~3~
Josie, deep in thought, walked slowly back toward the house. Was she actually considering it? Yes, she
was. There was nothing for her here now. Her mother was the only thing that kept her here and now she
was gone. Perhaps this Jareth could help her, after all he did say he would watch over her.
Shutting the door behind her, she got half way up the stairs before Joanne noticed she was back.
"Josie, is that you?" Joanne called.
Josie stopped and shuddered. She didn't really need this right now. "Yeah." she answered. She just
wanted to go to her room.
"Would you come here a minute honey. There is someone here to see you," Joanne called from the
living room.
Josie, not really wanting to talk to anyone right now, sighed and slowly walked toward the room. She
could hear Joanne laughing and talking with a strange voice. Unfastening her jacket, she walked into the
room, her eyes on the couch. There sat the man from her dreams, Jareth the Goblin King. She stared
at him wide eyed like a child, and the way he smiled when she walked in made her feel uncomfortable.
"Josie dear, this is an old friend of your mother's," Joanne said, motioning for her to come and sit with
them.
Josie stood where she was. She was in shock. First, she dreams of this man. Next she is talking to a
wood sprite, then finally here he was in her house. *What did he want from her?*
"Hello Josie," Jareth said coolly, eyeing her up and down. A faint smile touched his lips.
"Hi," Josie said in a soft voice. She turned to leave the room only to have Joanne stop her.
"Josie, get in here dear. Don't be rude," Joanne said sternly.
Josie winced and turned around slowly, putting a smile upon her face. Josie dropped her jacket from her
shoulders gracefully to reveal her slender form to a staring Goblin King. Looking at Jareth, she crossed
the room, hung up her jacket and sat down in her favorite chair. Feeling out of place with his constant
gaping at her, she crossed her arms and rocked slowly.
Jareth regained his composure and put an inviting smile upon his lips. "It is alright. She does not know
me. I knew her mother from before she was even born," Jareth said, still looking at Josie. His eyes
enveloping her in a mysterious gaze that she couldn't break away from. "So, Josie, how are you?" he
asked pleasantly.
"I'm fine," she replied bluntly.
"Would you care for something to drink?" Joanne asked politely.
"Thank you," Jareth replied smoothly, his gaze drifting toward the door for a brief moment and then back
to Josie.
"No," Josie answered, watching Joanne head toward the door. "Do you need some help?" she asked,
standing.
"No thank you Josie. You just stay here and keep him company," Joanne said, walking out to the
kitchen.
"You're the Goblin King aren't you? The one from my dreams. What do you want from me?" she asked
sitting back down and eying Jareth suspiciously.
"Subtlety is not one of your strong points is it?" Jareth asked slightly leaning forward. When Josie didn't
reply, he continued. "Yes, I am Jareth. What do you think I want?" he asked playfully. He knew what he
wanted. The question was, what did she want? After twenty-five years of watching her grow before his
eyes, he had grown fond of the idea of having her in the Labyrinth.
"Why are you here?" Josie asked, changing the subject after noticing his leering stare.
"Why else?" Jareth retorted simply. This was far too much fun. He could see her squirming beneath his
scrutiny of her.
"You tell me Jareth. What could you possibly have to gain by coming here?" she responded hesitantly.
"Josie, you do not need to fear me. I am here to help," Jareth said soothingly.
"Why should I believe you?" she asked out of curiosity, her hazel eyes curiously taking in his form.
"Do you have any reason not to? " he asked, his voice a hushed whisper, then continued. "Trust your
feelings Josie, they will not betray you."
Joanne walked back in carrying a glass of lemonade and handed it to Jareth. "So, are you two getting to
know each other?" she asked before returning to her seat.
"Yes. Too well I am afraid," Jareth responded, looking at Josie with a smile. Her stubbornness matched
his own. This might be more difficult than he thought.
"Excuse me," Josie said, standing and walking to the door. Looking back at Jareth one last time, she
walked out and on up the stairs. *What did he mean by that? Too well? He doesn't know me at all and I
am supposed to drop everything for him?* "I don't think so!" she uttered as she shut her bedroom door
behind her.
**************
Back at the castle, Boona stood before the Goblin King. Her golden green eyes were sparkling in
anticipation.
"Why does she not come Boona? It was your job to get her here," he stated sternly.
"Soon my master. We must not rush her. It did not help your showing up at her house. She is in a
fragile state of mind and when she figures out where she belongs, I will be there to bring her home."
Boona replied with a slight mischievous smile.
"You had better be there," he said producing a crystal. Looking into it, he saw Josie sitting on the window
seal of her bedroom window. A gentle breeze blowing in, wafted her hair and moved the smooth fabric
of the curtain in front of her face. "My how she has grown." he said, staring at her entrancing image. He
would not admit his feelings for her of course. Oh no, far be it from the Goblin King to show his feelings.
To him, that would be showing weakness.
"Master, why is it you wish her to come to the Labyrinth?" Boona asked, looking to her king for answers.
Answers he was not willing to give.
"That is none of your concern. Just do as you are told Boona, and I shall see to the rest," he replied
motioning for her to leave.
"Yes master," she replied and took to her light form and flew out the window.
"Why indeed?" he breathed softly, still staring at the captivating image of Josie.
*****************
Josie sat looking out her window and wanted to escape this life. "Why didn't she tell me of him?" she
asked aloud, fingering the crystal on her necklace. "Because I would have thought she was crazy, that's
why." she said pulling the window closed. She could hear the faint rumble of thunder as it grew closer.
She always loved rainstorms.
Picking up the book she was certain he gave her when she was twelve, she flipped through the pages but
found no comfort in the written word. She still felt the emptiness that seemed to grow with each passing
moment. Sometimes she felt as though it might swallow her whole and then there would be nothing left.
But now she knew she was not alone. He was there and it was quite obvious that he was not going to
leave her to wallow in self pity for the rest of her life. A smile touched her lips at that thought.
"Oh why was I so rude to him?" she stated to no one in particular. "I know better than that," she said
exasperated. She had noticed how handsome he was. Did he know she found him attractive? Was it
too obvious? Or perhaps he found her obnoxious.
Looking at the book in her hands, she remembered him now. He had brought her a gift for her birthday
to the house. *Was he still watching her?* The red leather binding was old and worn, and one could
barely make out the gold lettering on the front. She had read this book a thousand times and wished
such a place existed. Now she finds out that her greatest wish as a child has come true, and that she
has the opportunity to live it. Now if only she wasn't so scared.
********************
Josie, deep in thought, walked slowly back toward the house. Was she actually considering it? Yes, she
was. There was nothing for her here now. Her mother was the only thing that kept her here and now she
was gone. Perhaps this Jareth could help her, after all he did say he would watch over her.
Shutting the door behind her, she got half way up the stairs before Joanne noticed she was back.
"Josie, is that you?" Joanne called.
Josie stopped and shuddered. She didn't really need this right now. "Yeah." she answered. She just
wanted to go to her room.
"Would you come here a minute honey. There is someone here to see you," Joanne called from the
living room.
Josie, not really wanting to talk to anyone right now, sighed and slowly walked toward the room. She
could hear Joanne laughing and talking with a strange voice. Unfastening her jacket, she walked into the
room, her eyes on the couch. There sat the man from her dreams, Jareth the Goblin King. She stared
at him wide eyed like a child, and the way he smiled when she walked in made her feel uncomfortable.
"Josie dear, this is an old friend of your mother's," Joanne said, motioning for her to come and sit with
them.
Josie stood where she was. She was in shock. First, she dreams of this man. Next she is talking to a
wood sprite, then finally here he was in her house. *What did he want from her?*
"Hello Josie," Jareth said coolly, eyeing her up and down. A faint smile touched his lips.
"Hi," Josie said in a soft voice. She turned to leave the room only to have Joanne stop her.
"Josie, get in here dear. Don't be rude," Joanne said sternly.
Josie winced and turned around slowly, putting a smile upon her face. Josie dropped her jacket from her
shoulders gracefully to reveal her slender form to a staring Goblin King. Looking at Jareth, she crossed
the room, hung up her jacket and sat down in her favorite chair. Feeling out of place with his constant
gaping at her, she crossed her arms and rocked slowly.
Jareth regained his composure and put an inviting smile upon his lips. "It is alright. She does not know
me. I knew her mother from before she was even born," Jareth said, still looking at Josie. His eyes
enveloping her in a mysterious gaze that she couldn't break away from. "So, Josie, how are you?" he
asked pleasantly.
"I'm fine," she replied bluntly.
"Would you care for something to drink?" Joanne asked politely.
"Thank you," Jareth replied smoothly, his gaze drifting toward the door for a brief moment and then back
to Josie.
"No," Josie answered, watching Joanne head toward the door. "Do you need some help?" she asked,
standing.
"No thank you Josie. You just stay here and keep him company," Joanne said, walking out to the
kitchen.
"You're the Goblin King aren't you? The one from my dreams. What do you want from me?" she asked
sitting back down and eying Jareth suspiciously.
"Subtlety is not one of your strong points is it?" Jareth asked slightly leaning forward. When Josie didn't
reply, he continued. "Yes, I am Jareth. What do you think I want?" he asked playfully. He knew what he
wanted. The question was, what did she want? After twenty-five years of watching her grow before his
eyes, he had grown fond of the idea of having her in the Labyrinth.
"Why are you here?" Josie asked, changing the subject after noticing his leering stare.
"Why else?" Jareth retorted simply. This was far too much fun. He could see her squirming beneath his
scrutiny of her.
"You tell me Jareth. What could you possibly have to gain by coming here?" she responded hesitantly.
"Josie, you do not need to fear me. I am here to help," Jareth said soothingly.
"Why should I believe you?" she asked out of curiosity, her hazel eyes curiously taking in his form.
"Do you have any reason not to? " he asked, his voice a hushed whisper, then continued. "Trust your
feelings Josie, they will not betray you."
Joanne walked back in carrying a glass of lemonade and handed it to Jareth. "So, are you two getting to
know each other?" she asked before returning to her seat.
"Yes. Too well I am afraid," Jareth responded, looking at Josie with a smile. Her stubbornness matched
his own. This might be more difficult than he thought.
"Excuse me," Josie said, standing and walking to the door. Looking back at Jareth one last time, she
walked out and on up the stairs. *What did he mean by that? Too well? He doesn't know me at all and I
am supposed to drop everything for him?* "I don't think so!" she uttered as she shut her bedroom door
behind her.
**************
Back at the castle, Boona stood before the Goblin King. Her golden green eyes were sparkling in
anticipation.
"Why does she not come Boona? It was your job to get her here," he stated sternly.
"Soon my master. We must not rush her. It did not help your showing up at her house. She is in a
fragile state of mind and when she figures out where she belongs, I will be there to bring her home."
Boona replied with a slight mischievous smile.
"You had better be there," he said producing a crystal. Looking into it, he saw Josie sitting on the window
seal of her bedroom window. A gentle breeze blowing in, wafted her hair and moved the smooth fabric
of the curtain in front of her face. "My how she has grown." he said, staring at her entrancing image. He
would not admit his feelings for her of course. Oh no, far be it from the Goblin King to show his feelings.
To him, that would be showing weakness.
"Master, why is it you wish her to come to the Labyrinth?" Boona asked, looking to her king for answers.
Answers he was not willing to give.
"That is none of your concern. Just do as you are told Boona, and I shall see to the rest," he replied
motioning for her to leave.
"Yes master," she replied and took to her light form and flew out the window.
"Why indeed?" he breathed softly, still staring at the captivating image of Josie.
*****************
Josie sat looking out her window and wanted to escape this life. "Why didn't she tell me of him?" she
asked aloud, fingering the crystal on her necklace. "Because I would have thought she was crazy, that's
why." she said pulling the window closed. She could hear the faint rumble of thunder as it grew closer.
She always loved rainstorms.
Picking up the book she was certain he gave her when she was twelve, she flipped through the pages but
found no comfort in the written word. She still felt the emptiness that seemed to grow with each passing
moment. Sometimes she felt as though it might swallow her whole and then there would be nothing left.
But now she knew she was not alone. He was there and it was quite obvious that he was not going to
leave her to wallow in self pity for the rest of her life. A smile touched her lips at that thought.
"Oh why was I so rude to him?" she stated to no one in particular. "I know better than that," she said
exasperated. She had noticed how handsome he was. Did he know she found him attractive? Was it
too obvious? Or perhaps he found her obnoxious.
Looking at the book in her hands, she remembered him now. He had brought her a gift for her birthday
to the house. *Was he still watching her?* The red leather binding was old and worn, and one could
barely make out the gold lettering on the front. She had read this book a thousand times and wished
such a place existed. Now she finds out that her greatest wish as a child has come true, and that she
has the opportunity to live it. Now if only she wasn't so scared.
********************