Disclaimer: See all previous chapters. This title comes from the movie "Xanadu". The song "Don't Walk Away" was written by Jeff Lynn of the Electric Light Orchestra. Email me if you want lyrics. They say exactly what I want this chapter to say.
Chapter 6
Don't Walk Away
Jareth walked through a field of wild flowers. The warm sunshine warmed his body and a gentle breeze wove its way through his hair. A smile crept about his mouth as he let his hand gently brush the tops of the tall grasses. For the first time in a while, he felt completely happy, and he lifted his head to smile at the cloudless sky.
"Wouldn't Sarah love this?" He thought to himself. His mind was filled with images of her throughout the years he had known her.
A rustling noise behind him broke him out of his thoughts. He drew his head down and turned quickly, ready to lash out at whomever dared interrupt this perfect moment. He was met with the sight of Sarah coming towards him. Immediately, his mouth went dry and his heart began to pound. She was breathtakingly beautiful in a simple sky blue dress with her hair pulled away from her face. She was looking right at him, at his eyes, into his very soul. Her eyes danced merrily in the sunlight and she smiled as she drew nearer to him. When she reached him, she took both of his hands into her own, gazed up at his face and said, "Hello, Jareth."
"My dear Sarah..."
She put a finger to his lips, "Shhhh...Don't say a word. Let's just enjoy the moment, shall we?" She ran her arms around his chest to hold him, as he did the same to her. They stood holding each other, Sarah's head resting on Jareth's shoulder. After several minutes, she looked up at Jareth and spoke.
"Why are you so faithful to me? All I have ever done is brush you aside. Yet you still continue to fight for my affections."
"I suppose it is because you are meant to be with me. One cannot run from destiny forever. Our meeting was inevitable. Now, all I can do is wait for the day that you will see this."
"Don't you ever grow tired of waiting?"
"Day after day I wait for you to call me, hoping that it will finally be the time when you return with me. Our times together have become the highlights of my life. There are so many things that I want to say to you, but I never seem to find a way, or the courage. Yes me, the goblin king, without courage. But, I guess that over the years I have come to expect a refusal from you and that is why I am so hesitant. It's hard knowing the one you love doesn't love you back."
"It's not easy for me either, you know. I befriended the same person who kidnapped my brother and who put me through 13 hours of hell to get him back."
"You asked me to do that."
"I know, but it still feels strange if you think about it."
"Then don't."
"It's not that I don't love you. I do, but I am afraid that you will begin to brush me aside like so many others in my life. I was distancing myself so that I wouldn't be hurt."
"I would never hurt you, Sarah."
"But I can't be sure of that."
"My love for you is that which moves the stars. Listen to me, Sarah. I would never hurt you and I will never let anyone hurt you. How can I make you see that?"
"I don't know...give me some time...I'm so confused. Sarah pulled away from Jareth's embrace. She began to fade from the field, and her voice wavered as she spoke.
"I do love you. I always will."
Jareth was left alone again. Despite the beauty of his surroundings, he was not looking at anything. He looked without seeing. Instead, his mind was filled with endless days spent without her. His life was to be one of unhappy solitude, and he had no idea how he would make it. Sadness began to well up inside him as he slowly accepted his fate.
* * * * * * * *
Sarah awoke to a cloudless blue sky beaming down at her through the window. "Much like in my dream," she thought as she lingered between the coolness of her sheets. It was amazing how real it all seemed to her. She could actually smell the flowers around her and feel the sunshine on her shoulders. But her behavior in the dream confused her, as she was so ready to tell him that she loved him the previous night. "I should think that I would have been more open about it. Ah well. I guess that is why it is a dream and not a reality."
She lingered a few minutes more in bed, talking herself into calling to him. An apology for last night was forming in her mind as she sprang from her bed and went to her mirror. She gazed at her reflection, mouth open, ready to call out his name. Then, she stopped, deciding it would probably be a good idea to freshen up before she called him. Smiling, she turned and headed for the bathroom.
* * * * * * * *
Jareth opened his eyes to darkness. The small amount of light that did shine into the oubliette had to come through layers of dust and spider webs to reach the small patch of ground. He was in a sitting position, his back touching the cool stone wall that now seemed to hit him in all the wrong places. He groaned as he began to move his shoulders, raising his hand to rub the stiffness away. His dream had been so pleasant, he had almost forgotten about his situation. To hold Sarah in his arms had felt so real, he could almost feel her still within them. He knew why she had pushed him away now and he wished that this dream had come to him before his cousin had. Even the knowledge of her love for him was not enough to give him hope. In the chance that she did call him, he wouldn't be able to see her. He felt weak without his magic, almost like he had been shut off from the rest of the living world. His arms fell to his sides as he closed his eyes to dwell on the memory of their dream meeting, and to remember how her hair smelled and the way she fit in his arms. "Dearest Sarah. If only I had known. I would have let you see how much I love you. Now, it is too late for us, my love. It is not meant to be."