Disclaimer: Hello, again. I still don't own anything. Curses! (twitch)
Author: Thank you all for your wonderful encouragement, and since you were so interested, here is chapter 2!
"And so, it is very crucial to pay attention to every detail of a person's dream when studying the psychological affects of the unreal," the professor explained. "Even the smallest of details may lead to the source of the patient's distress."
Sarah let her head drop onto her waiting hand. She found the lecture interesting, of course, but it was so hard to stay upright for so long. She looked over at Jason, who was a few seats away. He winked at her, then turned attentively back to the lecture. Sarah sighed. How can he stay so awake?
"Jason? Would you care to share your analysis?" the professor asked. Jason drew his notebook closer and read aloud his theories. Sarah noticed that he kept glancing pointedly at her. He discussed how one may often dreams may involve certain names or symbols that may be link's to the patient's past. It didn't take Sarah long to realize that he was referring to her own nightmares.
"Sometimes, the patient may be drawn to a single word or a single image, one that is repeated in each reoccurring dream. This words and images may symbolize a present situation, or refer to an object of the past." With this, he concluded his analysis, and the professor praised his depth and detailed observations. Then the lecture continued, and Sarah fell into a stupor that involved no thinking, only writing down abbreviated phrases from the professor's mouth.
Sarah walked out into the night. The stars shone faintly above the glow of the city lights. She stood on the edge of a pool of light cast by the lone street lamp. The faint and ghostly milky way snaked across the sky above her. How many times had she gazed up at the stars, caught in the wonder of the night sky?
"How do the stars look over there?" she asked aloud. "How many people over beyond will look up at the sky and wonder?"
She was thinking of the Labyrinth, and all of the creatures within it. But most of all, she thought of Jareth, the goblin king. "Do you ever look up at the night sky?" she asked the silence. "Where are you, Jareth, my white owl?"
"Sarah."
Sarah whirled around. On the opposite side of the street lamp's light stood a figure wreathed in shadow. It was tall, and the voice had been masculine. The figure exhaled, and a wisp of white smoke escaped his lips. Again, he spoke.
"Sarah."
"Who are you?" Sarah asked. The figure did not move as she took a step into the light. He did not speak right away, and when he did, it was not to answer her question.
"Do you wonder about him?" the figure demanded. "Do you still remember the great king you defeated, nay, humiliated those years ago?"
Sarah gasped. "Jare-" she started, but the words caught in her throat. The figure scoffed at her inability to answer.
"Jareth, the great goblin king. Ruler of the Labyrinth, stealer of children, commander of dreams. You ruined him! Do you know where he is now, Sarah? Do you? He has thought of you every day since you left him defeated, and you cannot summon his name to your lips! How dare you live your life unhaunted by his memory, to know him only in your dreams?!"
Hot tears welled in Sarah's eyes. "I have not forgotten!" she yelled at the figure of shadows. "I think of him each day, and have not forgotten the slightest detail of our encounter! What concern is it of yours how I choose to live my life?"
"He offered you a new life!" the figure fumed. "He offered you his very soul! The power to grant your very dreams! How dare you turn his memory aside, cast him away like yesterday's nightmare? Where is he now? Do you know, Sarah? Where is he now?!"
Fires of rage burned in Sarah's eyes. She charged forward, across the circle of light. But when she reached where the figure had been, he was gone, his unanswered question echoing in her mind.
* * * * *
When Sarah got home, she went straight up to her room. She didn't pause to close the door as she collapsed onto her bed. "Where are you, Jareth?!" she screamed into her pillow. "Why are you tormenting me now?!"
She let herself calm down before standing and locking the door.
* * * * *
Jason came home late that night. He saw that Sarah's door was locked, and he knew that she was home and most likely sleeping. He smiled a little, and went into his own room. He opened his drawer and took out a clear crystal sphere, roughly the size of his fist. Gazing into it, he smiled at distant memories that seemed barely a part of him.
Sarah began to roll around in her sleep, her hair wrapping around her neck and shoulders. She was lost once again in the dark world of her nightmares. Jason heard her murmuring, and put the crystal globe away.
Jason crossed the hall to Sarah's room and knelt by the door. He could hear her groaning, and could catch fragments of sentences, so out of context that he could not make sense of them. Then she cried out, and Jason felt his heart thrashing against the bars of his rib cage.
"Jareth! Jareth, help me!" Sarah screamed.
Jason's eyes widened. He took a small lock pick from his pocket and feverishly undid the tumblers, trying to remain calm. All of his thoughts were bent on one task: get to Sarah.
The door opened, and Jason tumbled inside. "Sarah! Sarah, wake up!" he cried. Her screams were tormenting. "Sarah, please wake up!" he cried.
Sarah sighed and opened her eyes. "Jason," she said with relief. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"Forget it," he said with a smile. "I wasn't asleep. I only came home an hour ago."
Sarah sat up, and Jason sat down next to her with a tired sigh. "Had another nightmare," Sarah explained. "For all of my studying of psychology, I just can't fathom what they could mean." She turned to look him in the eye. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm not just going crazy."
Jason smiled tiredly at her. "I don't think you're going crazy," he told her. "Sometimes, we get nightmares, and there's nothing we can do to stop that. No one.can control your dreams."
Sarah gazed at the far wall. She went over his words for a while before answering. "Jareth can," she said, confidence in her voice.
She turned to look at Jason, and realized that he was asleep, his back against the wall and his head to one side, snoring softly. Sarah smiled at him. He had been getting little sleep between his work and her nightmares. She draped her blanket over him, then went down to eat some breakfast. She left the door open.
* * * * *
When Jason awoke, the sun was shining through the gauzy curtains, giving the room a soft glow. He blushed in embarrassment for having fallen asleep, and quickly got up to go back to his own room. As he stood, he saw something fall to the floor.
It was a black owl's feather. His eyes widened, and he threw the feather away. But of course, feathers do not have much in the way of aerodynamics, and it did not go very far before drifting down serenely to land at Jason's feet. He glared at it in disgust and stepped over it, exiting the room and closing the door behind him.
Author: Well, that's chapter 2. I hope you liked as much as chapter 1! But now I have to wait for some reviews to come, and chapter 3 is on the way. Until then, Ja Ne! (
Author: Thank you all for your wonderful encouragement, and since you were so interested, here is chapter 2!
"And so, it is very crucial to pay attention to every detail of a person's dream when studying the psychological affects of the unreal," the professor explained. "Even the smallest of details may lead to the source of the patient's distress."
Sarah let her head drop onto her waiting hand. She found the lecture interesting, of course, but it was so hard to stay upright for so long. She looked over at Jason, who was a few seats away. He winked at her, then turned attentively back to the lecture. Sarah sighed. How can he stay so awake?
"Jason? Would you care to share your analysis?" the professor asked. Jason drew his notebook closer and read aloud his theories. Sarah noticed that he kept glancing pointedly at her. He discussed how one may often dreams may involve certain names or symbols that may be link's to the patient's past. It didn't take Sarah long to realize that he was referring to her own nightmares.
"Sometimes, the patient may be drawn to a single word or a single image, one that is repeated in each reoccurring dream. This words and images may symbolize a present situation, or refer to an object of the past." With this, he concluded his analysis, and the professor praised his depth and detailed observations. Then the lecture continued, and Sarah fell into a stupor that involved no thinking, only writing down abbreviated phrases from the professor's mouth.
Sarah walked out into the night. The stars shone faintly above the glow of the city lights. She stood on the edge of a pool of light cast by the lone street lamp. The faint and ghostly milky way snaked across the sky above her. How many times had she gazed up at the stars, caught in the wonder of the night sky?
"How do the stars look over there?" she asked aloud. "How many people over beyond will look up at the sky and wonder?"
She was thinking of the Labyrinth, and all of the creatures within it. But most of all, she thought of Jareth, the goblin king. "Do you ever look up at the night sky?" she asked the silence. "Where are you, Jareth, my white owl?"
"Sarah."
Sarah whirled around. On the opposite side of the street lamp's light stood a figure wreathed in shadow. It was tall, and the voice had been masculine. The figure exhaled, and a wisp of white smoke escaped his lips. Again, he spoke.
"Sarah."
"Who are you?" Sarah asked. The figure did not move as she took a step into the light. He did not speak right away, and when he did, it was not to answer her question.
"Do you wonder about him?" the figure demanded. "Do you still remember the great king you defeated, nay, humiliated those years ago?"
Sarah gasped. "Jare-" she started, but the words caught in her throat. The figure scoffed at her inability to answer.
"Jareth, the great goblin king. Ruler of the Labyrinth, stealer of children, commander of dreams. You ruined him! Do you know where he is now, Sarah? Do you? He has thought of you every day since you left him defeated, and you cannot summon his name to your lips! How dare you live your life unhaunted by his memory, to know him only in your dreams?!"
Hot tears welled in Sarah's eyes. "I have not forgotten!" she yelled at the figure of shadows. "I think of him each day, and have not forgotten the slightest detail of our encounter! What concern is it of yours how I choose to live my life?"
"He offered you a new life!" the figure fumed. "He offered you his very soul! The power to grant your very dreams! How dare you turn his memory aside, cast him away like yesterday's nightmare? Where is he now? Do you know, Sarah? Where is he now?!"
Fires of rage burned in Sarah's eyes. She charged forward, across the circle of light. But when she reached where the figure had been, he was gone, his unanswered question echoing in her mind.
* * * * *
When Sarah got home, she went straight up to her room. She didn't pause to close the door as she collapsed onto her bed. "Where are you, Jareth?!" she screamed into her pillow. "Why are you tormenting me now?!"
She let herself calm down before standing and locking the door.
* * * * *
Jason came home late that night. He saw that Sarah's door was locked, and he knew that she was home and most likely sleeping. He smiled a little, and went into his own room. He opened his drawer and took out a clear crystal sphere, roughly the size of his fist. Gazing into it, he smiled at distant memories that seemed barely a part of him.
Sarah began to roll around in her sleep, her hair wrapping around her neck and shoulders. She was lost once again in the dark world of her nightmares. Jason heard her murmuring, and put the crystal globe away.
Jason crossed the hall to Sarah's room and knelt by the door. He could hear her groaning, and could catch fragments of sentences, so out of context that he could not make sense of them. Then she cried out, and Jason felt his heart thrashing against the bars of his rib cage.
"Jareth! Jareth, help me!" Sarah screamed.
Jason's eyes widened. He took a small lock pick from his pocket and feverishly undid the tumblers, trying to remain calm. All of his thoughts were bent on one task: get to Sarah.
The door opened, and Jason tumbled inside. "Sarah! Sarah, wake up!" he cried. Her screams were tormenting. "Sarah, please wake up!" he cried.
Sarah sighed and opened her eyes. "Jason," she said with relief. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"Forget it," he said with a smile. "I wasn't asleep. I only came home an hour ago."
Sarah sat up, and Jason sat down next to her with a tired sigh. "Had another nightmare," Sarah explained. "For all of my studying of psychology, I just can't fathom what they could mean." She turned to look him in the eye. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm not just going crazy."
Jason smiled tiredly at her. "I don't think you're going crazy," he told her. "Sometimes, we get nightmares, and there's nothing we can do to stop that. No one.can control your dreams."
Sarah gazed at the far wall. She went over his words for a while before answering. "Jareth can," she said, confidence in her voice.
She turned to look at Jason, and realized that he was asleep, his back against the wall and his head to one side, snoring softly. Sarah smiled at him. He had been getting little sleep between his work and her nightmares. She draped her blanket over him, then went down to eat some breakfast. She left the door open.
* * * * *
When Jason awoke, the sun was shining through the gauzy curtains, giving the room a soft glow. He blushed in embarrassment for having fallen asleep, and quickly got up to go back to his own room. As he stood, he saw something fall to the floor.
It was a black owl's feather. His eyes widened, and he threw the feather away. But of course, feathers do not have much in the way of aerodynamics, and it did not go very far before drifting down serenely to land at Jason's feet. He glared at it in disgust and stepped over it, exiting the room and closing the door behind him.
Author: Well, that's chapter 2. I hope you liked as much as chapter 1! But now I have to wait for some reviews to come, and chapter 3 is on the way. Until then, Ja Ne! (
