"I've been generous up until now. I can be cruel."

"Generous? How have you been generous?"

"Everything I have done has been generous! Everything I've done I've done for you! You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You cowered before me. I was frightening. I have re-altered time. I'VE TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE-DOWN AND I DID IT ALL FOR YOU! I'm exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn't that generous?" His black eyes bored into mine, pleading that I would give in to his power.

"YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!" I woke with a start screaming as I suddenly sat up in my bed. I blinked a few times, trying to rid myself of the nightmare that clung to me. The same nightmare that haunted me for the last six years, tormenting me every night. I seriously began to doubt that my words were true. If he had no power over me, why couldn't I rid myself of him? I glanced at the wooden clock hanging on my bare bedroom wall. 1:45 AM. Seemed fitting that the Goblin King would wake me at the exact moment I turned 21. He didn't wake you Sarah, he's not real. I told myself the same lie every night to keep my dad and step mother happy. Toby always believed me… He probably still had some memory of the Goblin King kidnapping him somewhere in his subconscious. I jumped at the soft knock at my door.

"Sarah?"

"Go back to bed Toby. I'm okay." I got out of bed and opened the door, finding my eight-year-old little brother clinging to his teddy bear Lancelot. The parents stopped checking on me after I was released from the hospital. Toby always got up to check on me every night, even though he would never admit it.

"Sarah, can you get me a glass of water?" He asked innocently with his big eyes. I never understood why I ever loathed him.

"Sure. I can get you a glass." I smiled at him and lead the way downstairs into the kitchen. The kitchen where my father and step mother betrayed me four years ago.

"I'm so excited to finally be out of high school!" I twirled about with joy as I gave Ludo, Sir Didymus and Hoggle each a big hug. They always came when I called, and they seemed happy to come, because things were getting worse at the Labyrinth.

"Sounds like this high school was an awful place anyways," Hoggle muttered. "Being locked in a room all day with some old person rattling on about nothin' sounds just as bad of a punishment as being dunked into the Bog of Eternal Stench!"

"It surely wasn't as bad as Sir Hoggle says it is, my lady?" Sir Didymus asked from his perch on the counter.

"School Bad!" Ludo growled. "Sawah free now."

"No, it is not as bad as being anywhere near the Bog of Eternal Stench." I pinched my nose and made a grotesque face to imitate what we all did when we were there (except for Didymus… who had lost his sense of smell but would deny it until he died).

"Well, you're lucky in any case. The King's been in a down right foul mood ever since you left. And it's gotten worse each day."

"What's he been doing?"

"Sarah… we need to talk to you…"

I turned around to find my family watching me, with a few men in white coats. My friends had disappeared.

"We decided it would be in your best interest if you were to stay where people could help you with your hallucinations… They are a terrible influence on Toby," my step mother started.

"I saw Hoggle!" Toby squeaked happily.

Father just stood there in silence as the men in the coats dragged me away.

I still called on my friends in the hospital. They even watched as I received electric shock therapy… they stopped coming when I called after the third round of electricity that ripped through my brain.

I had begun to think I really was just mental, but something in my gut told me everything was real. I think that's what the nightmare's told me every night… Jareth was still there, very dangerous, and very real.

I poured Toby a small glass of water and helped him up so he could sit on the counter. He slowly sipped at his water.

"I still believe you Sarah. I'm sorry your friends don't come anymore… if they came back, maybe you would sleep better." Toby's kicked his dangling feet back and forth.

"Thank you Toby. That means a lot to me." I ruffled his hair affectionately. We sat there awhile, in almost silence. Even though Toby was tired from waking up in the middle of the night, this was when he would always tell me about his day at school or what he was dreaming of before he woke up. I smiled, knowing that even my step-mother wasn't privy to these conversations. After his last story (telling me how the bully in his class was finally caught in the act and sent to timeout) I had to be the one to break the moment. "I'll hope he learned his lesson Toby, but for now we must go back to bed before Mom gets mad at us for getting out of bed."

"It's not fair Sarah," Toby said as I helped him off the counter and into the crook of my arm.

"I know Toby. I know," I sighed as I trudged back up the stairs.

"Tell me again why I can't read that maze book again. Please?" Toby begged as he always did when I would tuck him in.

"Toby, you know that by heart by now." I smiled as he pouted in defiance.

"I forget. Tell me please?"

"Oh all right," I sighed as Toby joyfully plunged under the blankets and scooted over so I could sit on the edge of the bed to begin the tale.

"Once upon a time, a long time ago, the Goblin King fell in love with a spoiled young woman named Sarah who refused to grow up. He loved her so much, that he gave her the ability to wish her annoying little brother away. But, the girl didn't realize that her favorite book, Labyrinth, referred to her. So one night, when the parents had left the house, and the girl was especially frustrated at her little brother for stealing her teddy bear Lancelot, she wished that the child be taken. The Goblin King appeared that very instant and took the child away. Realizing her mistake, the girl ran the Goblin King's Labyrinth to retrieve the boy before he was turned into a goblin. She faced many trials that taught her many life lessons, and she made friends along the way. What were their names again?"

"Hoggle the dwarf, Ludo the rock calling monster, and Sir Didymus the fox knight!" Toby whispered with glee, I could tell he wanted to shout it out, but he knew that if he did our mother would come barging in and wouldn't let me finish telling Toby the story (it happened enough times to where Toby knew to control himself somewhat).

"Yes, that's right. Thank you Toby!" I ruffled his hair again as he clung tighter to Lancelot the bear, looking up at me with wide, anticipating eyes. "With the help of her friends the girl stormed the Goblin City, outmaneuvered the goblin army, and defeated the Goblin King. Once they were safely home, the young woman gave the child the teddy bear Lancelot, because she realized that her little brother was far more important in her heart. The next day she emptied her room, giving her toys to charity or her little brother, because she never wanted to be tempted by material things again. She also hid the Labyrinth book away so no one in her family could find it and accidentally call back the Goblin King."

"And that's why me, or mommy, or daddy, or you can read that book again right? Because you're afraid it'll call back the Goblin King?"

"Yes Toby. Words are a very powerful thing. Remember that. Good night my Prince Charming." With that I kissed his forehead and tucked him in.

After tucking my little brother into bed I grudgingly returned to my room. I forced myself back to sleep, even though I knew what awaited me. I wish I could see my friends again.

"I can arrange that Sarah."

"Last time I took your offer you made my life a living Hell! I'm still paying for the consequences…"

"But look at what I'm offering you Sarah…" Jareth flashed me his devilish smile as he held out a crystal ball. "I'm offering you everything… your dreams… your friends…"

I was so desperate to see them again. I wanted to look into that glass sphere so badly, to forget my boring life and be happy just to be me again.

"I can take you away from here Sarah…"

"No. I can't leave behind my family!" I swatted the ball out of his hand, making fall to the ground. Jareth's usually charming face contorted into a visage of rage as the glass shattered on the stone around our feet.

"Don't defy me Sarah! You know what I can do!"

"YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!" I screamed, hoping I would wake up again.

"Don't I Sarah?" He laughed, exposing his overly white, and somewhat sharp teeth. "Things have changed around here since you left… What makes you think I still don't have any power over you? How is it, that I can have these wonderfully stimulating chats with you every night? Hmm?"

"No… You're lying!"

Then the Goblin King started to laugh. His cruel cackling became so loud that the stone underneath my feet shattered. I was falling, his laughter ringing forever in my ears.