*******
Release
by Jade
"Why me!" I yelled with my hands in the air. Oh the joys of country living- power
outages. They always seem to happen when I am busy at the computer. "This just happened to
me not too long ago. Sorry Aurelia, I guess you were not meant to see the end of that story
tonight." I said, reaching for my flashlight. Flicking the switch, nothing happened. "Great!
Wonderful! What a night I am having!" I exclaimed, surrounded by darkness.
Fishing through the desk drawer for a box of matches, I ran my finger across a thumb
tack. "Ow!" I yelled, yanking my hand back. "Jareth? Where are you when I need you?" I asked
aloud. I hate being here alone like this again. "Please come." I whispered, sitting back in my
chair. I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Jareth, is that you?" I asked, not being able to see.
"Of course it is Jade. Whom did you expect? What did you do this time?" he inquired.
"I didn't do this! I don't know why this always seems to happen to me." I retorted.
"You are just lucky I suppose. Are you just going to sit around in the dark all night
long?" he asked.
"I didn't plan on it." I answered, reaching back into the drawer. I grabbed the box of
matches, finally, and struck a match illuminating the small room. Lighting a candle, I realize that
Jareth is gone. "Where are you?" I shouted, picking the candle and the matches up. "Jareth?" I
called again, still no reply. "This isn't funny Jareth. Answer me, please." I said again.
"Oh alright, I am in here." he called, then started humming to himself.
I followed the sound of his voice and found him standing in the front door looking out.
"It is so peaceful here Jade." he said softly, listening to the frogs singing outside.
"I know." I replied, walking up to stand beside him.
"Well, at least it is not raining tonight." he said, flashing me a warm smile.
"Sure, but I am still here alone in the dark." I replied, stepping out onto the porch.
"You are not alone." he responded solemnly.
"I didn't mean you. You know what I mean." I replied, turning to face him.
Jareth stood in the doorway silhouetted by the faint glow of the candle. I felt my knees
want to buckle from just seeing him stand there like that. I couldn't help but stare. I saw a brief
smile touch his lips and had to turn away from him. He knew what I was thinking.
He took a step closer. "You do not have to be afraid of your feelings Jade." he said, softly
touching my arm. "I know something is bothering you. What is wrong?" he asked.
I took a step forward, just out of his reach.
"Come on Jade, talk to me." he said soothingly.
I turned to look at him.
"What?" he asked, lightly touching my cheek. "You know Jade, you should not keep
everything bottled up inside. You should find some type of release, and I know just the thing." he
said, pulling the door closed. With a flick of his wrist, the candle went out. "Come with me." he
said, extending his hand out to me. He led me out into the yard and stopped in the middle.
Looking up, he motioned for me to sit down so I did.
"My aren't the stars out tonight?" he asked, sitting down next to me. Looking over at me,
he flashed me another smile, then returned his attention to the stars above.
"Yes, they sure are." I replied, wondering just what we were doing out there. I got a chill
and shook it off. Jareth looked amused.
"Are you cold?" he asked playfully.
"A little. I didn't know you wanted to stay out here or I would have grabbed a jacket." I
replied, rubbing my arms with my hands.
"Here, let me help." he said as he put an arm around me. "Relax will you? I will not bite,
you know."
I smiled and leaned against him.
"Now are you going to tell me what is bothering you?" he spoke softly in my ear.
"I don't want to talk about it." I replied.
"If not me, then you must talk to someone. You have to release all that tension Jade. It is
not healthy. What about one of your friends from the list?" he asked, cheerfully.
"No. The only one I talk to is an hour away." I replied, pulling away.
"Then call Bobbi and talk to her." he urged.
"No it's too late. Besides, how do you know it was Bobbi?" I queried.
"Because you are sisters and do everything together. You even took your vacations at the
same time." he replied with a grin.
"How do you know all that?" I asked.
"Somebody has to keep an eye on you. It might as well be me." he replied, then
continued, "Why don't you just sit back here and relax a bit." he said, pulling me back.
"Just for a little while. I have to go to work tomorrow." I said, leaning on him once again.
We sat in silence, listening to the frogs and the crickets. We could hear the smaller night
animals rummaging around in the barn. Off in the distance, we could even make out the sound of
the brook running through the barnyard. That is where he found me last.
I don't recall falling asleep, but when I opened my eyes, all I could see was his beautiful
eyes looking back. I tried to get up but he held my arm.
"Do you feel better?" he asked, concern lacing his words.
"Yes. Why did you let me fall asleep?" I asked.
"You needed it." he replied, standing up. "Now lets get you inside where you belong,
shall we?" he said, pulling me to my feet. I looked back at the house to see the electric back on.
As we walked back slowly, we discussed many things including the friends I had made on
the list. Those poor souls that I ramble away to just to pass the time.
"Heather is a nice girl. I do not believe I know Lisa P." he said, thinking hard.
"She's on the discussion list and she is very nice." I replied.
"Then there is the newbie lonespirit, Aurelia and..." he stopped suddenly. "NO!" he
exclaimed.
"What?" I asked bewildered.
"Not Ziggy?" he answered.
"Of course. You know, she only lives about five hours away." I added thoughtfully.
"But she will corrupt you." he added.
"So? Is that so bad?" I asked, smiling back at him.
Jareth smiled. "I suppose not. You do need to lighten up a bit. You are far too serious at
times my dear." he replied, opening the door for me. "Goodnight Jade."
"Goodnight. Thank you again Jareth." I replied and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"What was that for?" he asked, knowing that I am not one to show my emotions.
"For being here and being my friend."
"Always." he replied and disappeared.
********************************
Release
by Jade
"Why me!" I yelled with my hands in the air. Oh the joys of country living- power
outages. They always seem to happen when I am busy at the computer. "This just happened to
me not too long ago. Sorry Aurelia, I guess you were not meant to see the end of that story
tonight." I said, reaching for my flashlight. Flicking the switch, nothing happened. "Great!
Wonderful! What a night I am having!" I exclaimed, surrounded by darkness.
Fishing through the desk drawer for a box of matches, I ran my finger across a thumb
tack. "Ow!" I yelled, yanking my hand back. "Jareth? Where are you when I need you?" I asked
aloud. I hate being here alone like this again. "Please come." I whispered, sitting back in my
chair. I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Jareth, is that you?" I asked, not being able to see.
"Of course it is Jade. Whom did you expect? What did you do this time?" he inquired.
"I didn't do this! I don't know why this always seems to happen to me." I retorted.
"You are just lucky I suppose. Are you just going to sit around in the dark all night
long?" he asked.
"I didn't plan on it." I answered, reaching back into the drawer. I grabbed the box of
matches, finally, and struck a match illuminating the small room. Lighting a candle, I realize that
Jareth is gone. "Where are you?" I shouted, picking the candle and the matches up. "Jareth?" I
called again, still no reply. "This isn't funny Jareth. Answer me, please." I said again.
"Oh alright, I am in here." he called, then started humming to himself.
I followed the sound of his voice and found him standing in the front door looking out.
"It is so peaceful here Jade." he said softly, listening to the frogs singing outside.
"I know." I replied, walking up to stand beside him.
"Well, at least it is not raining tonight." he said, flashing me a warm smile.
"Sure, but I am still here alone in the dark." I replied, stepping out onto the porch.
"You are not alone." he responded solemnly.
"I didn't mean you. You know what I mean." I replied, turning to face him.
Jareth stood in the doorway silhouetted by the faint glow of the candle. I felt my knees
want to buckle from just seeing him stand there like that. I couldn't help but stare. I saw a brief
smile touch his lips and had to turn away from him. He knew what I was thinking.
He took a step closer. "You do not have to be afraid of your feelings Jade." he said, softly
touching my arm. "I know something is bothering you. What is wrong?" he asked.
I took a step forward, just out of his reach.
"Come on Jade, talk to me." he said soothingly.
I turned to look at him.
"What?" he asked, lightly touching my cheek. "You know Jade, you should not keep
everything bottled up inside. You should find some type of release, and I know just the thing." he
said, pulling the door closed. With a flick of his wrist, the candle went out. "Come with me." he
said, extending his hand out to me. He led me out into the yard and stopped in the middle.
Looking up, he motioned for me to sit down so I did.
"My aren't the stars out tonight?" he asked, sitting down next to me. Looking over at me,
he flashed me another smile, then returned his attention to the stars above.
"Yes, they sure are." I replied, wondering just what we were doing out there. I got a chill
and shook it off. Jareth looked amused.
"Are you cold?" he asked playfully.
"A little. I didn't know you wanted to stay out here or I would have grabbed a jacket." I
replied, rubbing my arms with my hands.
"Here, let me help." he said as he put an arm around me. "Relax will you? I will not bite,
you know."
I smiled and leaned against him.
"Now are you going to tell me what is bothering you?" he spoke softly in my ear.
"I don't want to talk about it." I replied.
"If not me, then you must talk to someone. You have to release all that tension Jade. It is
not healthy. What about one of your friends from the list?" he asked, cheerfully.
"No. The only one I talk to is an hour away." I replied, pulling away.
"Then call Bobbi and talk to her." he urged.
"No it's too late. Besides, how do you know it was Bobbi?" I queried.
"Because you are sisters and do everything together. You even took your vacations at the
same time." he replied with a grin.
"How do you know all that?" I asked.
"Somebody has to keep an eye on you. It might as well be me." he replied, then
continued, "Why don't you just sit back here and relax a bit." he said, pulling me back.
"Just for a little while. I have to go to work tomorrow." I said, leaning on him once again.
We sat in silence, listening to the frogs and the crickets. We could hear the smaller night
animals rummaging around in the barn. Off in the distance, we could even make out the sound of
the brook running through the barnyard. That is where he found me last.
I don't recall falling asleep, but when I opened my eyes, all I could see was his beautiful
eyes looking back. I tried to get up but he held my arm.
"Do you feel better?" he asked, concern lacing his words.
"Yes. Why did you let me fall asleep?" I asked.
"You needed it." he replied, standing up. "Now lets get you inside where you belong,
shall we?" he said, pulling me to my feet. I looked back at the house to see the electric back on.
As we walked back slowly, we discussed many things including the friends I had made on
the list. Those poor souls that I ramble away to just to pass the time.
"Heather is a nice girl. I do not believe I know Lisa P." he said, thinking hard.
"She's on the discussion list and she is very nice." I replied.
"Then there is the newbie lonespirit, Aurelia and..." he stopped suddenly. "NO!" he
exclaimed.
"What?" I asked bewildered.
"Not Ziggy?" he answered.
"Of course. You know, she only lives about five hours away." I added thoughtfully.
"But she will corrupt you." he added.
"So? Is that so bad?" I asked, smiling back at him.
Jareth smiled. "I suppose not. You do need to lighten up a bit. You are far too serious at
times my dear." he replied, opening the door for me. "Goodnight Jade."
"Goodnight. Thank you again Jareth." I replied and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"What was that for?" he asked, knowing that I am not one to show my emotions.
"For being here and being my friend."
"Always." he replied and disappeared.
********************************
