......God of writers block is back.... I'm trying to write as fast as I can. I can only promise it will take 1-2 weeks. I'm sorry about the slow over time right now but I had to finish 5 different papers for finals this week. I'll make up for it..... I'm thinking of writing a poem I'll post along with the next one.
Chapter 3 Bring Back the Sun
Sara quickly shot up out of bed. Before she had even seen where she was she had known this was not her room. The faint smell of dust and roses long dead hung in the air. Under her she had felt the texture of satin as soft as goose down. She opened her eyes to the faint light out side. When she saw where she was she screamed, her voice carried to all the corners of the labyrinth. Sara collapsed on the bed, holding her head in her hands yelling as loudly as she could.
"This isn't real!" she repeated shaking in anger.
"But it is real," came a soft cheerful voice.
"Who said that?" Sara asked as she got out of the bed. She began looking around the dusty old room for the voice but all that was there was an over size bed, closet, and chair.
"Up here stupid!" came the voice again, this time a little more rude. Sara looked above her head at a chandelier covered in cobwebs. As she looked closer she noticed some thing moving in one of the spider webs. It's face was that of a little girls, and her short red hair cropped to her chin.
"Yeah, that was me talking," said the pixie as her wings fluttered in the web. "Boy, some really dumb people are about." The pixie gave her a questioning look as if to say 'Are you going to help or not.'
"Well move your ass, I don't have all day!"
"Your rude!" exclaimed Sara as she crossed her arms in front of her defiantly. "Why should I help you after all the mean things you said.?"
"Because I can help you get out of here," she said with a smirk sticking her tongue out at Sara. The pixie watched as Sara thought this over and added, "Besides do you really want to be here when "He" gets back?"
"Who do you mean?" Sara asked forgetting about the pixies earlier rudeness.
The pixie then dropped her voice to that of a low whisper and watched as Sara went to get a chair. "Come on Sara, you remember him.... The one who brought you here. The one you defeated and who was been plotting your death ever since."
"How do you know all this...?"
"Just help free me Sara." Sara was already on the chair carefully reaching out to the pixie. She broke the strands of silken web with one sweep of her finger. The pixie fell and landed in the palm of Sara's hand with a tiny plop. She sat in her hand and brushed the remaining webs off her skirt while checking to make sure her wings still worked. The Pixie looked up and smiled at Sara saluting her. "Well it's been fun! I'm afraid I must leave now." The pixie stood up and started to take flight before Sara had a chance to catch her.
"Wait a minute! You said you'd help me!"
"Well I lied," the pixie said shrugging her tiny shoulders.
Sara stood there like a queen, her shoulders square watching the pixie fly over head. "Never break a promise. I helped you and next time you might not be so lucky. That spider might just eat you."
"For your help I thank you," the pixie said and she sighed looking at the fierceness in Sara's eyes. "And for that I will show you how to get out." The pixie flew over to the open window and landed on the ledge. Sara ran over and looked down at the cliff that was the side of the castle. "That's your way out."
"That's it!" Sara exclaimed as she stepped back see this as hopeless. "I don't have wings I can't fly. I could die."
"You just have to climb down. It's not as bad as it looks." The pixie said trying to convince Sara to climb out the window. "I'll even help you and tell you where to step. It's either this or you can die by "Him". It's your call."
Sara looked out the window once again. The edge of the castle looked dangerous but at least she had a choice. If it really was just a dream, and she was crazy it would not matter. She would just awake in her bed. Anything was better than waiting for death, even in a dream. "Ok, and you'll be with me?" The pixie crossed it's heart and silently swore to stay with Sara. "Then let's do it."
"Ok Sara, there is a ledge you can jump onto." Sara swung her legs over and jumped a few feet down on to the ledge. She went down and slowly turned around griping the jagged rock of the wall. inching her way down to the next footing.
"This is easy.... Nothing to worry about." Sara said nervously trying to find the next footing.
"That's good, now reach your left hand out and grab that rock to your side."
"This one?" She asked as the pixie nodded. "It doesn't look stable...."
"Trust me, it's fine," the pixie said as she hovered above Sara's head. As Sara went out to grab it the pixie began to giggle but it was too late. As Sara put her weight on it the rock fell out from under her. Sara screamed deafeningly as she clutched the jagged castle wall with her right hand. "Oops! Guess I was wrong."
"Help!! Please Help!"
"Sorry sweety, no can do."
"You'll just leave me here to die!?" Sara cried, feeling the rock cut into her hand.
"Of course. Unlike you I'm not as gullible." said the pixie blowing a kiss at Sara and flying off leaving her there to die.
Sara tried to get a better grip on the stones but was losing her grasp as the blood made her hand slip. She looked down at the jagged rocks below her and up at the ledge just out of her reach. Sara closed her eyes and sighed deeply as she held harder onto the wall. "Not going to die now..."
"Glad to hear that," came a dark yet deep voice from above. Sara looked up and was met by the mocking smile of the Goblin King. His long spiked hair falling over his eyes and hiding some of his thin features.
"I bet you are. I'm sure you are just pleased at seeing me here." Sara said as she tried to climb back up but unable to grip the rock. "You probably even planned this!"
Jareth's smile faded from his lips and he leaned closer over the edge. In a calm and somber voice he said to Sara, "I had nothing to do with this. Now if you would like I will help you up and you will be safe.... for now or I can watch you fall."
For the second time today Sara found her self having to trust a stranger. The pain in her hand was becoming over whelming and she knew her grip was about to go. "Help me, if your telling me the truth help me."
"Fine but promise me this. You will not run. If I deliver you save back onto solid ground you will not run."
"I promise...." Sara said softly as her hand finally slipped She began to fall the window ledge becoming smaller in the distance. As she looked up she thought she saw a trace or worry in his face but it soon faded as her body broke through the fog. Sara closed her eyes and waited for the impact. It wasn't what she had expected. She had expected sharp pain as the rocks broke her bones and impaled her from behind. Instead she landed on a hard surface with just a small thud. She opened her eyes and saw she was once again in the dim bedroom she had just tried to escape from. In front of her was a pair of polished black boot's. Her eyes slowly drifted up past the tight black pants and open collar shirt. She glared at the Goblin King who in turn returned every once of malice Sara was shooting at him.
Jareth kneeled down before her and roughly took her right hand. He turned it over to the palm and examined the cut's and deep gashes from the rocks. With out a word he quickly tore a part of his shirt and wrapped it tightly around her hand, tying it into a knot. His hand lingered over her palm for a few seconds before he let it drop to the floor. He looked at her with his calm expression and simply stated, "diner is at 7," as if nothing had happened and he was just inviting an old friend to dinner." With a wicked smile he stood up and proceeded to a door.
Sara had been in to much shock, she expected this man from her past dreams to kill her, not help stop the blood. She reminded her self this was the same... creature, that had given her nothing but pain. Because of him and his stupid labyrinth Sara had to suffer threw years of anguish. Now he had kidnaped her from her bed and was plotting who knows what. 'Well what ever it is he will not get it from me!' Sara stood and quickly turned before Jareth had walked out the door.
"How do you know I wont try and leave again?"
Jareth looked over his shoulder and said, "Never break a promise. Besides if you ever did break your promise I would have no trouble finding you and throwing you into a pit." With that Jareth turned and walked out the door that had not been there when Sara woke up. The door closed after him with a bang. This time instead of disappearing with Jareth the door stayed and was unlocked.
Sara thought about what he had said. She could not break her promise and even if she did escape Jareth always knew where you were. It was only out of his "kindness" that he didn't destroy you on the spot. With this knowledge Sara sank to her knees and whispered, "please just let this be a dream...."