Yes, I know not much has changed... but I feel better! And I have realized I am a lot less hyper now in the notes...

Chapter 4

Hey, Hay, the Castle, and Fear

"Well Mr. Elfish Goblin King Dude,"

"Jareth. It's Jareth."

"Fine. Jareth, I am your gal. Whaddo I haveta do?"

"Take grammar lessons."

"I do."

"They obviously don't work."

"Nope!" Dakota replied cheerfully. "So, what must I do?"

"First, come with me. Your attire is appalling, even worse than your mother's."

She looked down at her outfit: a black fishnet tank and jeans tucked into motorcycle boots.

"Hey!"

"Hay is for horses. But if you want some…" he said as he conjured up a crystal. She took hold of it, fascinated. Then it turned into hay.

"Hey!"

"I have just given you some."

"No, H-E-Y, not H-A-Y, it is used for lack of a swear word in indignation."

"Thank you, Ms. Vocabulary." Fuming, and not being able to think of something to say that did not involve the word 'hey', she followed Jareth to his castle.

The village surrounding it was dead quiet. Not a soul existed, not even ugly baby goblin. It gave Dakota a weird feeling, like she was in a ghost town, or horror movie. Or both. She hated that silence. She needed to break it!

"Wait! You can read my mind!" she realized.

"You are slow on the uptake, aren't you?"

"H-I am not!" she defended.

"But, yes, I can." Jareth grinned. Dakota gulped. She couldn't protect herself from him at all could she? Drat! Not in voice, or mind…and she didn't want to know what he was like physically speaking either, she wasn't the most gifted fighter….

She followed in a fuming silence, like a good little slave. The trouble was, with the whole reading the mind thing, is that she might be falling for him…he was about twenty years too old of course but hey! He was kinda cute!….

"Jareth, uh Jareth?" she asked tentatively. "Jareth, could you teach me to conjure up crystals? I, er, I did something like it once…and I want to learn to do it like you, purposefully and any time I want…"she trailed off a little. His eyes seemed to burn through her.

"You did it once?"

"Not with a crystal…I summoned my skateboard by accident, but I didn't tell mom cause she'd think I was going crazy, she already has sent me to three psychologists…"

"You are magic?" he asked suspiciously as she cowered. She nodded frightened. Then he smirked. "Apparently the magic from here rubbed off on Sarah and you inherited it." Dakota raised her eyes skeptically. "Which does explain your eyes…" he muttered, half to himself. "

I should teach you then. But once you learn, you have very little chance of…fitting in with the rest of society." She waved it off. "I never have fit in. I'll deal." Jareth shrugged. He led her into the castle. It was well lit, yet somehow dark, and cold, despite the fires that burned in the hearths. Dakota shivered, but it wasn't just the icy fires, it was inside, her heart seemed to freeze in fear as she went farther into the fortress. She was intimidated by the hard stone carvings, the some how not there yet there tapestries, the lack of life in the castle, but even more by Jareth himself.