--- Oh my goodness gracious, I am soooo awful. I apologize for not putting up anything in over a year. I started writing this chapter last Christmas and only now (19 November, 2004) just finished. Forgiveness? Please? Actually, I'm asking more from Sam and Fred and Chremslied than y'all. No joke, last month Chremslied appeared while I was popping something in the microwave, sat down at the table, looked me straight in the eyes, and told me (quite gently in a steely sort of way) that I need to get my rear in gear and write the stuff down. ---
Disclaimer: Original lines from LABYRINTH are used but do not have quotes signifing which ones they are. I recognize that I did not create them but that the engenius script writer did. I use them only to further the plot and take no credit for them. The original characters: Jareth, Sarah, Hoggle, and Co. do not belong to me, they belong to Jim Henson. (Yes, I'm being very careful with the disclaimer stuff, copyright's a bugger and as all my people remind me, I must make sure to get the story out without having to worry about that extra stress).
Chapter the Sixth
Sarah took about two steps in the hallway, then stopped. Outside she could hear the rain and occasional thunder blast. Inside she heard the ticking of the grandfather clock and the house's own peculiar groanings. She did not hear Toby crying.
Since when did babies stop crying mid-cry? "Toby?" she called and went back into the room. She tried the light, but it didn't come on. She flicked it several times. Must've blown out, she thought nervously.
Suddenly she heard a noise from the crib. The blanket contorted several times, then lay still. Hesitantly, she approached the crib. Holding her hand to her mouth she whispered, "Toby?" There was no response.
Chiding herself, she quickly pulled back the blanket. A low mewling came from her throat as she backed away from the crib.
The empty crib.
As if on cue lightening flashed and thunder sounded, accompanied by a racket at the window. Jumping around Sarah saw a white owl trying to get inside.
"What in the..." she started, but was stopped by an eerie chuckle.
Turning swiftly she saw a shadow disappear behind the chest of drawers. 'It's just the lightening making funny pictures,' she tried to tell herself. From the corner of her eye, Sarah could see a lump move underneath the covers of the bed.
Spinning around to confront the snickerings, Sarah saw nothing. The owl continued to flap against the window-pane as Sarah twisted around in place trying to see what couldn't be there.
'So this is what it's like to go crazy,' she felt a terrible smirk start to slither onto her face.
A whip crack of lightening darted outside the window, illuminating the room like the Fourth of July. Simultaneously, a raucous blast of thunder sent her hair end just as the window flew open.
Feeling like one of the "See No Evil" monkeys, Sarah threw her hands over her face. Concentrating on the ground she prayed that the owl wouldn't ram into her.
Thunder, snickering, and flapping wings assaulted her ears. Wind blew against her body like a small gale. On the floor a shadow began creeping toward her.
Sarah lowered her hands; stepping away from the shadow, she allowed her eyes to travel the length of the floor. Up a fine pair of leather boots. Up a pair of tight gray pants. Up a shiny black waistcoat. Over the gold sickle with crystal necklace...to the oval face and long, moonlight blond hair.
"Errr," her mouth said.
'Hell no! Hell no! Inconceivable! This isn't real!' her mind said.
The man stood in a Peter Pan/Superman pose as if waiting for her to say something.
Blurting out a cleaner version of her thoughts, Sarah heard her words, and winced. "I hope you won't find me terribly rude, but would you be so kind as to tell me who you are because you can't be, I mean..."
A soft, not quite aristocratic, silken British voice replied, "You know very well who I am," as he took a step toward her and folded his arms across his chest.
The cream sleeves and black gloves registered somewhere in the back of Sarah's mind. She felt her head tip forward, jaw dropping. "You really are him aren't you? You're the Goblin King!"
'Captain Obvious hath spoken folks,' her mind sneered.
'Oh, shut-up! But that means—'
"Please. Um, you would not happen to have anything to do with the occurance of Toby's sudden, inexplicable non-existence within his cradle would you?" Sarah babbled.
She felt like smacking herself in the face. 'For once a character comes to life and all you can do is sound like some cheerleader trying out all the ten cent SAT words!'
"'Cause I'd like to know where he is if you do."
Valiantly she ordered her mouth to stop moving. To her amazement and pleasure, it did what she told it.
"You know very well where he is," the Goblin King chuckled, the right corner of his mouth quirking upwards.
'What is he? Some kind of mind reader?'
"Oh, well. In that case...could you maybe Bring Him Back?!" Her hands moved with every syllable, her voice becoming sarcastic by the last words.
In the dim light, she saw his eyebrows arch. "Sarah," he moved his right-foot forward and started to lift his left hand, "go back to your room. Play with your toys and your costumes. Forget about the baby."
A little flabbergasted, Sarah huffed, "Uh, no." She decided to add in a glare for good measure.
For a long moment, the two locked gazes: the Goblin King clearly seeing every aspect of Sarah's face whilst Sarah hoped that she was making eye contact with the Goblin King since his face was shadowed.
In a dramatic gesture, the Goblin King flourished his right hand while dropping his left to the side. "Sarah, I've brought you," a crystal sat glowing on his fingertips, "a gift."
She turned her head and cut her eyes. "What is it?"
"Just a crystal," he shrugged. "Nothing more. But if you turn it this way and look into it...it will show you your dreams."
As he spoke he began to juggle. First in his palm, then on the back of his hand. Back and forth, back and forth.
"But this is not a gift," he passed it to his left in the same sliding manner, "for an ordinary girl," his right, his left, "who takes care," his right, "of a screaming baby." He brought it up to his fingertips in a halt, "Do you want it?"
'Shoot, I want to learn how to Do that!' her hand began to move forward.
"Then forget about the baby," he smiled.
Lightening flashed outside once more. Sarah clenched her fist, gritting her teeth. "You know that I'd be lying if I said 'no.' But, no. I want my brother back more, if it's all the same to you."
The Goblin King's lips twitched ever so slightly. With a light toss of his head, he scoffed and, turning his hand ever so slightly, the crystal turned into a snake.
Sarah's eyes widened.
"Sarah," he spoke gently, "don't defy."
As though in mockery of his tone, the snake flew to her neck as he effortlessly tossed it. Horrified, Sarah grasped as it wrapped itself 'round her neck. The texture swiftly changed from that of scales to silk as what had once been a snake dropped from her hand to the floor as a scarf.
The scarf bundled in and shook itself. Underneath appeared a green goblin head with glowing red eyes. The goblin snickered like the rest of his brethren, skittering off into the shadows of the room.
A look of perplexity crossed Sarah's visage. Quickly she turned to face the chortling behind her, only to witness draws slamming shut and cloth moving to mark the goblins' departures. More slowly she again faced the Goblin King with a look of annoyance on her face.
"You're no match for me Sarah," he said, just a little mockingly.
She tilted her head, "Well, maybe that's true. Still doesn't change the fact that I need to get my baby brother back from you."
The King of the Goblin's racked his eyes over her once more in a reappraisal. A grin twisted his lips as he pivoted, motioning with a flourish out the window. "He's there, in my castle."
Approaching the window, Sarah took in the site. A classical medieval castle spired in the air as though from a fairy story. Towers and turrets there were, and spire and domes. The vaguest outlines of pennants on rooftops stood out against the dimly light sky. The rest of the area was shrouded in shadow.
Awestruck she whispered, "Is that the Castle Beyond the Goblin City?" She turned back toward him.
Instead of the room there was now brown sky and a barren hillside. Wind still whistled, but it was no longer storming. Just terribly, terribly overcast. A twisted tree stood to the left and small brambles dotted the ground. The Goblin King took a step toward her.
"Turn back Sarah, turn back before it's too late."
"I can't. Can't you see that I can't?"
"What a pity."
He walked up until he was just behind her left shoulder looking down on her in such a way that Sarah couldn't be sure if he was being serious about the last comment or not. 'Not that it matters if he was being serious or not. I have to get Toby back.'
"Doesn't look that far," she said, turning back to the castle.
"It's further than you think, and time is short."
Jerking her head back, she through him a querying glance. Something caught in her peripheral vision. Turning to better see the glint, Sarah saw an antique clock caught up in the branches of the twisted tree. However, instead of reading the normal twelve hours, there were thirteen.
"You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth," he said sternly, "before your baby brother become one of us," here her eyes widened, "forever."
'One of them? And what did he mean about a labyrinth?'
As Sarah's mind threw up ponderings to his statements, the Goblin King began slowly backing away. Much to her amazement, he also began to disappear with each step he took.
Right before he completely vanished from sight, she heard him murmur. "Such a pity."