The next hour passed by slowly, and silently. Neither had tried to start up a conversation, Sarah was still humiliated, and Jareth was too proud to break the silence. Unfortunately, the labyrinth had begun acting cruel; although they were maneuvering generally in the right direction, the castle shrank further away with every step.

"Great, this is just great." Sarah grumbled as they hit another dead end.

"Is my labyrinth getting the best of you this time?" Jareth smirked outwardly.

Rolling her eyes Sarah back stepped, searching for a hint on the best way forward. Her other arm was tingling, and Sarah was doing her best to ignore it. There was no way she would be a goblin; having to live in this smelly, brown, cruel place. It was the last thing on earth she wanted to do. Imagine never seeing her family again, being forced to interact with goblins and Jareth every day until she died. No way, she wouldn't have it. That's why she had to get through the labyrinth, she had to.

"Wait a minute," She muttered. Jareth rose an eyebrow. "These leaves are dying." Sarah crushed a leaf on the hedge, and it crumpled to dust.

"Dying?" Jareth questioned astonished, his hands fell away from his hips and he stepped forward to inspect the branch. His hand brushed Sarah's arm. Hating the stomach rush she felt, Sarah cleared her throat annoyed and nudged his arm back with her elbow. Jareth's arm snapped back, and he stared at Sarah a little bewildered.

"It's obviously the way forward." Sarah commented, the tips of ears turning red.

Sternly Jareth replied, "No, it's not." Defiantly, Sarah ignored him. She pushed both hands onto the wall, a million leaves shriveled up. Creaks, chirps, and a billion buzzing bugs exploded outward. Shrieking Sarah ducked; Jareth jumped back his mouth slightly open baffled by the sight. There was a puncture in his labyrinth.

Regaining her composure, Sarah creeped up to the hole. "What are you doing?" Jareth hissed grabbing her goblin arm.

"Hey," She exclaimed ripping her arm from his grasp. "You can't physically keep me from going to the castle."

"That way's infected." Jareth said coolly, his arms folded and the air seemed to bend around him bowing to his intensity.

Gulping, Sarah shook her head at him, "I'm not listening to you."

"You should,"

"Well, I won't!"

"You stupid, stubborn girl." Jareth seethed through his teeth. Sarah scrunched her face up. How dare he call her stupid. "I'm not lying to you." He gestured to the orb on his chest. It was crystal clear.

"I don't care. The castle is that way, I can see it from here." Her voice rose into a shout as she pointed to the horizon. "And I'm running out of time." For emphasis she shook her gnarled, bumpy hand in his face. "So, let me solve the maze and stop distracting me."

Insulted again Jareth scowled, his sharp makeup accentuating the irritation in his eyes. But Sarah had already ran through the hole. He knew he had crossed a line earlier, almost kissing her, Sarah was pushing herself away from him. Obviously, he knew she felt rejected, that wasn't his intention, but he didn't care for her defiance when it was directed at him. A king remains composed at all time, Jareth told himself, he took a calming breath letting the air fill his lungs as deep as they could go. Breathe out. There were now two crises on his hand, he had to get Sarah to complete the labyrinth before she turned and figure out who had tampered with his property. And determine if they were still here. Gracefully Jareth glided after Sarah.

The air around them was thick. A sickly-sweet smell, the equivalent of rotting, watery bile, lingered on the surrounding walls. It was the middle of the day, but the sun was dimmed. Grey, cold fog creeped along the dirt, reaching with tendril fingers for their feet. All day long the wind gently rustles the leaves in the labyrinth, and Sarah had become accustomed to it, like she was taking a stroll through a park. But the rustling in the towering bushes around her sounded menacing, like tiny demons were finding the best perch to use before jumping out to eat her. Sarah gulped; her feet felt heavy. Her body trembled more with each slow step forward.

A light sprung up beside her, Sarah jumped, but it was only Jareth transforming a glass ball into an old-fashioned oil lamp. He stepped up closer positioning himself slightly in front of her. That's when she saw how Jareth looked. Every inch of him was tensed like a scorpion ready to pounce. Waves of threatening intimidation rolled off his body, daring something to attack. However, she noticed it, for a split second, uncertainty, and fear in his eyes he tried so hard to mask. Regret struck Sarah, almost harder than the terror that was building in her throat. Jareth hadn't been lying to her, but her stubbornness had led them here and she didn't like it.

"You know, this, this isn't the right way." Sarah tried to sound normal, but her throat was tight, and the words came out shaky, "Let's turn back."

"It's too late." Jareth replied slowly, his eyes were locked onto something down the path. Her heart slammed into her chest when she peeked behind her. A wall of black feathers were stitching themselves together sewing a barricade blocking their way back. Something flickered in the corner of her eye. She latched onto Jareth's sleeve and turned forward. A prickly tingle raced down her neck. Jareth froze, the world seem to freeze with him.

Jareth pushed Sarah. Hard. She flew backward slamming into thorny bushes. The impact forced her breath to leave her body. Something rammed into Jareth with a wail, he held his ground using his staff as a shield. Gasping and crying in pain Sarah's ringing eyes focused on the creature. An old hunchback hag with talons for hands screamed in delight, "I found you, Jareth, I found you!" Black feathers fell from either a shall or her own back, Sarah couldn't tell. Jareth blew a vortex of air from his mouth. The ugly hag was blown back, she clutched the ground, leaving claw marks.

"Enalda, I'm surprised to see you here,"

Sarah slowly rolled over, trying not to make noise, a large rock was close to her, if she could just reach it. "Bah, don't patronize me boy." She seethed. Enalda pounced again. Jareth melted appearing behind her. The hag screamed and charged. A bird hatched from her back and circled overhead. Sarah slowly grabbed the rock and quietly stood up clutching the rock like it was her life-force. The bird cawed swopping for Jareth's head. Enalda's talons elongated and turned into snakes, dropped to the ground, and slithered to Jareth's feet. Sarah tiptoed closer, coming up behind the hag. "That's one I haven't seen." Jareth remarked casually, as if he were studying a piece in a museum rather than fighting for his life. Jareth tossed a crystal ball in the air, it engulfed the bird and dropped to the ground. Angry cawing erupted as the bird fluttered against the glass. Sarah raised the rock above her head. Jareth jumped and sat cross legged in the air, with a sweep of his hand the snakes turned back into empty talons.

Enalda screamed, "You're not the only one with new tricks." She began to spin. Vines with spikes erupted from the dirt, with a yell, the spikes exploded in a ring outward. Jareth and Sarah both got hit.

"Poison darts? You should know better." Jareth plucked a thorn from his shirt shaking his head. The witch cackled.

Sarah clenched her teeth; the small thorn was stuck just above her elbow. Sarah's face paled, her head starting tilting to the side, her arms wobbled, and the stone fell to her feet. That's when the hag noticed Sarah behind her. The witches interest switched. Jareth frowned and tried to step forward but crumpled to his knee. Enalda laughed at the Goblin king struggling and stepped over to Sarah now sprawled on the ground. Sarah blinked, her consciousness fading. Her last vision was the feather covered women smiling a yellow, bug filled smile saying, "not poison Jareth, sleeping."