Fieldtrip of Amazeing Proportions
Chapter 6:
Meanwhile, in the Bad Guy's Dungeon...
Slowly coming out of her forced slumber, Lindsey shook her head violently to clear it of the remaining fogginess. As she looked around, she noticed that she was nowhere she had ever seen before, and there was no way out. No window, no door, nor crack in the wall where a secret passage may lie. Nothing.
The only light came from a small torch on the wall opposite of her. It flickered and smoked from its niche on the wall. Nothing was inside the room except hay and a threadbare blanket. A squeak resounded from above her and she watched as a rat made its way across a crossbeam about twenty feet up. No way would she be able to climb out of the smooth walled chamber.
"Hello?" She called, "is anyone there?"
"Ah, finally awake." A form materialized out of thin air with a shower of glitter. "Welcome to my castle, I hope you find your stay most unpleasant. My name is Saladin and I am the owner of this castle and for the time, your master."
"Where am I?" She asked, standing with her back to the wall.
"You may find that out soon enough, for now though, this is your humble abode. I expect you'll find it quite....dreary compared to what you may be used to." With that last comment, he disappeared and glitter rained down in the cell. In his place, a hunk of bread and cheese with a small pitcher of water sat on a tray. At least he's going to feed me, she thought as she knelt to inspect the food.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jareth paced his chamber. No magic being would have gone unnoticed through his kingdom. It was just..impossible for one to slip by his awareness. He formed a crystal in his hand and once again tried to find Lindsey within the walls of the labyrinth. He threw it across the chamber where it shattered into a million shards that disappeared as quickly as they came. Sarah jumped from where she sat at the crash and hurried to the door that connected their chamber to their son's in case he woke up.
"Jareth, we'll find some trace of where she's gone soon enough." Sarah quickly reassured him before he lost his temper again. "Now settle down, you'll wake Artemus up."
"I've never had something like this happen before! Not once in all my eons of ruling the labyrinth has something totally slipped through my awareness that could have enough power to transport someone and cause a flood of my kingdom!" He ran a hand through his unruly blond hair and sighed. "This should have never happened!"
"Relax Jareth! We'll find her." At that moment, one of the winged goblins landed on the windowsill and knocked politely. Sarah walked over to the window and admitted the little goblin with long whiskers and a thin scaly tail. "Has there been any sign of her?" Sarah asked, turning the goblin's attention from Jareth to herself.
"Nay, your majesty." The little goblin replied in a small rasping voice. "No one's seen hide nor hair of the girl."
"Thank you Buzc. Keep looking." Sarah said and the little goblin nodded before turning to fly back into the air. She sighed and sat down on the bed. "Who would want to kidnap an Aboveground girl anyway? And why?" She asked, mostly to herself.
"Someone wanting to hurt me in some way. You and Artemus are basically free from all harm, so someone needed to strike at me where they thought I was most vulnerable." Jareth was pacing once more back and fourth across the room. "They know I would never do anything to place an Aboveground child in harm's way. No matter what the cost."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
For two weeks, Lindsey waited alone in the cold and dark cell. The torch was never put out, nor was it ever replaced. Saladin made periodic appearances, just to mock her situation. She still didn't understand why she was there in the first place, but the silence was beginning to drive her insane. The little wooden bucket that was her toilet was somehow emptied everyday, even though she saw nor heard anyone enter or exit. Food appeared on a daily basis as well, but she had begun to eat less and less of it. A depression was slowly squeezing her heart and the hope she once had of rescue diminished.
When he arrived, she was pitifully rocking back and fourth with her arms around her knees. She didn't hear him at first, nor sense his presence. Only when he cleared his throat rather loudly did she look up.
"Well, wallowing in self pity must be something women from Aboveground specialize in for you to be doing it so well." The man sneered, mischief glistening in his eyes.
"Who are you?" She asked, not bothering to stand.
"I am Alec, your captor." He answered with a small bow. "I hope that you were not injured in your swim a few weeks ago." He stopped and walked around her in a circle. "What is your name girl?"
"Why do you care, all that's gonna happen is that I'm gonna rot in this dark, lonely place. Its not like I'll ever get out of here." Tears filled her eyes once more and she hid her face in the circle of her arms.
"Now now, we cant have you crying all the time." Alec crouched down in a catchers position with his hands on his knees. "It just isn't proper you know."
"Why would you care?" Lindsey spat, tears running unheeded down her cheeks.
"Because its my job to care, sweet thing. I am my lords chief advisor. He has me worried about you." He explained. "You were supposed to break a week ago, yet you continue to fight him."
"What do you mean, I was supposed to break? Am I like some toy to him that needs to be broken so he can fix it?"
"Not at all, my dear lass." Alec's hand came close to her cheek, but Lindsey pulled away from it. "You were supposed to give in to the magic, your body is resisting it. You are to be Fae."
"What?" She asked, wet eyes searching his face for any hint of a lie.
"My master has decided that you would become a welcome addition to our little 'family', and so has for the past week been trying to turn you into a Fae." Alec stood and leaned against a grimy wall with his arms crossed. He stood next to the torch and Lindsey could see his long blond-red hair and his sneering features. Only then did she notice his 'well to do' clothing and reflective black boots.
"So why does he want to tell me this now? It's not like I can help anything." Lindsey leaned back against the wall opposite Alec and let one leg stretch out in front of her with the other bent.
"Ah, but there you are wrong."
Hey everyone! I'm BACK! sorry it's taken so long....its been a rather hecktic time. Neways, you all know the drill, NEW PURPLE lipstick and concrete slab provided. The little gnomes are able to deliver by e-mail now so it's all the more simple! (i just have to wonder how they got computers capable of internet access that small...)