Child March
by silverymare.
Disclaimer: The Labyrinth belongs to Jim Henson. I don't own any thing except plot and new characters. Written for idnh_azuresky for the Labyrinth Fic Exchange '08-'09.
Prompt: "Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep." A character from Labyrinth cannot sleep and ventures out of his/her bed – a very dangerous move, as all know.
When, lo, as they reached the mountain-side,
A wondrous portal opened wide,
As if a cavern was suddenly hollowed;
And the Piper advanced and the children followed,
And when all were in to the very last,
The door in the mountain-side shut fast.
- Lines 226- 231. Robert Browning, Pied Piper of Hamelin.
The music stopped and I stood still,
And found myself outside the hill,
Left alone against my will,
To go now limping as before,
And never hear of that country more!
- Lines 251-255. Robert Browning. Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Sarah woke with a start, tears drying on her eyelashes.
She knew it was still night-time, for her room was cloaked in shadow and moonlight was streaming through the window. When she realised the lateness of the night, her eyes threatened to close themselves so she could go back to that strange dream. There had been something about a welcoming land just beyond her reach, loosing Toby, too many goblins and a recognizable room. It'd felt so familiar – like something like that had happened before.
A faint tune crept in through the crack of her bedroom door and distracted her, halting the irresistible lull to fall back asleep and tread the dream path. She could hear a song playing downstairs and for a moment, while she enjoyed the feel of being completely surrounded by warmth, she dismissed it as Karen's choice on the radio. She closed her eyes again and pressed her cheek to her soft pillow, relaxing.
It sounds a bit familiar. Like I've heard it in a dream…
But she stiffened when she realised that it wasn't the pluck of a guitar that she was hearing. Dread unfurled from deep down inside of her stomach.
No, that's not right.
That was the sound of a flute. A gentle,lilting tune that coaxed her to let go of her bed sheets, though her toes tingled with the bite of the night air, and slide out of bed. The trail of light shining through guided her to the bedroom door. Still in that world of wakeful sleepiness, Sarah tried to recall where she'd heard the tune before, her head tilted just ever so slightly. It was almost a lullaby but it moved her feet, and she was surprised when she found herself in the corridor.
The light was on downstairs, and from the landing, the song came more clearly to her, whispering like a familiar friend speaking of secrets, slowly tying itself alongside Sarah's heartbeat. It spoke of the soft fur of teddy bears and the contained warmth of flickering firelight. Strawberry tart fingers at a spring picnic. Falling asleep on the grass and being carried to bed. Lifting her head to hear the strained melody, she tried to catch the words twined in the music.
The song trilled, and she couldn't help taking a deep breath, as if she was about to dive into a pool. Something, something was on the edge of her consciousness…
She closed her eyes to listen. The song grew excited and she didn't notice it wrapping itself around her legs.
Monster romps under the dinner table and bed sheet castles. Sarah could feel the silky sheets trailing through her hands, and took another step forward. Playing tricks on parents, stuffing a giggle with a hand and running away before they could catch her. A curling smile lifted her lips. She used to do that a lot. High-pitched laughter and the feeling of being twirled around in the air by strong arms, plucked at her heart. It'd been a long time since anyone had hugged her. An eon since she'd asked for one. She'd grown up. Grownups didn't need to be comforted when they cried; no one picked them up when they fell down. But the song wrapped warm arms around her and patted her head comfortingly.
Weak against such promises, it made it harder for Sarah to move against the melody, and she gave up after a while. Deep down inside, that childish glee she never forgot, chuckled at being loosened. Remembering the well-worn path of her childhood, she smiled, alone in the hallway. The music reminded her of the days when there was always someone else watching her stand on her tip-toes, twirling in a new dress. She'd been treated with coffee kisses on the cheek and felt tender hands sweeping her hair from her eyes. Sarah swayed, her feet nudging her towards the beginning of the stairs. Nothing had scared her. Nothing couldn't be overcome.
Dad… he used to do that when I was small. She could almost hear his chuckle in the music. She took two steps, and then stopped. The smell of hairspray and lavender floated into her senses, making her lick her lips, concentrating. She'd almost forgotten this scent. Her forehead knit together. She'd almost forgotten. And, and- Mum... she used to tuck me i- no.
Not Mum… Linda.
Grasping the banister with her cold hands, Sarah steadied herself. She opened her eyes, blinked once and brushed the back of her hand against her eyes. They were wet. That part of her still hurt, and no amount of music could sooth the raw pain. No, her childhood had ended with her mother's choice.
Linda.
The name cut her as if she'd tried press severed bits of glass into her hand, knowing it would hurt, yet unable to stop. It was enough to drag her out of the melody and Sarah couldn't help pursing her lips, while her tongue recoiled inside her mouth. The sweet melody tried to coax her back, coating her tongue with honey, stroking it to stillness. But that name jarred her and she found she couldn't return, like the sleepwalker who'd broke the dream string.
Suddenly, she wondered why she was in the hallway. Her feet were pointing towards the downstairs steps but it felt wrong to go down that way now. Shifting her weight, Sarah couldn't help feeling as if something was holding her down. Her shoulders were heavy, though she tried to roll the pressure away. It felt bad all of a sudden. As if the melody - that was still tickling her ear - hadn't meant for her to be listening. Because to remember her childhood was to lead to Linda and to remember soaked sleeves, begging and long nights spent with the pillow over her head, wondering what was wrong with her that Mum would leave. Her lip was bleeding from the effort to stop the unbidden tears.
No. No. This was someone else's song. She leant over, though her eyesight was blurred and hazy, craning her head to see who was playing. Who was causing this pain? The song still brushed against her, as if a child was pulling on her sleeve, begging for her attention. She let it touch her, but her curiosity proved stronger. She had to find out. Where was the music coming from? She only needed to look over the banister. She bent over.
Sarah's brown-doe eyes widened. Cold fingers slipped down her back, and every inch of her came awake. Her nails dug into the wood varnish, didn't notice the crescent marks she was carving. With her nerve-ends singing, her head screamed for a fistfight or a quick dart back into her safe bed and to hide under the covers. This was too unnatural.
A multitude of children cavorted, jumped and danced downstairs.
Every space in the lounge room was taken up by children of different ages. Babies lined up on the couch wailed and shook clenched fists at pillow jails. A ten-year old was playing with Karen's antique lamp, switching it on and off. Some kids were even hanging off paintings, scrabbling up those long curtains and swinging off them, as agile as acrobats in a circus. She watched, gripped in place by the song, as twin boys rubbed sleep from their eyes from their spot at the bottom of the stairway. Amazed and rather frightened, Sarah watched as a girl appeared from behind the couch, when there was no way she would have fit even if they'd been playing hide-and-seek. The little girl's mouth was open, and it looked like she'd been in the middle of a tantrum. Abruptly, the girl jumped with the music's suggestion, closed her mouth and joined the two boys. Linking hands, they ambled towards the front door. Everywhere else, Sarah watched as children appeared and then joined a flowing stream that moved its way out of the door and into the street.
It was a procession. A marching band of children.
Unable to stop following them with her eyes, she noticed one child in the middle of the parade. She'd missed him earlier, for there were so many kids causing havoc. It was easy, several other boys and girls were the same shade of blond, same build and height. He was ambling along, a bit unsteady and to her horror, she realised he was sleep-walking. As each time he staggered, both hands were firmly helped up. There was no going back. Sarah despaired, for that familiar head of straw yellow was one she'd just coaxed to sleep not long ago.
"Toby!"
He'd just learnt how to walk today, without too much support from her arms or the coffee table edge. She'd been so proud. With her yell, the song's hold cracked, and she found herself able to move. She watched his head bob, disappear for a second, only to get back to his feet. His outreached hand grabbed a little girl's dress and held on as two others helped pull him up.
"Toby! Toby!" she called, but to no avail. He was kept straight on his path. From the kitchen, she could hear the sounds of pots and pans being played like drums. She ignored the din, calling as loud as she could.
"TOBY!"
She almost toppled over the banister in her efforts to claim his attention, her arm stretched as far as she could. She waved frantically but the music surged up once again, stronger and wilful, and drowned her pleas out. He was getting too far away and the song morphed into a wild, dancing jig, and with every enthusiastic step, Toby came closer to waltzing out of the front door.
With both eyes on Toby and only one hand to steady herself on the handrail, Sarah continued to cry out, hoping her voice would reach him. Striving against the wave of magic, for now she realised that it could only be magic, she tried to wade her way down the stairs. Step after step, she found herself going down one level, sidestep a wall, brush against a electrical pulse that made goose bumps rise on her arms. It was like travelling through a sea of glaze and shimmer, for when they came into contact with Sarah's body, the resistance clung until she broke through, only to be hampered by the next streak. Every step was difficult and she cursed the maker who was deliberately stopping her from reaching her brother.
You have no power over me. You have no power over me. You have no power over me…
She kept the mantra up in her head, finding it easier to step clear than if she didn't think it. She didn't dare say the words out loud, for deep down inside, Sarah was still afraid of that person's appearance. If he was here thenit confirmed that nagging feeling in the back of her head and that heavy drop in her gut. If the Goblin King was here in her house, she didn't understand the game he wanted to play. There was no book this time. No offering of dreams. No, this could be a different type of magic, because this wasn't usually the way he chose to work. Sarah thought he'd been made of all poof, glitter and goblins, but, if she said the words, and he showed up…
You have no power over me.
She gritted her teeth, and tried to run.
YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME.
"Toby!"
The fabric gave, and she found herself moving too fast for her body to control. She tripped over a step's edge and her feet tangled up, not touching solid footing. Dropping her hands from the handrail to steady herself; she lost her balance, spinning, rolling and tumbling down the last steps. She hit the carpet hard, and it took the breath out of her. For the quickest of seconds, her body lay still before she stirred herself. Looking up despite the sunburst of pain in her right temple, Sarah immediately tried to spot her little brother. When she'd fallen, her eyes had lost sight of Toby. She didn't feel the bruise that was starting to bloom on her cheek.
Please don't let him be taken. Please!
Scanning the childish revelry, her eyes felt drawn to her left. She tried to fight it, because Toby was somewhere in front of her but the magic was strongest here. A strong river current of tripping, energetic harmony, it was irresistible. She tried to fight it, wanting to keep her eyes on Toby, but she was trapped herself. Her head turned unwillingly, but the gasp that came out was all her own.
In the alcove under the stair and perched on her father's walnut table, was the Goblin King with a panpipe at his lips. It might have been seductive in those forbidden dreams she swore she never dreamed, especially when her eyes couldn't help following the way those lips caressed the pipe, but she still noticed his eyes were slits of concentration. Jareth's gaze wasn't on her, but on the children. Cursing herself for not listening to her gut, Sarah tried to recover her breath. She partially blamed her father for the Goblin King surprise. The alcove was a blind spot that couldn't be seen from the second storey of the house and her father had insisted on placing the table for his writing there. She should've known a place where stories were created would be the King's choice of seating.
"Oh god, it's you." Bile filled her mouth, and every part of her bristled, waiting for a fight. Her fingers dug into the carpet, readying herself for whatever he threw at her.
He didn't even deign to look her way. She was visibly shaken that he'd not even bothered to acknowledge her. It took a few more seconds of staring for her to realise it. Unable to help herself, brown eyes followed his line of vision.
He was watching Toby.
She spotted her brother's smiling face and knew that His Majesty's attention was on each tumbling step. Each note in the song coaxed the boy to get to his feet, when the one and a half year old would have given up much earlier. Jareth was playing that dreadful pipe, that sweet bone flute that was dancing the children out the door.
Summoning up her bravery, Sarah got to her feet, and made an awkward lunge across the room for the instrument. For if he couldn't play, the music would break. She swayed, trying not to crash into the hordes of children but it made her slow and easy to avoid. As she came close, he nimbly side-stepped her, leaping off the table and weaving behind a stream of toddlers. She stumbled to the floor, feeling clumsy and ill at ease. She ignored the grazing on her knees. She tried two more times, charging herself at him, only to be unsuccessful. There were too many children and she was still feeling weighed down. At her third try, she nicked his blue coat edge between her fingers and clung on for life. It felt like touching an electrical current as her muscles screamed in agony.
He shook her free and played on.
Seeing it was useless to fight off an unnatural being and made wary by his jacket, Sarah ran towards the children instead. She had to get Toby and the rest of the children away. If they walked out that door and into the street, she knew he'd find some way of carrying them to the Labyrinth. She grabbed a little Asian girl, pulling her away from the dancing line. Finding herself away from everyone else, the child kicked and screamed in Sarah's ear. When Sarah refused to let her go, running as far away from the marching children as possible, the little girl began to rain blows onto Sarah's back and everywhere else she could reach.
Putting the child on the floor and holding her there, Sarah tried to talk before resorting to yelling over the sobbing cries.
"Stop it! Stop it! Listen to me! Don't follow them. Don't go where the music tells you to go!" She tried so hard to get the girl to listen to her, but the child refused to stop moving, even reaching out and wailing to the other children who were passing her by. The girl's grubby hand stretched out for her playmates but not one little one watched them curiously, instead all bobbed along to the melody. Watching them, Sarah felt her throat constrict.
Finding her captor momentarily weakened, the little girl bit Sarah's hand. At the pain, Sarah let go of the child, one hand immediately covering the other. The girl child scrabbled to her feet, before hastily disappearing into the dance again. Trying very hard to ignore the pain, Sarah tried furtively to drag four more others away, but those chosen were too strong for her. Even getting to Toby was impossible. She tried to push her way through and touch her brother but she had no luck as more and more children appeared in the room. The gap between Toby and Sarah widened and she faltered as she was forced back by mischievous, bony fingers poking her sides and legs. All around her, Sarah could hear the triumph in Jareth's song. It only made her more determined to save the children.
Her eyes were still tracking Toby. She was lucky. Having just learned how to walk, Toby was frequently stopping in the middle of the procession and sitting down for a break. His companions flowed around him, but a few lingered beside the little boy, waiting to catch up his chubby fingers again and rejoin the play. Sarah's stomach was sick with the knowledge she was losing.
"Toby!"
While she was watching Toby with growing despair, a particularly stern note trilled and two children detached themselves away from the procession. Sarah stared as they ran towards her, moving much like dogs or deer were wont to do, moving on their hands and feet. When they pinned her arms to her sides, she found herself frog-marched back to the Goblin King's side. There, they held her, forcing her to watch. She tried talking to the two holding her, reasoning, pleading, reminding them of their parents, but it was as if none of that mattered. They were under Jareth's rule completely.
Wretched, traitorous tears fell from her eyes. There was nothing she could physically do. No one would listen to her words. No one cared about what she was trying to tell them. She was the only one who seemed immune and aware. Her mind raced, trying to think why. When she's come out she'd been caught up in the magic. Trying to get her way downstairs, she's been thinking something all along. And finding Jareth, there was only one sentence that could stop him in his tracks. Desperate, she whispered the words.
"You have no power over me."
And with those words, a great wind seemed to rise around the living room; kicking up desert sand over the small figures. She would have lifted an arm to shade her vision but the room soon righted itself, all traces of sand gone. Sarah had to blink a few times before her eyes would see clearly. She'd been blinded by the brightness of the sand. The haze of magic was lifted off. To her horror, the image of children faded away along with the Labyrinth sand.
In their place, were goblins.
Goblins were holding Toby's hands. Frolicking on her couch, gnawing the rugs and holding her arms with clawed fingers and missing limbs. Even the little Asian girl that Sarah had first pulled away was a round blue ball that licked its lips when Sarah stared at it with terror. Everywhere, the sounds of jubilant yells, growls and yelps could be heard. A rock band seemed to be playing in the kitchen. Realising that they weren't covered by the Labyrinth's glamourie, the goblins no longer restrained themselves. Some did as they wished, bouncing around and wagging their tongues.
Sarah didn't care about them. They didn't matter. It didn't matter if they tried to bother her. No. Her eyes were watching Toby, whose hand was reaching for a goblin's rattle. Two larger goblins, their heads would've reached her shoulder, dangled rattles and sweets in front of Toby, promising, exactly like the song has promised Sarah, happiness.
"Toby… n-no."
From her place, she was also in the best position to see the front door. It was open, and through it, where she'd normally see the porch, ragged garden and the strip of road that was theirs, instead were those familiar stone maze walls of the Labyrinth. A shiver went through her as she realised that the goblins still in the marching line were leaping into that weft of the world. Her stomach dropped and she gagged, choking on air. To think it had been so easy for Jareth to do this!
Her eyes dragged themselves away from counting how many heads were disappearing through her front door, and instead gazed at the King beside her. He was causing all of this. Villain, once again. In her dreams, he'd been more than that but right now; she knew she'd been wrong. There was nothing human in this monster who stole Toby from his cot. The master of the Labyrinth was next to her, just a hand-span away from her. But she was restrained; no amount of wrenching limbs or curses was helping. And the music, heard over the din of goblin mischief, played on.
Sarah's head, still running high on fear and adrenaline, was demanding answers. Why is he here? What's made him come back and torment us like this again? She viciously kicked the goblin to her right, but he didn't budge. They'd been so easy to defeat in the Goblin City. He'd been so simple to destroy. Just a couple of lines and hadn't she won?
The dance was moving faster now, as if she'd been the sour bar that had been edited out. All around her, the goblins that were chewing the ends of pencils and crank calling on the phone slowly trickled out of the room. The music was lessening, as more jumped the gap into the Labyrinth. She watched as Toby ended up at the end of the line, slowest of all. He was the last to approach the door. As one foot touched the edge, hesitant and unsure, Sarah screamed, her heart ripping itself out.
"TOBY!"
He was going to cross the threshold and there was nothing she could do. Her eyes bore into his tiny figure, her neck strained as far forwards as possible. Her heart was surrendering and her mind, realising this was the end, scrabbled to burn as much of this last glimpse as possible.
"Toby, I love you." She loved him so much. So, so very much that she wanted to die.
Just as he crossed, the little boy turned to look back one last time at his home. His beautiful blue eyes swept across the living room, gazed for a second at the tall King, before widening at seeing his older sister there. He stood still, wondering why her eyes were begging him not to move. That familiar brown gaze was spilling over with love and he could hear her whispering his name over and over again. The song tugged on his sleeve, as did the goblins at the tips of his fingers, but Toby looked over her one last time.
Seeing him stop there, Sarah took a shuddering breath.
Toby gave her a gurgling smile. Easily dropping the hand of a goblin, he waved to her. She rocked forward, choking on her tears, realising he was saying goodbye. The two last goblins struggled to keep her standing where she was. The beaked goblin on her right kicked Sarah behind her knees, and she dropped to the carpet. She gasped again as salty tears blurred her vision but she tilted her head up and kept staring as hard as she could, watching Toby turn back to his path. Slowly, those shaky feet stepped over the line and his arms were helped across the divide.
She never stopped calling his name, telling that slowly disappearing speck how much she adored him. She was still staring as his blond mop melded together with the rest of the goblin march, watchful even till the goblins faded into the distance.
It was only when her brain caught up that Toby was long gone that she noticed the music had stopped. It must have been more than ten minutes, because the goblins had gotten shifty. She heard the sounds of footsteps, leather boot on the carpet. She'd forgotten all about the Goblin King and in doing so, forgot all about her only chance at saving Toby. Her head whipped around, giving the Goblin King the most venomous, deathly gaze she'd ever wished on anyone. He was less than two metres away from her. The flute was at his lips, but having served its purpose, Jareth gracefully lowered it to his side. He caressed the pale keys and the white length of the pipe. Sarah watched him, sick to her stomach. All he cared about was stealing away children.
"I defeated you."
The words echoed around the living room, her guards skittered as far from their sovereign as possible. Jareth turned to her; taking in Sarah's overwrought frame, bloody lip, bruised forehead and wild, accusing eyes head on. Still holding her glare, his hand waved and the panpipe disappeared in mid-air. He showed no signs that her words had displeased him. He stayed his distance but was near, clearly amused at the way she was growling and spitting at him, no better than a wild animal. The pleasure was clear, she could see it in his eyes and in the way he moved towards her. In seconds, he'd eaten up the distance, too close for her comfort and too far for her mouth to bite.
It was a very detached part of her that kept her angry. If she took the time to think, then everything didn't matter. Her little brother was gone. Toby was gone. If Jareth wanted her to go mad, then he would have his wish.
"Leave us. Go join the others." The words, directed at her gruesome goblin guards, were sharp. It was the first time he'd spoken since she laid eyes on him. That timbre hadn't changed.
The fingers that had been steadfastly holding her back from saving Toby and getting revenge, let go of her. She hadn't realised how little power she had left or how much the goblins were holding her up, because Sarah found herself dropping onto the floor, no better than a limp mess. Dazed, she watched as the two goblins stuck their tongues out at her and vanishing into the door gateway.
She swore, and tried lifting an arm to push herself up, so not to seem pathetic in front of Jareth. But the inevitable happened and Sarah could feel her body beginning to topple over. She had that little strength left. Closing her eyes, she waited for the impact.
Before her head could meet the ground, she found herself being lifted up. Opening her eyes just as a strong arm slipped under her knees, the other hand cradled her back and head. Her brown eyes widened with fright and fury.
He was holding her. He had no right. They were enemies from the moment he'd appeared.
Robbed of energy, Sarah couldn't even summon up enough to attack the arms that were gently carrying her to the couch. She could only scream abuse at him; jumbled words from her mouth, accusations and curses, but the words just dripped off, oil and water.
She was firmly set down, pillow pressed against her back, dark hair against the leather. Indignant and horribly confused, Sarah refused to look at that enigmatic creature, fixing her eyes on a wood whorl in her father's desk next to her. She didn't understand what making an opponent comfortable did. Was it supposed to lull her into a sense of safety? She was so confused.
Done with making her comfortable, Jareth slipped a gloved hand under Sarah's chin, lifted it up so she would look into his eyes. Taken aback by the strange touch, her mouth shut and she stared, surprised to find affection in those mismatched eyes. It left her terribly hesitant. She couldn't look into those eyes. It made him seem human, someone with emotion and reasoning. Her gaze fell away from his, instead looking hungrily at the open doorway to the Labyrinth, stone walls, white clouds and sunshine. Somewhere beyond that door, past the desert, inside the Labyrinth, was Toby.
"Don't even think on it, precious thing. You're much too weak right now." His voice, with the tiniest hint of a laugh, drew her back. He was crouched beside the chair, like an attendant to their queen.
Sarah blinked. She refused to answer that statement, choosing to push herself up in a sitting position. But there was little energy left. She wished with all of her might it wasn't so, but he was right. It was useless. Her body had done too much, from fighting the magic of the nostalgia song to falling down the stairs. Only now was the pain making itself known, and she had to bite her lip again to stop herself from crying as her body twitched, bruised all over. Her lip was bleeding. There were nicks from goblin fingernails on her legs. Her hand hurt, a ring of bite marks still there. She'd gone to the extreme and was paying for it now.
She glared up at the pale blond hair and the stark, dangerous face, daring him to do something. Her mouth wobbled when he smirked, but she promised herself he wouldn't have the satisfaction of seeing her crumble.
Instead of harming her, Jareth continued to stroke her messed hair back into place, tucking the stray wisps behind her ear. She cringed at the touch, her back pressed into the pillow behind in an effort to keep distance between the two of them. It was strange; he even seemed slightly worried about the dark red bruise flowering on her head, going over it with gentle fingers. She flinched when he put pressure on it, and he pulled away but stayed close. His eyes studied her face.
It was strange that after all the noise and music, the goblins wreaking havoc everywhere, being here with only him made her feel exposed. She couldn't think straight with such tender ministrations. She pushed his closest arm away from the chair, managing to dig her fingernails into his coat. Silently, Jareth got her message and stood up to find a seat on her father's favourite chair. She found it very disconcerting, the ease in which he crossed his legs and relaxed, comfortable in his surroundings like he'd lived here all his life.
He must have studied everything about them. Known that she'd been teaching Toby to walk. Waiting for the right time before he struck. But why was he still here? If he wasn't going to kill her instantly, then there was still a chance she could get Toby back. It was a long shot, but he might listen to her plead.
"Give me Toby."
Her voice was hoarse; most of the sound had been wasted shouting. She squirmed in her seat, now that he was across the room, her traitorous body wanted him to come back and be beside her again. Her cuts were mending themselves, and the touch of his gloved hands on her skin, while strange and tingly when she thought about it, was making her feel better. No doubt it was the magic that he was cloaked in. If he came close once again, enough might seep into her so she could strangle him when she was strong again.
"Life isn't always fair, Sarah."
"Please?"
His eyes captured her and once again unable to bear that strange sensation in her stomach, Sarah's gaze slid from his. She focused her energy instead on trying to edge closer to him, surreptitiously moving her toes under the coffee table. Jareth was quiet after her plea, but a shudder went down Sarah's back when the tension in the room slowly changed.
"I was cheated out of my payment, precious girl." He ground out his words, forced out from gritted teeth. With each syllable, he grew angrier. She noticed his hands had become fists, constantly clenching and unclenching. "I did as I you wished, did I not? I took the child."
His words caught up with her brain. Payment. Payment? He's talking about last time, when I went through the Labyrinth.
She opened her mouth to protest, to say that she'd beaten him and there was nothing between them because she'd won back Toby. But then the Goblin King rose from his seat, moved to her chair like lightning and slammed a hand right beside Sarah's head.
In terror, she couldn't help noticing how the force his fist had hit the chair with and how close he'd come to making contact with her head. Jareth leant in with a scowl and she skittered like a frightened beast. He placed his mouth right beside her ear, forcing her to listen.
"And then you went back on your words. And tried to wriggle your way out without paying for my services."
He was too close and she could feel his breath on the curl of her ear, tickling her hair and all of a sudden, intimate. If she turned just an inch, her cheek would brush his, two inches and his and her mouth would meet. She didn't dare move, though a tiny part of her wanted to sink into his touch. He would hurt her, she knew. If she moved right now and succumbed, he would make her pay. It was all too easy to be lulled into a sense of ease. Sarah swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. She forced herself to nod, though her heart rebelled.
Fluidly, he drew away from her, suddenly as detached and otherworldly as before. "So here I am," he said.
Anger bubbled under her skin; it was so hard to read him. Even though what he said made sense, it wasn't fair. She loved Toby even more since the both of them had come back. She thought beating him would mean she'd claim her brother back, the prize. Jareth smiled that terrible smile that she loathed, as if he'd read her thoughts and thought she was amusing.
It had worked before, and she could only hope that it worked again. "Y-you have no power over me."
Instead of banishing the fearsome and confusing Goblin King, she felt the magic over her suddenly crack. Tiny fractures grew from the echo of her own words, spreading across her body, rippling out. Her knees began to throb again, small crescent cuts made from cruel fingernails bled open and Sarah had to close her eyes to master the dull roar in her ears. She swayed, feeling like she'd fallen down the stairs again. In the nausea, she missed the slash of pain that appeared on Jareth's face, the thinly pressed lips and the shimmer of his clothes morphing to something more ragged and feathered. The magic that had been soothing her was lost. Besides the return of rawness, nothing else happened.
No Toby. No sudden wakening from a disappointing dream.
"Do not say those words again, Sarah. I have some power, but not nearly enough, foolish girl!"
Recovering enough to hazily glance back at her foe, Sarah noticed the Goblin King's arms were folded in front of his pale shirt. There was a look of contained fury about his being. She coughed, and then tried spitting in his direction. He watched it land on the carpet, no where near to him. His eyes narrowed. Marching across to the stairs, Jareth picked up a rattle that had been dropped on the ground; Sarah recognised it as one the goblins used to lure Toby further. She felt like crying again.
"He is mine and there is no way to the Goblin City for you."
Power lost, power gained. They were equals again, Sarah with her words, Jareth with her brother. Each bound by the other, each smarting from their bonds. The scales were balanced, and as bitter as reality was, Sarah acknowledged it made sense. The two of them stared at each other from across Sarah's living room. She noted that Jareth's face had morphed into a solemn mask. But she was desperate.
"Take me then! Take me instead and leave Toby alone!"
She waited, hope rising when he carefully chose his words.
"Your wish is over, Sarah." He walked away from her and towards the portal to his kingdom. She stared at his back, the strained tension in his shoulders. The next words seemed reluctant. "That is a different matter. Fair is fair, and I needed payment." He summoned up a crystal, holding it out so she could see it. There was a hazy reflection of a familiar dream inside. She had to stop herself from reaching out to hold it.
"You shouldn't have woken up from your dream. Yet again you exceed my expectations." He gave a dry chuckle, empty of pleasure.
It took only a second for her mouth to blurt out something that made her want to die from embarrassment.
"But you wanted me, didn't you? You wanted me before, in those last minutes before I took Toby back," she whispered, partly to herself. It'd taken her months to puzzle over her hours in the Labyrinth. She'd been so sure that that final place where the time froze and he said those words…
He didn't turn around and to her; Jareth's back was an intimidating wall. He placed his free hand on the doorknob of the portal between worlds. "Don't force your delusions of grandeur on me." She recoiled like she'd been slapped. She watched his fingers curl around the doorhandle, those same gentle fingers that had once lead her in a dance; in a ballroom dripping with candles, and the scent of attraction floating around. "I did exactly as you wished. Everything that happened was as you secretly wished it."
"So you don't want me?"
It was the first time she heard him sigh, a long, drawn out sound. He let the dream crystal in his hand drop to the floor. Unable to help it, Sarah watched as it tumbled into the doorway and onto the stone-hewn path of the rock maze. Swiftly, Jareth let go of the William's front door. Sarah gaped in horror as the door swung shut by itself with a huge bang. Like the glamourie over the goblins, glitter and sand filled the air, blinding the frame from sight. When the dust cleared, she had no doubt the way was shut. Toby was gone.
Sarah couldn't help herself. She slipped from her place, landing heavy on the rug, a tangle of pain and limbs. There was only disbelief.
She'd lost.
For the first time, she'd lost.
She sank to her knees, and slammed her hands onto the carpet, not caring that her knuckles were shredded red or that she was crying out loud, great gasps that she couldn't stop. Toby was gone. She'd failed him. It hurt all the more because after reaching him in the Escher Room, they'd become so close. She'd found out she loved him, loved holding him in her arms and watching him grow. She crooned tunes from the radio and he'd bounce, or laugh when she put on a particular air, mocking a dialogue in a play. He was the only one who wouldn't mock her when she talked about the Labyrinth.
"W-Why?" She choked on it. The Goblin King made no reply.
"WHY?"
Sarah curled herself up into a ball, not caring that her body hurt to move. She closed her eyes and hid her head in her arms.
Toby. Toby. TOBY.
"Sarah, precious thing, you're lame."
Gentle hands were on her, she pushed them away. They returned insistently, placing themselves on broken skin and grazed knees. Jareth was kneeling on the ground, holding those gloves on her, healing the cuts. It took effort, his hands stayed longer than they did before because the power of Sarah's words was still in the air around them. She kicked him when she regained strength. He tolerated it for a while, before he firmly seized her bare ankle, halting further efforts. A finger reached up to touch her temple, and her mind cleared as the headache vanished.
She lifted her head from her lap, and graced him with a strange look. He was so hard to read, one moment distant, the next caring enough to tend to her. Taken Toby, then sorry that he'd caused her pain. Toby. Toby. She returned her head in her arms, rocking. It was worse than loosing Linda, because she knew Toby loved her too. And yet it hadn't been enough. She hadn't been able to stop him from leaving.
"You're lame. Even if you wanted to, you can't enter the Labyrinth anymore. That part of you is sealed."
Her head darted up, looking for the lie in his face.
Instead she caught sight of a wistful, regretful look in his eyes, before it vanished.
She peered at Jareth when he rose to his feet, done. Wriggling all her whole body, she felt relieved when nothing ached or pulled. He was good at healing, it surprised her. Even the dizziness had stopped and her head was clearer than before. A comfortable weightiness lay on her, she relaxed on the carpet. Sarah yawned and blinked for a few seconds.
What had she been thinking about just a few seconds ago?
It had been important. Something terrible.
Jareth? Why did she think of the Goblin King? After all, he wasn't here. Sarah's eyes were staring at the corner of a throw rug. She felt exhausted, lost between wanting to sleep and sheer stubbornness to stay up. The Goblin King? How strange. She'd beat the Labyrinth. Toby was safe.
Toby was…
Toby was in…
Wasn't he in his bed?
What was she doing out here?
Barely able to keep her eyes open, Sarah looked around at where she was. She was in the living room, on the russet rug that Karen had bought two weeks ago. The light that had first drawn her downstairs was dimming, and shadows were creeping up on the furniture. A question floated to her. Hadn't the radio been on? She smiled; she must have turned it off. Silly her, being so absent-minded. The room was dark, and to Sarah, sleep seemed irresistible at that moment. She was worn out, emotionally and physically. She sighed, closed her eyes for a second.
She felt safe. She was at home.
In the shadows, the Goblin King watched Sarah. In his left hand, he crushed something round to pieces. Shards of crystal glass slipped from his fingers, the crystal ball had served its use. Sarah's eyes had skipped over him when she'd scanned the room. It was a shame that they would have to part here, but he preferred it this way. There was no way to take her with him. He ignored the blood dripping from his fingers, instead staring at the girl who'd bested him.
"You're growing up."
It was easier on her this way.
He looked up, at the clock on the wall. It whirred, clicked and spun into place. With Jareth's eye on it, it began to toll; once, twice, till it rang the thirteenth stroke. Instantly, the living room was plunged into darkness, with not even a pin-prick of light. Sarah murmured in her sleep, warm fingers memorised the outline of her lips. She leant into the palm, seeking the touch. A blanket settled over her, and when the hand retreated, she protested sleepily. A small chuckle could be heard.
"Farewell, love."
Then, there was not a breath to be heard.
Sarah woke up with a start, tears drying on her eyelashes.
Light was coming in through the window, warming up her room, but it did little to chase away the shadows lurking in the corners. There had been a dream. A strange and terrible dream. There had been something about a welcoming land just beyond her reach, loosing Toby, too many goblins and a familiar room. As she lay in her bed, Sarah turned it over in her mind. Tears slowly leaked from her eyes as Karen's choice on the radio filtered in through the door.
The minutes ticked away and she waited for the inevitable while her mind dragged its tortured self over what happened. There was no point getting out of bed; she knew what happened was real. He'd magicked her to sleep and left. She'd been tricked again. It was all too real to be just a dream. If she lifted the covers off her bed, her knees would still be grazed red. Her right temple could feel the throbbing ache from falling down the stairs. Jareth was gone, and with him, the magic. Toby was in the Labyrinth and she'd never find the way there.
Toby was gone. She dragged her pyjama sleeve to her eyes to soak the tears. With a miserable laugh, she didn't know if the tears were for herself or for her little brother. Guilty bile lay thick on her tongue. Toby. The Labyrinth. Jareth.
Finally, she heard Karen scream, and knew that the woman had reached Toby's bedroom.