AN: Haaaa Haaaa!!! I finally finished chapter eight! Now you all can be satisfied for at least 12 hours. I know because that is about how long I can go without constantly checking ff.n to see if anything new has been posted. This is a little earlier than I thought I would get to post it, but maybe I will take some time and work on chapter nine this afternoon between classes. Thanks for all of the great reviews that I have gotten so far! I have an inspiration for my next venture into the Underground, so we will see where it takes us! Happy Reading!!!
Chapter 8
The Storm
You know how you have moments in you life when everything seems utterly perfect for a brief moment before coming crashing down at your feet? It's a cruel twist of fate that causes you to be deliriously happy, then reminds you of all the turmoil and chaos that happens in the world. This is the only way that I can describe the events of that evening.
As Jareth and I were lost in the thoughts of parenthood, Mark snuck into my house using the key that I had not asked back from him. It was only when he was just a few feet from me that I sensed his presence. I turned to face him, gaining strength from Jareth and my new found joy. The cold, unblinking look I was getting sent chills down my spine, but it was not enough to deter me from looking right at Mark.
Mark stared at the two of us before saying anything. "So, It all makes sense now. You dump me for one of those theater freaks."
" I don't expect you to understand any of this, but...." I was portraying an air of mild irritation, but really I want to turn and run.
"Oh, I think I understand perfectly. You have a little return to your childhood when Aunt What's-her-name kicks the bucket, and you fall for some abnormal freak who probably doesn't have a decent job. Sounds like you're headed down the right path, Sarah."
"Why don't you leave Sarah alone to live her own life the way she wants to live it?" Jareth's voice came across as silky and smooth as a cat's fur, even though I could hear the anger growing in it.
Mark stared at Jareth, seemingly to debate whether or not he should be threatened, "I don't recall including you in this conversation, Blondie. How about you keeping your mouth shut?"
I felt Jareth tense up beside me. Mark was doing something that no one had ever dared do. He was telling Jareth to shut up. I knew that couldn't be good.
"All Sarah wants is for you to leave her alone."
I could see the rage boil up in Mark's eyes. I thought I knew what was coming. "I told you to stay out of it. I see that I am going to have to shut you up myself."
Feeling ill, I watched Mark reach behind his back. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around my stomach, fearful for the innocent life I carried. I saw the glint of the overhead light shine off the gun in Mark's hand before Jareth stepped in front of me.
The roar of two shots rang through my house, filling my ears with their terrible music. Jareth jerked and shuddered, then fell to the floor in a heap. His eyes were closed and he was still.
Shocked at the sight of Jareth so helpless, I fell to my knees and reached for him, only to be yanked back to a standing position facing Mark. He kept a tight hold on my wrist, pulling me so close to him that I could feel the short and quick breathes coming out of his nose.
"What's the matter? Pretty boy there can't fight like a man so he needs you to protect him? He picked a poor bodyguard."
I wrenched my wrist out of his grasp. "Stop this! You attacked him without warning or else it would be you on the floor instead of him. If he.." I began to back up.
"Well, he's not, is he? You know, you have a big problem, Sarah." I slowly backed up against the counter.
"You always root for the underdog."
Mark drew closer as I leaned backwards, trying to put as much space between us as I could.
"You never cheer on the hero."
My fingers inched across the counter top behind me, bumping into something metal.
"You should never ignore the hero, Sarah. They always end up saving the damsel in distress."
My fingers explored the metal object and finally found a handle. It was my cast iron frying pan.
"Isn't that the way the fairy tales always go, Sarah?"
"Yes, but I doubt the damsel would ever do this to the hero."
I gripped the handle and swung the pan as hard as I could towards Mark's head. As the two made contact, the pan began to vibrate so violently that I dropped it with a clatter on the floor. Mark's eyes glazed over and he stumbled backwards, loosing his balance and falling to the floor unconscious.
Seconds ticked by as I realized what I had done. At first I thought I'd killed him, but no such luck. He was still breathing. Awash with dread, I crossed the room to Jareth who was still laying quietly. He was breathing, but just barely.
"Jareth, don't worry. Everything is going to be alright. Just hang on." My voice was calm and gentle, a far cry from what was going on inside my head.
He stirred beneath my touch, but never opened his eyes. A groan from Mark brought me back to our situation. I had to find a phone. The only one left was in my bedroom. Quickly, I left Jareth and hurried up the stairs and down the hall, into my bedroom. Grabbing the phone and stretching the cord to the closet, I shut the door and dialed 911.
One ring
Two rings
Three rings
"911 operator. What is your emergency?"
"My name is Sarah Williams and there..
click
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
The phone had gone dead.
"You shouldn't have done that, Sarah. Don't you know that the cops always want to put someone in jail when they respond to a call like that? You wouldn't want your boyfriend in jail, now would you?" Mark's voice came from just outside of the closet. I knew he had me trapped.
Slowly, I drew a breath and exhaled, somehow finding the courage to reply. "We broke up, Mark. Deal with it."
"Oh, but I have tried dealing with it. It didn't work." He slid the closet door open and motioned for me to come out. It was then that I saw the scissors laying next to the severed phone line.
That did it.
"You bastard!" I reached back with the phone in my hand and smacked him across the face with it. I grabbed the scissors and made a run for the bedroom door. I almost made it to the top of the stairs before he caught up with me. I felt his hand grab the back of my head and he yanked at a fist full of my hair to make me stop. Pain shot through my head and I was vaguely aware of him dragging me towards the top of the stairs. Before I knew it, I was teetering over the edge of the top stair, staring down at what seemed like an endless flight of stairs. It was then that I realized what he was going to do.
"Mark please. You don't want to do this."
"If you can't be mine, then no one else can have you either." He shoved the back of my head forward, pitching me down the staircase. The world around me moved in slow motion as I made contact with several steps before coming to land at the bottom. I was unfortunate enough not to have lost consciousness at that point, so I felt the searing pain surge through my body. Everything hurt, but I was still alive.
I lay very still at the bottom of the stairs, hoping that he would leave. I knew that my left arm was broken, even though I dared not move it. I suspected that I had also broken a leg, as I had heard several snaps during the course of my fall. I heard the stairs creak quietly as Mark slowly descended towards me. Powerless, all I could do was pray and wait. I knew that he was coming closer, watching every move I made, the muffled sounds on the carpet growing more and more menacing with each step he took. He reached the bottom and I felt the toe of his shoe come to rest next to my side. After a few seconds, his voice was in my ear, barely a whisper.
"Looks like I didn't finish what I started. Can't have any loose ends lying around causing me problems, now can I?"
Old habits kicked in, and I tightened up as best I could, preparing for the blows that I knew I was going to receive. It was then that my hand curled around the scissors that had miraculously stayed in my grasp during my fall. In one second, I formulated a plan that was a long shot, but worth a try. I rolled onto my side, looked Mark right in the eyes, and plunged the tip of the blades into his right calf.
Mark howled in pain as I let go of the scissors and attempted to get to my feet. Then gun fell from his hand and I reached out with my good arm to retrieve it. Pain washing over me again, I slumped to my knees and crawled back over to Jareth, still laying unmoving in a pool of blood, leaving Mark to grapple with the scissors. I tried to wake him, shaking his shoulder and calling out his name.
"Jareth! Don't leave me like this! Please! I need you. You can't leave me!"
His eyes opened slowly and focused on my face. I felt his hand slowly reach for my face, then softly caress my cheek. I began to sob uncontrollably for the first time that evening. My tears splashed down onto Jareth's face, causing the corners of his mouth to turn up in a soft smile.
"Shh.. Don't cry dearest Sarah. Everything is going to be just fine. You'll see.
"Yes, everything will be just fine." Mark's cold, menacing voice came from behind me.
Panicking, my mind clouded with thoughts until a sharp edge poked me in the ribs. Mark's gun was concealed between my body and Jareth's. Automatically, I rolled over on my back.
Aim for the heart and shoot to kill
Squeeze the trigger, don't pull it
Bang
Bang
The echo bounce off the walls of my house. Mark stumbled and fell to his knees, staring at me in disbelief. He put his fingers up to the rapidly growing bright spots on his white shirt. Before he fell to the floor, I heard him whisper something that to this day I have not forgotten.
"I only wanted to love you."
The kitchen began to spin as I lost my hold on my consciousness. My vision began to fade and I looked nervously around at the carnage on the kitchen floor: Mark staring off into space, his shirt almost completely red now. Jareth...was gone.
I fell back to the floor and lay my cheek on the cool tile. As the warm, welcoming black world enveloped me, I heard sirens and shouts coming from outside, doors opening, more shouting, then shuffling feet. I didn't know nor care what any of these noises meant, I just knew that the dark was better than the light.