A/N: All right, I'm popping out another chapter. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything of value, least of all Labyrinth.
Haunted
Sarah was running blindly through the darkness, with a familiar laughter echoing all around her. She had no idea where she was going, or where she was, but she knew that she had to escape. He was near, and there was no telling what he might do if he managed to catch her.
His voice called out, "There is no escape Sarah. Give up, and come to me, and perhaps I will be merciful." She looked about wildly, but she could not see him. She continued to run.
"Leave me alone, Goblin king!" she screamed.
She suddenly found herself unable to move. The darkness seemed to close around her, suffocating her.
He spoke again, "Surrender, Sarah. That is your only option. I'd hate to have to hurt you."
"Where are you?" She choked out, some unseen force forcing the air out of her lungs. Suddenly, a tall figure stood before her. Its hand reached out and took her chin.
"Within you..."
She could scarcely breathe. Her heart was pounding, and her lungs threatened to burst. She knew that all she had to do to make it stop was give in to him. She was terrified of him, it was true, but she did not want to die. Maybe, if she begged him, he would allow her to see her family sometimes...
"I sur--surren--surren..." she choked out.
"Don't give in, Sarah!" a new voice called out from nowhere. She could hear Jareth growl angrily, and it brought her back to her senses. His spell was broken. Once again, he had no power over her.
Her eyes shot open. She looked around, and realized, to her relief, that she was in her bed. It had just been another dream. She rolled over onto her side, and looked out the window. There was a thick fog rolling in through the evening air. It was sort of spooky, but nothing compared to what would surely be waiting for her when she fell asleep again. She glanced at the clock. Two thirty five. Perfect.
"Damn it Jareth, why can't you just leave me alone?" she muttered as she drifted back to sleep.
"Because I need you..." the breeze seemed to sigh.
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He threw the crystal in his hand against a wall, where it shattered upon impact. He was so close! He had felt her will diminishing, she had been about to give in! Then suddenly, something had cut off his hold on her. Some unkown force had banished him from her dreamscape.
Slumping down into his throne, he conjured another crystal. The image inside was not of the lovely girl-child he loved, but of a dark haired boy, sprawled out on his bed, snoring softly. He sneered at the him. This was his compatition for Sarah's love? This boy? The very thought of Sarah with him was laughable. She was far too perfect to belong to such an inferior creature.
He had seen the way she looked at him, with a longing in her pale jewel eyes. The same longing that she would see in his eyes, if she would only look for it. That boy was a menace, and would have to be destroyed. But not yet. He had a much more important task in store. Someone, and he was sure he knew who, had interfered with his plans. And he had to make sure that person never did it again.
He transformed and took flight, soaring through the cool early morning air towards the ominous forest of Tawein. He soared over the tall, twisted treetops, towards the center of the forest, where the treacherous Blackwater Swamp lay, a dangerous land seething with unplesant creatures and ancient magic.
Jareth landed on a low lying branch, and transformed again. He hopped off, and landed ankle deep in the mud. He groaned, and trugded forward, praying that his boots would not pull off. He hated to dirty himself. He could never understand why on earth anyone would choose to live in such a wretched place.
In the distance, beneath a thick canopy, a small shack sat. The curtains were drawn, but there was smoke rising from the chimney. He kept on trecking through the mud and the weeds, until he reached the front door. He raised a gloved hand, and pounded on the door.
"Come in Jareth," a soft, husky voice called from within. He pushed the door in, and stormed inside.
A woman was sitting beside the fireplace, sipping a cup of tea. She was very beautiful, with long blond curls, and flawless, snow white skin that seemed to glow in the dim firelight. She appeared to be no more that thirty, but her pale blue eyes were swimming with wisdom that could only be found in an ancient being.
"How may I help you, Jareth?"
"Nuala, you meddlesome she devil of a witch! How dare you interfer with Sarah!" He snarled.
"Really Jareth, is that any way to speak to your mother?" she demanded, turning to face him, "What would your father say?"
"How dare you meddle in my plans!"
"How dare you terrorize that poor human girl! I won't allow you to destroy her life!"
"She belongs to me, mother. I've claimed her as mine!"
"No, Jareth. She belongs to the human world."
"Not for long," he said, lips curling upward unpleasantly.
She got to her feet, and stood before her son. She glared up at him, her bright eyes clashing with his mismatched ones. " I give you fair warning, Jareth. Leave the girl alone. And that goes double for her brother. I don't want you to bother the boy either."
"Mother, you know as well as I do that the boy belongs in the Underground. The Labyrinth has a claim on him."
"That is not your decision to make! Leave him be! And if you do not stop stalking the girl, you will feel the full extent of my wrath."
"Don't make me laugh. I know very well that your powers are weak in the mortal world. You can not survive there for long, where as my powers only grow. You are no match for me, mother."
"Perhaps, but there is another who can stop you. And I will alert them to the danger."
"No, mother. I will not be stopped. I will have what I want. I think you should be happy. Soon, you are going to be a grandmother!"
And with that, he stormed out of the house, and took flight as the owl.
Nuala watched her son fly off, her heart sinking. She did not want to do anything to hurt him, but she could not just sit idly by and watch him destroy the unfortunate object of his obssesion.
"Forgive me, Jareth. This is for your own good," she muttered, before transforming into a white owl, very similar to Jareth, and flew away.
A/N: I'm setting up a rather comlpex plot. Wondering where Nuala is off to? And who is this other person who can stop Jareth? If you're curious, just review, and I promise to update quickly. This is shaping up to be a fairly lengthy story.
Free brownies to all who review.