"Well, isn't this nice," the Goblin King smirked. Slowly his eyes raked over the two women in front of him. He smiled appreciatively. "I've never
had an adult wished away before." Sarah's faced burned and she glared at him.
"She didn't mean to."
"Oh really?" Jareth looked at Miss Parker. "Funny…where have I heard that before?" Sarah blushed.
Miss Parker looked at the two in front of her and then turned to Sarah. "What the hell is he babbling about?"
"Several years ago Sarah was in a similar situation with her brother," Jareth answered.
"What situation? What is going on here?" Miss Parker demanded.
"I wished my brother away seven years ago, just like you did now with Jarod," Sarah murmured. "You have to go through his labyrinth now to get Jarod
back, or Jarod will be turned into a goblin in thirteen hours," Sarah looked at Jareth. "Have I left anything out?" she asked sweetly.
"Labyrinth? Where the hell are we?" Miss Parker asked, now noticing that they were no longer in the room where she found Jarod. They were now on
top of hill. Behind Jareth was a dead tree and the ground they stood on looked like red dirt. The wind here had picked up and all of them had that
windsweptlook.
"We are in my world," Jareth stated proudly, "and that is the labyrinth." Jareth pointed to the immense structure below them. Miss Parker
looked around her, taking it in. How can this be? Jareth smirked at the woman's confusion, then turned to Sarah. "Oh and you did leave something out,"
Jareth stated to Sarah, before turning to face Miss Parker. "You don't have to go through the labyrinth," he held out a crystal in his hand.
"No! She doesn't want that!" Sarah exclaimed, moving in front of Jareth quickly.
"Why don't we let Miss Parker decide for herself, hmm?" Jareth asked. "Well, do you want it?"
Miss Parker looked at the crystal ball in the man's hand. It was beautiful. "What does it do?"
Jareth smiled reassuringly at Miss Parker, "It will show you your dreams if you want." Jareth started to run the crystal over his fingers
hypnotically. "All you have to do is forget about Jarod and you can have your dreams. No more Centre, no more chasing," Jareth tempted.
Sarah grabbed his hand. "She doesn't want it."
"It's not your choice Sarah," Jareth growled. The two glared at each other and then looked at the other woman. "Well?"
Miss Parker's head was spinning. No more Centre…her dreams. Wait? Forget Jarod! That just wasn't possible, she'd already tried. "Sorry, no deal.
Not even you could get me out of the Centre."
"Pity," Jareth sighed. "It seems you two have more in common than beauty. Very well, you have thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth before Jarod
becomes my slave." Jareth disappeared slowly before their eyes after gesturing to a clock behind him hanging in the dead tree, half an hour was gone. Sarah
was in shock, had Jareth just said she was beautiful? Miss Parker waved her hand in front of Sarah's face.
"Earth to Sarah! What do we do now?" Miss Parker demanded. She was already growing impatient.
Sarah blinked, "Now we solve the labyrinth and get your friend back." She headed toward the labyrinth, leaving Miss Parker behind her. Miss Parker
ran after her, only to fall.
"Damn these heals!" she yelled as she stood up and caught up with Sarah. Sarah smiled to herself. This was going to be one of those days. The two
reached the gates of the labyrinth after Miss Parker had fallen only one more time.
"What do you think your doing?" The women whirled around to see Jareth glaring at them. Jareth walked over to Sarah until they were a few inches
apart. Sarah could feel her heart start to beat faster. "I don't recall telling you that you could go with her, now did I?" Jareth asked.
Sarah swallowed, "I never asked permission, I'm going. Jarod was staying in my house when he got wished away and I'm going to help get him back."
She looked at Jareth defiantly. Miss Parker watched as the two argued. They acted a lot like her and Jarod. Jarod…she shook her head to get rid off the
thought.
"Very well, you may," Jareth smiled at Sarah evilly. "I warn you this won't be easy, and Sarah I'd watch my back if I were you." Jareth turned
around still smiling. He disappeared.
Sarah shook her head and turned to Miss Parker, who was glaring at her. "Can we get going?" she snapped.
"Okay, we just have to get the doors opened. Now where were they?" Sarah walked a little ways along the wall before stopping, "Here we are!" She
turned to Miss Parker and smiled. "We get in here." As if on queue two doors opened inward into the labyrinth. Miss Parker looked quizzically at Sarah and
the two entered the Labyrinth.
Jarod was dragged into a large room and forced to sit in the circular depression at its center in front of a throne. He was surrounded by mishapened
figures of varying heights, dressed in tattered clothing. Jarod heard different pitched voices laughing at him from the creatures. What was going on? The
last thing he remembered was arguing with Parker and her reading a line from Labyrinth. In a few seconds, his face showed his realization. The place was
real! That's what Sarah had warned about in her message. He sat up and looked around, it was just how he had imagined it when he read the book. A smirk
formed on his face, knowing the Goblin King would confront him momentarily.
"Now, what to do with you." Jarod turned around to see a strange looking man lounging in the throne, one leg thrown over an armrest. The man wore
black tights and a creme colored shirt with a black vest over it. Black leather boots and gloves finished the outfit. His hair was wild and light blond in
color. On his chest hung a silver triangular medallion. He gave Jarod an odd look as he watched him. The first adult to be wished away puzzled him. He
wore black jeans and a tight black tee shirt, somewhat normal attire for humans. Yet he had a plastic toy in his pocket and also didn't seem frightened at
all by what had happened to him. Rather, he seemed to understand exactly what was going on and he seemed to be enjoying it. He seemed naive yet
intelligent, a puzzle for the Goblin King to solve on his own.
"Well, if it isn't the Goblin King," stated Jarod with a smirk. Jareth just looked at him blankly. "A pleasure to meet you, my name is Jarod…but
you probably already knew that."
"Yes I did," Jareth made himself sound bored. He looked at Jarod for a moment and frowned, placing his chin in a gloved hand, "What am I going to do
with you. You're far too old to turn into a goblin. Yet I cannot allow you wonder free."
"Do with me? You sound as if Miss Parker, and I'm assuming Sarah, have already failed. I think you doubt those two a little too much," retorted
Jarod. "I think they can solve your labyrinth. In fact, hasn't Sarah already done it once before?"
Jareth looked at Jarod startled. "Yes she won once," he said coldly, "I don't plan to let her repeat that victory though. Miss Parker was much
better off by herself, but now that Sarah is there... I won't hold anything back. And I don't plan to underestimate them." He sneered, "This time Sarah,
things will be quite different indeed."
Jarod smiled to himself. He had a feeling that Sarah's victory had really got under Jareth's skin. Although, he detected that it was more than just
the victory itself that annoyed him. "Oh really? What do you have in store for them exactly?"
Jareth raised an eyebrow, "Now why would I tell you that?" This man was beginning to get on his nerves. The children never asked so many questions,
or acted so cocky. They had played with the goblins or cowered, leaving him alone to play his game.
Jarod smirked, he had great faith in Miss Parker's abilities, since she was a pretender also, but wanted to test them. "Because, I could help you
make things a little more...interesting..."
Jareth turned towards Jarod, "Oh really? And how would you purpose to do that?" He sounded only halfway interested, more like he was indulging the
pretender, "and why would you want to make things more... interesting, hmm?" Jareth eyed Jarod skeptically.
Jarod smiled. "Well..."
"God damn it!" yelled Miss Parker, she had fallen for the fifth time already. "That's it!" She took off her stiletto heels and began to walk on the
path bare foot. "Ugh, my brand new shoes, now ruined. Where the hell are you leading us anyway?" she demanded from Sarah, who was a few feet ahead of her.
Sarah glanced over her shoulder at Miss Parker. "We're going to find a friend of mine. He helped me before and it will save us time. I know he's
around here somewhere." Sarah bit her lower lip and scanned the walls of the passage again. Like last time, they had entered into a straight passageway
with eye linchen covering the dark walls, and leaves and tree branches strewn about the path. And once again the passage went on in both directions without
seemingly having any turns or openings in it.
"Ello?" Sarah stopped abruptly and turned towards a small creature on a ledge in the wall.
She smiled at the blue worm. "Hello, how's the misses?"
"What the hell? A talking worm?" asked Miss Parker and she bent down to get a closer look.
"Ello," the small worm greeted her pleasantly.
Sarah smiled at the look on Miss Parker's face and then turned back towards the worm. "It's nice to see you again. This is my friend, Miss Parker.
She wished away her friend and we are going to get him back. Do you know if the opening is still here?" Sarah pointed to the wall across from them.
"Yeah, it's there. But won't you come inside first and meet the Misses this time?"
Sarah shook her head sadly, "No I'm afraid we can't spare the time."
"All right, but remember don't go to the left, never go to the left. It would have lead you straight to that castle last time."
"What! But, but," Sarah sputtered, "That's where I was wanted to go! I can't believe this. I went through all that trouble, the fireys, the bog,
and this leads straight to the castle!" Sarah turned towards Miss Parker angrily, "Come on where taking the left." She turned, and seemingly walked into
the wall then turned left and disappeared. Miss Parker followed behind her, holding her shoes.
"Wait!" the worm cried out, "I said it lead to the castle then. It don't anymore." He watched dismally, too late to stop them. "Who want to go to
that place anyway, 'orrible place the castle, full of goblins."
Jareth glanced away from the crystal and at Jarod. Jarod was looking intently at the two women in the crystal's depths. The boy's plan was working
quite well, of course Jareth had made a few modifications to it. There were some things Jarod did not know about the Labyrinth. Jareth smiled to himself,
he had to admit the boy was smart though. Perhaps having Jarod around the castle would be nice afterall. Jareth looked back towards the crystal in time to
see Sarah explode at the worm. He sneered and Jarod smiled. Poor Sarah had no idea what she was about to walk into. For that matter neither did Parker.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What do you think? We'll try and get the next chapter out soon. And remember the more reviews the quicker we write!
had an adult wished away before." Sarah's faced burned and she glared at him.
"She didn't mean to."
"Oh really?" Jareth looked at Miss Parker. "Funny…where have I heard that before?" Sarah blushed.
Miss Parker looked at the two in front of her and then turned to Sarah. "What the hell is he babbling about?"
"Several years ago Sarah was in a similar situation with her brother," Jareth answered.
"What situation? What is going on here?" Miss Parker demanded.
"I wished my brother away seven years ago, just like you did now with Jarod," Sarah murmured. "You have to go through his labyrinth now to get Jarod
back, or Jarod will be turned into a goblin in thirteen hours," Sarah looked at Jareth. "Have I left anything out?" she asked sweetly.
"Labyrinth? Where the hell are we?" Miss Parker asked, now noticing that they were no longer in the room where she found Jarod. They were now on
top of hill. Behind Jareth was a dead tree and the ground they stood on looked like red dirt. The wind here had picked up and all of them had that
windsweptlook.
"We are in my world," Jareth stated proudly, "and that is the labyrinth." Jareth pointed to the immense structure below them. Miss Parker
looked around her, taking it in. How can this be? Jareth smirked at the woman's confusion, then turned to Sarah. "Oh and you did leave something out,"
Jareth stated to Sarah, before turning to face Miss Parker. "You don't have to go through the labyrinth," he held out a crystal in his hand.
"No! She doesn't want that!" Sarah exclaimed, moving in front of Jareth quickly.
"Why don't we let Miss Parker decide for herself, hmm?" Jareth asked. "Well, do you want it?"
Miss Parker looked at the crystal ball in the man's hand. It was beautiful. "What does it do?"
Jareth smiled reassuringly at Miss Parker, "It will show you your dreams if you want." Jareth started to run the crystal over his fingers
hypnotically. "All you have to do is forget about Jarod and you can have your dreams. No more Centre, no more chasing," Jareth tempted.
Sarah grabbed his hand. "She doesn't want it."
"It's not your choice Sarah," Jareth growled. The two glared at each other and then looked at the other woman. "Well?"
Miss Parker's head was spinning. No more Centre…her dreams. Wait? Forget Jarod! That just wasn't possible, she'd already tried. "Sorry, no deal.
Not even you could get me out of the Centre."
"Pity," Jareth sighed. "It seems you two have more in common than beauty. Very well, you have thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth before Jarod
becomes my slave." Jareth disappeared slowly before their eyes after gesturing to a clock behind him hanging in the dead tree, half an hour was gone. Sarah
was in shock, had Jareth just said she was beautiful? Miss Parker waved her hand in front of Sarah's face.
"Earth to Sarah! What do we do now?" Miss Parker demanded. She was already growing impatient.
Sarah blinked, "Now we solve the labyrinth and get your friend back." She headed toward the labyrinth, leaving Miss Parker behind her. Miss Parker
ran after her, only to fall.
"Damn these heals!" she yelled as she stood up and caught up with Sarah. Sarah smiled to herself. This was going to be one of those days. The two
reached the gates of the labyrinth after Miss Parker had fallen only one more time.
"What do you think your doing?" The women whirled around to see Jareth glaring at them. Jareth walked over to Sarah until they were a few inches
apart. Sarah could feel her heart start to beat faster. "I don't recall telling you that you could go with her, now did I?" Jareth asked.
Sarah swallowed, "I never asked permission, I'm going. Jarod was staying in my house when he got wished away and I'm going to help get him back."
She looked at Jareth defiantly. Miss Parker watched as the two argued. They acted a lot like her and Jarod. Jarod…she shook her head to get rid off the
thought.
"Very well, you may," Jareth smiled at Sarah evilly. "I warn you this won't be easy, and Sarah I'd watch my back if I were you." Jareth turned
around still smiling. He disappeared.
Sarah shook her head and turned to Miss Parker, who was glaring at her. "Can we get going?" she snapped.
"Okay, we just have to get the doors opened. Now where were they?" Sarah walked a little ways along the wall before stopping, "Here we are!" She
turned to Miss Parker and smiled. "We get in here." As if on queue two doors opened inward into the labyrinth. Miss Parker looked quizzically at Sarah and
the two entered the Labyrinth.
Jarod was dragged into a large room and forced to sit in the circular depression at its center in front of a throne. He was surrounded by mishapened
figures of varying heights, dressed in tattered clothing. Jarod heard different pitched voices laughing at him from the creatures. What was going on? The
last thing he remembered was arguing with Parker and her reading a line from Labyrinth. In a few seconds, his face showed his realization. The place was
real! That's what Sarah had warned about in her message. He sat up and looked around, it was just how he had imagined it when he read the book. A smirk
formed on his face, knowing the Goblin King would confront him momentarily.
"Now, what to do with you." Jarod turned around to see a strange looking man lounging in the throne, one leg thrown over an armrest. The man wore
black tights and a creme colored shirt with a black vest over it. Black leather boots and gloves finished the outfit. His hair was wild and light blond in
color. On his chest hung a silver triangular medallion. He gave Jarod an odd look as he watched him. The first adult to be wished away puzzled him. He
wore black jeans and a tight black tee shirt, somewhat normal attire for humans. Yet he had a plastic toy in his pocket and also didn't seem frightened at
all by what had happened to him. Rather, he seemed to understand exactly what was going on and he seemed to be enjoying it. He seemed naive yet
intelligent, a puzzle for the Goblin King to solve on his own.
"Well, if it isn't the Goblin King," stated Jarod with a smirk. Jareth just looked at him blankly. "A pleasure to meet you, my name is Jarod…but
you probably already knew that."
"Yes I did," Jareth made himself sound bored. He looked at Jarod for a moment and frowned, placing his chin in a gloved hand, "What am I going to do
with you. You're far too old to turn into a goblin. Yet I cannot allow you wonder free."
"Do with me? You sound as if Miss Parker, and I'm assuming Sarah, have already failed. I think you doubt those two a little too much," retorted
Jarod. "I think they can solve your labyrinth. In fact, hasn't Sarah already done it once before?"
Jareth looked at Jarod startled. "Yes she won once," he said coldly, "I don't plan to let her repeat that victory though. Miss Parker was much
better off by herself, but now that Sarah is there... I won't hold anything back. And I don't plan to underestimate them." He sneered, "This time Sarah,
things will be quite different indeed."
Jarod smiled to himself. He had a feeling that Sarah's victory had really got under Jareth's skin. Although, he detected that it was more than just
the victory itself that annoyed him. "Oh really? What do you have in store for them exactly?"
Jareth raised an eyebrow, "Now why would I tell you that?" This man was beginning to get on his nerves. The children never asked so many questions,
or acted so cocky. They had played with the goblins or cowered, leaving him alone to play his game.
Jarod smirked, he had great faith in Miss Parker's abilities, since she was a pretender also, but wanted to test them. "Because, I could help you
make things a little more...interesting..."
Jareth turned towards Jarod, "Oh really? And how would you purpose to do that?" He sounded only halfway interested, more like he was indulging the
pretender, "and why would you want to make things more... interesting, hmm?" Jareth eyed Jarod skeptically.
Jarod smiled. "Well..."
"God damn it!" yelled Miss Parker, she had fallen for the fifth time already. "That's it!" She took off her stiletto heels and began to walk on the
path bare foot. "Ugh, my brand new shoes, now ruined. Where the hell are you leading us anyway?" she demanded from Sarah, who was a few feet ahead of her.
Sarah glanced over her shoulder at Miss Parker. "We're going to find a friend of mine. He helped me before and it will save us time. I know he's
around here somewhere." Sarah bit her lower lip and scanned the walls of the passage again. Like last time, they had entered into a straight passageway
with eye linchen covering the dark walls, and leaves and tree branches strewn about the path. And once again the passage went on in both directions without
seemingly having any turns or openings in it.
"Ello?" Sarah stopped abruptly and turned towards a small creature on a ledge in the wall.
She smiled at the blue worm. "Hello, how's the misses?"
"What the hell? A talking worm?" asked Miss Parker and she bent down to get a closer look.
"Ello," the small worm greeted her pleasantly.
Sarah smiled at the look on Miss Parker's face and then turned back towards the worm. "It's nice to see you again. This is my friend, Miss Parker.
She wished away her friend and we are going to get him back. Do you know if the opening is still here?" Sarah pointed to the wall across from them.
"Yeah, it's there. But won't you come inside first and meet the Misses this time?"
Sarah shook her head sadly, "No I'm afraid we can't spare the time."
"All right, but remember don't go to the left, never go to the left. It would have lead you straight to that castle last time."
"What! But, but," Sarah sputtered, "That's where I was wanted to go! I can't believe this. I went through all that trouble, the fireys, the bog,
and this leads straight to the castle!" Sarah turned towards Miss Parker angrily, "Come on where taking the left." She turned, and seemingly walked into
the wall then turned left and disappeared. Miss Parker followed behind her, holding her shoes.
"Wait!" the worm cried out, "I said it lead to the castle then. It don't anymore." He watched dismally, too late to stop them. "Who want to go to
that place anyway, 'orrible place the castle, full of goblins."
Jareth glanced away from the crystal and at Jarod. Jarod was looking intently at the two women in the crystal's depths. The boy's plan was working
quite well, of course Jareth had made a few modifications to it. There were some things Jarod did not know about the Labyrinth. Jareth smiled to himself,
he had to admit the boy was smart though. Perhaps having Jarod around the castle would be nice afterall. Jareth looked back towards the crystal in time to
see Sarah explode at the worm. He sneered and Jarod smiled. Poor Sarah had no idea what she was about to walk into. For that matter neither did Parker.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What do you think? We'll try and get the next chapter out soon. And remember the more reviews the quicker we write!