Chapter Four

Time had lost all meaning, minutes or hours passed as I sat staring at the mess a photos on the floor. Finally, slowly, I released the little red book from my death grip and knelt on the floor, gingerly smoothing the pictures I'd tossed so carelessly.

"Momma…." I whispered with a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry." Only a few pictures had been crumpled, I took my time with placing them all back into the album that was now half falling apart. I left out the ones of Cal and Marie, the wound was still too raw and I feared that the anger would bubble over again if I thought about the situation at hand. Instead I gripped the locket and peered into the face of my Mother. "I miss you so much…" The locket should have brought me back to the night with Cal that went so horribly wrong but somehow it didn't, it matched hers so perfectly that I couldn't damn it because of his actions. It reminded me of her and only her and for that I knew I would be eternally grateful. I found myself searching my Mother's eyes over and over again for some piece of advice or answer but they were empty and she was gone. I was on my own, I suppose I had been since the day she died, but I needed help. I wasn't losing my mind; I came to that conclusion difficultly. Marie had spoken to a man on the phone; there was no way to explain that other than to assume that this 'Goblin King' really did exist, at least to some extent.

After deciding that I wasn't crazy and that I would get no answers from photographs I picked myself up off the floor and trudged to the bathroom to clean away the tear trails I was sure were still on my face. After a good scrubbing I stared intently at the face in the mirror. Everything's gone to Hell. Face it June, you're well and simply fucked."

I sighed and shook my head, a grim smirk tugged the edges of my lips "Good to know you're optimism is still intact" I mocked to myself. Reality settled in though and I ran through my options, or lack thereof. Finally I mustered up the courage to pick up the phone and waited anxiously for the voice on the other end.

The line clicked and all I could hear was muffled music and voices.

"Dad…" I felt like I had to scream over the background noise.

"Why are you calling, what's happened, what did you do?" Step-Bitch instantly sounded perturbed.

"Lucy." Instant disappointment "I really need to talk to my Dad, just for a second…please" Maybe she just didn't want to deal with me or maybe she could hear the desperation in my voice, either way, she listened for once. I could hear fuzz and more muffles as she made her way to wherever my Father was.

"June? What's going on? Is the house okay?"

Gee, thanks Dad. Your daughter summoned an evil Goblin King and made-out and nearly had sex with her 26 year old boss before being betrayed by him and her best friend… but hey, the house is great so it's all good.

"The house is fine, Dad." I was instantly on the defensive and my courage was draining away by the second. "I just…" and then I realized what I was doing. I was calling a man who, in essence, had disappeared the same day my Mother had. He wouldn't give me advice, he wouldn't fly home to hold or comfort me, he wouldn't do a damn thing and I was a fool to even pretend otherwise. And, in all honesty, what could I have possibly said to make him believe me. "I uh, just wanted to make sure you guys had a safe trip and were having fun. Just checking in, I felt…bad…for being late the other night and you guys left in such a hurry I didn't get to apologize" Yeah right, even I wasn't buying that bull.

"Oh, well, okay then. You're forgiven. You know, we are hard on you because we want the best for you." Well sure Dad, the teachers at school beat us too because they want what's 'best' for us… "But uh we are on vacation and don't need interruptions June, so don't call unless it's an emergency alright? If you're scared to be home you can go to your friend Melody's house. Gotta go!" and then he hung up.

"Marie…her name's Marie and no, I can't go there…"

With that option off the table I really was at a loss. I almost picked up the phone to call Kevin but somehow that just seemed spiteful and I couldn't bear to be the one to tell Kevin what Marie had done, I couldn't be the cause of that kind of pain for him, I felt guilty but it just wasn't my place. Eventually just sitting there had my nerves going crazy, I ran to my bedroom and snatched up the little red book, searching frantically for some kind of clue, some kind of option. Come on Come on! There's got to be some kind of…escape clause in here, right?

I came to that line again, the one the Goblin King had left the book opened to earlier. I read over it again and again and it seemed to make less sense each time.

I made an unintelligible grunt and smacked my head against the book that now lay open in my lap.

"What did I get myself into? This is ridiculous, impossible, this is" DING-DONG

I nearly threw my heart up onto the floor when the doorbell rang. I was a mess of tensed muscles and nerves and couldn't imagine who would be at the door. Could Marie really be that stupid? Part of me hated her, or wanted to, but even IF I could ever forgive her, now would not be that time. When I turned the corner that led to the open kitchen and ultimately the small hallway to the front door, I received another shock.

"What are you doing here, come to mock me some more? And why the Hell do you bother with doorbells if you're just going to let yourself in!" I was angry and terrified but I certainly didn't want him to see the latter. He'd already seen me cry, more than once, and I was certain that this was not the sort of 'man' that you wanted to share your weakness with.

"You called me here. Do I really have to explain it so many times? Perhaps I could fetch a goblin to explain; maybe they're more to your speed." He said while un-amusedly resting against the kitchen counter. Wonderful, now he's insulting your intelligence.

His wardrobe had changed I noted. With a dramatic swish of his cape it disappeared and I had a moment to truly take in the ensemble. He wore the same type of riding pants, obscenely tight just as before, but in a dusky grey color. His blouse was black and long-sleeved void of ruffles this time but the arms were wide and it sported the same sort of deep V as the other. Over that he had a fitted, deep blue vest with some understated silver filigree embroidered in. His boots were black and calf high while a pair of matching black-gloved hands played mesmerizingly with one of his crystals. All-in-all he looked quite magnificent and it took me aback for a moment.

He really IS quite handsome….maybe that drawing didn't do him justice after all.

He noticed how my stare lingered and a wicked grin appeared. The sight of his dagger-like teeth sent a chill down my spine.

"And, I don't do doorbells." he finished.

"Let me guess, not enough flare?" I said in a snarky tone.

"I don't answer them either," He brushed off my comment and sauntered to the front door "but I think I'll make an exception this time."

I scrambled to catch up "How the hell am I going to explain…you…whatever this whole thing is." I gestured wildly, grasping for words to describe whatever the hell he was and what was going on. "Wait a minute, at least let me check who it is!" I lunged and slammed myself against the door desperately trying to stop him from opening it.

"June, is everything okay? Please, just talk to me for a second, let me explain!" Cal called from the other side.

"Oh God, no! No, no, no" I shook my head wildly and flattened my back against the door, willing every ounce of strength I had to keep it shut. My eyes were squeezed shut in desperation. "Go away Goblin King, just go away!" I said in an urgent, hushed voice "Don't you have better things to do than torment me!" My eyes shot open when I felt his hand touch my chin. He tilted my head up to meet his gaze and his body grew uncomfortably close. So much so that I could feel the heat from his chest as it rose and fell in time with his breath. My heart quickened and my body went ridged.

"Torment you say? Dear girl, you have no idea what torment is. But, if you so wish, I would be pleased to show you." He smiled and his body rumbled with a low chuckle as he let his fingers fall and caress my jaw line and down the side of my neck before snapping those fearsome teeth together. My body shuttered involuntarily and for a brief moment I wasn't sure it were from fear or...something else. "Now, let's not keep your beaux" he very nearlyspit the word out "waiting."

He made easy work of wrapping his arm around my waste and twirling me away from the door, my breath caught in my throat as he did so, and before I knew it the door was swinging open and I was faced with Cal and Marie's stunned faces.

They didn't speak for the longest time, they just kept staring back and forth between myself and this strange man they'd never met nor heard of before. The King made a grand gesture with his arm, inviting them into the house; I just stood there at a loss for what to do. Finally, in line with her character, Marie was the first to speak, though it very nearly took her a few attempts to form a word.

She openly stared with a quizzical look on her face "June, uh… who is this?" she asked, her eyes never leaving the King's face. I imagine I looked like a fish suffocating as I tried to think of something, mouth gaping open and shut.

"This is my"

Damn it June, stop saying 'MY'

"Er uh, this is a friend….sort of" I anxiously fidgeted with my hands as everyone stood, too close for comfort, in the small hallway. The Goblin king had moved closer and his side was now lightly pressed against mine as he stood there amused and looking ever as regal. Cal instantly noticed his movement to be closer. I shot the King a look, knowing he must be making me more uncomfortable on purpose.

"Is everything alright here? Seriously, who is this guy? Who are you?" Finally he addressed the King himself, I jumped in for fear of what the Goblin King might say.

"This is…" Goblin King. Goblin King. Goblin King. "Um, Damien Thorn." Crap, Damien Thorn!? Seriously, you couldn't think of anything better, June… Maybe no one will notice…

Marie looked skeptical "What, like the kid from The Omen?"

Aw crap.

"Heh, yeah, but it's spelled differently" I tried desperately to move past the name "He just got into town the other day, he's been living in London." At least that will explain why The King had a bit of an accent.

"Well, how do you know him? How com we've never heard of him before?" Cal was getting irritated, jealous maybe, as the King placed his arm on the wall beside me and lounged there, much closer against me than before.

"She found my book and showed a great interest in it. She called for me and I had no choice but to answer, she's so very interesting, don't you think?" The Goblin King lightly stroked the hair away from my neck. I was so startled didn't know how to react or what Cal and Marie were sure to think. As he pulled the book out from behind him, and out of thin air I was sure, he was almost goading Cal the way he laced his words with something almost sexual.

Cal took a step forward in protest and Marie just looked at me in awe. I knew I had to speak before they could. "What do the two of you want?" I asked, straightening my spine and crossing my arms, resolved to go along with the Goblin Kings implications. Because, quite frankly, what I did or didn't do was my business, not theirs, and I was suddenly so tired of being pitied by them. The King seemed completely taken by surprise for an instant as I leaned back against his chest but he showed no objections, instead he took the opportunity to wrap his arm around my waist and hold me tightly to him. My resolve faltered for a moment and I had to fight to make myself remain as if I were calm.

Shaking away the shock, Marie answered. "We wanted to explain ourselves, but clearly you have things to do." Was she angry? It almost seemed as if she was as she stared hungrily at the Goblin King.

"I don't need your explanations. Frankly I don't care what you have to say. Everything has been made very clear, by the both of you. I wish you the best in your… relationship or whatever." I was growing more perturbed by the minute, my body becoming rigid with anger. I was losing it. Suddenly the King was holding me tighter, his other arm stroking my arm gently. The anger slowly melted away and I was nearly alarmed at how much it seemed to be helping.

"There's no relationship! There's nothing between Marie and I. You need to understand that! I…I have feelings for you, I thought I made that clear." Cal lost his bravado for a moment and looked down, ashamed, embarrassed maybe. But my eyes were fixed on Marie, the hurt was clear on her face and she took a step back as if she had been slapped. My heart ached for her while Cal showed no regard whatsoever for her feelings.

These two people standing in front of me looked so foreign to me now. They'd once been my best friends, I'd have done anything for them, they were the only things in my life that truly mattered, but now they were like strangers. Cal seemed so uncaring, he'd used Marie and me both, and I'd have never thought he was capable of such deceit. Shows just how much I knew. And Marie, she was a mess of things I couldn't understand. She'd been begging for forgiveness just the other day, now she seemed angry and spiteful, as if this whole situation was my doing. I was sick of it, done with the whole thing, I felt so tired I just wanted everyone to go away. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing everything to be silenced.

"Open your eyes, June." His breath felt close to my ear, tickling through the hair his voice cut into my mind, sweet and hushed like a lover but as urgent and slicing as a knife. I opened my eyes slowly and calmly to a house void of Cal and Marie. Suddenly I was full of fear and I whirled around, breaking free from the Goblin Kings embrace.

"Where are they, what did you do to them!?" I was frantic, picturing them in some kind of steaming pit smack dab in the Labyrinth.

"Cease your incessant worry" he waved his hand in exasperation and sighed as he gripped the bridge of his nose "Humans." He simply stated, as if that explained anything and everything. "They are in perfect health at that little run down book store you seem to love so much."

"How the hell do you expect me to explain that? One minute they're here and the next"

"I assure you they will not remember a thing beyond the conversation, they won't question a thing." All evidence of the sweet voice and comforting gesture from earlier were gone, he was back to being cold and pretentious. Had I imagined the sweetness in his voice altogether?

I was so confused, why was he still here? Why hadn't I been turned into a goblin or something?

"Goblin King,"

"Jareth"

"What?"

"Normally one would be required to address me by my title but clearly you need to know my name, lest you try to make one up again." I was a bit taken aback.

Jareth. I rather like that, it suits him well.

"Alright, Jareth" as I said his name his eyes closed and lingered like that for a moment, as if in enjoyment, before returning my stare with a seemingly bored gaze.

"Yes?"

"Jareth…why are you still here" before he could interrupt with the usual 'You called me' bit, I continued "I know, I know, I called you here or whatever. But what does that mean? That passage…in the book… "I was at a loss for words, I wasn't sure I even knew what I was trying to ask. "There's nothing you could possibly gain… what is it you want from me?"

"You have more than you know dear girl" his smile displayed something I couldn't read, something mysterious and unsettling. "And now, you're asking the right questions."

Then, he threw one of those glass balls and it shattered midair, I covered my face expecting to be sprayed with shards but when I felt nothing I looked around the room. Jareth, and all evidence of his presence, was gone, leaving me completely alone.