Just looking (Labyrinth fan fiction)
By
Allison Jones
Sarah wanders around the store with a vacant expression on her face and a fog within her mind. Why did she decide to bring her step mother with her she would never know? She was driving her up the wall with her interfering.
"What about this one?" Her mother guides her over to a hideous pink number with ruffles. "Feel the fabric..."
Sarah holds the satin limply in her right hand.
"Such good quality, why don't you try it on?"
"I'm not sure; it's not really my colour." Sarah grins. No way was she ever going to let that thing near her.
"Nonsense..." Her mother takes the dress from the rail. "...it will look lovely against your skin tone.
Sarah takes the dress to the fitting room and sits on the small stool with her head pressed in her hands. "Why I'm I even marrying him?" She whispers to herself.
"Hello Sarah."
She remembered the voice and instantly looks up. She finds Jareth standing above her with a slight smile playing around his lips.
"What are you doing here?" She opens the fitting room curtain and looks out onto the small waiting area. Thankfully it was a slow day and no one was about. She steps out and Jareth follows her.
"Well I was in the area and thought I would drop in on you."
"After ten years?"
"Just yesterday where I came from."
"Is that so?" Would explain his youthful appearance she guessed.
"So, dress shopping are we?" He finds an elaborate gold gilded chair with red velvet cushion that Sarah was sure wasn't there before. He sits down upon his makeshift throne and hangs a leg idly over the edge of one of the arms.
"Yeah..." She pulls her hair back from her face. "...a friends party."
"mmm..." He rubs a finger along his lip line. "...that's a lie isn't it Sarah."
She sputters thinking of a reply. "I,I.."
"I've heard from a fellow goblin that you are getting wed soon."
Sarah sighs. "Yes, ok it's true." She starts to pace the floor worried that her mother may be listening in.
"I'm sensing you are not happy with this union."
"Just nerves, it will past." Who was she kidding; she wasn't sure she even wanted be a wife, ugh! Wife it left her cringing.
"Oh, you just seem so worried."
"I'm fine..." She was worried about her mother. "...in fact I better be going seeing where she is."
"Who?" Jareth asks smiling and tapping his crop against his heel.
"My step mother, she must be around here somewhere."
"She is perfectly ok..." Jareth rises from his throne and moves over to Sarah and points out the exit over to the far side of the store. Sarah can just see her mother standing with another woman talking and laughing.
"...see."
"I thought for one moment you had..."
"Whisked her away to the goblin city?"
"Yes."
"No Sarah, I'm particularly who I choose." He looks deep into her eyes and Sarah suddenly feels vulnerable. "An old friend of hers, she will be occupied for some time."
"Arranged by you I assume?"
"Yes, so we may talk about your upcoming nuptials."
Sarah sits on the floor crossed legged. "What is there to talk about?"
"His name for a start, what is it?"
"Heath."
"Oh, I see. And does this Heath love you?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"An important one."
"Yes he does."
"And do you feel the same?"
"Of course."
Jareth laughs and paces slightly. "Poor Sarah, why are you lying to yourself?"
"I'm not!" She hits her fists against the wall behind her.
"Then why didn't I get an invitation?"
"You're not invited..." She gets up from the floor rather ungracefully. "...you're just a phantasm, a child catcher!"
Jareth smirks at her anger and moves closer to her backing her up against the wall. "I will take your anger Sarah if nothing else." He raises his arm against the wall so Sarah couldn't escape.
"Stop it." She protests.
"What's wrong Sarah, too close for comfort?"
"Something like that."
Sarah looks into his eyes and lingers on his face. He was as hansom as she remembered him, nothing had changed. He looked like he had just walked out of her dreams that she so often had.
"Close your eyes." He asks while smiling.
"Why?"
"Because I have a surprise for you, call it a wedding gift."
"Ok, but I warn you I know a few moves now, I won't be conned again."
"Your words?"
Sarah nods.
"Well promise not to say them until I have shown you my surprise."
"Ok."
"Now close your eyes." She slowly closes her eyes lids. Then she hears faint music and the sound of people laughing, a whole crowd.
"You can open them now." Sarah opens her eyes to see Jareth's clothes had now changed into his dress wear he was wearing in the ballroom she remembers only in her dreams now. He is also wearing a gold masqueraded mask that accentuated his elfin looks down to see her clothes too have changed into the white gown she had previously worn, and finds a mask on her face.
"Where are we?"
"I don't have to tell you, surly you know." He holds her hand and leads her into the centre of the ballroom. "My present, one last dance."
He places an arm around her waist and holds her hand tenderly. She instinctively knows to place her hand on his shoulder and hold his other hand. Sarah looks around and sees the other guests dancing, smiling beneath their masks and having a good time. Why did she run the first time? Is her overwhelming feeling overriding any logical thought.
"I've thought about this place so many times." Sarah says as Jareth turns her to the left.
"I know." He grins wickedly. Why does he? Sarah asks herself. Oh, god no.
"How do you know?" She asks for proof of her suspicions.
"I occasionally listen in on your day dreams." Sarah lets go of his arm irritated by his answer.
"Don't I have any privacy even within my own head?!"
"When you called me the first time you should have known you are never really free of a goblin king."
"That was years ago."
"Time means nothing here, a year last a day. Meanly ten days ago you walked away from me. You won't defy me again."
Sarah moves away from him and the ballroom turns to a nightmare of disjointed imagines.
"Keep away from me!" She mumbles to herself the words from the book, only she keeps getting the order wrong. "I've battled my way to the goblin city. Through hardships untold...and something...blast!"
Jareth keeps stepping forward while smiling. "What's wrong Sarah, forgotten your words?"
"Keep back Jareth." He stops at his name. It pleases him, he had never heard his name flow through her rose lips, and it was a pleasure to him. "I'm warning you."
"You're no match for me Sarah. Remember I said that to you before."
"Yes I do, when you cruelly took my baby brother."
"Did you ever think it was you that I really wanted?"
"What?"
"I stole your brother because I knew you would follow."
"You wanted me here, at the goblin castle?"
Jareth nods.
"Why?"
"To be my queen, I try to explain to you before you sent me into oblivion, but you were more concerned with getting home. Remember what I said? Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave
"I remember." She became distracted and can't remember where she should be, but she was sure she was in the wrong place. "I was looking, I was just looking at something, was it a dress?"
She looks up at Jareth and he seems to have a disappointed expression in his eyes. "Forget the past, acknowledge our future."
"A queen?" Sarah thinks to herself. A queen didn't seem so bad, could be worse. Better to be Jareth's queen than foe, and he would be my slave. It seemed too good to be true.
"What's the catch?"
Jareth tilts his head to the side like an obedient hound listening to his master. "You can never live back in your own world again."
Sarah gasps. Such an unpleasant prospect she thought to herself. "What, never see my family again?"
"You may visit your family of course, but your soul will remain here, and you can't live indefinitely without a soul."
"But, what will I tell them? How will they cope?"
"So many questions Sarah. It will all be very clear to you soon, you see no one is born in the goblin city. Everyone here is a lost soul, taken or traded by oneself or another, including me."
"Who traded your soul?" Sarah pouts.
"Someone that I unwisely trusted."
"A lover?" Sarah asks.
Jareth turns his head. "We are missing the party."
Sarah is infuriated by him changing the subject and is about to curse him, when he suddenly presents a small red velvet box from thin air in his right hand.
"I have something for you Sarah." He opens the box to reveal a gold ring with a large peal setting. "Marry me."
She looks at the ring and her mind is a swirl of feelings and her stomach all butterflies "I,I, I'm not sure, I can't decided like that."
"Please..." He gets down on bended knee. "...just try..." He removes the ring from the box. "...for size."
"Ok, but I don't promise anything."
Jareth places it on Sarah's finger, it fits perfectly. She holds her hand out in front of her to admire it, the glittering peal, and then blankness seems to settle in her mind. She looks around the room to the other guests and she can't remember why she was there.
"Where I'm I?"
Jareth gives her a smile, his plan was working. "You are here at your engagement party my love."
"My engagement?"
"Ours." He grabs her by the hand and leads her to a table with champagne glass upon of it. "Here..." He picks up one of the flutes and holds it out to her. "...to calm your nerves."
Sarah takes the glass. She was sure something was wrong. Something was at the back of her mind, something important. Blast! She just couldn't remember. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't claw the thought back within her mind.
The next morning within the goblin castle Sarah looked out the window onto the morning dawn. She could see all around the kingdom. She was sure she had seen many parts of it before, even walked through the dark wood, but Jareth said she was mistaken. It was not becoming of a lady to be out alone in the wood or outside the castle walls. She was trapped and had a strong feeling that she wanted to run free on the surrounding hills sides. Jareth said they would ride up to the highest point when the wedding was over and things had settled down at the castle.
Sarah stayed on the other side of the castle under Jareth's wishes. He said it was bad luck to spend too much time together before the marriage. An attentive goblin named Edwin helped Sarah make her wedding dress as all gowns were custom made and spun with real gold.
"When will the wedding be?" Asked Sarah, as a goblin spooned steaming broth underneath her nose into a gold bowl.
"The longest day..." Jareth reaches for a peach that is lying in the fruit bowl. "...that is tradition and has been done for many years."
"Then when was the last wedding?" Asks Sarah plunging her spoon into the bowl and places it in her mouth.
"Three hundred years ago."
Sarah pauses with the spoon still planted firmly in her mouth and nearly bites the metal in shock. "That long!?"
Jareth studies the delicate skin of the fruit as he turns it over in his hands. "Time has no meaning here, I told you before." He picks up a spoon and gazes into the polished surface. "How do you think I keep myself so youthful?"
Sarah tries to find the words to say, but is taken aback at how vain Jareth seemed to be.
That night strangely there was a storm over towards the dark wood Sarah witnessed as she looked out the window, as she sat on the edge of the large four poster bed.
"Ouch!" She shouts as the goblin hits another knot with the comb.
"I'm sorry miss, it's you have such long hair."
"I can manage myself..." She snatches the comb away churlishly. "...I've been able to cope many years before your help."
"But Miss, Master Jareth told me to attend to your needs."
"Well, I'm use to looking after myself thank you." Sarah looks down towards Edwin who now has a downtrodden expression on his face. His small mouth turned down at the corners and his eyes looking towards the ground and at his tatty looking leather boots.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, I'm glad of your help, but I'm not use to be waiting on hand and foot. Why don't you just keep me company?"
"Company miss?"
"Yes, you know, tell me about Jareth, the history of the castle that kind of thing."
"Oh, I see Miss, I'm not sure if my master would allow that."
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind, I am after all going to be his wife and your queen."
"In that case Miss, I guess I can tell you a few pieces of information."
Sarah pats the bed with her hand. "Here, why don't you sit beside me?"
Bang! They both turn as a huge crack of lightning strikes across the sky. The goblin nearly jumps out of its skin and goes to hide under the bed. Sarah knees at the side of the bed pulls the bedspread up and looks towards the frightened Edwin shaking, curled up in a tight ball.
"There is nothing to be scared about, it's only lightning." She smiles and offers her hand.
"Lightning?" He looks puzzled towards her.
"Yes, because of the storm, thunder and lightning." Just as she spoke, a rumble bellows deep within the wood and another crack of lightning lights up the dim candle lit room. The goblin shakes again.
"Look it's nothing to be scared about; it happens all the time where I come from."
"Really?"
"Yes, please come out from there." The goblin shuffles out.
"How do put up with such a thing Miss?"
"It's a regular occurrence and rather mundane..." Sarah looks at the goblin as it dusts its self down. "Don't you ever have storms here?"
"This is the first time I have seen and have heard about such things Miss."
"But it rains right?"
"Well, yes of cause Miss."
"But why no storms then?" Sarah moves over to the window and looks out to the hard rain pounding the glass. "It makes no sense." She says to herself.
"What was that Miss?"
She turns around. "Nothing, just being silly. Now tell me about the kingdom."
Edwin seats himself on the bed and Sarah notices just how grubby he is as she lights another candle.
"Well no much to tell Miss as I haven't really ventured out of the castle grounds."
"You must know some gossip?"
"Gossip Miss?"
"News, information."
"Well I only know tall tales from the other goblins. I'm not sure I should be talking to you about this."
"Oh please, we are friends right?"
The goblin puckers its mouth. "Very well, Miss."
"Well, what have you got then?"
"It's just a rumour mind you, but the goblins more closer to my master..."
"Jareth?" Sarah interrupts.
"Yes Miss. The other goblins tell me that the reason for this marriage is that it will link your kingdom with ours."
"What? That lying cheat!" Sarah gets up from the bed, her face red with anger.
Creak! The door opens and Jareth stands with a tetchy expression upon his face. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? friends? bosoms buddies?"
The goblin rushes over to his master and grabs hold of his left boot. "Please Master; I was just requesting what her Miss wanted to hear."
"But you are a servant of me Edwin and you do as I ask. I told you to carry out tasks and look after Sarah, but not to sit around talking."
"Look, it's not his fault, I asked about the castle, and..."
"Please Master..." Edwin still clings to Jareth's leg. "...don't punish me."
Jareth throws the goblin from his leg. "...disobey me again and I will..." He points his crop at Edwin's chest. "...now leave us and busy yourself in the kitchen."
The goblin scurries off.
"That was mean; he was only talking to me."
"idle talk causes problems." He circles Sarah and smiles. Sarah was wearing a cream silk nightdress and it hadn't gone unnoticed by him.
"You look lovely."
"Don't change the subject. That goblin said about the marriage and our two kingdoms."
"And?"
"What's the meaning of it?"
"It's just a myth that our world and yours would co existed together."
"What, goblins running amuck on my street!?"
"I doubt it very much Sarah, like I said it's a myth."
"And that isn't the reason why you're marrying me?"
"No, I have all I want here; I have little interested in your world."
"Then why, why marry me?" Jareth holds Sarah's hand and guides her to a full length mirror on the wall.
"Look..." He points to her reflection. "...why wouldn't I, why wouldn't any man?" His eyes glance down her curves.
"You're not a man, though are you?"
"Not like men from your world, but I can love just the same."
The storm died down that evening and the next morning there was a cloudless sky and sun shining above. Sarah waited anxiously near the large wooden door. The dress, although beautifully made, made her feel self-conscious. She heard the music begin and that was her cue to start walking towards the attar, but something troubled her, Jareth's words and the discovery of a silver necklace with her belongings. On the necklace chain was a small charm, a sun and moon intertwined. Sarah had turned the charm over and found some small engraved lettering: You are my sun and moon sister. Sarah was sure she had no brothers or sisters that she knew off, Jareth had told her she was an only child when she showed him the necklace.
Sarah finds Edwin at her feet, making sure her veil was hanging correctly on the floor. "Miss, please we have no time."
She didn't want him to be in more trouble so she began walking although her hands began to shake and she felt nauseous. The large room was full to the brim with goblin's. Even goblin's standing on the shoulders of fellow goblin's to get a better glimpse of their new queen. The music from the organ was so loud and overpowering Sarah had to steady herself on the edge of the pew. Edwin followed behind Sarah holding up her long veil. He was so proud and happy he had the largest soppy grim on his face. Sarah see's Jareth in the distance with his back towards her. He is wearing a gold long line suit, his spiky blond hair standing up above the collar. Then Sarah suddenly hears a ticking clock, she pauses. "Can you hear that?" She turns to ask Edwin.
"What Miss?"
"Nothing." Sarah carries on walking, but then again hears the strong sound of a clock ticking almost within her eardrums.
"There it is again."
"What Miss?"
"A clock, a ticking clock, don't you hear it?"
"I don't understand?" Edwin replies, his grim sliding from his face.
Sarah stops and the whole room seems to stop in time. Edwin and all the other goblin's frozen in time, like a photo. Then Sarah remembers words that flood through her mind, like a undammed river. "Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered. I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city, to take back the child that you have stolen. My will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great..."
Jareth rushes over towards her with a panic look on his face. "What are you doing Sarah?"
She looks up towards him. "I'm not sure, but I remember, I was with you and I said those words."
"Now Sarah, you are mistaken..."
"So you keep telling me. My will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great...dam! What is it? I just can't remember"
"Sarah, look at what I'm offering you, your own kingdom."
"My kingdom? I have a home..." Sarah finally remembers. All her memories came flooding back, embarrassing times at school to long summer days with her brother Toby. "You want to take over my world to rule over us?"
Sarah hears the clock striking again and looks over to the wall to see a grandfather clock she hadn't noticed before.
"Please Sarah, join me, forget about them, you owe them nothing."
"No..." she opens her hand and looks at the necklace within her palm. "...you see I'm not a silly teenager now Goblin king." She takes of her engagement ring and throws it on the stone floor causing the peal to shatter into a hundred tiny fragments. "...You have no power over me!"
Dong, dong! The clock on the wall chimes. Jareth's form turns into smoke and blows away in a strong breeze that blows through the open doors. Sarah suddenly feels extremely dizzy and falls to the floor.
"Sarah, Sarah?"
Sarah opens her eyes to see her step mother looking worriedly at her.
"Thank god..." Her mother says helping her to her feet. "We found you here, just outside the fitting room."
Sarah finds her necklace in her palm. "What happened?" She asks.
"You must have collapsed, if it wasn't for this kind man who was shopping with his wife we wouldn't have known."
Her step mother steps to the side to reveal a man wearing a cream suit and a black fedora hat. "Are you ok Sarah?"
Sarah knows the voice and face although she wasn't sure his hair was much shorter and his manner different.
"You gave us all a scare back there." The man smiles.
"The heat in here must have gotten to you..." Her mother grabs hold of her hand. "...let's get some fresh air."
They both start to exit the room. "Thank you for your help, Mr?" Her mother turns to say.
"Quinn, Jeremy Quinn." The man smiles again and removes his hat and as Sarah looks back she is sure that the man appears to be Jareth.
"Take care of yourself Sarah...oh, and good luck with the wedding."
Sarah doesn't answer for she knows this wasn't the end, only another chapter.