The Wish

Chapter 3

A Little Piece Of You, The Little Peace In Me, Will Die

When Sarah opened her eyes and looked around, it was as if they hadn't moved at all. She appeared to be still standing in her own bedroom. The situation perplexed her, until closer inspection revealed it was only a replica of the way her room used to look. The real stuffed toys and trinkets from her childhood had long since been packed away or gifted to her brother. Spying her old music box with its familiar fancily dressed doll, she reached out to take it from the shelf. It had never occurred to her before that moment, how much it looked like the mini version of her younger self was trapped inside a gilded cage. The touch of her hand set it off playing its old haunting melody and she recoiled in disgust, quickly returning it back to its place. Sarah recalled the poisoned peach dream and an awful realisation dawned on her; she had made a terrible mistake.

"It looks like you've been expecting me for quite some time," she said, glancing over at the M.C. Escher print.

She felt sickened and couldn't quite make her eyes meet his.

"You lied to me, you tricked me. There never was anyone called Lord Kobalos, was there?"

The Goblin King remained inscrutable. He had carefully watched her reaction to the recreation he'd made of her childhood bedroom and saw how she was putting the pieces of the puzzle together in her mind. She soon arrived at the truth, but it was all too late now, for her.

A slow smile spread across his face.

"The clue was in the name Kobalos, in Greek mythology they were mischievous goblins. I never gave a verbal denial of my alias, it is the words that count," he said.

"You led me to believe he wasn't you, no matter how sneakily you did it," Sarah fumed as she sat forcefully down on the bed.

She collided with the box containing the bridal gown which Jareth had obviously transported there, and she pushed it away with revulsion.

"It's not…" she began.

"Fair?" He finished her sentence with a grin.

Sarah cringed and got even madder.

"Why construct such an elaborate charade?" She questioned. "I just don't understand any of this."

"You were always going to be mine, one way or another. I was merely curious to see if you would wish yourself away to me. The deal I made with your mother was my insurance policy. I could see what a vain creature she was and I knew she wouldn't turn down the chance to live her dreams, even at the cost of her only daughter," Jareth explained.

"You've been planning this since I was a baby? That's sick," Sarah raged her eyes now blazing with anger and hatred.

The Goblin King noted with pleasure how vexation caused a rosy flush to spread from her cheeks down to her ample bosom. A crystal appeared in his hand and he concentrated on it for a moment before letting it drop to the floor. The orb disintegrated sending out a glittering light, and when it faded the room looked different. It was now an exact replica of the one she'd left behind, with all the childish things gone. The bridal gown was hanging on the wardrobe complete with matching cloak, and a box containing diamond encrusted shoes lay beneath it.

"One forgets what a difference six years can make in the human world," he said as his eyes wandered lasciviously over her body. "I see you've grown in all kinds of delightful ways."

Sarah sat despairing with her head in her hands. She wouldn't let him see her cry.

"Why me?' She questioned.

Jareth had certainly gone to an awful lot of trouble, and she needed an explanation. Not that she thought it would make her feel any better about letting herself be taken for a monumental fool.

"I was once shown a vision of the only woman I could ever give my heart to, and that woman, my dear, turned out to be you," he said.

He stepped closer towards her and she shrank away from him. He gave her a devilish grin as he opened his hand to reveal another crystal.

"You should rest, my dear, tomorrow promises to be a very busy day and you will need to be ready for it," the Goblin King toyed playfully with the glass orb.

Sarah felt her heart freeze.

"What's happening tomorrow?" Her voice was shrill with panic, fearing she already knew the reply.

He clasped the crystal in his hands and there was a small popping sound. He grabbed her wrist and dropped something heavy into her open palm. It was an amulet on a twisted leather cord, exactly like the one he wore around his neck.

"Why, tomorrow is our wedding day, of course," Jareth said. "You will wear that as befitting your new status as Goblin Queen."

"No," Sarah squeaked as she tossed it aside.

He laughed and then his features set into a condescending sneer.

"If you ever want to see young Toby again, or your parents, you had better start doing as you're told," he threatened.

She wanted to lash out at him, but knew it would do her no good. Her first encounter with Jareth should have taught her that life wasn't always fair and he didn't play by the rules. Her journey through the labyrinth helped her to mature and she gave up her childish tantrums. It wasn't that she didn't feel entitled to rant and rave under the circumstances, but she thought a more considered approach might yield better results.

"Shouldn't we at least get to know one another better before we get married?" Sarah questioned.

Her only hope was to delay the wedding until she could find some way of getting back home.

"I want you for my wife and queen, and I've waited long enough." Jareth would not relent. "We will have an eternity to become better acquainted with each other." He ominously added. She was almost his and he would not let her slip through his fingers again.

Sarah could feel the anger and fear bubbling up inside her. She wanted to shout, scream and sob, but nothing would come out. She looked into his eyes and was reminded of Toby's dreams about the forlorn Goblin King. There was something that spoke of loneliness and longing in his gaze. It wasn't enough to make her pity him, but it went some way towards explaining his desperation. He closed the gap between them and she feared he was going to try and kiss her. He didn't, and instead he removed one of his gloves before reaching out to stroke her cheek. His fingers were soft on her skin and to her disgust, she felt her body reacting.

"I suppose you'll be expecting me to… I mean if we're husband and wife, you'll want to…" She couldn't bring herself to say the words.

Jareth raised a pointed eyebrow, as he could plainly sense she was attracted to him. He also knew that at present, the idea of doing anything about it repulsed her. It was his fervent hope he would change her mind in time.

"We will share a bed after we are married, but I will not force myself on you. We will only consummate our union when you are ready," he assured her.

It would be mutual torture for them both, in more ways than one. He was determined to keep her close to him though, no matter how frustrating it might prove to be. Confident as he was, she would return his love in time and that it would all be worth the wait. The Goblin King had suffered enough lonely nights, through his own choosing, and only one woman could free him. She would be his prize and his consolation.

"What if I never want to?" Sarah inquired, although she knew sharing a bed with him would likely wear down her resistance eventually, however much she hated herself for even contemplating it.

Jareth took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to it before she pulled away from him.

"A great deal can happen between now and never." His voice was low and seductive.

He moved away as if to leave, but then a thought occurred to him and he paused.

"Before we say goodnight, I should warn you that the world outside that door is quite different from the way you remember it," he cautioned.

Sarah frowned; she'd seen little of his castle the first time around having spent most of her hours there in the labyrinth.

"Can I see my friends again?" She hopefully inquired.

Jareth shook his head.

"The labyrinth is not what it appears to be, beyond the surface at least. The basic structure never changes, but each challenger creates their own obstacles and helpers from their imaginations. All the situations and creatures you encountered, except for the goblins, were constructs of your own mind. Oh, I confess I added a few of my own personal touches here and there, as is my prerogative. And Hoggle is always the guide, but the rest was down to you," he explained.

He watched confusion cloud her pretty green eyes.

"Are you saying Hoggle is real?" Sarah questioned.

"In a way," Jareth said. "He is bound to the labyrinth, but yes, within those constraints he does exist."

"My friends all came through my mirror after I got back home, how was that possible?" She questioned.

"You were still connected to the labyrinth's magic and I allowed you your victory party. I won't deny I wanted to keep you then, but it all played out the way it was foretold. It's much easier to accept defeat when you know it's only a temporary state of affairs," Jareth smirked.

"None of it was real, was it? Not even my victory. I didn't win at all, did I?" Sarah sighed with weary acceptance.

She did sometimes wonder if her experience was all in her head, especially after her friends never reappeared when she called. But her brother's dreams and her own vivid memories made her think otherwise. Somewhere, she heard a clock strike thirteen.

"Happy birthday, Sarah," The Goblin King practically purred with glee.

Falling face down onto the bed with a groan, she closed her eyes. Why couldn't this be a dream? She tried to convince herself there was a chance as she pulled the familiar looking owl comforter over her. Maybe she would wake up in the morning to find Toby launching himself on top of her singing Happy Birthday. Her stepmother would call her to come downstairs for traditional birthday pancakes with blueberries and bananas, and her father would be waiting with a hug. They would laugh together and all of this would be nothing more than a fading nightmare.

Jareth opened the door.

"After tonight we will never be apart again, and the life that awaits us is in your hands. I can be generous, or I can be cruel, I will leave it up to you to decide which you would prefer," he said as he left her alone to contemplate his words.

Sarah pulled a pillow over her head and wished in vain that morning would never come.

The title of this chapter is taken from 'This Is Not America' which David Bowie did in collaboration with the Pat Metheny Group for the movie, The Falcon and The Snowman.

Thanks again to everyone reading this fanfic and please do leave a review. - Mrs P.