"This doesn't have to be painful Sarah" he said quietly.
"Please, please let me go" I begged. "Don't do anything to me. You've captured me now can't you just wait until Jareth comes."
"And why would I want to wait until Jareth comes?" he asked.
"Because that's what you've got me for isn't it? I'm just bait because you know that Jareth will come and save me. And then once he's here you'll try and kill him. I know about your brother and how he planned to destroy Jareth's soul. That's what you're trying to do now isn't it. You want to kill every little bit of him."
"No. I'm afraid your wrong there Sarah. I don't plan to kill Jareth, not just yet anyway" he said surprisingly. "You see, Merle wanted to destroy Jareth's soul and that's easily done. But I've decided that before I do that I want to see him suffer while he's still alive. That's why you're here. I know what he feels for you and I know that he'll be devastated if he sees you and me…together."
Did he mean what I think he meant? He was planning to sleep with me to get back at Jareth. There was no way I was going to let him do that!
Suddenly I felt his heavy hand stroke my bare leg, his eyes leering at me all the while. Abruptly I kicked his hand away and tried to scramble off the bed. But he pulled me back.
"Leave me alone!" I screamed as he pinned me down and began to smother my lips with unwanted kisses. I felt sick with disgust. Never before had I let a man restrain me in such a way. His heavy bulk of a body squashed my slender frame until I felt my lungs being suffocated. Several times I tried to knee him in the groin but that just provoked him even more. Then as he planted his next kiss I bit through his lip so sharply that he shrieked in pain and pulled back allowing me to try and make an escape.
Clambering off the bed, I raced towards the door and as I yanked the corroded handle I actually thought I would manage to get outside But Donovan had recovered from his minor lip injury and jerked me back so roughly I felt my a sharp pain in my neck as my head was almost pulled off my body. At that point I was too exhausted to defend myself so I let myself lie in his arms as he took control of me.
"If you're not going to co-operate with me then I'll just have to make sure you cannot do anything at all" he said as he yet again put his dark hand to my eyes and put me into a second oblivion.
I woke up to sounds of joyous birds chirping and the blinding illumination of the light which flickered through my bedroom blinds. It was morning and I was home. I would have thought that the events of last night were nothing more than a dream but my aching body told me different. Ordinarily I would have greeted the sunny morning with a smile but all I could do now was cry. What had Donovan done to me? Why had I let him win so easily? I felt so weak lying there all used and oblivious. Why hadn't Jareth come to rescue me. Then I thought, maybe he did. How else did I end up back in my bedroom. Surely Donovan wouldn't have put me back here. I lifted my head up and looked around. It was the same old bedroom, nothing had been touched. Then looking back at my pillow I saw a small piece of paper with some writing in it. I gasped in horror when I read the note.
Good morning Sarah, I hope you had a memorable time last night. I know I did. Donovan x
I crumpled up the piece of paper and tossed the note at the door. I needed to get out, get some fresh air. Even better, have a cigarette. I noticed that I still had my ball gown on but it was very ripped. It was a strange thing to worry about but I had spent all of my money on that dress. It was suppose to impress Jareth and my family. They wouldn't be impressed to see me now. I wouldn't even want them to see me now. Even though my whole body was throbbing with pain I ran over to the door and hauled it open just wanting to runaway as far as I could possibly go. But to my horror what lurked beyond my door was not what I expected. I should have known this trickery from the Labyrinth. Six years ago I had met with the Junk Lady who had showed me to a room which was an exact replica of my bedroom and for a moment I thought I was home again. That was exactly what happened this time round and soon enough I found myself back in the warehouse facing Donovan's satisfied expression. His smile made my stomach churn inside as he leant casually against the far wall. I looked back at the bedroom that I had just came from. It was gone! Nothing more than a twisted illusion to fool me into thinking I was actually safe. All I saw now was the back of the warehouse. I looked back at Donovan.
"You bastard" I muttered quietly, half-hoping he wouldn't have heard me. I already had enough of his torment to have scarred me for life.
But regrettably he heard me. He raced towards me quicker than lightning and rammed me against the back wall.
"So you think you can still stand up to me do you?" he said in a low, gritty voice. "I'll show you who's the boss around here."
I could feel his musty breath poisoning my lungs as he began to crush my body with his hands. My screams turned into yelps as he jerked me back and forth shoving me into the wall so brutally that the whole building shuddered. My vulnerable self took all the pain as he shook me about like a rag doll. But all of the pain suddenly went away as soon as I saw Jareth burst in through the door along with the Wiseman. He looked shattered, probably from that spell that Donovan had cast on him.
"Let her go!" he demanded as he watched him torture me.
"Jareth" said Donovan who finally let me go after clasping eyes on his enemy, leaving me to try and recover from the torment I had just received. "I have to say I thought with your abilities you would have recovered much more quickly than that."
Jareth didn't look the faintest bit bothered about Donovan's condemnations. He seemed more concerned about me as I fell to the floor holding my stomach in agony.
"What have you done to her?" he asked.
"Something that you couldn't" he replied defiantly. "I was going to kill her straight away but I thought it would be much more fun if she stayed the night."
Jareth looked at me, waiting for me to tell him that it wasn't true, that Donovan had done nothing to me. But I couldn't be sure. All I could do was look back and plead with solemn remorse. From the desperation in my eyes Jareth could see that Donovan had really distressed me. He took a glowing crystal from his cape and hurled it at Donovan who quickly dodged the attack before it could hit him. Donovan struck back with a powerful swipe from his potent gloved hand which made Jareth tumble to the floor. There was no way the Donovan could be beaten. Jareth rapidly recuperated and threw another crystal at Donovan. Soon enough a whole supernatural battle had begun as the two rivals took turns to cast spells and throw crystals at each other causing the room to light up and look paradoxically like a magnificent firework display. But as I watched what each of their powers could do I knew that the magical exterior couldn't fool me into believing I was actually safe. Hurriedly, I ran over to the front wall to stand beside the Wiseman using him as a shield whenever a beam of light came shooting near us.
The fight went on for more than five minutes with either one of them occasionally divulging offensive remarks to the other. For a while it seemed like Jareth had the upper hand but I should have known that Donovan was just playing with him as he was leading up to a bigger attack. As soon as Jareth lost a little bit of his focus Donovan took the opportunity to cast his biggest spell ever. This time he used both his hands as he emitted an immense ray of yellow light from his gloves. I screamed as the ray launched Jareth into the air and held him motionless in the centre of the blinding bubble. Donovan didn't even look my way as I screamed out Jareth's name several times. He seemed preoccupied with keeping Jareth in a hold. I saw anguish on Jareth's face. Donovan was slowly killing him! Then I remembered something the Wiseman had told me earlier. He said that there was only one way to kill Donovan.
"What was the one way that Donovan could be killed by?" I asked the Wiseman who turned round to show me a worried look in response to my question.
"It would result in terrible consequences" he said.
"But it would kill Donovan, and save Jareth?" I asked.
"It would. But I must warn you that…"
"There's no time" I said as I ran forward and shouted up at Jareth. "Jareth! I know there's only one way to kill Donovan." At this point Donovan had turned to look at me. This gave Jareth a bit of time to struggle. "Jareth! Do it! It doesn't matter what consequences it has, we'll worry about them after. Don't let Donovan win Jareth!" I shouted.
"Shut up girl" shouted Donovan but I didn't pay any attention. I stared up at Jareth's face and pleaded with his eyes. I felt such a strong bond with him at that moment. He knew that I needed him and that if he let himself die then Donovan would kill me anyway.
"Do it" I whispered to him
Suddenly Jareth stretched out his arms and legs whilst in mid-air. A much whiter ray of light surrounded his body. Donovan began to look worried and desperately tried to keep him in his power but the bright white light was too strong for him. Power was stemming from Jareth and shot down at Donovan as if he was being severely electrocuted. Their two rays connected in a mystical duel. I watched in awe as Jareth continued to release a deathly power that was gradually taking life from Donovan as he roared in agony. I stood there blinded by all of the vivdness that overpowered the dullness of the building, my eyes squinting to try and see who was winning. Relief struck me as Donovan involuntarily admitted defeat and collapsed into a heap on the floor. He was dead!
Jareth also fell to the floor looking weak and wary. I ran up to him to see if he was okay.
"Jareth, are you alright. You did it! It's over, he's gone" I said as I smiled to try and reassure him.
But the look he gave me made me feel less than asssured. His cold, hard stare frightened me. It was like he was afraid of me. He had never looked at me like that before, not even in the Labyrinth when we were enemies trying to defeat each other.
"Stay away from me" he said icily.
"Jareth, what's the matter with you" I asked.
He didn't answer, just pushed me aside, and before I knew it Jareth had ran out of the building, leaving me alone with a dead man and puppet to accompany me.
Author's Note
I really didn't have anything to say in the last chapter…
If anyone dares please continue my story in the Challenges forum. It could be a big thing if we let it.
Reviews please.
See you at the next chapter...