Thanks again to my beta Sennethe and all my reviewers of the last chapter: OceanFae, yodeladyhoo, notwritten, Miami Rhapsody, and Buffy Sparrow.
A quick note for those who might be confused - the events of this chapter take place simultaneously to the events of chapters One and Two.
And now, Onward to Chapter Three!
"I hate you." said Elisa quietly. Jenny began to cry. Why did Elisa have to be so mean? It wasn't fair – Amber and Courtney never told her that they hated her. She didn't care if she was acting like a baby; she wanted to watch High School Musical. "Both of you." There was a fierce look in her eyes as she stood over her and Case. Case seemed about to say something but Elisa spoke again.
"Do you want to hear a story?" she asked, dangerously.
Case spoke up then, "'Lisa, why are you wearing sneakers…" Jenny saw her sister did have her shoes on – and had a backpack.
"DO YOU WANT TO HEAR A STORY?" She yelled. Jenny whimpered and Case threw an arm around her. She must have taken that for an answer since she continued on and began to tell a story. Jenny thought it was of Cinderella until Elisa said, "But what no one knew was this: the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl and given her certain powers."
Jenny kept crying though she remembered something. Wasn't the Goblin King the guy in that movie they had seen ages ago? Wasn't that the one Elisa wouldn't stop talking about and when watching the movie had yelled, "How could you forget a line like 'you have no power over me'? It's six words! Six!"
Elisa kept telling the story – telling of the goblins who would take away the siblings and then how the King would turn them into goblins, forever and ever. She kept going on until she got to the part where the girl called out, "Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be! Take these children of mine far away from me!"
She seemed almost disappointed. Jenny thought her mad. (Like the rabbit!) "Oh!" She sighed. "I wish I did know the words to wish you away you Zeus-awful brats!" Elisa did love the Greek stories. Jenny didn't know why – everyone died at the end.
Elisa then stormed away to the door. She took a big breath and narrowed her eyes at Case and Jenny. She then said, "I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now." She slammed the door on her words, leaving Jenny and Case alone.
Jenny looked at Case. Case looked at Jenny. Jenny made the 'cuckoo' sign. Case nodded.
They weren't twins but they spent so much time together that sometimes that was all they needed to communicate. Case then opened his mouth and whispered, "What just happened?"
Jenny shrugged but then the door flew open.
Elisa looked like she was ready to face a dragon (minus a weapon). But once she saw Jenny and Case her face grew really pale. It was if she was only now remembering she was going to face a dragon without a weapon. And in a bikini.
"What are you still doing here?" Elisa screeched. Jenny looked at her squarely.
"There's no other door…" said Case slowly. What was with Elisa?
"But I wished you away!" She wailed. "It was supposed to work – I said my right words. What happened to 'what's said is said'?" She seemed like she was going to faint. "It's not fair!" She stomped her foot. "Oh, I hate the world!"
That was a favorite line of Elisa's and she used it to run away from them. Jenny heard her run all the way out and up the stairs and the thump! of her hitting the couch. Sobs could be heard.
"What's with her?" Case asked.
"Dunno," Jenny said. She wiped her eyes. "Did it have something to do with that movie – Laby-myth, laby-thing, laby-something?"
Case shrugged. And then disappeared.
Jenny shot back from the spot where her brother had been. "Case?" she whispered. "Case? Not funny!"
Then she heard an odd voice behind her, "No, we supposed to get the other one as too! There's two!"
Jenny turned around and saw two funny beings behind her. "What did you do with Case?" She asked. She knew them from something. She knew them. Knew them. Couldn't remember them, but knew them.
They seemed surprised she could speak. "Lookee Missy," said the shorter of two. "You's gotta come with us."
"Don't wanna." She said immediately. That worked with Courtney. "Where's Case?"
"The Other one?" the shorter one asked.
Jenny nodded. "Where is he?"
"Castle," he nodded. "Other in Castle. You come with us to castle."
Jenny then heard Elisa coming down the stairs. The bigger one's eyes widened and he squeaked, "Missy comes now!"
Both ran towards her and grabbed her arms. Before she could yelp they whisked her away.
Case saw Jenny look at him in horror as the world vanished around him and then flickered back. Except it wasn't the room where he left.
It was a large room based around a pit in the middle where he was sitting. There were all sorts of gray and green creatures running about, chasing chickens and drinking from -was that beer? He turned to see an odd chair - a throne perhaps? - that was rounded. He seemed to be the only human in the room.
"What the hell?" he screamed. Normally he would have had his mouth scrubbed for that language. The creatures – whatever they were - stopped their running, and turned towards him. They seemed in shock. However he was in more. "Where are Jenny and Elisa? What are you? What am I doing here?" Another thought broke in. "Where is here?"
They all seemed to crowd in front of him into one mass. They muttered for a bit before a really thin one stepped forward. He pointed to the ground, "This castle."
"This is a castle?" Case repeated. "But where's the castle?"
How he was staying this calm, he had no idea. He was known for his screaming fits.
The creatures seemed to find this question easier to answer, "Beyond the Goblin City!"
Goblin City? Did that make them Goblins? Where were there goblins from?
A memory hit him:
"Case?"
"Yes, 'Lisa?"
"What do you never, ever, say to the Goblin King?"
"Piece of Cake?"
"Yep!"
"No way," he said. He flopped down in the pit. It was lined with pillows. They stunk a little but he didn't care. "I'm in that movie Elisa loves."
All of a sudden, Jenny appeared next to him. "Arggh!" She screamed. She jumped up. "Don't you ever touch me again, you nasty things! My daddy is a lawyer – I'll sue!"
"Sue?" One of the larger ones asked.
"Yes," she nodded fiercely. "He'll sue all of your green butts!"
The Larger one didn't seem to hear the latter part. He pointed to himself. "Me Nog." He pointed to Jenny. "You Sue."
Case found this funny. Jenny was enraged. "No," she said slowly. "Me Jenny. You leave Jenny alone. Yes?" She had that glint in her eye when she was about to scream.
It seemed the Goblins understood and they scampered off squealing. Jenny then realized that Case was next to her.
"Case!" Jenny grabbed him. "Where are we? What are they? Where's Elisa?"
"It's alright," I think, he added silently. "Do you know the movie Elisa likes?" Jenny nodded. "I think we're in it."
Jenny was silent for a long moment. "So they're goblins?" she whispered. Case nodded, a little annoyed and said. "We're in the throne room or something." Something hit him. "Do you remember the rules Elisa taught?"
Jenny cocked her head, "No taking, No speaking, No Stinky, Right?"
"I think so," Case said. "We already broke rule two though."
"Where's Elisa?" asked Jenny. "She loves this movie – whatever it's called. Shouldn't she be here?"
Case crinkled his forehead. "What was the movie about anyway? There was the girl who whined and then the guy with the tights and the baby but where are they?"
"Maybe we're not in the movie," suggested Jenny. "It was like Elisa was saying; it's about a girl who wishes away her brother to the goblins. Maybe you can wish someone away – maybe…"
"Elisa wouldn't wish us away," said Case. "Don't you get turned into a goblin? Elisa loves us – she wouldn't do that." Then his heart sank.
"But she said she hated us," said Jenny. "Remember." Her lower lip wobbled. "I don't wanna be a goblin, Casey." Only Jenny could get away with calling him that. "There was going to be High School Musical on tonight. I wore my pink nightgown on purpose!" She gestured towards the flimsy thing.
"Um, Jen, that's really not important now." said Casey. He suddenly felt responsible for his sister. He had never been responsible, he had been the baby brother always. There had always been others to take care of him and Jen. And even though Jenny and him were close, they fought a lot. Jenny could pack quite a punch, too. If Elisa abandoned them, well now he had to take care of himself and Jenny. Oh dear.
"First let's get out of this pit." It came up to his hips. "I'll go first and then I'll pull you out okay?" Jenny nodded.
Case had always been good at climbing and he was out in an instant. Pulling up Jenny was a little harder (She was built like Eloise from the Eloise books) but they were able to do it.
"Alright," said Case. "Isn't that where the Tights Guy sits?" He pointed to the round chair.
"Maybe," said Jenny quietly. Jenny was never quiet, this wasn't good. Elisa's words must have really hurt. Jenny was used to getting what she wanted and being loved – she didn't take rejection well.
"Look Jenny," said Case. "The Tights Guy is going to show up. I don't know what happens then – maybe that's when he sings. I think we should get out of here. The goblins were supposed to watch us – I think, but I think they're not paying attention."
"There's stairs there," pointed Jenny. Case turned to see stairs that disappeared round a corner. They went up but they were the only open doorway right now.
"Let's go then," he said, grabbing Jenny's hand. "I'm with you Jenny." He said it for reassurance for himself as well as his sister but Jenny didn't take it well.
Jenny ripped her hand out of Case's. "I'm not a baby."
"Yes you are," said Case. Some things never changed, no matter what danger you were in from crazy guys in tights.
"Am not!" She ran past him and to the stairs. "Catch me if you can!"
Case looked around quickly. None of the goblins seemed to be doing anything other than making chaos. That worked for him. He ran towards the stairs and up them, calling Jenny.
"Case!" he suddenly heard her. "You won't believe this! Come quick!"
"Jenny?" He ran faster. "You all right?" He saw her at the top of the stairs now, in a doorway. She pulled her head out and looked to him.
"I'm fine!" she said, almost breathlessly. "Case, you've got to see it. It's like in the movie!"
"What do you mean?" he asked warily. There had been some creepy stuff like that huge orange guy in the movie that Jen would find awesome and Case would not like.
He caught up to Jenny and panting, leaned against the doorway.
There was a room through the doorway – which was no surprise - but it was the room itself that was so surprising. Case recognized it from the end of the movie. His dentist had had a picture similar to this room over the chair. It helped pass the time to study it as your teeth were taken care of. There were stairs and landings everywhere in every direction. Was there no gravity? He stepped tentatively out onto the landing into the room, holding on to Jenny's hand. His feet stayed nicely to the ground. He turned to Jenny and grinned. She grinned back.
"They'll never find us here," she giggled. "Betcha you can't catch me!"
Jenny then ran down a set of stairs and Case chased after her, shouting, "Can too!" He followed Jenny, and maybe perhaps it was because she was younger – or that she wished to be an astronaut, but she had no trouble in switching her direction of running to up or sideways or in reverse. He followed and he realized it didn't matter that he wasn't used to it in his mind – he didn't feel dizzy at all as he ran after Jenny upside down and swinging around a corner that ended sideways.
He felt amazing running all over. Spiderman isn't even like this, he thought as he caught up to Jenny. "I've got you!" he yelled as he grabbed her waist and wrestled her to the ground. "I win, Jenny!" He said, sitting on her back. "I win!"
"No fair! You cheated," She wiggled. "I-" Jenny broke off and seemed to be staring at something in front of her. Case looked up to see the Tights Guy towering over them. Case slid off of Jenny's back and she sat up and moved back next to Case.
Case didn't think of himself as a scaredy-cat (not like Elisa who screamed at ants) but he found the Tights Guy pretty creepy. And it wasn't because of the tights. His face looked cruel and he was just, intimidating.
The Tights Guy stared at them, and Case and Jenny stared back for a long moment before the Tights Guy said in what sounded like a British accent, "I didn't expect you to be so large. Your sister really is getting all she can with this, isn't she? Two instead of one, children instead of babes." He tilted his head, shaking it slightly.
"Where's Elisa?" asked Case.
"So you can talk," said the Tights Guy. "Another surprise. You must be Cathasach?" He otherwise ignored Case's question.
"Ca-saw--thuck?" repeated Case in confusion. "I'm Case."
Jenny seemed to recover her voice then, "Rule two Case! Remember what Elisa said, rule two!"
The Tights Guy turned to Jenny. "And you must be Gwenhwyfar, then."
Case turned to Jen, ignoring the Tights Guy. "We need to know where 'Lisa is Jenny. We already broke the rules – it doesn't matter." Jenny sighed, and Case turned to the Tights Guy and then asked again, "Where's Elisa?"
"Why does it matter?" The Tights Guy drawled.
"It matters because I'm going to miss High School Musical!" exclaimed Jenny.
The other eyebrow went up. "Perhaps you can explain this to me back where you're supposed to be for the next thirteen, - at least, - hours." A glass ball appeared in one of his hands and he threw it in the air and the area around them changed again. They were now back in the room where they started – the goblins seeming to be a little wary but still causing chaos. The Tights Guy then sat in his throne thing, while Jenny and Case stood in front of it.
"Ask away, Violent and White," said the Tights Guy. "You are the first we have had of the wished away that could talk, so speak up." He leaned back.
"What are we doing here?" asked Case. He was still holding Jenny's hand.
The Tights Guy rolled his eyes. "Your sister wished you away of course."
"She wouldn't have done that," Case declared. "She loves us."
"Oh really?" drawled the Tights Guy. He pulled out another crystal and held it up so that the brother and sister could peer in. They could see a small Elisa stomp towards smaller versions of themselves and say, 'I hate you!'
Case looked at Jenny; her lip was wobbling again. "So we're to become goblins then?" he asked.
"Perhaps, and perhaps not," said the Tights Guy. "Unfortunately your sister didn't accept my offer of me keeping you for eternity without charge. She's agreed to run the Labyrinth for you."
"Then she'll beat you and rescue us!" smiled Case. "Like the other girl did in the movie. She knows everything about this place!"
"Such a pity, then that the Labyrinth is different for every person and no one can know everything about It." said the Tights Guy. "She won't make it far, and that will leave you two with me."
Jenny shuddered and Case threw an arm around her. "We're not staying," he said firmly. Jenny then seemed to gather some courage as she declared, "Elisa is going to kick your butt, Mr. Tights Guy!"
"WHAT?" the Tights Guy bellowed. He stood up, towering over Case and Jenny. He then hissed, "What did you just call me?" The goblins stopped moving and it was very quiet.
"The Mr. Tights Guy?" asked Jenny hesitatingly. "That's who you are right? I mean, you do wear those Tights and that is what Elisa called you sometimes." Her eyes perked up and she seemed to forget her fear for a second, "Why do you wear tights?"
His face was really, really, scary. He leaned in close to Case and Jenny. "Listen," he hissed. "I am Jareth the Goblin King. You will address me as that and that only. Unless you wish to end up in the Bog of Eternal Stench – I'm sure your sister told you of that?"
"The stinky place?" Case couldn't help asking.
And then Case really thought he couldn't get any madder. "Yes, the stinky place!" bellowed Jareth. "Do you understand?"
"Yes sir!" They both said in unison, nodding fervently. They may have broken rule two but they were not going to break rule three!
"Good," said Jareth more calmly. "And for your obedience I'll even let you watch your sister – look she's just approaching the gates." He pulled out another crystal and it floated towards the center of the room, becoming larger as it went. All the goblins stopped to watch as Elisa's form materialized as she walked towards a rocky wall.
Jareth sat down, and motioned towards Jenny and Case to sit on the floor next to him and they did so. They started to watch Elisa but Jenny whispered in Case's ear before they really settled down, "He still didn't answer why he wears the tights."
Case could have sworn he heard Jareth mutter darkly, "They're not tights, damn it!"
Jenny and Case tend to be funnier characters. What did you think? Was this chapter filled with enough humor - or was it just normal?
Thanks again to all who read this story - please take the extra time to leave a review!
-Kore-of-Myth
Posted on 4-10-08