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Chapter 2

Sarah dropped out of high school to take care of Toby since she could not afford a sitter or daycare and babysat for food money. She sold everything in the house they could live without and some stuff they could not. The money from that lasted about eight months, supplemented here and there with cash from sitting. Babysitting jobs were scarce as she had to take Toby with her and few were willing to allow that. Almost a year after the car accident, Sarah and Toby were living on little more than peanut butter sandwiches, and that was mostly Toby.

Sarah made sure Toby was fed three times a day, but she would sometimes go two to three days with little or nothing to eat. Begging her mother did no good, she was just told that being a starved actress was good for the soul, that it made one hungrier to make it in life. Sarah did not know how her mother had become so twisted in her logic.

One night as Sarah was tucking Toby into bed, he told her, "Mama, I'm hungry." Toby had started calling her Mama a couple of months before, it was how his young mind adapted to the tragedy that had happened to him-to them-at such a tender age.

Sarah sighed, "I know, sweetie. When we wake up in the morning, we will have a sandwich, okay?" Toby sighed, but nodded. He scooted over for her to lay next to him while she read the Labyrinth to him. As she was walking to the bookshelf to grab it, she suddenly swayed and then collapsed.

Toby cried and ran to her, trying to make her wake up, "Mama! Mama! Wake up!" Nothing Toby did could wake her up, but he finally got an idea and called out loudly, "Goblem King! Help Mama!" When nothing happened, he cried harder until he remembered that there was a special way to call the Goblin King in is book. He scrunched his face, thinking hard, then, "Wish...I wish Goblem King help Mama!"

Within moments, the lights went out and the window in Toby's room flew open followed by an owl that changed into a man. Toby blinked up at the tall slender man that looked just the way Sarah had described him.

The Goblin King looked around, slightly confused and annoyed, at first not seeing anyone. Then he spotted a small child on the other side of the bed, "Did you summon me?" he asked imperiously.

Toby was not sure what that word meant, but he jumped up, "Help Mama! Help!"

The Goblin King sighed, and said as he walked towards the boy, "Child, you do not just call the Goblin King whenever you feel like it, there are rules. I am not here for amu-" he stopped dead when he saw the body on the floor, and his heart skipped a beat until he saw her chest move ever so slightly. He quickly went to her side and looked her over. She was pale and much too thin; she looked like she was already more than halfway dead. He turned to the boy and asked him, "This is your mother?"

Toby shook his head, "No, Mama," he said slowly, to make sure the strange man understood.

Jareth was confused, there was no way she could have a child this age, unless... "Are you Toby?" Toby nodded. "Why did you call me for help?" The Goblin King could not understand the boy's reasoning for summoning him of all beings.

"Mama said you nice. Good...good...good man."

Jareth was beyond shocked, "She said that?" Toby nodded, still shaking Sarah's shoulder slightly, trying to wake her up with tears falling silently down his cheeks. Jareth looked at the two of them and made his decision, "Toby, do you want me to help you and your mama?" At his nod, Jareth said, "I cannot help you until you say something very specific. Can you do that?"

"Spesfic?" Toby asked, unsure of the word.

Jareth thought for a moment, then said, "I can only help if you say 'I wish the Goblin King would take me and Sarah to his castle.'"

Toby scrunched his face, trying to remember all the words the Goblin King had said, "I wish Goblem King take us to castle." As he opened his eyes back up, he looked pleased.

Jareth paused, then decided, "That will work well enough." He picked Sarah up and cradled her to his chest gently and told Toby to hold onto his leg. When he was attached, Jareth transported them to his castle. Toby looked around in wonder as the Goblin King carefully placed Sarah into the middle of the large bed.

Jareth still needed to find out what happened to figure out how best to help. He had not been able to look in on Sarah since she rejected his offer and would have continued to be barred until she reached her majority. But Toby had circumvented that rule, and a good thing too-it had almost been too late. Jareth pushed that panic-inducing thought aside and turned to boy standing at the side of the bed, "Toby, what is wrong with Mama?"

"Fell down."

"Why? What was she doing?"

"Getting book."

Jareth tried a different approach, "Toby what happened to your parents?" He had sensed no other presence in the house, and no residual energy from anyone other than Sarah and Toby.

"Just Mama." At that point, Toby's stomach growled. That confirmed one of Jareth's suspicions.

"Toby, have you eaten today?" The boy nodded and Jareth asked, "What did you eat?"

"Nutbutter sandwiches."

"How many have you had today?"

Toby scrunched his face, thinking, then brightened because he knew this answer, "Three!" He held up two fingers to prove it, too.

Jareth looked at Sarah and frowned, "Did Mama eat today?" Toby shrugged and shook his head, having no answer. The Goblin King ran his hand through Toby's hair, sending a touch of magic to help the boy focus and remember.

"No," he answered as he crawled onto the bed and snuggled next to Sarah.

"What about yesterday, Toby?" Again, he ran his hand through the child's hair to soothe him and help his focus.

"No," Toby whispered, putting his head on Sarah's chest and hugging her.

Jareth got the answers he needed and conjured up a crystal and threw it at the wall. Toby missed this display of power as he was still trying to wake Sarah. Having another thought, he made another crystal and sent it flying as well. It took about thirty minutes for his first crystal to be answered with a knock on the door. "Enter," called the Goblin King and in came four goblins, each with a covered tray. Toby sat up and stared at the goblins, amazed.

A table was pushed to the side of the bed next to the Goblin King and the trays were laid down. The goblins paused to see if their king needed anything else. "Dismissed," came their answer. They bowed themselves out of the room and closed the door. Not a minute later came another knock; "Enter," from the Goblin King again.

Four more goblins came in, this time carrying a small bed frame while two more followed with a mattress. Yet another came with linens. In a few short minutes, the small bed was set up a few feet from where Sarah was resting for Toby to sleep; Jareth thought it would be easier for both of them to be near each other until they were accustomed to the Underground.

As Jaareth carefully lifted Sarah up, he instructed Toby to put some pillows behind her back to prop her up. When she was inclined to his satisfaction, he brushed his hand through her once lush and shining locks to send some magic into her to become more aware.