They came for her that same night, while she snuggled warm under her blankets. Sarah was not quite asleep, for she was still thinking excitedly (if somewhat dreamily) of Hoggle and the other friends she had made, and trying not to think about snowy while owls. She didn't notice them creep in through the shadows of her closet door; they made little noise, and she'd gotten used to the sounds of a baby brother in the middle of the night.
The goblins huddled around her bed, talking quietly and laughing. At first they kept each other quiet with elbows and hissed shushes, but the talking gradually grew louder. Unsure if she was waking or dreaming, Sarah opened her eyes.
When she opened her mouth to scream, one of them leapt onto the bed and pressed his hand to her lips. His skin was rough and leathery, and she tasted copper and black licorice.
"Quiet, lass," he hissed. "Do ya want to wake everyone?" She shook her head no.
"Good," the goblin said as he lowered his hand. Sarah watched him warily, totally awake and hoping this was a dream. "Jareth has sent..." but his words were drowned out.
"But my kingdom is as great as his!" she cried without listening, the words replaying through her half-waking state. "He cannot touch me here!"
"Greater, seems like. Jareth allowed as you'd bested him, so ye'd conquered his kingdom. We're at your service now, my queen"
Sarah blinked. "Your... queen...?"
Around her bed, goblin heads bobbed low. "Aye, lass. Queen of the goblins, ye are."
"No! No, I won't! I'm not!" Before Sarah had finished shouting, she heard crying down the hall. She realized she'd woken her baby brother. The light clicked on in the hallway, and footsteps followed. The crying slowly hiccuped and died out.
The goblins still stood there, bathed in the light of reality slipped through the door's crack. Her brother finally went silent. Footsteps again.
"Your orders, my lady?" asked the goblin. What would her stepmother say if she found goblins in her room?
She closed her eyes. "Hide."
"Sarah?" came her stepmother's voice. "What was that screeching about?" Her door was pushed wide open, and she felt the hallway light slide over her.
"It was a nightmare," she said, praying that her words were true. "Just a nightmare. I'm sorry."
Her stepmother sighed. "If you're going to be waking your brother, maybe you should start sleeping with your door shut. You're too old to be afraid of the dark." Without waiting for Sarah to reply, she pulled the door shut until it clicked. Her footsteps retreated, and even the thin band of light under the door disappeared. Only starlight from her open window shone in now, lending the slightest of blue tones to the darkness as Sarah's eyes adjusted. For a moment, she thought she saw something white flutter past her window, but it was gone in a moment.
She waited a moment to see if anything would return. Nothing moved. Finally she closed her eyes and begged anyone who might be listening to let her sleep.
The goblins huddled around her bed, talking quietly and laughing. At first they kept each other quiet with elbows and hissed shushes, but the talking gradually grew louder. Unsure if she was waking or dreaming, Sarah opened her eyes.
When she opened her mouth to scream, one of them leapt onto the bed and pressed his hand to her lips. His skin was rough and leathery, and she tasted copper and black licorice.
"Quiet, lass," he hissed. "Do ya want to wake everyone?" She shook her head no.
"Good," the goblin said as he lowered his hand. Sarah watched him warily, totally awake and hoping this was a dream. "Jareth has sent..." but his words were drowned out.
"But my kingdom is as great as his!" she cried without listening, the words replaying through her half-waking state. "He cannot touch me here!"
"Greater, seems like. Jareth allowed as you'd bested him, so ye'd conquered his kingdom. We're at your service now, my queen"
Sarah blinked. "Your... queen...?"
Around her bed, goblin heads bobbed low. "Aye, lass. Queen of the goblins, ye are."
"No! No, I won't! I'm not!" Before Sarah had finished shouting, she heard crying down the hall. She realized she'd woken her baby brother. The light clicked on in the hallway, and footsteps followed. The crying slowly hiccuped and died out.
The goblins still stood there, bathed in the light of reality slipped through the door's crack. Her brother finally went silent. Footsteps again.
"Your orders, my lady?" asked the goblin. What would her stepmother say if she found goblins in her room?
She closed her eyes. "Hide."
"Sarah?" came her stepmother's voice. "What was that screeching about?" Her door was pushed wide open, and she felt the hallway light slide over her.
"It was a nightmare," she said, praying that her words were true. "Just a nightmare. I'm sorry."
Her stepmother sighed. "If you're going to be waking your brother, maybe you should start sleeping with your door shut. You're too old to be afraid of the dark." Without waiting for Sarah to reply, she pulled the door shut until it clicked. Her footsteps retreated, and even the thin band of light under the door disappeared. Only starlight from her open window shone in now, lending the slightest of blue tones to the darkness as Sarah's eyes adjusted. For a moment, she thought she saw something white flutter past her window, but it was gone in a moment.
She waited a moment to see if anything would return. Nothing moved. Finally she closed her eyes and begged anyone who might be listening to let her sleep.