Chapter 8. Dreams and the Magic
Jeremy walked the mother and daughter up to the third floor apartment. He had kept silent most of the way home, observing. When Linda invited him in for a cup of coffee he accepted. Sarah murmured her good nights, leaving the pair in the kitchen and heading for bed.
"Something happened tonight." He said to Linda when the girl had gone. His voice was not jubilant, nor was it playful. He had his serious face on and his voice matched.
"Besides the play?" she asked.
He nodded soberly. "Yes, besides the play.
Linda frowned; "Do I even want to know?"
Jeremy looked down the hall to the bedrooms. "I think yes, you might." He sipped the coffee she'd just poured for him.
"I think I know where this is going," she murmured pouring a cup for herself. "Sarah and the understudy," she took a seat at her kitchen table. "I had a feeling, but I was not sure."
"I think Dido and Magda are the only other's who know or suspect." Jeremy announced. "I don't think anyone else saw."
"You saw them?" Embarrassed she covered her face. "How in the world did that happen?"
"I was on the cat walk," he confessed. "I go up there to see things from a different perspective…. I didn't mean to…watch."
Linda winced, "Jeremy, do you think it was the first time they…."
"I'm pretty sure." He whispered. "I was coming down from the cat walk while Dido and Magda were helping her change for the last scenes of the Queen, and I saw Magda take a cloth wade from the g sting… it looked like it was stained red."
"From her G-string?" Linda's face bleached; "On stage? They had sex on stage?" Jeremy nodded. Linda Williams suddenly found herself feeling something she thought she was well past feeling, shock. "My daughter lost her virginity on stage, in front of a full house?"
"I'm afraid so," Jeremy sighed. "There's more," he whispered. "I'm guessing it was unprotected." Placing his hand over hers he murmured. "Do you want me to have words with the young man? I've talked to him a few times; he seems a decent enough sort. I'm sure he knows that Sarah is rather naïve, he had to know it was her first time… "
"You can't," Linda sighed. "He received an urgent call from home and had to leave… he didn't even have time to finish the evening's performance." She pushed her coffee mug away.
"He left?" Jeremy frowned. "That's not good."
Nodding, Linda added. "He left a gift for Sarah, a bouquet of pansies and a little silver ring to commemorate her first opening night."
"Maybe he's serious about our girl." Jeremy offered taking hope from the gift left behind.
"I hope so." The actress murmured softly. "I do hope so," groaning she squeezed the hand holding hers. "At least it wasn't Hayden." She seethed thinking of the actor playing Oberon. "If it had been Hayden…"She squeezed her eyes closed, blocking out the evil thoughts.
"Linda, I think we should keep this quiet, to ourselves. I know Dido and Magda won't say a word, they adore Sarah too much to allow any kind of gossip." Jeremy stated firmly. "For now, we keep this just to ourselves."
"Agreed," Linda said. "I'm tired, do you want to stay?"
He rose from his seat. "Yes, tonight I think I should stay." He opened his arms to her. "I'll always be there for you, Linda. You know that don't you?"
She touched his face. "No words, dearest." Moving as one they walked down the hall to her bed.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
She was standing in a long narrow passage, brick walls that seemed to go on for an eternity. She looked left, and then right, both passages seemed like mirror images. Seemingly to go on forever and ever with no end or turns, cold panic gripped her. She knew this place, or at least she felt like she knew this place, or should. Panicked she began to back out of the entry, shaking her head.
"Perhaps you'd prefer this," a gloved hand held out the dress she'd worn in a park to play out a part in the company of her dog. "Go back to your room; play with your costumes and your toys." The voice said sardonically. "Don't defy me."
She was trapped; on one side that dreadful passage that lead to God knows what, on the other him…. HIM. The girl buried her face in her hands, knowing she should know this. She should know him, but there seemed to be some sort of mental block that kept her from finding the answers.
His lips were at her ear now, "Turn back, Sarah." She could feel the long tendrils of Fae hair cross her face like a loving caress.
"I can't," she found herself moaning. "I can't turn back, don't you understand?"
A leather clad hand found her hip, pulled her ever so slightly back, until her back connected to the armor clad chest. "Such a pity," he mused taxingly in her ear. "Such a pity," his hand snaked up from her hip, claiming her ribs. "I can offer you so much." He droned. "I can offer you … your dreams."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sarah sat upright, her body covered in beads of cold sweat. She was panting and shook with fear. Gathering her bed clothes about her, she fought to remember the dream, but it was already fading like so many other dreams she'd suffered through these last few years. She'd had so many lost dreams she could not recall when they had started. The only thing she could remember was the words 'such a pity', and the feeling of being alone. She had hoped that she would out grow these 'night terrors', however that didn't seem to be happening.
Reaching over to the table beside her bed, she switched on the little lamp. The room was quiet, undisturbed and unchanged. She ran a hand through her tangled hair, "I must be losing my mind." She muttered. "Why should I have that nightmare tonight? Everything went get, the performance was fabulous." She spoke in whispered tones to herself, not wishing to disturb her mother's sleep. "Get a grip, Sarah, it was just a dream. Just your fears, rearing their ugly heads." She tapped her fingers on her forehead as she ran her hand over her face again. Her sleepy eyes focused on the ring finger of her left hand. She leaned back into the multitude of pillows that she slept with. Holding her hand out she looked once more at the gift Jay had left for her. Since the day he'd kissed her backstage she'd harbored little fantasies about him. She'd only seen him wearing the donkey head mask. She had no idea of what his face really looked like. The only thing she knew for sure was he smelled wonderful, and kissed great. Sarah sat up again, there was something else she knew; she knew he'd been with her on stage. She switched the light off and closed her eyes.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Jeremy worked on the scrambled eggs while Linda poured three mugs of coffee. Sarah entered the kitchen still feeling drowsy; she looked at him, wordlessly greeting him. She took her mug from her mother's hands and sat in her seat at the table. Jeremy looked at Linda and then went back to tending the eggs. Breakfast was eaten in silence, as no one seemed to have words to say. When the dishes were cleared, it was Jeremy who broke the peace.
"We have a cast meeting at noon." He stated.
"I know," Linda looked at Sarah. "Are you… alright?" Her voice was laced with maternal concern.
"Fine," she murmured. "Just a bit wrung out."
Jeremy motioned Linda to go get ready. "Sarah," he reached across the table for her hand. "You know you can come to us with anything, don't you?"
"Of course," she smiled a little confused.
"I mean anything." He reminded her.
"Okay." She slowly withdrew her hands. "I'm going to shower."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Papa looked at his principals with a very pleased smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm very pleased to announce we are a hit." The gathered cast applauded soundly.
"Let's not get cocky," murmured Puck in Sarah's ear. "Eh?"
Sarah giggled at the vibration his voice made in her ear. "Stop that."
Hayden shoved the smaller young man aside roughly. "Move on," he growled.
Puck saw Sarah go cold and rigid as the pushy actor muscled his way closer to her. The girl frowned at the handsome face, unmoved by his attentions. Puck winked at the girl, and ignored the man.
Kevin waited until the announcements and discussions had ended, he reached for Sarah's hand and pulled her aside before Hayden had so much as a chance to even notice his presence. "Could you talk to me, for just a moment?" he asked taking her aside and leading her across the stage. He paused at the spot where the Fairy Bed was being stored until it was needed to be rolled onto stage. "Sarah, can you tell me what happened last night?"
"When?" she asked.
Kevin nodded; he had not phrased it right. "I left the stage to put on the Bottom donkey mask… "
"And Jay made the entrance as the Bewitched Bottom." Sarah finished.
"I don't remember why." Kevin sighed. He touched the bed, looking at Sarah with serious eyes. "It was like I was enchanted."
"I know the feeling," she put her left hand on the frame of the bed, close to his.
He saw the little sliver ring; "That's pretty."
"Jay left it for me before he had to go." Sarah held her hand up and looked at the pretty ring. "It was so sweet of him, but I don't have the slightest idea of how he knew my ring size."
"Must have made a good guess," Kevin teased. "It not only fits perfectly, it suits you. Jay has good taste."
"He tastes good too." Sarah said before she could stop herself.
Kevin cleared his throat, "I wouldn't know." He saw Hayden moving in on them, he spoke loud enough to be heard across the stage. "Shall we practice that one more time?"
Sarah saw Hayden moving in as well. "Sure." She said then going into character held out her hand to Kevin, thinking 'Bottom'. "Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed," she moved with ease into the bed and pulled Kevin in with her. It was not as relaxed a movement as it had been when Jay had been on stage with her. She frowned, "Kevin, I won't bite, I promise. Now let's do that again." The second time, it was better, the third it was almost effortless. By the time they finished it was an easy progression from stage to bed. Sarah nodded, and they parted.
Hayden was holding a paper, "I thought you might like to see how the press received our performance." He was not smiling.
Sarah really didn't wish to be any where near the man, but could see no way of escaping him further. "Were they fair to us?"
"Fairer to some than to others," Hayden grumbled. "They loved you." He pointed to the review covering her performance. "They adored you and Bottom cavorting in bed."
Sarah read the words, a smile caressing her sweet lips as she mouthed the appraisal of her first opening night. The reviewer had been most complimentary, stating that her Tatiana was breathtaking and so convincing. There was more than a brief description of her scene with Jay and she blushed. "Oh, that's so nice."
"Nice?" Hayden grumbled gruffly. "They weren't so nice to me." He pointed to his review. "They called me laborious and excessive."
"Papa warned you to tone down the harshness in your tone." She repeated the words spoken to Hayden right before the curtain went up the night before.
"I am not excessive!" He growled. "I'm a perfectionist!"
She handed him the paper. "Don't look at me," she shrugged.
Dangerously he leaned closer to her, "I'd like to do a lot more than just look." His hand began to reach for her.
"Hey, hot shot, Dido wants to see you." Magda tapped Hayden on the shoulder he'd not even seen her approach. "She has some refitting to try on you." She roughly turned the actor around and shoved him on his way, "Be a good little boy, go!"
Hayden gathered his dignity, what was left of it, and made a not so stylish exit. Magda looked at Sarah, "Want to talk?"
"What about?" Sarah asked innocently.
Magda looked at the flower bed, her voice going quiet so that only Sarah could hear her words. "How about what happened on stage last night for starters."
"I'm not following you, Magda." Sarah said naively, looking at the girl, not the bed.
Magda leaned on the mattress of the bed, "I know what happened, Sarah." She whispered softly, trying to remain tactful; "Your first time, huh?" The girl listening flushed pink. "I'm not judging, to each, his own;" the Goth girl stated. "Got to admit it was pretty ballsy…"
"Ballsy?" Sarah repeated.
"Well yeah," Magda snickered. "Having sex on stage right in front of a full house is pretty daring. I had no idea you were such a wild child."
Sarah could not argue with her, but part of her wanted to deny it happened. "How did you know?" She was fighting hard to regain a memory. The entire time she had been portraying Tatiana under the spell was foggy.
Magda looked about, making sure they were alone. Her hand went into her pocket of her long black skirt. She pulled out the clothe with a red stain, and she shoved the clothe back into her pocket. "I figured it was your first time." She gave the younger girl a sympathetic empathetic smile. "If you need to talk about anything, I'm here." She offered generously.
Biting her lower lip she finally looked at Magda. "I don't remember most of it. It's all sort of a fog."
"The euphoria of the opening night," suggested Magda. "I mean it's not like you and Jay planed on doing bumps and grinds on stage. You got caught up in the moment of passion, it happens." She shrugged. "First times," the Goth girl groaned sardonically.
"Do you remember your first time?" Sarah asked.
Magda shook her head, "I don't even remember who." She confessed. "I was a little too lit."
"I'm sorry," Sarah sighed. "I guess I should be happy I know who, where and when, if not why."
"Why?" Magda laughed pushing off the bed, "Because Jay King is one hot piece of ass!" Wincing Sarah laughed with the Goth girl. The girl in dark makeup and clothes wiggled suggestively. "I know I'd have loved to have done the mambo with him!" Sarah was now blushing red. "Just tell me one thing, and I'll let it go…Was he as good as he looks?"
Sarah blinked, something told her deep inside. "Better." She sighed deeply. "He was… magical."
"Shit, now I need a cold shower." Magda snorted. "Well, come on Queenie. We have to make sure nothing shows tonight." She hooked arms with Sarah. "Better, huh?"
Puck watched them from the wings, smiling and making plans. Goblin Kings were not the only Fae who were entitled to some kind of personal happiness.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Papa moved across the stage, an hour before curtain. He looked about to make sure things were as they should be. He had a feeling he was not alone. Looking about he found the eyes of his Puck watching from the wings. "I can't resist last minute checking." He confessed to the one watching him. "Just put it down to me being a control freak."
"You're one of a kind Papa," the watcher said in a voice much older than he appeared. "The mortal plane has known too few like you."
Papa considered the words and nodded murmuring, "I suppose that's true." He smiled wistfully. "I shall miss this."
"Perhaps, perhaps not," Puck moved across the stage to stand along side the director. "Perhaps it will all seem like a dream."
"I want to remember it all." Papa stated. "I want to remember."
"Than you shall," Puck avowed knowingly.
The stage was dressed, ready for the curtain to go up. "I love this time, the time before the curtain goes up," the director muttered melodiously. "This is when the magic starts."
Puck placed a hand to the other's shoulder. "You know."
A slight smile formed, he didn't look at the speaker. "I've always known, even if I didn't voice it… or accept it at the forefront of my psyche, but yes… I know." He breathed in the mysterious charisma that filled the stage. "I love this time." Placing his head on the shoulder of the director Puck felt something stir in his Fae heart. The director looked down into the eyes that the glamour no longer hid from his view. "I'm not afraid, little one. This one last show will give me my legacy."
"My master," Puck crooned; "has always looked with favor upon thee."
"That's good to know." Papa said giving the set one last going over. "I do love this. The sets, the fabrics, the smell of the grease paint…"
"The roar of the crowd?" Puck finished for him.
"That too." Papa snickered, "that too."
Puck nudged the mortal, playfully.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Magda stood with Sarah as she awaited her cue, they watched as Kevin stood on the stage with the others who portrayed village craftsmen. Sarah reached down to make sure her metal framework was covering all the important parts of her breasts.
Magda whispered in her ear, "It's like he's still here isn't it?" When Sarah turned to look at her she smiled and tapped on one of the metal hands holding her raised breasts. "We used Jay's hands."
Sarah looked down, her mouth falling open. "Oh my God." She squeaked. "Are you kidding?"
"Nope," Magda said proudly. "He has the most gorgeous hands…" unceremoniously she sent the dazed Sarah out on stage.
Tingling and feeling strangely brave, Sarah looked at Kevin with a softness that she could not feign. Kevin responded to the tone, and delivered a stunning performance.
Hayden watched with growing resentment, begrudging the other actor even one moment of success. 'You'll soon tire of Kevin and his lack of skills, and then I'll have a free playing field.' He thought to himself.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
The oubliette was dark, quiet and filled with the magic of old memories. Even as time had passed in the outside world it had sojourned here in this dark hole in the ground under the Labyrinth. Her scent hung in the air, fresh and young. He smiled; he had kept this place as it was when she'd left it. Now he created a throne-like chair for himself. One should be comfortable he'd thought if one were about to observe a play.
Taking his seat, he lounged with one leg hooked casually over the arm of the seat. He drew a crystal from the air, unhurriedly. It fogged, clearing to show the girl being thrust onto the stage by Magda. He smiled. "Sarah," he said in a long exhale, "my antagonist, and my beloved opponent. " He watched as she drew a performance from Kevin unlike any he'd given in rehearsal. "That's my girl." He murmured.
"She's not your girl." A voice growled. "She never was."
"Quite, Hogwart," warned the King. "I'm busy, and I have no desire to be disturbed."
"You'll be plenty disturbed when she figures out what you did." The dwarf grumbled as he hobbled off.
"By then," Jareth said bringing the crystal to his lips. "It will be much too late."
Hoggle turned, eyes opening wide. "What did you do?"
Jareth cocked his head to one side, "I granted her a dream."
"You've given her a nightmare!" Roared the gnomish dwarf.
Tossing the crystal into the air, the King watched it burst into thousands of sparkles. "One mans' dream is another mans' nightmare," he agreed. "Hogsfeet, you know as well as I do that magic is not free… there are payments due for services rendered just as there are fees and penalties in cured for … expenditures."
"I thought you gave up too willingly!" Hoggle came back into the oubliette enraged and ready to denounce the king. "You're nothing but a cheat! You let her think she won, and you let her think she was free! If I had known for one moment…"
"You'd have warned her, yes, I'm sure you would." The king's voice had gone cold. "Now wouldn't that have been futile and ineffective, not to mention useless and unsuccessful?"
Hoggle shook with fury. "You're not fair!"
"That's right Hoggy, I'm not." He stood up, cold, beautiful and dangerous. "I'm the King, and I always win… in the end I always win." He walked past the dwarf untouched by the display of fury. "She was mine from the moment she stepped into my world, but she was too young. I allowed her time to grow… now she pays for having played with fire, Hoggy."
Hoggle crumpled, knowing he'd played into the hands of the king more times than he could count. Hoggle was torn, fearful obedience to a cruel king or loyalty to a mortal girl he'd come to care for.
Jareth paused at the opening, "Hoggle," His voice lowered, deepened and filled the little dwarf with fear. "I won't tolerate interference, try me and the bog of stench will be the least of your worries." He looked down his nose with that expression of superiority on his smug face. "Am I making myself clear?"
"Crystal," Hoggle snapped.
"Good." Jareth said crisply. "Now, go back to the gate, there is work to be done."
"I won't help you, I won't hurt her," vowed the dwarf as he shuffled off.
Jareth watched him shuffle away, and whispered. "I don't need your help. I have Puck." He moved quickly through the tunnels, he had to get to his appointment with the hobgoblin. He worried he'd wasted time in arguing with the gardener, vowing that if he'd missed the appointment he'd make the dwarf pay.
Puck stood on the windswept hillside, a smile came to his mischievous face when the King appeared. "Ah good King, right on time." He praised.
Jareth smiled back. "Report."
"The costumer, the girl with silly clothes, knows, as does the older woman." Puck announced.
"The other witnesses?" Jareth asked impatiently; "Do the others know?"
"The mother and the lover are aware, as you wished." Puck chuckled gleefully. "All you wished to know know. But they don't know what they think they know." Puck laughed out loud. "Even the High King does not know the extent to which you were willing to go."
"Matters not," He placed his arm about the imp. "I'm now under the edict of the High Queen. She imposes a punishment on Sarah more than me. Keep me informed," the command came quickly.
Puck bowed. "As you wish." The imp vanished to return to the world Above.
Jareth walked, needing time to plot his next move, and what pawn to use.
