Vengeful Nightmares

Chapter 22

The first thing Hoggle noticed when he came to was that it was deathly cold. The second thing he noticed was that he wasn't in any real physical pain. He felt something like pain, but it was more like the feeling of a remembered injury; if you call to mind the pain of a broken bone, a trace of that old pain surfaces. This was what it was like. He remembered being hit in the head, but since it hadn't happened to his physical body he only felt a fleeting throb, and then nothing at all. But what had happened to his mother?

"What does it matter? She's already dead, is she not?" whispered a bodiless voice.

Hoggle gritted his teeth, and bit back a curse. The owner of the voice was nowhere to be seen. "Don't you bastards ever quit?" he shouted.

Laughter caressed his face like a hand, and his blood ran cold when it was made clear to him how very close the owner of that voice really was. "We do not. We can't afford to, my friend. Like the old cow said, you're a danger to us."

Hoggle clenched his fists, and ground out, "Don't call 'er that!"

"Why not?" More laughter.

"Just don't! Where is she!"

The darkness began to coalesce into a roughly human shape, which knelt down in front of him. It had no face, no features whatsoever, and it seemed to be neither male nor female. He tried to strike out at it, but his hands wouldn't move. When he looked down to see why, he saw that his hands as well as his feet were strapped to an invisible floor. The straps were made of the same 'substance' as the nightmare creature, and though he struggled, he couldn't move at all.

"Naughty, naughty." The thing chuckled, waving a long, tapered black finger in his face. "I suggest that you relax. I don't think you'll be going anywhere for some time."

"Don't bet on it," Hoggle muttered, spitting at it. The spittle passed right through the creature, but it brought on a reaction just the same. Hoggle screamed in pain as the straps sent pulsing waves of cold through his body…his real, physical body. He had never received an electric shock, but the effects were similar. His body twisted and jerked involuntarily, then stopped as the pain receded.

"Don't do that again," the thing told him coldly.

"You…" he gasped as his heart left its normal rhythm and returned just as quickly. He tried again, "You can't kill me. I was told…"

"But we can keep you here until you die. In this room your mind and body take quite a beating, and if you remain in it past your safest time…" it shrugged, and Hoggle imagined that it was grinning at him. "Believe me, it won't take long!"

"And how would you know that?" Hoggle asked sourly, straining to get a better look at his surroundings. There wasn't much to see; the fog that constantly swirled around them wasn't much lighter in color than the creature, and it was obscuring whatever else might be nearby.

"I picked it out of Gaheris's mind. A wise one, Gaheris…he didn't even try to block us. He knew it would be useless. This room, Hoggle, is powered by the life energy of the person using it…in this case, by you."

The dwarf swallowed hard, willing himself not to panic. Though it was cold logic, the nightmares couldn't hurt his mother because…well, because she was dead. It made perfect sense to him that he had been closed off from her, not the other way around. She wouldn't be able to reach him, not in her present state. But could he reach her?

"Fantasize all you want." The creature seemed amused, and was idly fingering the straps that bound his left foot. "But there is no way you can reach her."

Hoggle wondered if that was true. If she could have reached him, she would have appeared by now. If he was tied down, how could he reach her? Or, more importantly, how could he break out of this trance, or whatever it was that held him in place? He wasn't so callous as to abandon his mother in favor of himself, but if he still had a chance, wouldn't she want him to take it?

The creature was watching him quietly, waiting…

"Waiting for me to die…" he thought, and shivered as the creature murmured an affirmative, nodding its ebony head. So it could read his mind. Big surprise. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He had to think quickly. He could feel himself growing weaker, as if he were slowly losing large quantities of blood. This room was sucking him dry. He tried the straps again, but this only earned him another shock. What was this danger he posed to them, anyway?

"With every step closer to your objective, you gain the potential to end our lives." The thing told him, confident that Hoggle would stay put and that it was safe to talk freely.

"What ya mean 'our lives'?" Hoggle asked, "I only see one of ya."

"What makes you think there is only one entity before you? This isn't even what we look like…in fact, we don't really look like much of anything without the minds that shape us. This body is what you expect it to be. Dark and scary, faceless as the side of a barn. You expect the darkness of mystery, so that is what has appeared." it chuckled, "We were born of one creature's bruised heart. All of us from one man…and he wants to rule us as if we were his minions!"

"Well, aren't ya?" Hoggle shook his head, genuinely bemused. The creature smacked him in the mouth, and the blow stunned him into silence.

"Mind your tongue, filth! We answer to no one! When he lost control of his power he lost control of us, and we will not be recalled on a whim! And why continue on this quest to stop us?" it asked him, its voice taking on a wheedling tone. "You joined that girl not only out of friendship, but out of fear. She was your security blanket. What if you didn't need her for that? Supposing we left you alone? Supposing we agreed to pass you over if you dropped out of the mission altogether."

"Huh?" Hoggle blinked, staring up at it. This was something else again; a last-ditch effort on the part of the nightmares to turn the tides in their favor. He recognized it for what it was, but of course he was still tempted. He had literally been tortured for weeks, and all because the nightmares had this nagging little hunch about his being a danger. Well, not in the beginning; Jareth had wanted his revenge, so of course they would have singled him out somewhat. But not like this, not if Jareth's powers hadn't gone haywire and if Hoggle hadn't actually become a danger as a result. Somehow, Jareth's magic had touched him enough so that he had some power over the dreams. The trouble was, he didn't know how to use that power. That, Hoggle realized, was an event the nightmares were intent on preventing; they couldn't risk letting him learn. And even if Hoggle did drop out of the mission, as the nightmares put it, Sarah would not. Then they would concentrate on her. Hoggle clenched his teeth. He didn't want to go through this anymore; he felt that his sanity was hanging by a thread, and if it went on much longer that thread would snap. But Sarah…he just couldn't leave Sarah. He had already betrayed her once by giving her the drugged peach, and he had felt terrible afterwards. This would be worse; deep down, Hoggle had known that the peach wouldn't kill her. But if Sarah faced the dreams alone, who knows what might happen to her…She had done too much for him. He couldn't do it.

"No…" Hoggle whispered.

"What was that? Speak up!"

"Forget it!" he barked, turning his head away.

"Then you will die." It told him, also turning away.

Hoggle didn't bother to look up. He was running out of time, and at the moment dying didn't seem too bad. At least…

"At least I'll see Mum again…I'll be with her again…" he thought as he felt his limbs begin to stiffen and grow colder.

The nightmare snorted. "Don't bet on it. We'll send you both to Hell, and they keep you separate there. No family. No friends. Complete isolation, and eternal torment."

Hoggle snickered, and before long that snicker had turned into a full-blown guffaw. He couldn't help it; his nerves were stretched taut enough to strum, and the absurdity the creature's statement just struck him as funny; how could they send his mother to Hell? Even they didn't have the power to do that! They must really be desperate! The straps tightened, but he just couldn't stop. It occurred to him that he was approaching hysteria, but that only made him laugh harder. Tears squeezed from the corners of his eyes and his gut began to cramp, but he simply could not stop.

"Something amuses you, little slug?" the thing mocked, grasping him by his shirt-front.

He choked and coughed a little, and his laughter had been reduced to a quiet chortle. "I'll say. The idea of 'er goin' to Hell, and you s-sendin' her there! If that ain't the biggest load of crap I ever heard!" he shrieked, and the strap that bound his right ankle disappeared. The nightmare did a double-take, and stared with what would have been wide-eyed, slack-jawed amazement…would have been, if it had actually had eyes and a jaw! The thought of it set him off again, and the shadow turned and punched him squarely in the jaw; the blow hit its mark, but it did no damage. It looked dumbly at its fist.

"So…you want to know will really happen to your mother?" the thing asked him when he had stopped laughing and was staring at it. Its tone of voice seemed almost kindly.

Hoggle frowned back at it, suddenly remembering what it was that was addressing him. Then he smirked defiantly, and replied, "Like I can trust you not to lie ta me."

The creature showed him image after horrible image, and the bonds clamped back around his right ankle. His eyes filled with involuntary tears, and he began to struggle again. "Yeah, let's see some tears!" his father's voice danced through his mind, and he gritted his teeth. No! They would not do this to him again! They would not! These things were liars! Why should he take any of it seriously? They were fighting for their lives and would resort to anything they could, but they could not kill. If they could not bring death, how could they hope to manipulate the dead? They were lying to save themselves, and mixing lies with the truth! Hoggle could understand that; he had done it many times himself! "No, no! I was takin' her back to the beginning, yer Majesty!"

The dreams that terrorized others were cowards themselves, hiding behind a cloud of truths, half-truths and outright lies. It wasn't like this before Jareth removed their ability to kill; back then they had nothing to fear from the creatures they went after. Now things were different, and they counted on the fear of others to live. The real danger of them was what they could find to use inside a person's head; they merely picked up the tools and materials that were lying around, and put them to use. He smiled. The real danger was himself, not the dreams. If he listened to them, he could bring ruin to himself. If he didn't, they would have no reason to bother him. Sarah was right…he should just ignore them.

The bonds around his wrists and ankles disappeared, and he rose up to face the nightmare. Was it just him, or was the shadowy figure smaller than it had appeared before?

"What are you doing? How did you do that?" the shadow demanded, pulling itself up and trying to look imposing. Hoggle still felt a tremor of fear at the sight of it, but he suppressed it. He figured he must have been on to something if just by thinking he was able to undo the straps.

"Go away." Hoggle told it in such a calm, flat voice that he had to wonder if it was really him.

"What!"

"Go!" he raised his voice and took a step forward. "You got no place in here. My mind, my body, mine alone! Not yours. So get out."

"You…"

"OUT!"

"Yer just dreams…act like dreams…and disappear…" the memory seemed to propel the creature back, as if it had been more than a thought.

"What…" it sputtered, its voice seeming to come from far away.

"You heard me…OUT!"

The shadow wavered, and winked out like a candle flame. Hoggle stood staring at the spot the creature had just vacated, awash in a mix of wonder and satisfaction. He had done this. He, Hoggle, had done this. He smiled, folded his arms, and considered what he should do next.

* * *

"Hoggle!"

The dwarf turned around just in time to absorb the force of the hug his mother was giving him. He blinked a few times, working his mouth like that of a fish on land, then returned the embrace with an astonished laugh.

"I thought that was it, when they took ya!" she was saying, "How'd you do it?"

"I…I'm not sure. I guess, if ya jus' treat 'em like dreams, they'll act like dreams!"

She laughed, and kissed his face. "Oh, my brave boy! I knowed you could do it! What'd I tell ya 'bout yer bad dreams when you were little?"

"I…I…aw, damn…I can't remember." He said, a little shame-faced.

"Once you realize they ain't real, they can't hurt ya." she reminded him.

"Oh…" he nodded, frowning, "But these are real. They can't kill, but they can still hurt."

"You drove the dreams outta yer body, didn't ya?" she put her hands on her hips, and looked at him like he was a bit daffy. Nodding, he seemed to be turning something over in his mind.

"Yeah…Yeah, I thinks I know what ta do, now." he smiled, and began to thank her, but her form began to shimmer again. "Mum, what's happening!"

"Looks like yer time here is almost up." She told him, looking sorrowful and glad at the same time. He had succeeded, but they would soon be separated.

"But…No, I…I'll lose you again!" he shook his head, trying to hold on to every minute as if he could keep her with him that way. Too fast…it was happening too fast!

"No you won't," she told him, "I'm always with ya. You won't see me, but I'll never leave yer side. Never."

"Mum…" he began to tear up, and she put a hand up to his mouth.

"Shhh, don't fuss now," she told him, her voice echoing eerily in the rapidly lightening atmosphere of their surroundings. "It has to happen, and it will happen. Crying won't fix it. Besides, we'll see each other again someday. Someday later, mind you. Till then, be brave like I know you kin be. I love you, Hoggle. I love you very…very much." Her voice sounded further away, and her own face was damp with tears.

"I loves ya too, Mum…I just hopes I won't disappoint ya." he told her, forcing a smile.

She smiled radiantly, "That'll never happen. Oh, one more thing! When this is over, go to yer father's house. Look in the back of his closet…find a panelwant you to have…" her voice faded out, and her form with it.

"Mum…" he whispered, and he felt a jolt…

He was back in his body. It seemed that his body had never left the chair. The door stood in front of him…a door, nothing more.

* * *

Allisande led Hoggle down the stairs, ready to catch him if he fell. Like she had expected, the room had weakened him. His eyes shone with unshed tears, and the marks of the ordeal were visible on his face, but he seemed different. He almost seemed at peace. Once she thought she saw the corners of his mouth turn up a bit, but it could just have been the fickle lamp-light.

Sarah and Sharee stood up when they entered the living room; Sharee's eyes were mostly on her cousin, in the hopes of getting some information from the older fae's expression. Sarah was looking at Hoggle, wondering anxiously how he had come out of it. She wondered at his odd expression; he seemed to be joyful and sad at the same time. He glanced up at her and smiled weakly. "I'm okay, Sarah."

"What happened in there?" she asked him as she pulled him in for a much needed hug, though it was uncertain which one of them needed it more.

He sighed and shook his head, finding comfort in his friend's arms. "Maybe I'll tells ya someday…"

* * *

Sarah didn't start her time in the Chamber right away. Gaheris had told her that she could wait a while; Hoggle's time had seemed longer to him than it really was, and he had only been in there for forty-or-so minutes. There was still plenty of time that night for her to take her turn, being that it was only six thirty. So, for the next half-hour, they sat sharing a companionable silence and sipping hot mugs of cocoa.

Hoggle was thinking about what his mother had told him at the end… "Find a panel…want you to have…" What had she been talking about? He hadn't known about any hidden panel, but of course he hadn't been allowed in his father's room. He assumed that she had hidden something there, if that had really been her…Hoggle was beginning to doubt that he had actually seen his mother in that room. Anything was possible, but still…

Well, he wanted it to be true. He would look for that panel when he got the chance. If he found it, that would prove that she had been real. If he didn't…well, then that was that. Real or not, it had still been nice to see her again as she really was. He had forgotten how pretty she was, how loving she had been to himself and his father.

That was another thing. Now that it was over, he found himself thinking about his father, and how ashamed of himself he had looked. Well, good! He wanted him to be ashamed, right? But…he hadn't just seemed ashamed, he had seemed…broken. Pitiful. Weak. Hardly the man he had grown up with. His mother had said that he was different. Maybe he was…Maybe he had had a hard life himself, and maybe that was why he had turned out so mean.

Hoggle shook his head, and put his mug down. Maybe someday he could forgive his father, but right now he didn't want to think about it.

"Meow." Said a sleepy cat from its perch on the coffee table. Hoggle would have dropped his mug if he hadn't already put it down. Sarah sensed no danger from the cat, but Hoggle had no way of telling whether or not this cat was in any way connected to the one that had attacked him. It wasn't an orange tabby, but a large calico cat with green eyes and a round body. It saw him looking at it with apprehension, and scratched its chin with the claws of its right hind foot. "Mrrrrf!" it chirped.

"Sarah, is it…" Hoggle whispered, leaning away from it as it watched him with what seemed to be disdainful amusement.

She squeezed his hand, and whispered back, "I don't think so; it doesn't feel the same."

Sharee smirked, but kept her mouth shut. Whatever they were talking about, their reaction to the cat was quite funny. Gaheris walked in, and saw how Sarah and Hoggle were looking at the cat, and how Sharee was looking at them.

"I see Miss Eleanor's decided to say hello," he remarked, scratching the calico's chin and provoking a possessive purr. "I'm surprised. She's due to deliver in about a week, and lately she's been preferring solitude."

Hoggle relaxed a bit when he was satisfied that the cat was just a cat, and asked, "Deliver?"

"Kittens." The fae clarified with a smile, "She disappeared for a while, and came back with a few passengers. She's been rather uncomfortable, lately."

"Oh." Hoggle shrugged. "Well, I mighta guessed. She's pretty big."

"Myup!" Eleanor sniffed indignantly, green eyes snapping fire, and shifted her bulk so that she was facing the other way. Gaheris laughed and took the cat onto his lap, and Hoggle looked surprised.

"Can she understand what we're sayin'?" he asked.

"She's very smart." Gaheris told him. "I don't know that she understood the words exactly, but she seemed to think by your tone that you were making a funny at her expense. Perhaps you should apologize."

"Apologize? To a cat?" Hoggle asked, incredulous.

Gaheris shook his head. "I was only joking. But maybe you should introduce yourself…that way, you won't have to worry about her leaving a nasty surprise in your shoes tonight."

Sharee giggled, and explained, "She does that sometimes to people she doesn't know and has decided to dislike. Maybe you should make friends." So saying, she picked up the cat, and brought her over. Hoggle was glad that she didn't just dump the cat in his lap. Instead, she knelt down near enough for Hoggle to reach out if he chose to. He shrugged. Why not?

Cautiously, he extended his hand and held the back of it near the feline's face, ready to yank it away if she took a swipe at him. Eleanor, to her credit, was extremely tolerant of him after the imagined insult he had thrown at her; she managed to appear magnanimous as she stretched her head forward to sniff, then rubbed her cheek against the rough fingers. "Want to pet her?" asked Sharee, hiding a smile in the cat's dense coat. Hoggle shrugged again and copied Gaheris, scratching her under the chin. Eyes closed in ecstasy, Eleanor lifted her chin to allow him a better reach, and purred lustily. "See? She likes you." Sharee told him, smiling at the almost childlike expression of wonder on his face.

"Whaddaya know?" Hoggle whispered, petting the cat's head.

* * *

Sarah followed Gaheris up the stairs, and tried to ignore the beating of her heart and her sweaty palms. She thought about how Hoggle had looked at her like he was seeing her for the last time, and swallowed a mouthful of bitter saliva. What had happened to him in there?

If she had known that Hoggle was remembering the awful draining feeling that had hit towards the end, she wouldn't have felt much better. Hoggle knew that she would make it out all right; after all, if he could make it, so could she. Even so, he knew that it would probably take a similar toll on her. He had seen the dream that involved her boozing mother, and he knew that that would probably come up. His quiet statement of 'You can do it, Sarah' had touched her, but she was still nervous as hell.

Sarah listened to Gaheris's instructions, thinking to herself that it sounded a lot like he was rattling off a shopping list, and nodded in the appropriate places. It wasn't that she was trying to tune him out, but it seemed as if her head had a swarm of bees nesting in it. The buzzing muted his words so that she understood them, but just barely. When he opened the door, the buzzing increased. She didn't hear him wish her luck.

She headed for the chair that Hoggle had used, and closed her eyes. She breathed slowly, in and out, in and out, drinking in the silence. She could actually feel the room beginning to change, and when she opened her eyes she found that she was sitting in her living room. It looked different; the decor had changed from what she knew it to be. It was like it had been before Dinah had come to live with them as her stepmother.

"Well, here we go…" she whispered.