Disclaimer: The usual. If it's in the original movie, I don't own it.
Chapter Six
Cold.
Dark.
Sarah blinked a few times. Slowly, her eyes began to adjust to the dark. She realized there was a very, very faint light coming from above her. It was just enough to let her make out her surroundings.
She was lying on a hard, stone floor in a small, circular room. There was no door that she could make out, nor were there any windows. The ceiling appeared to be some kind of grate. She stood up, and standing on her tip-toes, she could just barely reach it. She pushed against it, hoping that it was loose, but to her dismay, it didn't budge.
She sat back down, trying to collect her thoughts. As she sat there, the light in the room became brighter. She realized that the sun must be rising. She wondered just how long she'd be out. By her best guess, at least twelve hours.
The brighter light let her get a better look at her surroundings. There wasn't much to see. A small cot with a thin blanket sat against one wall, and a table with one chair sat against the opposite wall. She saw that she was correct about the lack of door and windows.
Oubliette
The word came into her head unexpectedly. She shivered. Had she been tossed away? Would she be forgotten?
A rumbling sound caught her attention. After a moment, she realized it was her stomach. She had last eaten while she and Goss were still in the maze. To her relief, she still had her bag. Reaching inside, she pulled out a granola bar and her water bottle. Much as she wanted to devour the bar and drain the bottle, she hesitated, and only ate a few mouthfuls and drank a few sips. Who knew how long she'd be stuck in the hole? She didn't want to think that she might meet her end there, but she also knew that was a very real possibility. Well, she'd try to make her meager supplies last as long as possible.
Not So Far Away…
Why wasn't the girl crying, or pleading for help? Irritated, he crushed the crystal ball in his hand. It dissolved in a shower of glitter. She had more in common with her mother than he liked. He had hoped, childishly, that she would be easy to despise. It would make taking revenge on her mother that much simpler.
What was he going to do with her? He couldn't leave her in the oubliette forever. He wanted revenge, but had no intention of turning into a murderer. He hadn't lied to Lilia. If she hadn't shown up, he would have let Sarah pass through the labyrinth with minimal trouble, and then he would've sent her on her way. The less he had to do with anyone from court, the easier his life was. However, Lilia's sudden appearance had angered him. Why couldn't she just leave him alone?
He needed to talk to someone. Snapping his fingers, Goss suddenly appeared. As soon as she saw him, her face turned bright red with anger, and she began yelling at him, "What the hell, Jareth? You need to fucking stop with the fucking finger-snapping make me appear and disappear routine! You are too old to be pulling this kind of shit!"
"Are you quite finished?"
She glared at him, but didn't say anything.
"Gossamer Lilac, as your king, I have a favor to ask of you."
Her glare intensified, "Cut the shit, Jareth. We've known each other since birth. Call me Goss, and stop putting on airs. What do I have to fix for you now? Also, if it gets me another eon of punishment, I'm out."
She was right, he knew. He had only summoned her to tell him what to do. He sighed, "I'm sorry, Goss. You're right; I do need your help."
"What. Did. You. Do?" she asked, emphasizing each word.
"Sarah is locked in the oubliette, and I banished Lilia from the labyrinth." He finally replied.
Goss's eyes widened in shock, "Why would you…? What were you…? What the hell is wrong with you?" she finally sputtered out.
He began pacing, and the story of Lilia showing up tumbled out of him. Goss listened carefully as he told her how everything had played out. When he finished, he looked at her desperately, "Please help me figure out what to do."
She was quiet. She had always been the one who rescued Jareth when he got into trouble. Always had been there to fix his messes. The last mess had earned her a lengthy stay as door keeper. "Jareth, I think it's time you fixed your own mess. If you want to follow through with this foolish revenge plan, I won't stop you, but I also won't help you make it happen. You want my opinion, though? You need to let Sarah go, and un-banish Lilia. What's to stop Lilia from sending soldiers to tear apart the labyrinth and kill all of us?"
Without saying anything, he snapped his fingers, and she was gone. Sent back to her home. He was sure that she probably was cussing a blue streak, but he didn't care. He was angry. She had refused to help him. She'd never refused before.
He spent the next day alternating between pouting, and watching Sarah. To his surprise, she seemed to be trying to figure out how to get out. He knew she'd never be able to, and was tempted to see how long it would take her to give up.
The next day, he was still undecided, and when he checked in on Sarah, he saw she was sleeping. A few hours later, he checked again, and was surprised to see she was still curled up on the cot. Annoyed, that she was being so boring, he decided to visit her.
It had been many years since he had last been inside the oubliette. It was much smaller, and much colder than he remembered. "Sarah."
She didn't move at all. As he watched her, he realized he couldn't tell if she was breathing. He quickly moved to her side, and was horrified to find that she was ice cold and she was barely breathing. Momentarily, all thoughts of revenge were cast out of his mind, and he gathered her into his arms and transported them to the castle.
He had always shown talent for healing, but had never put much effort into improving his skills. Healing always involved helping others, and he liked to be left alone. As he began to work on Sarah, he suddenly found himself wishing that he hadn't ignored those lessons. However, hypothermia and dehydration weren't that difficult to treat.
As the hours ticked by, he began to wonder if he was too late.