Another one chapter ficlet on my latest obsession: Labyrinth. I watched it,
and couldn't resist this one.
Set just a few hours after Sarah has left the Labyrinth.
It's Only Forever
Jareth sat, despondent, on his balcony. Below him, the walls of the castle merged with the Goblin city, and spread out to become the Labyrinth. His beautiful, perfect labyrinth.
But it wasn't, was it? She had got through, and had done so in less than ten hours. All his efforts to stop her had been for naught, and she had taken little Toby away, and left. She had defied him, challenged him, and, against all the odds, won.
But he didn't hate her for it. How could he? He was obsessed, he knew - hundreds of girls must have invoked the goblins, but this was the first time he had left his castle for years. But this girl, Sarah, had managed to take his heart away from him. He loved her. "And now," he muttered, "I've lost her forever."
"Not forever," came a familiar voice from behind him. The Goblin King's face lit up, and he turned to see Sarah, standing there. She looked back, staring into his eyes, and added, "I couldn't really give up all this, could I?"
Jareth stared. He wanted to make some smart remark, something like 'What makes you think you are still wanted?', but he couldn't. All he could manage to say was, "How . . . how did you get here?"
She did not reply, but instead said, "The Goblin King, speechless? What is the world coming to?"
Hearing this, Jareth pulled himself together. "My dear child," he said, in a voice as smooth as silk, "it was but a momentary affliction. Now, please explain how exactly you came to be in my castle when I supposed you to have left forever." He could not keep his voice quite perfect for the last word, but if the girl noticed, she showed no sign.
"My friends," she replied. "They came to find me, and when the time came for them to leave I realised I would be happier with them." She paused, and then added, in a quieter tone, "I realised I would be happier with you."
* * * *
Well, I realise it's not much of an ending, but after this point it would start to get annoying. So I'll stop there.
hS
Set just a few hours after Sarah has left the Labyrinth.
It's Only Forever
Jareth sat, despondent, on his balcony. Below him, the walls of the castle merged with the Goblin city, and spread out to become the Labyrinth. His beautiful, perfect labyrinth.
But it wasn't, was it? She had got through, and had done so in less than ten hours. All his efforts to stop her had been for naught, and she had taken little Toby away, and left. She had defied him, challenged him, and, against all the odds, won.
But he didn't hate her for it. How could he? He was obsessed, he knew - hundreds of girls must have invoked the goblins, but this was the first time he had left his castle for years. But this girl, Sarah, had managed to take his heart away from him. He loved her. "And now," he muttered, "I've lost her forever."
"Not forever," came a familiar voice from behind him. The Goblin King's face lit up, and he turned to see Sarah, standing there. She looked back, staring into his eyes, and added, "I couldn't really give up all this, could I?"
Jareth stared. He wanted to make some smart remark, something like 'What makes you think you are still wanted?', but he couldn't. All he could manage to say was, "How . . . how did you get here?"
She did not reply, but instead said, "The Goblin King, speechless? What is the world coming to?"
Hearing this, Jareth pulled himself together. "My dear child," he said, in a voice as smooth as silk, "it was but a momentary affliction. Now, please explain how exactly you came to be in my castle when I supposed you to have left forever." He could not keep his voice quite perfect for the last word, but if the girl noticed, she showed no sign.
"My friends," she replied. "They came to find me, and when the time came for them to leave I realised I would be happier with them." She paused, and then added, in a quieter tone, "I realised I would be happier with you."
* * * *
Well, I realise it's not much of an ending, but after this point it would start to get annoying. So I'll stop there.
hS