Chapter 3
Hi all. Thought I would mention that this fic takes place in the year 2013. So 27 years after the events of the movie.
Jareth had never been very fond of the mortal world. If anything he found mortals quite loud, selfish and irritating. Not that he saw them very often. It was very rare nowadays that a child was wished away, anyway.
It didn't help that it wasn't very easy to wish a child away in the first place. Only a very specific set of words and the right conviction behind them would trigger the process.
Not that it bothered him that much. He found visiting the above ground extremely burdensome.
However, he was rather disappointed that no one believed in fairytales anymore. Especially those about the terrifying Goblin King.
The decline of children wished away meant he was having a shortage of servants around his castle.
Contrary to popular belief, children wished away, were not turned into goblins. Goblins were their own species. The were smelly and stupid but rather affectionate.
The children wished away were raised in his castle by other servants and would earn their keep once they were older. Sometimes they parted to do other things, perhaps further a field the Goblin Kingdom. However the majority enjoyed living in the castle. Jareth had a magnificant castle after all. Why wouldn't they enjoy living there? They were living better lives than they would have if they stayed in the above ground, that was for certain. It was one of the founding qualities of the labyrinth; to take unwanted children and make them wanted.
However he did find pleasure in informing his runners of his little goblin lie. The reaction on their faces was priceless. Well, that was when he used to have runners...
His labyrinth had not been run in years. He was rather bored.
The last person who had run was...
He scowled. He daren't think about her. For many years he had managed to block her image from his conscience. That was until a child was wished away. The first in a very long time.
He was initially shocked when he saw the little girl's appearance. The young girl before him looked a lot like her. Upon closer inspection he could see facial features of a different mother and father. The child must of been closely related to her but was definitely not her child. He was relieved in a way. He wasn't sure how he would have reacted if it turned out to be her offspring but from a different man. He was quite the jealous type.
The toddler who had wished the girl away reminded him of a child he once met many years ago.
Blond hair and blue eyes.
Toby.
They must be his children, he concluded. He thought it ironic that he was back in the same house he had been in many years ago. The house looked a little more modern but he could tell not much work had been done to it.
Usually when he took the children there was no emotion behind it. He was there to do his job. Nothing personal. But this time there was a part of him that was extremely satisfied in taking the girl away. After-all if it hadn't been for that irritating, drooling baby that drove his big sister to wish him away all those years ago, he would never of met... her.
Never have fallen in love with her.
Never have experienced the pain of her leaving him. Not once but twice.
Would never have to feel the frustration of not being able to summon a crystal to see her. All the result of some certain words she had uttered many years ago.
"You have no control over me."
He was bitter. He wanted to punish them both. Her.
His beloved... Sarah.
He scowled to himself again. He had thought her name. He knew he shouldn't have. He knew that once he began thinking about her, he wouldn't be able to stop.
Once a child was taken, all traces and memories of them in the mortal world would disappear. The only person who would remember was the person who wished them away to forever haunt them for the rest of their lives. However someone like Sarah, with the abilities she possessed, would still remember.
Deep in his heart he wanted Sarah to call upon him. To ask for the child back. He knew her better than anyone. She would do it in a heartbeat. He yearned to see her beautiful face once again. A significant amount of time would have passed in the above ground. She would be aged 42 now but he didn't care. She was his queen and she would be his forever. All she had to do was utter a simple wish even indirectly and he would have full control again. He would be able to travel to the above ground and visit her. Touch her. Take her back to his labyrinth. Although she probably wouldn't be very happy about that, not that he cared.
She had obviously been careful with her words over the years. Not one peep was heard from her.
It came as a surprise, however, when the days passed and he heard nothing. This wasn't like her.
She was brave and selfless, she would do anything for the ones she loved. So he continued to wait. Maybe she hadn't realised the child was gone yet. There had to be an explanation.
As time moved on he felt a nagging fear within himself. Where was she? He wasn't sure if he wanted to find out.