Shadows in Shadow
Claire found herself running wildly through the woods, not caring what direction she was headed. All she hoped was that somewhere in front of her was an Outer Gate. Her hands tore through leaves and pine needles as she tried to shield her face. It wouldn't have been so bad if she could have actually have seen where she was going, but the canopy above her and the night time around her made that nearly impossible.
Claire stopped gasping for breath as she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Her head whipped this way and that, not yet ready to trust that it had just been a mouse or something else small. To her right she saw it again. It reminded her of a shadow. It stopped moving. Now it was standing to her left. Claire tilted her head ever so slightly to catch sight of it... but it wasn't an it. It was her.
She was looking at a shadow version of herself. Same hairstyle, same clothes, same face, but when it smiled at her it's grin contained dozens of razor-like, needle-sharp teeth. It took a step towards her and Claire, likewise, took a step back.
A twig snapped from somewhere behind the monster. This sent Claire running in the opposite direction. The darkness around her hid the doppleganger from her sight, not that she'd want to see it. The only thought that crowded her mind was survive. Survive and get out of this whacked up labyrinth.
She burst out into a small glade filled with wildflowers. As she ran, she caught her foot on a root, sending her flying to the ground in the center of the glade. She flipped over, only to find the doppelganger right on her. It bared its sharp teeth and narrowed its eyes to slits, inches from her face. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared it, stood looking around. It hissed at her and then bolted off into the woods again.
Claire lay on the ground, shaking all over. That thing had been so unnatural. How could something like that exist? She slowly got up and looked around. Now that the shadow had fled, Claire was able to examine the glade. The wildflowers were all white and fireflies were everywhere. She smiled as one landed on her nose. Claire shook her head as she realized she had to get going if she wanted to beat this thing.
"It's no use, dove. You're mine now," Jareth said from behind her.
Claire stood as still as a stone statue as her mind raced. With a sickening feeling she realized why the shadow had left. She had run her race and it was through. She had lost and now she was never going back.
Jareth circled her like a hungry dog. "Have you liked my gifts, dove?" He asked, stopping in front of her and smiling, revealing his crooked, browning teeth.
Claire glared at Jareth. "What gifts?"
The Goblin King's smile quickly turned to a look of agitation as he stepped closer to Claire. Now that he stood only inches away, Claire began to feel the fear that froze her heart and kept her rooted where she stood.
"All you asked for, I gave to you! I have conjured the dead for you, twisted the truth around your finger and yet you still want more! You demand far more than precious Sarah ever did!"
Claire held her icy glare on him and he sighed. Never mind her, he told himself. She is yours now and the need to impress her has lessened. He knew, however, that the need had only increased now that she treated him so coldly.
He snapped his fingers and the pair disappeared in a cloud of glitter, leaving the glade empty once again.
