A/N: Labyrinth belongs to the Jim Henson Company, and last time I checked, that wasn't me.
HAUNTED
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Sunlight fell over Sarah's face, illuminating her features, and invading her senses. She stirred, and slowly opened her eyes. She felt lightheaded, and her vision was blurry. She blinked a few times, and pressed her fingertips to her temples. The world around her cleared up, and she tried to recall the night before. She had had the worst dream ever, she thought as she stared up at her white canopy.
Then she remembered that she didn't have a canopy on her bed.
She sat up, and looked around. She was not in her bed, this bed was about three times that size, and covered in white silk. The bed was surrounded by misty white curtains, but she could tell that it was not her bedroom on the outside.
"No, no, no..." she moaned, crawling out of the bed, and pulling aside the curtains. She glanced around at the foreign room. Grey stone, and exquisite cherry furnishings, a wardrobe, a vanity, and a couch. She set a bare foot on the cold stone floor, and ran for the large window. "No, no, no..."
She looked in horror out the window. She could see the Labyrinth below her, spreading as far as she could see. It was beautiful, and terrifying, all at the same time.
"Oh no. Oh lord. Oh God. Oh dear God," she muttered.
"Now Sarah, no need to be so formal. You may simply call me Jareth," that familiar, cool, cultured voice said from behind her. She whirled around to see the Goblin King, leaning against the now open door, smirking at her, looking pleased as a dog with a new bone.
"You... you... you kidnapped me!" she shreiked, balling up her fists, and taking a fighting stance.
"You were given to me, actually. A gift, you might say," he said, advancing on the girl. she backed away, until she hit the window sill. He stood very close, looking down at her with an appraising eye. She suddenly became very aware of the thin white nightgown she was wearing. It made her feel vulnerable, but she kept her face hard, refusing to show her fear. She knew that he got some kind of sick pleasure from her fear, and she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction.
"Let me go, you rat bastard," she demanded. He laughed, and lifted his large gloved hand to her hair. He grasped the soft dark locks, and twirled it in his fingers. He clicked his tounge disapprovingly.
"Oh Sarah. What on earth did you do to your beautiful hair?" he asked, shaking his head. "It's so... short now. But no matter. I suppose it will grow back eventually." He ran his fingers, still wrapped in her hair, across her cheek, and smiled smugly down at her. She glared back up at him, their eyes clashing.
"I like it short. It's easy to manage now."
"Oh, Sarah. Ever defiant, aren't you? Even now, you know I want to see every once of the fear you feel for me, but you refuse to show it," he said, removing his hand from her hair, and running it down her back. She shivered, and his smile grew. "Your eyes betray you, love. I can see everything in those cruel eyes of yours, Sarah. Your fear, your hopes, your dreams."
Sarah tried to break away from him, but he drew closer, forcing her to lean out the window. Her stomach plummeted as she realised that there was no glass separating her from the ground, and it was a long way down. He lifted his hand to her face, a crystal sitting there. She watched in terror as it transformed into a snake. She screamed, but due to her precarious perch, she couldn't move away. He chuckled lightly, and pulled the snake away from her face. He backed away, holding the snake against his cheek, then he held it out to her again, and it transformed into a diamond necklace, sparkling in the sunlight. She got up off the ledge, and turned away from the smug king. Jareth frowned, and reached for her. He slipped the beautiful necklace around her slender throat, and fastened it there. She turned to look at him, and he was pleased to see the awestruck look on her face. He briefly touched her cheek again, then went over to the wardrobe.
She watched him closely, not daring to take her eyes off him. He could be so unpredictable, and she must be on her guard. He opened it, took out a beautiful white gown, and held it out to her.
"I don't much care for those man pants you human women have taken to wearing in recent years. This is suited for a princess, a beautiful young girl like yourself. Put it on for me," he gently ordered, thrusting it out to her insistently. She only gave it a disgusted look, and walked back over to the window. He sighed, set the gown on the bed, and followed her. She shuddered as his green leather covered arms encircled her from behind, and pulled her to his chest.
"Fine, you may stay in your nightgown for now, but tomorrow, you will wear one of the gowns I've given you," he whispered into her ear. His breath tickled her ear, and she squirmed in his grasp. " White suits you immensley, and by the time I'm done with you, you won't be able to wear it anymore, so I want to get my fill now."
"What exactly are you planning to do to me, Goblin King?" she demanded, still struggling in his arms. He nuzzled the top of her head, inhaling her scent.
"You belong to me now, Sarah. I want you to understand that. You are completely at my mercy."
"And what makes you think I'll cooperate, Goblin King? What will you do if I don't? Kill me? Throw me in the bog? Lock me in an oubliette?"
"Oh rest assured, love. I won't be doing anything to you. You forget, Sarah, that your brother was wished to me as well, and any misbehavior from you will result in unpleasant things for young Tobias."
"You don't have the nerve, you monster."
"Oh, Sarah. You still have much to learn," he said, whirling her about. He gazed deep into her green eyes, marveling at her beauty. He drew his face close to hers, and muttered, "Kiss me, precious." Sarah frowned, and turned her face away. He growled, and insistently sought her lips with his own. She screwed up her face, and spat in his eye.
Jareth released her quickly, and his hand flew to his cheek. He wiped the spittle from his face, an odd look in his eyes. Sarah was mesmerized by it for a moment, this look of shock and amazement. She realized that before she came along, he had probably never been denied anything or anyone. He stared at her a moment longer, then quick as a flash, he backhanded her across the face, sending her flying to the ground. He glared at her, as she cradled her cheek, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Never do that again, do you understand me? I have killed people for less than that!"
"Listen, you ponce, I am not your plaything! Let me go!" she shrieked, slowly getting to her feet. He grabbed her again, and pulled her back to him.
"Such language on girls your age now days. Pity that children are no longer taught to respect their betters, my spoiled little spitfire."
"I'll do worse if you don't take me and Toby home this instant!" she screeched, kicking his shins, though her bare feet made little impression in his boots.
"You need to be taught manners, my love, and it will be a most pleasant task for me to do so. Now, I'll have that kiss..."
"Never!"
"Why not? You kissed that disgusting little dwarf, you kissed that human boy, why won't you kiss me? I'm far better than either of them..."
"You're a bastard! A kidnapper! Get your hands off of me!"
"Shut up! You will submit to me!" he barked, throwing her onto the bed. She glared up at him, defiance radiating in every fiber of her being. Whatever he tried, she would fight him. He would never get what he wanted from her without a fight. He considered her for a moment, then spoke in a cold tone. "You are still very young, Sarah. You have not yet learned the ways of men. But I will teach you..."
"You inhuman monster!" she spat. His smirk was back, and he shook his head.
"No, Sarah. I am not a human. I am so much more than a human. Now, as I was saying, men are cruel, Sarah. They expect to be given whatever they want, no matter the cost, and they take what they want if it isn't offered freely," he said, advancing on her. She sank into the bed, hoping that he would stay off of her. Her hopes were shattered, when he climbed on top of her, and leaned over her, their noses mere millimeters apart. "Though I may not be human, Sarah, I am very much a man. And what I want right now, Sarah, is you. Think about that, before you insult me or defile me, Sarah."
She opened her mouth to retort, but she heard a familiar crying coming from elsewhere in the castle. "Toby..." she gasped.
"Excuse me, my girl, I have another guest who needs my assistance," he said, getting up off her, and vanishing before her eyes.
"Get back here! Let us go!" she cried. All the tears she had been holding back now poured from her, and she buried her face in the soft mattress, and sobbed. What was she going to do?
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A/N: My updates on this are going to be coming a little less frequently, since I've recently begun a new story. I plan to alternate updates, hopefully at least one a week for each.
Please review!