Chapter 4 - Dog Gone Days

Sarah and the kids got out of the car at the video store. Toby followed along pushing Tessa's stroller, as Sarah led them into the store. Immediately, Toby sprinted towards the game section leaving Tessa with Sarah to browse the DVDs.

A skinny man with spiky brown hair and an earring walked up to the girls. While the man wasn't gorgeous by any means of the term, he was still cute and had some charm in his own right.

He looked Sarah over from head to toe. She wore her normal everyday clothes, an old grey Nike 'Just do it' t shirt and pair of faded jeans. Even in clothes that weren't designed to show off her looks, her outer beauty and radiant inner beauty shown through.

"Hey beautiful"

Oh no Sarah thought, Not now, I so don't want to shoot this guy down in front of my kid sister.

"Hi" She replied curtly, immediately returning her attention back to the DVDs.

"How about you and I rent a movie and go back to my place. No pressure or anything," He held his hands up and shrugged his shoulder in a gesture intended to convey harmlessness. "I would just like to get to know you."

"No, Thank you" She said, realizing the cold shoulder treatment wasn't working.

"How about having a cup of coffee together across the street then?"

Sarah turned to him, exasperated. "I bet you $20.00 that no matter what you say to me, you will be walking out of here alone."

The man gave Sarah a sheepish smile, "You can't blame a guy for trying" and he walked away.

Sarah quickly picked out a movie before anything else could happen.

"Come on Tobes, Have you found anything yet?"

"Almost, I can't decide between the two."

Sarah grabbed both games out of his hands and said "Let's go. We'll rent both of them."

"hey…but" Toby stopped, apparently deciding not to question her change of heart.

She paid for the rentals, hustled the kids to the car and loaded the stroller and rental media in the trunk. As she leaned into the back seat to finish buckling Tessa in, Tessa patted her check and gave her a kiss. Smiling Sarah brushed some of the little girl's curls off her forehead.

Standing back up she paused at the driver side door. "OK, Tobes where is your favorite place to get pizza?"

"The Pizza Barn down by the old high school. They have the best bread sticks. You'll love it."

"Sounds good," Sarah said getting into the drivers seat.

"Will you teach me how to drive?"

"I don't think so kiddo. Nice try though."

"I thought so, but figured I'd try anyway."

Now why does that remind me of the guy in the video store? Followed by the thought, what is wrong with me? The guy seemed nice and was cute to boot. She knew what was wrong, ever since the labyrinth she hadn't been able to enjoy male attention. She had fallen in love with the Goblin King and had it used against her with his cold cruel manipulations to forget Toby.

After that dreadful event, she had come to realize that love wasn't real. Whenever she was at the center of male attention, she always found herself looking for some ulterior motive. If only her friends knew what she was thinking they would have told her to snap out of it already.

Sarah pulled out on the main road and headed towards The Pizza Barn. The eagle perched above watched with keen eyes as the car pulled into traffic. This time it didn't follow, it just watched until the car was no longer visible and with a great cry, lifted itself off the branch with powerful wings. It flew purposefully to the crossing between worlds, the very same place all the mortals down below were blissfully unaware of.

Braxton flew into the castle and immediately transformed back to a fae on landing. This is getting intriguing. He thought, The girl is remarkably beautiful and one of the most powerful dreamers I have ever seen. It is little wonder she has Jareth in such a fluster.

Hoggle appeared in Sarah's room.

"Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip!"

"Shoo! Go away!" Hoggle cried climbing up onto the vanity to get away from the noisy thing. Looking down, he saw the most hideous creature.

"Ugh, what is that thing?" Hoggle wrinkled his nose with distaste.

"Oh no!" He moaned turning his head toward the door at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Looking desperately at the portal, he tried to gauge if he could make it to the other side of the room without that hideous little creature's teeth sinking into him. Too late, he realized as the door opened.

"SARAH!" Toby screamed as he gazed on the scene, eyes wide with apprehension.

Sarah heard the quiver in Toby's scream and came bounding up the stairs with her heart in her throat. Bursting into the room and gazing at the pandemonium, she immediately burst into laughter. Toby gazed at her as if she had grown two heads and Hoggle by now was giving her a disgusted look for being forced into such an ignoble situation.

"Hoggle! I'm so sorry. Are you okay? He is really quite friendly, you know."

Hoggle gazed down at the growling creature. "HMPH!" He said disbelievingly with his arms crossed in annoyance.

"You know this man?"

"Oh yes, Toby this is Hoggle, Hoggle this is Toby." She said stooping down to pick up the dog.

"What in the Underground is that thing?" Hoggle let the disgust drip from his voice.

"Its Sarah's new dog."

"You didn't actually exchange jewels for it, did you Sarah?"

"No," She laughed "He is just a stray I found. He might not be much to look at but he has an adorable personality."

"You could of just acquired a goblin instead, at least them's would have been prettier."

"Hoggle! Jareth has feelings you know!"

"Jareth," He looked around, "the king is here?"

"No silly, that's the dog's name."

Hoggle's mouth dropped open as he stared at her in dumbfounded amazement. "Yo…you named it after the king?"

"Yes, that tuft of blond hair on top reminded me of the goblin king's wild mane"

"You's best not let him hear that. He'd be furious, he would. No telling what he might do."

"Sarah," Toby tugged on her sleeve, "Who is this King and how do you know…." Toby trailed off, looking questioningly over at Hoggle.

"Hoggle's my name"

"Errr….yes. How do you know Hoggle?"

"It's a long story, Toby. Why don't you come eat with us Hoggle, and we can talk." Sarah suggested, happy to see her friend again. She was curious as to why he showed up after all these years but she had every intention of getting to the bottom of things just as soon as she filled her growling tummy.

"Sure….. sure thing Sarah. Just give me a minute. I think some of me jewels fell out when I climbed up on this here table."

"Do you need any help finding them?" Toby asked.

"No, no, no. Go on now, youngin. I wouldn't want to delay you two from eating." Hoggle said, fingering the pocket that held the crystal.

"Hoggle, don't worry about Jareth." Sarah reassured. Hoggle's eyes opened wide at this and gave a startled jump. "I'll close him up in the bathroom so he can't bother you."

Sarah and Toby left the bedroom with the dog in tow. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hoggle stuck the dream crystal under the mattress and turned to follow them. He hated to do it to her but he had no intention of being sent back to the dwarf kingdom. They weren't too fond of a cripple like him. His bum leg made it risky to work the adverse conditions of the dwarf mines. No doubt, he would surely starve to death back home from lack of work and food. Besides the king wouldn't really harm the lady, he reassured himself. The reassurance didn't help much; that sick feeling in his stomach hadn't let up since the mirror appeared.