Vengeful Nightmares

Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 10

Peter and Dinah solemnly closed the book, and Dinah shook her head sadly. "I misjudged him…badly."

Peter nodded. "Poor guy…Can you imagine watching your own father murder your mother?" he said almost under his breath, squinting his eyes incredulously. "Even if it is just a dream."

Dinah opened the book again, shaking her head as she took in the scene once more. Sarah was on her knees, her arms around Hoggle, whose face was contorted in anguish. The dwarf's teeth were bared and clenched as he struggled against a harsh tide of helpless tears.

The drawings now came with short passages underneath or next to them; that was how they knew what Hoggle had told Sarah. They felt guilty at having witnessed something so personal and devastating, but there was nothing in the world that could make them forget. Peter could imagine Jareth saying 'Privacy be damned.' It wasn't right. This man was trying to help his daughter, and if he had to go through something so painful, he at least deserved to go through it in private with his comforter. Still, Peter marveled; he hadn't known that Sarah could be so tenderhearted with anyone but Toby…She was soothing Hoggle like she would a crying child, only without the patronizing aspect of it.

Dinah found her husband's hand, and squeezed it tightly.

They could only read one chapter a day, and then only at the end of the day; the end of the day, when everything had already come to pass. Peter had at least four raised welts on his hands from trying to turn beyond their daily quota.

Jareth had visited them once more, and had gone into further detail about Sarah's 'mission', and why she had to go without any guidance…save for one sick dwarf. Peter was about ready to throttle Jareth, and he would have done it if Dinah hadn't asked a question and got an unexpected answer. Dinah, the ever-perceptive one of the husband/wife duo, had cocked her head to one side, narrowed her eyes, and said, "But this isn't just about your 'stolen' magic, is it? Why are you so…so obsessed with taking our daughter away from us?"

Jareth had shifted his stance briefly, and slowly stated, "Well, that's rather a delicate question, you see…I don't exactly want to take her away, but I…I want her with me."

"Why?" Dinah had pressed.

"Because…because I love her." He had admitted with a 'now are you satisfied' kind of look. His cheeks had even turned a slight, almost undetectable shade of coral-pink. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Dinah had expected this. Even so, it came as a shock. The man who had threatened to kill Sarah had actually said he loved her. He also seemed deeply unhappy with the way Sarah was progressing; everything bad that had happened had originated with him, and he was sure that Sarah hated him. "All right? I said it. I love her. And she hates me." He continued angrily, spinning on his heel, and pacing their living room.

Serves you right. Peter had thought with a barely concealed grin of satisfaction.

"She loves him." Dinah murmured, jolting Peter back to the present.

"Who? Jareth?"

"No. The dwarf; Hoggle."

Peter smirked. "Don't you think he's a bit old for her?"

"Oh, I don't mean that way. You're being a donkey's rear end! I mean, he's a very dear friend to her. She feels she needs to protect him. Can't you see? They get along like me and my cousin, Tommy used to. They're buddies. Didn't you ever have a friend like that?"

"Umm…well, yeah, back in high school. Her name was Ginny, and she was like one of the guys. Heh, she could belch the alphabet in one go! Without any bee—uh, soda."

"Charming. Did she fart, too?"

"Dinah!" Peter hooted, slapping his knee. "You're blunt as a spoon!"

"Well, never mind. Anyway, my point is that they've shared a lot, and they need each other's support. And Hoggle needed comforting. I just…I feel just awful about the way I thought about him. He must have thought I was made of ice." She sighed, rubbing her forehead with her thumb and forefinger.

"Ah, don't worry about it. You can make it up to him when you see him again. It's Christmas soon…maybe we can invite him over."

"We don't even know if he celebrates Christmas!" Dinah pointed out, glancing sidelong at her husband.

"Well, we can still have him over. Aside from the religious aspect, there's the togetherness and the celebration…"

"If he has anything to celebrate…" she trailed off.

"Yeah, well…we'll give him something to celebrate."

"That night, when Sarah found him outside…I came down to…to yell at her for almost losing Toby, and he was…he was crying. It was so…so plaintive sounding. I never expected to see that. I don't know what I expected, but that wasn't it."

"…I know. I heard it too. That's why we should give him something to celebrate. He…he doesn't have anyone. He seems like a good man."

"Yes. Well, we'll invite him, then. I owe him an apology, anyway."

* * *

Sarah awakened from a nap she had not intended to take, and quickly looked over at Hoggle. It was mid-afternoon, but since it was winter, it was noticeably dimmer outside than it had been. Hoggle was sitting back on the hay with one knee up, his left wrist draped over it, and his eyes trained onto the far wall. To his left was a clay bowl with a tiny puddle of broth at the bottom. At least he had taken some nourishment. His cheeks were flushed, but he looked better than he had…except for one thing. His face was devoid of all expression.

"Hoggle?" she called in an undertone. He didn't even blink. "Hoggle." She said a bit louder, and he looked over at her…and through her.

"H'lo, Sarah." He said apathetically. She frowned gently, and went over to sit next to him. He let her check on his fever, but he said nothing.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Uhh…about three."

"You've met Jarjuk?"

"No, I met Mina."

Sarah picked hay out of her hair, and drummed her fingers on the wooden boards of the floor. Somewhere outside of the room, she heard an alto voice cooing and babbling, and smiled slightly. That baby monster was cute. She wondered what his name was…

"Haaauu…" Hoggle sighed suddenly, shaking his head.

"Hoggle?" Sarah glanced over nervously. "What is it?" Oh, she knew. Boy did she know! But this sudden apathy had frightened her more than she liked to admit. Maybe if he got it out of his system, he would be all right…

Hoggle barely heard her. I couldn't save her…I was just a boy…

* * *

He didn't remember much. He had tried so hard to forget, but he couldn't keep bits and pieces from surfacing, looming behind his clouded eyes; his dream had seen to that…

Apple cider…Mother's perfume…Daddy's sour, whiskey-soaked breath…funeral flowers…

A sweet little dwarven boy stared up at his mother as she tucked him in for the night. He had the wide, blue eyes of a cherub; a small, round, nut-brown face that puckered slightly when something new flamed his curiosity; the biggish nose that was shared by all members of his race, though it was more pronounced in the men…

He looked up at his mother, and smiled with innocent love at the still-pretty dwarven woman. "There ya go, snug as a bug in a rug. There…" she stroked back his unruly brown hair, and smiled. "You has a birthday coming up, Hoggle. How old will ya be? Canya show Mama?"

The little boy shyly held up five fingers.

"That's right! Can you count fer me?" she praised.

Hoggle screwed up his tiny face, and solemnly ticked off on his small fingers, "Ooone, twooo, threee, fooour, fiive."

"Good boy, oh yer getting so smart! Do you know whatcha want to have?"

The child nodded…but remained silent.

"Well, arentcha gonna tell me?"

Hoggle shook his head and grinned, the space where his two front teeth had fallen out showing plainly in the lamplight.

"No?" she gave a short, musical laugh. "Well, then, don't worry. I'll find out. Give yer Mummy a kiss?"

The boy nodded, and gave his mother a sloppy peck on the cheek.

"Night, sugarpop." She kissed his forehead, turned down the lamp, and left the room. Hoggle rolled over on his side, and frowned suddenly…where was Daddy?

Late that night, his eyes popped open as a crash was heard from downstairs. "Mama?" he squeaked timidly, curling up into a tight little ball.

Muffled voices from downstairs… "Woman!!" Shouting, and the sound of glass breaking. Pounding footsteps coming up the stairs, and light tapping steps coming to meet them…

"Please, Molger, Hoggle's sleeping. You'll wake.."

"Shut up!"

Shouting was heard, and the sound of a fist connecting with a jawbone…Hoggle buried his head in his pillow, and whimpered. He could hear his mother crying, but then it broke off suddenly. A rumble and a thump were heard, and then…silence.

"M—Mommy…?"

"Lita? Lita! You answer me, ya hear?! I ain't playin'! Gerrup, damn you!"

Hoggle peeped out from under his little pillow, and held his breath. He heard his father slowly descending the staircase, heard him mumbling, and then, oh most terrible! His father set up a wail that made his bed frame vibrate.

"Lita, no! I din't mean ta! Op'n yer eyes! Look at me-e-e!"

Hoggle could hear his father wailing and sobbing like a child, and tip-toed out of his bed to investigate, not even putting on his slippers. He reached the top of the steps, and saw his father cradling his mother in his lap.

"I din't mean…I din't know…"

"D—Daddy?"

The dwarf looked up at his son with glazed, drunken eyes, and sneered. "Git outta here, ya brat! Can't ya see yer Mama's sick? Go on, git!"

Hoggle stumbled back with a sob, and ran into his room, diving underneath the covers. His father didn't even remember what he had done the next morning. He told Hoggle that his mother had tripped, and fallen. Hoggle didn't argue. In fact, in the weeks that followed, he had convinced himself that that was what had truly happened…

* * *

"Hoggle?"

Hoggle jumped as Sarah's voice filtered into his seething brain, and he looked up at her with eyes like open wounds. "I couldn't save her, Sarah." He said quietly. "I was only four goin' on five, and I couldn't do anythin' to help. Even if I could have, I was too afraid…"

Sarah couldn't think of anything to say. She shook her head slowly, and opened her mouth without a sound. Hoggle looked down at his hands.

"I heard him do it. I didn't see him, but I heard him. I think it was an accident, but…" he shrugged helplessly as his stoic mask crumbled. He continued to stare down at his trembling hands, which were receiving a steady drip-drip-drip from his red eyes. "I thinks he pushed her…she fell down the steps…they said her neck was broke…(hic)…"

"I'm sorry…"

"That's when I stopped callin' him 'Daddy'…That's why I never had any friends before you…I didn't want 'em. 'Cause, if I couldn't trust my own Da…Father…who could I trust?"

Sarah caught a teardrop, and held it on her fingertip between them like an icon. "Me, Hoggle," she murmured, "You can trust me."

He moved hesitantly forward and put his arms around her neck, which quickly became damp. "I know…" he said in a shuddering whisper. "Yer m' best friend, Sarah…be careful on this quest o' yours…Don't leave me like my Mama did…don't die…"

She smiled slightly as she patted his pack. "Well, that's silly. I'm not going to die. This is just a learning quest, and as soon as it's over I'll fix everything. Besides, I don't think Himself would let me die…not after all the trouble he went through to get me here. We're as safe as can be. We'll find Ludo and Sir Didymus, and we'll stop these bad dreams for good. That's what started this whole mess. Ohh…here." Sarah gently eased him away, and gave him a handkerchief…which just happened to be his. It had been cleaned with the rest of her clothes. He left his tears alone, and blew a honking note that sent the hankie fluttering like a banner. He sniffed sharply a few times, and gouged at his eyes with his fists. "There…I know the past hurts, Hoggle…It's a terrible past to carry around…but don't you think, with your friends' help, the future can be a lot better? It can be great, as good as you let it be."

Hoggle smiled slightly, and his smile was genuine. "Thanks, Sarah. I 'preciate that."

* * *

Night had fallen, and Hoggle was well enough to get up and take some solid food. He and Sarah sat with Jarjuk and Mina, and their son Bree. It was amazing how much little Bree resembled Toby in personality and demeanor. He was a plucky little baby with an impish grin, and he kept poor Mina on her toes. Sarah decided to give Mina a break, and taught Bree to play pat-a-cake. He couldn't say the rhyme, but he got the cadence down pat and babbled along in baby talk. Hoggle snorted in mock disdain, and shook his head.

Bree plopped himself in Sarah's lap, and looked her in the eye. He scrunched up his nose. "Ababbrrrrr!!" he babbled, vibrating his lips, and eliciting a belly laugh from Sarah.

"Aren't you a cutie-pie!" she bounced him on her knee. The baby giggled, and leaned his head on her chest. Popping his thumb into his mouth, he closed his eyes and sighed. He was just drifting off, when a knock sounded at the door.

Jarjuk and Mina shared a conspiratorial glance, and Jarjuk went to answer the summons. Sarah was busy with Bree, so she didn't see what Hoggle saw. The dwarf sat up straight, and his eyes brightened visibly. "Sarah, look."

"What?" she followed his finger, and broke into a grin. "Sir Didymus! Ludo!"

The Fox led the way, and doffed his hat. "My Lady, it is grand to see thee again!" he said warmly.

"Sarah!" Ludo lumbered forward and hugged his friend, provoking a petulant squeak from Bree. Hoggle stepped forward, albeit somewhat weakly, and clasped hands with the two strange creatures.

"Well, where did you two buggers come from?" he ribbed them good-naturedly.

"Sir Hoggle…I say, are you ill?

"Ah, long story."

"Well," Didymus scratched his nose. "This be Sir Ludo's homeland. The entire town filled to the brim with beast-men."

"Monsters." Ludo interjected, settling down to play with the baby.

"Hmm! We come in search of thee, Sir Hoggle. It is absolutely dreadful. Every night, there-"

"We knows." Hoggle cut him off, "Jareth's doing it because of what we did to help Sarah. Now she has to go on some damned wild goose chase, 'cause she got half of Jareth's powers when she left the last time."

"The cad!" Didymus cried, appalled.

It took some time to explain things with all the interruptions on the parts of their friends, but Sarah and Hoggle finally got it out.

"So, now we're staying here—at least for a few days—until Hoggle fully recovers." Sarah finished. They were silent for a moment or two

"Where…go?" Ludo asked, finally.

Hoggle flushed sheepishly, and sighed. "I dunno. I got turned around, and took Sarah and me to the wrong place."

"You were sick, Hoggle." Sarah told him.

"Wadn't that sick. Not then." He looked sullenly at the tabletop.

"Do, let's talk about this on the morrow." Didymus sighed, "The hour groweth late.