Down
in the Underground
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Author's Note: This is a sequel to
"Reflections in the Escher Room" although it can be read
independently. I began to wonder if there was a purpose behind the Labyrinth,
besides amusing a bored Jareth. He seemed to have a lot of goblins and I
couldn't see why he'd be so interested in Toby. I'd like to thank everyone who
reviewed my last story. The encouragement meant a lot to me.
Disclaimer: Sarah, Jareth and everyone
else in this story aren't mine. They belong to Jim Henson and I've borrowed
them for a while.
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She looked lovely, lying there bathed in the moonlight, her black hair
streaming over her body and the tear marks which covered the visible portion of
her face only adding to her delicate beauty. Her face still had some of the
vagueness of childhood, her cheekbones not yet fully defined. What a Paladin
she would make, the Goblin King thought, awed by the beauty and spirit of this
Mortal girl. The bedroom was redolent with childhood's dreams; toys, stuffed
animals and books. By all appearances, it was the room of a cherished child, a
slightly spoiled princess whose parents surely adored her above all. But, as
Jareth knew, appearances could be deceiving. He had seen how they pushed her
away, both her stepmother and the father who should have treasured her. To
Karen, she was proof that her husband had once loved another woman, and the
nagging suspicion that he loved Linda still made it impossible for the woman to
care for her, or relate to step-daughter. To her father, she was a reminder of
a woman he still guiltily loved, a woman who had rejected him.
Her
loneliness had called to him as he was called to all children who were unwanted
and he had watched her, aware that the child he spied on in his crystal ball
was some thing special. She had the potential for greatness. He thought back to
the confrontation in the throne room and smiled; she had proven today that she
would use any power she was given for Good, that she could be trusted to
subordinate her desires to other's needs. She had also displayed strong will,
courage, an ability to work with others, to mistrust appearances and also to
see through illusion.
His eyes
darkened, remembering how ambivalent he had felt in the ballroom. She was his
protégée, he had wanted to see her succeed, to become aware of the nature of
the ballroom, but he had also wanted to kiss her with an immediacy which
surprised him. "She is but a child," he had reminded himself and he repeated
this phrase in a low voice, as he looked down at the lovely dreamer. She tossed
restlessly in her sleep, her long black hair a stark contrast to her virginal
white nightgown. Her lashes fluttered and he froze, ready to disappear but
after shifting and changing position she was still once again. She rested on
her side now, her white hand curled against her cheek. She mumbled and Jareth
could just make out the words "Dangers untold ...hardships" as he
approached the bed. He stroked her hair, soothing her. "So lovely,"
he whispered almost in awe, "but still only a child."
He generally
disliked the role of the seducer. It was generally uncomfortable to try to
override the morals of a child. He frowned, remembering the last girl who had
accepted his offers. Her hysterics at being told the Labyrinth was a test she
had failed, was an unpleasant experience he did not like to remember. Sarah
shifted again in her sleep and whispered "Toby." The Goblin King
reached a conclusion: although she did not care much for her parents, she
adored her baby brother. He would not rift her from her home just yet, he
decided. A year or two would not make much difference and she could begin her
training later.
He turned to go
and stopped, unable to leave the sleeping girl without saying good-bye. Hating
himself, torn between his desire and his reason, Jareth turned and walked over
to the bed. As if aware of his presence, the girl smiled in her sleep. The
smile was mysterious and alluring, a woman's smile in a girls face and Jareth
could not keep from being drawn to it. "She's a child, not a woman"
he repeated to himself. Nevertheless, unable to help himself, he bent down and
placed a light kiss on her soft, downy cheek, conjuring a crystal and shaping
it into a rose. Then he reached the window and, with a tender parting glance,
flew away.
Sarah awoke to
find her windows thrown open, with daylight streaming in, and a crystal rose on
her pillow.
Is it any good? Should I continue. Let me
know what you think. Constructive criticism will be appreciated