Thanks so much for all your reviews! I would harass you guys some more before this chapter, but I have a final tonight in Volleyball…..Can you believe that? I didn't sign up for volleyball to actually have to take a written test. Oh, well, life's not fair. I am warning about the grammar again. I know, you guys know, but just in case, the grammar could be bad. I didn't proofread it, but I did post really fast, so that's gotta count for something, right? I really hope you guys enjoy!
CHAPTER 3
She still cried.
Every hour of the strangely long days in the labyrinth, Jareth watched her through his crystals, oblivious to the noise and commotion that surrounded him. He was driven by a desire to run to her, to scoop her up in his arms and comfort her, but he was put off by the voice in his head, the one that whispered of her refusal of his offer to her. It was a cruel voice, one that told him to shatter the glasses he watched her through even as he watched, and it reminded him of the hurts he had suffered through her. She was the only creature he had made such an offer to. Without any real hesitation, she had turned it away, almost as if scoffing at the Kingdom and position he offered her.
Almost as if scoffing at the heart he offered her
The whispers started again, but he ignored them, focusing instead on the beautiful would be Queen crying into her pillow for the fourth night in a row.
His heart lurched as he mentally restrained himself from transporting to her side.
Sarah cried always now, the pallid skin of her face drawing even more into itself as if to escape the salty acidity of the tears. Toby noticed the pain now. He could see her grimace as she tried simple task, could see the fatigue that haunted her every step and action, and she knew that it worried him just as heavily as it did her. Even now in her minds eye she could see her baby brother's cute forehead crinkled in concern. She could feel his small hands and arms trying to give her something to lean on or a bit of comfort, could see him taking on tasks that were never his to do, but still he did them without complaint and with a level of maturity that made Sarah want to break down and cry even more.
He was scared for her, feared losing her as he had lost everything else in his life. And she understood, especially since she was in the same type of situation marred with the same type of fear. Only hers was slightly different; instead of only losing the last thing she knew and loved, she also was going to lose her life.
A solitary tear traveled down her skeletal face as she quickly moved to wipe it away. Toby would be off the bus soon, and he didn't need to see her crying anymore. She needed to step up and be an adult about it. Life wasn't fair. That's just how it was, and nobody could change that.
"I'm home…" A boy's shrill voice came from the foyer of the house. Sarah smiled and picked up a plate of cookies just in time to see Toby come into the kitchen.
"Hi, rat…I made cookies. I was wondering if you wanted to order pizzas and watch movies tonight?" Her voice sounded raspy and strained even to her ears.
Toby for his part, was not fooled. He cocked his head to the side and regarded her with a look that said 'Ha, I know better. Try to fool the kid. That's good.' Still, he did not speak to answer her but instead allowed a wave of emotions to play on his face. Sarah could almost imagine his thoughts.
She looks bad. But, oh well it is pizza. No wait, she's sick and in pain and….AND SHE"S GONNA LET YOU STAY UP LATE ON A SCHOOL NIGHT AND WATCH MOVIES WITH HER! DUMMY, WHAT KIND OF CHOICE IS THERE TO MAKE?
Sarah giggled despite herself as he nodded his head energetically, all suspicious stares and reservations of a pizza and movie night gone at the temptation of staying up late on a school night.
And it probably helps that he'll get to brag about it to his friends at school tomorrow, Sarah thought, stifling yet another giggle for fear that her emotionally fragile brother might think she'd gone off the deep end and was laughing at the voices in her own head.
"What movie?" Toby asked, a head full of golden hair darting into the living room for the phone book.
"I don't know. What do you think?" Sarah asked, watching him in amusement as she went to the small island planted in the middle of the kitchen to grab the phone.
It was several minutes before he responded, barreling into the living room with the phone book in his hands.
"Pirates of the Caribbean" he told her as she put down the phone.
"Pizza's ordered" Sarah told him, grinning wildly at the stunned look on his face.
"But I just found the phone book…."he seemed hurt.
"Sweetheart, we eat pizza at least once a week. I know the number by now." She was still smiling.
"You could have told me that, butt face." He looked up at her, a smile spreading across his lips too.
"I may be a butt face, but you're related to me." She told him, eliciting a childish giggle from the both of them. "Come on. Let's go watch movies." And with that, Sarah took his little hand in her own and went to the living room.
Jareth watched and breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her and her brother giggle in front of a flickering television screen, the light dancing on their happy faces.
Perhaps she was only sad, he mused silently, Human females are, after all prone to things like that, but now she has gotten over it and….no, no, no. That is not right. In the dream, she said she was dying. Well, she doesn't look like anything is wrong with her now.
Although, she did look like something was wrong with her. The King regarded the image intently, mismatched eyes nearly searing through the crystal. Despite the fact that she was laughing and smiling, she still looked tired. The pale angles of her face were bony and sickly. She barely looked like the girl he had once loved so with her youthful features and vibrant smile. Now, her eyes were old and dull, as though the world had collapsed around her. Her fire was gone, replaced by acceptance and sadness.
Where are her parents? He asked himself, noticing for the first time that Sarah and Toby were always alone in the large house, and in at least the past year he had looked in on her, she was always without them. Maybe they had a falling out….
Jareth almost winced to himself, remembering his own "falling out" with his parents. Even now, he could feel the magic vibrate through him as he thought of his father, who even now controlled the bordering Kingdom. Indeed, the Goblin King had once been sent to the Goblin King in exile…
"Maybe that is why she looks so sad," he whispered to himself.
But a part of him, a large part, was not fooled.
"Tonight," he vowed silently, ignoring the screaming protests in his mind. "Tonight, I will see what has happened…"
Ha, ha, ha. (Evil author laugh) Sorry for the cliffhanger, guys. Please don't yell at me in reviews. I will post tomorrow, so don't scream, or throw things at me, or beat me……but do please leave me a present.