"Is it all a dream, like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, or Dorothy's in The Wizard of Oz? In my own it is. But it's all rather ambiguous-dream or reality? Fantasy or fact? It's whatever you like it to make it. Wherever it takes you to." -----Jim Henson
Chapter Two ________________________________________________
The cool night wind blew through the unclad branches of the indistinct forest's staggering trees. Their gapped canopies allowed silvery moonlight to mingle with the darkness of the shadows. The beams of dim light shined down, illuminating the decaying rot of vegetation on the forest floor. The light from the waning slice of moon had very little lightening effect within the gloomy blackness. Balls of fiery white light, known as stars, were cloaked by a vision of blurring, vaporous fog. A bird of prey, an owl, screeched from a nearby gnarled tree branch, once and then again. The white-brown feathered owl hunched over, blinking into the night's darkness. Its hunting calls were unheard and fell onto the deaf ears of the night's deadly silence.
She ran faster. Sighs of intrepid fear glinted over her blanched features. Her paled eyes of liquid silver-blue grew wide as fear budded deep with inside her. Frosty air misted from her parted lips in heaved puffs. Its iciness gripped at her warm flesh with cold, solitary fingers. The frightened woman ran on, struggling to escape.
She jumped over a gnarled, uprooted tree. The woman fell onto the dampened earth. Cold air paraded into her aching, numbed lungs, causing her chest to sting. She screamed silently as pain soared throughout her aching knees and legs. Blood pulsed through her head, obliging her to feel lightheaded and weak. Despite piercing pain of aches and bruises, she pushed herself up from the ground with a single hand, the other held a bundle of faded cloths to her chest.
Mud slid across the palm of her open hand, dirtying it and momentarily disgusting the running fugitive. She quickly brushed her palm against the white skirts of her long following gown. An eerie howl echoed thought the silent night. The night bird chirped from its perch. The snow haired woman quickly twisted away from her moonlit path to freedom, her heart racing with a wave of upcoming alarm.
She swallowed, as gut wrenching fear swirled from deep down inside of her. Tears undertaken by piercing waves of pain, began to form within her terror stricken, blue eyes. The tall woman silently moaned and bit her lips. With a state of mind laced with the heart warping emotions of agony and fearfulness, she clenched her swaddling collection blankets close to her heavily breathing breast, turned and ran.
The howl echoed through the night again, closer this time. Paralyzing distress ran rapid through the woman's trembling body, making her freeze. She twisted around, an idle shadow darted through the hazy brush of the forest. Another eerie, hungry wail sliced through the woman's ears. Trembling and frozen with sudden breathlessness, she tried to run again. The outstretched skeleton-like arms of a nearby sapling caught against the silky fabric of her gown, holding her in place.
The shadow was nearin. It outlines merged into the solemn moonlight, formulating shape of a wolf. It snapped angrily at her, growling at her hungrily. Slimy, clouded drool dipped eerily down from its snarled pink-black lips. White dagger-like teeth glistened in the dim light. The hunter could smell the woman's growing fear. A howl escaped from it's drool covered muzzle, allowing the quiet night to know that the rabid animal had caught it's prey.
An earth shaking scream escaped from her trembling lips. The woman stammered, mind blank due to the overwhelming amount of fear within her. Fearsome sobs caught in her dry throat. Pain soared through her as cool tears fell irregularly down her flushed, warm cheeks. Unknowing want to do as the animal encircled around her, growling mechanically. With one hand, she furiously tugged on the hem of her long skirt, trying mindlessly to free herself from her dooming prison.
The branch snapped, forcefully sending her sprawling onto the hard earth, with a scream. Air whooshed from her parted lips, knocking the wind out of her. Her head snapped forward, causing more agonizing woe to twist though her beat-up body. Her bundle fell onto the ground, tumbling away from her sprawled reach. The woman dug her long fingers into the damp soil, desperation washed throughout her troubled mind. She reached blindly into the darkness, seeking her precious cargo. Finding nothing, despair and agony overtook her.
"NO!" Her shaking voice choked out the words. Failure broke her aching heart and her growing despair rammed the knifes of helplessness deeper into her weakening psyche. Feverish beads of perspiration trickled down her pale face mixing with the bitter tasting tears of her anguish. Weak pants trembled from her lips as she lay helplessly sprawled on the rotting forest floor, watching her predator pace at her sore feet.
Shaking, she tried in vain to raise her limp body from the cold ground. Her thin arms collapsed under her weight, sending her crashing back onto the ground, face first. The psychically weakened woman repeatedly choked, disgustedly spitting out dirt from her wide open mouth. Mud-caked spit dribbled from her quivering lips. She stared blankly toward the ground, watching her saliva puddle, when she realized that the wolf had not yet attacked her unguarded back. A wave of beaming hope soared though her aching, tortured mind as she quickly turned. Strains of dirt and sweat clamped snowy colored hair fell limply cross her forehead. Her brief awake of hope vanished rapidly, renewing a stronger sense of dread throughout her.
He sat upon his black stallion. He held the reigns tightly, causing the horse's head to dart up and down forcefully. The well portioned animal snorted, its frosty breath misted in the cold air, vanishing. The wolf silently growled at the fearful woman and obediently returned to his master's side, knowing that his purpose had been fulfilled. The wild dog pawed at the loose soil upon the ground, snarling and spitting.
The horse shifted under the man's hefty weight and whined softly, its head darting again. The man rubbed a leathered gloved hand down the animal's muscled neck, soothing the horse's restlessness. He watched the woman quake on the forest floor, her gasping grew more rapid and fearful tears rekindled within her pain filled eyes of silvery blue. He evilly snickered, seeing her sudden spells of fear pleased the inhuman cruelty that lay deep within the dark boundaries of his cold heart.
She had ran and he pursued her. The dark stranger loved a good chase and the fallen-from-grace beauty had given him one. Savage joy entered his shadowy emotions as he intensely contemplated his next move.
The woman struggled on the ground, tried to escape the coolly burning stare of the man's silted eyes. Unsuccessful, she limply collapsed onto the ground, it dampness soaking the front of her thin gown. Cold chills fiercely ravished her body, numbing her. The wolf angrily snapped, forcing her fear to skyrocket throughout her stupefied mind. More tears of hopelessness fell. Her future lay within the hands of a monster. She would surely suffer, then die.
The mysterious hunter gracefully removed himself from the horse's arched, muscled back. A keen smile of unforgiving pleasure to the prey's pain, covered the man's thin, white lips. The sickening crack of small twigs and crunching of leaves, sent shivers of horror down the sprawled woman's jello-like spine. Seeing her quivers, caused pricks of cruel pleasure to echo through the man's body. He licked his lips. The tightness from within his groins made him quiver with sudden anticipation of the events to come. He was feeding off her sweet pain and tantalizing torture like a vulture on dead, rotting flesh. A wonderful feeling.
The evil being, grinning wickedly, entwining his long fingers into her moon silk hair and an upward motion, slowly tilted back her head. He forced her neck back into a painful angle, making her clench her teeth together. Pain soared throughout her aching scalp, moaning through her teeth, she forced her eyes to tightly close.
Anger developed from deep within him. He wished for her beautiful eyes to be open, wanting her to see what was coming, to see her fate. His grip on her long hair tightened, making her gasp out as more enraged misery ran through her head. Tears of bittersweet agony ran down her cheeks as her eyes painfully opened to sadly stare at her captor. Lips parted as a tiny drop of dark, ruby-colored blood tricked out of the moist chambers of her mouth and down her chin. A painful gurgle rose out of her throat. He loosed his hold and the silent gurgles quickly ceased.
The frightening male lifted his other hand and began to gentling trance the outlining curves on the bone of her chin, smearing the drying blood from her lips across the pale smoothness of her translucent skin. Shivers of fleeting joy ran though him, causing his dim, evil smile to widen. More sweet delight ricocheted in his tightening groin area, forcing him to wish for more of her suffering.
He carefully placed the palm of his hand on the nook of her jaw. The man tilted his head to the side, his brown layers of dark hair haphazardly fell into his obscure eyes. He leisurely stared at her, those eyes of blackness dancing mischievously.
"Where's the child?" He voice was unyielding and smooth with poisonous venom. His tone was icy and sharp. He tightened his grip on her hair, inducing her features to flinch with unbearable pain.
Anger boiled within her blood, quickening the already rapid beat of her heart. She evilly glared at him, with once fearful eyes. Her mouth twisted into maddening snarl.
"I will never tell you," she whispered hoarsely with bitterness. Her answer did not suit the one he had planned on hearing. Blood enriched with maddening anger, he clenched he teeth together and shook her head harshly. He then twisted her head to his face. She could feel the heat of his stale breath upon the graceful curve of the unprotected flesh on her neck. She tried the pull away, but his tight grip held her frozen in place.
He nuzzled his nose against the tender flesh of her ear. Fear shook through her at his sudden conduct. She swallowed as he slowly backed away from her. His heat leaving tingling sensations upon her skin. Her heart beat faster and her breathing quickened.
Unclenching his teeth, he breathed deeply, taking in the scent of her silky hair. In doing so, his actions renewed his thirsty lust for her. His pulse quickened and his sudden anger faded away. His eyes rapidly darted over her fear enhanced snowy features. His gaze fell on her quivering pale lips, caked with dried blood and soil. The dark man gently touched them with one finger, making her back arch and her full eyes flutter close. A single tear, enlaced with all her pains and sorrows, fell slowly down her mud stained face.
The man evilly chuckled, pulling her closer to him in an upwards motion. He gingerly removed his finger and peered on, uncertain of what he was about to do. Wrapping his open arm around her slender waist, he jerked her head upwards again, forcing her lips upon his.
Stunned, the woman struggled within his arms, but his iron grip held firm. She felt sickened and ashamed of her vulnerability towards his sudden aggression. His vigorous lusts peeking, the man threw her away from him. His adrenaline pumping wildly through his veins. He licked her bitter, copper tasting blood from his lips, satisfied of his handiwork.
Terrified, his victim looked up at him, wide-eyed with abrupt shock and surprise. Her surprise quickly vanished and rapid anger surfaced, twisting her pretty features. Summoning the remaining strength of her aching body, the angered creature pushed herself forward on her palms and quickly spat into his face.
The triumphant, sly smile on his face vanished. He wiped his face, angered. The man reached for her and sought hold of the smooth flesh of her neck. His grip on her throat tighten as his anger raged. She grasped for air while fanatically clawing at his hands. Her dirty nails dug deep into his soft flesh. He screamed as red blood surfaced from his scratches.
The anger driven man loosed his hold on her throat and removed one hand entirely away from her. He swung his hand back and vehemently slapped her, allowing her to fall to the ground. The sickening snap of human bone echoed though the silent night. A wild howl pierced through the cool air.
He glared to the ground where she lay, her body shook with violent convulsions. His wildly hard blow had snapped her pencil-thin neck in two. Bone stuck awkwardly out from beneath her pale skin. She had shaken herself to a limp and lifeless death. Her silver hair fell in sweeping strains across her face. Eyes of pale blue, laced with a hint of frail silver, stared on, glistening with fresh tears that will never come. Pale lips where smeared with the wetness of fresh blood.
He spun away, sickened by her violent death. His adrenaline rush had worn off, leaving the beating of his once quickened heart thudding in his ears. The man had not wished her to die so soon, but the unexpected happened. He swiftly block all oncoming feeling of regret aside. Remorse was not part of his dark character, nor did he wish it to be.
The man wordlessly remounted his awaiting black stallion, succeeding in not catching a glimpsed of the mangled body. He dug his heels deep into the horse's muscled flanks. The animal whined, tossing it's head and complied to its master's wishes by moving away from the moonlight clad corpse.
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A bright flash of white light illuminated the scene of death, halting the rapid images of the nightmare to an end.
Jareth awakened with a madding jolt. His sweat drenched sheets fell limply down to his waist. The cold air smacked to his hot, sweat covered flesh, sending feverish shivers crawling down his spine. Shaking, he gasped for air. The brightly vivid images were still fresh and deeply embed into his memory. Beams of blue hazed light reflected onto the paled features of Jareth's long face.
He clutched the talisman from around his throat. It was made out of smooth, glossy metal. The silver metal was shaped into a triangle, top sharply tipped and the bottom legs curved into the top and extended into a half circle rather than an actual triangle. A crystal was fashioned into the middle near to the tip of the triangle, above it's arcing bottom. The crystal glowed with the eerie light from the cracks between his long fingers. It always did when he thought of her.
The thoughts that lurked with his troubled mind scattered. Jareth dropped the talisman to his chest. It roughly thudded onto his bare skin. The warmth from his hands beginning on the metal soothed him, but only a little. The metal quickly turned cold. The dim light shone brightly into Jareth's mismatched eyes of blue and green, causing him to briefly flinching with awkward pain.
He missed her.
Jareth sighed, rubbing the sweaty palms of his hands against his face, eyes and then the puffed layers of his snow-blonde hair. His hands collapsed tiredly to the white bed sheets. He insanely glared towards the ceiling with obscure thoughts stirring within his mind.
Despair, hate and a longing for compassion wondered aimlessly about his cramped, pain stricken head. He felt the urge to rub his aching temples, but made no movement to do so. Jareth felt weak and drained. He normally did after nightmares as violent as the one he had just undergone. He nosily exhaled, blinking the sleepiness away from his mismatched eyes. His eyes quickly darted around his bed chambers, searching for anything that would take his mind away from his soaring pains and deepening sorrows.
Jareth lived within the once great castle beyond the Goblin City. The city was surrounded by lofty walls of stone, shrubbery and even forest. This maze, formally called the Labyrinth, once protected a royal family that ruled from inside its walls. After the overthrow of the Labyrinth kingdom, the castle and its maze fell into ruins. Its people relocated with the kingdom's new masters to a different part of the Underground, allowing the city to undertaken by other inhabits, the Goblins. The messy little creatures called the city and castle their own, hence the naming, the Goblin City.
Homeless by the harsh realities of the world, it was these horrid creatures who cared for Jareth when he was a small child. Jareth grew up to their ways and culture. He joined in on their cruel games of play. One of these such games was capturing of wished away children. Once having the child, they then forced those who loved the captured to run the Labyrinth, in order to get their beloved back. As accepted, they always failed. The child was then transformed into a goblin, adding to the horde's large numbers.
The goblins jokingly called Jareth the King of Goblins. He cruelly bossed them around, shouted at them and ruled over the mindless creatures. They did not care about his harsh leadership. Every goblin knew that he was not really a king, but they respected him as one. Mainly because Jareth was stronger in their magic than they were and he was also a lot smarter than they could ever wish to be.
Distressed, Jareth fell back onto his pillow. Air whooshed out from his lungs. His troubled thoughts enwrapped their ghastly fingers about him, forcing him into a hazy state of consciousness. His eyelids flickered shut, in hopes of drifting into a peaceful sleep.
Jareth quickly fell into a mindless sleep, his pain and pitiful sorrows fading. His chest rose gently with each passing breath. The talisman lay limpy upon his chest, still glowing of hazy blue light. Jareth had slipped back into the dreams of his beloved mother, how she had protected him and died in doing so. Jareth's naked body twisted among the coolness of his thin, silk sheets. This was turning out to be a sleepless night for the troubled man.
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Disclaimer: I do not claim to own the Labyrinth nor do I claim to own any of its characters. All characters and original plot ideas belong to the Jim Henson Company and LucasFilm LTD. However, I do own the ideas and characters not expressed in the film. Please do not take them.