Toby immediately froze, but when the screen went silent he turned on the spot and looked at it. It was completely blank. Curiosity itched at the edge of his mind, and taking slow, tentative steps, he moved towards the television.
When he was standing a few centimetres from the screen, he pressed a closed fist to it and knocked on the glass. Nothing happened. He knocked again, but this time louder, louder than the thumping of his heart. Though he was scared, he was also curious as to what strange creature had to be hiding in his television, making it act funny.
"Hello?" he asked the screen.
He suddenly heard high pitched chattering and laughter inside the television, and he leaned his head in closer, until his ear touched the screen, so he could hear well. The chatter died down just as abruptly as it had begun and he frowned. The lights flickered ominously in the living room, but he took no notice, so enthralled by this strange
happening.
"Toby," spoke a strong, authorative voice which echoed around the room.
Toby jumped visibly and looked around trying to find the source of the voice, but it seemed to be everywhere at once. The lights completely went out. Toby started towards where he thought the stairs would and called out to Sarah. He received no reply.
"Toby," came the call again.
"Where are you?" the little boy asked, staring quizzically, his heart was thumping in his chest.
"Behind you, my dear boy."
Suddenly the lights flicked on as if they'd never been out and Toby spun dizzily on the spot until he faced the television screen…or what he could see of it. Leaning lazily against it was a tall, otherworldly looking man. He was of indescribable age, and had impish facial features, framed by wild, feathery blonde hair. His thin lips cracked into a mischievous grin and the boy saw fangs that glinted in the light of the room. He wore black, medieval garb and came with 70 more glitter!
Toby stared at the strange man with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging fully open. The man smirked and pushed himself off the television, where he made his way to the boy and bowed deep and mockingly. He turned his face up and stared down his nose at him through mismatched eyes, and held out his hand.
"I am The Goblin King, but you may call me Jareth."
Toby reached out hesitantly with one hand and shook Jareth's, "Uhh…I'm Toby…but I really shouldn't be talking to you…"
"Why ever not?" Jareth drew back to his full height and cocked his head to the side, arching a brow.
"Well…you're a strange glittery man from the t.v…"
"But I thought we could play a game while your sister was away," He took Toby by the elbow and lead him to the couch, "Don't you want to play a game, Toby?"
Immediately Toby's features brightened and he allowed himself to be taken to the couch, where he climbed up and sat with his legs crossed. Next to him, Jareth sat in his own dignified, kingly way, as if he were more worthy of this room than the pretty lamp next to him. The pretty lamp huffed at him indignantly.
"I've got a little riddle for you, boy," began Jareth and he glanced quickly at the stairs for a moment. When he could still hear the water from upstairs running, he seemed satisfied they weren't going to be having any uninvited guests. The Goblin King couldn't believe how much of a water waster Sarah was. Some things were just unforgiveable.
"What's that?" asked Toby inquisitively, tilting his head in a frighteningly similar manner to the Goblin King.
"Why, it's like a puzzle!" Toby's eyes brightened and Jareth asked, "Oh, do you like puzzles then?"
"My sister does them all the time when she baby-sits me!" And the boy motioned to the hefty piles of old and tattered puzzle books and magazines by a bookcase next to the stairs.
Jareth stared at them dryly and wondered if Sarah was preparing for some kind of puzzle war. Well, somebody was definitely paranoid…even if it was justified in this instance. He looked at the maze puzzles shiftily, and quickly coughed and turned back to Toby.
"Well, this riddle is only for the most grown up boys…I don't know if you're old enough…" The Goblin King trailed off and smirked inwardly at the look of barely concealed irritation on Toby's face at having his maturity questioned.
"Tell me!" the boy all but begged, tugging on Jareth's coat sleeve insistently.
"But first!" Jareth said loudly, and Toby immediately quieted, "With all games there must be a winner and a loser, and where there are games, there are terms."
"Will you, Toby, should you lose, accompany me to my castle, beyond the Goblin City where you will stay forever?" He asked seriously.
"Forever's a long time…" said the boy, to which Jareth replied, "Oh, but it's not long at all."
"I think I should go and ask my big sister…"
"Ah, but this is a limited offer. You don't want to lose this opportunity to prove how grown up you are to your big sister, do you?"
Jareth knew that he had won; Toby idolized his big sister and hated being thought a child all at once. It would be a piece of cake, the boy had no chance whatsoever to comprehend the riddle he had planned and then he would be one step closer to his rematch and finally his revenge. He could admit it himself, he was a horrible loser.
"Are you listening carefully, Toby?" at the boy's enthusiastic nod, Jareth barreled into his riddle.
"Turn us on our backs
And open up our stomachs
You will be the wisest of men
Though at start a lummox.
What am I?"
Toby's eyes crossed in confusion and once more his mouth fell open so wide that a small family of goblins could move in and host a formidably sized party. The riddle was all too much for his six year old mind to comprehend. And what was a lummox?
He considered asking, but he thought it would be a bad idea to waste his answer. Maybe he should wait for Sarah? She'd been gone for a long time; she couldn't be that much longer, could she? She could help him!
"Toby," growled Jareth, sensing his hestitation and growing impatient, "You're running out of time."
"But-"
"Because you never specified a time line in which you'd answer my riddle, I had little choice but to decide it myself, and if I'm correct in saying," Jareth paused and reached into his coat pocket where he pulled out a large, gold pocket watch, reading its face, "You have exactly thirty seconds to answer."
Toby paled. He didn't think thirty seconds sounded very long at all and he really didn't understand any of that riddle. What did wise mean? And why at start a lummox?
What was a lummox?!
"Such a pity, dear Toby," Came the vicious, mocking voice of the Goblin King. He shook his head and tsked, "and here I thought you were all grown up. What ever will Sarah think?"
Toby's eyes welled with tears of fear and he opened his mouth to scream for his sister. He had barely gotten the start of Sarah's name out of his mouth before the lights went out once more and the television turned on. The screen was overflowing with images of goblins, bouncing up and down, howling with evil laughter and the box began rocking side to side from the force.
There was the sound of a door opening upstairs, the light from the bathroom flooding the darkened living room. Toby screamed before Jareth could cover his mouth and there was the sound of running footsteps an instant later.