Drabble #210: Shy

[redwolf]

For this prompt, we continue with our one-word/phrase drabble roots:

Shy

Tell us all about it. Labyfic-style, of course.

Given our entries from recent months, let's continue with the suggested limit of 500 words. Though remember that shorter pieces are most definitely welcome!

Your entry should take the following format, posted as a comment on this entry:

Word count: # of words
$your_beautiful_drabble

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Comments

Brilliance

[redwolf]

Word count: 500

Sarah spun the rock across the table towards Jareth. He caught it and held it up between two fingers.

It was a pale grey, river smoothed pebble with a rough spiral of iron on its broad flatter side. The size fit comfortably in a hand and it had a pleasing tactile quality when a thumb was rubbed across its surface. Overall, it was a very nice rock.

“It’s the stone of choosing,” Jareth skated the rock back to Sarah’s waiting palm, where it lit up like a torch, the glow bright enough to obscure its surface features and light her face.

Sarah had been walking through Goblin City earlier in the day when a shy, but excitable goblin had handed her the glowing rock before scampering off. She’d since discovered that it only glowed when she was in close proximity to it.

“Choosing what?” Sarah closed her fist around the rock, watching as the light bled through her fingers.

“Choosing you as keeper, of course.” Jareth smiled in amusement at the glare Sarah directed at her glowing fist.

“Of course.” Sarah was quietly pleased that she wasn’t grinding her teeth in frustration. “How silly of me? It is now my lot in life to be a night light.”

She’d already learned that if she was too far from the rock she was overcome with a sense of dread until she picked it up again.

Jareth’s soft laugh wrapped around her like a warm blanket. “It’s not forever.”

Sarah looked up sharply. “It’s not?”

“No.” Jareth shook his head. “You’re the keeper for a week and in seven days it will lead you to its next keeper.”

“How will I know who that is?” She placed the rock on the table and idly spun it with a finger.

“You know how it felt to be separated?” Sarah nodded. “It’s not dissimilar. You’ll know the new keeper when you meet them.” He waved at the glowing rock. “Obviously, the light is a giveaway that you’re on the right track.”

Sitting back and folding her arms, Sarah stared at the glowing rock that was apparently in her custody for the rest of the week. It should make her slate of meetings slightly more interesting, especially the few with guests from outside the Kingdom, who would likely assume it was her unstable magic at work.

“You’ve been its keeper?”

“Many years ago now.”

“I just need to carry around a glowing fiddle toy for a week and then give it to someone who feels just right?” When she said it out loud, Sarah could only suspect that it sounded like one of those joke weapons from D&D that everyone agreed was silly, but the players were so attached to it that it had featured in campaigns for years. “And what purpose does it serve?”

“Beyond ensuring that it passes between keepers and lights up, absolutely none.”

Every time Sarah felt she had a handle on the Underground, the Labyrinth showed her a new weirdness.