Chapter Two

Sarah really hated planes. No, that wasn't really a fair assessment. What she really hated was the whole experience of traveling by flight. No matter what she did, she could never really have a decent flight. Oh she had tried many a time. She had horror stories about traveling by air.

Once, her flight was delayed overnight, and she ended up having to sleep in the airport terminal just so she could catch the first flight back out. Then she had to come into work the moment she landed, and was forced to leave her luggage in her car. When she finally got back to it, her luggage, including all her bras and underwear, was strung across her back seat. Her coworkers, also leaving for the day, managed to see her car and were thoroughly scandalized by her underthings. She was mortified and wouldn't make eye contact with anyone for a week.

Another time, her belongings got lost in the terminal. When they attempted to track her bags, they'd determined that it had gotten onto the plane with her, but somehow, got lost between the plane and the terminal. She waited for hours in the airport while they searched for her luggage, but to this day her bags were never found.

There was a different time when she had just enough time to eat a hot dog before her flight. She bolted it down before boarding, and then became violently ill the moment the plane was in the air. The three hour flight was one of the longest of her life.

Though she had visited home many a time by plane, she decided that this time, she would drive. It was just easier. She'd be in control of her destiny and her underthings, thank-you very much.

Driving had also given her plenty of time to think about things. Visiting her family wasn't always awful, but then again, most of the time, it was. She dreaded the act that she was going to have to put on for her folks. They never really approved of her fantasy role-playing anyway. Not that she did much of that anymore. She knew better than to say anything that began with "I wish" anymore as well. When she told Jareth that he had no power over her, she really meant it, and that single phrase really stayed with her into her adulthood.

Still, she would often get the feeling that Jareth was trying to mess with her life. The goblins were pretty careful not to show themselves to her, but she could still sense when they were near. And there were other things too, quite curious things that would happen whenever she was interested in, or approached by a guy.

One time, a very shy guy had tried to speak with her about a study group during her years in college, and then he finally looked up after talking to his feet the whole time, and basically ran away. She got a note from a guy she had met over a cup of coffee at the local cafe, saying "I'm sorry I took up so much of your time, but I met the guy you like and realized I'm way out of his league." That had creeped her out, because she hadn't been interested in anyone else at the time. And for the most part, she could say that guys didn't really even try to approach her at all. It wasn't like she wasn't interested in them, but they never seemed to make it past a first meeting.

She sighed heavily. It was Jareth, meddling in her affairs. She just KNEW it was! But there was no real proof, and it was far easier to be a functioning adult when you fully ignored the goblins mulling around in your wake. That included the Goblin King. After getting to know him during her time spent in the Labyrinth, Sarah wanted no more part in his schemes. She was glad she was done with that chapter in her life.

More than anything, she was glad that Toby had turned out to be a pretty normal kid. Sure he was a bit awkward, but at his age, she was pretty weird and awkward herself. She sometimes worried when he talked to himself. She was terrified that since they had both spent so much time in the faerie realms, it would have turned him a bit funny. But Toby enjoyed reading and playing his nerd games just as much as she had, and she'd managed to turn out alright.

She turned down her street, thinking fondly of her little brother, when a puff of glittering smoke turned up in the sidewalk in front of her lawn, and looked at her with a mischievous smile. She hadn't seen that lopsided grin in so long that she nearly crashed into the curb outside her house in shock. Putting the car into park, she turned off the engine, as Jareth, the King of the Goblins, stepped out into the street and opened her previously locked car door.

"Hello Sarah." He said, extending a hand to help her out of her vehicle.

Sarah was in full-panic mode. She pushed his hand away, standing angrily. She began having the worst deja vu's of her life. "What are you doing here? Where's Toby?" She said, trying to sound calm.

"Toby? What, have you wished him away again? You do that so often." He chuckled and flashed his most charming smile, clearly expecting her to laugh along with him. "Oh, come on Sarah, it's been such a long time. Is that how you would greet an old friend?"

Light pooled outside the doorway of her house, and a voice came floating along on the wind. "Sarah! You're home!" Her father came down the pathway, Toby in tow behind him. "And who's this gentleman you've brought with you?"

Momentarily thunderstruck that Jareth was still allowing himself to be seen, Sarah had no words. Jareth took up the introductions instead. "Hello, it's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Jareth, Sarah's boyfriend."

"Oh how wonderful, Sarah!" Her stepmother said, putting an arm around her dad. "I'm so glad you've found yourself a date! Please, come in Jareth, and make yourself at home!"

And just that fast he had been invited into her home, no questions asked. He gave a wink to Toby, who looked just as confused as she felt, and followed her stepmom into the warmth of the house. "Be a good man and help me bring your sister's things up to her room." her father instructed. "Come on Sarah, before you catch your death out here."

She followed her family numbly into her childhood home, and into the nightmare that awaited her inside.