"I say, Sarah, you are looking exceptionally beautiful tonight."
"Thanks, Jake. I'm wearing the necklace you gave me for my birthday last week," said Sarah to her new boyfriend. She liked him all right, and knew him well enough to know his complement was sincere, but for some reason she felt the praise was hollow. Sarah shook herself out of her reverie when Jake told her:
"You know, Sarah, I feel like tonight something special is going to happen."
"Oh?" Sarah asked, raising her eyebrows and lifting her pale face to his glowing tan one.
"Yeah. And I have the funniest feeling! It's like… I don't know… " His voice trailed off as he peered into her eyes. "It's like I have to do everything now, tonight, because tomorrow I won't be here. But I will be here tomorrow, so that doesn't make sense, does it?"
"I guess not," Sarah replied thoughtfully with a tinge of suspicion. She had felt a premonition that something bad was going to happen for weeks now, and she didn't like it. Oh, quit being silly, she chided herself. An echo of a laugh reached her faintly, but faded as soon as she noticed it. That was enough, though, to put her on the alert. A stormy night long ago found it's way into her mental vision, and she didn't like that either. She thought she heard that laugh again, but as soon as her ears attuned to it's menacing glee it was gone again.
Later that night:
"Well, I think we can just forget any silly false premonitions we had earlier," said Jake, taking Sarah by the hand and walking her up the front walk. Sarah wasn't so sure, especially when the wind suddenly picked up for an instant. She didn't say anything.
Upon reaching the porch, she decided she didn't want Jake to stay as previously she had planned on asking: "Jake? I… have a lot of work to do, and I just don't think it would be a good idea… if you stayed the night again." Jake looked crestfallen for a split nanosecond, and then brightened.
"Okay, Sarah," he said in an understanding tone, "Just be sure to get some rest. Promise? You haven't been sleeping well lately, I can tell." Sarah smiled and nodded. "Sure, Jake," she replied. He kissed her once, and departed without looking back. Sarah watched him go, feeling the way the night wind picked up almost viciously. Then she turned, unlocked the door, and stepped inside, her brown patterned shawl billowing out around her slim body. Her wild mahogany hair swirled around her head and shoulders, reaching almost to her waist.
She shut and bolted the door behind her, leaning on the knob while she took off her strappy heels and set them down beside her other shoes. Sighing, she turned and leaned her full body along the door, feeling her flesh creeping as the coldness of the metal seeped through the thin material of her mottled brown sarong and tank top.
It was then that the lights decided to go out.
Now, with the wind that was now howling outside like a demon with a thorn in its foot, Sarah would've been perfectly willing to believe that a fallen tree branch had destroyed a transformer, or some other such thing as that. But when the street lamp on the other side of the street stayed on, and so did every other house's lights up and down the street, she decided that it was time to be afraid.
But not too afraid. As tiny scufflings and reedy whispers came from the kitchen at the end of the hallway directly in front of her, she decided she'd had enough. Firmly resolved, she picked up one foot, and set it resolutely in front of the other.
She continued to glide gracefully down the unlighted corridor, grasping a small statue that was kept on a table in the hallway by the telephone, and clutching the penlight she kept in her purse on her key ring.
Once in the kitchen, she proceeded uninhibited to the window above the sink on the other side of the room. Glancing outside, voices and scratching of tiny feet behind her, she found no trace of the white owl she thoroughly intended to hang. Getting a better grip on the statue, she flicked on her penlight, and turned around to shine it directly into the unblinking eyes of the Goblin King.
She expected to feel something. She expected him to say something.
He didn't.
She did.
Narrowing her eyes, she challenged his authority to be here. She refused to be the one to talk first. If he wanted something, he was going to have to ask for it. When he continued to just stand there, she leaned nonchalantly against the sink, and crossed her arms-- still bearing the statue from the hallway-- over her small bust. She was fervently glad now for her small "assets", for they prevented her evening outfit from being sexy, and sexy was the last thing she wanted him to think. Then again, she was too angry to even care if he thought that way about her anyway.
Jareth, King of the Goblins, arched a fine eyebrow, his eyes flashing at the duel she had just now forced him to lose. If he could've made her speak first, then it would've shown that he still had some power over her. Now, though, she was grown up, and he was being forced into speaking first. He was not used to such… inconveniences. Ah, well, it was the hard way then:
"Good evening, Sarah, how have you been lately?" he asked in a genial manner. He hoped against hope that she would answer…
"Fine, Jareth, I trust all is well and evil with you? Stolen anybody's baby brother lately?" she retorted. If Jareth wanted to play nice, so could she. If he got nasty… well, she'd dealt with-- and beaten him at-- nasty before. This would be a piece of … 'No way, I'm not saying it!' she thought hastily.
Jareth raised his other brushwork eyebrow. *She's gotten a lot more confident these past few years.* He would have to be very careful, play his cards just right, and hope she'd see…
"As you have said: I would expect such an answer from you-- you haven't changed a bit." That was a blatant-faced lie, and they both knew it. Knowing she had the upper hand, she called him on it: "Liar." It was the last thing he expected. She had indeed changed-- for the better. She was stronger than he had hoped for, and that gave him unexpected pleasure. Verbally sparring with her had been fun before-- now it was even better! He could get used… *No! Stop it! You're here to make sure if she'd still face the Labyrinth again, and that's it!* he reminded himself sharply. Jareth realized he'd kept silent too long, and should've said something when Sarah gave him a curious sideways look. He stopped lounging, and gave her what he hoped was an arrogant look of old.
*Damn his self-control!* Sarah thought. She should be stunned to see him, but for some reason or another she had almost accepted him as a regular part of her life somewhere along the line, and that irritated the hell out of her. No way would she admit to dreaming about him, but… she noticed he'd been silent longer than he usually was. With an inward grin, she straightened up, and began to circle him like a vulture, just as he liked to do to her when he wanted intimidation. Well, the tables were turned, and it was her turn now! *I could get used to this,* she thought amused. Jareth seemed supremely uncomfortable, and Sarah was really enjoying this. *Ha, ha, ha, the tables have turned now, haven't they?* she mentally reproached him. Jareth almost seemed to hear what she was thinking, for his face froze in an unreadable expression. She opened her mouth to say something, when she noticed that his attention was no longer on her. Confused, suspicious, she crossed directly into his line of sight, which was shifted again to just over her right shoulder. The indignity of the situation hit her briefly, but was replaced by a fearless numbness when Jareth's eyes narrowed slightly and flashed with what had to be anger. She crossed her arms, and turned halfway around to look behind her.
"Jake! What the blazing hell are you doing here?" she asked, shocked to see her boyfriend staring hard at Jareth as though in hostile recognition. His face was eerily lit by the lights of the neighbor's house coming through the windows on the right side of the room, in the dining area. He looked almost… demonic. He never took his gaze off of Jareth. "I came back because I had forgotten my cell phone in your purse, when I saw that all of your lights were off." He came to stand by her, and put an arm protectively around her waist. His body was tense, and his embrace was just a bit too tight. She wriggled a bit for him to loosen up-- he let her go, but kept a death-grip on her wrist.
"You said were going to be up late tonight, so I figured something was wrong. The door wasn't locked, so I went in. When I heard voices in the kitchen, I thought maybe a neighbor came by. Thought I could be of some assistance-- but instead I find my girlfriend conversing rather heatedly with some weirdo eighties-reject guy who obviously is unwanted company!"
She was about to say something, when Jareth interrupted her. "Well," he said in a silken voice, "Since I am 'obviously unwanted company' I would normally go--" Sarah gave an ungraceful snort. Jareth flicked his gaze to her briefly-- pleadingly? -- But the glance was so rapid that she wasn't sure she saw it. "But you're here. So that means that I'm staying, _Boden_!" With a start, Sarah turned her gaze back to her boyfriend.
Only he wasn't her boyfriend anymore. At least, he still looked like Jake… but he WASN'T Jake. Every nerve, every sense, and every intuition she had was telling her to run… fast. She looked from one to the other. The hostility in the room was stifling.
/Trust me./ What? What was that?
/Trust me./
Now Sarah didn't hesitate anymore. With one swift, hard yank *(Damn! Probably dislocated my freakin' shoulder!)* Sarah gained her freedom. Faster than either of the men could react to, she was down the hall, out the door, and catapulting herself into her car. Somewhere between the hallway and the door she had remembered to grab her purse. She still had her keys in her hand, and she hurriedly jammed her car key into the ignition. Throwing the car into reverse, she slammed on the gas with her bare foot.
Boden/Jake dashed appeared in the doorway. With sudden speed that Sarah's mind rapidly calculated to be far too quick to be humanly possible, he was in her line of traffic. Without a thought or cry from her lips, Sarah knew what she had to do. Grimly shifting gear as fast as she could, she floored the accelerator.
The last thing she saw of Boden/Jake was a positively demonic form that went sailing out of her way at the last minute. She never looked back. A death-grip on the wheel, Sarah speed away. It was only when she turned the corner off of her street did she remember that Jake didn't even own a cell phone.
The moment Sarah had heard him in her mind, she had panicked. What's wrong with me! Jareth reprimanded himself. A split second later, she had bolted, much to his relief. As quickly as she had fled out the door, he had changed into an owl. He hoped that Boden's time Overground had weakened him somewhat. Otherwise, Sarah didn't stand a chance. The squeal of tires told him what was happening. He flew outside just in time to see Boden picking himself of the ground as Sarah's car speed away. His relief was short-lived as Boden changed into a dog, and bounded after her. Swiftly, Jareth descended a little, determined to reach Sarah before Boden could harm her, or worse…. *Don't think that way!* he told himself harshly. Heart in his mouth, he gave chase to the car that was carrying his precious lifeline away from him. *I'll have to remember to thank Talisman for the immunity training when I get back,* he thought distantly.
Inside her car, Sarah frantically scrounged around in her purse for her cell phone… relieved to discover that she still had it. *Jerk,* she thought heatedly, then just as swiftly,*Idiot! Of COURSE it's there!* With sudden inspiration—and much self-degradation—she dialed her stepmother's number. *Thank God for speed dial and stupid demons!* She was vaguely amazed at how fast she had accepted… all that had just happened. *Now, was he always a demon, or did he just take over Jake's body? What did Jareth call him? Boden? Jareth…* Her desperation ended there. With sudden anger, she jerked the car to the right. *I know just what to do…* After several rings of the phone, Sarah heard the welcomingly normal voice of her stepmother.
Karen was waiting on the porch when Sarah pulled into the driveway. She jumped out of the car, and ran to greet Karen.
"Really, Sarah," Karen began, "You really should have called earlier. I expect you to be more responsible next time…"
"Yes, Karen," Sarah said hurriedly, "Where's Toby?"
"He's upstairs in his bedroom, pretending he's asleep."
"Listening to everything we say from the window right above our heads?"
"Probably. Wait—what?"
"Never mind," said Sarah, and she rushed past her stepmother and up the stairs. The big old house was silent. *I really miss you, Merlin. You too, Dad… love you both! Say—you don't suppose you could help me out here, could you? A little divine intervention?* She knocked purposefully on Toby's door—the door of her old bedroom, the one they shared when she stayed overnight sometimes. *Three raps, one pause, three raps more,* she repeated their secret code in her head. The door opened with a soft squeak.
"Toby!" Sarah exclaimed, sweeping her
"Thanks, Jake. I'm wearing the necklace you gave me for my birthday last week," said Sarah to her new boyfriend. She liked him all right, and knew him well enough to know his complement was sincere, but for some reason she felt the praise was hollow. Sarah shook herself out of her reverie when Jake told her:
"You know, Sarah, I feel like tonight something special is going to happen."
"Oh?" Sarah asked, raising her eyebrows and lifting her pale face to his glowing tan one.
"Yeah. And I have the funniest feeling! It's like… I don't know… " His voice trailed off as he peered into her eyes. "It's like I have to do everything now, tonight, because tomorrow I won't be here. But I will be here tomorrow, so that doesn't make sense, does it?"
"I guess not," Sarah replied thoughtfully with a tinge of suspicion. She had felt a premonition that something bad was going to happen for weeks now, and she didn't like it. Oh, quit being silly, she chided herself. An echo of a laugh reached her faintly, but faded as soon as she noticed it. That was enough, though, to put her on the alert. A stormy night long ago found it's way into her mental vision, and she didn't like that either. She thought she heard that laugh again, but as soon as her ears attuned to it's menacing glee it was gone again.
Later that night:
"Well, I think we can just forget any silly false premonitions we had earlier," said Jake, taking Sarah by the hand and walking her up the front walk. Sarah wasn't so sure, especially when the wind suddenly picked up for an instant. She didn't say anything.
Upon reaching the porch, she decided she didn't want Jake to stay as previously she had planned on asking: "Jake? I… have a lot of work to do, and I just don't think it would be a good idea… if you stayed the night again." Jake looked crestfallen for a split nanosecond, and then brightened.
"Okay, Sarah," he said in an understanding tone, "Just be sure to get some rest. Promise? You haven't been sleeping well lately, I can tell." Sarah smiled and nodded. "Sure, Jake," she replied. He kissed her once, and departed without looking back. Sarah watched him go, feeling the way the night wind picked up almost viciously. Then she turned, unlocked the door, and stepped inside, her brown patterned shawl billowing out around her slim body. Her wild mahogany hair swirled around her head and shoulders, reaching almost to her waist.
She shut and bolted the door behind her, leaning on the knob while she took off her strappy heels and set them down beside her other shoes. Sighing, she turned and leaned her full body along the door, feeling her flesh creeping as the coldness of the metal seeped through the thin material of her mottled brown sarong and tank top.
It was then that the lights decided to go out.
Now, with the wind that was now howling outside like a demon with a thorn in its foot, Sarah would've been perfectly willing to believe that a fallen tree branch had destroyed a transformer, or some other such thing as that. But when the street lamp on the other side of the street stayed on, and so did every other house's lights up and down the street, she decided that it was time to be afraid.
But not too afraid. As tiny scufflings and reedy whispers came from the kitchen at the end of the hallway directly in front of her, she decided she'd had enough. Firmly resolved, she picked up one foot, and set it resolutely in front of the other.
She continued to glide gracefully down the unlighted corridor, grasping a small statue that was kept on a table in the hallway by the telephone, and clutching the penlight she kept in her purse on her key ring.
Once in the kitchen, she proceeded uninhibited to the window above the sink on the other side of the room. Glancing outside, voices and scratching of tiny feet behind her, she found no trace of the white owl she thoroughly intended to hang. Getting a better grip on the statue, she flicked on her penlight, and turned around to shine it directly into the unblinking eyes of the Goblin King.
She expected to feel something. She expected him to say something.
He didn't.
She did.
Narrowing her eyes, she challenged his authority to be here. She refused to be the one to talk first. If he wanted something, he was going to have to ask for it. When he continued to just stand there, she leaned nonchalantly against the sink, and crossed her arms-- still bearing the statue from the hallway-- over her small bust. She was fervently glad now for her small "assets", for they prevented her evening outfit from being sexy, and sexy was the last thing she wanted him to think. Then again, she was too angry to even care if he thought that way about her anyway.
Jareth, King of the Goblins, arched a fine eyebrow, his eyes flashing at the duel she had just now forced him to lose. If he could've made her speak first, then it would've shown that he still had some power over her. Now, though, she was grown up, and he was being forced into speaking first. He was not used to such… inconveniences. Ah, well, it was the hard way then:
"Good evening, Sarah, how have you been lately?" he asked in a genial manner. He hoped against hope that she would answer…
"Fine, Jareth, I trust all is well and evil with you? Stolen anybody's baby brother lately?" she retorted. If Jareth wanted to play nice, so could she. If he got nasty… well, she'd dealt with-- and beaten him at-- nasty before. This would be a piece of … 'No way, I'm not saying it!' she thought hastily.
Jareth raised his other brushwork eyebrow. *She's gotten a lot more confident these past few years.* He would have to be very careful, play his cards just right, and hope she'd see…
"As you have said: I would expect such an answer from you-- you haven't changed a bit." That was a blatant-faced lie, and they both knew it. Knowing she had the upper hand, she called him on it: "Liar." It was the last thing he expected. She had indeed changed-- for the better. She was stronger than he had hoped for, and that gave him unexpected pleasure. Verbally sparring with her had been fun before-- now it was even better! He could get used… *No! Stop it! You're here to make sure if she'd still face the Labyrinth again, and that's it!* he reminded himself sharply. Jareth realized he'd kept silent too long, and should've said something when Sarah gave him a curious sideways look. He stopped lounging, and gave her what he hoped was an arrogant look of old.
*Damn his self-control!* Sarah thought. She should be stunned to see him, but for some reason or another she had almost accepted him as a regular part of her life somewhere along the line, and that irritated the hell out of her. No way would she admit to dreaming about him, but… she noticed he'd been silent longer than he usually was. With an inward grin, she straightened up, and began to circle him like a vulture, just as he liked to do to her when he wanted intimidation. Well, the tables were turned, and it was her turn now! *I could get used to this,* she thought amused. Jareth seemed supremely uncomfortable, and Sarah was really enjoying this. *Ha, ha, ha, the tables have turned now, haven't they?* she mentally reproached him. Jareth almost seemed to hear what she was thinking, for his face froze in an unreadable expression. She opened her mouth to say something, when she noticed that his attention was no longer on her. Confused, suspicious, she crossed directly into his line of sight, which was shifted again to just over her right shoulder. The indignity of the situation hit her briefly, but was replaced by a fearless numbness when Jareth's eyes narrowed slightly and flashed with what had to be anger. She crossed her arms, and turned halfway around to look behind her.
"Jake! What the blazing hell are you doing here?" she asked, shocked to see her boyfriend staring hard at Jareth as though in hostile recognition. His face was eerily lit by the lights of the neighbor's house coming through the windows on the right side of the room, in the dining area. He looked almost… demonic. He never took his gaze off of Jareth. "I came back because I had forgotten my cell phone in your purse, when I saw that all of your lights were off." He came to stand by her, and put an arm protectively around her waist. His body was tense, and his embrace was just a bit too tight. She wriggled a bit for him to loosen up-- he let her go, but kept a death-grip on her wrist.
"You said were going to be up late tonight, so I figured something was wrong. The door wasn't locked, so I went in. When I heard voices in the kitchen, I thought maybe a neighbor came by. Thought I could be of some assistance-- but instead I find my girlfriend conversing rather heatedly with some weirdo eighties-reject guy who obviously is unwanted company!"
She was about to say something, when Jareth interrupted her. "Well," he said in a silken voice, "Since I am 'obviously unwanted company' I would normally go--" Sarah gave an ungraceful snort. Jareth flicked his gaze to her briefly-- pleadingly? -- But the glance was so rapid that she wasn't sure she saw it. "But you're here. So that means that I'm staying, _Boden_!" With a start, Sarah turned her gaze back to her boyfriend.
Only he wasn't her boyfriend anymore. At least, he still looked like Jake… but he WASN'T Jake. Every nerve, every sense, and every intuition she had was telling her to run… fast. She looked from one to the other. The hostility in the room was stifling.
/Trust me./ What? What was that?
/Trust me./
Now Sarah didn't hesitate anymore. With one swift, hard yank *(Damn! Probably dislocated my freakin' shoulder!)* Sarah gained her freedom. Faster than either of the men could react to, she was down the hall, out the door, and catapulting herself into her car. Somewhere between the hallway and the door she had remembered to grab her purse. She still had her keys in her hand, and she hurriedly jammed her car key into the ignition. Throwing the car into reverse, she slammed on the gas with her bare foot.
Boden/Jake dashed appeared in the doorway. With sudden speed that Sarah's mind rapidly calculated to be far too quick to be humanly possible, he was in her line of traffic. Without a thought or cry from her lips, Sarah knew what she had to do. Grimly shifting gear as fast as she could, she floored the accelerator.
The last thing she saw of Boden/Jake was a positively demonic form that went sailing out of her way at the last minute. She never looked back. A death-grip on the wheel, Sarah speed away. It was only when she turned the corner off of her street did she remember that Jake didn't even own a cell phone.
The moment Sarah had heard him in her mind, she had panicked. What's wrong with me! Jareth reprimanded himself. A split second later, she had bolted, much to his relief. As quickly as she had fled out the door, he had changed into an owl. He hoped that Boden's time Overground had weakened him somewhat. Otherwise, Sarah didn't stand a chance. The squeal of tires told him what was happening. He flew outside just in time to see Boden picking himself of the ground as Sarah's car speed away. His relief was short-lived as Boden changed into a dog, and bounded after her. Swiftly, Jareth descended a little, determined to reach Sarah before Boden could harm her, or worse…. *Don't think that way!* he told himself harshly. Heart in his mouth, he gave chase to the car that was carrying his precious lifeline away from him. *I'll have to remember to thank Talisman for the immunity training when I get back,* he thought distantly.
Inside her car, Sarah frantically scrounged around in her purse for her cell phone… relieved to discover that she still had it. *Jerk,* she thought heatedly, then just as swiftly,*Idiot! Of COURSE it's there!* With sudden inspiration—and much self-degradation—she dialed her stepmother's number. *Thank God for speed dial and stupid demons!* She was vaguely amazed at how fast she had accepted… all that had just happened. *Now, was he always a demon, or did he just take over Jake's body? What did Jareth call him? Boden? Jareth…* Her desperation ended there. With sudden anger, she jerked the car to the right. *I know just what to do…* After several rings of the phone, Sarah heard the welcomingly normal voice of her stepmother.
Karen was waiting on the porch when Sarah pulled into the driveway. She jumped out of the car, and ran to greet Karen.
"Really, Sarah," Karen began, "You really should have called earlier. I expect you to be more responsible next time…"
"Yes, Karen," Sarah said hurriedly, "Where's Toby?"
"He's upstairs in his bedroom, pretending he's asleep."
"Listening to everything we say from the window right above our heads?"
"Probably. Wait—what?"
"Never mind," said Sarah, and she rushed past her stepmother and up the stairs. The big old house was silent. *I really miss you, Merlin. You too, Dad… love you both! Say—you don't suppose you could help me out here, could you? A little divine intervention?* She knocked purposefully on Toby's door—the door of her old bedroom, the one they shared when she stayed overnight sometimes. *Three raps, one pause, three raps more,* she repeated their secret code in her head. The door opened with a soft squeak.
"Toby!" Sarah exclaimed, sweeping her