Chapter 7: And all the Colors Fade to Black
"Sarah, where on earth have you been? Your father and I have been worried sick about you! The least you could have done was call us to let us know you were going to be gone for three days. Well, what do you have to say for yourself!" Sarah's stepmother yelled. Sarah stood in the center of her room as she had just returned from the underground. "I was gone three days? I'm sorry, I didn't even realize that I was gone that long. Are you sure it was three days?" Sarah asked skeptically. "Yes, Sarah, I'm quite sure. Now, pack your things, your father and I have decided that since you see fit to leave when you want, that you can do it on your own time in your own apartment." Shock, followed by outrage shook through Sarah. "You can't do this! I had something that was very important that I had to do. The least you guys could do is try to understand. I'm sure you didn't even notice I was gone until you wanted some errands done and I wasn't there to do them. Actually, I'm glad to be moving out! I hate both of you, and I hope I never see you again!" she shouted until her throat hurt and she was red in the face. Karen stood there with her hands placed on her hips. "I thought you would be more mature about this Sarah, but I guess I shouldn't have expected so much out of you. Go pack your things and your father will drive you," she said turning and walking back down the stairs. Sarah slammed the door to her room after and her. After her she had packed all her things, her father had dropped her off at her tiny little apartment in a bad neighborhood downtown. As she walked into the old, dim apartment, Sarah could immediately tell that this place would need a lot of repairs. Oh well, she thought, I'll only be here for five days until Jareth comes for me. And as the five days came to an end, she sat on her bed in the middle of her small room thinking about what would happen when Jareth finally did come for her. The dripping of the leaky faucet in her small but practical kitchen started to get on her nerves as she got up from the bed and walked to the kitchen to get a drink of water. The cold water felt good as it slid down her parched, dry throat. Her mouth felt funny and a slight aftertaste lingered. She felt numb as she thought about going back to the underground. The waiting to go back was killing her inside and out. Boredom was settling around her and suffocating her as it poured in from the walls around her. The sparkling band on her ring finger was the only testament that she had actually been there, and that she now awaited Jareth's return to bring her back. Today was supposed to be the day that he came for her, and she could barely contain her excitement. She placed the now empty glass on the counter beside her and walked to the bathroom to get ready. Pulling back the shower curtain she jumped into the hot water that sprayed her from the showerhead above. She welcomed the calming steam and therapeutic water. It calmed her so much she could practically feel all her troubles and worries being pulled down the drain along with the sudsy water. After she washed herself until her skin was pink, she quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans and a red T-shirt. Now, all there was left to do, besides dry her hair, was wait. The hours ticked by as she lounged on her couch in her living room. Any minute now, she told herself. She kept expecting Jareth to appear behind her and wrap his arms lovingly around her as he buried his face in her hair and tell her how much he missed her. But as it got later and later and Jareth still hadn't appeared, the more she doubted that he had ever loved her and the more she started to worry. A sound in her room alerted her, and she ran back to the rear of her apartment. The vanity mirror that had once been located in her old room now sat across the closet in the small tattered room that was now her bedroom, a bright light emanating from it. Stepping closer to it, she had hoped to see Jareth's face staring back at her. In reality, Ishtar's face was the one that greeted her, and she felt her stomach fall. "Hi, Ishtar, where's Jareth?" Ishtar's normally olive toned face looked pale, and as she asked her question, it seemed to go even whiter. "I'm afraid I have some bad news Lady Sarah. I think it's best if you come here in order for me to tell you." Sarah nodded obediently and put her hand through the mirror, and her body immediately followed. The light engulfed her senses, and when it cleared, she was once again standing in Ishtar's castle. Standing by his throne wringing his hands nervously was Ishtar with a sorrowful look in his gaze as he watched Sarah. "What is it Ishtar? I'm here, so tell me," Sarah spoke, her words barely echoing, and they seemed frail as soon as they had left her mouth. "I'm sorry, Sarah, but Jareth's been injured." that was as far as he got before Sarah interjected. "Injured, what do you mean injured? But, he's going to be OK, right?" Ishtar nodded gravely. "Yes he shall recover, but in the mean time before I let you see him, I must explain to you what happened. We weren't prepared for another attack, obviously, as we had thought we had pushed the trolls and evil sprites back south. What we didn't know was that they had taken over the land east of here, the land that used to belong to the Gnomes and Dwarves. Now, what's left of the gnomes and dwarves are here, and they are hiding out as refugees. While we were being attacked, though, Jareth got it into his head that he should go east by himself and try to save the kingdom. He was unfairly outnumbered, but the enemy didn't care and they attacked him mercilessly." While Ishtar was talking, Sarah had moved next to the window in Ishtar's throne room that overlooked his kingdom. The sky to the east and south, Sarah noticed, looked black, and it was if it was moving to the west towards them. After Ishtar had finished speaking, Sarah asked him about it. "Why is the sky turning black?" Rubbing his forehead in agitation, Ishtar replied, "We haven't been able to figure that out yet. It appears to be some sort of side effect from the sprites taking over. And all the colors fade to black within a kingdom." Sarah pondered this for a while, but for some reason it didn't make sense. How could just the presence of something evil fade out the colors? "I suspect that you would like to see Jareth now. Follow me and I'll take you to him," Ishtar said, breaking Sarah out of her reverie. She turned and followed Ishtar out of the throne room to a dimly lit corridor and up a flight of stairs. The first thing Sarah heard as she entered the steamy room was the sound of shallow breathing. A bed in the center of the room covered with a white gauzy canopy shrouded Jareth's pale and fragile form. She could barely make him out in the dim light, but she knew he was there. Walking over to the bed, she pulled back the drapery and gasped. Jareth had always been pale to begin with, but the color of his skin frighteningly resembled the color of clay. His lips had a bluish tint to that made Sarah's brow crease with worry. What had happened in that kingdom to make him lose his color? Then, it clicked together in Sarah's mind. Of course, she thought, he lost his color because of the same reason why the sky was turning black and all the colors were fading. But, alas, what that reason was they still didn't know.
Thanks for reading, please review.
"Sarah, where on earth have you been? Your father and I have been worried sick about you! The least you could have done was call us to let us know you were going to be gone for three days. Well, what do you have to say for yourself!" Sarah's stepmother yelled. Sarah stood in the center of her room as she had just returned from the underground. "I was gone three days? I'm sorry, I didn't even realize that I was gone that long. Are you sure it was three days?" Sarah asked skeptically. "Yes, Sarah, I'm quite sure. Now, pack your things, your father and I have decided that since you see fit to leave when you want, that you can do it on your own time in your own apartment." Shock, followed by outrage shook through Sarah. "You can't do this! I had something that was very important that I had to do. The least you guys could do is try to understand. I'm sure you didn't even notice I was gone until you wanted some errands done and I wasn't there to do them. Actually, I'm glad to be moving out! I hate both of you, and I hope I never see you again!" she shouted until her throat hurt and she was red in the face. Karen stood there with her hands placed on her hips. "I thought you would be more mature about this Sarah, but I guess I shouldn't have expected so much out of you. Go pack your things and your father will drive you," she said turning and walking back down the stairs. Sarah slammed the door to her room after and her. After her she had packed all her things, her father had dropped her off at her tiny little apartment in a bad neighborhood downtown. As she walked into the old, dim apartment, Sarah could immediately tell that this place would need a lot of repairs. Oh well, she thought, I'll only be here for five days until Jareth comes for me. And as the five days came to an end, she sat on her bed in the middle of her small room thinking about what would happen when Jareth finally did come for her. The dripping of the leaky faucet in her small but practical kitchen started to get on her nerves as she got up from the bed and walked to the kitchen to get a drink of water. The cold water felt good as it slid down her parched, dry throat. Her mouth felt funny and a slight aftertaste lingered. She felt numb as she thought about going back to the underground. The waiting to go back was killing her inside and out. Boredom was settling around her and suffocating her as it poured in from the walls around her. The sparkling band on her ring finger was the only testament that she had actually been there, and that she now awaited Jareth's return to bring her back. Today was supposed to be the day that he came for her, and she could barely contain her excitement. She placed the now empty glass on the counter beside her and walked to the bathroom to get ready. Pulling back the shower curtain she jumped into the hot water that sprayed her from the showerhead above. She welcomed the calming steam and therapeutic water. It calmed her so much she could practically feel all her troubles and worries being pulled down the drain along with the sudsy water. After she washed herself until her skin was pink, she quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans and a red T-shirt. Now, all there was left to do, besides dry her hair, was wait. The hours ticked by as she lounged on her couch in her living room. Any minute now, she told herself. She kept expecting Jareth to appear behind her and wrap his arms lovingly around her as he buried his face in her hair and tell her how much he missed her. But as it got later and later and Jareth still hadn't appeared, the more she doubted that he had ever loved her and the more she started to worry. A sound in her room alerted her, and she ran back to the rear of her apartment. The vanity mirror that had once been located in her old room now sat across the closet in the small tattered room that was now her bedroom, a bright light emanating from it. Stepping closer to it, she had hoped to see Jareth's face staring back at her. In reality, Ishtar's face was the one that greeted her, and she felt her stomach fall. "Hi, Ishtar, where's Jareth?" Ishtar's normally olive toned face looked pale, and as she asked her question, it seemed to go even whiter. "I'm afraid I have some bad news Lady Sarah. I think it's best if you come here in order for me to tell you." Sarah nodded obediently and put her hand through the mirror, and her body immediately followed. The light engulfed her senses, and when it cleared, she was once again standing in Ishtar's castle. Standing by his throne wringing his hands nervously was Ishtar with a sorrowful look in his gaze as he watched Sarah. "What is it Ishtar? I'm here, so tell me," Sarah spoke, her words barely echoing, and they seemed frail as soon as they had left her mouth. "I'm sorry, Sarah, but Jareth's been injured." that was as far as he got before Sarah interjected. "Injured, what do you mean injured? But, he's going to be OK, right?" Ishtar nodded gravely. "Yes he shall recover, but in the mean time before I let you see him, I must explain to you what happened. We weren't prepared for another attack, obviously, as we had thought we had pushed the trolls and evil sprites back south. What we didn't know was that they had taken over the land east of here, the land that used to belong to the Gnomes and Dwarves. Now, what's left of the gnomes and dwarves are here, and they are hiding out as refugees. While we were being attacked, though, Jareth got it into his head that he should go east by himself and try to save the kingdom. He was unfairly outnumbered, but the enemy didn't care and they attacked him mercilessly." While Ishtar was talking, Sarah had moved next to the window in Ishtar's throne room that overlooked his kingdom. The sky to the east and south, Sarah noticed, looked black, and it was if it was moving to the west towards them. After Ishtar had finished speaking, Sarah asked him about it. "Why is the sky turning black?" Rubbing his forehead in agitation, Ishtar replied, "We haven't been able to figure that out yet. It appears to be some sort of side effect from the sprites taking over. And all the colors fade to black within a kingdom." Sarah pondered this for a while, but for some reason it didn't make sense. How could just the presence of something evil fade out the colors? "I suspect that you would like to see Jareth now. Follow me and I'll take you to him," Ishtar said, breaking Sarah out of her reverie. She turned and followed Ishtar out of the throne room to a dimly lit corridor and up a flight of stairs. The first thing Sarah heard as she entered the steamy room was the sound of shallow breathing. A bed in the center of the room covered with a white gauzy canopy shrouded Jareth's pale and fragile form. She could barely make him out in the dim light, but she knew he was there. Walking over to the bed, she pulled back the drapery and gasped. Jareth had always been pale to begin with, but the color of his skin frighteningly resembled the color of clay. His lips had a bluish tint to that made Sarah's brow crease with worry. What had happened in that kingdom to make him lose his color? Then, it clicked together in Sarah's mind. Of course, she thought, he lost his color because of the same reason why the sky was turning black and all the colors were fading. But, alas, what that reason was they still didn't know.
Thanks for reading, please review.