overload, Sarah could
barely sling the strap over her shoulder. As she
walked out into the hallway, she heard the doorbell
downstairs.

"What the hell?" Sarah whispered to herself. She
went downstairs to answer the door as quickly as she
could manage with the cumbersome satchel.

When she opened the door, she saw a tall,
golden-haired man with pointy eyebrows and dark
streaks around his ice-blue eyes. He wore a
high-collared brown leather coat studded with silver
jewels, a glittery black cape, and blue-grey tights
which prominently displayed his gender. His black
leather boots were nice, too.

"Hello, Sarah Williams," the angelic-looking man
said kindly. "I couldn't help but notice you were
making a desperate attempt to escape your household."

Sarah's mouth was agape, not just from the beauty of
the stranger, but also because of the fact he knew her
name and her intention of running away from home.

How did he know all this, and why was he even
interested in her?