2. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
It was Thursday..., three days since the incident. Jeremy sat beside Sarah on the mattress and continued a story called 'The Green Knight', one of the many books he had been reading to her during her recovery. "And the wind soughed through the trees, and the leaves rustled and all slept, except the princess -- but the knight came not. And so the days passed and she waited and watched, and read in her little green book and sang -- but no Green Knight came. Then her red cheeks again became pale and her happy heart, sad and heavy; and she began to waste away, to the sorrow of her father, but to the secret joy of her stepmother."
"Isn't that the truth?" muttered Sarah. Jeremy looked at her, an inquisitve expression on his face. Sarah sensed his curiosity, and began to answer his silent question. "Me and my stepmother have never really gotten on either..., and I've always felt that she revelled in my misery."
"Misery? Why are you miserable?" He found it hard to believe that a girl who seemed to have found her place in life could be unhappy.
"I'm not... Well, I don't think I am, but I used to be, back when I was a teenager. I never went on dates, or just hung out with my friends. I was always so wrapped in my own little fantasy world, always waiting for my Green Knight!... Well, I've found him now" she laughed, snuggling up close to Jeremy. "Not many people would take care of me the way you have done."
"I was just doing my job." he modestly stated.
"You mean...you do this a lot?" she asked, somewhat disappointed that she was just one of many victims he had saved.
"Well yes..., but I've never had anyone stay down here with me before. No one else has been as badly hurt as you have." Jeremy tenderly stroked Sarah's right arm, which had been sorely bruised during the incident... But Sarah hung her head.
"I'm sorry about all the trouble I must be causing. I know it must be a burden on you to look after me like this."
He gazed sorrowfully at her, pulling her close. "You are anything, but a burden, Sarah. I'm disgusted with what those men have done to you, really I am. But I'm also honoured to be in the presence of such a charming, and beautiful woman." He kissed her forehead.
"I feel the same way about you. But I know that Abe doesn't want me to be here... Not that I blame him."
"Abe doesn't mind you being here, Sarah. He's just shy, that's all."
"Really? He doesn't seem like he'd be shy from all the wonderful things you've been telling me…And what about the others? You said there were other people living down here, didn't you? Are they shy too?"
"Erm…well, they just don't want to disturb you while you're recovering." he replied, unconvincingly.
"Will I see them when I'm better? It can't be long now until I can remove my bandages, can it? Then I'll be able to see what you look like!" she asked, with a hint of excitement in her voice. She imagined Jeremy to be a very handsome man with kind eyes. He was blonde, definately blonde, and he had short-to-medium length hair that curled slightly at the back. He probably smiled a lot, and he always wore dark, sophistcated clothing... Jeremy was silent. "Jeremy? What's wrong? You're not afraid I'm going to dislike you once I look at you, are you?"
"Actually, Sarah that's exactly what I'm afraid of." he answered, closing the book. He stood up from the bed and walked over to a rickety chest of drawers where he placed the book inside.
"Oh, don't be silly. It doesn't matter what you look like! You're a kind and gentle person -- that's all that matters!" Sarah reached out into the air, trying to touch him and bring him back to her, but he stood far away in the corner, curiously watching the girl who appeared to like him a lot.
"Am I?" he asked, confusing her.
"Of course you are! You're the most compassionate man I've ever met!" she said with certainty.
"I'm glad you think so…, but I wouldn't think so highly of me if I were you. I haven't always been this way. I've done some bad things in my past…, things that will haunt me the remainder of my life."
"Really? Like what?" Sarah suddenly felt uneasy. How could a man who spoke with such grace and tenderness have done anything bad in his past.
"I don't think we should be talking about that right now. You look tired." he told her.
"How can you tell?"
"I can tell... I sense things, you know... And I definitely sense that you are feeling sleepy right now... See, I feel like we have a bond, Sarah. Because when you feel tired, I feel tired, and when you feel sad, it makes me feel sad too." Jareth stepped over to her and began to tuck her in. "Sweet dreams." He kissed her again, then began to walk away.
Sarah smiled contentedly. She felt there was a bond too. "I don't care about your past. You're a great man, and you need to start believing in yourself…and, once I'm better, I'm taking you up into the real world." she said.
Jeremy blew out the candles -- the only light source that illuminated the underground. "Goodnight, Sarah." he told her, leaving the room so she could rest.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Later that night, Sarah lay still on her mattress. In her confused state she found it difficult to know if she was asleep or awake. Her eyes wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway! But somewhere about the darkness she heard footsteps approaching her. Sarah froze, hoping that it was just Jeremy coming back to check on her. She was quite fearful of the "others" he had mentioned. What if they did something to her?
"See…see, I told you" said a voice. "It's her! It's the child!" Sarah realised that there must have been more than one person present. But that wasn't the thing that scared her... The voice the "person" spoke in was far too shrill and gravelly to belong to an ordinary human being.
"She's no child!" said another one, in a similar unearthly tone.
"No…she's all grown-up now. She can't even remember the Master!" replied the other figure.
Sarah froze. Strange thoughts were circling her head, thoughts about who this "Master" really was. Surely not? Jeremy was noble, calm and loving. How could he be...?
"What are you doing here?" called a voice from far away. "I told you to stay away from her. She's not supposed to know who were are!"
But it was too late for that! Sarah had already heard his voice, and instantly she realised just who it was that had brought her to this dark and scary place. Also, she realised that the "others" were not people at all! "Nooo!" Sarah cried, sitting up on her bed and starting to remove the bandages that concealed her eyes.
"Sarah…don't!" yelled the man. "You're not ready!" Sarah didn't listen…she rampantly ripped the dressing from her face and looked out into unfamiliar world. She screamed... But it wasn't the man or creatures that caused her to cry. Just across from her mattress stood a broken mirror, and in the distorted reflection she could see the jagged slashes which criss-crossed her face like a grotesque road map.
"Oh, God..! No..! My face..! My face..!" This was all too much for her. Suddenly, dreams of Green Knight's and Fairytale Romances had become nightmares of painful memories and hideous faces.
"Sarah, it's alright." said the man, who she recognised to be Jareth the Goblin King, not Jeremy the human, as he carefully approached her. Sarah stared in horror at the man who dressed all in black, from the stately black boots on his feet to the dusky charcoal breeched on his legs, his huge dark cape fluttering behind him along with both of their heartbeats. The only think different about him were his eyes. They were nervous, hopeful eyes..., not the cruel, piercing ones Sarah had met when she was fifteen. Beside Jareth stood two eagle-eyed goblins who seemed to be amused by the whole thing.
"You…, what are you doing here? Why aren't you in the Labyrinth?" asked Sarah, who quickly stood up, as difficult as it was to do.
"I told you, I was exiled!" he answered, helping her regain balance when she stumbled across the floor.
"But when… How?" Sarah could not believe it had been thirteen years since she had last seen the Goblin King. She remembered him so well..., and yet she had also forgotten about him correspondingly.
"That's not important." he said coldly, causing Sarah to feel more familiar with his unfriendly nature.
"Jareth! I have a right to know!" she demanded.
Jareth stared at her, then sighed. "Alright, alright..." he said, moving to sit on a black leather chair he had placed beside her bed. He patted the mattress, indicating for Sarah to sit down. She hesitated, but did so. He took a deep breath and began to tell his tale. "It happened twelve years ago. I had been ruling the Labyrinth for over a thousand years and…well, my time as a Goblin King was almost over…Now, usually we are supposed to pass our title down to our children, but…unfortunately I had none! In a state of panic I conjured up several plans to steal a human child, but none of them were…"
"Toby?" Sarah interrupted. "That's why you took him? You were going to make him a…a…Goblin King?"
Jareth hung his head in shame. "I know. It was a dreadful thing for me to do, and I will always feel remorse over my actions. Luckily, that boy had a beautiful older sister who wouldn't let a silly old Goblin King stand in her way."
Sarah began to cry. "Beautiful? Look at my face! Just look!" She pointed to the red scars that sheathed her visage. The deep cuts did not seem to disturb Jareth, for he could see the beauty within.
"Don't worry, I'm going to take you back home now." he assured, but Sarah didn not feel that same comfort from Jareth that she had felt when she thought he was Jeremy.
"Tell me it's a nightmare. That it's not happening, that it can't be..."
"It's not a nightmare. It happened -- and you're alive. Sarah, you survived. And what you endured will make you stronger and better."
"I don't have any strength. I can't do this…I can't." She sat feebly on the bed, clutching her shoulders and hanging her head. Jareth bent down beside her. He lightly touched her chin, forcing her to raise her head and look into his captivating eyes. Sarah noticed that he wasn't wearing his trademark black gloves he always used to wear, for his hands were soft and supple.
Jareth spoke into her soul. "You have the strength Sarah -- you do." he said with conviction. She continued to stare at him, confused by his kindness. There was no sign of malice in his eyes, and the smile on his mouth seemed genuine, showing no hint of scorn... But could she really trust him after what he did to her and her baby brother? "Sarah, I know I was cruel towards you in the past. But…I've learnt a lot about myself since then. Living underneath this city for the past thirteen years has taught me a lot about human kindness and looking after one another. All I want to do now is get you home safely." Jareth held out his hand. After a slight hesitation, she took it and he pulled her up from the bed. "Steady." he said, as she fell into his arms. "You've been in bed for almost two days. You're still weak."
...He lead Sarah down a long, cavernous tunnel. Sarah realised that the world he lived in was a lot larger than she first thought. It was a great expanse of uncharted or forgotten space, allowing the inhabitants freedom and privacy. As they made their way back up, they passed several creatures of the "world below". Most of them were goblins, but others were much larger and nobler creatures, including the Wiseman and a tall but amiable-looking troll, all of whom smiled respectfully as she walked by.
Suddenly, Jareth leapt over from one pipe to another...Sarah didn't follow. "Wait!" she cried, gawping at the large gap that lay before her.
"You can do it...give me your hand…" he said, extending his arm out for her to grab. Holding his hand, she timidly jumped across the breach. He then continued to guide her cautiously along a section of pipe that they had to "cat-walk" along, as steam swirled around them. They approached a spiral staircase and started to climb it, with Jareth holding onto Sarah the whole time. Next, they entered another shadowy passageway, with bricks missing in the wall. Sarah recognised the familiar eyeballed lichen plants that followed them as they passed. Jareth and Sarah crouched down and entered the tunnel through the hole in the wall. They soon arrived at another opening with the bricks removed. A shaft of light shone down in the next channel. "This is where you go out." Jareth indicated.
"Where are we?" she asked hesitantly.
"The basement of your apartment building." he answered.
Sarah laughed a little. "We are?"
Jareth nodded, and pointed to where Sarah needed to go. But Sarah paused. There was a beat. A moment where they both now realized they were about to go their separate ways -- a torrent of emotions... Sadness, gratitude, fear, concern…
"Jareth? Why…why did you save me?" she asked.
"Because, Sarah…twelve years ago you saved me!…I was selfish and unkind, and all I ever cared about was power. I never thought I would feel any compassion towards a human being until you came along. You taught me that power doesn't come from status or leadership, it resides within a good heart. And even though I lost my kingdom, I gained a whole new perspective on how a life should be lived... Thank you for teaching me that, Sarah."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you. If it weren't for you I'd be…I'd be…"
"Let's not even think about it…" Jareth said.
"Your secret is safe with me, Jareth. I won't tell anyone about you, or this place."
"Thank you." he said gratefully. Warily, she reached out for him, and put her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. The tenderness of her embrace was a feeling he had never felt before, never even dreamed of. It was more than he could stand -- it was breaking his heart. He laid the palm of his hand on the small of her back and held her close…
Suddenly, footsteps were heard through the vent in the basement. Sarah looked at the vent. When the footsteps faded off, Sarah turned to Jareth .. but he was not there...
"Jareth…!" she called. But he was gone! With a sense of sadness at losing him, she raised her hood, and walked slowly towards the shaft of light…then disappearing, back to her life...
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sarah lay on a large operating table. Her face was being prepped for plastic surgery -- marked with lines and notations... She was terrified! The constant beeping sounds, the blinding blue light, the unbelievable whitness of the room, but worst of all she could see all the knives and scalpals that were going to be used on her.
"What's her pressure?" asked a doctor.
"120 over 80 doctor" said the nurse.
"Then, shall we begin?…" Sarah was given an anaesthetic, which was injected into the IV to sedate her…
"Now, I want you to start counting from ten, backwards…" said the doctor.
"10... 9... 8..." begun Sarah. The doctors and nurses prepared to begin surgery. Everything was beginning to get blurry. "7... 6..." And Sarah lost consciousness.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sarah drifted over to her father's office, her face horribly scarred, her dress filthy and ragged... Mr. Williams opened the door and beamed happily at her. "Sarah! we were all guessing where you went. Was it Cuba? Montserrat?" he asked buoyantly.
"I -- I…" she stammered, unable to speak. "No -- Dad -- I…"
"Have to run, I'm in a board meeting…" he said, handing her a wad of money. "Buy yourself a new dress…Is that enough? Here, take some more…" he said, giving her more cash. "See you later." Sarah tried to follow her father as he walked down the corridor, but he seemed to have disappeared!
"Cathy, you have a nice vacation? You look em, you look wonderful" said a male colleague.
"We missed you…" stated another female colleague.
"Well, Miss Williams…now you've done it." said another one.
The next thing Sarah knew, she was running up a dark and gloomy alley. Out of the blue, a van appeared behind her, chasing her. The door slammed shut and suddenly she was on all fours, surrounded by people staring down at her…laughing! Mike Swanson was there, and beside him stood a beautiful woman. They were both surrounded by admirers. "I feel sorry for her. But what can I do? Life goes on…" said Mike, to the woman. "She was an interesting girl. I thought she showed a great deal of promise -- but she just turned out to be a big loser…" The laughing continued, with people pointing at her...Sarah looked around, desperate -- trapped... Then she spotted something up to her left….
It was a figure of a man, and when Sarah realised who it was she smiled contently. Standing in the tunnels, he peered down at Sarah, his eyes filled with feeling, deep with empathy for her. As their eyes locked he nodded…
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sarah woke up in a daze. She came out of the anaesthetic, her face, once again, heavily bandaged. The surgeon, a handsome older man, stood at her bedside. "Jareth..?" she cried softly.
"Sarah, it's Dr. Jenson... It's all over."
"I'm... in the hospital?" she asked groggily.
"Yes, and you're going to be fine...you must have been through something terrible, but whatever it was is behind you. If there's anything you want to tell me, or talk about, anything I can do…just let me know."
Meanwhile, Jareth rode on top of an elevator to the top of a tall building... There he sat, perched, gazing out at the lights of the city surrounding him, the city he could never be a part of -- the city of the woman he could never really know. He bowed his head, looking utterly isolated, forlorn...
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
EIGHT MONTHS LATER…
It had taken Sarah a long time to come to terms with the traumatic beating, but after eight months of routine and regularity she finally felt like she could live a normal life again….The only thing was, she wasn't sure if a normal life was what she wanted. Being with Jareth for that short period of time had given her a flicker of desire she hadn't experienced since her childhood. Even though she tried to forget about him…she couldn't! When she was recovering in the underground, before she knew the Goblin King was her saviour, she felt a familiar bond with the mysterious stranger she had never felt with anyone before. Before she realised Jareth was the man who fed her and dressed her wounds, she felt a kind of connection with him…, and when she discovered who he actually was…the feelings still did not fade!
At the present moment, Sarah sat impatiently in the seating area of the local police department. Just through the doors stood a small office, where a District Attorney sat conferring with a Deputy. His desk was piled high with legal briefs and transcripts. The atmosphere in the office was harried. The central work area of the D.A.'s office could be seen through a glass window- a beehive of glass partitioned cubicles buzzing with deputy prosecutors and clerks moving at a frantic pace. D.A. Bertoni was reading Sarah's resume. "Her credentials are terrific - Radcliffe, Columbia Law School. Sure she wants a job with us?" he said.
"Uuh..she says so, who knows?" said the Deputy. "Look, she's some rich guy's daughter, looking for something 'meaningful...' You remember, the one who disappeared for ten days?" he said snidely.
"...Look, it's a pair of hands... it's a brain. We need the extra help, right?" said the D.A.
The Deputy nodded. "Where do you want to put her?"
"Put her on the field –let her do research, investigation, give her all the legwork… you know, throw everything at her…and we'll find out if she's any good…" said D.A. Bertoni.
"Right…" The Deputy went through the office door, opened it and leant out, grinning at Sarah... "Excuse me, Ms. Williams -- District Attorney Bertoni will see you now. Come on in…"