The Journal of a Lonely Goblin King

Entry 1: October 28th 1986

I don't even know why I'm doing this. She told me this would help me. I don't know how, but I'll give it a shot. Hello. I'm Jareth Ersaid Zarek Torin Taraketh. I am the Goblin King. I will NOT disclose how old I am. Let's just say I've been around quite a long while. I'm a fey. Not faeries with wings and 6 inches tall, but, in some way, their cousin. I have two brothers and a little sister, making me the eldest. She's the one who gave me this idea. Well, kind of told me to do this. She said it will help me deal with my anger from what happened last month. What happened last month, you ask? A certain GIRL broke my heart, after I offered her everything. She flat out refused me. I did as she asked. I took the child, ordered time and turned the world upside down, but still that was not enough. I played her little game, acting like the villain. I did everything she expected me to, but still, that was not enough. I'm fed up with this girl. She haunts my dreams every night. She doesn't know what she's doing to me. And after she said certain words, she returned home and had the audacity to throw a party with MY subjects. Not just one or two. No. The entire kingdom. I was furious. And I was forced to watch from outside her bedroom window. Stuck in my owl form of course. No one suspects the owl at night. But, only at night. I watch her every day, making sure nothing bad happens to her. I'm told to try and get over her, but I can't. She's all I can think about. Her long chocolate brown hair, those soul-piercing green eyes. I hate her, but at the same time, I can't. She's been in my dreams for as long as I can remember, even before she was born. It was like if destiny is keeping us together, our souls connected for all times. They kind of are now, though. I sang to her in that dream of hers. I wasn't expecting to be there, but I used it to my advantage. If it wasn't for that stupid clock, I would still have her in my arms right now, and there wouldn't be a reason to write this. But, she's not, so there is. I think this is enough for today. Bye.

Jareth sighed and put his quill down. Why did he even agree to this? Oh yes. Because if he didn't, little Coraine would go tell High Queen Kirlia what was wrong with him. That mother of his was always a little overprotective. Ever since Sarah left, the castle has been disaster. Goblins kept disappearing and appearing at will, most likely going to visit their Champion. He growled at the thought. She shouldn't be Above if she was the Champion. She should be here, with him. He pushed his chair away from the desk and stood up. He walked towards the open patio doors that led to a balcony that overlooked the Labyrinth. Leaning against the railing, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He wrapped his arms around himself, as if he were holding his beloved girl there, close to him. If only she would've stayed with him, he wouldn't feel this guilt inside of him, and maybe his mother would get off his back about not finding a wife yet. At least, he hoped. Standing up straight, he moved back inside his office, sitting down and continuing his paperwork for the dinner party his mother had him planning.

Sarah Williams, age 20, was pacing in her room. Her step-mother Karen had insisted that she went with a boy from the neighborhood to the fancy Italian restaurant just around the corner. He was just someone she met in the local library while doing research for her new novel. Well, her first novel actually, but she wanted to do some digging about a certain type of creatures before she started writing. The man's name was Jakob Zaragoza. He was a good man, a sweet boy, always ready to help anyone. Unfortunately, that's not what Sarah was looking for and it seemed like Karen couldn't keep her nose out of her step-daughter's business.

So, Sarah was pacing in her room, wearing what her step-mother told her would be nice. After meeting with Jakob at the coffee shop to talk about some ideas, Karen insisted that she took him out for dinner. After trying to explain that she wasn't interested in him, Jakob still insisted that they went out for dinner, just to give it a try.

So, unwillingly, Sarah got all dressed up in a beautiful forest green evening gown, a light brown belt around her waist, with matching ballet flats on her feet. Her long hair was in a tight French braid that went over her shoulder. She had on little makeup, not trying to look to fancy, but enough so Karen wouldn't get mad at her if she didn't get all dressed up for her date. She looked in her mirror and sighed.

Sitting down, she put her hands on the vanity and called softly. "Hoggle, I need you…"

She felt tears roll down her cheeks as she saw someone appear in her mirror. Blond hair, eyes with uneven pupils, an angular face, thin lips, pale skin. Seeing a man instead of the dwarf she knew and loved like a brother made her jump. The man in the mirror smirked. "Hello Precious. It's been a while."

Sarah couldn't believe her eyes. It was the very man she dreaded, but at the same time, was fascinated by. She gaped a few times before hearing him chuckle. She glared at him through the mirror before mumbling the title she knew this man by.

"Hello Goblin King. Where's my friend?" she scowled at him, not wanting to hear his excuses, but wanting to know where her friend was.

Jareth's smile fell at the mention of the dwarf/goblin/whatever he was. His face took on a sour look, a grim expression that could only define the worst. "That's why I'm here, Precious. He's gone. They all are. Someone's taking them one by one and I'm the only one left."

Hearing him say that made something inside of her churn and spin. What did he mean? Hoggle, Sir Didymus and sweet Ludo. They couldn't all be gone, could they? She looked up at the Goblin King in her mirror, a sad and almost a concern look. He had to be lying. Right? "You're lying, Goblin King. My friends are O.K. You're just trying to keep them away from me. Where are they? An oubliette? The bog?" she snarled at him, glaring with her pale, emerald eyes.

The Goblin King took a long look at his girl through the mirror. He sighed and lowered his head. He shook it slowly, a sad look on his face. "I'm not lying. You should know. Feys can't lie." He said darkly.

Not wanting to believe what she was hearing, Sarah stood up and started pacing again. They were all gone, every single one of them. Surely it hasn't been that long since she talked to them, right? She looked at the Goblin King before squaring her shoulders and saying strongly, "I'm coming to help find them. How am I supposed to get there?"

Seeing Jareth's face light up, she stood a little taller, knowing she was doing the right thing to get her friends back. He explained to her how she needed to get ready to leave soon because he was afraid they were coming after him next.

Nodding and watching Jareth disappear, she quickly changed into a pair of loose jeans and a black tank top, a brown hoodie tied around her waist. She quickly got a bag of supplies ready. Matches, water, food, blankets, pillows, extra clothes, multiple first-aid kits, an electric heater, anything she thought she could use in the Labyrinth. Grabbing a few personals belongings, such as a picture of her and Toby, a few of her favorite books and her copy of the Labyrinth, which she had kept hidden ever since that fateful day, were also included. She brought an empty journal with a few pens, deciding that she might want to write everything she encountered down, maybe for inspiration. Knowing it was time to go, and hearing Karen climbing the stairs, calling to her, she walked through her full body mirror that the Goblin King had used his magic on so she could travel to his realm to help save everyone.

Just as she left, there was a knock on the door. "Sarah. Sarah sweetie, Jakob's here." Karen called to her 20 year old daughter who was always reluctant to go out on dates.

Opening the door and finding the room empty, Karen started worrying once she saw the open window. Instantly, she called to her husband Robert that Sarah had ran away from home, again. Unknowingly to both of them, she had in fact gone on a trip to save her friends from whatever trouble the Labyrinth had been doomed to.

Sarah Williams awoke in a strange place. It was quiet, almost too quiet. It was odd for her. She was used to a busy life-style with her 6 year old brother Toby. They had become closer ever since the first time they had both been in the Labyrinth. She willingly took care of him and was always playing with him. Shaking her head to rid herself of the distraction she was giving herself, she noticed she was already in the Goblin City. And everyone was gone. How odd, she thought with interest, there should be Goblins running around everywhere.

Knowing something was up, and not liking it, she ran towards the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, now worried that the King had also been taken. He had told her that he would meet her when she arrived. And yet, he wasn't there. How odd was that?

Reaching the entrance, she ran up the stairs that led to the throne room. Finding it empty made her worry all the more that she would be alone, so she darted to the stair case on the side of the room until she reached a strange room that she had never seen before. Looking around, she realized that she must've been in someone's bedroom.

The bed was at least a king size, a giant canopy over it. The blankets were different shades of red and black, the four posts were made out of a dark oak wood. There was a desk on the other side of the room, facing a giant fireplace. There were papers thrown all over its surface, a few books, and… a journal? Where did that come from?

Sarah walked over to the desk, curiosity slowly rising inside of her. 'Curiosity killed the cat… But it did have 8 more lives…" she thought grimly, worried about what she was about to find. Looking at the brown leather bound book with a slip of aged paper wedged between the book and the tie keeping it close, she oddly felt that it was somehow calling to her.

Pulling out the piece of paper from the bindings, she opened it and read its contents.

"Hello,

You who are reading this are now the only one left in this part of the Underground. If you are reading this, you have 26 hours to find me with this journal for hints. That gives you two days. Please help me and my kingdom from whoever is taking us from our home. The first entry that would help you is already bookmarked. Feel free to read the rest of them, as there might be hints hidden in there that I could not find. I must go, I hear them coming up the stairs.

-Jareth, the King of Goblins"

Sarah looked down at the journal and picked it up. Turning it around in her hands, she sat down on the chair that was there and opened the journal. Finding the entry that he wanted her to read, she looked up at the roof and said with much more confidence than she felt she held.

"I promise you Goblin King," she muttered, "I will save you and everyone else in this kingdom. Even if it's the last thing I do."

A/N: Wow, first chapter of my first story I feel will go a long way. I hope at least. So, every chapter will start off with an entry from Jareth's journal. Hopefully you will like it. I will try to update as often as possible. Please read and review, flammers not welcomed, but will be taken.