Haunted Chapter 36: A Game Won, a labyrinth fanfic

A/N: Y'all know the drill, I don't own anything.

Enjoy the new chapter!

Haunted

Sarah blinked her eyes a few times, trying to fight off the nausea that had come as Jareth returned her to to his castle. She felt dizzy, and leaned heavily against him. He released her suddenly, and she fell to the floor. She looked up at him, wondering what he was thinking. It had grown dark outside, and his face was unreadable in the shadows. He was furious, that much she knew. She could feel it in the air, the silence was unnerving.

"Jareth?" she said softly. She used his real name, hoping it would calm him. Let him think he had won her submission.

"Why Sarah?" he answered. His voice was cold, empty. He didn't sound angry, but there was something about his calm demeanor that terrified Sarah. He was almost... too calm. "Why do you torture me so? I offer you everything, but you accept nothing. I give you my heart, and you cast it aside. And yet, for every cruelty you deal me, it only makes me want you more. I want to hold you close, even as you struggle to get away. I want to break you; shatter you to pieces, and reform you to fit my expectations."

"Jar-," she began.

"Be silent!" he hissed. Sarah instinctively recoiled at his sudden display of anger. She started whimpering in fear."You will not interrupt your lord and master!" Sarah fell silent again. He chuckled lightly, and she felt his hand stroking her hair.

"That's better. I'll tame you yet, my ill-behaved minx," he sneered. His dreadfully calm tone was back, and so was Sarah's sense of foreboding. The room was quickly growing darker, and the two were soon thrown in complete darkness. She desperately wanted him to get whatever was in his mind over with. This suspense was terrible.

Suddenly, the sconces along the walls started bursting into flame. Sarah looked about, and realized that she was in her room. A snapping noise brought her attention back to Jareth. She felt sick at the sight of him.

He was dressed on the same outfit he had worn in the escher rotunda on her first trip to the labyrinth, and he was slapping a riding crop in his gloved hand. "On your feet, Sarah," he commanded, stepping closer to her. Sarah didn't move, just stared at the crop in his hand.

"Didn't you hear me? I said on your feet!" he snapped. Sarah shook her head, terrified. On one hand, she didn't want him to go after her family again for her disobedience, but on the the other, the snapping of leather against leather made her stomach churn.

"No?" he said, cocking an eyebrow. The next thing she felt was considerable pain as he snapped the crop into her upper arm. She screamed and covered herself with her hands as a barrage of slaps ensued. Jareth was hitting everywhere and anywhere he could reach. Sarah was sobbing and pleading for him to stop, but he seemed lost in the moment. Sarah looked up at his face, and saw a cruel smile on his face. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

As his assult continued, the crop started to break the skin. Blood began to drip from her limbs, but he still continued. Sarah fell foreward and tried to crawl away, but he kicked her in the stomach as hard as he could. She squealed in pain as she fell to the floor again, and his cruel punishment carried on.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the blows stopped. Jareth looked down on the sniffling, quivering, bleeding girl with grim satisfaction. As much as he hated to hurt her, seeing her laying there made him feel... powerful. More powerful than he had felt in a very long time.

"Please... please help me... Help..." she choked out.

"No Sarah. You will bear these wounds for a while. Your pain will be your teacher," he said coldly as he stepped over her, and left her to her suffering.

Sarah had no idea how long she had been crying, but she didn't particularly care. He had stripped her of everything, her home, her dignity, her virginity. What did anything matter anymore?

She heard footsteps on the stone floor, into her room, and stopping in front of her. She opened one eye, and saw Jareth looming above her. He reached down, and she felt herself being hoisted into his arms. He carried her over to the fainting couch in the corner of the room, and sat. She whimpered as she was placed in his lap.

"Shh... I'm not angry anymore, love," he said softly, wiping her tears. She stayed silent, just allowed him to hold her, and run his fingers through her hair.

"I was so worried when I found you missing," he said. Sarah just stared out the window, watching the stars twinkle. "My labyrinth is a dangerous place. If you venture into it without my protection, there's no telling what could happen to you. Do you understand?"

Sarah nodded, and he held her tighter. "I'm glad you understand why I was upset. So I'm sure you'll understand your punishment. From this moment on, sweet Sarah, you are not allowed to leave our chambers without an escort."

"But I thought... the crop?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Was punishment for defying me at your house. As punishment for trying to escape, you will be confined to our rooms. You will only be allowed outside on special occasion, and only when escorted by me."

"But...but..." she sobbed, tears returning to her eyes.

"No arguments my love, or need I use my crop again?" he said with a smile. She scowled, but settled back into his arms.

"Good girl. Now open up," he said, holding up a small vial with an orange liquid inside.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Just a little something to make all your pain go away. It was meant for your brother, but since your little escapade cost me the lad, it's all for you." Sarah looked up at him, suspicious. She was confident that he wouldn't kill her, but there was no telling what else it could be. But she didn't want to make him angry again. She took the bottle from him, and gulped down the liquid inside.

The room started spinning, and she had the sudden urge to vomit. Her heart was racing, and she couldn't breathe. The room felt as though it was collapsing around her. She felt herself being lifted again, and carried. She was dropped, and landed on something soft, which she assumed was her bed.

As she started to black out, she felt something heavy and cold on top of her. The last thing she felt was a gentle kiss on her trembling lips.

EPILOGUE

Sarah sat on her couch, a heavy book balanced on her chamber was brightly lit with afternoon sun. She shivered, and rubbed her hands along her green velvet covered arms. Winter was coming, and the usually cold castle was gradually dropping temperature each day.

She often wondered how long she had been there, but it was impossible to know for sure. Each day dragged by, and years seemed endless. Time seemed to have slowed to a near stop. Only the changing seasons and the subtle signs of her advancing age stood to remind her that the world was moving at all outside her grand stone prison.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was still very sore from the night before. Jareth was quite aggressive whenever he bedded her. He wanted a child, Sarah knew, but so far she had been unable to give him one. They had tried again and again, but he had not been able to give her his seed in such a way as to start one. In a perverse way she was glad. She did not want to please him. It gave a small sense of power to know that there was at least one thing he could not force her to do.

She returned to her book, a slow and boring read, but it gave her something to do. For the most part, it was all she could do to ward off her own insanity. True to his word, Jareth very seldom allowed her to leave her room, save for special occasions. And those occasions were far and few.

She heard him enter the room, but kept her attention on her book. She wondered what he wanted. He rarely visited her during the day.

"Sarah, love," he said, sitting beside her. She said nothing, but he reached over and took her book from her. He tossed it aside, and lay his head on her lap. He grabbed her hand, and placed it into his hair. Sarah had the sudden urge to seize a handful of hair and yank, but fought it down. She got the gist, however, and started stroking the long golden strands.

"How has your day been, my sweet?" he asked, closing his eyes, clearly enjoying her attention.

"It's been fine," she said. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Sarah, you're far too shrewd. You know how much I love you, don't you."

"Of course I do," she said, preparing for the same routine they had gone through countless times before.

"And you love me, don't you?" he asked sharply.

"Yes."

"And why do you love me?" he demanded.

"Because you saved me from a mundane human life," she said, knowing exactly what he wanted to hear. He smiled contently, and allowed her to keep stroking in silence.

How she longed to run away, go home and see all those she loved just one more time. But as she looked down at him, she knew she would never be able to escape him. She belonged to him, whether she liked it or not. To him, her life was nothing but a game, a game he was winning.

'No,' she thought as she looked around, and down at herself, 'A game he's won.'

THE END

A/N: That's all folks! It's been a long, strange trip, but it's finally done! YAY ME!!

I want to thank you all for reading, and reviewing. I've gotten some mixed reviews, but for the most part, I think you all liked this.

I've had a lot of people praise my different out look on Jareth, and some flat out and openly hate it. So if you like my work, and you like this, my darker take on Labyrinth fan fiction, try my story Lurking in the Shadows. If you want a more traditional Labyrinth fan fiction, try my story The Rightful Heir. Both will have updates very soon.

Thanks to all who took their time to review! Please leave one final one on your way out.