Chapter Eight

The Scars

Leah looked at the Goblin carefully. He had blue hair and green rough skin. He looked up at her and smiled.

"My lady," the goblin said bowing "pardon me for not introducing myself. I am Nezwil."

"Nezwil?" Leah said and the tiny creature nodded. "Well Nezwil," Leah said "I'm Leah."

"Oh I know," Nezwil said "we all know who you are in the castle."

"Oh really?" Leah asked curiously "and why is that?"

"His majesty wants us to be sure we don't frighten you," he assured her "and keep you comfortable and... well you get the idea."

"I do," Leah sighed.

"What's the matter my lady?" Nezwil asked "would you like for me to get someone else to escort you to the throne room?"

"OH no!" Leah exclaimed "you're wonderful. It's not you, I swear. It's just-"

"Ah," he sighed "I see. His majesty isn't doing a good job charming you." Leah gave him a strange look. "I'm sorry," he said "it was to bold to say."

"No," Leah laughed "I miss people being blunt. Gets things done so much faster. And to answer your question, I suppose he's been trying, it's just, I've only known him one day."

"His highness only likes you," he assured her "he can't help himself." Leah only laughed. That was so sweet. But, then kinda weird. They reached the throne room and Nezwil left her, all alone. She looked around. Alright, she thought, are my new friends invisible? Then the door opened and four creatures entered the room.

The first was a fox, with one eye and a hat. He was riding a large sheepdog that looked very much like he was going to have a heart attack. Then a large monster with reddish-brown hair. And behind them was a small man. He looked a lot like a dwarf and had a sack of jewelry strapped to his side.

Leah smiled. She knew these creatures. They had been engraved on her door, but not only that. They had been her mother's friends from the story she'd told Leah and her sisters. Sir. Didymus the mighty knight, Ambrosious the sheepdog, Ludo the gentle hearted creature and Hoggle, her mother's best friend.

"My Lady!" Sir. Didymus exclaimed "my how you've grown."

"We haven't seen you since you was a little one," Hoggle chuckled.

"Leah... old," Ludo said.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're talking about," Leah said, slightly confused.

"Doesn't surprise me," Hoggle said "you musta been only two years old."

"And I say," Sir. Didymus added "you were a curious one." The whole visit went that way, and Leah was enjoying herself very much. Nezwil peeked his head back inside the room.

"My lady?" he asked worriedly "I'm afraid your friends will have to go now." Leah nodded and hugged her new companions good-bye. And once again was left alone in the throne room. Jareth quickly walked in and sat before her. His eyes were cold and cruel. Leah rolled her eyes, what an act.

"Jareth," she said bowing slightly and started to leave.

"No," he said demandingly "stay here." She grinned a little and stood before him.

"I have gotten a request from your mother," he said, calming himself a little.

"Yes?" Leah asked "and?"

"She wants you home," he said coldly.

"Uh huh," Leah said "what's the point?"

"I told her," he sighed shaking his head "that your mine."

"Excuse me?" Leah said, feeling a little annoyed "I'm yours am I?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"Uh huh," she mumbled "anyways, what's your point?"

"She wants you to solve the Labyrinth," he said bluntly "for your freedom. And so, this is what you must do."

"Why?" Leah asked "because she purposed it?"

"Because she wished it," Jareth said quietly.

"Well that's stupid," Leah mumbled leaving the room "and I'm not yours."

"Now you wait one minute," Jareth said but Leah kept walking. "Leah," he grumbled coming after her but she wouldn't leave. She went into her room and locked the door behind her. "Get out here!" Jareth demanded.

"No I'm good in here," Leah retorted sarcastically.

"Come out NOW," he shouted.

"If you want it solved so badly," Leah mumbled "YOU solve it."

"I never said I wanted you to solve it!" he yelled back through the door.

"And I'm NOT yours!" she yelled sitting on her bed.

"You are," he chuckled.

"Go away," she mumbled.

"You ARE mine," he teased again.

"I'm not!" she screamed "I don't belong to anyone!"

"To me," he said again and she went over and opened the door.

"Go away," she said and he gave a slight smile. "Go away," she said again.

"I LIVE here," he said, giving her an amused look "I can go anywhere I please." Leah started to shut the door but Jareth put his foot in the way. She struggled trying to shut it anyways, but all was in vain. Jareth pushed the door open and Leah backed up. He walked closer. Leah started to worry, perhaps his cruelty wasn't an act after all.

"Go away," she said one last time and Jareth shut the door behind him. She gulped. Her vision got blurry and her heart beat sped up. Soon he had her right where he wanted her, backed into a corner.

"Now," he said calmly "let me finish what I was saying."

"No objections here," Leah said, trying not to sound as terrified as she really was. The way he looked at her made her want to crawl under her bed and hide. It was like he was looking directly into her soul, which he wasn't though it felt a lot like it.

"You have a choice," he said "you can attempt to solve the Labyrinth, or you can plainly stay here."

"But you said-," Leah started.

"Never mind what I said," he cut her off "listen to what I say now. It's up to you. Try and solve it or stay here, with me." Leah looked down at the floor and then back up at Jareth.

"Get out of my room," she mumbled and he laughed.

"You don't understand," he said "you have to pick, now."

"You pick," she said and Jareth's mouth dropped.

"Wait a second," he said.

"No," she said, keeping the smile from creeping on her face "you pick and then get out of my room."

"Fine," he said "stay here then." And with that he started leaving the room. He closed the door behind him and Leah took a deep breath. She felt like she'd been holding her breath the whole time. And, he had scared her. How had he managed that? After a while, her stomach growled. How long had it been since she had eaten?

Leah looked outside her room, nothing. She sighed in relief and quietly closed the door behind her. "Where do you think your going?" Jareth asked. Leah jumped and turned around.

"Do you like scaring me?" she asked.

"That depends," he said slyly "but first my question, what are you doing?"

"I'm hungry," she said softly and he smiled.

"Come on then," he said leading her down the hall. They walked a bit and Leah took it as the perfect time to be blunt.

"You don't scare me you know," she said finally.

"Oh really?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes really," she said as a matter of factly "you just act like your scary, but your not."

"And were you just acting afraid in your room a moment ago?" he asked. He knew she had been afraid. He saw it in her eyes, a deep terrified look that he hadn't ever seen before.

"Why do you act like that?" she asked.

"Why do you insist on straying away from my questions?" Jareth asked and they both stopped dead in the hall and faced each other. "You're just as stubborn as your mother," he whispered.

"Don't compare me to her," Leah said "please."

"You don't like her?" he asked.

"She's stupid," Leah said and started walking again.

"Why is that?" Jareth asked.

"Because anyone who lets someone take one of their children away is just stupid," Leah mumbled.

"I think you're just upset because you got picked," he teased.

"Truthfully I was happy," Leah mumbled and bit her lip. She hadn't meant to say that. Oops.

"Why's that?" Jareth asked.

"I don't know," Leah lied.

"Yes you do," Jareth insisted "tell me."

"You tell me why you act," Leah said angrily.

"I told you that I don't act," he sighed and she gave him a hard look. "Alright," he said caving in a little "maybe sometimes-"

"Sometimes?" Leah asked.

"So I may act from time to time," Jareth spat "I may not be as cruel as I portray myself to be. But you act like some hard, tough girl that has no feelings whatsoever."

"I don't mean to," Leah mumbled and Jareth stopped. He was beginning to understand this girl. "But sometimes you have to act to get by," she said coldly. The reached the kitchen and goblins ran out like their very lives depended on it. Leah sat down and Jareth gave a compassionate look. Leah fumbled with her wrist bands. They were both black, plain bands but she never took them off in front of people before.

"Show me," Jareth said sitting next to her.

"I can't," she whispered. Leah put her thumb under the band and stopped, she couldn't do it. Jareth slipped his hand over Leah's and moved her hand, pulling the first band off. Then the next. He gently turned both over her arms over, exposing her wrists. All along her wrists were scars. Deep, cold scars. Leah looked away, she felt as if they burned holes through her every time she looked at them.

"Oh Leah," Jareth sighed giving a disappointed look. Jareth couldn't understand why Sarah wouldn't have done anything to prevent her daughter from doing this to herself. He couldn't understand why Leah would need so badly to do such a thing to herself. He just plainly couldn't understand why a human would mutilate itself.

"Mom's old boyfriend used to come home drunk late at night," Leah started "I unfortunately got in his way. He hurt me so badly, at least once a week, that's when I started." Jareth turned pale at the very thought of it. "After that every time something went wrong, I'd go back to the blade. Failed a class. Got made fun of. Even if mom said something that pissed me off I'd go into the bathroom and-" Leah didn't go any farther, she was crying.

Jareth gave her a sad smile and took her wrist in his hand again. Leah watched, feeling so stupid for crying like she was. Jareth brought her scared wrist to his lips and kissed it. Leah pulled it away and looked at him like he was crazy. She looked at her wrist. Her scars were slowly but surly fading. He took her other hand and did the same. Without another word he got up and left her, sitting there in the kitchen. The goblins soon came back in and fixed Leah something to eat, though she was still looking at her wrists.

Author's note: Well? Did you like it?? Be truthful! I (and my goblin friends) worked SO hard on this!! Speaking of, the goblins say all say 'hi' to Sapphire925. And one also asked if you happen to be single... yeah, their kinda weird. But drop a line and review for me would ya!?

Much love,

Amber and the Goblins