Chapter 20, And Shadows
Jareth's eyes flicked open and scanned the room. After registering his surroundings, a broad smirk creeped along his face. He closed his eyes and rolled his head back, letting out a sigh. He knew what was happening the moment he saw her.
"My, my, such a clever girl." He said to himself, running his hands through his hair and down his face, his smile widening."Who would have guessed you'd be the one fabricating my dreams." He laughed, giddy as can be.
He sat up in bed, letting the covers fall around him, he was excited. But how in the world did you manage to build a bridge?...unless...
"Is that what you've done with it, precious?" He asked aloud, conjuring a crystal and bringing an all too familiar scene into view.
Sarah sat hunched over on the couch, rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. She didn't. A blank frown dawned her face, hidden by the mass of her drooping hair. That was so real...I swear, it was real...why wasn't it real? The same thoughts played over and over.
She looked up, and over to the clock hanging on the wall. 2:25 am.
"Ugh." She let out a groan. There was still half a night left. She tried laying down, but every time she closed her eyes she saw him. Sleep wouldn't come easy. Get out of my head already! She screamed inside.
"What am I doing?" She said. "He's not even here and I'm still fighting him...why bother?" She trailed off. Why bother with any of this...I'm just making it worse for myself. I could end it...one wish, that's all it takes. "One wish, and you'd be here. One word is all it'd take, and then my dream really would come true..." Her eyes slowly fell to the floor. "I...I -wish..." There was a pause. "No...no Sarah, if there's any time to have some stubborn pride it'd be now." She shook her head. "Such a cocky asshole, he'd never let me live it down. No, he's the one with magical powers, he can very well poof his ass down here all on his own. If he wants me..." She stopped, somewhere in her rant tears had started to swell in her eyes. "Dreams aren't meant to come true." She muttered.
Jareth stared deeply into the crystal, although he couldn't hear what she was saying, he saw very clearly just how upset she was. A hint of a frown cracked his smirk. He was a little disappointed she hadn't woken with the same satisfaction he had.
His eyes narrowed, trying to read her lips, when something caught his attention. There was a light in the corner of the room. It was soft, and soon faded away. The crystal? He stared, confused.
"My Sarah, what are you doing?" He asked the orb.
Something wasn't right. There was more to his gift than a simple dream weaver, and by the looks of it, he knew more than she did. He stared in thought. Why are you glowing...My Sarah, what did you say just now?
"Very curious, pet." He said, watching Sarah get up and walk right past the once glowing orb, completely unaware.
Sarah entered the bedroom, slowly making her way towards her private bathroom. She needed a shower. A cold one. After starting the water, she pulled her frumpy shirt over her head, letting it drop to the floor, soon followed by the rest of her clothing.
She felt odd all of the sudden, and wrapped her arms around herself. It was awkward, unsettling. She felt as though someone were there, watching her. After a brief moment, she practically jumped into the spray of water.
Sarah bathed in silence, savoring the feel of the water hitting her skin. As the water cascaded down her face, she stopped. There it was - that feeling. Only this time it was stronger. Did she hear something? She turned her head towards the blank shower curtain, entertaining the idea that there was someone on the other side. Stop being so paranoid Sarah. There's no one there. She turned her attention back to the soap dripping from her wet mane of hair. I could have sworn I heard something...why do I feel so anxious? She wondered.
Jareth stood in a most alien scene. He looked around from the empty bookcase in one corner, to the outdated television glowing in the other. He peered to the side, Sarah's door was shut. He took a step towards it, hesitating once there were no more steps to take. He looked past the door that seemed to be looming over him. He turned his head slightly, focusing on the noise that came from the other side. She was in the shower.
His hand reached for the knob, and stopped. Such an opportune moment, dare I take it...? He asked himself. The thought of a wet, hot and steamy Sarah made his nostrils flare. He tried to picture what her reaction would be... He saw her, wide-eyed and yearning, with a hint of spite. It sent a shiver down his spine.
He was forced to cease his rambling, curling his hand into a fist and pulling it away from the door. He turned his attention back to the living room, to one shelf in particular. He reached out for the crystal, keeping an ear out for an approaching Sarah. He held it firmly in his hands, and peered into it. Nothing happened. He tried to activate it with magic. Nothing happened. He examined it every way he knew how. Nothing happened.
"Very curious indeed, Sarah mine." He pondered what she could have possibly done to it, that would make it non-responsive to his magic. Something only you can use perhaps? He continued to examine the orb, lost in a million different theories. He glanced over to the door once again, wondering if Sarah pondered him the way he had been pondering her the past few days. "Before I can know your answer, I must first know your riddle." He said, as if dazed.
His head twitched, and he brought his attention back to the crystal. He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, the smile returning to his face.
"So that's how you work, is it?" He said to the ball. "Sarah, Sarah, so stubborn, even in your subconscious." He gave a quiet laugh, returning the crystal to its spot as if nothing had happened.
He stood as if to leave, yet he didn't. He gave one final look to the door, and in the next moment, he was on the other side.
Jareth watched the vibrations of the curtain as water pelted against it. The sound was a great deal louder, and steam filled the air, clouding the mirror. So much for a cold shower. Jareth's eyes locked. He was so close. All he had to do was reach. He felt his hand twitch, and his breath stagger. Then he froze. He felt something...her eyes, she was staring right at him, through the curtain, he could just sense it somehow. It seemed as if the world teetered for a moment, and that some momentous decision would have to be made between seconds. Maybe it was all in his head, maybe he wanted it that way. He listened to the pounding of his heart. Perhaps I want her to pull the curtain back...maybe I want her to find me...
And then it ended. Whatever moment of tension had just swept through him, was gone. Sarah's attention had gone back to her shower, and it was as if he were never there. Jareth stared a moment longer, stuck between dreams and shadows.
Sarah emerged from her shower, with body and mind cleansed and relaxed. She dried her hair and dressed in a clean pair of sweats, heading off to bed, muttering- I swear to God, Jareth, if you're watching me shower I'll knock that smirk right off your God damn face... She didn't notice the feather that had fallen on the windowsill.
Jareth had decided to take the scenic route home, flying between worlds in lieu of simply poofing into the throne room. His starch white feathers glimmered in the silver moonlight. He had a lot on his mind, the silence and serenity was just what he needed. He flew past the horizon, watching the Earth give way to the Underground. It was truly a sight to see. Watching one world change into another, and yet they shared the same moon.
He looked ahead, and saw the vague silhouette of what was the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. The thought of spending yet another night alone should have saddened him, strangely it did no such thing. Strikingly, he grew more excited as he neared the balcony leading to his chambers
"What speaks with two tongues, though is never heard nor seen? What is sought so vigorously but never wished to touch? What is the answer, that is always wrong?" He said. If birds could smile, he'd be grinning from ear to ear. He pondered the riddle, gliding onto the balcony.
He peered around the room, enjoying its dark and dismal appearance.
"My dear Sarah, for you, I take pleasure in my nights of solitude. For I swear, beyond the shadow of a doubt, tonight shall be my last." And then it was silent, leaving both to carry on separate dreams of one another.