Sarah, Darren, and Anabel

"What is a Hoggle mommy?" Anabel asked her mother.

"Hoggle is a name baby, not a thing. Hoggle is a little man, and he was my friend when I was a little girl." Sarah told her.

"How come I never met Hoggle before?"

"He lives very far away."

"Well, let's go together, I like long walks Mommy."

Sarah smiled. She was proud of her life. She had two children, and a quiet home all to themselves. Well, usually it was quiet. As she thought of this, Darren walked in. Darren was 13, and had grown out of things like family time.

"Darren! Mommy and I are going to walk and meet Hoggle!" Ana said excitedly.

"I don't care Ana, leave me alone! You guys are so lame!" Darren shouted, with one headphone still in his ear, blaring music.

"Darren, would it kill you to be nice to her!" Sarah pleaded with her son.

"I don't like babies!" He shouted at her, while he fixed himself a Pizza Pocket in the microwave.

"I'm not a baby you big old meanie head! I'm a big girl! I'm this many!" Ana replied, holding up 5 fingers proudly.

Darren rolled his eyes.

"Darren, go ahead and clean your room and don't eat too many of those pockets, dinner is at 6. Please have your room cleaned before supper." Sarah said to him.

"MOM, seriously, no! How am I supposed to clean my room when you have me watching Anabel before supper!"

"How do you expect to have supper if I have to watch her instead of cooking?" She replied.

"You are so unfair. I hate her and I don't want to watch her! I shouldn't have to, get a babysitter or something!" Darren yelled as he ran up to his room and slammed the door behind him.

When Sarah looked down at Anabel she had a big frown on her face. "I don't like yells." She whispered.

"Don't worry about him, honey. It's not your fault. Do you want to hear more of the story?"

"Oh yes!" She said as the smile returned to her face. "The Hoggle brought you to a big pretty castle right mommy?"

"Yes and the castle belonged to the Goblins. The Goblin King liked to collect all kinds of things that little boys and girls gave him and he kept them in the castle. He had something that belonged to me and I needed to ask him for it back."

"Did he give it back to you?" Anabel asked.

"Yes he did…"

x.x.x.

Later that night, Sarah went to prepare supper, and sent Anabel up to Darren's room.

"Darren, Darren!" Anabel sang as she tapped on his door.

"Go away, gosh! I'm trying to read! You are so annoying." Darren said, as she pushed the door open.

"I wanted to say sorries. I don't like yells and Mommy doesn't like yells."

Darren wasn't listening.

"Look, if you are going to stay in here, don't touch anything!" He picked her up and sat her on the edge of his bed. "Don't move, don't touch. Okay? I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

The moment he stepped down the hall he heard a crash.

"SORRIES DARREN!" Ana wailed from behind the door.

Darren rounded on the spot, swearing and mumbling to himself, hoping she didn't crack his Glass 'Death Star' Snow globe.

"I wish those goblins would just come take you away from here and give me some peace!"

He swung open his bedroom door and looked around.

"Damn, I HATE hide and seek! Anabel, seriously, come out right now and maybe I won't kill you for breaking my stuff. 1….2…..Ana?"

Darren started searching his room. Under the bed, in the cabinets, out the window…she was just…gone. After 5 minutes of tearing apart his room, plus noticing there were no giggles coming from a super well hidden little girl, he started to sweat.

The panic started to rise in him. What would he tell his mother? Nothing, there was nothing to tell, because he didn't do anything. So he sat down and continued reading.

About an hour later, Sarah came up the stairs.

"Kids, supper is ready! Come downstairs!"

Darren came down the stairs alone.

"Where's your sister?"

Darren shrugged.

Sarah looked at him, confused, and then started to call for her and search around the house.

Darren calmly started eating, but by the time he was done, Sarah was running frantically around and out the front door looking for her daughter.

Sarah pulled out her cellphone while she circled the outside of the house. "Yes, hello my daughter is missing, she is only 5 years old. I live on the corner of 5th and York street, her name is Anabel and she is wearing a red dress…yes…yes I understand…."

It was then that Darren realized his sister was actually gone. He was finally free. But, how did it happen? Where did she go? Did the Goblins actually come get her? Or did she run away?

x.x.x

Meanwhile….

Jareth the Goblin King sat upon his throne in the Castle beyond the Goblin City, humming to himself an eerie tune. He looked around him and did a quick head count. There were Goblins of every shape and size scattered all around him, at his beck and call. Some were playing instruments and others were setting a table for tea. A few were patching a hole in the wall, and two of them were entertaining a little girl in a pretty red dress, who was looking up at Jareth and was too scared to speak.