Dreams and Schemes

Everything was dark, so dark she couldn't see, and she was falling. She suddenly hit the ground but it didn't hurt like she thought it would. She could see now. She was in a gray landscape, barren as far as the eye could see, save for a few stone structures. "What is this place?" she asked out loud.

A cold, sinister voice spoke to her from behind, saying, "Don't you know, Runner? Can't remember your travels through this place anymore?"

Sarah whirled around to see a dark man, if a man was what he was, standing there. His hair was long, straight, and black as the night. His eyes were just as black. And he was abnormally thin, with long ears. "I – should I remember?" And why had he called her Runner? He laughed, and she found herself afraid. "Who are you?"

He smiled ferociously, replying, "Some call me Mekrul, but to you, I am the new Goblin King."

Sarah's heart stopped. No! What happened to Jareth!? She glanced around frantically, and Mekrul misunderstood her thoughts, which probably saved her.

"Don't worry, Runner, the former king who stole the person you loved is no longer in power."

Somehow Sarah found her voice. "What is it you want from me?"

"Ah, you get right to the point; I like your style. You see, I hold the former king captive, and I'm trying to prove to him that I am better suited for the position. He lost to a Runner several years ago, and I'm going to show him how it's done." Mekrul paused, then smirked evilly. "Of course, I'll have the odds stacked against him by having only the Runners who lost, of which you're one. You see, I'm going to give you the opportunity to win back what's yours, and all you have to do is something that you would probably love to do anyways."

"What's that?" And how is it that you don't realize that I didn't lose?

"You need to beat him by not reaching him where he's held. Oh, I'd like all the Runners to give it a decent shot, just so that our finely feathered friend can have a sense of false hope. In exchange, I'll locate the one that was stolen from you and return you both to the Aboveground." He eyed Sarah, then asked, "So, do we have a deal, Runner?"

Sarah contemplated her options, but she knew what choice she would make. This creature was sinister, her friends were in trouble, and the land that she had come to think fondly of was in peril as well. Not to mention Jareth. She'd come to terms long before that she had been selfish, and that he had only done as she'd asked him to. Hell, she missed him. The thought of him being held captive made her insides squirm in worry. "Yes, new Goblin King, we have a deal. When do I start?"

"Tomorrow night, I'll send an escort for you. I suggest you prepare yourself." With that, Mekrul laughed viciously and evaporated from her view as her world spun.

Sarah Williams, now 18, bolted upright in her bed, sweat everywhere on her body. So, the Labyrinth had been taken over had it? No wonder she hadn't been able to contact her friends in a while. She remembered the foulness of the new "king" and her mouth set in a grim line. She would save Jareth, no matter the cost. She owed him that at least.