Chapter 21. Down the rabbit hole

Falling was such a familiar sensation, yet Sarah felt there was something missing as she hit rock walls and felt the sharp ends of jagged rocks tear into her coat and then her skin. What was missing, she wondered, what was not there to …help her… She landed with a dull thud at the bottom of the steep shaft. The incline was far to steep to allow her to climb back up, that is if she'd been able to move. She was conscious, aware of her surroundings and her predicament. 'Trap' her mind shouted to her. She'd heard the laugh as she plunged into the darkness, and now tried to remember the sound of that laugh. She knew she'd heard it before. Moments later she'd heard someone calling her name from above. Then a scream and she was landed on by something gone limp.

Sarah could not make out the voices talking above, but she didn't care about them. She was more concerned with who it was that had just landed on top of her. She reached into the pocket of her coat, remembering her little light on the end of the key ring she kept in the coat. Pressing the end she dreaded what she feared she'd see. The face was smudged with coal soot, there was a long dark gash on the side of the face, but it was unmistakable. Riha had come after her and had been assaulted by the same people who'd tossed her into the shaft. Only it didn't look like Riha had been as lucky as Sarah, she was unconscious, and very pale.

"Riha…" Sarah softly spoke her name. "Riha, open your eyes. Come on, open your eyes." Her voice trembled with fear as she spoke, trying to revive the Irish girl. Sarah didn't like the looks of the gash on Riha's face, nor the fact that it was bleeding so strongly. There were other injuries that she knew could be problems. She was worried that the girl had reinjured her leg. "Riha, come on, I need you to wake up."

The Irish girl coughed, and moaned. "Sarah?"

Sarah had taken the linen handkerchief out of her pocket and was dabbing lightly at the gash, trying to see how much damages were done. "Sit still dear," She warned. "You've got a nasty gash here, and I'm trying to see how bad it really is." she kept dabbing. "Did you hurt your leg again in the fall?"

"No, " Riha moaned. "I don't think so."

Sarah held the penlight and looked at the gash. "This is going to need stitches, but I've got it cleaned off as best I could." She looked down at her cousin's eyes, "What did you come out here for?"

"To warn you…" Riha laughed, "Looks like I came too late."

Sarah brushed the hair off her cousin's face. "Oh Riha…." She moved the light, flashing it over her cousin, "Can you sit up?"

The girl complied and looked about the cavernous pit. "We're stuck?"

"Yep." Sarah shook her head as she huddled close to her cousin. "At least we're out of the elements… they were talking about snow…."

Riha huddled close, "I'm already cold."

Sarah nodded and pulled herself even closer. "Keep talking."

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Jareth drove onto the campus early on Valentines morning. He found his men working on the renovations to Bell hall. He waved at Hog, his crew chief. "Seen Sarah this morning?"

Hog shook his head, "Not her or Riha… they must be sleeping in."

Jareth looked up to the rooms above the hall. He smiled at the thought of Sarah asleep, so near. He walked up the steps and greeted the security guard. "Have you seen the girls?" He pointed to the loft.

The guard frowned. "They're not here." He said with a huff. "Never came home last night."

"Came home from where?" Jareth became concerned and grabbed the guards arm.

"I don't know." The guard said not enjoying this treatment.

Jareth left him and moved back down toward the construction crew. "Did anyone see Sarah yesterday? Or Riha?"

Tim was pulling a sheet of dry wall from the truck. "I saw Sarah yesterday… drove her up toward the ski lodge, late yesterday afternoon. Left her off near the old mine camp." He called.

One of the other men told Jareth he'd driven Riha up to the camp. Jareth went back to the guard. "I have to get into the studio; do you have a spare key?"

The guard, now alert that this was a serious matter nodded, leading the way they both went up to the studio taking the stairs two at a time. They opened the door, began searching the room for a clue. Jareth found the note sitting on the table. "I didn't write this…" He said his heart racing. Sarah, his Sarah was in danger and he had to move swiftly.

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They had kept talking, until they were hoarse, and then could talk no more. Slowly each of the girls gave into sleep. Strange dreams plagued Sarah, shafts, long and dark, but with a thousand hands holding onto her as she plummeted to the base of a pit. Strange voices, hoops and howls, surrounded her. She felt turned around, and lost. She was surrounded by walls, walls that kept changing their positions. And a voice kept teasing her, 'Even if you find the center, you'll never get out again.' It taunted over and over. She was running most of the time in the dream, and then she was not. She was holding onto a tree, trying not to lose her balance. Somewhere in the distance she could see a figure, waiting for her, a hand stretched out and a voice calling to her. His voice, Jareth.

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Jareth drove the winding road like a madman, he was certain Sarah was in trouble. In the car, alone he drew a crystal, and commanded it show him the girl. He could see her and the Irish girl as well. Her face was troubled, and smudged with coal dust.

Hog, Lou and Shamus followed with a truck that had equipment they might need to rescue the girls.

"I'm coming Sarah." He said aloud. "I'm coming."

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Still in the dream, Sarah moved closer to the outstretched hand, shyly placing her's in it. "You found me." She said softly.

"Of course," Jareth said confidently. "I will always find you."

Sarah looked at him; his garments were different, like some kind of costume. She looked around and the woods she'd been in were gone. They were in some kind of pavilion. "I don't like it here." She said suddenly, pulling away from him. "I don't want to be here."

Jareth smiled at her, it was a cold icy smile. "But here is all there is, Sarah."

She could hear snickers. "No." she closed her eyes, balling her fists and raising them to her temples. "No, I won't do this… I don't want to be here. You're asking too much!"

"I ask so little." His voice was fading.

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Jareth looked around and saw the foot prints in the slush. The predicted snow had not arrived, and the prints were still clearly visible; "Hog! This way." He cried as the other pulled in. He followed the tracks like an expert hunter. "Bring rope!" He saw the muddy mess at the entrance of the shaft that had a covering pried away and missing. "Damn, who did that?"

Hog and Lou were racing behind him with ropes, flashlights and other equipment, Shamus was getting the first aid kit as he felt they may need it.

Jareth turned to Hog who handed him a large heavy duty lantern. Jareth switched it on and peered down the shaft. "Sarah! Sarah! Are you down there? Answer me, girl! Are you down there?"

Sarah stirred, hearing her name.

"Sarah!" the voice called again.

"Jareth." She said softly, her throat raw from all the talking she and Riha had done the night before. "Jareth…I'm here… we're here."

He took a deep breath, she was there, and alive. "Are you hurt?" He called down.

"Bruised mostly… but Riha's hurt." She looked at her cousin and tried to wake her. "I can't wake her." Her voice sounded fearful even to her.

"I'm coming down, darling." He was tying the rope about himself, like an expert mountain climber or spelunker. He took the first aid kit that Shamus handed him and moving back wards began to lower him-self into the pit with the lantern tied to an end of rope. "Keep talking darling."

"I must have hit my head…I was having the strangest of dreams." She said huddling close to her cousin. "I was lost and could not get back, it was all so weird."

He was nearly at the bottom of the shaft. "I'm here now, and we'll get you out."

"Jareth, Riha's badly hurt, much worse than I am…and… she's ill." Sarah pulled her cousin close not to be stepped on.

Jareth knelt down and set the lantern down so he could see better. "What do you mean she's ill?" Gently he took the Irish girl's face into his leather clad hands. "What's wrong with Riha?"

Sarah whispered. "I don't know, but she told me she's going home to Ireland to die."

Jareth looked at Sarah, his face stern. "I see." He looked at the Irish girl. "She's pretty banged up; did she injure her leg again?"

"No, thank God."

Taking a small walkie talkie from his pocket he pressed the button and spoke to the men above. "Hog get an ambulance; Lou stay there, and Shamus call the police and alert the school we've found the girls." He released the button and then looked at Sarah. "Are you alright?" She nodded, but her eyes looked fearful. He sighed. "Didn't you find it strange that I didn't come to take you here? That I expected you to find a way to get out here?"

Embarrassed and Feeling guilty Sarah rasped out, "I didn't think about it…" she looked down. "I was just excited that you were back."

Resting his hand on one upraised knee, Jareth looked at the girl. "Sarah," he sighed, thinking he had best get her where she was safe.

"I know, it was stupid," Sarah agreed. The gloved hand cupped her chin, and she gasped, pulling away. "You've done that before…haven't you?"

"Often," He said sensing she was starting to remember. "Don't fight it, Sarah. Let the memories come."

"No." she closed her eyes. "No, I don't want to remember."

"Yes you do its part of you…part of us." He said softly, glad the Irish girl could not hear them. "You have to remember, my darling… you have to accept, just as I had to." His hand moved past the chin and now was on her throat. "Face it Sarah, face it."

"I hate you!" she wailed. "I hate you."

"No you don't." He murmured as he moved closer. "You never did."

She pulled back, pressed to the wall. "I wanted to forget… I wished… I wished…"

"It won't work anymore," he warned. "I've bound your wishing powers for now." He moved closer still. "Now, Sarah. Who am I?"

She tried to look away, but his hand pulled her face back and she had to look at him only inches from her face. "Jareth…The Goblin King." She said dejectedly, "My enemy."

"No, darling, not your enemy….your lover," his voice went soft with emotions. "The man you declared your love to and promised yourself to under the stars."

"That was Jareth King, not you." She argued. "Is this some kind of sick game, Jareth?"

"No game, love." He kissed her nose. "And I intend to hold you to all your promises."

"Forget it," she growled angrily. "Once I'm out of this hole, I'm going to get as far away from you as I can, Goblin King!"

Riha stirred, but neither the man nor the woman arguing heard her. The voices disturbed her, and the word Goblin had reached her. Her eyes fluttered and she listened.

"You'll never get away from me, Sarah." He said darkly. "No more than you'll ever truly be free of the Labyrinth!"

"Why can't you leave me alone! I won… I won." Sarah was trying to shove his hand back from her.

"Did you? Or did I let you?" He asked temper rising. "Think about it Sarah, just think."

"I beat you! I made it though the Labyrinth to the castle!" She bellowed at him.

"Yes, you made it to the castle… and you won back the boy… or so you thought." Jareth taunted her in a tone that told her he was at an end of patience. "You can't win against the Labyrinth Sarah. It has too many traps, too many ensnarements! You were bitten by a Fairy, you spent time breathing in its air! You ate of its food, as did your brother."

"You fed him?" She growled. "You fed him Fae food?"

"Of course I did," He smirked. "You didn't think I'd let the tyke starve did you?" He ducked her arm as it swung at him. "I never intended to give either of you up. The moment you stepped out of the window, and into my realm you became mine!"

"You lying bastard." Sarah snapped. "You double crossing lying bastard."

"I never lied; I just didn't tell you everything." He corrected. The walkie talkie at his shoulder squawked. "Yes?"

"The ambulance is here." Hog's voice called out.

"Hog…" Sarah looked at Jareth, "Hoggle?" He nodded. Sarah groaned. "How is this possible?" she buried her face in her hands, no longer worried about the coal dust they were covered in.

"Sarah, there is no time for explanations now," He warned as he motioned to movement above. "They are sending down a stretcher on a cable to strap Riha in. Once we have everyone out of this… Rabbit hole, we'll settle all scores."

Riha moaned.

Sarah watched as Jareth guided the stretcher down, gently he lifted the Irish girl into it, and strapped her in. He tugged the rope and it was hulled up. He turned to her, now standing beside him watching the stretcher go upward. His hand snaked about her waist, "She'll be alright." He promised.

Sarah looked up at him. "Let go of me." She ordered.

The straw snapped and the King returned to his senses. He spun her to face him, his arms like steel bands. "I warned you once, little girl…" his patience was spent. He was now consumed with nothing more than irritation, annoyance, and edginess. Impulsively he forced her face upward and took possession of her mouth. Even as she fought him, he found the weakness she didn't want anyone to know she had. Her struggles ceased as he overpowered her senses. He murmured into her mouth. "I told you I could be cruel." He deepened the kiss, taking command and making his dominance known. She responded, as he knew she would. He murmured something again, deeply and darkly in a growl into her mouth and all she heard was "All night long."

The button squawked, and a voice said. "Boss, are you ready?"

Sarah felt her quickened pulse, and her panting breath, and she looked at him, slightly panicked.

Pressing his body to hers, making sure she felt the growing bulge and its heat. "I'm beyond ready." He threatened. Into the mic he called out, "Send down the rope, we're coming up."