Threats and Promises

By: CreativeImagination

Edited By: LadyArwen

Inspired by: Jareth's Goblins

Chapter One

I guess it was just one of those days where nothing could go right. You know the type, they always seem to start out dreary and rainy and gradually become worse as the day goes on. You end up stepping in gum, losing your wallet, or having to baby-sit your overly grumpy toddler brother. Yeah, it was one of those days, with the exception that it was much more terrible than I could ever imagine. It started out, one cold October morning, with me waking up late, as usual.

"Sarah!" Karen's voice was gritty and shrill "get your ass downstairs." I shot up, though I wish I hadn't because I felt as if a nauseating slime had crept into my stomach sometime in the night and was now sloshing over the side. Back and forth, slightly spilling over the sides like thick cream in a saucer. "Sarah!" I muttered something but I'm sure Karen couldn't hear me, since I was all the way upstairs. "Sarah!!!"

"I'm coming," I managed a bit louder this time and lugged my feet over the bed. Even though every part of my being begged to stay under the warm soft comforter, I got up and made my way to my whitewashed door and grasped the handle. Turning it and wedging my door open I grudgingly made my way out into the hall. Our grainy tan carpeting was stained here and there, memories of old barbeques and Christmas parties haunted each and every one.

"Sarah," Karen growled again as I made my way down the stairway "your late, again. And I can't take you to school, your going to have to walk." I stopped a moment, and out of instinct looked at the window. It was pouring rain, running off our roof in sheets, flooding our street and obviously stopping many others from attending school.

"I'm not feeling so well this morning," I admitted but Karen's eyes glared me down. For reasons unknown to me, Karen disliked me very much, and I never figured out why. Even after I grew up some, she still always seems to have it out for me.

"Now don't go fibbing to me," she ordered in a tone she often took with Toby. I rolled my eyes, knowing that even if I threw up right then she still wouldn't let me stay home. With a sigh I made my way back upstairs and into the bathroom. I quickly turned the water on, making sure it was warm, and stripped my clothing off. The warm water seemed to make all soreness vanish, but as for the nausea, well, it still lingered. Quickly blow-drying my hair, brushing my teeth and fixing my hair into a ponytail I was in and out of the bathroom quickly. I slipped on a pair of jeans and a light green shirt along with a pair of converse, which weren't really my style but I wore them nevertheless.

I snatched my backpack and was out the door without saying good-bye. I stood on the porch for a moment, looking at something you might expect before you begin building an ark, and then I dashed out. The cold rain didn't help my sickened feeling, nor did running to school. When I reached the school's parking lot, I was soaked. Dashing into the building I slipped (if it was from my wet shoes or my klutziness I don't know) and fell flat on my butt.

"Ouch," I wined and looked at my scattered papers. It just wasn't my day. I got on my knees and started picking up my things when I noticed Brittney Calloway was making her way down the hall with her two 'followers'. I lowered my head and moved faster to pick everything up but a high heel seemed to make its way onto one of my papers.

"Look girls," she said in a shrill tone "a drowned rat." The three cackled like demented hyenas and finally stopped.

"Don't you have something better to do?" I growled shoving my homework into my bag. She looked at me funny, seeming to take in my anguished expression and finding an immense amount of pleasure in my pain. Not even Jareth could have mustered that look, no, not even if he tried.

"Did you put your make-up on in the dark?" the first girl asked.

"Or like, maybe you like, need to go read something," the second (and apparently less intelligent of the three) sneered.

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," Brittney sighed "you could be so popular, my right hand girl, if you'd just give up the geek act." I could've slapped myself for actually considering it, but the idea of having friends, well, being alone wasn't something I wanted either. Nevertheless, I knew the A group had rules, reading, writing and any form of individuality was BAD, their members weren't allowed to do such things unless absolutely necessary. And who wants friends like that?

"Sorry," I said taking the paper from under her shoe (if you could call that thing a shoe) "I'd like to keep my brain cells." With a scoff and turn of the heel, they made their way down the hall. "Their noses are so high in the air they better not go outside," I muttered to myself "they might drown." A low chuckle came from behind me and I whorled around to find nothing. Great, I thought now I'm hallucinating. Third period wasn't so bad, though Geometry is amazingly dull I got through it without a major disaster.

By choir my right leg was hurting for some odd reason. My joints felt as if they were to come loose or snap while my muscles ached, my stomach twisted and turned in ways I didn't know possible. At lunch my teeth felt as if I'd been grinding them all night while my eyes burnt and watered off and on. And by fifth period, I couldn't take it anymore, I went to the nurse. She looked me over and probably wouldn't have believed me if I hadn't looked like I had one foot in the grave.

"Go on and take a lay down," she said smiling compassionately "I'll call your mom." I didn't even have the strength to tell her that Karen was not my mother but, I just nodded and laid on the bed. Somehow, I drifted off to sleep. It was a fevered sleep, hot and sticky, uncomfortable in everyway. My body ached in every possible way, my joints, my eyes, my ears, my head, everything was either pounding or burning or nauseous. I woke to the nurse tapping my lightly on the shoulder.

"You mom is sure that your fine," the nurse growled with obvious displeasure with Karen "but I think you should rest. So just stay in here and then you can catch the bus home, alright honey?" I weakly nodded and turned back over. I wasn't sure if I could move even the pain grew more intense. I started to cry, just a little but it made my eyes burn more and my head pound. I felt like I was drowning in my own tears and I wiped them away with nimble hands.

"Make it go away," I pleaded grabbing my sides and rocking slightly. A sharp volt seemed to shoot up my spine that was so intense that I gasped. I gritted my teeth and clenched my sides harder, mentally begging for this to go away. As pain swept over me, the nurse quickly stumbled about, trying to figure out what was wrong. She reminded me a lot of a chicken with it's head cut off, running around aimlessly like that. As the pain consumed me, everything seemed to melt away. It was very much like a water colored picture of the room, that had been splattered with water. Everything seemed to go black after that.

I don't recall much after I passed out. I remember being lugged into an ambulance, being taken to the hospital, Karen insisting that I was faking and my dad crying. But mostly I remember how tired I felt. The doctor saying that he had no idea what was wrong with me, though my symptoms were all very real and that it could all be stress.

"Get up Sarah," Karen ordered, I didn't move "Sarah, I told you to get up." My mind wandered away from the situation but she kept yelling for me to get up. "SARAH! GET UP! GET UP NOW!" Dad had to take her home after that, she was disrupting the whole hospital. But I still didn't wake, though I was very aware of what was going on. It was a long time until I felt someone's presents in my room. The sweet smell of sandalwood filled my nose and lungs, and something else that was vaguely familiar. It was soft and earthy but reminded me a lot of the incense I had at home. It also had an oddly burnt smell but then, sort of like steam too. Whoever it was stood there for a long time, enough for me to dose off but once they stepped closer I became aware of their presents once more.

"Wake up," the voice was so familiar why couldn't I place it? I knew it was a man, it was a strong voice, but calm and soothing. I tried to waken myself but my eyes wouldn't open. "Don't try so hard," he whispered pushing my hair back "just do it, if you try hard you won't be able to." My eyes seemed to linger a bit longer but finally they eased open. I didn't bother looking at the man at first, I yawned and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. My whole body felt weighed down, and I was sure I couldn't get up. Sleepily, I looked at the man who had bid me awake.

"What are you doing here?" I gasped "I didn't call you. Did Karen? Did Toby? Oh no, you stay away from Toby Jareth I swear if you even touch him I'll-"

"Calm down," he breathed "your in no state to fight me, and I'm not here for Toby." My mind reeled and I took notice that he was abnormally dressed. No make-up traced his face, and his wild platinum hair was pulling into a long ponytail. A nice button up shirt and jeans along with normal sneakers replaced the tights and boots.

"What do you want?" I groaned. His eyes traveled over the hospital bed, looking at me in my helpless state. He could easily do something, we both knew it and I was wondering if he would be merciful and get it over with quickly.

"You requested that someone make it go away," he said simply "and your parents can't help you, the doctor can't help you, and you can't help yourself so here I am." I took in a ragged breath as the pain subsided for the moment and gave him a worried glance.

"What would the point be of that?" I asked plainly. It wasn't that I was ungrateful, but the fact that Jareth just shows up in my hospital room worried me. He must want something, right? There's gotta be a catch.

"To make you well?" he asked blankly his eyes taunting me.

"If your going to be difficult," I sighed under my breath and then said louder for him to hear "why?"