Chapter: In Battles of Grief
The first thing that Sarah recognized when she opened her eyes (seemingly for the first time) was vibrant laughter and shimmering ghosts with strange masks. Looking down upon herself, Sarah discovered a beautiful silver dress sewn from the softest material and with the softest designs. Touching her forehead, Sarah discovered a crystal tiara dangling over her third eye, sparkling in the soft moonlight of the room. All around people were swaying to a soft beat, their laughter ringing out merrier but more sinister than anything.
'Where am I?' Sarah wondered as she began to push herself politely past those people who were around her. Most of them jeered at her, trying to frighten her. Sarah ignored them as she looked around curiously. 'Who am I?'
Turning to a mirror, Sarah frowned slightly at her reflection. She felt so . . . different in what she was wearing. She felt heavy and weak, drowsy and also confused. Who was she? Where was she? Where was everyone? Why was that man . . . ?
Sarah's eyes returned to the place the man had been. She blinked; surprised that he wasn't there anymore. He had been handsome, wearing a black coat and a royal blue vest. His icy blond hair had been tainted black and his eyes were so alluring. One was a liquid blue, icy and defiant. The other eye was a warm brown, beckoning for her.
Twirling around and around in confusion, Sarah tried to find the man again. She had to find him! She had to tell him something she herself couldn't quite remember. She had been searching for something, but what was it? Where was she? Why couldn't she hold onto a coherent thought for more than a few seconds?
Just as she was about to cry out in frustration, a cool hand touched her shoulder and took her by the waist. Sarah turned to find that same man starring intently down at her as he led her into the dance. She knew the steps, knew how to make her body graceful and fluid. Her knowledge seemed to please the man because he smiled a very hungry, predatory smile that showed off his very sharp teeth.
"Sarah." The man whispered. Sarah stiffened in his arms. Her name was Sarah? How did this man know her? "Don't play anymore games, my Sarah. Let yourself belong to me. Let me love you." Sarah tilted her head slightly but continued to sway to the music.
"I . . . wanted something." Sarah said, obviously trying to push through her confusion and THINK something. "I was looking for someone." The man obviously didn't like the direction in which this conversation was going.
"Sarah, please. Please let me love you." The man whispered as he trailed fiery kisses down her milky neck. Sarah drew in a breath sharply, her eyes closing in the pleasure of the kisses. Her mind snapped at her, warning signs going off in her mind for her to stop! But she just couldn't.
"I . . . ." Sarah moaned pleasurably and turned her face towards the man. He began to trail kisses along her temple, moving closer and closer to his demanding lips. "Who am I?" She whispered. His kisses never stopped as he drew her to him.
"You are my precious one." He whispered just as his lips touched her own. The kiss was filled with passion and hunger, both of them drawing on a fire which burned and thrived with their contact. Sarah wanted to let go, to stop holding her breath and holding everything that she was. At that very moment, her eyes flew open and she slammed away from the man!
"I have to go." Sarah whispered as she backed away from him fearfully. "I can't stay. I have to get my dreams." The man starred at her as she began to edge away. "I'm sorry, Goblin King." The man blinked, slightly surprised that she had finally used his name, or at least his title.
"Sarah, come back!" He said, pushing past the dancers. They were trying to restrain Sarah but she moved past them with surprising strength. "Sarah! My name is Jareth!" He called out. Sarah turned to him with shock in her blue eyes. Jareth was momentarily shocked but after he blinked her eyes were their usual green. Had the light fooled him?
"Do you love the old Sarah?" She called out, dancing out of his reach but never taking her eyes off of his face. Jareth tried desperately to get closer to her but she wouldn't allow it. "Do you love the old Sarah or the new Sarah?" She demanded again, her face becoming desperate and angry.
"I love the old Sarah." Jareth said. "But I love the new Sarah more. I love you." He said. Sarah stopped dancing and starred at him.
"You love me?" She whispered carefully. Jareth grinned as he came towards her and took her stunned form into the circle of his arms.
"I really, truly do." He whispered as his lips brushed against her own. Ever since that first kiss he had become addicted to the soft feel of her skin.
"If I were to change back into the old Sarah, would you miss me?" She pressed anxiously. Jareth sighed and smiled down at her.
"I don't think I could go back to loving the old Sarah." He whispered. Sarah sighed in relief as Jareth once more kissed her, his hands bruising her hips where his fingers were digging into her flesh.
"Thank you, Jareth." She said the name as if it were a heavenly password to the most wonderful place imaginable. Shaking her sad face, Sarah rushed towards the wall (the confines of the crystal in which she was trapped) and lifted her hand. To Jareth's shock, she did nothing more than touch the wall, which shattered instantly.
Sarah fell through the air amidst the remains of the ball room, her cloths changing back into her old attire and her feet gently landing on soft, springy moss.
"I'm sorry, Jareth." She whispered as she looked longingly as she starred towards the castle. A waste land surrounded her, and her friends hurried over.
"Why Sarah?!" Jareth demanded angrily as he paced his throne room. He was alone once more, his eyes constantly returning to the crystal in his hands. "Why do you play with me? What secret could you hold that would enable you to break through my crystal with only your hands? Have you acquired some kind of magic? Tell me!" And so we leave our Goblin King, furious and impatient for the arrival of Sarah and her friends.
A/N: Thank you to Jenny, Azure, terrie, Zabella, draegon_fire, Xithemonas, phobemoon, Lady Sorrow, whiteowl, SilverSpace, dawn, JLF, and Redaura for reviewing the story so far! ^.^ You guys put me to shame! So many reviews! Well, you don't know the mystery yet (just two more chapters actually) so keep on reading! I'll update as soon as I can (which might be sooner if I get a lot more of those wonderful reviews of yours *looks hopeful yet again*).
The first thing that Sarah recognized when she opened her eyes (seemingly for the first time) was vibrant laughter and shimmering ghosts with strange masks. Looking down upon herself, Sarah discovered a beautiful silver dress sewn from the softest material and with the softest designs. Touching her forehead, Sarah discovered a crystal tiara dangling over her third eye, sparkling in the soft moonlight of the room. All around people were swaying to a soft beat, their laughter ringing out merrier but more sinister than anything.
'Where am I?' Sarah wondered as she began to push herself politely past those people who were around her. Most of them jeered at her, trying to frighten her. Sarah ignored them as she looked around curiously. 'Who am I?'
Turning to a mirror, Sarah frowned slightly at her reflection. She felt so . . . different in what she was wearing. She felt heavy and weak, drowsy and also confused. Who was she? Where was she? Where was everyone? Why was that man . . . ?
Sarah's eyes returned to the place the man had been. She blinked; surprised that he wasn't there anymore. He had been handsome, wearing a black coat and a royal blue vest. His icy blond hair had been tainted black and his eyes were so alluring. One was a liquid blue, icy and defiant. The other eye was a warm brown, beckoning for her.
Twirling around and around in confusion, Sarah tried to find the man again. She had to find him! She had to tell him something she herself couldn't quite remember. She had been searching for something, but what was it? Where was she? Why couldn't she hold onto a coherent thought for more than a few seconds?
Just as she was about to cry out in frustration, a cool hand touched her shoulder and took her by the waist. Sarah turned to find that same man starring intently down at her as he led her into the dance. She knew the steps, knew how to make her body graceful and fluid. Her knowledge seemed to please the man because he smiled a very hungry, predatory smile that showed off his very sharp teeth.
"Sarah." The man whispered. Sarah stiffened in his arms. Her name was Sarah? How did this man know her? "Don't play anymore games, my Sarah. Let yourself belong to me. Let me love you." Sarah tilted her head slightly but continued to sway to the music.
"I . . . wanted something." Sarah said, obviously trying to push through her confusion and THINK something. "I was looking for someone." The man obviously didn't like the direction in which this conversation was going.
"Sarah, please. Please let me love you." The man whispered as he trailed fiery kisses down her milky neck. Sarah drew in a breath sharply, her eyes closing in the pleasure of the kisses. Her mind snapped at her, warning signs going off in her mind for her to stop! But she just couldn't.
"I . . . ." Sarah moaned pleasurably and turned her face towards the man. He began to trail kisses along her temple, moving closer and closer to his demanding lips. "Who am I?" She whispered. His kisses never stopped as he drew her to him.
"You are my precious one." He whispered just as his lips touched her own. The kiss was filled with passion and hunger, both of them drawing on a fire which burned and thrived with their contact. Sarah wanted to let go, to stop holding her breath and holding everything that she was. At that very moment, her eyes flew open and she slammed away from the man!
"I have to go." Sarah whispered as she backed away from him fearfully. "I can't stay. I have to get my dreams." The man starred at her as she began to edge away. "I'm sorry, Goblin King." The man blinked, slightly surprised that she had finally used his name, or at least his title.
"Sarah, come back!" He said, pushing past the dancers. They were trying to restrain Sarah but she moved past them with surprising strength. "Sarah! My name is Jareth!" He called out. Sarah turned to him with shock in her blue eyes. Jareth was momentarily shocked but after he blinked her eyes were their usual green. Had the light fooled him?
"Do you love the old Sarah?" She called out, dancing out of his reach but never taking her eyes off of his face. Jareth tried desperately to get closer to her but she wouldn't allow it. "Do you love the old Sarah or the new Sarah?" She demanded again, her face becoming desperate and angry.
"I love the old Sarah." Jareth said. "But I love the new Sarah more. I love you." He said. Sarah stopped dancing and starred at him.
"You love me?" She whispered carefully. Jareth grinned as he came towards her and took her stunned form into the circle of his arms.
"I really, truly do." He whispered as his lips brushed against her own. Ever since that first kiss he had become addicted to the soft feel of her skin.
"If I were to change back into the old Sarah, would you miss me?" She pressed anxiously. Jareth sighed and smiled down at her.
"I don't think I could go back to loving the old Sarah." He whispered. Sarah sighed in relief as Jareth once more kissed her, his hands bruising her hips where his fingers were digging into her flesh.
"Thank you, Jareth." She said the name as if it were a heavenly password to the most wonderful place imaginable. Shaking her sad face, Sarah rushed towards the wall (the confines of the crystal in which she was trapped) and lifted her hand. To Jareth's shock, she did nothing more than touch the wall, which shattered instantly.
Sarah fell through the air amidst the remains of the ball room, her cloths changing back into her old attire and her feet gently landing on soft, springy moss.
"I'm sorry, Jareth." She whispered as she looked longingly as she starred towards the castle. A waste land surrounded her, and her friends hurried over.
"Why Sarah?!" Jareth demanded angrily as he paced his throne room. He was alone once more, his eyes constantly returning to the crystal in his hands. "Why do you play with me? What secret could you hold that would enable you to break through my crystal with only your hands? Have you acquired some kind of magic? Tell me!" And so we leave our Goblin King, furious and impatient for the arrival of Sarah and her friends.
A/N: Thank you to Jenny, Azure, terrie, Zabella, draegon_fire, Xithemonas, phobemoon, Lady Sorrow, whiteowl, SilverSpace, dawn, JLF, and Redaura for reviewing the story so far! ^.^ You guys put me to shame! So many reviews! Well, you don't know the mystery yet (just two more chapters actually) so keep on reading! I'll update as soon as I can (which might be sooner if I get a lot more of those wonderful reviews of yours *looks hopeful yet again*).