**** Pronounced Mee-rah ****

Chapter One

'Love me, fear me, do as I say and I will be your slave.'

Mira sighed dreamily as David Bowie's sexy accent washed over her skin, and she hugged the overstuffed throw pillow tighter to her chest. This was her favorite part; where Sarah broke the Goblin King's spell and got Toby back.

'…You have no power over me.'

Just like that, the Goblin King tossed the crystal and the Escher room began to crumble like a dream and she floated down…down…down.

Cut to Sarah waking up in the bed, checking on Toby, and then partying with her friends and enemies alike as the Goblin King watched from the tree outside Sarah's window. Roll end credits.

Mira liked the end song and let the notes wash over her as she stood and turned on the light. Sigh-ing, she put away her now-empty bowl of popcorn and glass before going back to the living room and popping out the DVD to put it back in its case.

Her mom and step-dad were on their date night, and her elder brother was gone as per usual, so she had taken the time alone to snag a tiny shot of whiskey and watch her favorite movie, The Labyrinth.

The whiskey had made her skin tickle deliciously as she watched David Bowie prance around in his tight pants and Sarah try to find her way through the king's labyrinth. Mira giggled as she thought about the impressive bulge in David's pants, clearly seen with the yummy breeches the director had 'forced' him to wear.

But still, the ending always left her wanting. No matter how many times she watched it, Mira just couldn't see Jareth as evil; all he had done, he'd done for Sarah. Everything she wished for, he gave. True, she wanted Toby back as soon as she realized what had happened, but still Jareth was only trying to make her happy, and in the end he helped her. She appreciated Toby; she'd gained friends.

But what of Jareth? He gained nothing from his so called 'love'. He was alone, nothing more than a bad memory to the girl he'd loved and sacrificed everything for, a silly girl who had thrown all of his gifts in his face and laughed as she did so.

Mira smirked to herself and snapped the DVD case shut, setting it in its proper place, no longer amused.

She had never believed in love, so she couldn't fully understand what drove Jareth to go to such lengths only to fail; and at the very end he still watched her, still wanted to be close to her, after all she had done to him.

It just didn't make sense.

For as long as Mira could remember she'd been the quiet child, the cynical child. Her mother, in one of her rare moments, had said Mira was an Old Soul; that she saw the larger picture instead of her own problems.

Mira just didn't see the point.

Ergo, she didn't think such a thing as love was possible. Sure, the idea of it was warm and cozy, and who didn't want to believe in something so… magical? But, like magic, it simply wasn't real.

Oh, she knew temporary love existed, a mixture of good feeling and lust¾but people changed. What was love today was hate tomorrow¾and wasn't the whole point of love that it lasted forever?

Mira grinned scornfully to herself as she put the living room into order before starting upstairs. She liked romance novels as much as the next girl, but she couldn't kid herself; not even in her own imagination could she think such a thing could be real.

Love to her was insatiable lust, but like all other feelings, lust faded. There had been a time when she fancied that maybe, perhaps, there could be such a thing in existence, it would just never be hers. That had been the silly dream of a seven year-old though. Even at such a young age, Mira had known she was a minor character in this play of life, and she was fine with her destined roll.

Why, then, with all she thought of love, did she favor romantic stories and The Labyrinth?

Maybe because Jareth ended up alone in the end, and her twisted, sadistic mind liked the fact that his love was thrown in his face?

Opening the door to her room, Mira flipped on the light switch and locked the door behind her. Stripping off her clothes, she was perfectly comfortable parading around her room in her underwear and bra as she set through the motions of rubbing her arms and legs with her favorite lotion that smelled like cold cucumbers and melons.

Going to her vanity she brushed out her long, dark hair, fanning the silken mass around her shoulders, staring at her reflection.

Pale skin, almost translucent, dark bags under her too-big deep brown eyes. Too-thick black brows, somewhat chubby cheeks, and too-fat lips the color of rancid strawberries. Her breasts were larger than most other girls her age, but that mostly came from the fact that the rest of her was pretty large as well. Her hips were too big, so too were her thighs, and her ass was huge, not to mention her shoulders were too broad. Add to that she was the same height as most seventh-graders when she was a senior in high school, and you got the picture.

Mira sighed and heard a faint ripping sound. Looking down, she noticed that a small tear had started in the fabric between the plain tan cups of her favorite bra and groaned aloud.

She needed a new bra, several in fact. The one she was wearing now was the only one that still fit her comfortably, and now look what was happening!

It was all too much. The fact that even the slightest bit of alcohol made her emotional did not help. She slammed her head down on the vanity table and burst into loud, ragged tears, ripping the damn thing even more.

Angrily, she wiped her face before swiftly removing the bra and throwing it across the room. Standing, she moved to her dresser and looked through her panty drawer, groaning again when she realized the only clean pair she had was a sexy pair of black lace and white ribbons, a gag gift from her friend Lisa that went along with a black lace corset and matching garters with white ribbons to hold up whatever stockings she may choose to wear. All of that she had safely hidden in another drawer. She didn't know what possessed her to save it¾she didn't have the body for it¾but just knowing she had the option made her feel better somehow.

Shaking her head, Mira exchanged the plain white bikinis she had on for the 'sexy' hipsters and tried to pretend it was just a normal pair as she dug through another drawer to find a nightshirt. All she could find was another gag gift; a see-through black teddy that was just thick enough at the breasts to keep her somewhat modest.

She was going to kill Lisa.

Crawling onto the bed, feeling as though she were completely naked, Mira lay on top of the covers and stared at the ceiling, thinking about the Goblin King.

''I wish you were real,'' she spoke aloud, unafraid anyone would hear her. That 'tiny' shot of whiskey was making her sleepy even as her body continued to hum. She felt as though she were waiting for something, but what?

Feeling just the slightest bit tipsy, she called out good-naturedly, ''Do you hear me Jareth, King of the Goblins? I wish you were real!''

Settling onto her pillow, she crossed her arms and bent her legs, putting one on top of the other and swinging it in a carefree manner as she calmed down and muttered, ''I do whish you were real. I wish you could have gotten your girl, Jareth. I wish love existed and you could have had your heart returned.''

Yawning, she fell asleep, unaware of a pair of mismatched eyes that watched her from the shadows.

Slow start, I know, but I can never write nonsense, there has to be a 'story' If you don't like, I understand, but don't be mean

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