Author's Note: Hehe this took a while to get out. Sorry about that! Okay the good news is that I got nice teachers! (at least according to , which incidentally, I don't own) The bad news is that I have to go to school on Monday. AT SEVEN AM. THAT WOULD BE IN THE MORNING, PEOPLE. WHEN IT IS STILL DARK. College classes don't even start this early! ::grumble::
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Mirrors. Lots and lots of mirrors. I held my hands out in front of me to keep from bashing into them. This was almost as bad as the darkened staircase. Even the ceiling and the floor had mirrors on them! "This is ridiculous," I muttered, shortly before banging into another mirror. Growling, I rubbed my wrist. Take back my earlier statement. This was worse than the staircase!
There was almost no way to tell where there was a mirror and where there wasn't! Damn it! Where was Hoggle when I really needed him? That stupid little dwarf had probably gone back to the beginning already. Who knew how long it had been since I'd last seen him.
Oh wait. I did. Pocket watch, remember? I pulled it out of my pocket and flipped open the cover. Immediately I groaned. I'd already been in the Labyrinth for nine hours! How could this possibly be? Agh I needed to keep moving, I was never going to get to the center at this rate. Now if I could only stop bumping into mirrors...
What was that myth about mirrors? No, not the seven years bad luck thing. I never believed in that anyway. Just to prove it to the world at large I kicked a mirror, which promptly gave the glass a spider web effect. I smirked at it. The placement of the cracks looked so pretty.. aw surely it wouldn't hurt to take a piece? From near the center, of course.
Shard placed in my pocket in way so as not to cut me, I proceeded on. Slowly I started to make my way down a path. But if this was anything else like the rest of the Labyrinth, there could have been dozens of paths that I missed taking. That would be so like Jareth, making this already difficult to navigate place into a maze.
What was that damned myth again? Or maybe it wasn't a myth... maybe it was an urban legend. The Candyman? No. Although that was one, it wasn't the one I was thinking of. Plus that really wasn't a legend anyway, having been started by a movie.
I paused and looked at myself in a mirror. I could think of one other 'fictional' person that, this morning, I thought had been started by a movie. And if he was real, that meant the Candyman... ah dangit. Vowing not to even think that name again I plowed on ahead, bashing into several mirrors and creating a few more cracks as I did so.
One thing the mirrors did that I really hated was magnify the cuts on my legs. They had not healed since getting away from the bushes, and there was a humongous bruise where the rock had pinned me down. It was horrifically ugly. I made a face in the nearest mirror and turned left. At least the gouges had stopped bleeding, and I wasn't bloody anymore.
Wait. I stumbled and my dirty sneakers made scuff marks on the mirrored floor. Too bad for Jareth. That was what you got from putting mirrors where people walked. Now back to my epiphany. Blood. Mirrors. The two connect in...
"Bloody Mary!" I yelled. That was the thing I'd been thinking of. What were the exact terms of the legend again? Were you supposed to yell her name three or thirteen times? Well, if it was three and I went for thirteen, I suppose that I'd find out. But what if she tried to kill me? "Bloody Mary," I said, walking forward. One more.... not that I had to say it. She might scratch my face off or something.
There was a crash behind me and I turned to see Jareth sprawled out, face down on the floor. I started laughing. The man couldn't even get through his own Hall of Mirrors! He was such a complete spaz! Nevermind the fact that I had done the same thing. After all, this was his kingdom, right? So logically he should be able to find his way around it.
Scowling, he stood up and smoothed out his clothes. My laughter started to quiet, somehow that didn't seem like a Jareth thing to do. Listen to me - acting as if I know the man! I quickly dismissed the odd suspicion. When he was done adjusting his outfit, he smiled at me and clamped his hands behind his back. "What were you just doing, Karleigh?"
That didn't sound like something Jareth would say. So far he had interrupted me always with a 'witty' remark and well... his speech was just not structured like that. I gave an uneasy giggle and shrugged, letting, "Bloody Mary," escape my lips. As soon as it did I smacked myself in the forehead and spun around, waiting for some mysterious - and presumably bloody - female figure to appear. But nothing happened.
A smirk played across Jareth's face. "I believe the lights have to be out," he said. Now that sounded more like the Jareth I was used to talking with. He waved a hand and the Hall of Mirrors was plunged into darkness.
The Goblin King has an obsession with cornering me in pitch black places, I thought, nervously listening for the clack of his boots approaching me. He'd make a good serial killer. "Turn the lights back on!" I called, crossing my fingers that this plea would work. I could picture him still sneering at me.
Out of the darkness came a familiar voice with a British accent, "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary," it chanted, each time sounding as if coming from another place. Sweat appeared on my forehead and I quickly wiped it away. The legend wasn't true, surely, but I still had Jareth to fear. Mary, whoever she was, posed no threat to me. "Bloody Mary," he whispered. It sounded close and I lashed out, hoping to grab onto his shirt or cloak.
But the fabric I grasped in my hands didn't feel like Lycra, spandex, or chiffon (the things I suspected him to wear). What it felt like was cotton, slick with something warm and wet. I screamed and jerked my hand away. It felt like blood.
Immediately I pivoted and scrambled forward, not caring if I crashed into anything. Whatever the thing I had touched was, it was dangerous, Bloody Mary or not. And it was following me, I could hear the breathing as I slid down a dip in the path. When I hit the bottom I started forward again, only to twist my ankle.
The breathing grew louder.
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"Bloody Mary!" Karleigh yelled, giving her position away. Rachelle, still in her Jareth guise, ran her tongue over her pointed canines and walked in the direction of the voice. This was too easy. Once she caught up with the girl, she would get her to eat something. She'd been in the Labyrinth long enough to be starving, and it wouldn't take a very sophisticated trick to get some food down her throat. "Bloody Mary," she said again, quieter this time.
Purposefully, Rachelle walked with her head held high, Jareth's hairdo almost stroking the ceiling. She wrinkled her nose as she rounded a corner. If Jareth didn't use this place for psychologically torturing his challengers and prisoners, Rachelle could think of one thing a man with Jareth's ego would like to do here, and that was...
Fuck! she cursed mentally, tripping over the toe of her boot. How does do men walk in these things? She longed for her own high heels. Scowling, she stood up and began to brush off her clothes. It was then that she caught sight of Karleigh, laughing her head off. Lady Rachelle smiled and put her hands behind her back, ready to conjure a piece of food. "What were you just doing, Karleigh?" she asked.
At first Karleigh seemed to be unsure, but then she laughed and said simply, "Bloody Mary." Rachelle cherished the look of panic that crossed the mortal's face after she said this. If only the girl looked like that always, she mused, smirking. A new plan began formulating in her mind.
This was a legend Rachelle remembered from her childhood. It was older than Karleigh had presumed. "I believe the lights have to be out," she said, waving one of her hands. All of the lights in the Hall of Mirrors immediately extinguished. Now the place was immersed in darkness. Of course, being a Fay, Lady Rachelle could see perfectly.
She could see the terrified look that Karleigh got, and relished in it. This was proving to be more fun than she had originally planned. "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary," she chanted, walking erratically towards Karleigh. Rachelle twirled a silver snake around her fingers, which produced a coating of blood. Passing the snake over her shirt gave the same effect. "Bloody Mary," she whispered, dangerously close to Karleigh.
When the younger woman felt the blood on Rachelle's shirt, she panicked and began running in the opposite direction. This was the exactly what Rachelle had hoped would happen. Karleigh was running right into her little trap, and soon it would be too late for her.
Rachelle delicately placed the snake on the floor. It slithered in the direction that Karleigh's hurried footsteps could be heard, and Rachelle waved her hand again. The snake changed form, but kept on towards the terrified mortal.
Keep on running, Karleigh. Rachelle thought. Keep running.
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I grabbed my ankle and massaged it, while at the same time trying to move forward. Now I could hear the approach of the... thing... even better. My heart was pounding and my forehead was covered in sweat. I was scared out of my mind.
Then I thought, This is what that bastard wants! Jareth was deliberately trying to frighten me, and I was letting him get away with that. I scowled and turned around, standing straight to face whatever it was that was coming after me.
This was either brave, or very stupid.
"Turn the lights back on Jareth," I yelled, trying to make my voice sound more confident than I felt. "I'm not playing your mind games! I won't let you scare me!" The sound of the creature only grew nearer. It was at the top of the incline now. Swallowing hard, I clenched my fists by my sides and shouted, "Do you hear me? I said you don't scare me!"
Light flooded the Hall of Mirrors. I winced at the sudden intensity of it and covered my face. That had been remarkably effective, though now I was blind. I rubbed my eyes and slowly they adjusted to the light. Looking up the sloped path to see the creature that had been following me, I gasped in surprise.
"Hoggle!" I said, surprise showing on my face. The dwarf had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, but I was glad that he had arrived.
There was a concerned expression on his face. "What did Jareth do this time?" he asked, walking down the slope. "I came lookin for you and the lights just went out!"
Extremely relieved, I patted Hoggle's shoulder. Forget about him abandoning me before, at least now I knew there hadn't really been a vengeful spirit out to kill me. "That was Jareth trying to scare me," I said, grinning. "But it didn't work." Okay it worked for a little bit. But I got over that so it didn't count. Right.
Hoggle nodded and started forward, looking determined. "I knews you were a brave one," he said, running a hand along the mirrors. Faithfully I followed him. Finally there was a chance I would make some real progress, and get out of these stupid run-arounds. "When I saws you entering the Labyrinth, lookin so determined and all, I said to myself, 'There's a brave one!'"
I slowed down. Frowning, I stared at Hoggle's back. That was an odd thing to think, considering I entered the Labyrinth, it was in a cascade of falling rocks. If I had been him, I would've thought, 'There's an idiot!' What was up with him? And since when was he so nice, complimenting me like this?
"Hoggle," I asked, suspiciously, "do you still have that penny I gave you?"
"Of course," Hoggle said. He fumbled around in his pockets and a few moments later produced a penny. He handed it to me and I stuck it into my shorts, all the while growing extremely worried. He paused and started pushing on a mirror, "This is a door out," he said. "Help."
Reluctantly, I went to his side and began pushing on the mirror. It groaned and began to slide backwards, and the harder I pushed, the quicker it slid. Hoggle didn't seem to be helping at all, though he looked like he was pushing. Two copper coins clicked together in my back pocket.
Something is not right, I thought.
The floor dropped out from under us. Hoggle screamed more than I did. We plunged downwards together, and he held onto my leg for dear life. So much for being a wonderful guide.
As we fell further, I stretched out my hands, hoping to grab onto something. But the walls of the hole were slick, and we just fell further. I desperately tried to shake Hoggle off of my leg. If he doesn't let go I'm going to -
There was a sickening crack as we hit the floor. Crush him when we land, my brain finished, as I stood up and twirled around. "AAAAAAAGH!!!!!!"
Laying on the floor was a very dead Hoggle. "AAAAGGGH!!!!" I shrieked, stumbling backwards. Where my body had hit him was flat against the floor, and his glazed eyes stared up at me accusingly. "I killed Hoggle!" I yelled, covering my mouth in shock.
There was no way this was happening to me. I continued shrieking and almost missed the silver snake that slid out of Hoggle's opened mouth. It crawled towards me and hissed menacingly, then turned in the opposite direction and tried to slide up the wall.
I crept towards Hoggle and poked him. He wasn't warm. I frowned and kicked him, he rolled over easily, now his whole body looked flatter. Curious, I picked him up and felt a metal skeleton underneath his fabric skin. "AAAGGGHHH!!!" I yelled, only this time it was in frustration.
I'd killed a puppet. Or a Muppet, to be more exact. Thank you Jim Henson.
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Author's Note: Hehe, sorry about how long this took. I was having trouble with my fictionpress story (damned vampires) and was concentrating on that. And the title of this chapter comes from the three common motives of serial killers: Manipulation, Domination, and Control. (I know this from reading crime genre books) Thanks to my reviewers:
BlueyChan, thanks for waiting ::sheepish grin:: sorry it took so long! Hehe I figured you liked that part ;) thanks for your review. Draco's Daughter, haha you got Pan good. Yes, Lady Rachelle is an interesting character. Hehe thanks for reviewing.
Rae Street, ah another person hooked ::smirk:: that's my aim! Hope this chapter met your satisfaction. Thanks for the review! FitsofRage, yeh, the notion just occurred to me one day, considering most authors I know who talk about their Muses are Laby fans ... dun dun dun ::cough:: hehe thanks for your review.
Fou Fou, I liked the rhyme! Hehe rhymes are funnier when they're unintentional. Thanks for reviewing! :) Princess-RainbowRose, believe me, you can keep trying (not sure whether that's much of a hint) but I'm beginning to believe there should be a pairing after all... ::grin:: Thanks for continually reviewing!
Mab, Queen of Faerie, I was hoping that would happen. I was trying to make Rachelle evil but lovable ::coughs:: not to mention annoying to my friend Rochelle (no resemblance trust me) Thank you for all of your reviews! Darth Moofin, yay another addict. :) I wasn't sure if the summary would pull people in, but since this doesn't fit in with your normal obsessions, it's nice to know it worked! Thanks for reviewing ;)
::smiles at everyone:: Not sure when the next update will happen, dunno how much homework I'm gonna end up having. But I'll write whenever I can... I already have an idea for the next chapter.