Okay, since we all know that I suck at writing about ppl going through the Labyrinth and because the main story starts after the Labyrinth, I'm just gonna cut to the chase, k? Here it is.
Thanks to all who reviewed!
*~*~*~*
Corey, panting, leapt up and down the stairs two at a time. Her thin legs ached already from running through the Labyrinth; now they complained even more. She was chasing her mother, who was chasing her. Finally she stopped on a ledge, wheezing.
"Mom..." she choked and fell to her knees. Her mother was standing on the level below her, calling and stretching out her hands. Corey lunged over the ledge, but all she grabbed was fistful of air. She was falling...
And landed face first on cobbles. In front of her was a pair of highly polished boots. Dimly, she wondered how many times he'd polished them to get them that shiny. She wished her own ratty sneakers were like them.
"Good evening, Corey. Having fun?" That heavy English accent broke through her daze, and she scrambled to her feet, glaring at him.
"Let my mother go, Jareth," she warned him, balling her fists and raising them in a fighting stance. He shook his head, watching her with amusement.
"You have a warrior's instincts. Just like your father... and look where that got him," He started circling her.
"Let her go, you bastard!" She cried. The man just laughed, making her shiver.
"Your mother. Who never told you about Sarah? You had a right to know, yet she never told you?" He asked, stopping. Corey paused, then shook her head angrily.
"Stop it! You're just messing with my head. Now let her go!" She yelled, swinging at him. Not to her surprise, the blow didn't land; he had faded out and re-appeared behind her. She swung around to face him.
"Say the words, Corey. Did Sarah teach you the words? Say the words and you and your mother can go," He laughed and waved a hand. Linda appeared, hands and feet bound, sitting on a chair like all the movies she had seen.
"Mom!" Corey cried. She lunged towards her mother, but met an invisible barrier and slid to the ground. The girl sprung up again and beat her hands against it, with no avail. She turned around and frantically called up memories of the pages she had flicked through in that little red book...
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered," she began.
"Say the words, Corey. You can't remember, can you? You don't know them," he said, a note of urgency entering his voice.
"Shut up you bastard! Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen," she recited, closing her eyes and concentrating.
"You can't remember, Corey. Give up now," his voice was fading; she was blocking it out. Just a few more lines...
"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great," her voice was suddenly drowned out by the ringing of a bell and triumphant laughter. She opened her eyes and looked around in a fever. There was a clock, both hands pointing to the thirteen. The Goblin King was laughing, and her mother crying out to her in panic.
"No! You have no power over me! Let Mom go! You have no power over us!" She screamed, pounding her fists against the invisible barrier. The clock stopped ringing and Corey slid to the ground, hitting her hand feebly against the barrier.
"The thirteenth hour is over. You've lost," Jareth smirked. Corey shook her head.
"You... have no power... over me," she sobbed.
"Oh, but I do. You lost the Labyrinth, now you must obey my rule," He laughed.
"Your mother will be sent to the dungeons, you may see her every now and then if you behave properly," He turned away, and Corey buried her face into her hands, sobbing.
*~*~*~*
Jareth looked over his shoulder at the girl. He wasn't supposed to feel this way... guilty. Her mother was all she'd had in her life, and now he was taking her away. And no one lived more than two years in the dungeons. But it couldn't be done any other way. There was something about her... something that called to him. Not her underfed features, of course. That girl wouldn't have more meat on her bones than a starved street-child. It was from the months on the run from her father, he knew. Something inside. Her fighting spirit... so much like Sarah's. If he looked at her from behind, she almost looked like Sarah. He had longed so much for Sarah to love him, for her to live here in the Labyrinth with him. Now was his chance. This girl looked almost like Sarah, could she be a substitute?
*~*~*~*
Corey, sobbing, looked up frantically and stumbled forward on her knees.
"I'll do anything, just let her go. Anything," she choked. He paused, then gripped her arm and pulled Corey to her feet. Jareth traced her cheek with one finger, and she swallowed hard.
"Anything?" he asked. She closed her eyes and hung her head, nodding. Anything for her mother. Linda was all she had.
*~*~*~*
If you don't like it, too bad. But if you do like it, review! It will get better later. She will kick his ass, promise.
Sweet Sunshine,
Seul Loup
Thanks to all who reviewed!
*~*~*~*
Corey, panting, leapt up and down the stairs two at a time. Her thin legs ached already from running through the Labyrinth; now they complained even more. She was chasing her mother, who was chasing her. Finally she stopped on a ledge, wheezing.
"Mom..." she choked and fell to her knees. Her mother was standing on the level below her, calling and stretching out her hands. Corey lunged over the ledge, but all she grabbed was fistful of air. She was falling...
And landed face first on cobbles. In front of her was a pair of highly polished boots. Dimly, she wondered how many times he'd polished them to get them that shiny. She wished her own ratty sneakers were like them.
"Good evening, Corey. Having fun?" That heavy English accent broke through her daze, and she scrambled to her feet, glaring at him.
"Let my mother go, Jareth," she warned him, balling her fists and raising them in a fighting stance. He shook his head, watching her with amusement.
"You have a warrior's instincts. Just like your father... and look where that got him," He started circling her.
"Let her go, you bastard!" She cried. The man just laughed, making her shiver.
"Your mother. Who never told you about Sarah? You had a right to know, yet she never told you?" He asked, stopping. Corey paused, then shook her head angrily.
"Stop it! You're just messing with my head. Now let her go!" She yelled, swinging at him. Not to her surprise, the blow didn't land; he had faded out and re-appeared behind her. She swung around to face him.
"Say the words, Corey. Did Sarah teach you the words? Say the words and you and your mother can go," He laughed and waved a hand. Linda appeared, hands and feet bound, sitting on a chair like all the movies she had seen.
"Mom!" Corey cried. She lunged towards her mother, but met an invisible barrier and slid to the ground. The girl sprung up again and beat her hands against it, with no avail. She turned around and frantically called up memories of the pages she had flicked through in that little red book...
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered," she began.
"Say the words, Corey. You can't remember, can you? You don't know them," he said, a note of urgency entering his voice.
"Shut up you bastard! Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen," she recited, closing her eyes and concentrating.
"You can't remember, Corey. Give up now," his voice was fading; she was blocking it out. Just a few more lines...
"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great," her voice was suddenly drowned out by the ringing of a bell and triumphant laughter. She opened her eyes and looked around in a fever. There was a clock, both hands pointing to the thirteen. The Goblin King was laughing, and her mother crying out to her in panic.
"No! You have no power over me! Let Mom go! You have no power over us!" She screamed, pounding her fists against the invisible barrier. The clock stopped ringing and Corey slid to the ground, hitting her hand feebly against the barrier.
"The thirteenth hour is over. You've lost," Jareth smirked. Corey shook her head.
"You... have no power... over me," she sobbed.
"Oh, but I do. You lost the Labyrinth, now you must obey my rule," He laughed.
"Your mother will be sent to the dungeons, you may see her every now and then if you behave properly," He turned away, and Corey buried her face into her hands, sobbing.
*~*~*~*
Jareth looked over his shoulder at the girl. He wasn't supposed to feel this way... guilty. Her mother was all she'd had in her life, and now he was taking her away. And no one lived more than two years in the dungeons. But it couldn't be done any other way. There was something about her... something that called to him. Not her underfed features, of course. That girl wouldn't have more meat on her bones than a starved street-child. It was from the months on the run from her father, he knew. Something inside. Her fighting spirit... so much like Sarah's. If he looked at her from behind, she almost looked like Sarah. He had longed so much for Sarah to love him, for her to live here in the Labyrinth with him. Now was his chance. This girl looked almost like Sarah, could she be a substitute?
*~*~*~*
Corey, sobbing, looked up frantically and stumbled forward on her knees.
"I'll do anything, just let her go. Anything," she choked. He paused, then gripped her arm and pulled Corey to her feet. Jareth traced her cheek with one finger, and she swallowed hard.
"Anything?" he asked. She closed her eyes and hung her head, nodding. Anything for her mother. Linda was all she had.
*~*~*~*
If you don't like it, too bad. But if you do like it, review! It will get better later. She will kick his ass, promise.
Sweet Sunshine,
Seul Loup
