5. What In The World
Dawn was due in a few hours. The deserted subway station would soon be filled with businessmen in expensive suits, carrying laptops and drinking bucketloads of coffee, but now it was still...like twilight. The last car was filthy, littered, and scarred by graffiti, Its lights flickered on and off as the train shook along the tracks. A middle-aged man sat at one end, humbly reading a paper . At the back of the train an old cleaning lady, Mrs. Rigby, clutched her oversized purse and stared wearily out at nothing... The car pulled into a station, and the doors opened. Two punks, teen-aged boys, entered looking for trouble. They moved close to the man, intimidating him. He folded up his newspaper, and quietly slipped out, moving up to the next car. Ain't you got no pride?" said the first one, watching him leave. Mrs. Rigby shrunk back in her seat, frightened, watching them.
"Who you looking at?" asked the second one. They were dressed exactly how punks would be expected to dress; leather jackets, denim jeans, combat boots, the full package. If that wasn't enough to scare Mrs. Rigby, the spikes that stuck out of their ears and noses sure were... She tried to ignore them, but they moved in to surround her.
"Hey, lady, we're talking to you." asked the other, his fluorescent green mohawk gelled firmly in place.
The old woman shivered in fear. "No... please..." she said, holding her purse up close to her face, terrifed they were going to hit her.
The car lights went off, then came back on. The first punk stepped closer to her. "Got a match in the bag, lady. Why don't you give it to me?"
"No matches. Leave me alone." she begged.
The second punk jumped forward and reached for her bag. "Let's have a look." he said. He pulled at the bag, she resisted. He raised his hand to hit her, and she let go of the purse and cowered in the seat. The lights continued to flicker as he rummaged through the purse. "Nineteen dollars! She's only got nineteen dollars!"
"That's bad." said the first, in an intimidating way. One of the boys emptied the purse on the floor. Mrs. Rigby cried out and fell to her knees, trying to retrieve her possessions. As both boys started assaulting her and kicking at her, a small furry hand opened the door. "What was that?"
Without warning, a small goblin with an olive-green face and blood red eyes came hurtling towards them. The punks squealed in fright as it began to wrestle with their legs. The old lady swiftly stood up, scuttled over to a nearby vending machine and hid behind it, peering out to watch in awe at the strange events that were taking place.
"Is this some kind of joke?" said a punk, squirming as he tried to shake the live puppet from his leg. Suddenly, the door creaked open again. Everything immediately stood still as they watched the unearthly cloaked-figure step slowly into the station. The two boys and the old lady gasped as the mysterious stranger raised his head in complacency. His eyes were dark and threating, and his lips twisted up into a wry sneer.
"No, my friend... This is anything but a joke." he said with a sharp dry tone.
The ground began to shudder, as the sounds of the approaching train could be heard from afar. For a lifeless moment the two punks gazed in terror at the stange figure, unsure of what to do, when one of them foolishly decided to snigger. "Whatever.." he laughed. "Just hop along back to the loony centre or wherever the hell it is you came from and leave the big boys to do their job okay!"
Abruptly, Jareth ran towards them and they reacted with fear. The train entered a long station, and screamed through without stopping, but the station lit strobes through the windows as they fought. The first punk was shunned out of the way by a powerful yellow beam that Jareth emitted from his hand. The second punk pulled out a switchblade, but the Goblin King saw this and without delay, he clutched hold of his arm, shooting his hand out faster than lightning. He twisted the punk's arm backwards, causing his bones to snap, sending the knife spinning from his grasp. The two punks were then left to agonize on the floor until they could bear it no more, as Jareth and the goblin hurridley ran from sight. Mrs. Rigby shrank back, afraid, but the cloaked figure ran past her and left. With a look of admiration and appreciation, Mrs. Rigby watched him leave.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
A while later, the New York Police Department were having a field-day, as Deputy DA Dan Chapman gawped unbelievingly at the huge stack of files on his desk. With his radio turned on, he listened to what the News Reporter had to say. "The Subway Slasher struck again last night, killing two armed men who allegedly assaulted an elderly woman. The DA's office has issued a statement saying they are working with transit authority police on a number of leads."
As Sarah entered. She looked at the files on Dan's desk doubtfully. "I have a horrible suspicion those are for me."
"Bingo, and it's your own fault. First thing I learned in the Army…never volunteer…and this is an ugly one." informed the Deputy, who smiled maliciously. It seemed that wherever Sarah worked, people would dislike her... Sarah opened a large gray envelope from the top of the stack, and slid out some glossy police photographs of the bodies of the two punks. "Take a good look. Seventeen and sixteen. It's a mystery to how he actually killed them."
"He?" Sarah asked.
"The man with the pineapple hair…wears a cape…looks like he just stepped out of a fairytale. Half this city thinks he's a hero."
Sarah was clearly shaken. Her thoughts flashed back to Jareth killing to protect her.
"Hey. You look a little green. You sure you got the stomach for this?" he asked. Sarah nodded feebly. "Our Subway Slasher knows how to take care of himself. So what do you got here?" he asked, picking up the files as he spoke. "You got your karate schools, kung fu instructors, self-defense classes. Be the first deb on your block to collect the whole set. Now you know the profile we're looking for. Recent crime victims, maybe someone who's lost a family member. Flag anything subway-related." Sarah took the files from Dan, almost toppling over as he plummeted the stack on her. "Oh, um… You have heard of the subways, right?" he asked, following her outside. She turned and smiled at him as he closed the door.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
That evening, Sarah sat on her balcony reading, glancing up from her book now and then as if waiting for Jareth to come to her. A newspaper rested on the table beside her. The headline read: "SUBWAY SLASHER -PSYCHOPATH OR SAVIOR?"
The wind increased and blew the large plants at the corner of the balcony, and eventually Sarah fell to sleep in her chair...
Jareth's hand suddenly appeared as he crept slowly onto the balcony. Sarah stirred, blinked, saw Jareth and sat up abruptly. "You came..." She smiled, stood and hugged him. "You have no idea how much I needed to see you." She pulled back when he didn't return the embrace. "What's wrong?"
Jareth scowled, his eyes turning dark and intimidating. He grabbed her arms and lifted her off the ground, holding her up in front of his menacing presence. Terrified, Sarah tried to break free, but Jareth held her tight, glaring into her eyes as he did so. They struggled, and she began to scream...
It was dawn, and Sarah woke up from her dream, still screaming and struggling. It took her a moment to realize it was only a nightmare. She dropped her head and covered her face with her hands as she recovered.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
A little later on, Sarah entered the N.Y.P.D Computer Room, looking morose. She went over to Eddie at her computer console. Eddie saw that she was troubled. "You look sadder than my last date. Anything I can do?"
"I need to see the file on a Mrs. Sylvia Rigby."
"That's the cleaning lady saved by the slasher, right?" asked Eddie.
"Right." she answered, bleakly.
"I didn't know you were supposed to question her."
"I'm not."
"Then, why?"
"Let's just say I have a very dirty apartment." With a sigh and a shake of her head, Sarah started hitting her computer keys. She knew she had to talk to Mrs. Rigby and get to the bottom of the case, but she was deeply fearful of what might come out at the end of it... So, that night she went over to the Corporate offices. Mrs. Rigby was at work, cleaning as Sarah entered. She stopped briefly now and then, but continued to work through their conversation, dusting, emptying wastebaskets and so on.
"Mrs. Rigby, I'm Sarah Williams, from the District Attorney's office."
Mrs. Rigby looked at Sarah and frowned. "When are you people going to leave me alone? I've got work to do. I've already told the police everything I know."
"This won't take long. I promise. You say you never got a good look at the Slasher."
"Don't call him that! That man saved me, and all you people want to do is hunt him down like some animal. Where were all you people when those boys were kicking on me?" She turned her back to Sarah, then relented a little and turned back. "I didn't see him. I told you people that. I told you and told you. The lights were going on and off. What kind of subway is that, we can't even keep the lights on?"
"Well, surely when the lights came on, you saw something, if only for a second..."
"I was on the floor, hurting. I still have bruises where those boys kicked me. I didn't see no part of that man."
Sarah titled her head and gazed at her for a moment. "You're protecting him, aren't you?" she asked, gently. Mrs. Rigby busied herself with her work, ignoring her. Sarah decided to take a risk. "Mrs. Rigby, I'm not even supposed to be here. This is personal for me. I have a friend. I think... I don't know what to think. I'm afraid that he was involved. If you could tell me what you saw, anything... his face... his hands...his hair...
Mrs. Rigby relented. "His hands...he wore black leather gloves..., and his hair..., it was from another world...and his face, I'll never forget that face. He wasn't a man. He wasn't a human man at all. He was like…like…an angel...a terrible angel, come to save me."
Sarah reacted with dismay, seeing Jareth in Mrs. Rigby's words. "A terrible angel...Thank you." Sarah moved quickly to the door, anxious to be gone.
"You won't tell them, will you?" asked Mrs. Rigby.
Sarah turned back reassuringly. "No... I won't tell."
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sarah finally arrived home. All she wanted to do was take a nice warm soak in the bath, then drift of to sleep... But something far more important than relaxation was on her mind, something she needed to deal with right away... Sarah put on her sweater and jeans, brushed her hair and went down to the basement. She walked over to the gap in the wall and entered the loomy tunnel. Frightfully, she made her way down the narrow hole warily stepping away from the lichen that observed her every move. The consant dripping of a nearby water-pipe, along with the faint whispers of unknown voices made the journey extra terrifying... Eventually she came to a spiral staircase which led the way down into the underground. Carefully, she descended the stairs... But when she reached the bottom she became lost. There were several different routes to choose from and Sarah obviously chose wrongly, for wherever she went she ended up back in the same place. For almost an hour she promenaded around the darkness in circles, becoming scared and lonely... "Hmmm..., here's one I haven't tried" she said to herself, entering another mysterious cave.
She walked onwards for a few minutes before stopping in apprehension. Sarah could hear laughter from the other side of the tunnel. "Hello?" she called, as she continued to approach the nearby sound. "Jareth...Is that you?" she said, as the cackles grew larger in volume and in number. Sarah felt scared, but this was the only tunnel she hadn't tried... "Is somebody there?" she asked, thinking she could see several shadows running about a head of her. She walked a few more yards before stopping at where she saw the shadows... Suddenly, everything seemed very quiet...Too quiet!
"Boo!" the creature shouted, hanging its head from the drainage at the top of the tunnel. Sarah squealed and jumped back in fright, as she recognised the creature to be a a Firey, one of the loud, pink, detachable-limbed revelers who caused nothing but trouble for her back in the Labyrinth. "Remember us?"
Before she knew it, three other members of The Fire Gang appeared in front of her. "Yeah, remember us?" With all guns blazing, they were jumping up and down, tickling her, prodding her, trying to remove her head...
"Stop it!" she cried, smacking each one away from her... But there was too many off them, and their hyperactivity began to make her dizzy. "Help!" Sarah fell to the floor as they continued to cackle and poke her.
"Come on lady. We can't play with you when you're lying down!" yelled a Firey, as he pulled at her legs.
"Please..."
"Sarah?" called Jareth, who quickly ran over to her from the other side of the tunnel with several goblins by his side. "Let her go, all of you!" he commanded, and in a flash the Firey's scarpered. Jareth helped Sarah up and held her close, and he guided her through to his lair.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sarah sat on the same mattress she had used to recuperate in after she had been attacked. Everything in the den looked unchanged... Jareth handed her a hot drink and she supped it gratefully. He also placed a shawl around her shoulders to keep her warm. "It's a good thing we found you, Sarah." he said, watching her attentively as she drank.
"I thought I'd remember... I must have gotten turned around somehow. Everything seems so different... strange." Sarah tidied up her hair, since The Fire Gang had messed it up.
"The ways change, Sarah. We use our magic to make sure the tunnels are always changing their routes so that the humans do not find us."
Sarah chuckled. "Magic..., I should have known." She and Jareth shared a prolonged look of compassion before she spoke again. "I had to come. I had to see you. I was afraid..."
Jareth's eyes were deeply sorrowful. "I know."
"You didn't come. I called. I banged on the pipes in my house hoping you would hear it...but you never came."
"I could feel your fear, Sarah. Even now…I frighten you."
Sarah moved closer to him. "You taught me to face my fears always, Jareth. "Tell me..."
"What shall I tell you? That I am not this...shadow, this devil that you hunt? Must you hear the words before you trust? Hear them, then. It is not me... Sarah, I would never hurt you." he said gently, moving toward her. Sarah couldn't help an involuntary move away from him. Jareth pulled back and looked at her for a moment, devastated, then moved away from her.
"No, Jareth, no... I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
"... to pull away? I know." he said with softness and pain in his voice. He turned and walked away, raising his hand to swing at the air in frustration. "I know your heart, Sarah, but sometimes the words that are not spoken are the truest words of all ... however much they hurt.
"What are you saying?" Sarah eyes were full of panic.
"We both know what these hands can do... have done. Sarah, if your heart does not trust, then no words I speak would help." Jareth picked up his cloak and swung it over his arm. "It's time for you to go home."
He lead her unresisting from the chamber.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Jareth sat dejectedly in the center of the bridge, a hundred feet below the roof, his legs dangling over the side. He sat silently as Abe appeared behind him, carrying a torch. "Jareth?...Are you all right?" Abe stepped forward, gazed around, and placed the torch in a holder on the wall. "I've heard the goblins talk of this place."
Jareth nodded. "I come down here a lot..., to think, reflect, reason with myself. You can hear the sounds of the people from the world above here...rushing about the subway, heading to their homes, lovers strolling carelessly in the park...sounds of a thousand different lives, all so ignorant, so unaware of the magic that lives underneath their world...magic that we can't even use because we're living in a world we do not belong in!"
Abe smiled fondly and knelt beside Jareth. "It's Sarah, isn't it?"
"I can hear her fears whispering to me, no matter where I stand" he uttered, very sadly.
"She cannot help being afraid, Jareth. Her world is built on fear. It's all they know. With the lives they're forced to lead, if they weren't afraid, they'd be insane."
"I know."
"We have something they only dream of…a safe place…a secret place…beyond their madness and their fear. It's not the Labyrinth...but it's just as magical. Don't give up hope, Jareth. Good things will come to you at the right time."
Abe stood up and walked away, leaving Jareth to contemplate.