Chapter 2: The woods
Mel was standing outside a cave mouth and in front of a large forest. She had been playing with the idea of moving even though shortly after arriving a guy wearing bizarre clothes had appeared before her eyes and told her to stay put otherwise Lauren wouldn't be able to find her. Pacing backwards and forwards she heard a noise and noticed someone coming out of the cave. Oh, it was just him, and then she saw what he had in his arms.
"Loz! What did you do to her?"
The guy just gave her a disdainful glance and placed Lauren on a rock in the weak sunlight. "Warm her up and get her out of here. Time's running out."
She had no idea what he was talking about but before she could ask he'd vanished.
Lauren opened her eyes as the warmth came back into her limbs. Groaning she turned over, "Am I dead?"
"Ha! You wish,"
"Mel?"
"The one and only," Lauren opened her eyes and saw Mel's grinning face.
"How'd I get out here?"
"A guy brought you. Don't have a clue who he is though. Said time was running out." Mel frowned.
"Jareth! Jareth brought me out here?" Lauren exclaimed incredulous, struggling to get up.
"If that's his name then yeah."
Mel helped Lauren to her feet and they started off into the forest, despite Mel's protests that Lauren needed to rest longer but Lauren dread to think how much time she'd wasted already. While they walked Lauren explained what had happened and what was happening as she spoke.
"Wow, so he loves you. That must be flattering."
"Hardly. What I can't understand is why he brought me out the ice cave,"
"Duh! Were you not listening? He-loves-you!"
"Um…Mel where are we?"
They had been so busy talking they had hardly noticed the various pathways winding their way through the dense trunks. They also hadn't noticed that they had wandered from the path and were now completely lost.
"What was that?" Mel hissed.
There was a rustle and suddenly they were surrounded by gremlin like creatures.
"Gremlins. Why did it have to be Gremlins? The one thing that freaks me out." Mel moaned.
"Come on. We'll have to fight them to get out." Whispered Lauren. The two girls fought well, back-to-back but were soon overwhelmed by the sheer force of numbers. Lauren was tied to a tree and Mel was dragged over to a large stake stuck in the ground with wood and straw piled around it.
"Oh Crap." Mel muttered, "This was so not how I planned to die."
Lauren fought the bonds as hard as she could but only succeed in exhausting herself.
"Don't show them you're scared." Smiled Mel weakly, "They won't eat you. He won't let them."
"But…"
"Don't worry about me. Get out when you can. I'm sure to distract them for a bit."
Lauren shuddered at the thought and tried to free her hands so she could save Mel before the distraction was lit.
"Well isn't this touching?"
Lauren twisted her head and saw Jareth leaning on the same tree she was tied to.
"You can stop this. Right here, right now. You know what to say." He murmured.
"If you loved me you wouldn't do this," she hissed at him again. Jareth went very quiet.
"The time limit still stands," he said eventually, "If you're not out in the time you still have to stay here." Then to Lauren's amazement the ropes holding her dissolved and the Gremlins fled. Mel was standing in the clearing alone.
Jareth reappeared in his castle. "Soft," he muttered to himself, "I'm going soft." Pulling a crystal out of thin air he gazed into it.
"What happened there?" asked Mel bewildered.
"I'll explain in a moment. Look there's the path."
The girls stepped onto the path and saw Nick sitting with his head in his hands.
"Hey Nick!" Mel yelled.
He jumped and looked up, "What's going on? I just found myself out here and this weirdo telling me not to move if I knew what was good for me."
Lauren didn't know why but she felt herself bristling at him calling Jareth a weirdo. But before she could leap to his defence Mel had jumped in and said that they better keep moving.
"Hey can I talk to you for a minute? Alone." Nick asked Lauren. She looked at Mel but Mel said she'd be fine.
Nick walked off a little way with Lauren following. They stopped out of earshot of Mel but still within sight.
"I should have told you before," Nick whispered, "It just made me realise how we could have all died in this and you would never have known."
"What are you talking about?"
"I really like you Loz. I mean really like you!" Then before Lauren knew what was happening he was kissing her. She pulled away quickly,
"Er…um…thanks Nick…I'm really flattered but I don't see you as anymore than a friend. I'm sorry."
He looked hurt but tried to hide it, "Um…that's all right…I…"
Mel ran up, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"What?" Nick frowned in confusion.
There was a flash of red light and Jareth appeared looking murderous.
"Uh oh," whispered Mel.
"You clearly have too much time on your hands," Jareth glared at Lauren, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes glittered angrily. A clock appeared beside him. Using two of his fingers he wound it forward 3 hours so that it left them 5 hours to get to the centre. Then he gave a flick of his wrist and it vanished again.
"Jareth, please…" Lauren started forward.
"Quiet!" Jareth ordered, then gave a malicious grin, "Oh, by the way, you have company." And he vanished.
There was a furious snarling and a pack of wolves advanced out the bushes surrounding the trio.
Oh no, what will happen? I know what happens don't panic. i'll post the next chapter up soon.
