Disclaimer- I have escaped from the torture chamber and well it looks like I still don't own Labyrinth. But Henson Associates, Inc is faltering. They dropped the price to 100 million dollars. That's a huge drop, but you know I still can't afford it. So yes I'm still borrowing the characters. But the days are numbered before I do own the Labyrinth. In this chapter I have pulled direct quotes from the movie… not mine… theirs. Also featured "Underground" by David Bowie from the Laby soundtrack. Man I hope I don't get sued.

AN- Hello to all. I just have to say thank you to all that have been reading and those that have just now joined us. Norehnka, I didn't even realize that until you pointed it out. It wasn't intentional but it worked out pretty well huh? Thanks for dropping a line notwritten. Nice you could join us Mysteriamoon always a pleasure to have a new read and reviewer. And to everyone else… thank you for reading. It means a lot to me that you are enjoying the story. It's my first but perhaps it won't be my last. Okay due to strong language this story is changed to RD-M (mature readers only) starting on this chapter. Which means if you are under the age of 16, or find the 'f' word offensive please do not continue. And if you do, just don't get me in trouble.

Insanity Takes Its Toll

Chapter 9: Illusions of the Past

Larizel paced her living room back and forth while Jareth lounged on a couch and watched. He took notice to the condition Larizel was in. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she seemed to slouch and trip over her own feet. "You are exhausted. Why don't you get some rest?" He got no answer from her. She just kept pacing without even blinking. "Larizel?"

She stopped in mid-pace and looked up at him. Her eyes gave an eerie glow as she sat down on the adjacent love seat. "You are going to make me run the Labyrinth, aren't you?" She almost sounded as if she was going to cry.

Jareth stared hard at her for a moment. He swore something about her was different, or may-be he just didn't notice it before, but whatever it was, it was gone now. He conjured up a sympathetic smile. "I can't make you do anything Larizel. The threat of sending you through the Labyrinth was just that, a threat. I knew you wouldn't talk to Sarah any other way. But if you were to go through the Labyrinth and beat it, this would all be over. Well, at least Sarah's power would now belong to you. Are you willing to try?"

Larizel didn't answer she just stared into space. Her mind was running at full speed. 'Could I beat the Labyrinth? Could I at least make it back out alive? If what Sarah is saying is true, then yes I could, but what if Sarah was lying? Jareth wouldn't send me in if what Sarah was saying were true. Would he? But he wouldn't send me in to get killed either.'

His voice broke through her thoughts once more. "Larizel, in all honesty, I don't think you can beat the Labyrinth. You are very strong and intelligent. My Labyrinth you would have probably easily beaten, but Sarah's Labyrinth is a completely different story. Her madness can't control it. Not to mention she would have to challenge you to set up the rules, but even then, she can reorder time to where you would lose the moment you started. There are too many reasons why that can't work. We must figure out something else."

"Then what Jareth? Do you know a strong powerful Fae that's willing to mix their blood into the soil?" Larizel's eyes were glowing once again.

Jareth watched for a moment, but in a blink the glowing was gone. Was he having one of his episodes of insanity? "None that I would trust to give it back, and not do worse than Sarah has. Fae are rather power hungry beings. The reason I was deemed Goblin King was because I didn't fit into their world. I guess they thought it to be a punishment, but I have no wish to have a great amount of power. I was happy with my kingdom, and my many loyal subjects. I am doing all of this to save them. If another Fae took over, they would kill the goblins just as brutally as Sarah has. Fae don't normally care for goblins. I guess you can say I'm a freak in my world."

Larizel giggled softly. "Well I guess that's one thing we have in common. I'm considered a freak in this world. I'm a wealthy twenty-two year old composer that refuses to get up and sing my own music, even though I have one of the best voices in the business. I have lived alone, without a man for the last five years. I don't date either sex. Some have even gone as far to say I must be asexual since I seem to have no interest in a male or a female. The paparazzi hound me and watch my every move just hoping that they can get some kind of dirt on me. The only thing that could truly destroy me is the knowledge of my past to get out, which no one knows about." She stopped for a moment and remembered earlier that day. "Well almost no one knows about." She slid down in the loveseat and curled her legs to her chest sighing in frustration.

Sarah's feet were cold and burned against the harsh cold pavement. "Damn that hospital for never giving me any shoes." She ran as fast as she could. The rain was really coming down on this late spring night. Her hospital gown clung to her body showing off her curvy figure. Though she was thirty-two years old, she still looked like she was nineteen. The magic of the Labyrinth slowed down her aging. 'So much wasted time.' She thought to herself. "I could have said yes when I was 15. It wouldn't have been that hard, but no. I wanted to be the heroine in the book. I couldn't just say what I really wanted to say, 'Yes Jareth, I love you. Cherish me, love me, give me my dreams, give me your dreams.' Oh what a fucking idiot I was to have left him like that." She stopped dead in her tracks. She looked around at where she was and realized she was almost home.

She turned left onto the paved road and headed south towards her old house. She winced in pain as a piece of glass ripped through her foot. She stopped to carefully remove it. Sitting underneath the streetlight in the pouring rain the voices once again began to chatter.

"Where are you going young woman?" The haggard woman's voice chimed in Sarah's ears.

"I'm going home!" She screamed to the phantom of a figure that stood before her.

The first phantom faded and a new one appeared. In his slack jaw pronunciation he spoke. "Sarah, here." The phantom held out a peach for her. She threw her arms in front of her screaming. "Don't come any closer. I don't want the damn peach." Sarah turned away from the direction to her house and headed back towards the park, her park. As she made her way to the bridge a new phantom appeared.

"No one may cross without my permission." The young fox stood in her path blocking her escape. "I'm sorry but I have sworn to do my duty." She moved to walk further, but found herself surrounded by goblins.

They all spoke around her. "Listen, she's going to say the words." "Did she say it?" "That's not it." "Say the words." "Say the words Sarah."

Sarah fell hard on the floor of the bridge crying. "Oh, it's not fair!"

Finally the voice she was dreading was the voice she now heard. His accent slithered under her skin and she shivered under its power. "You say that so often. I wonder what your basis of comparison is." He changed his expression so quickly, and the scenery around her shifted. She remembered this place oh too well. Walls and doorways hung in the air. "Fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave. I ask for so little." Once again she turned and ran back towards her home. All the while she could hear him singing. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't out run his voice.

"It's only forever. Not long at all. Lost and lonely. No one can blame you. For walking away. Too much rejection. No love injection. Life can be easy. It's not always swell. Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl. 'Cause it hurts like hell"

As the last verse echoed in her ears she found herself standing in front of a familiar house. She looked at the address and realized that though it was larger than it was before, and though all the neighboring houses were gone, Sarah was standing right in front of her old house. She swallowed hard and cut through the lawn to the front door.

The doorbell rang and Larizel gave Jareth a sideways look. She shifted her glanced to the clock and saw that it was a little after 10pm. In Larizel's world that meant it could be any of her few friends stopping by after work. Only one thing wrong with that idea… no one knew where her new place was. She shot Jareth a worried look as she walked to the door. Taking a deep breath she pulled the door open. She hardly saw who the person was standing in the doorway all she heard was Jareth's frighten command, as the door was swinging open. "Larizel, RUN!!"

AN- So who thinks Sarah has truly lost her mind? Raise your hands. I apologize… this chapter is a little short, but it's where I wanted to stop. We are halfway through; do I still have your attention? Be ready for a twist coming up. Everything is all about to go to Hell.