a/n: This is literally the first story I have ever uploaded so please keep that in mind. I also don't have a beta at the moment so you'll have to forgive me. Please? lol. Please be gentle but I really do appreciate constructive criticism. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or any of it's characters. As much as I wish that were true.
"She's in the Oubliette."
A chorus of laughter sprang up around him. It went straight to his core and fueled the irritation that was sitting there.
"Shut up!" He hissed, "She should not have gotten as far as the Oubliette."
It looks like, once again, he would have to take care of things himself.
She hit the ground with a hard thump. She heard the crate close above her and she felt her hope slip just a bit. The only source of light was from directly above her head. She couldn't see past her little circle of light and dared not go out of it. She had no idea what lay beyond her vision and she wasn't willing to risk it. So she sat. 'I have to move sometime. I HAVE to figure out a way out of here!' She warred between caution and determination. She knew she had to get to Toby somehow. But how to get out of someplace she couldn't even see all of? Guilt started to slip in. She had been pushing back the feeling ever since the clock started ticking its 13 hours. She had to put it away, had to fight it back. She knew that if she let it win over she would sit and cry and never get back up. She knew that if guilt and fright won, it would all be over. So she beat the despairing feeling back and tried to strategize.
The silence was starting to distract her. It was so loud she felt it pushing in on her. It didn't help that she couldn't heart a sound. Not a breeze or water running or rocks shifting. Even the Helping Hands were quiet above her. Her own breathing was harsh and ragged in her ears. Her heart seemed to be beating too fast. She felt like the sound was going to swallow her up. Then she felt it, some one else was in the room with her. She froze.
"Is someone there?" She winced at the sound of panic in her voice.
"Me."
The reply sent shivers down her spine. She knew that voice. It was the one that kept playing in her head over and over, like a broken record. She felt even more tired.
"Oh, it's you." She tried to play it off, like she was indifferent to him being in the same room as her but she felt her heart catch.
She heard the Goblin King take a step toward her. Her back involuntarily straightened. She hated that she couldn't gage how far, or how close, he was to her. It added to her growing paranoia in the darkness.
"Now, Sarah. Is that any way to talk to me?" He was close, closer than she would have liked. "Don't you like my visits?" He sounded like he was right behind her. She tried to spin around but her shoulder hit what felt like a wall then arms circled around her.
She felt herself get pinned with her back to the Goblin King and she jerked. The arms around her tightened like vises. She couldn't move.
She started to panic again when she found she couldn't budge an inch in his steely arms. Her mind reeled as she felt an arm circle her waist. She cried out in protest and Jareth's other arm slid up and his hand cupped her chin. She felt breath on her face as he leaned in.
"You hush. I'm thinking. "
About what?
"Just how did you get as far as the Oubliette? Hmmmm? Is someone helping you?"
He sounded like he was just thinking out loud so she didn't bother responding. She wasn't sure she could if she wanted to. She could feel her nails biting into her palms as she felt his breath at her neck. He smelled her neck running his nose up her skin and it tingled. Sarah felt a strong desire to scrub the spot with her hand. She felt his nose make its progress along her chin and she couldn't take it any more. "What…are you doing here?" She managed to get out through clenched teeth. She felt him chuckle, "Cheeky child." He lifted some of her hair in his hand.
"It's not every day I have someone like you in my Labyrinth. I couldn't help but come and check your progress myself." He let her hair fall back against her shoulder. Good Lord she felt like showering. She felt trapped, and vulnerable, and disgusted at being treated in such a manner and at not being able to do anything about it.
And yet…
She felt his hand on her stomach and underneath there were butterflies. Jareth pulled her closer to him and she felt her face ignite.
With his hand on her face Jareth could feel the heat there. He smiled inwardly. There was just something about her that made it fun to play with her. Every time he watched her play with her dolls or read her plays he wanted to tell her how ridiculous she looked. When she said those magical words he thrilled at the idea of a new game. When she stood up to him and vowed to get her brother back he wanted to crush her. He knew that blatant show of bravery was a mask and he wanted to tear it away. She had all these innocent and foolish ideas about how she was going to solve his Labyrinth and be a hero. The audacity. "So little girl. What will you do now?"
Sarah couldn't think. It was like her brain had shut down and left her to fend for herself. All she could do was feel and what she was feeling scared her more than the man behind her. Where they touched her body was on fire and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand the heat. She started to squirm, instincts taking over. He chuckled and pulled her even closer so that their bodies didn't have an inch between them. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe. She stiffened and stayed very still. She felt like a mouse and it occurred to her that that's exactly was this was. He was the snake and she was the little field mouse.
Her face flamed up for a different reason. She was furious. How dare he treat her like she was a….a toy. Surely he had better things to do than pick on innocent girls. But no, how could he ignore her when she was trying everything to beat him. She was running out of time and he was just standing there. Something in her snapped. She was no longer going to stand by and let this world choose her paths for her, but rather to plow over anything in her way. She was going to do what she needed to do and God help anything that tried to stop her.
"It must piss you off that a girl like me did get as far as the Oubliette." Even she could hear spiteful undertone in her words. He went still, so still she almost lost what bravery she had.
The air in her lungs let out a painful whoosh as her back hit a wall. He had slammed her against it and now he was in her face. Sarah could only partially see his face due to the poor lighting. His eyes had a fire in them.
"What, did you just say?" He practically spit in her face.
Her chin tilted up, "I said you must feel pretty stupid right now."
He froze and didn't do any thing so she kept going feeling empowered.
"You think you have everything at your fingertips and you DON'T. You think that every one is going to just fall in fear at your feet. The great and mighty Goblin King isn't to be crossed. News flash, you're not so great-"
She didn't get any farther than that. His hand went around her throat and suddenly her feet weren't on the floor anymore.
The pressure was unbearable and her feet almost involuntarily kicked the wall behind her. Her hands went around his wrists, pulling against his grip but it was no good. Her lungs were starting to burn when pulled her toward his face and she swung like a rag doll.
"You would do well to fear me, child." He said the word like it disgusted him. "It is because I have not interfered that you have gotten so far. I could end everything if I so chose." He accented his words by tightening his had around her throat.
Then suddenly, he dropped her and she hit the ground hard. Her hands automatically went to her throat and she was gasping for breath. It hurt to drag the air into her lungs. She sat up and looked up at him. He was staring down at her with eyes that made her feel cold to the core.
Then he was gone.
His blood was boiling. He couldn't stand to look at her anymore. He could see in her eyes that she meant every word she said. He didn't know where she was pulling this pompous attitude from but it was grating him. But, he had a different feeling crawling under his skin. He didn't know what he was going to do with her. Heading back to the child she was there to save he settled in to see how long her charade would last. Because he was going to be there when she stumbled and fell.