Dream of Me

The girl’s face held an expression of pure pleasure, her eyes tightly closed and her forehead beaded with sweat. Her dark, long brown hair was spread out on the pillow, and her nails were digging into the soft feather of the covers. She moaned, a sound that came from deep inside her soul, no louder than a whisper.

She was dreaming.

She was being held tightly around her waist by a pair of long fingered, strong hands. The grip was as gentle as it was brutal, her skin sensitised and electrified by each finger on her naked skin, the thumbs slowly massaging the front of her body. A mouth was on one of her breasts, licking its sensitive point with exquisite skill and warmth.
Strands of his long hair brushed against her glistening body, as her own hands held a mass of hair on each side of his head, holding him to her, refusing to let him stop. She never wanted it to stop. Her head was thrown back, her hair in disarray, her face holding the same expression as her own sleeping self.

He, under her groan of protest, raised his head from her breast and simply looked at her, as her body shook, his firm grip absorbing her trembling. He stared right into her,
with his eyes like hard mismatched crystals, yet with emotion within them that was only noticeable to her. She noticed the way the crystals had darkened, and yet sparkled with a gleam of something she couldn’t understand. His gaze was so intense, she felt like she was falling. Everything around her became warped and blurred. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. Only him. She felt the whisper of his name in the back of her mind. She felt the silk of his shirt move against her own naked skin, a stray lock of that golden hair clinging to his face. As she clung to him.

He moved closer towards her, a barely noticeable smile crossing the marble of his perfect face. She strained to get closer, holding him even tighter now, as his face moved towards hers, purpose obvious in his eyes. She wanted the feel of his lips on hers so badly that she moved forward, her teeth clashing painfully with his as they kissed. It was a violently sexual kiss, so deep that it would burn the soul, yet so strangely gentle that it could make you weep. His hands moved to her face, holding her as if to let go would prove fatal to him. She moved her hands from his hair to his shirt, pressing her fingers to the warm skin beneath it, pulling at it with need; she had to feel her skin against his. She opened it and moved her hands inside the warmth, holding his naked chest to hers, as his hands slid away from her face, and further down her body, until he reached her thigh. He pulled his mouth from hers, and moved away from her again to look at her beautiful body, her hands sliding down his chest. He moved his hand to the inside of her thigh, as she stared at him with anticipation, biting her lip. He moved his hand upwards, his long fingers dancing over the sensitive skin there. Higher and higher – and painfully slow. The warmth deep in her stomach and between her legs was mounting, as she stared at him, willing him to go on, his eyes eternally locked with hers. He moved further and further upwards, so agonisingly close that she moaned, not being able to wait for the touch of his fingers any longer. She closed her eyes…

“Jareth!”

It was no more than a whisper, yet had the intensity of a screaming shout. Sarah’s body flew up from her sleeping position, still holding tightly onto the bed covers, her breathing fast and irregular. Her hands were clammy, her body was warm, and there was that familiar throbbing feeling between her legs. Some strands of her hair clung to her damp face. Sarah waited for her breathing to slow down to a near normal rate, cursing herself, and her body.

Not again.

Sarah got out of bed. Her body always seemed to wonder where those hands had gone when she awoke. Where those beautiful soft lips and crystal eyes had disappeared to. She stepped out of her night dress, and into the warmth of the shower. As she washed, it always felt like she was washing his scent away, although there really was no scent, was there? Maybe it was just the memory of her dream that made her feel like there was. It really felt like he had touched her.

The dreams had started over two months ago, and had become more and more frequent as time went on. Sarah had had erotic dreams before, but she hated that these were of  him. And why did these always have to be so agonisingly vivid? They were unlike dreams she had ever had before in her life. In the morning, she could remember every detail, every touch. She could still feel where his hands had held her body. She could still picture those intense eyes that knew every inch of her. One time she had even looked in the mirror, and could have sworn she had seen him gazing back at her from behind. But she had turned around, and he had not been there. A ghost, she thought. A ghost of the past.

It was three years ago that she had entered his world. Three years since she had solved the Labyrinth and rescued her brother. Three years since Hoggle, and all of the others.

Three years since she had last seen Jareth.

She was eighteen now, at high school. She had tried to forget about her time in the Labyrinth, her time with the Goblin King. But, in truth, she had clung on to those memories for all she was worth. They had begun to fade at the beginning of this year. Sarah hadn’t known whether to be relieved or to cry.

Then the dreams had started.

Sarah had been horrified at first. Angry with herself. Angry that by now, she wished the dreams would come each night. She looked forward to going to sleep. To feel his hands on her…

The first time had been frightening, because it had been intensely sexual from the very start. She did things in her dreams with him that she couldn’t even tell the best of friends about. In fact, she never told anyone about the dreams. Just as she’d never told anyone about the Labyrinth. She’d gone to school each morning with a glow that her friends had noticed. They began to ask who she was seeing. She told them that she was seeing no-one, but she could tell they never believed her. They let it drop after a while.

Sarah refused to let herself think of him like that – just as she had struggled to when she had been fifteen. She figured that they were just dreams, and the person in them didn’t matter. Someone had once told her that just because you dreamt of someone like that, it didn’t necessarily mean you really wanted to do it. It didn’t matter that they were so spine-tinglingly pleasurable. It didn’t matter that it in fact actually mattered to her, that he wore those boots, those silk shirts, had that mane of gold framing his marble face. That it was him.

Oh, and she had struggled so much those three years ago. It had been hard not to just melt into those intense eyes, to press her lips to his at the ball, when he had moved to kiss her. She had tried so hard to convince herself that he was evil.

An evil, handsome, devastatingly seductive man of power.

She had been fifteen – she had never experienced feelings like that before. She was overwhelmed by the way he had looked at her – like he was undressing her, inch by inch – like she had been a woman. But his eyes had also been cruel, she had to remind herself. He had put her through Hell. But she had come through. She had defeated him. And she just couldn’t forget the pain that had crept into his eyes as she had finished saying those words. He had looked like a sad, lonely creature.

In fact, she had never felt like that since. Not as intensely as that, not ever. She decided that it must have been because she was young and impressionable back then. But, she had grown up now. Thrown away her toys. Become a woman, although she had never really found it in her to form relationships with men. They never seemed to dazzle her or catch her full attention. Oh, they had tried to sweep her off her feet – she was a beautiful young woman, but she had never let them. She simply found it impossible to react. They always seemed – lacking.

Sarah pulled her clothes on and suddenly realised that it was Saturday. No school. She sat down on her bed, her limbs slumped. She lay back, staring at the fine cracks in the ceiling. Thinking. Her thoughts turned instantly to soft lips on hers…

No. She got up, and decided that she had to do something. She would go for a walk.
 

She went out into the open air, and began walking, not having a clue as to her destination. Yes, this would clear her head. Get him out of her thoughts for once. It worried her that he was in her thoughts anyway. The dreams had surprised her. Yes, she had felt an unmistakable urge to be in his company back then, but – never anything like this. It had just been a niggling thought at the back of her head, heightened by the dream bubble on that one occasion. Nothing more. But now, as she looked back on it she remembered each word he had spoken, each gesture. She remembered the strange sense of terror and comfort, hatred and dizzy pleasure she had felt each time she had seen those seductive features on her travels through his Labyrinth.

“Fear me, love me… Do as I say, and I will be your slave…”

The words echoed in the back of her mind. What if she had stayed? Sarah shuddered at the thought. She couldn’t think such things. She wanted a life in the real world. With people, not goblins. And yet, she couldn’t think of anyone more remarkably human than Jareth. And remarkably inhuman and ethereal, at the same time. But to live her life in perfection – all of her dreams coming true… She couldn’t help but think. What if? What if she had stayed with this dangerously seductive man – for eternity?

No, no, no! She just refused to let her mind dwell on it any longer. Here she was, trying to rid herself of these thoughts – and they were now consuming her completely! All the memories of the Labyrinth came flooding back. It had felt like centuries ago, when it was only about three years, but now it felt like it had been only yesterday. The memories were crystal clear. Overwhelming anything else she tried to think of. They were almost unnaturally clear, like the dreams. Back then, she would have thought that Jareth had been causing them, so remarkably, magically vivid as they were – but no. Not now. She had probably been long forgotten by The Goblin King and all that had been concerned with her quest then. There would be no reason for it.

She walked on through the early morning sun. It was cold, despite the new light that shone. She held her arms around her waist, pulling her jacket closer to her frozen body. She saw the park gates ahead, and decided that it was as good a place as any to go walking. She stared at the trees lined up against the fence; the early morning mist that surrounded them. Everything reminded her of the Labyrinth these days. The trees, perfectly sculptured and tidy, reminded her of the hedge maze. Sarah swore under her breath. She had let her mind wander. She walked over to the fountain in the centre of the park. It was beautiful, the way the drops of water caught the early morning light. She stared into it. But all she could see was Jareth.

“Sarah.”

She turned around. Nothing. The word seemed to have floated in on the breeze, and floated out again as easily. Sarah knew that voice. The unmistakable rich British accent. The sensuous, yet almost emotionless sound. Tainted by shadows of cruelty.

It was only her imagination, she was sure. She had been thinking about him far too much lately.

“Imagination.” she said quietly, as if to reassure herself.

Then, as if on the light breeze once more, she heard a distinct laugh. A quiet, understanding kind of laugh. As if someone had heard her. Almost a kind laugh. But it ended with a decidedly sinister tone to it. She scanned the entire park. Nothing. She must be going mad. But she felt like it was more…

She felt a distinct sense that something was going on. Something important was about to happen. Something that was to do with her, in some way. There was a dread sense of inevitability. And yet Sarah anticipated it with a strange feeling of excitement. Almost wished she was right. Something within her knew this wasn’t normal. She was sure…

“Sarah.”

This time, the voice had been clear and distinct. Only inches behind her. And very, very real. Sarah turned around. Nothing. She was overcome with frustration. He had seemed so close. She began to walk out of the park. Away from the fountain. Away from the voice that called her name. She was scared. But as she was nearly out of the park, something made her look up. Her gaze was drawn inexplicably to a park bench to her right.

He lounged lazily across the wooden bench. The air of a king surrounded him. The morning was quiet. All Sarah could hear was her breathing. There he was, clad in a pale grey silken shirt, open low to the waist. A belt with a large golden buckle, black tights and full length shiny black boots. His hair fell around his cruel face, glistening in the sun. He didn’t look at her. He just sat, with a single purple flower from one of the park’s flower beds in his hand. He slowly picked each petal from it. He seemed to be concentrating on his task, his face holding the usual expression of nothingness and slight amusement.

Sarah was stunned. Her skin tingled with fear and fascination. He looked – breathtaking. The same as he always had… But, after all this time…

“You look the same.” She said quietly, not being able to think of anything else to say.

He looked up at her, discarding the dead bloom. His expression didn’t change.

“And you look quite different.”

His darkening eyes ran over her body, slowly. Making sure she knew what he meant. Sarah backed up. Jareth laughed wickedly, quietly.

“How’s life, Sarah?” he asked, now obviously enjoying himself, enjoying her discomfort. Her fear. Her vulnerability.

“Um…Okay.”

She eyed him carefully, but never quite being able to meet the intensity of his eyes. He smiled at this. Sarah was angry. She forced her eyes to his, meaning to say something meaningful, insulting, or something.

As soon as their eyes locked, and she met his challenging gaze, all thought went from her head. She was falling again. She began to melt, as he refused to turn away. She couldn’t. She was captured. Her world, the world she had built up outside the Labyrinth had suddenly come crashing down around her. And he knew it. She saw that there was purpose in his eyes. She didn’t know what it was, but she remembered the last time she had seen such determination in those blue crystals. In her dream…

She tore her eyes away, with all the power she could muster. She mustn’t forget, she told herself, that she had defeated him. She had defeated him. He was second to her. Yes.

Funny how it didn’t seem that way.

“What do you want from me, Jareth?” she said, coldly, staring at his shiny boots – anything but those eyes. She found she couldn’t look at any part of him that didn’t wreck her concentration. So she looked at a spot behind him.

“Just wanted to pay a visit to an old friend…”

“Rubbish.”

He disappeared. She had lost concentration on his location for one second, and he had vanished.

“Now what would be wrong with that, Sarah?” he said, from behind her. He was very close. Too close.  She could feel his warm breath on her neck. Sarah backed up the other way. He smiled, a questioning smile, willing her to answer him.

“Well…” she began, shakily “That all depends on who you consider a ‘friend’. If you consider a girl you put through Hell and back again, with a baby brother you almost turned into a goblin… who actually defeated you… to be a friend… then I guess we’re practically family.” She said, injecting as much venom into her words as she could. Especially the ‘defeated’ part.

“I’m glad you see it that way.”

He smiled the most evil smile she had ever seen. It burned right through to her core. She took another step backwards.

“You’re looking particularly beautiful, Sarah.” he said, almost sincerely.

Sarah stared wide eyed, not being able to believe what he had said. A warm feeling crept over her. Then she snapped out of it. He was after something…

“What do you want, Jareth?” she said angrily, annoyed by the way she felt at saying his name again. It tingled like chocolate on her tongue, her lips.

“There’s no getting past you, is there?” he laughed. Then looked at her and sighed.

“There is just one, tiny little favour…”

“Forget it! You seriously think I’d do anything that would benefit you in any way? Go back to your castle.”

“Don’t be so quick to deny me, Sarah… I really need your help…”

Sarah looked him, considering. She couldn’t look at him for too long. Those eyes….

“What, then?” she said, snappily.

“You haven’t changed all that much.” He smirked, regarding her pout with amusement.

“Listen, I’ve got better things to do than…”

“Like what? Mope around, getting on with your dreary life. Don’t you think I know you? You couldn’t possibly really enjoy this.” he said, gesturing to everything around him. “All this… boredom. Hard work…” he continued.

“Oh, why don’t you just get out the crystal… ‘I can show you your dreams, blah, blah, blah…’” she said, venomously. She stared hard at Jareth. She saw an emotion she couldn’t make out. He wasn’t exactly the most expressive person ever. It looked a little like… pain, or something. It was gone within a millisecond, though.

“Not what I came here for.” he said, matter-of-factly. He stepped a little closer, towering above her, eyes gazing down at her, once more, purposeful. “I really do need a favour. There comes a time, in a Goblin King’s life… When people - expect things of him.”

“Yes…?” she said, uncertainly.

“The thing is, Sarah, people in… higher places need to see if I am still worthy of my chosen duty. There is something I have to get through. It’s called ‘The Trial’. I have to defeat a worthy opponent. Not some useless person who hasn’t a clue. In my Labyrinth. They want to see what I’m made of, Sarah…”

“I still don’t see what this has to do with me.” said Sarah, stubbornly.

“There aren’t many worthy opponents in the world…” he said, as if he was trying to make her understand. “But the ones who are, are called on when the time of The Trial gets near. These worthy opponents have to have conquered the Labyrinth already. Otherwise they are no match. There aren’t many of these around. Actually, Sarah… you are the only one who has defeated me.”

He looked at her. A shadow of desperation passed over his beautiful face.

“Not ever. No. NO!!!” she said. She turned and started to walk away. She changed her mind, and turned back, angrily. She challenged his gaze, infuriated beyond belief.

“What on Earth makes you think I would ever, ever, to go back into your Labyrinth?! To help you! You actually want me to risk everything, for no reason. So that you can defeat me! What even possessed you to bother asking me?!” she stared up at him, waiting for an answer.

“I thought maybe we could come to some sort of… agreement.” He said, his
expression still ever unchanging. Not even a flicker of emotion now. He continued.

“You don’t understand… you would be called there anyway. Against your will. It has nothing to do with what I choose. You are the only viable option. I am giving you a chance to… to make it easier.”

“I understand… You are scared you won’t win. Scared I’ll defeat you again. So you want to fix it. You are low…”

“No. It will benefit both of us. It will, yes, ensure that I will win… but it will also keep you safe. I won’t put you in any true danger. I’ll look after you…” he finished, with a sly grin at his last comment.

“What happens to me then? When I am defeated?”

“You won’t pay the price. I’ll make sure you can get back to… all this.”

“What if I want to take my chances against you? To win outright. What if I would like to see you lose?” a pause. “What would happen to you if you failed the trials, anyway?”

“Do you like my goblins, Sarah? Those vile little creatures I rule over?”

“Wouldn’t make the best of pets…”

He laughed at that.

“Would you prefer me as one of those?”

Sarah thought about that. What a waste… She hated the thought. But it couldn’t matter to her.

“What makes you think I would care?”

“You care.” he said. Not a question – no uncertainty. A statement. Sarah couldn’t think of an appropriate retort, She fumed in silence.

“I haven’t been ‘called’ by anyone, anyway…” she said. “I think I’ll wait and take my chances… Making a deal with a creep like you… may as well be signing my own death certificate.”

With that, she turned away from him again, quickly making for the gate.

“You mean you haven’t had the dreams?”

Sarah froze.

“What … sort of dreams?”

“When an opponent is being called on, prepared, they have magically induced, very vivid dreams, related to the Labyrinth. Also, their memories of the challenge are brought back to the surface - to make sure they are still worthy opponents. To make them more dangerous to me.”

“What… what happens in the dreams?” she said, turning back and walking slowly towards him.

“The memories of the Labyrinth are simply being emphasised, brought to the front. The dreams are the product of the person’s own imagination. I suppose it would involve whichever part of the Labyrinth effected them the most.”

Sarah felt her temperature rise, and she blushed deeply. She quickly turned her face away. Too late. He had seen it.

“You have had the dreams them?” he said, a strange emotion in his voice that Sarah couldn’t make out. It was like amusement… but not quite.

“Yes.”

Her voice came out huskily, much to her embarrassment. Jareth put his hand to her chin and turned her face towards him. He looked into her eyes.

“Will you do it?”

Sarah broke free from his grip.

“I can’t say you’re the most trustworthy person. You’d probably just let me lose, and then go back on your word…”

“I would let you go, Sarah. I give you my word. I would not betray you. Otherwise...If you don’t accept this deal… I would have no choice but to throw everything I’ve got at you. This is a lot more important than your other quest, if that’s possible. I can’t lose this.”

“So, you’re trying to convince me to trust you, by telling me that if I don’t accept, you’re going to try your best to defeat me? That makes me feel comfortable about the whole thing…”

“I am just trying to show you how important it is. How I would be willing to let you go afterwards, if you would just do this. And I’m doing you a favour, too. If you just went ahead and did this, you would be in extreme danger. If we did it my way, you would be completely safe. Of course, I would have to make a show of putting you through the Labyrinth properly, but I could save you at the last minute. My powers are strong. They weakened after you defeated me, but I have built them back up over time… if anything I am stronger… I can do that. Please, Sarah.”

Sarah was thinking seriously about this. It was a perfect plan – if she could trust him. He was possibly the last person on Earth you would make a deal with. Plus, there was also the fact that she didn’t really want him to defeat her – or even look like he had defeated her. But that was pure pride.

“Remember, Sarah. Fear me, love me… Do as I say, and I will be your slave. The offer still stands. Only in different circumstances. I wouldn’t ask you to stay with me in my castle again… since you obviously don’t want that.” he said, a certain darkening sadness in his gaze. “Although, the offer still stands… if you’re bored of this world…” he said, regaining his devilish grin.

Sarah laughed. Jareth smiled back at her.

“But the deal…?”

“Okay….”

Sarah had surprised herself. It had just popped out of her mouth. Then she realised that she had made the best choice. She didn’t take it back. But to trust him…
She looked at his perfect features, a triumphant expression written upon them. His eyes genuinely looked pleased. She took in his form. She couldn’t believe she was standing here, with him once more. It was an amazing sensation to stand so close to him… to hear his melodious voice… She felt uncomfortable though. Her dreams had been so real. She felt as though she knew every part of his body. She was relieved, though, when she thought that the same could not be true for him. They were her dreams. He did not know her body. Though the idea of it was… too appealing for Sarah to admit to. Just think evil, she thought to herself. Just a business deal. With a man with the personality traits of the  Devil. And equally as seductive… Oh, when he had mentioned his offer from years ago, she had melted again. To be with him…

“Thank you Sarah. You are a wise girl, my love.”

My love?

“Just… you try anything. Don’t go back on your word.”

“I swear to you - I will not. I must go now. You will come to us again when the time is right. It will be soon.”

He turned to leave. He turned back to her, and stepped closer.

“I meant what I said, though Sarah.”

“What?”

“You are, quite beautiful.” he replied, moving his hands to her waist, and looking at her. Just looking. His lips were so close, she swore he was going to kiss her. She didn’t know if she would be able to stop him…

Sarah’s whole body trembled. And it wasn’t because of the cold.

He didn’t kiss her.

He smiled, and pulled his hands from her waist. With that, he disappeared into the breeze.

Jareth sat lazily on his throne, a small but perfectly triumphant smile passing over the perfection of his face. He was dressed in a simple white shirt, black leather trousers, gloves and boots. His hair glittered with a strange iridescence, and in his hand he held a crystal ball of never-ending beauty. He twirled it in his hand, watching it catch the light that poured in through the window. He smiled at himself once more.

A group of  ridiculously stupid and ugly goblins dwelled at the foot of his throne, chattering incessantly while they performed their task of cleaning away the cobwebs and dust that accumulated in the room.

Jareth stood up, and dropped the crystal on to the cold stone of the floor, watching as it rolled around before stopping in front of one of the goblins. The unsuspecting goblin bent to look at it, and picked it up. The crystal immediately changed form, and became a slithering snake with emerald green, shining skin and very large fangs. It snapped it’s jaw at the goblins wide-eyed face, causing him to jump back with a cry of fear, before running around in a frenzy.

Jareth laughed a loud, melodiously wicked laugh, before making a simple gesture with his perfectly gloved hand, and watching the snake turn into a thousand glittering shards of crystal that disappeared as they settled on the ground. The other goblins laughed with their master, at the reaction of the unfortunate goblin. Jareth walked to the large window opposite his throne, kicking a random goblin on his way.

He was in an exceptional mood today. He stared out at the golden rays of the setting sun. The sky of his Labyrinth held all the colours of the rainbow. Amethyst, crimson, emerald and sapphire, blending into each other and shining like magic. Jareth’s kingdom was always a beautiful place to live in when he was in a good mood. Though this was not the case if he was less than happy. The inhabitants of the Labyrinth would then have to endure the most raging and icy storms, blindingly dangerous lightning and clouds as ominous and black as though they came from the bowels of Hell itself.

Ah, Sarah, he thought. You wonderful, wonderful girl. He grinned evilly. How easy it had been. How easy to make her enter into this agreement. The girl actually seemed to believe he would let her return to her beloved Earth. The thought! It was a perfect scheme. That they would both get what they wanted. Sarah would be safe and would be guaranteed to return home, and he would be victorious and remain to rule his kingdom. But why should he, Jareth, The Goblin King, have to keep to the rules of this deal? Why should she not pay for the damnable things she had done?

His heart still ached unbearably with the pain of his defeat. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. Soon it wouldn’t matter. Soon he would have his glorious revenge! He would keep her safe throughout the Labyrinth. Right until the very end. He could see her disbelieving face now, begging him for mercy. Those still childlike, innocent eyes gazing up at him, as he laughed into them, defeating her once and for all. He hadn’t quite decided what he would do with her yet. He relished the thought of thinking up a most cruel punishment.

He would lull her into a false sense of blissful security, saving her from the most dreadful of things she would encounter. He had seen the look on her face when he had called her beautiful. The fleeting warmth in her face, the hope. He would play with her desire a little. She would fall for him, further and further as the hours passed, until her eyes could see only him, by the end. She would see him as her saviour – the one who would take her away from the danger and the pain. Then he would defeat her. He remembered her trembling body as he had it held in the early morning sun. She had desperately wanted him to kiss her. Although the thought of this was rather pleasant to him, he would not let it guide him away from his path. He would use it in better ways, this affection she had for him. For revenge.

But he knew he would have to be careful. There was a fine line between her desire and her hatred. He would have to play a clever game with Sarah. He would have to restrain himself from displaying his destructive hate until the very end.

He anticipated the coming of her second challenge with intense excitement. This was going to be fun. He would thoroughly enjoy her destruction, without shame, remorse or guilt.

Not long, now.

Sarah sat at her desk in the dull classroom. The teacher of her English Lit class was reading from Hamlet, her voice droning and monotonous. The other pupils followed with their own texts.

Sarah didn’t.

She was thinking of oubliettes, peaches and little worms. Crystals that shined with a light that could only be made of magic. That showed the dreams of a thousand mortals, drew you into them like a dragging magnet. Goblins. And Goblin Kings…

“Miss Williams…?”

Sarah looked up at the accusing face of her teacher.

“We are on page 24. You seem to have forgotten to turn the pages, Sarah. You are six pages behind the rest of the class.”

“Sorry.” mumbled Sarah, quickly correcting the problem, hoping that would keep the old battleaxe happy. It seemed to, as the woman waddled back to the front of the class, her large form sitting itself down on a chair, before resuming it’s droning.

Sarah turned her eyes to the book, under the pretence of actually reading it, before her thoughts consumed her once more.

Soon, he’d said. Sarah both longed for and dreaded the moment she would return to the Labyrinth. Although she desperately wanted to get away from what she now realised was this boring grey existence, she also feared what she would see in his kingdom this time. She feared him. She wondered – would he let her see Hoggle and all her other friends this time? Would she have them to guide her? She hoped so. It would be refreshing to see all of them again, somewhere other than in her dreams. Sarah was still having the dreams about Jareth, too. Meeting him, if anything, had made them worse. She wished they would stop, and was anticipating the end of her second challenge – they would stop then, wouldn’t they? There would be no reason for them then… But wouldn’t she miss them, after it was all over? No, she told her self… It was too early to be thinking that far in the future…

An owl, it’s feathers as white as the blinding dull winter sky, was perched on a roof opposite a window of the school. It watched as Sarah pretended to be immersed in her work. It knew she wasn’t. It’s purposeful eyes stared at her features once more, and then it raised it’s beautiful wings to the sky, before being caught by the violent wind, riding it’s currents with grace and ease. As it’s feathers disappeared over the horizon, the wind seemed to sigh with a quiet acceptance, and a faint, sweetly sinister laugh seemed to ring into it, like the sound of a thousand shining bells.

Sarah turned the corner that took her out of sight of the towering school, feeling the wind’s chill acutely. Another uneventful day of education. Another day that lacked the magic and the light of the other world. The world Sarah felt like she belonged to. It was certainly not this one. This one had become alien to all of her senses.

Suddenly, as she walked on, a sparkling object at the corner of Sarah’s eye attracted her attention. She dragged her eyes to it’s source, but saw nothing. She continued walking, her suspicions aroused. Then it happened again. This time it appeared on the opposite side. She looked again, this time, straining her eyes hard to focus. About fifty yards ahead of her, something shone. It shone as if a full sun was beating down on it. But the sun was hidden behind the thick white blanket in the sky. It was coming towards her, slowly, jerkily moving to her. Sarah walked faster towards it. It came into full focus then, the shining mask subsiding. A crystal ball. A tiny, perfect crystal, bouncing towards her. Sarah couldn’t resist a smile. It stopped abruptly in front of her, at her feet.

So, it was time? Sarah couldn’t help the surge of excitement that ran through her. She bent to pick up the crystal, and it rolled away down the pavement, the way she had just come. Sighing playfully, she followed it. It wouldn’t stop, and Sarah could never quite reach it.

Finally, it stopped, a few metres ahead of her. Sarah looked up from the hypnotic crystal. She gasped when she saw what was ahead of her. It was a sphere of shining sapphire light. It shone with more shades of blue and purple than she knew were in existence, and its surface was like the undulating waves of a gentle ocean. It flooded the area all around her with its beautiful light. This was new, she thought. She stepped closer towards it, and peered through. She couldn’t see anything but the gentle magic ocean. Uncertainty. What would she see this time? She was blind to it all. She didn’t know what would happen in the next thirteen hours, but Sarah didn’t really care. All that mattered was that she was going to return. The light overwhelmed everything else in sight. Without a single moment of hesitation, Sarah put her hand into the sphere. It tingled with a warm magic.

She stepped through.

Light. Bright, blinding, shining light. Sarah found her eyes useless as soon as she stepped into it. Now she could see nothing else. Her body was falling. Falling and falling, further and further. Yet she wasn’t scared. She was enveloped in the warmth of the magic that surrounded her; it cushioned her and protected her. Sarah could feel that it was a creation of Jareth’s. He had created it for her. He was the warmth surrounding her. She could feel nothing else.

Then – it was cold. The light had gone, and there was only darkness. Then Sarah realised it wasn’t darkness – it was only dark compared to the light that had now left her. She felt strangely uncomfortable without it.

Four walls surrounded her now: old black and grey marble brick walls that were covered in moss and grime, and had been weathered by what seemed like years upon stagnant years. The floor was nothing but grass, a mixture of greens and dying yellows. A single slit window behind her was the only source of light, but when Sarah looked out of it, all she could see was light. No landscape – nothing.

“Hey.”

Sarah spun around to see an all too familiar figure, leaning against a weathered wall, partially hidden in the shadows.

“Jareth.” She said, her voice only a little more than a whisper.

“Are you ready, Sarah?” he returned, moving away from the wall, and walking to Sarah, the light from the small window throwing a streak of glowing illumination over the left side of his face, the blond locks of his mane that caught the light glistening. He was wearing all black: shirt, jacket, tights, boots and flowing cloak, and looked as menacing as he ever had. Except his expression. He smiled almost warmly at her. Sarah drew a sharp breath as she steadied her emotions. Then she looked at him, her gaze determined, ready.

“Yes.”

And with that, he threw her a glittering crystal ball, with a ruthlessness that surprised Sarah. She caught it, and, within a second, he was gone. The strange room had gone. She lost her grip during the second of disorientation and dropped the crystal. It smashed into a thousand pieces on a floor that was now stone.

Sarah scanned her new surroundings. Nothing but a barren stone courtyard with pillars surrounding it. A crude old metal clock was mounted on one of the pillars. A thirteen hour clock.

For a second, Sarah felt a silent dread, as she watched its minute hand, already ticking away, the cold memories of the last time this had happened returning to her. Then she remembered her deal with Jareth. She shouldn’t worry, she thought. The outcome of this was already decided. And yet… she couldn’t quite bring herself to believe that. It still seemed that she would have to try to survive this. That she would lose another little part of her sanity along this journey too. She braced herself, suddenly not expecting this to be any easier on her than the last challenge. She had a strange feeling Jareth would not let this be completely without emotional distress. The look on his face, in the last second before his last disappearance, when the warm smile had turned into something a little more impersonal and cold – the ruthless uncaring way he had thrown the crystal into her hands. Something was not right. She would have wait and see... Would he really keep her safe? All was nothing but uncertainty. Passing through that beautiful sphere had not changed anything in that respect. Not yet.

Sarah looked around the courtyard for anything that suggested an exit of some kind. Nothing but crumbling pillars, barren stone flooring and that damnable clock, ticking the seconds away. With each second that passed, the ticking of the clock seemed to get louder and louder.

A minute had passed, and Sarah was getting nowhere. The clock really was getting louder. Sarah was looking around frantically, to find a way out, and the ticking was now so loud that she had to cover her ears with her hands. It wouldn’t stop, and it wouldn’t stop getting louder either. Sarah felt a searing pain in her ears, the pressure inside them mounting, as the clock drowned out all sensible thinking.

Sarah, screaming at the pain, yet not being able to hear the sounds her own mouth made, ran to the clock, although it became worse as she got nearer. She pulled her hands from her ears, and tore the clock from its pillar, before smashing it on the floor, with all the force she could muster. Springs and redundant working parts flew in all directions, and finally, the deafening sounds had stopped. Sarah sat down against the pillar, holding her hands to her temples, trying desperately to get through the pain, the sound of the ticking still ringing in her ears, echoing and pulsing inside her head.

Sarah sat there for a while, breathing deeply, as the sound in her head and the pain gradually started to die away. She got up, finally, her balance severely impaired. She tumbled about the courtyard, swaying as though she was about to fall. She managed not to, though, grabbing onto the crumbling stone of a pillar, steadying herself and pulling herself upright, her vision returning as she opened her eyes, which had been tightly shut because of the pain.

Sarah didn’t understand. Why had she had to go through that? There were worse things in the Labyrinth, yes, but usually not this early on - and Jareth had said he would protect her. Keep her safe – make it easier for her. She knew that hadn’t been so easy, as she felt the pain that was still coursing through her head.

“Where are you, Jareth?” she whispered.

Suddenly, a breeze seemed to start flowing around the courtyard. It turned into a wind, and then a violent gale. Sarah couldn’t think about the pain any more, as she held on to the pillar for all she was worth, her hair flying in all directions, and in front of her eyes so that she couldn’t see. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. Sarah moved her hair from her eyes and her face, only to see the very person she had just called upon.

Sarah looked at him. He wasn’t moving. His face was deathly still, and he stood motionless in the centre of the stone floor. He looked straight at her, into her eyes. But no – she had been wrong – It wasn’t Jareth at all. Just an image of him. Sarah blinked, rubbing her eyes to clear her vision. A statue of cold glistening white marble. His features were carved so perfectly that she could have sworn he was inside that stone. She went towards the effigy, and looked it, taking in every detail, studying each marking. He looked so cold. So formally regal, the ever-present stubborn arrogance evident in those eyes. Eyes that seem to penetrate even from within the stone. They seemed real, glowing, boring into Sarah’s as she looked into them. She suddenly had the irresistible urge to lift her fingers to the face and touch it. Giving in, she moved her hand to the cruel line of his mouth, tracing her fingers delicately along the bottom lip, her hands trembling slightly.

Suddenly, the feeling became overwhelmingly real, and Sarah, cursing under her breath, drew her fingers sharply away from the cold stone, looking down at the floor - away from the knowing gaze of the statue. Suddenly, she knew she had to look up again.

Where the statue had stood, was a the real King. He looked down at her with a soft smile, although Sarah could sense a very slight mocking smugness behind it, tainting it. It soon passed though, and the smile became completely genuine, washing away all of Sarah’s doubts quicker than it should have. Pushing herself to forget her previous, embarrassing actions, she remembered the pain she had just had to endure, although it was completely gone now. It had seemed to dissolve into nothing, as soon as she had  looked into the eyes of that damnable statue. She remembered that she had some questions to ask of the Goblin King.

She didn’t have to ask them, though. Jareth moved towards her, perfectly clad in jewel greens that looked remarkably soft to the touch. He placed his hands lightly on her upper arms.

“Sarah, my dear girl. You have to remember our deal. You must understand that I will save you from the worst of things – but if I see that you can accomplish it by yourself – there will be no reason for me to intervene. Remember also, that even though I can shield many of my actions with my magic – I do have to at least make some attempt at showing the council what I can do. Otherwise – it is simply useless. They will guess our plan immediately. We have to be careful. I would not want to put you through any discomfort at all, if it was up to me, but, as things stand… It is imperative that I pass this Trial, Sarah. Surely you understand that?”

Sarah felt helpless. He was right… but it didn’t help her. It still meant that she would have to endure the Labyrinth again. She remembered, though, that she had chosen the easiest path, although neither were easy choices. She had chosen not to face all of Jareth’s magical strength. At least this way, she had a guarantee for her safety at the end of it all. But what if Jareth could not save her… What if it went wrong…? She looked up at Jareth, who was still holding her, his eyes pleading her to understand his predicament. His expression changed to one of understanding.

“I will not let you be harmed, Sarah. Everything will be fine – I would never fail to save you, my precious thing.”

His words caught her off guard, and she swayed slightly in his grip. All of this kindness. It was upsetting her mental balance – her idea of the world. Sarah – good. Jareth – evil. Not so any more. It was hard to distinguish between the two now. Hard to keep her head clear, and her mind on the task ahead. As suddenly as he had gripped her, he let her go, taking a step backwards. Sarah fought to keep her balance with the sudden disappearance of his support. Somehow, she managed to speak, regaining some of her confidence and spark. He had managed to weaken her then – but not for long, she said to herself. Hadn’t she defeated him before? She was his only worthy opponent. She had to be strong – especially against him. The struggle tearing at Sarah’s mind and heart was a raging machine of conflicting feelings.

“Okay then…” she said, looking at him confidently, yet not quite being able to address him by his name. She continued.

“I do understand. Still.. it’s not exactly perfect for me, is it…..? But yes. I do understand you. I’m sorry that I didn’t realise the way this would have to work. As long as I can trust you to…”

“You can, Sarah. We’ve been through this…” he said, gently, despite his impatient words. A tiny smile seemed to crease the line of his mouth as he saw her strength returning - her internal battle that was apparent on the outside also.

“Okay, okay. Can you not do anything else with my ears, though?!” she said, remembering the pain that had raced through her nerves only minutes ago, though it had seemed like years.

Jareth laughed quietly, genuinely.

“It’s a deal.” he said, smiling humorously.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Gone again. Only after a full minute, did Sarah begin to worry once more about how she would get out. She looked around again, now desperate. She saw the insides of the clock, scattered over the floor.

She begin to pick up some of the pieces to look at, in case they would give her the slightest clue. As she scooped the fragile pieces up, from the spot where the clock had struck the stone, she felt a groove in the floor, as the dust was cleared away. She ran her fingers along the groove, clearing away all of the dust and ground stone. Before long, she had uncovered a rectangular shape in the ground. A very deep groove lay in the middle of this stone. Sarah reached her fingers inside the groove, picking up what she now saw was a flat piece of rock, lighter than she had thought it would be. It was a covering for some underground doorway. Putting the covering aside, she peered down into the darkness that dwelled in the hole. But she could make out a ladder that ran down the side of the deep tunnel.

Here we go again, she thought, lowering herself onto the first rung of the ladder without hesitation.

“Come on feet!” she called into the discomforting silence, smiling at her own use of the words she had uttered such a long time ago.

Jareth sat on the staircase, twirling a crystal ball in his hand. It wasn’t a normal staircase, though. The stairs started downwards from the high ceiling, and went down to another level. And Jareth sat, upside down upon them, defying all laws of gravity. He wore black tights and boots, a grey shirt with full sleeves, and a three-quarter-length leather jacket of marbled midnight blue and black.

He was thinking. He watched the girl in his crystal. She was running through his maze of deep underground tunnels. They were dark and damp, a strange slime covering the crumbling walls. Yet she remained determined, trying to logically find her way through this unpleasant part of his Labyrinth. Logic? Since when did logic ever come into it? Jareth laughed quietly to himself.

He looked around the room, now bored of the unchanging image in his crystal. He continued to spin the crystal absent-mindedly in his hand, as he contemplated. He had really grown to like this room. He remembered when he had first seen that strange poster in Sarah’s room. He had flown in through her window and watched her sleep through the night. At the time, Sarah’s challenge had been just around the corner, and Jareth had liked to watch her. She looked particularly beautiful when she slept. He had known that it could not be long until they would meet, and the picture had caught his attention. It had intrigued him, as it intrigued Sarah. And so, he had decided to create his own room of impossibilities. He had known Sarah would like it. It was especially for her. And so now, it was where Jareth came to clear his own thoughts, to contemplate and to plot. Yes, he thought. It was his favourite room.

He smiled to himself once more as he thought of Sarah. His plan was working. He could see that it would be easier than he’d previously thought. He thought of how Sarah had touched his lips in the courtyard. She hadn’t known it was always him. Shouldn’t take things for granted, Sarah, he thought. Shouldn’t always believe that stone is nothing but stone….

As he thought of that - the feeling of her delicate fingers brushing his lips so nervously and innocently, he couldn’t stop the warm feeling that pulsed throughout him. He cursed, and the crystal he spun in his hand dropped, and proceeded to fall down the staircase, sending ringing echoes throughout the room as it hit each stair, the sound moving through the air, and producing the most beautiful melody as it bounced around every surface in the room.

This was not helping. He had to think about his plan. His revenge. It was all going so well – the girl was practically falling at his feet – it wouldn’t take much, now. She would be easy to break.

He still hadn’t decided what to do with her… He just couldn’t seem to think of any fate that was worthy of this girl. His usual punishments just didn’t seem to be good enough. Fine to put a dwarf in an oubliette, to waste away – but he couldn’t do that with Sarah. It would have to be something imaginative. Something special. He would have to create a new kind of Hell for her.

He produced another crystal, and looked into it, checking on Sarah’s progress. She was out of the dark maze. Jareth laughed. She always was a resourceful girl. She now entered the hedge maze. He smiled as he thought of the slight… modifications he had made… She wouldn’t be expecting them. Jareth laughed again, quietly. He saw her confident, beautiful face in a frown as she thought of which way to turn next. His heart skipped a quiet beat as he looked on, despite the violent  protest in his head. He must stop seeing her… like that. It was not helping. But when he thought of touching her soft body…her hair…

He could tell that she wanted him. It was hard not to use it in other ways…. No. He couldn’t do this. It didn’t make any sense. He hated the girl. But… Why did she have to be so goddamn innocent and beautiful. It was tearing his heart to pieces… such a fine line between love and hate…..

He sensed the familiar warm feeling taking his body over. It ached for her. And it killed a little of his soul each time he realised that. He had to do something about it. He stood up, and extinguished the crystal. He paced up and down the staircases for a minute, thinking. He needed to get her out of his system. He had to stop this crippling need in its tracks, before it got out of control. He would go and visit Sarah’s beloved world, he decided – and find a pretty young girl on which to relieve his… emotional stresses. Yes. He smiled wickedly. That would work. He felt better already, as he changed silently into his owl form, and glided out of a window, purest white wings soon becoming nothing but a glittering speck in the distance.

As Sarah saw the light ahead of her, her whole body sighed with relief. Finally, she would get out of this horrible, dingy maze. It smelt. Bad. And Sarah could barely see her own hand in front of her face. But now, ahead of her, was the exit. Daylight streamed in and it overwhelmed her. It poured over her body and revealed her to this world. She wore the same clothes she had hurriedly put on this morning – jeans, a pale chocolate coloured shirt – the kind she liked, with wide full sleeves, and a collar open quite low on her chest – just enough to display the little antique gold cross that lay there. Over that was her favourite black leather jacket, and she wore only enough makeup to bring a little colour into her pale creamy complexion. Her dark shining hair was in slight disarray, and now she pushed it away from her face agitatedly, before running towards the exit of the tunnel, smiling as she went out into the sunlit landscape that now surrounded her. The hedge maze. She remembered this. This, she could deal with. She looked around, comforted, almost, by the lush green, perfectly trimmed hedges, a few drops of water shining upon the leaves and glittering, left over from the previous night’s rain.

Sarah stepped straight into the maze, eager to finish it quickly. She was finding her way quite easily through the twists and turns, and was surprised to find that it seemed to be the same as it had been last time she had wandered through. And, her memories, of course, were rather clear, and she knew which turns to take. She would be out in no time! She frowned and stood still, as she struggled a little, not quite being able to remember which turn to take next. Left or right? Such a simple question.

Then, Sarah heard a rustling, in a nearby hedge. It startled her and she looked around suspiciously, trying to pinpoint it’s exact location. Then it happened again. Sarah was sure, this time. She went over to the hedge to her left, and peered into it. She could see nothing. But it moved slightly. The leaves were trembling. There was definitely something inside the hedge. And Sarah didn’t like the thought of that one little bit. She turned to walk away from it.

Suddenly, she was pulled back by something grabbing her around her waist. Sarah was finding it hard to breath, as the grip pulled tighter and tighter, trying to pull her back towards the hedge. She couldn’t scream. Sarah looked down. A long vine, covered in the greenest of leaves, was wrapped tightly around her, and it was pulling her into the hedge. Another vine suddenly wrapped itself around her right ankle. Sarah looked behind her. Countless writhing vines were appearing from inside the hedge, and they were all growing at an alarming rate, coming towards her. The vine around her waist grew tighter. And it pulled harder, as others wrapped all around her body. She knew she would have to go wherever these would take her, and her consciousness faded away, the vines pulling and tightening around her. Her limp, no longer aware body was dragged into the hedge, and disappeared within the leaves. The maze was silent again, except for the sound of the sweet birds singing, as if she had never been there.

All Sarah could feel was the pain. Searing pain that shocked her whole body. She forced herself rise to a sitting position. She ran her hand over her aching arm. It was covered in countless scratches, some still bleeding. But she couldn’t see them. She couldn’t see anything. And she instinctively knew where she was. She was in an oubliette. A dark, foul-smelling oubliette. Again. But this time was different. No Hoggle. She called out weakly in case he was there, but the only answer she received was the dull echo of her own voice.

Despite the pain that overwhelmed her, Sarah forced her self to try and explore the darkness, crawling around on her hands and knees, groping in the pitch black for anything that might help her. After a gruelling few minutes, her fingers lightly touched something cold and smooth on the floor of the oubliette. She picked it up. It was glass, rounded. There was metal at the bottom of it too, and it smelled strongly of oil. It was a lamp! Sarah hurriedly explored the area in which she had just found the lamp, and, sure enough, there was a small box of matches! Without thinking where they had come from, Sarah quickly lit one of the matches against the grimy wall of the oubliette, and lit the lamp with it. The subtle glow instantly flooded the darkness. Sarah smiled triumphantly. She looked down at herself, and was shocked by what she saw. Her jeans were torn in various places, and blood stained parts of them. Her jacket was gone, and her shirt looked like a rag. Half of the right sleeve was torn off, exposing the raw grazes and scratches there. Sarah touched her face. A single, very painful scratch cut through her left cheekbone. Her hair was a mess, and leaves and twigs were intertwined with it. She pulled as many of them out as she could, whilst trying to arrange her shirt so that it covered the right parts of her. She looked around as she did this. Unsurprisingly, there were no exits. Suddenly worried, she raised her fingers to her throat. Her cross was gone. She looked desperately on the floor of the oubliette, but she knew that it was in vain. Tears stung her eyes, burning them as she tried to hold them back. Her cross. She just couldn’t lose it. Not that. She never took that off. Her mother had given it to her for her eighteenth birthday. She had worn it ever since. She loved it. Sarah could still remember her mother smiling at her as she had opened the little box. She remembered how she had lovingly placed it around her neck. Sarah didn’t feel complete without the comforting feel of the metal touching her skin, reminding her of her mother. She hadn’t seen her since then, and could remember the strange, sad look in her mother’s eyes as she had left her that time. Like that parting was somehow worse than all of the others.

Sarah forced the tears back, her heart like lead in her aching body. She forced herself to forget, and tried harder still to look for a door of some kind, running her hands over the rough walls of the oubliette. She couldn’t find anything. She sat down in the middle of the room, finally exhausted, and out of hope. She looked over at the lamp that still glowed warmly. Her mind suddenly became suspicious. Who had left that there? She was sure that it had been left purposely for her. Then it dawned on her. Jareth had left it there, surely. He had said that he would help her to get through this, in some way or another. In ways that he could conceal from this ‘council’. Not that this really helped Sarah, although it was pleasant to have light, rather than to have to wander around in the darkness. It didn’t give her a way out, though. She was trapped again. The dirt-covered floor was as solid as the walls. No trapdoors – nothing.

No escape.

Jareth looked into the crystal, smiling. He saw the desperate, weary look on Sarah’s face. The girl was ready to give up, surely, the pain that took hold of her evident – both mental and physical. As he saw the raw, bleeding scratches on her body, he grinned wickedly. She deserved that pain. And he liked the way her shirt had been torn to shreds – exposing more of her delicate flesh than it should. She had tried, in vain, to cover herself, but it hadn’t really worked, and she looked more innocently alluring than she ever had. He congratulated himself silently, for coming up with such an interesting peril in his hedge maze. He wished he could have seen it… but, he’d had other things on his mind. He’d had other appointments. Jareth’s face fell as he thought of that. A nice time he’d had, granted – but afterwards… nothing. No sudden relief. The dull ache in his body had quickly returned. The ache for her. He grimaced. Well – it wouldn’t be a problem for long. He would be rid of her soon. His gaze returned to the girl in the crystal. She was still sitting in the centre of the room, in the dim light of the oil lamp he had left for her. She looked weaker and more useless than ever. This was his cue, he thought, as he reached inside his shirt and pulled out the finely crafted little cross that hung around his neck. He turned it this way and that, smiling, watching it glitter hypnotically in the light of the throne room. He placed it back inside his shirt, hiding it away again. Then he disappeared.

Sarah was just about to lie down on the dirty floor to rest her aching body, in the hope that she would wake up somewhere else. What else was there left to do? Something stopped her, though. A sound broke the silence of the lifeless oubliette. The soft sound of a thousand bells, almost like a sweet kind of laughter. It echoed around the room, and Sarah knew who she would see next.

Sure enough, Jareth was suddenly standing before her. He looked positively regal, dressed in black tights and shining boots, his full shirt sleeves and his collar threaded with a glittering gold. He wore a tight waistcoat of the purest black velvet, and a cloak flowed out behind him. He held a black cane with a silver grip. His shirt was slightly higher at the neck than usual, and his blond hair was shining. He looked at her.

Jareth was suddenly torn. He could laugh and take enjoyment in her physical pain, but, as he looked into her sad, exhausted eyes, his composure melted away. Her pain seemed to go deeper than he could have ever imagined. He was broken by this. The way she looked at him – so weak. The lack of hope was obvious in those beautiful,  wide eyes. He could no longer smile at the bleeding wounds, and was cursed with that now repetitive warm feeling that consumed him as he saw her slightly exposed body before him. The mixture of emotions was too much for him, and he looked at the floor in front of him – away from the dull sadness of her eyes. This helped him to quickly regain some form of composure, and he managed to raise his eyes to hers to hers once more.

“Jareth.” She said, the tones her voice as grey as the feeling in her eyes. She trembled before him, and held her arms tightly around her body. Sarah felt a certain pleasure at his appearance. Her heart lightened a little, as she saw the sparkling, beautiful eyes watching her. They watched her with an emotion Sarah couldn’t make out. There was definitely something going on inside him that she couldn’t see on the outside. It intrigued her.

“My little girl. Not so little any more…” he said, a kind of distant regret evident in his voice. He held out a gloved hand, and Sarah took it, allowing herself to be supported as she stood upright. His hand lingered on hers for a moment longer than was necessary.

Jareth felt that, and he hated it. He had to forget about his idiotic feelings. He had to get back to the plan. The revenge. Her destruction. The war inside him continued to rage on. Now was the time he should be manipulating her emotions, he reminded himself. Make her love him more. So that it could become her downfall. He would be her saviour, yes… and then he would be the one that would crush her. The pain of his defeat was still burning deep inside him, but the flame was slowly dying, being replaced by a new kind of flame altogether. He couldn’t let it overwhelm him. He had to destroy her before it became impossible. She made him weak. Just another reason to get rid of her, he told himself. Time to put his plans into action…

Sarah suddenly felt anger bubble up inside her. He was the cause of this pain. This unbearable pain that moved through her entire body. He was also the cause of the tremblings that she wouldn’t stop. The cause of her brightened spirits, the new found sparkle in her dull life. She couldn’t find it within her to say a single word. She couldn’t decide whether to throw her aching arms around him, or to strangle him until his perfect body was devoid of breath. So she did nothing. She just looked at him.

“I’m sorry, Sarah.” he said, a strange kind of empty gentleness in his voice. “I’m sorry that it has to be this way.”

He moved closer to her, and looked down at her. He moved a hand to her face, and brushed her tangled hair from her cheek, revealing the deep scratch on her skin.

“I’m sorry.” He said, his tone growing in warmth. He moved his head downwards, looking at her wound, lifting her head up to him. Sarah stood rigid, her body shaking under his touch. She couldn’t stand it – this unbearable closeness. He moved his lips to the side of her face, and touched the wound with a kiss as light as air.

The pain was gone. Sarah could feel nothing but warmth. It enveloped her, as it had before – when she had journeyed back to his world. A sweet magic pulsed though her, from Jareth. She could feel it running through her body, taking away all of her pains. She looked reluctantly away from Jareth and at her own body. The wounds had disappeared. Her clothes were still ruined, but there was no blood, no pain.

Sarah smiled at up at him. Yes, my King. My saviour. She could think of nothing else, as he caused all of her pains to slip away like crystal sands through fingers.

But his face had now become composed, devoid of warmth. He seemed to be wearing a forced, icy mask of nothingness. This angered Sarah. How could he be so emotionless, when her insides were tangled in confusion? She regained some of her anger towards him – she remembered the cause of her pain. There seemed to be a pattern in this… He would create the pain, and then take it away. There was something Sarah should be aware of… but she just couldn’t quite... She couldn’t think straight. She continued to look at him, her face now  picture of confusion. His hair glowed in the light of the lamp, and he looked down at her, smiling once more. This confused her even more, and she stepped back from him, trying to clear her head.

“Are you okay now, Sarah? Has the pain gone?”

“Yes.” she said, stepping further backwards. “It’s gone.”

“You know I wouldn’t hurt you Sarah. I would never cause you any real pain. A few scratches, that’s all. To convince the council. I would never really let you suffer.”

“I know.” she said, not quite so sure about what she knew at all.

Jareth looked at her intensely. The look in his eyes almost frightened her as he looked at her body, her clothes torn. She looked down at herself again, and saw the state her shirt was in. She pulled it a little closer around her chest. Jareth’s eyes were dark and they seemed to ruthlessly take in every part of her. Sarah took yet another step backwards, unable to stand the feelings that were dissolving her reasonable thinking into absolutely nothing. She felt as though her soul was being completely uncovered before his piercing eyes.

They now stood about a metre away from each other. Jareth took off his beautiful long cloak, and walked to her, instantly closing the space between them, making Sarah gaze at him fearfully, her mind unable to cope with the possibilities of what he was going to do.

He simply took the cloak, and placed it on her shoulders, draping it over her, covering her ruined clothes. Sarah pulled it to herself tightly, thankful for it, letting out a sudden shaking sigh of relief. Jareth smiled at that. But as she inhaled again, Sarah felt even less composed, as the sent from his cloak came to her. It smelled of him. It smelled like magic, and it was sweeter than anything. It reminded her of her dreams…

“Time to get out of this vile place.” smiled Jareth, taking Sarah’s hand. Sarah nodded, smiling back at him. Within a second, the oubliette had disappeared, and in it’s place were the familiar surroundings of the junkyard.

“Already?” asked Sarah. Surely it was too early for that? A gilt thirteen-hour clock appeared in the air before her eyes. Jareth gestured towards it.

“The time has passed quicker than you think, Sarah.”

Sure enough, it was twelve o’clock. How long had she been unconscious?

“A long time, my love. I’m sorry.” he said, reading the expression on her face. “I will have to leave you, now…”

“But…”

“What?”

“Nothing.” she returned. She hadn’t known what she had meant to say. She just knew that she’d had to say something. Words failed her.

“Sarah…” he coaxed, that strange mocking smile passing over his face again.

“I’ll see you in your castle, Jareth…”

“Will you?” he said, with another strange look. “Can you be sure of that, my sweet girl?”

Then he was gone, his last words nothing but an echo on the breeze, leaving Sarah to gaze at the spot where he had stood, now a void without him.

The goblins were scared. They ran, frenzied, in all directions. Anything to get away from their King. Another crash echoed through the entire castle.

Inside his chambers, Jareth threw another chair at the stone wall, watching it smash into pieces, splinters flying across the room. It still wasn’t helping. A particularly dumb goblin rushed in.

“What is wrong, your Ma…”

A book was thrown in the poor goblin’s direction, and he was sent flying down the hallway, yelping in pain. Jareth slammed the door shut after him, with such an unnaturally powerful force that his fist went straight through the oak, the door splitting into two pieces. His mismatched eyes were blazing. He picked up some worthless crystal ornament, and flung it out of the window, hearing it smash into a million pieces on the ground beneath him. A storm of amazing proportions was raging with full force outside, and rain poured in through the open window, soaking the deep crimson curtains. Jareth didn’t care. As he threw another piece of furniture, a flash of lightning exposed his frighteningly angry expression.

He finally sat down on the edge of his grand four poster bed, exhausted from his anger. The storm got a little quieter.

This was awful!

No matter what he did, the damned girl just wouldn’t get out of his thoughts. It enraged him with a force that made him want to go out and kill someone. If only it was her he wanted to kill! It was quite the annoying opposite. He got up, and paced the room like hungry tiger. He had to think of something! Something to stop this…

He had thought that his last encounter would clear this nonsense – he had decided he would simply be kind to her, and methodically, coldly manipulate the girl’s feelings. Some cruel joke! It was he who was being manipulated – by those wide, innocent eyes. That nervous, beautiful smile. The underlying sparks of courage, despite her fear. It all appealed to him more than he would ever admit.

He decided that he would use this anger in other ways – yes. He would channel all of these energies into one task. His revenge. He was adamant. Nothing could sway him from his intentions. Not even himself…

He had even decided on the best way to defeat her. Something that she would never forgive herself for. She would do the one thing that she would hate the most… The thing that she had been so proud of resisting before. Something she would regret forever, if only she would live that long… And then he would kill her. In that beautiful dress he had so admired then. In that room of sweet music and masked dancers.

The storm was even calmer now, as Jareth slowly cleared his mind. He forced himself not to realise how he was betraying his own heart. In his unthinking state, he didn’t
realise what his plan for her defeat proved of him… How self-indulgent it was. How it exposed his deepest feelings to the whole of the Underground.

He waited, staring into a crystal, watching the object of his love and hate.

Sarah lay on her soft bed, her old toys and books surrounding her. She felt so peaceful, so calm. This was where she wanted to stay. She could forget about everything here. Forget about Jareth, for once. She got up, and went to her dresser. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this. She knew that it was only a collection of junk that reminded her of her old room. She knew that it was all fake. But it comforted her so much – and it wasn’t like she had to rush to get to the castle, was it? Her fate was already decided, this time.

She found it surprising that this creation was still here, as she remembered the walls crashing down around her on her last visit to the junkyard. Jareth must have re-created it once more. Maybe he had known that it would comfort her in this way.

Sarah sat down in front of her mirror – surrounded by old pictures of her mother. She remembered that she had lost her mother’s last present to her. It was probably gone forever now – lost in some small nook of the vast Labyrinth. The tears stung her eyes once more, but she forced them back. She looked down at her dresser, smiling at the familiar items upon it. Her lipstick. She put a little on. Maybe it would make her feel better if she looked good, she thought.

Jareth’s statue was to her right, blurring her vision of anything else. It seemed to burn at the corner of her eye, tormenting her, tempting her to look straight at it. She didn’t. She couldn’t. She saw the music box before her, the beautifully gowned girl smiling up at her. The dress was sparkling, catching her eye like nothing else it the room now. Before she could even think about what she was doing, she put her fingers to the small key at the side of the casing, and turned it a few times.

The haunting melody filled the entire room. Sarah was suddenly overwhelmed by images of the ball. The wonderful iridescent bubble that had seemed to be a heavenly place, until she had seen the mocking faces of the evil dancers. The taunting laugher and the wicked grins. The feeling that they all knew something that she did not. Of course, Sarah understood now why they had been laughing at her – but then – confusion. The confusion filled her mind now, as the soft, beautiful tones of Jareth’s wonderful voice flooded her mind. She began to sway slightly to the music, her body seeming to forget how to control itself. Sarah felt like she was falling. A blurred drowsiness consumed her, any wishes to stay conscious soon dismissed by the heavy drooping of her eyelids. She wandered incoherently over to the softness of the bed, and lay down on top of the covers, the music box tightly gripped to her chest.

She felt her consciousness slip away, once again a slave to the Labyrinth.

She was standing in the middle of the room. It sparkled with the eternal magic, as it always had. She was alone, and stood in her rags and Jareth’s soft cloak.

It was the ballroom. It was as she had remembered it, except this time, there were no other dancers. Only her. And the room seemed suddenly friendlier than it always had… warmer. More inviting.

All of a sudden, Sarah was very aware that there was someone else in the room. She knew that she was no longer on her own.

A tall figure stepped from behind the shadows of a beautiful silken drape. He walked towards her, slowly. This was how she had always remembered him – the image that had always stayed in her mind. The hair, shining, the golden strands interrupted here and there by a glittering pale blue. The silvery grey shirt and gloved hands, the jacket of a still darker blue, and the shining black boots. He was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. And he seemed even more beautiful this time, if that was possible.

He finally stood facing her, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. He stepped a little closer.

“Take off the cloak, Sarah.”

“But my clothes…”

The look in Jareth’s eyes stopped her mid-sentence, and she did as he’d said, looking into his intense eyes, curiously. When the cloak had dropped to the floor, Sarah looked down at herself. The dress. She was wearing the dress again. The gown that seemed to be woven of pure crystal and light. She turned and looked into a tall mirror behind her. She was no longer a tired mess. Her hair was woven with silver and her face had lost it’s weary dullness, gaining a radiant glow. She sparkled. She felt as though she belonged to this place now. Part of the magic, finally.

The sweet music was quietly playing in the background, slowly fading in, completing the scene. It was perfect. No mocking faces, no doubts. Just beauty. Sarah turned back to Jareth, smiling.

“It’s time, Sarah.” he said, holding out his hand to her. She took it without hesitation. The music now filled the glittering bubble, and Sarah was in Jareth’s arms once more. He held her waist firmly with one hand, and the long fingers of his other hand were entwined with hers. She held on to him for all she was worth. It was impossible not to look at him, and Sarah found herself staring, as though she was hypnotised. He spun her around dizzyingly to the melody, singing the haunting tune of promises in her ear. His unbearably beautiful voice was breaking her will, her doubts become swiftly non-existent.

Something strange was happening to Jareth.

He couldn’t believe the speed at which his confusion was dissolving. This was rapidly becoming less a seduction, and more a personal dream. He felt peaceful. The flame of his hatred was nothing but an ember, burning with it’s last sparks of energy. He knew it was about to be reduced to smoke, to be carried away by the breeze. Her face – it looked up at him with such sincerity. She seemed to believe in the dream as much as he did. He looked away from her, to try for one final moment to break this damned spell. It didn’t work, because what he saw when he looked away was the image of the two of them, dancing, in a long gilt mirror. It looked so perfect. So right that it broke his softening heart. He looked down at her smiling eyes again. He instantly knew that she was not going to die.  Never by his hands. And now he was sure – never by anyone else’s, if he had anything to do with it. Never. Pain tore at him, as he considered the possibility that she might not feel the same. His mind was in turmoil. She hated what he did – what he stood for. He took little children, terrorised girls like Sarah. He enjoyed his job. He knew he could never change. But he couldn’t deny himself this one chance to be happy. He knew that no-one else could ever break him like this. Only Sarah.

Sarah could sense a sadness in his eyes. She was sure that they were sparkling with a glaze of salty tears. Surely not. Not Jareth. What if…? No. But… what if he felt the same as she did? What if this was his dream too? She searched his eyes for an answer, but got none. He looked away for a second, and by the time he had looked back, his face was a mask. But his eyes still glittered.

“Now, Sarah.”

“What?” she said, confused.

“It’s time for you to lose, my precious one.”

“Oh…” she gasped. She had forgotten about that. But before she could ask how, or say anything at all, she was stopped by a sudden look in his eyes. Now she understood. So this was how she was to be defeated by him? He looked down at her with a burning gaze that made her knees go weak. He moved his face closer towards her, and she couldn’t help but do the same.

“Ask me.” he said quietly, simply.

“What?” she asked, knowing very well what he meant, her voice shaking noticeably, her breath short and weak. She knew what she must do. This was a battle of hearts and minds. She must want him. She did. She must let him win.

“Ask me to kiss you, Sarah.”

“I…”

She was finding it hard to breath. Her head was light and dizziness consumed her. His close proximity made her body weak and she was glad of his arms supporting her. The room was spinning like one of his glittering crystals.

“Kiss me.”

A whisper. Nothing more. It was all that was needed. The shaky, incoherent words were spoken and now there was no turning back.

Suddenly, Sarah’s trembling lips were touching his. He put both of his hands on her waist and pulled her to him with a kind of ferocity that made Sarah’s heart skip a beat. Suddenly, oxygen didn’t seem like such an important thing, as he pressed his soft lips hard upon hers, holding her to him like a vice. Sarah felt the fear drain away as she lost control of everything. She couldn’t see or hear. All she could do was feel. Her body was being taken over by the most devastating kiss of her life. There was more than just desire. There was a certain tragic sadness emanating from Jareth. Years of being lonely. Yes – she understood now. She took his head in her hands and pressed her whole body against his, deepening the most beautiful thing she’d ever experienced. His lips devoured hers, and Sarah felt a wetness against the burning skin of her cheek. She withdrew from the earth-shattering kiss, looking at Jareth’s beautiful, sad expression. A single, glittering tear ran down his face. The clock began chiming thirteen.

He didn’t let go of her. He didn’t know if he could. The change in him had been instant, the hatred now long gone. He didn’t know how he could have ever imagined that he could kill his reason for living. He knew that she could see his weakness. He didn’t care. But would she have him? He looked into her deep, wide eyes. The answer was there. His emotions broke down as he saw it. She needed him. She really needed him. An evil, arrogant Goblin King who despised all below him, and she wanted him. Suddenly, he remembered something. He let reluctantly go of her, and reached inside his shirt, pulling out the golden cross. Sarah’s eyes were wide.

“Where did you…”

“I found it.” He said, remembering with regret the way her had taken it from her unconscious body. She really had always looked so beautiful when she slept. Sarah looked at him suspiciously. He took it off, and placed it around her neck. Strands of his long hair touched brushed Sarah’s neck and shoulder.

“Why didn’t you give it to me before…?” she asked, her breathing irregular, her body shaking.

“I was saving it.” He explained, nervously.

“Sarah…”

He couldn’t find the words. How do you tell a girl you have just spent an eternity  planning to kill her, and now you couldn’t live without her?

“So now…” said Sarah, her voice quivering. “I guess it’s time to go home.”

Jareth knew that it was a question, but he couldn’t help the sudden feeling of dread that came over him. He couldn’t let her go…

Sarah was crying. She just couldn’t stop herself. She looked at him, trying to find an answer.

Jareth’s mind was in turmoil again. If he truly loved her… should he damn her for ever? Should he make her live in this place with him? Surrounded by vile creatures and evil? She didn’t deserve that… but he needed her. How would he go on without her? To subject her to this, though…

He had decided. He steeled his emotions.

“Yes.” he said, quietly, looking away from her. He produced a crystal in his hand. “This will return you to your world. Go quickly.” The words were like icy splinters inside his body as he spoke.

Sarah couldn’t believe it. No… this was all wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! She couldn’t say anything. Jareth could see the disbelief in her eyes.

“Go!” he said, almost shouting, his eyes unable to meet hers. Sarah stepped back, frightened. What was happening? He couldn’t really want her to go… The tears welled up again.

“No.” she said, ever so quietly.

“What?” he replied, finally looking at her, his eyes full of unbearable pain. She was looking at the floor, her body shaking, her hands tightly locked together. His voice broke as he said the word.

“You… you’ll have to make me.” she said, looking up at him with those beautiful eyes, now seeming to be quite determined. Her shaky voice challenged him, her eyes sparkling with tears.

“Sarah….” he warned. “You must… you must go. Now!”

“What if I don’t want to?!”

Her shout echoed throughout the ballroom.

“You can’t… you just can’t make me leave you now. It’s… It’s not fair!” she continued.

Jareth couldn’t help the smile that passed over his face at her last comment. His beautiful Sarah. Forever the same. The world never changed. Not really. But he just couldn’t… he couldn’t let her be with him. She would grow to hate him… to hate the Underground. He just couldn’t….

“Don’t laugh at me…” she said, anger twisting her face at what she’d thought she had seen.

“I could never laugh at you.”

“So why must I go home? Do you want to be rid of me that badly?”

She was fuming now, wringing her hands, her face tormented.

“Because I love you.”

The look on Sarah’s face was astonishing. She broke down completely, and looked at him with the most loving eyes, sheer happiness glowing on her face. Then she realised what he was saying.

“So… so why do I have to go? Surely…”

“I can’t make you stay here, Sarah. It would be the cruellest thing I could ever do. I could never damn you in that way.”

“No!” she shouted, stepping close to him, looking him fiercely in the eye. Then she calmed, and her expression was serious.  “How could I be damned if I had you?” she asked, gently.

Jareth couldn’t answer. All he wanted to do was kiss her again. Take her away from all the pain. Forever. But it wasn’t possible. It just couldn’t be.

“You would hate me, Sarah. It wouldn’t take long. You forget what I am…” he said, looking away.

“I know exactly what you are, Jareth. And I want to be with you. I can’t change that.”

He felt his will breaking, his determination being dissolved.

“Jareth. You would actually consider sending me back to that dull world? The one that disappoints me a little more each day? The one that is killing me? …The one without you…? Can’t you see that I belong here!”

Jareth raised his head skyward, trying to control his emotions. She was breaking him. She was right. He had never seen a girl that fitted with the magic so perfectly. She was born to be a Queen. His Queen. She had never loved anything in the other world. Nothing, really, except her mother. That was why she had always tried to escape from it. With her toys, her books. She was made for the Underground. Made for him.

“Can’t you see that I love you, Jareth?!”

Jareth sighed. That was it. She had won. His will was shattered.

“But you can’t…” he said. One final attempt to convince her. The tone in his voice was weak. She had won. They both knew it.

“Jareth…”

Within a second, they were standing together, in his chambers in the castle. He placed his hands on her upper arms, pulling her a little closer. His expression was serious.

“You want to stay here? Forever?”

“Yes.” she returned, looking at him with the most breathtaking smile. He took her over to the window. A storm was clearing, and in the break between the fast disappearing ominous clouds, fiery, beautiful sunlight shone through. It poured over the entire Labyrinth. It glowed like a jewel. The light poured over Sarah’s face. She had never looked more beautiful, more peaceful.

“You want this?” he asked, gesturing towards the window and his entire kingdom.

“More than anything. I want you, Jareth.” she said, raising her shaking hand to his face, moving a strand of his golden hair aside. He took her head in his hands and kissed her, deeply. Sarah returned the kiss with her gentle, innocent lips,  pressing herself against him. She then broke the kiss, and took one of his hands in hers. She removed the silvery glove that covered his skin and dropped it to the floor. Pressing her lips against his bare fingers, she looked up at him. Her eyes were full of desire.

“Make love to me, Jareth.”

Though she had meant to say it with confidence, her voice broke as she spoke the words. He looked at her. Simply gazed, unable to speak. He took her body into his arms, and placed her on the soft, jewel-green sheets of his bed. She smiled up at him, and pulled him down to her, kissing him with the pain of all those lost years. His fingers danced over her body, making Sarah moan, quietly. She broke free for a moment, and proceeded to remove her dress. Jareth watched her, his eyes growing darker. She removed his jacket, and pulled her to him again, feeling the silk of his shirt pressing against her naked body. His lips moved slowly down her neck, as she held on to him. This was no dream, she thought incoherently, unable to think anything for long at all. She wrapped her arms around him, tightly. Yes real. Completely real. She took one of his hands, and pressed it to her cheek. He looked up at her, into her eyes. He lifted his other hand up to her face, his fingers now shaking. He kissed her lips again.

Then, as if suddenly powerful again, he moved his hands to her waist, pressing her body into the soft bed. His eyes held a determination. If his hands hadn’t been pinning her down, his gaze would have. Sarah shook with a sweet kind of anticipation, mixed with a strange kind of fear. Warmth invaded her whole body, and she held her breath, a silent burning in her stomach. Her wide eyes searched his, and he seemed to be waiting. For an final, complete answer.

“Jareth…” she whispered, forcefully. Then, he was inside her. She couldn’t believe the feeling of complete peacefulness, the pain disappeared utterly, and she knew that as long as she was with him, it would never, ever return. She felt as though her body would not be able to cope with this much perfection, as they moved together. The sunlight now streamed in through the window, flooding the room. Sarah felt the sunlight warm her face, her body, as she felt something shatter deep within her. She cried out as the fire moved through her body, Jareth feeling it at the same time, calling out her name, the light falling on his face, looking more perfect than he ever had. Sarah held his body close, her eyes glistening with tears. She had never felt so perfect, so complete. Her body still shook from the pleasure.

Jareth looked down at his beautiful Queen, smiling. She looked back up at him. Perfection, her beautiful face. His, forever. His Queen would never have to die. Not in the Underground. He held her closer, as he thought of what he had nearly let go. Never. Never would they part again. She lay so peacefully, her eyes drowsily full of happiness. He thought his heart would burst, knowing that it was he who had caused such happiness. Always pain, he had caused before. To make someone this happy was unbelievably fulfilling. Her eyes were closing, slowly. Her pulled the covers over her beautiful body, as she drifted into unconsciousness. He remembered what he had put her through in these past thirteen hours. Never again. No wonder the poor girl was so tired. He moved her hair from her sleeping face. She looked so happy, so peaceful. A tear fell from his face, onto her soft cheek. He brushed it from her skin. She sleepily smiled at his touch.

“Dream of me, my precious thing.” he whispered.

The perfect sunlight was beating down upon the entire Labyrinth.

Never to be shadowed again.