Her hands were shaking. She tried to stand, but found her legs would not support her, as her knees trembled with her weight. She sat once more upon her bed, staring down at her hands as they trembled. She raised her hand, remembering the texture of the log as she swung it around, knocking the glowing sphere out of its hazardous path. She shuddered, remembering Toby's image in the glass.
"Toby..." She whispered, and then, gathering strength, she lifted herself off of the bed and hobbled out of the room.
The door opened, hinges squeaking, as a line of light appeared entering the room, the source being the illumination from the hallway. Toby's small form was visible in the feeble light. She sighed, and closed the door, pausing to lean against the wall in order to rest a moment. She saw the orb again, this time, it was her own reflection mirrored in its core. As much as Sarah tried to avoid thinking of it, her thoughts returned to the night she had danced with Jareth in that grand ballroom, at the height of his power. She remembered being entranced, but the feeling of utter ecstasy had never evaporated from her mind. She remembered hearing his voice as they danced, being not two separate creatures, but one, moving to the beat of the music, his arm draped across her waist, their hands clutching.
Sarah shook her head; her heart was racing. She knew she shouldn't be thinking of him, not now. She moved down the hallway, her strength returning, and climbed down the stairs to the family room. Here, she took a seat on the couch, and grabbed the remote, hoping for some source of a diversion. She flipped through the channels, finally stopping when she reached a re-run of an old episode of The Three Stooges.
"There." Sarah said happily, "This'll keep me occupied."
But she had seen this episode many times before, and it wasn't long before she was no longer processing the dialogue, and her mind began to wander. She thought she heard the sound of wings fluttering outside the window, but upon turning her head she noticed nothing was there. When she turned back around, however, there was a man standing in the doorway.
"We meet again Sarah." The fuzzy image of Jareth crossed the room, pacing around the place where Sarah sat.
Sarah noticed she could not bring herself to speak. She also noticed that a change had come over the room. It was not really her family room anymore. The shape was right, and position of the door in relation to her was the same, but the couch had disappeared, replaced by a bed, covered in black and gray sheets. Sarah's first instinct was to jump up, but something was holding her back, some invisible force, driving her to stay where she was. The room had become dim, and she could barely make out Jareth's shape, which was very difficult to see when the lights were brighter.
"What do you wish of me Jareth? I defied you. You have no right to be here."
An arm was placed around Sarah's shoulders and the bed depressed beside her as Jareth took a seat. "Sarah," Jareths' voice had become but a whisper, but Sarah could feel his hot, sweet breath upon her neck, as she stared defiantly forward. "You called me here. What you saw in your mind, I can see clear as day in my own." Sarah slowly became unable to avoid Jareths' eyes, as his dulcet voice intoxicated her. "Why do you deny what could have been? I know you feel it..." His hand caressed her cheek. "the connection..."
Sarah lifted her hand, placing it on top of Jareths', closing her eyes. "I remember..." her voice cracked, her heart was beating feverishly again, but there was something else too... something inside of her that told her she needed to break away. "I remember..." she paused again, "Toby..." she whispered the last word.
Sarah raised her head. "No. Jareth, no. It is not meant to be!" She was crying now. "You have no power over me! You shouldn't have any power over me. You can't have power over me. I... I..." She tore her hand away, leaping from the mattress, only to find herself alone, once more, in the family room.
"Toby..." She whispered, and then, gathering strength, she lifted herself off of the bed and hobbled out of the room.
The door opened, hinges squeaking, as a line of light appeared entering the room, the source being the illumination from the hallway. Toby's small form was visible in the feeble light. She sighed, and closed the door, pausing to lean against the wall in order to rest a moment. She saw the orb again, this time, it was her own reflection mirrored in its core. As much as Sarah tried to avoid thinking of it, her thoughts returned to the night she had danced with Jareth in that grand ballroom, at the height of his power. She remembered being entranced, but the feeling of utter ecstasy had never evaporated from her mind. She remembered hearing his voice as they danced, being not two separate creatures, but one, moving to the beat of the music, his arm draped across her waist, their hands clutching.
Sarah shook her head; her heart was racing. She knew she shouldn't be thinking of him, not now. She moved down the hallway, her strength returning, and climbed down the stairs to the family room. Here, she took a seat on the couch, and grabbed the remote, hoping for some source of a diversion. She flipped through the channels, finally stopping when she reached a re-run of an old episode of The Three Stooges.
"There." Sarah said happily, "This'll keep me occupied."
But she had seen this episode many times before, and it wasn't long before she was no longer processing the dialogue, and her mind began to wander. She thought she heard the sound of wings fluttering outside the window, but upon turning her head she noticed nothing was there. When she turned back around, however, there was a man standing in the doorway.
"We meet again Sarah." The fuzzy image of Jareth crossed the room, pacing around the place where Sarah sat.
Sarah noticed she could not bring herself to speak. She also noticed that a change had come over the room. It was not really her family room anymore. The shape was right, and position of the door in relation to her was the same, but the couch had disappeared, replaced by a bed, covered in black and gray sheets. Sarah's first instinct was to jump up, but something was holding her back, some invisible force, driving her to stay where she was. The room had become dim, and she could barely make out Jareth's shape, which was very difficult to see when the lights were brighter.
"What do you wish of me Jareth? I defied you. You have no right to be here."
An arm was placed around Sarah's shoulders and the bed depressed beside her as Jareth took a seat. "Sarah," Jareths' voice had become but a whisper, but Sarah could feel his hot, sweet breath upon her neck, as she stared defiantly forward. "You called me here. What you saw in your mind, I can see clear as day in my own." Sarah slowly became unable to avoid Jareths' eyes, as his dulcet voice intoxicated her. "Why do you deny what could have been? I know you feel it..." His hand caressed her cheek. "the connection..."
Sarah lifted her hand, placing it on top of Jareths', closing her eyes. "I remember..." her voice cracked, her heart was beating feverishly again, but there was something else too... something inside of her that told her she needed to break away. "I remember..." she paused again, "Toby..." she whispered the last word.
Sarah raised her head. "No. Jareth, no. It is not meant to be!" She was crying now. "You have no power over me! You shouldn't have any power over me. You can't have power over me. I... I..." She tore her hand away, leaping from the mattress, only to find herself alone, once more, in the family room.