Bowie Park
by Gizzard and Gullet
CHAPTER 3: JADED JARETH
Jareth's hand trembled minutely on the shapely plain of Sarah's fair cheek. He allowed it to dropped like an overripe apple from a withered tree. The gesture surprised Sarah, and she felt a trace of disappointment. Jareth took a step back and a shadow darkened his visage. But Sarah had no time for contemplation; Merlin had reached them and was circling Jareth nervously, fiercely growling in her direction. Sarah suddenly realized that she had forgotten completely about her dog. Where had he been?
"Your dog has been telling me secrets." His low voice carried clearly across the gap between and she struggled to meet his sagacious gaze. He was looking at her askance. "In fact, I've been hearing about you quite often."
"What do you mean," she stammered. His smiled mocked her. "What have you done to Merlin. What have you done to my dog?"
"Nothing, at least nothing permanent. Why the question is, what has your dog done to you?" Sarah couldn't contemplate what Jareth's words meant. She told herself that she had to be on her guard. She knew the king was capable of lying to her and she did not trust him. "You see, your dog has been helping me for some time now." The edge of his cloak fluttered in the swift night breeze. "It is only now that my plans have come together so precisely." Butterflies took flight within her stomach. Yet somewhere in the depths of her being, she managed to bring fourth a smidgeon of courage.
"Leave me alone!" She tilted her chin defiantly. "I defeated you. You can't say that I didn't. You," she said realizing the words as she spoke them, "don't have power over me. And you never will." She caught sight of the white feather that had fallen from her pocket, walked over to it and crushed it under her heal. She stifled a momentary twinge of regret at the way things had turned out. Then she looked back at Jareth.
The Goblin King was completely unfazed. "What's said is said, Sarah, though you may regret it." He raised his eyebrows in a gesture of enticement, but Sarah perceived it as intimidation.
She took a step backwards, away from his lingering stare. Yet before she could get away, a gloved hand gripped her wrist, and Jareth pulled her close. The smell of leather and jasmine enveloped her senses, and her dream came back to her as clear as daylight. Paralyzed with fear, Sarah could not break the hypnotic gaze of the Goblin King, as he pulled her into his arms.
"Now Sarah," he purred, " I have you in my grasp. You shall not escape from me as easily this time." A dull roar began to build up within her ears, and Sarah's sense of the world around her melted together in a swirl of earth and night sky. Only Jareth's eyes were clear and she dared not break the gaze, for fear of losing herself. The irony of her utter dependence on the man she dreaded most struck her, like a hammer on gold, as the dull roar grew into a wild cacophony of sound.
Then everything stopped.
Sarah fell forward into Jareth's cloak and allowed his arms to fold around her. There was no other choice. She felt her eyelids droop and close over her tired eyes; the last thing she felt was an arid breeze stirring her hair gently and the smell of sand and acrid dust. She was in the Underground.
by Gizzard and Gullet
CHAPTER 3: JADED JARETH
Jareth's hand trembled minutely on the shapely plain of Sarah's fair cheek. He allowed it to dropped like an overripe apple from a withered tree. The gesture surprised Sarah, and she felt a trace of disappointment. Jareth took a step back and a shadow darkened his visage. But Sarah had no time for contemplation; Merlin had reached them and was circling Jareth nervously, fiercely growling in her direction. Sarah suddenly realized that she had forgotten completely about her dog. Where had he been?
"Your dog has been telling me secrets." His low voice carried clearly across the gap between and she struggled to meet his sagacious gaze. He was looking at her askance. "In fact, I've been hearing about you quite often."
"What do you mean," she stammered. His smiled mocked her. "What have you done to Merlin. What have you done to my dog?"
"Nothing, at least nothing permanent. Why the question is, what has your dog done to you?" Sarah couldn't contemplate what Jareth's words meant. She told herself that she had to be on her guard. She knew the king was capable of lying to her and she did not trust him. "You see, your dog has been helping me for some time now." The edge of his cloak fluttered in the swift night breeze. "It is only now that my plans have come together so precisely." Butterflies took flight within her stomach. Yet somewhere in the depths of her being, she managed to bring fourth a smidgeon of courage.
"Leave me alone!" She tilted her chin defiantly. "I defeated you. You can't say that I didn't. You," she said realizing the words as she spoke them, "don't have power over me. And you never will." She caught sight of the white feather that had fallen from her pocket, walked over to it and crushed it under her heal. She stifled a momentary twinge of regret at the way things had turned out. Then she looked back at Jareth.
The Goblin King was completely unfazed. "What's said is said, Sarah, though you may regret it." He raised his eyebrows in a gesture of enticement, but Sarah perceived it as intimidation.
She took a step backwards, away from his lingering stare. Yet before she could get away, a gloved hand gripped her wrist, and Jareth pulled her close. The smell of leather and jasmine enveloped her senses, and her dream came back to her as clear as daylight. Paralyzed with fear, Sarah could not break the hypnotic gaze of the Goblin King, as he pulled her into his arms.
"Now Sarah," he purred, " I have you in my grasp. You shall not escape from me as easily this time." A dull roar began to build up within her ears, and Sarah's sense of the world around her melted together in a swirl of earth and night sky. Only Jareth's eyes were clear and she dared not break the gaze, for fear of losing herself. The irony of her utter dependence on the man she dreaded most struck her, like a hammer on gold, as the dull roar grew into a wild cacophony of sound.
Then everything stopped.
Sarah fell forward into Jareth's cloak and allowed his arms to fold around her. There was no other choice. She felt her eyelids droop and close over her tired eyes; the last thing she felt was an arid breeze stirring her hair gently and the smell of sand and acrid dust. She was in the Underground.
