Chapter Four: Into the Labyrinth

'Hoggle!' Sarah flung herself in the direction of her weathered-skinned friend, 'I'm so glad you're here-'

'What do you want Sarah? I'm really busy.' He pulled himself out of her embrace and stood back from the grinning girl. 'You know, my life doesn't stop because you stop calling all of us.' He slowly crossed his arms over his protruding chest; the years had treated him well.

'I don't know what to say Hoggle; I'm sorry.' Her hands clasped her heart that was racing. Should you need us, echoed in her mind; how had she never thought that maybe, just sometimes, they would need her? 'How come you're busy? Or is that a 'I'm washing my hair' kind of excuse?' Sarah eased into the seat, hoping she had lightened the mood. His expression remained fixed and cold.

'You're the reason we're all busy if I'm completely honest with you. I don't know what you did to Jareth but he's back there destroying everything. There's people hiding out in the oubliettes because they're so scared; then of course they forget why they're down there. It's horrific.' His huge eyes had formed into an angry stare. 'I'm hoping you called me here so you can fix what you've ruined.'

'I've not spoken to Jareth in years. I didn't even know he survived.' A blatent lie. She had always, on some level, known he'd survived. The oceans of salt water that were welling up inside Sarah's eyes threatened to burst their banks. Sarah was sure this would do her no favours. She had always known Hoggle to be hard and defensive; but never had she seen such contempt.

The penetrating stare was so forceful Sarah began to wonder why he'd even bothered to come if he had no intention of helping her? She cleared her throat.

'Will you take me to him Hoggle? Please; I'll make everything alright, I promise.' She stared him down with her softest, most vulnerable eyes, that no man could resist.

'No chance,' he roared, his cold features slipped a little as he watched Sarah flinch. 'I'll take you back with me because that's no bother to me. After that, you're on your own.'

'But Hoggle-'

'No Sarah. I'm not setting foot inside that labyrinth while he's in there. He'd have me turned inside out and sinking to the bottom of the bog if he so much as lays a cornea on me.' The fear that was once behind Hoggle's voice had gone. Instead, before her was someone who was angry and bitter; a transformation from the man who she had watched grow in front of her all those years ago. This was all her fault.

'I guess that will have to do.' She mused on her thoughts before voicing them; 'how about once I've sorted the grump out we spend some time together?'

'He always wins Sarah! Once you've put a smile on his face you'll forget about me,' Hoggle snarled, 'every time you dreamed of him he rubbed it in. Every time Sarah; every lunch, every dance and every single fight!' He lurched forward and opened the door behind her and scrambled out. 'All you had to do was ask for us Sarah. You went into that hospital years ago and, well; you left us there. Now, here you go-' he brought her attention to her surroundings; a baron, crumbling landscape, complete with an aged labyrinth. 'I'm leaving you here now. I hope you find Jareth in an entertaining mood; you're trapped otherwise.' Without another word Hoggle left her open mouthed in the back seat of her now stranded car.

She uncurled herself and planted her two feet on the sandy dune where she found herself; she could feel the sand give way beneath her feet but she was on the move so quickly that it didn't affect her balance.

Even though the last time the perimeter of the labyrinth was sparsely populated as it was now, it felt eerie and abandoned. Scanning ahead, she could see that she would not need the wall to part; a whole section had been blown away.

'Jareth, what have you done?' Sarah questioned as she began clambering over the rubble to get inside.

Hoggle stepped into the main chamber of the castle.

This chamber, unlike everywhere else, was perfect. It was untouched by the jealous and irrational hands of Jareth. That was because, this bedroom chamber was free from the Goblin King.

He was nowhere to be found. Hoggle's master, on the other hand, was.

'Scarlet?' Hoggle enquired tentatively as he took small steps into the lavish room; a huge throne stood one end and a four poster bed at the other. Large windows allowed light in-between the two spaces. Scarlet stood at one of the windows, looking out onto the labyrinth. Hoggle's question was met with silence as the woman with a thick velvet dress stood oblivious to his appearance. He cleared his throat before he took a few more steps and began; 'Sarah is-'

'Do not utter her name to me-' A hand coiled round Hoggle's thick neck before he was pulled up to meet her green eyes that glowed out from beneath her raven coloured hair. 'is she broken?' her bloodstained lips hissed into his ears.

'Enough, she is broken enough.' Hoggle whimpered beneath her hand.

'Good boy; is everything in place my pet?' She pulled him to her breast and stroked his leathered face. He trembled beneath her acidic touch.

'He is in place my beautiful master. She will find him shortly. Everything is in place; they will destroy each other with the game you have in mind.' He explained before she released him.

'Perfect. This will teach him to choose a pathetic human over me! No one leaves me on our wedding day! I will be the Goblin Queen; so help me I will! Now, get out of here; your face offends me.'

Hoggle obliged initially but a thought seemed to strike him like lightening and he turned back towards her; 'You won't hurt her will you?'

'Are you still under the impression she cares for you Hogwart? Jareth is the one she loves. Now, if we destroy their love; we can keep the pieces for ourselves. Understood?'

'Understood Scarlet,' He whimpered before leaving the woman alone with her thoughts.