Chapter 3

Cell buddies

The darkness of the room made Sarah keep her eyes open, though she really should have tried to get some sleep every time she closed her eyes images danced before her. Images of her and Jareth dancing, kissing, making love, the images that had plagued her since the first time Sarah had escaped the Underground.

Now that she was down here however, the images were clearer, more vibrant, and made Sarah shiverd. She could almost feel his hands on her skin, rubbing and caressing working her body into a heated frenzy.

Suddenly a light came from the doorway and Sarah heard voices, "It was so nice of you to come to my home… however, I do not tolerate spies… nor do I tolerate liars. It won't be a long wait for you… before death comes… but you can wait in here."

A short figure was thrown down the two steps and into the small room with her. It was to dark to see who it was but Sarah recognized the grunts as the small figure toppled down the stairs.

"Hoggle?" She called out softly.

There was silence for a moment and then a low scratchy voice spoke, "S-Sarah?"

"Oh Hoggle! Hoggle I am over here! Can you find me?" Sarah said reaching her hands through the bars.

"I can't move…horrible things these shrinking shackles are."

"Shrinking shackles?" Sarah asked trying to keep her voice down.

"They get tighter the more you try an' escape. What you doin' here? I thought you were… up there."

Sarah couldn't see in the dark but she imagined he was pointing up with his short little finger as he lay on the ground.

"I was… a wolf brought me here and put me in a cage… he says I am to be given as a gift to some person down here."

"Oh dear." Hoggle said sounding like he knew what that meant but didn't want to share it with her.

"Hoggle… do you know what is going on?" Sarah asked in her commanding tone.

"I never said that!" Hoggle hissed defensively.

"Hoggle?" She said darkening her tone.

" I uh… uh…All I am going to tell ya is that tomorrow is Jareth's birthday."

Hoggle didn't need to say anymore, Sarah knew whom she was going to be given away to. She felt her stomach drop. She had dreamed of seeing the Goblin King again, and as she got older her dreams had turned from innocent games to seductive heat.

But that was only in her mind, what would Jareth really do to her in real life once he found he had complete and total power over her? How badly would he hurt her? How badly would he humiliate her and berate her and cruelly rule over her?

She had to escape, she had to get free and return above ground, and if she had to she would take Hoggle with her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked suddenly realizing she had been rude not to ask if he was all right.

"Jareth sent me." He said in a voice of disgust.

"Why?" Sarah asked.

"He wanted me to make sure that the wolf had his payment ready to be given to him tomorrow."

"Payment?" Sarah asked.

She heard Hoggle sigh, the little dwarf knew he couldn't get out of explaining the whole situation but at the same time he seemed reluctant.

"Jareth, being the arrogant ass he is saved the wolf five years ago from a horrible fate. In doing so the wolf became indebted to him. Jareth made it clear that for five years, on his birthday he wanted some form of gift to show the wolf's loyalty and gratefulness. Each year the gift was supposed to be more extravagant then the last and if on the fifth year the gift was better then the rest Jareth would free the wolf of his debt. If the wolf ever failed to produce a gift or if Jareth didn't find the gift good enough he would banish the wolf from the Underground and force him to remain on Earth trapped in his wolf form." Hoggle finished with an annoyed voice.

Sarah had listened and couldn't believe her ears, "So, Jareth blackmailed the wolf into giving his a birthday present?"

"I suppose if that is how you wish to look at it… yes."

Sarah shook her head and then leaned it against the bars, she was so tired, "Is there any chance of escape… if Jareth gets his hands on me I will be damned."

"I wouldn't be so sure, ever since you bested him he has done nothing but thought of you. He has been distracted from his duties and in a strange fit one night commissioned a large portrait of you to be painted. The goblins claim it is to remind him of his failure, but I think it's to remind him of your face."

Sarah blushed, "He had a painting of me made?"

"Don't act so surprised, you were the only human to ever best him at his own game."

"I should be flattered but I'm still worried. Do you think he will hurt me?"

Hoggle gave a cynical grunt, "I doubt it. The Goblin King has never had a problem torturing his minions and servants, but you, he has always had a soft spot for you."

"I wouldn't be so sure… he can be cruel."

"Aye he can… but to someone so far… I doubt he would harm a hair on your head."

Sarah sat in the darkness glad to be with her companion. She was no longer alone in this endeavor. But being the fifth gift to the Goblin King? What if she wasn't good enough, what if Hoggle was wrong on how he would treat her? What if she never got back to her miserable life as a human?

All Sarah could do was wait and see what the future would bring. All she could so was hope that the Goblin King held little if anything against her. She hoped he wouldn't hurt her but she remembered his eyes, his angry, cruel, and cold eyes. The way they stared at her, the way they calculated how to beat her, how to hurt her. If Jareth turned out to not be smitten with her, and in fact be angry with her then Sarah would have to rediscover her own cruelty and by God's hand she would have to fight for her survival.

OOOOOOOOO

Sarah had managed to get some sleep but wasn't sure how long she had been out before she felt someone drag her across the cage floor. She sat up in shock to see the wolf standing over her, his red eyes glaring at her.

"Hello beautiful… good news… the man to whom you are to be a gift for, he had to step out of his kingdom… the gift giving won't be for a few days. I've got some time with you to myself and I intend to enjoy it."

He dropped to his knees and started to crawl towards her, Sarah backed away in shock but couldn't go far. She felt the shackle tighten around her ankle and cried out in pain, "Oh I love when women cry." He was right next to her and licked her cheek.

"If you so much as put one of your nasty paws on her I will tell the king you soiled his gift!" Sarah heard the brave little dwarf yell.

The wolf stopped and rolled his eyes in irritation, "Perhaps I should deal with your friend first… no witnesses means more fun my beautiful little slave."

The wolf stood and exited the cage, he left the door wide open and Sarah calculated her chances of escaping, not very good since her leg was chained. But perhaps she could out smart the shackle.

Her eyes glanced between the wolf, which slowly descended the steps of her cage towards Hoggle, and the bolt that held the chain to the floor of the cage.

The more you struggle the tighter it gets, Sarah moved as close as she could to the bolt and managed to touch the cuff around her ankle to the pin in which the bolt ran through. To Sarah's utter shock the shackle opened, "I think I am getting smarter." Sarah said softly to herself with a smirk.

She stood and quietly crept from her cage, she saw Hoggle now who was in the far corner, and he was huddled in a ball hiding his face. Brave one minute, scared the next. Sarah would be too had she been in his position, bound and helpless with the wolf on the prowl.

Sarah descended the stairs as softly as she could and once her feet touched the cold stone of the room's floor she looked for anything to use as a weapon.

"You know dwarf… you talking like that to me in this current predicament you find yourself in isn't very wise. I intend to deliver the girl as a gift to Jareth, but I have no intention of her being as pure and innocent as last he met her. For all he knows she slept with hundreds of men once she returned to her world. It's been five years since the girl went back, do you really think she has managed to save herself?"

Sarah grabbed a torch off the wall and smirked, "You bet I have dog breath!" She swung the flaming chunk of wood and it smashed over the top of the wolf's head, he instantly went down and Sarah rushed to Hoggle who was still shying away.

"Hoggle come on, tell me how to get this thing off you!"

"You need a key!"

"Key what key?" Asked Sarah in shock.

"What do you mean what key, the key to unlock the blasted things!"

"Mine didn't need a key!" Sarah bit back.

"Well how did you get yours off?" Hoggle answered back even more bitterly then Sarah.

"I touched them to the bolt on the floor of my cage."

"Well I don't have a bolt!" Hoggle yelled in frustration.

Sarah looked around and then saw a key hanging from the wolf's belt. She slowly crept over on hands and knees and managed to extract it with out moving the wolf too much. She returned to Hoggle and unlocked his shackles.

"Told you so." Hoggle said sarcastically.

"No time for I told you so's we have to go!" Sarah helped her friend up and took his hand; they rushed up the two steps that led out of the room and then turned to look around, three different halls, one right in front of them, one to the left and one to the right.

"Where to from here?" Sarah asked Hoggle.

"How should I know?" Hoggle replied.

"What? Well which way did they bring you from?"

"I don't know I was upside down and blindfolded."

"Oh for pete's sake! Let's try this way!" Sarah led Hoggle to the left and they soon found themselves out of breath.

"It just goes on and on… not a single hidden turn! Not a trap door, a moving wall… just a ridiculously long hall way!"

"Maybe it's the wrong way." Hoggle said with a fearful voice.

Suddenly an eerie howl echoed down the hall after them, "Oh no." Hoggle said.

"Let's go!" Sarah cried ushering the small dwarf forward.

"AND I THOUGHT THE CLEARNERS WERE BAD!"

"KEEP MOVING!" Sarah bellowed.

The hall did go on for a long time but eventually there was a turn, they took it sharply only to find themselves facing another never-ending stretch of hall.

"WHAT IS THIS!" Sarah screamed in annoyance.

"We're doomed."

Sarah thought a moment, "There has to be a way out… how does he get out?"

"I don't get out… not unless I absolutely have to… and neither will you. Not until you are broken into a million pieces."

Sarah and Hoggle swung around and saw the wolf standing there baring his teeth, his eyes were narrowed and he looked like he may pounce on them any moment.

"You are spirited, you are beautiful, and I want you. But I won't allow those charming qualities of yours to allow you to get away with bashing me over the head!" He quite literally growled.

"I'd do it again if I could… you are a monster."

"Not a monster dear… just a wolf… a hungry, angry, aggressive wolf. And you are my new pray."

He lunged and Sarah had never seen someone move so fast, he was on her before she knew what to do. Before she could react to the situation he had her pinned and was raising his fist up, Hoggle rushed forward and tried to block him but the man's fist crashed into the dwarf's thick jaw and Hoggle flew back and hit the wall. He was unconscious and looked like he was seriously hurt.

Sarah threw her fists at his arms, his chest, and his thighs, anything she could reach in an attempt to hurt him, or even just surprise him so she could shift him off of her. He looked down at her and laughed, "Pathetic but beautiful." His fist came then, Sarah saw it in slow motion as it approached but once it collided with her head she realized she couldn't stop it.

It crashed into her cheekbone and the pain splintered through her face and head unlike anything she had ever felt. She let out a cry of shock, which only seemed to egg the wolf on.

He removed himself from her and picked her up by the hair, she tried to keep quiet but it was hard. He made her stand but tightening his hold on her hair. He pulled her up and then released her only to grab her by the throat and shove her harshly against the wall.

"So beautiful. You are so beautiful." He whispered into her ear as he pressed himself against her.

"Get off me!" she managed to say despite the death grip he had on her throat.

"Never." He said with a cruel laugh.

He inhaled her scent deeply and Sarah shivered, she tried to hold the tears back but the pain was awful. He smacked her across the face with his free hand she bit into her lip to try and keep her out burst silent.

"What? No screaming…. But I love when you scream... come on… just one little noise. One little cry." He lessened his hold on her throat and threw her to the floor.

She refused to make a noise; if she couldn't beat him physically she would deny him the one sick pleasure he sought. He came at her and delivered a crushing kick to her stomach, and then another to her ribs.

She tasted blood from where she was biting her lip so hard, "SCREAM!" He yelled at her. She shook her head and stifled a cry as she tried to regain her breath.

"I will make you scream." He said with an evil smile. He kneeled down behind her and took hold of her arm and twisting it up behind her back. Finally Sarah gave, she screamed as she felt him twisting her arm up higher and higher.

"There it is… that pretty cry from your throat."

"Let me go!"

"Oh never never!" He hissed as he held her there. The free arm that Sarah had been using to hold herself up gave and her already bruised face slammed into the floor.

"Purple is a wonderful color on your skin my stunning flower."

"Forget you!" Sarah screamed in frustration.

"Only if you dare turn your back on everything you ever desired! To forget me… or all the pain I am about to put you through… you'd have to turn yourself away from everything you ever cherished as a child… you'd have to forget the Labyrinth… forget your little dwarf friend, you'd have to forget him." The wolf purred the last part, Sarah knew who he meant.

She'd have to forget Jareth, the man whom she had been daydreaming of for years. The man that, in her short time in the Labyrinth, she had hated. But in her years away she had learned to miss and love. Jareth was the symbol of her childhood, the symbol of her innocents and youth. He was the one memory that had allowed her to keep her normal life alive with something exciting. His memory was what kept her going in her dreary everyday life. If Sarah allowed herself to forget Jareth she would in essence forget herself and who she was.

All the pain in the world was worth keeping him and what he stood for alive, Sarah would never forget Jareth or the adventure he had given her. For in a strange way he had indeed given her her dreams, however sort lived they had been.

"Come my jewel… let us remove ourselves to more… comfortable quarters."

"If you take me I will tell Jareth everything… I may not be in his best favor at the moment but if he finds out your soiled his gift he won't hesitate to banish you."

The wolf froze, he stared at her a moment and then growled, "So that stupid dwarf told you did her. I think he has been quite a thorn in my side… allow me to remove him."

"And if you kill or hurt Hoggle anymore then you already have I will tell him you killed on of his servants. Hoggle may not be worth much but he is Jareth's gatekeeper. The Goblin King would be most upset to find he had to get a new gatekeeper."

The wolf growled in rage and shoved Sarah away, she pulled her arm to her chest and relished in the lack of pain.

"You stupid little gabler. I could have given you the best night of your life… you don't know what you are missing."

"Neither do you." Sarah bit with triumph.

The wolf growl and came at her, Sarah didn't even feel this blow, she was unconscious before her head smacked the floor.

OOOOO

This time when Sarah opened her eyes she was in a large room that had tapestries and large paintings and a red carpet that ran the length of the room. Large pillars ran along the red carpet and Sarah felt like she was in a medieval painting. She sat up slowly only to find that everything throbbed with pain. Her ribs, her head, or face, and even her neck all screamed with agony.

She reached up to her neck only to find the damn metal collar that the wolf had placed around her neck, only this time she noticed a chain was connected to it. She followed the chain with her eyes and saw it was connected to a throne like chair that was a few feet from her. She scrambled to it trying her best to ignore the pain that shock her body to its core.

She leaned as close as she could but bitterly she groaned in defeat when the collar did not open.

"I, unlike some, learn from my mistakes. I thought perhaps you were to dim witted to figure out the shrinking shackles but you proved me wrong."

Sarah's head jerked to look up and across the throne, the wolf stood on the other side. He stared down at her, his face void of all emotion.

"I learn too… I will figure out how to get free." Sarah said trying to sound strong and confident.

"I bet you could figure it out… you are very clever. But you will be out of my company long before you do slave. In five hours you will be a gift for the Goblin King. But until them I intend to enjoy what little of you I can." The wolf rounded the throne and sat down pulling Sarah by the chain so she was forced to rest next to his legs. He stroked his hands through her hair gently but Sarah still wanted to flinch away.

His hands gently rubbed against the skin on her shoulders and neck and arms. He looked down at her like she was some mysterious creature he had never seen. He took her chin in his thumb and forefinger and pulled her up, she went willingly. She only had to deal with him for a few hours and then she would be on to her next tormentor.

"You know I am sorry about how cruel I was to you… I didn't mean to hurt you. I can be really nice if allowed to show it. You never let me show it… you refused me right from the beginning. You believed the lies that dwarf told you."

"Hoggle!" Sarah cried out suddenly relizing he wasn't about.

"Don't worry about him girl… he is alive and well. I harmed him no more once you were asleep."

More like unconscious, Sarah thought to herself.

"Come… sit on my lap."

Sarah shook her head and pulled away, "I said come and sit on my lap." He yanked at the chain and Sarah stumbled towards him. The paint hat jolted through her made her comply. She shakily crawled onto his lip and he pulled her closer. He then traced his finger up her arm and over her breast bone.

"Don't." Sarah said with an angry tone.

The wolf smirked but kept playing, his finger grew dangerously close to her breasts and she batted his hand away.

The wolf's smirked faded and he smacked her lightly across the cheek, it didn't hurt as much as stung.

"I warn you girl… ruin my good mood and you won't last long."

"You are never in a good mood." Sarah said.

The wolf's grin returned and he shoved her off his lap, she tumbled down the few steps and landed harshly on the ground. Then he started to pull her back to him. She pulled at the chain but he was stronger. It started to choke her and she coughed and spluttered.

"Mmmm, choking… now that is something I can enjoy." The wolf purred.

"Stop!" Sarah screamed more so in annoyance then anything else.

"I can't… don't you understand… you are to beautiful for him. Too wonderful, and too perfect for him. Your spirit, your intelligence, and your everything… you'd be a perfect mate for me. Say you will… please say you will."

His tone was patronizing and Sarah had never hated someone more then she hated him. "I will never be yours!" Sarah said, and then she spit in his face.

He stood slowly and removed the liquid from his face, "You are going to wish you had not done that."

"I only wish I had done it sooner!" Sarah rebuked.

"WITCH!" He came at her and Sarah rolled away, the wolf tripped over the chain and fell. Sarah stared in fear as he turned on her; he was on his hands and knees. And despite the fact he was in his face form she could see the snarling teeth, the angry and crazed eyes, and the aggression that was about to be unleashed on her.

"I will teach you… you will submit to me or you will be ripped to shreds!" He came to her and dragged her underneath him. Sarah kicked and screamed and fought, she drug his nails down her stomach and she felt them dig into her skin. He backhanded her and then both his hands were on her throat squeezing, she coughed and kicked and tried everything she could. She couldn't breath and his crazy eyed peered into hers and he started to laugh.

Sarah thought this was it; this was how she was going to die. Strangled by a wolf, they used to be her favorite animal. Now the wolf was her new nightmare. As the blackness started to appear around her eyes she wished she could see her friends one more time, she wished she could see her brother at least once more. And beyond it all she wished she could see Jareth, one last time, his two toned eyes burning into her soul and showing her all that she had ever wanted. He was the master of her dreams, and she was the mistress of his.

When the blackness claimed her she hoped that wherever she woke up, she hoped it was a better place then with the wolf. If she woke up in the wolf's clutches one more time she would strangle herself and make sure she never woke up.

A/N: I think this is a great place to stop for now! I hope you are enjoying it. Let me know!