Of my inspired tales this is but the first, and most certainly not the
last. If this account thy fancy snare- before a fortnight pass- thine
admiration do utter by virtue of critique, else this myth should find,
alas, that it by time be made consummate, and it by time effaced.
____________________________________________________________________________
When I came out of the goblin city I had no memory of what had happened. Sometimes fuzzy images would come to my mind, as if from a vague dream. I occasionally would speak of the images to little Toby, but he thought I was trying to frighten him. Finally, I gave up trying to find someone who would understand.
Our senior prom was like a masquerade ball; I went alone. While I was there, though, the masks jarred something in my memory. All I could see were goblins- goblins everywhere. When my best (and only) friend approached me I did not see his face; I saw Jareth, the goblin King.
That night I ran, screaming, from the school gymnasium. By the time Taylor found me I was by the river crying for all I was worth. I told him what I could remember. Monday, at school, Taylor and the principal insisted that I visit a psychiatrist.
A short time later I was diagnosed as being 'mentally unstable'. Only two months later, depression followed. Colleges found out about my state and turned down my applications.
One night as I slept I had a dream. The pale-haired, blue-eyed goblin king was in my mind. He told me that I wasn't crazy, that the goblin masquerade had indeed happened and that the reason little Toby was frightened was because he remembered. Jareth showed me the crystals and offered me my dreams. I refused; I lost consciousness.
In the goblin kingdom beings are ageless. Time is not regular, as in our world. Depending on a person's will it may flow faster or slower. Each individual may have a different time, and yet that time somehow coincides with the time of every other individual around him or her.
When I awoke I knew by intuition that years had passed in the realm of humans. I, however, remained unchanged. Jareth had set time so that I might never age, as he had not aged. His mastery over time had made him immortal; I knew deep down that he planned to do the same to me. All this I knew in the first second of my awakening.
Jareth was there to greet me. He remained the same as the night I first met him, in my father and stepmother's room. The only difference was his eyes. Those eyes, which had once been so cruel and so cold, now watched me as gently as a mother watching her child sleeping.
"Sarah," he said gently, "long have I waited to see your eyes again."
I moved away from him. "Who are you?" I asked in fear and anger.
"You know who I am," he replied, his eyes dancing with laughter. He was so obviously amused by me.
I sat down. "What do you want with me? Why am I here?" I demanded. He only laughed.
"I've given you your dream."
"My dream? What do you know about my dreams?"
"Your heart called to me. Your heart was ready to accept me- that's why you remembered."
I shook my head. He moved towards me and took my hands.
"Sarah, I can give you anything." His eyes searched mine pleadingly. I shook my head.
"I can't. I have to go home to Toby-"
"He's a man now."
"What?"
"Years have passed. He's grown."
I shook my head. "No! No! Why have you brought me here?" I asked. I was growing frantic. All of my earlier knowledge fled me. I was afraid.
Jareth laughed that rich, melodic laugh he had. "This kingdom has not seen a queen in more of your years than can be counted. I must have an heir, Sarah, and you took Toby away from me. I would have had you for my queen, and raised Toby with you, but you'd hear none of it."
As he spoke, a voice from nowhere began. Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here, to the castle beyond the goblin city, to take back the child you have stolen. My will is as strong as yours; my kingdom is as great-
"You have no power over me!" I whispered in remembrance. Jareth nodded.
"You broke my heart then, girl, but I realized that you were too young to understand love. I gave you back to your world for a time, so your heart could learn. When your heart understood love it remembered my love for you and called me to it."
"I didn't call you!" I screamed. Tears came to my eyes. They flooded out over my cheeks and I buried my face in my hands.
Jareth was remorseful as soon as he saw my tears. He held me close, whispering apologies and sweet nothings to me. I realized I was too tired to fight him. When I collapsed to the ground I felt the goblin King lift me in his arms and carry me back to his castle.
When I came out of the goblin city I had no memory of what had happened. Sometimes fuzzy images would come to my mind, as if from a vague dream. I occasionally would speak of the images to little Toby, but he thought I was trying to frighten him. Finally, I gave up trying to find someone who would understand.
Our senior prom was like a masquerade ball; I went alone. While I was there, though, the masks jarred something in my memory. All I could see were goblins- goblins everywhere. When my best (and only) friend approached me I did not see his face; I saw Jareth, the goblin King.
That night I ran, screaming, from the school gymnasium. By the time Taylor found me I was by the river crying for all I was worth. I told him what I could remember. Monday, at school, Taylor and the principal insisted that I visit a psychiatrist.
A short time later I was diagnosed as being 'mentally unstable'. Only two months later, depression followed. Colleges found out about my state and turned down my applications.
One night as I slept I had a dream. The pale-haired, blue-eyed goblin king was in my mind. He told me that I wasn't crazy, that the goblin masquerade had indeed happened and that the reason little Toby was frightened was because he remembered. Jareth showed me the crystals and offered me my dreams. I refused; I lost consciousness.
In the goblin kingdom beings are ageless. Time is not regular, as in our world. Depending on a person's will it may flow faster or slower. Each individual may have a different time, and yet that time somehow coincides with the time of every other individual around him or her.
When I awoke I knew by intuition that years had passed in the realm of humans. I, however, remained unchanged. Jareth had set time so that I might never age, as he had not aged. His mastery over time had made him immortal; I knew deep down that he planned to do the same to me. All this I knew in the first second of my awakening.
Jareth was there to greet me. He remained the same as the night I first met him, in my father and stepmother's room. The only difference was his eyes. Those eyes, which had once been so cruel and so cold, now watched me as gently as a mother watching her child sleeping.
"Sarah," he said gently, "long have I waited to see your eyes again."
I moved away from him. "Who are you?" I asked in fear and anger.
"You know who I am," he replied, his eyes dancing with laughter. He was so obviously amused by me.
I sat down. "What do you want with me? Why am I here?" I demanded. He only laughed.
"I've given you your dream."
"My dream? What do you know about my dreams?"
"Your heart called to me. Your heart was ready to accept me- that's why you remembered."
I shook my head. He moved towards me and took my hands.
"Sarah, I can give you anything." His eyes searched mine pleadingly. I shook my head.
"I can't. I have to go home to Toby-"
"He's a man now."
"What?"
"Years have passed. He's grown."
I shook my head. "No! No! Why have you brought me here?" I asked. I was growing frantic. All of my earlier knowledge fled me. I was afraid.
Jareth laughed that rich, melodic laugh he had. "This kingdom has not seen a queen in more of your years than can be counted. I must have an heir, Sarah, and you took Toby away from me. I would have had you for my queen, and raised Toby with you, but you'd hear none of it."
As he spoke, a voice from nowhere began. Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here, to the castle beyond the goblin city, to take back the child you have stolen. My will is as strong as yours; my kingdom is as great-
"You have no power over me!" I whispered in remembrance. Jareth nodded.
"You broke my heart then, girl, but I realized that you were too young to understand love. I gave you back to your world for a time, so your heart could learn. When your heart understood love it remembered my love for you and called me to it."
"I didn't call you!" I screamed. Tears came to my eyes. They flooded out over my cheeks and I buried my face in my hands.
Jareth was remorseful as soon as he saw my tears. He held me close, whispering apologies and sweet nothings to me. I realized I was too tired to fight him. When I collapsed to the ground I felt the goblin King lift me in his arms and carry me back to his castle.