A/N: This story helped me feel better when I was down. If you think the name of the OC sounds familiar, check out my profile. What you see will probably give you something to think about in regards to this story and the sanity of its author…Oh well, on with this story before the Goblin King gets his tights in a bunch…
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A brunette sat at her secondhand desk, typing away on her laptop with a frown on her face. There was nothing special about the girl. She had plain light brown hair, a round face, eyes that were lit up with dreams of a better future. Her body was not as slim as her friends' nor did it do what she wanted it to half the time.
The only things she could think of that separated her from the rest of the pack of crayons the world was, were the facts that she was smarter than most and had an undeclared case of schizophrenia, on top of her writing talent. But there was one thing she cherished more than her writing talent…
She had a steady friendship with Jareth the Goblin King.
At first, she'd been skeptical about his existence. She'd seen the movie that they had made that circled around him and some girl named Sarah and had been transfixed by him. Not the man who played him, but the character of Jareth. The girl had fallen for the cocky attitude, the secretive smiles, and the dreamer's heart. It had been a dream to find out that he was really real, that dreams do come true with a little help…
She turned her head slightly, pretending to check a notebook for something she was typing. In truth, she was glancing at the bed where the Goblin King lounged, idly tracing glittery designs on the ceiling with a lazy finger.
How did I get so lucky? the girl asked herself. I have a bond with someone who grants a dreamer her heart's desires…but…why am I not happy?
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Jareth's eyes were focused on the ceiling, following the idle glittery designs that his finger traced in the air. He was aware of the tapping of the girl's fingers on the keyboard and how it halted every now and then with the sound of a page turning in its place. It was a familiar sound now and had been for two years now. Since she believed in him in the way he believed in her.
It had been years – decades – since Jareth had ventured to the human world on more than business. When he had, he found a world of young people dreaming the shallow dreams of someone who could dream no better dream than that of fortune and fame. It saddened him to see that there were few who believed in the fanciful world that he was a part of.
Had they all been forgotten?
Jareth had nearly lost hope and returned to his land full of Goblins and magic until he found himself following a path he did not know. Then he found something. He found her.
The girl's dreams were that of a better world. A world of peace and magic, of love and happiness. Jareth clung to those dreams, enjoying their childishness. Oh the fantastic creatures the girl dreamed up and the tales she went through!
But all dreams are not far from nightmares. The girl lived a waking nightmare because of her condition. Schizophrenia, she called it. He had read up on it in their moments apart, but had experienced it firsthand in their time together. She lived in constant terror of hurting someone, of hurting herself, and the things she saw…Oh, how terrible were those things that she saw, but he had a feeling she was holding back the worst when they spoke about her episodes.
"Damn it!" the girl cursed, hitting the desk. "Go away already!"
"It's not there," Jareth said calmly, his eyes flickering in her direction briefly. "Samantha, you and I are the only ones here…"
The girl lapsed into silence, but Jareth was aware of her anger, her terror. Both emotions were thick in the room, replacing the tranquil air that she had given off moments before.
If I could take her pain away, I would in a heartbeat… Jareth thought, lowering his hand so that it rested lightly on his stomach.
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Sam closed her document and opened up her internet. Well, it was her neighbor's internet; she just borrowed the signal every now and then. She logged onto a social website and read through the status updates, ignoring the links that she had never bothered to care for. To her dismay, there was a party going on at a classmate's house, a 'friend'. A beautiful friend. She could see the girl's beautiful face in hundreds of photos.
Why can't that be me? Why am I stuck with this plain face? This pitiful excuse of a body? I'm destroying myself a little more each day? Why can't I lay off the fries? Why do I have to eat?
Sam stared at a particular photo of the beautiful girl. It was full of laughter and friends and the girl never looked so happy, so sure of herself in her life.
"Jareth?" she asked timidly. "May I have a wish?"
"Yes." Jareth's eyes turned to her once more. "What shall it be now? A fantastic new creation of yours?"
Sam shook her head and pointed at the photo on her laptop's screen. "I want to be beautiful…I wish I was beautiful."
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Jareth fell silent, regarding her through mismatched eyes. Studying eyes. Sad eyes.
Sam cleared her throat and lowered her hand, placing it on her lap. "Did you hear me, Jareth? I made a wish…"
"I heard," was his reply as he looked away from her.
"Then where's the crystal? Where's the glitter?" Oh, how she loved the glitter that surrounded him! "Why haven't you granted me the wish?"
"I cannot grant a wish for something that is already there," Jareth said, glancing at her once more.
Sam looked confused. Jareth rolled his eyes, pushing himself into a seated position. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood, making a show of dusting off and straightening his leather vest. Sam watched as he crossed the small distance to her desk. Jareth passed a hand in front of the laptop's screen and it became like silver glass, reflecting the room and the two of them. He noticed how Sam quickly looked away.
"Samantha," he began gently. "What do you see when you look in the mirror?"
"A fat, ugly troll," Sam responded a little too quickly, a little too harsh for his liking.
Jareth let the hurt show in his eyes and Sam quickly looked back at the mirror, hoping to please him with a better answer.
"I see a girl with plain brown hair, a round face, dark circles under dull eyes," Sam whispered, scrutinizing herself in the mirrored laptop screen. "I see a girl with little friends, schizophrenia, and sadness…Sadness that goes on forever…" She looked up at him. "Please Jareth, I wish to be beautiful."
Jareth sighed again. "You silly, little girl…You are beautiful." He pointed at the mirror screen. "I see a girl who takes care not only of herself but of others, whose kindness towards everyone speaks volumes of beauty. I see a dreamer's eyes, sparkling and full of life, full of desires for a better world. A glorious future. I see a heart that can love forever and open itself to the world." He smiled a small smile. "I see a beautiful girl and her name is Samantha…"
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Sam stared up at Jareth in wonder. "Me? Beautiful?"
Jareth's smile turned into a smirk. A secretive smirk. Sam wondered if she would ever be allowed to share in his secrets…
"Yes. You."
Sam looked at the mirror again and frowned, trying to see what he saw. She could see the light in her eyes, but then she saw something she didn't want to see. Oh God! Why did she have to see these horrible waking nightmares? Why?
"Jareth! Make it stop!" Sam exclaimed, upsetting the chair and turning away from the world, from the vision. "Make it go away!"
Jareth enveloped her in his arms, letting her rest her cheek against his chest. He stroked her hair with an ungloved hand, holding her close and offering silent comfort.
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Jareth felt the dreamer tremble in his arms. He tried to pass on strength through his touch, to chase away her demons. He wished that it was for an entirely different reason that he held her in his arms.
"Jareth…I'm sorry," she whispered and Jareth felt a drop of water touch his chest and then another.
He could feel her sadness, the terror returning, crushing away her dreams and silencing her happiness. Jareth pulled her closer and stroked her hair as if petting it would hold off that vile emotion – terror – forever. He knew it would never work though.
"It's a pity these things can't be wished away," he commented aloud, putting a voice to his rushing thoughts. "There are, however, many hugs in your future as a substitute."
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Sam closed her eyes, but the crystalline droplets of sadness continued to wet Jareth's chest. "There won't be many hugs. I'm not popular enough for many hugs."
Jareth laughed, it was a light pleasing sound. "You have quite a number of friends in all grades of your high school. How could you number so many as so few?"
Sam shuddered again as another flash of a vision passed before her eyes. How can they follow me with my eyes closed? How can I still see their faces? Their horrible, rotting faces!
"Jareth…I just want these things to go away," Sam whispered, her fingers curling in his shirt, pulling her ever closer to Jareth's warm body. She wondered when her body had grown so cold. "I want to wake from these living nightmares before time passes me by and no one notices me enough to love me…"
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Jareth smiled. It was an open smile, a welcoming smile. He gently tipped Sam's face up and watched her open her wet eyes. There in the pools of sadness, he saw hope and longing for love. It was something he understood very well. It was something that he had felt since he had found the world of empty dreamers.
Until he found her.
"Samantha, there are people who have noticed you," Jareth told her quietly, tipping his head to the side slightly. "Haven't I noticed you? People have loved you…"
Sam looked up at him, her eyes drying with confusion and hope. "And have…you?"
Jareth smiled down at her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I have, little dreamer."
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Samantha tapped away at her laptop, listening to Jareth sing to her from the bed. She heard her parents mutter to each other about how her condition had grown worse since she had absorbed herself in the fairytale world, but she didn't care.
She wasn't invited to the beautiful friend's next party, but she was beautiful to someone who really mattered in the world.
There can never be a more beautiful me, she thought, allowing Jareth to envelop her in his arms once more.
Jareth smiled and pressed another kiss to the top of her head. "Precisely…"
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A/N: So what do you think? If you want more, tell me. If you want clarification, tell me. If you absolutely hate my guts/my story, tell me about that too. You will find I'm good at listening and very understanding. Please let me know what you're thinking as you read this. Thanks! ~ Scarlet