TO SEEK THE ONE YOU LOVE

CHAPTER 1: LIFE OR LOVE

"Give me the child. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered"…

"Say your line!"

"I'm sorry Jareth. I had to."

"That's not your line! Say the line!" The sound of her brother's screams woke the young girl out of her daydreams.

"I'm sorry Toby. Can we start over? I forgot wh-"

"No! Remember! You have to remember!"

"Oh Toby! Fine!" Sarah agreed and tried to remember her place, though her four-year-old brother's screaming high-pitched voice didn't help. She fixed her eyes back on the little statue of the Goblin King that was sitting on her desk, which was up against the same wall as her bed.

Her room was very different than most nineteen-year-olds room. While most girls plastered their walls with pictures of their favorite actors and bands, she had posters of fantasy. There was one she liked particularly well. It was a picture of an Escher room. She had considered taking it down numerous times, but since she only came home for visits, she saw no point.

Along with the few posters, she also had a large dresser, bed, and a shelf above her bed that held her favorite stuffed animals. Many of them were missing since her step-mother had given them to Toby. Not only had she taken Sarah's toys, but also a large portion of her room. She had taken it and made it some kind of storage space. But Sarah only minded slightly.

Sarah Williams. It had been four years since she traveled through the Labyrinth to save her brother. She had stopped dreaming of the place she once loved so much. Instead she was more interested in college, where she met Shaun.

Shaun was tall, and blond, and he was now Sarah's boyfriend. She was waiting for her visit to be over for two reasons. She was tired of her brother's screaming and she wanted to see Shaun.

As Toby's screams got closer, Sarah's thoughts went back to thinking about her lines.

"Ow! Toby!" She glanced down to see her brother's tiny fists beating against her leg. She suddenly found herself thinking about the words she had said four years ago to send her brother away.

"Oh, come on Toby. Stop that. "She had picked up the distraught boy, when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a huge owl outside her bedroom window. "Oh my gosh. No. it can't be… I didn't call him. Why is he here?"

Slowly, she set the boy down and made her way over to the window. She squinted at the bird outside as she advanced. The owl flew against the glass and she jumped back. Again, she approached the window, and, out of curiosity, reached for the latch. She took a deep breath as she flipped the latch up, opening the window.

Quickly, she leaped back, so she wouldn't be attacked like last time. Her brother sat on the bed, wide-eyed, staring at the window.

They stood there for a few moments saying nothing. Toby stayed in his position. Sarah was standing up fidgeting. And only about two feet away from her, far too close, she thought, stood the Goblin King, Jareth. He stood with a sly little grin on his face.

After a few more moments of the awkward silence, the nervous Sarah finally spoke the words Jareth had been waiting for.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to take Toby." Was his simple reply.

"What? No! You can't! I didn't wish him away!"

"Didn't you? Perhaps you didn't verbalize it, but you and I both know that you thought it."

"But…I…I…"

"Let me guess. You didn't mean it, right?"

"No, um, yes…" Sarah said the last word with reluctance, for she hated being wrong. Especially when Jareth was involved.

"Ah, so you see that now, being a man of my word, I must take your brother." He gave Sarah a look as if he felt sorry for having to say these words, but Sarah saw the truth in his eyes."

"No! You can't! You can't have him! Take anyone else, just not him!"

She was interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

"Ugh. Shaun. I wish he would stop calling so often. He has the worst timing."

She turned around to find Jareth gone and Toby staring at the spot which the Goblin King had stood just moments before. Suspicion slowly set in. he wouldn't just leave, she thought. She glanced at her bed, where her brother still sat. Especially not without Toby.

She thought over what had been said. Her eyes got wide and her jaw dropped as she realized what she had done. She jumped as suddenly Jareth popped back into the room. Again, he remained quiet. But he looked at Sarah with a look that said,"Come on Sarah. Ask. I dare you."

She sighed and, with her eyes closed, asked the question.

"What did you do?"

"I think you mean to ask what you did."

"Ok, what did I do?"

"We both know that you know what you did. But I will repeat it for you. You, Sarah Williams, refused to give me what was offered. And as a result, you offered another."

"That wasn't an offer! And I didn't ask for you to take him!"

"Oh, no, but you did wish that he would stop calling you, did you not? And now he won't be calling you anymore."

"No! He's not even a baby! He can't be a goblin."

"No, but he does dream. And the Labyrinth lives off dreams."

There was a long silence as Sarah tried to process this. Then, she looked up as Jareth's voice broke the silence.

"You have questions, I'm guessing. Go ahead and ask."

"Wha- What will happen to Shaun?"

"Oh, so it has a name. Well, to answer your question, he will remain in the Labyrinth. He will not live. At least not completely. Mortals need their dreams. Though, he won't die, he will constantly be in pain. And he will always have his memories, and I'll make sure he knows that you're the reason he's there."

"Let me in the Labyrinth. I want to save him. I need to."

"Ah, Sarah. Always the hero. Well, I won't grant you access to the Labyrinth after you destroyed it last time. Not without a price."

Jareth had a thoughtful look on his face. Sarah did as well, for she couldn't imagine what he could want.

She started fidgeting again as the silence grew longer and scarier, and as Jareth's look of thinking slowly turned to one of knowing. Sarah became very suspicious and tried to keep her eyes off him. But the longer she tried, the harder it became. She grew more curious and found herself starting to look up. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about it.

Suddenly, she felt odd. She felt nervous. Like someone was watching her. She opened her eyes, slowly, and gasped.

Staring back at her were two eyes. One was blue, while the other appeared green. These were the eyes of Jareth. He was kneeling down so that his eyes were even with hers. After a moment, he stood, turned and walked a few steps away.

"Well?"

The sound of his voice sounded so strange after the silence.

"Well what?" Sarah was relieved that her voice didn't crack or shake.

"Are you going to offer something or shall I just leave now and keep your precious Shaun?"

"I don't know what you want!"

"Think hard Sarah. What could I want? Something I've tried to get but couldn't. Come on Sarah. Surely you are not that naïve."

"I don't know. Couldn't you just tell me? Please?"

Jareth sighed and a look of obvious disappointment came over his face.

"I'm so surprised at you. I thought you were smarter than that. Well, since your mind seems to be stuck, I will tell you." Sarah knew he meant to get a reaction from her with what was obviously an insult. But she was far too nervous about what he would say to care.

"You know that I came for Toby. Ad you refused to let me have him. If you fail, I get Toby as well as Shaun." He said Shaun's name with disgust.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Sarah answered.

"Ok. It's a deal."

"Ah Sarah. I do love your can-do attitude. But you didn't let me finish, and you may change your mind when I tell you."

Sarah became even more suspicious of him at that. She couldn't believe he could want anything else. She had already taken him up on the first part. All these thoughts were racing through her head, when she noticed that Jareth was still there and he was waiting so patiently for her reply. He looked at her as if he knew what she was thinking.

"What is it?" she said, nervously moving a stray strand of her dark hair out of her face.

"Well, it's really very simple. Four years ago, you traveled through my Labyrinth, rejecting every offer of happiness I set before you. Now, should you accept, if you fail-"

"Which I won't" Sarah interrupted.

"If you fail," Jareth said. He was obviously loosing his patience. "Then you must accept that happiness."

Sarah thought for a moment, searching for any signs that said he was kidding. Then she looked into his eyes- his cruel, mismatched eyes- and broke out of her thoughts.

"What does that mean?"

A deep sigh was followed by Jareth's voice. It was filled with even more mockery then usual.

"It means that should you be unable to solve the Labyrinth, you must stay. As the queen."

Sarah's eyes grew wide as she heard this.

"You remembered that I said you had to offer something that I tried to get, but failed. I tried to get Toby; I tried to get your obedience. But the one thing I wanted more than anything was you, Sarah. Now, the question is whether you are willing to risk it." Jareth said with confidence.

Sarah knew he figured either way she would loose. If she said no, he would get Shaun, and if she said yes, she wouldn't be able to get through the Labyrinth.

"Yes. Yes, I accept. So put the thirteen hours on the clock and take me to the Labyrinth."

"Oh, silly me." Jareth said very teasingly. "I must've forgotten to tell you. You don't have thirteen hours this time."

"What? Why not?" Sarah cried.

"Because, I'm taking off a few hours due to the fact that, as you know, you left my kingdom in ruins." Jareth said, growing angry at the memory of his shattered kingdom.

"Oh, well how long do I have then?" Sarah asked, a little suspicious.

"Oh, well let's see. How old is Toby?"

"He's almost five. Why do you want to know that?"

"Ok. You have five hours, in honor of Toby." He both ignored her question as well as answered it.

"What! That's impossible! It took me all of thirteen hours last time! Besides, you took a couple hours off last time, so can't you at least give me that time back?" Sarah felt that it was useless. This man had a way of being cruel.

"Good job Sarah. Maybe you aren't as naïve as I thought. I'm glad you finally got to use that brain of yours. I will give you thirteen hours, but I will take off a couple."

Sarah just looked down. Then she looked up and saw that Toby never left his place on her bed. What all had he heard? And even more importantly, what all did he understand?

"Toby, come here." Sarah said a little hesitantly.

The little boy was startled. He had been staring at the familiar man, trying to remember who he was. As Sarah called him to her, he suddenly remembered who it was. His eyes grew wide as he continued to stare at this strange man.

"Toby come here. Now." She said with much more authority.

Toby took a look at his sister and then turned back to the Goblin King. Then he got up and ran over to him. He gave the King a hug around his legs.

"Toby! Come here! Now!" Sarah yelled. She wasn't yelling at Toby or even at Jareth. She was yelling at her fear. She didn't trust the tall, pale-blond man standing in the middle of her room. And even more so, she didn't trust those eyes. Those cruel, mismatched eyes.

Toby let go of Jareth and walked over to Sarah. She held him close to her. Jareth laughed to himself and looked at Sarah. It was a look that said he knew what she was thinking.

"Now," Jareth started. "If you still wish to enter the Labyrinth, I'll send you on your way."

"Yes. Just send me."

Suddenly, the room disappeared around them. Sarah held Toby closer. They were now up on a hill that overlooked the Labyrinth. The same hill Sarah stood on four years ago.

"Remember this?" Jareth said in Sarah's ear, making her jump.

"Of course. How could I forget?" Sarah nearly whispered.

It was silent for a few moments. Then Jareth's voice rang out again.

"Well, you should be on your way."

He waved his gloved hand and a clock appeared. It was similar to the clock from before, but rather than thirteen hours, this one had ten.

"Your time starts now. You'd better get going."

"Wait. What am I supposed to do with Toby?"

"I suppose you could leave him in my care if you wish." Jareth replied doubtfully to Sarah's question.

"No way! I'm not letting you take him. I'll take him with me."

"As you wish." He smiled cruelly at Sarah and faded away.

"Come on, Toby."

"Ok, Sarah." Toby said in an understanding tone.

And then they walked to the huge walls of the Labyrinth.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This is chapter one. I really hope you all like it. i want to than Marissa fo rproof reading the prologue and Karen for proof reading both the prologue and chapter 1. i would also like to thank Dracanna for being the first person to favorite and follow me and the story. chapter 2 may take a while to get posted but i hope everyone enjoys it. if you have any questions or comments please leave a review or email me at patdrocker_. :) bye everyone stay peachy!