Chapter 3
Sarah slept for a couple of hours and then awoke abruptly to the sound of the door being unlocked. She watched nervously as Jareth entered the room carrying a tray of food and water. Jareth sat down on the edge of the bed and placed the try on his knee, Sarah meanwhile, huddled right up into the corner of the bed, trying to get as far away from Jareth as possible.
"I thought you might be hungry." Jareth said. When Sarah didn't reply he placed the tray on the floor and edged closer to the terrified girl. Her cheeks were wet with tears, so he slowly lifted his hand up to her face. Sarah pushed her head right up against the wall, her breathing coming in short gasps. "Do I frighten you Sarah?" Jareth said as he wiped her teary cheek with his gloved fingers. Sarah still said nothing, but she was staring at him the whole time. Jareth was getting slightly annoyed. He stood up and walked to the window, then turned back round to face Sarah who was now staring at the door.
He smiled wickedly, "Thinking of making a run for it my dear," he said licking his lips. "Go on, I dare you."
Sarah looked at him again briefly then dropped her chin to her chest, still remaining silent. She sat like that for a few minutes and then she heard the clicking of Jareth's boots across the stone floor. She gasped as he grabbed her arms. She then looked up at him, his eyes were sparkling, and his sharp teeth were bared.
"I find it very rude that you don't speak to me." He hissed and waited for Sarah's response. She just sat staring at him. Jareth smiled as an idea formed in his mind. He took one of his hands away from her arm and began trailing his hand from her shoulder downwards. When he reached her breast, he stopped and rubbed her nipple lightly. He was gazing into her eyes the entire time, gauging her reaction. He continued down from her breast towards her stomach, then to bellow her naval. It was at that point Sarah pushed his hand away. Jareth began laughing, so Sarah pulled his other hand off her and ran towards the door. Jareth laughed even harder when she tried to open it, it was locked. So she ran over to the corner of the room and pushed herself right against the wall.
Jareth stood up from the bed and walked over to Sarah. He placed his hands either side of her on the wall and then placed his knee between her legs, parting them slightly, he lifted his knee up towards her crotch and Sarah gasped.
"What you gonna do?" She stuttered, terrified. "Rape me?"
Jareth walked away from her laughing and flung his hands in the air. "She speaks." He shouted. "It is truly a miracle." He turned back to face her she did not look at all amused.
"Do you really think I would force myself on you?" He said as he placed his hands on his hips. "Do you really think I am like that doctor of yours?"
Sarah looked at him for a second, she swallowed, "well would you, are you?" She asked, her voice shaking.
Jareth just smiled at her and headed towards the door. "Eat up your food before it gets cold." He said as he opened the door.
"I thought it was locked?" Sarah said as Jareth walked out the door.
He turned back to look at her "Nope," he said grinning triumphantly. "You were just turning the handle the wrong way. But I'll know to keep it locked in future, we don't want a pretty young thing like you running round the castle." He said waggling his finger at her. "I'll be back later." He said as he eyed her up and down suggestively. Sarah folded her arms over her body and began shivering. "I'll bring you some clothes." He added. Then he slammed the door shut and Sarah listened as he bolted it and began walking down the hall.
Sarah quickly walked over to the tray of food and picked up, she sat down on the edge of the bed and put the tray on her knee, just as Jareth had done, and began to eat. There was roast beef with gravy, potatoes, carrots and peas. She ate up every bite and decided it was the strangest thing she had ever had for breakfast, but maybe it was more lunch time now, she didn't know how long she had slept for so it could even be dinner time.
She placed the empty tray on the floor again and walked over to the window, the sun was high in the sky, so she decided it was probably early afternoon. She gazed down to the courtyard below, the place where she had arrived earlier that day, and then beyond it to the goblin city and to the labyrinth. It looked just the same as she remembered , but then she wondered if it would ever look any different. Of course sometimes the walls and the floors would move or change around, but from far of you wouldn't be able to tell it was any different. Sarah wondered why the Labyrinth changed, because it felt like it, because it wanted to taunt and tease you, a voice said in the back of her mind. That brought her to another question, how can, what is basically, a maze feel things, decide to do things, was it alive?
I did not send those demons into your dreams, the Labyrinth did.
So the labyrinth sent the demons to her dreams, Sarah shook her head, it was beyond comprehension. Enchanted mazes that invade you sleeping mind, then it dawned on her, she had slept for a few hours earlier and there had been no demons, for the first time in years she slept peacefully.
"I suppose that's one good thing about being here," she said to herself, sighing. That brought her back to the slight problem of her being imprisoned here and being forced to marry Jareth. Sarah shivered and rubbed her arms as she walked back over to the bed, she wrapped the itchy blankets round her shoulders wishing Jareth would hurry back with some clothes.
ooo
Jareth walked down the hallway from Sarah's room twirling the key round his finger. He was slightly hurt that Sarah had thought he was going to rape her. He frowned, maybe he shouldn't have teased her like that, especially with what happened with the doctor earlier, but without giving a definite answer about his intentions he kept her guessing. But no, he would never force himself on her, or any woman for that matter. He smirked to think of all the broken hearts there would be when he announced his marriage. There was normally a queue of willing young ladies, half way through the labyrinth, for his bedchamber. Not that many actually made it inside. He didn't want angry fathers coming down and demanding he marry their precious daughters after it was discovered he had deflowered them.
Jareth reached the huge wooden double doors of the throne room, he placed the key in his pocket and pushed the doors open with such force that they hit the walls and bounced back again. The room was full of goblins, drinking, arguing and gambling like it always was. Jareth walked up to his throne, kicking several goblins out of the way as he did, he slumped down on it with one of his legs hanging over the arm, then picked up his riding crop from the floor and began tapping his boot, it helped him concentrate.
His mind drifted back to Sarah, he couldn't get over how frightened she had been of him earlier, not the feisty girl he remembered, the one who had so easily defeated him and the Labyrinth. It was those dammed doctors back on earth calling her crazy, saying she was a liar. She was probably the sanest person of them all. He had wanted her so badly back in that room, wanted to take her to his bed, make her his. He was going to have to break her, make her want him, then she would truly be his, he would have all the power over her.
Jareth put down the riding crop and clapped his hands sharply together, moments later a goblin maid waddled into the room.
"Ah, Grisell," Jareth said. "Would you be so kind as to make a dress for a young lady I have staying?"
"Do you have the measurements?" The goblin asked.
Jareth frowned, "I'm afraid not." He said. "But not to worry." He produced a crystal in his hand and threw it into the air, what floated back down was a piece of parchment. "Here we are then Grisell." He said and he held out the parchment for the little goblin to take. "Make a few please, she will be staying for a while, and do them as fast as you can."
Grisell took the parchment from the king's outstretched hand, curtsied, and quickly left the room.
ooo
Sarah sat on the bed, blankets huddled round her, she was trying to formulate a plan, a plan of escape maybe. But then she wondered where she could escape to, but that was overridden by the thought of being imprisoned here and married to Jareth. She stared blankly at the stone wall. She had spent quite a lot of the past few years of her life staring into space. The physiatrists and doctors would ask her questions, stupid questions writing her response in minute detail onto their clipboard, analyzing it when they were finished, trying to find something out, trying to delve into this poor girls mind.
"How are you today Sarah?" they would ask slowly and loudly.
"I am fine." She would reply mimicking their tone of voice. That would get them scribbling, get them analyzing. Sarah would just stare at them blankly, until they looked away, it freaked them out made them afraid.
"How is your family?" They would say, trying to gain her trust.
"I don't know, I haven't seen them for ages because you lot keep me locked up in this dump," She would reply smiling.
That would anger them, they would give her all the usual bullshit about how this was for her own good, and how they were only doing it to help her, and how she had been making such good progress lately and she would be allowed home for a visit soon. But she knew that they were scared, scared that she wasn't really insane and that they had made a mistake. Scared that there was really something attacking her in her sleep, scared that they couldn't explain it.
She would tell them over and over about the demons, but they would just shake their heads and look at her sympathetically. So she decided to play along with their little game, admit she had made it all up and it was working, up until this morning, until Jareth had turned up and ruined everything. She bit her lip and thought back to Dr Campbell, she had heard rumors about him before, girls would complain but then they would suddenly be transferred somewhere else and no one would mention it again, after all who would believe a poor little crazy girl against the word of a respected doctor. In the back of her mind she was slightly grateful that Jareth had stopped him, but decidedly ungrateful that he had imprisoned her here in this draughty room.
Sarah didn't know how long she had been lost in her thoughts for, but she was brought back to the real world by the familure sound of the lock being turned and the door being opened. Not to her great surprise Jareth strode into the room.
He looked at the tray on the floor now devoid of any food and smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed your meal." He said. Sarah said nothing. Jareth sighed "Your not still giving me the silent treatment are you?" He said as he walked quickly towards the girl.
"I'm sorry," Sarah said quickly as he approached. "Thank you for the meal." She said in the most insincere voice she could muster.
Jareth noticed her tone but said nothing. Instead he threw a shirt onto the bed beside her. "You may borrow this," he said, "until some clothes are made for you."
Sarah picked up the shirt, it looked like one of Jareth's own, she pulled it over her head and murmured a quiet thank you.
Jareth smiled. "Well stand up and give me a twirl." He said. Sarah just stared at him.
Jareth didn't waste any time repeating himself, he just picked her up by her arms ad plonked her on the floor, then stood back to watch.
Sarah spun round grudgingly holding her arms out, the shirt fell just below her knees she liked the way the cotton felt against her skin, better than the synthetic crap her nighty was made of.
Jareth clapped his hands politely. "Well done, well done." He said. "You will find Sarah, that it is better to do things when asked the first time, I don't like repeating myself." Jareth turned and headed back to the door.
"Umm Jareth," Sarah said in a small voice.
Jareth turned back to face her. "Yes." He said.
"I kinda need to use the bathroom," she said, looking slightly embarrassed.
Jareth smirked. "There is a chamber pot under the bed you may use." He said.
Jareth was pleased to see Sarah looking utterly disgusted with the idea, "Don't you have a proper bathroom." She asked hopefully.
"Well I suppose I could take you to a proper bathroom." Jareth said as he rubbed his smooth chin. "Oh okay I'm feeling generous today." He continued as he walked over to Sarah and took her hand tightly in his own gloved one and led her out the door.
They walked in silence down the hall, it was gloomy and every so often they would pass a flaming torch which lit up the hallway. They came to an elaborately decorated wooden door, Jareth pushed it open and pulled Sarah inside.
Sarah looked round in horror, they were in a bedroom and it looked like it might be Jareth's bedroom. There was a huge four poster bed in the centre with deep red curtains and matching sheets and also various other pieces of furniture such as tables, chairs and wardrobes. There were also various shirts, similar to the one she had one, and other clothes strewn on the floor. Sarah hoped Jareth hadn't just plucked this one she had on off the floor. She then looked up at Jareth and he just smirked back at her and let go of her hand.
"The bathroom is over there," he said as he pointed to a door on the other side of the room. He watched as Sarah walked over to the bathroom and marveled at his own brilliance. He could have taken her to another bathroom but he thought it would be more amusing to bring her here, into his own bedchamber.
Sarah seemed to be taking her time and Jareth was growing impatient he walked up to the door and banged it loudly.
"I'll be out in a second," Sarah said from inside the room.
"I grow impatient Sarah, I do have more important things to do you know." He said as he tapped his foot.
Jareth watched the door open and Sarah emerge from the room. "Thank you my dear," he said as he went to hold her hand, but Sarah pulled it away. "I have no time for your silly little games Sarah." He said.
Sarah looked at him, it was now or never, she pushed him hard in the chest and ran towards the door.
Jareth was startled for a second but then smiled, this was the Sarah he remembered. He decided to let her run for a while, humor her, it could be a fun game.
Sarah ran off down the hallway, the opposite direction she had just come from, she was hoping to find some way out of the castle.
She had been running for a while now.All the halls looked the same, had she been this way before, was she going round in circles?
She skidded round the next corner straight into some goblin guards.
"It's the girl!" One of them screeched.
"Is she meant to be here, does the King want her running around like this?" Another one said. The rest of the goblins started scratching their heads wondering about this new dilemma. Sarah decided she didn't want to hang about to see what they decided so she turned round and ran back the way she came. Unfortunately Jareth was waiting for her and she ran straight into him.
Jareth grasped her by the upper arms and held her at arms length. "Surprise." He said. He then turned her round and held onto her hands, pulling her close into his body and resting his chin on her shoulder. "That was a bit naughty of you to run away like that Sarah." He said. He then let go of one of her hands, but tightly grasped the other and led her back to her room, "Come on." He said, in the way you might talk to a dog.
Sarah frowned, she hadn't planned that very well, but it was just a spur of the moment decision.
They finally reached her room and Jareth dragged her back inside. "You know, you really should be punished for that Sarah," he said. "But your little escape attempt did amuse me somewhat." He lifted up her chin and placed a light kiss on her lips. "I will see you later my sweet." He said as he walked out the door, bolting it behind him.
Sarah lifted her hand to wipe her mouth, but then changed her mind. She slumped on the bed and lifted nuzzled the collar of the shirt, she could smell his sent. So she lay down on the bad and gazed up to the ceiling, smiling slightly.