An After Dark Fairy Tale
Chapter 7
A stiff breeze blew up out of nowhere and swirled around them. There was a palpable shift in the atmosphere. It was a strange sensation that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Sarah hadn't felt anything like it when they had transported before. She wondered if it had something to do with being in a different realm.
The breeze died down and she looked around at her new surroundings. Sarah discovered she and Jareth had been deposited onto a large four-poster bed in a dimly lit, stone-walled chamber. The dark wooden furniture, accessorised with animal horns and bones, convinced her they had landed in the right place. From the decor, it had to be Jareth's bedroom.
Sarah gently smoothed back his feathery blond tresses. "You're safe at home now," she told him.
"Need to sleep," Jareth murmured, barely conscious.
"No, you can't," Sarah cried, giving him a shake. "What about my family? How long's it gonna take to get your strength back?"
She was anxious to get the wheels in motion but Jareth was already asleep. The effort of transporting must have completely drained him and only rest could renew his powers.
Sarah could hear what she assumed were goblins scampering around outside the door. Their wheezy laughter echoed into the bedchamber. There was something so familiar about the sound, like she had heard it many times before. Then she remembered — Of course, the old heating pipes in her apartment. It was the exact same noise, no doubt about it. Sarah shuddered with the realisation that they had been with her the whole time. Jareth and his goblins had never really left her, even when she stopped believing in them.
The Goblin King had already confessed to spying on her. He said he'd been savouring her misery in his anger and despair. The impression he had given her was that he'd been every bit as lonely as her since their last encounter. But his decadent four-poster bed appeared to tell a different story. It gave rise to imaginings of wild scenes of debauchery. Nox had told her the Goblin King's sexual prowess with the ladies was legendary, and Sarah could easily believe it. The haste with which she gave up her virginity to him made her blush.
The sound of Jareth's light snoring shook her from her reverie. If she was going to be stuck in his kingdom until he got his strength back, some light snooping would help to pass the time. She got up from the bed and started to investigate her surroundings.
Sarah shuddered at the sight of a chair made from bones and fur. "Ew, who was your interior decorator, Leatherface?" she muttered under her breath.
The window looked out onto the Labyrinth, which was shrouded in darkness. It appeared to be night-time in the Goblin Kingdom. The bedchamber was lit by a few candelabras, the stubby candles had long brittle strands of wax hanging from them. A roaring fire burned in the hearth making shadows dance on the walls. The flames licked at the grate and crackled, adding to the room's amber glow and providing much needed warmth.
At the other end of the room, there stood a grand, but battered, wooden desk. It was piled high with parchments and scrolls. A hefty red, leather-bound book sat in the middle of all the chaos. The cover was embossed with silver gilded spiral patterns and bore an insignia that was the same as Jareth's amulet. There was a long gold ribbon tucked into it. The book was heavy and it took some effort before Sarah could open it on the marked page.
It appeared, at first glance, to be some kind of ledger. There were names, possibly of wished away children and the wishers themselves. The numbers listed alongside looked like years and ages. Each page was divided into seven columns and next to every person's details was one of two words. The wishers were all labelled as 'Failed' and the wished away were all designated the fate of 'Goblin'. Sarah leafed through the pages looking for her own name. It was hard to miss, as hers was the only one marked with 'Succeeded'. Toby's entry was simply labelled as 'Returned'.
She carefully closed the heavy book and made her way over to the door. The distant sound of goblins scurrying about could still be heard and it gave her pause. Sarah wondered how they'd react to seeing her. The little critters weren't exactly welcoming towards her the last time she encountered them. She briefly contemplated snuggling up with Jareth and waiting for him to wake up. It would probably be the most sensible option. But the idea of exploring the castle was too tempting. She had barely seen any of it the first time around.
Sarah reached tentatively for the catch to pull the heavy wooden door open. She glanced from left to right and was relieved to find the passageway empty. There were burning torches illuminating the way as she carefully proceeded down a set of winding stone steps that seemed as if they might go on forever. A hissing noise drew her attention. A black cat sprung out of the darkness and almost made her lose her footing. It arched its back and spat at her as its green eyes met hers.
"Nice kitty," Sarah said in a high-pitched tone as she carefully navigated her way around it.
The spiral staircase eventually led her to a long dark corridor that was lit by a single torch at the far end. A strange compulsion overtook her. No matter what, she needed to see whatever was down there. A maze of cobwebs stretched across the walls, as if no one had passed that way for some time. Sarah brushed at them as they snapped off, sticking to her fingers and her hair. Wheezy laughter filled her ears and goblin shaped shadows flitted around her. She kicked and swatted at them. But it was all to no avail as they did not have solid form.
Her heart was hammering in her chest by the time she reached the heavy door at the end of the corridor. Sarah heaved it open and peered inside. The room was circular with three arches built into the stone and each one led to a separate tunnel. There was no light save for a torch outside the doorway. Sarah pulled it from its bracket and advanced towards the first arch. She wielded the flaming torch as much for protection as for illumination as she proceeded down the narrow passage. After a short distance, the passageway opened out into another circular chamber filled with alcoves.
"Oh my God," Sarah gasped, almost dropping the torch in shock.
It was a catacomb, and each stone recess was filled with piles of bones.
Who were they? she wondered. Many of the skeletons were child-sized, which really freaked her out. The bones didn't all look like human remains, and she supposed most of them could be goblins. There were inscriptions carved into the stones but the writing was in a language she couldn't understand.
Sarah shuddered and thought about her family. Whether Jareth could actually resurrect them or not, at that moment in time, they were dead. Her little sister was in the hands of the worst kind of monster in a place that might as well be hell. All the stolen women she wanted to free were still the Midnight Prince's unwitting slaves. There was no telling how many of them he had already sent to their deaths. Sarah never found out what happened to Meredith Laker, the woman who went missing before she fell into Nox's trap. Maybe her bones were lying forgotten somewhere in some other cold, dark place. Tears filled her eyes as she made her way back to the doorway.
"You shouldn't be in here."
Sarah was startled by a familiar sounding gruff voice and she dropped her torch. It landed on the stone floor and its burning light shone on a pair of scuffed brown leather boots and short stumpy legs.
"Hoggle, is that you?" Sarah inquired, hoping for a happy reunion.
The little dwarf stepped closer to get a better look at her. "Do I knows you?" he asked, wearing a scowl of suspicion.
"It's me, Sarah," she said, her heart sinking over his lack of recognition. Had it been so long that he'd forgotten her?
"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," Hoggle muttered to himself as if he was trying to place her. "No, don't knows anyone by that name," he concluded.
She picked up the torch and held it so it illuminated her features. "I know it's been nine years, and I'm sorry I didn't check in with you. But we were friends and you helped me get my brother back. Have you really forgotten?"
Sarah felt a stab of guilt because, until a few days ago, she'd dismissed Hoggle as being nothing more than part of a dream. If he truly didn't remember her, could she blame him?
The little dwarf's face was filled with confusion. "I knows the story of the girl who beat the king and broke his heart, but I don't recalls being a part of it." He shook his head in disbelief.
Sarah crouched down so they were eye to eye. "Well you were, you were a big part of it. If it wasn't for you, and Sir Didymus and Ludo, I never would have made it to the castle in time to claim my brother."
The sound of marching footsteps echoed down the corridor towards them.
"Whoever you claims to be, you're an intruder here," Hoggle informed her as a troop of armoured goblins barged into the room. "I ain't got no choice but to have you locked up in the dungeons until his Majesty returns."
"No, leave me alone," Sarah protested as the goblin guards swarmed her and jabbed the air around her with their spiky sticks. "Hoggle, please, help me," she begged.
Her plea fell on deaf ears as her friend turned his back on her. She was surrounded by vicious goblins with no way out — and then she remembered her magic powers.
"I wish I was in the Goblin King's bedroom." Sarah squeezed her eyes shut and felt the air change around her.
"Where have you been, my precious? I missed you," Jareth murmured in her ear.
How she had transported directly into the Goblin King's bed, Sarah didn't know. His lips were on hers before she could protest. Jareth pinned her firmly beneath him and began hitching up her dress. He was aroused and ready for her. His clothes were already gone and he swiftly made hers vanish. The wound on his arm was completely healed leaving no scar.
"What about my family?" Sarah tried to cool his ardour, but he was insistent.
"Hush, my darling, we have all the time in the world," Jareth promised with soft words and his skilful caresses soon had her ready for him.
"I've got so many questions," Sarah insisted between his fervent kisses.
All coherent thoughts left her as Jareth eased into her slick heat. He expertly massaged her sweet spot as she groaned with pleasure.
"All you need to know is that I love you," he said as he licked and nipped at her neck making her back arch. "I will reorder time for you and move the stars too."
Jareth gazed deeply into her eyes as he thrust into her with increasing vigour.
Sarah cried out as he brought her tantalisingly close to the edge. She was lost in the haze of anticipated ecstasy. Her orgasm hit with such intensity, it was as if nothing else existed but the rapture of Jareth's intoxicating embrace.
"How could I ever forget this?" Sarah pondered, resting against his shoulder as he lay recovering from his own release.
"This won't be the end for us, my love. I swear it," Jareth vowed after he caught his breath.
Sarah didn't want to lose him but, for the sake of her family, she had no other choice.
Jareth traced over his lips with his fingers. "If losing you were part of the deal, there would be no deal," he said, deadly serious.
His words shook Sarah out of her post-coital bliss.
"You mean, you wouldn't bring back my family or kill Nox if it meant you and I could never be together again?" she questioned as she broke free from his embrace.
Jareth didn't reply. His silence was all the answer she required. The Goblin King didn't do anything unless he stood to gain from it. Sarah should have learned that lesson by now.
"What if I wanted this to be the end for us?" she inquired.
Returning to her old hollow life wasn't a pleasant notion. However, if he removed his mark from her, things might be different. Her options didn't have to be limited to him or no one. Sexually, they burned together like a raging inferno, but what else did they have in common?
Sarah challenged him. "What if I asked you to let me go?"
Even if she wasn't sure that's what she really wanted, it might have pleased her to know that he would do it.
Jareth pursed his lips in contemplation and got out of the bed. "Here's what's going to happen," he said conjuring up clothing fit for a Goblin King. With a wave of his hand, a fancy-looking wall clock appeared and hovered in the air behind him. Jareth gestured towards it. "I will reorder time. I will send you back to the morning before you met the Midnight Prince and the events of the last three days will be erased. Your family will be alive and well. Nox won't know anything about them or you. My path and his need never cross again," he explained.
Sarah frowned with confusion. "But he tried to kill you." She was incredulous and expected the Goblin King to be planning retribution.
"Nox won't technically have done anything to me, or to you. I can't undo the crimes he's committed and then kill him for them," Jareth argued.
"What about all those other girls he's kidnapped? Am I supposed to just forget about them?" Sarah blazed with indignation on their behalf.
The Goblin King let out a huff of exasperation. "You will forget about them, anyway. That is what I've been telling you, precious. You do want your family restored and unharmed, don't you?" Sarah nodded. "Then forgetting about everything else is the price you will have to pay."
How could her choice be anything other than her family? But those poor girls would be paying a price too.
Jareth sighed at her dissatisfaction. "The only other option is for me to leave things unchanged and for us to return to the club. Maybe your sister is still alive and together we could kill Nox and Ebony. We could free Jenna and all those other girls that are trapped there. We could do that, but your father, stepmother and Toby would have to stay dead," he warned.
Sarah fixed her green eyes on him, the Goblin King wasn't going to trick her again. "That's not the only alternative option though, is it? My memory might get wiped but you said you wouldn't forget. You could help those girls get out of there, no matter what." She was definitely choosing her family but she couldn't, in good conscience, throw the others under a bus.
"Why would I do that?" Jareth shrugged, uncaring. "Unearthly creatures have been preying on humans for millennia. What good would saving a few of them do? I love you with a fierce passion but mortals, for the most part, are more ridiculous than goblins."
Sarah rose naked from the bed and strode towards him. She hoped there was still a chance he could do something unselfish and not because he stood to gain from it. "You wouldn't do it for me?"
"Precious, I would be your slave," Jareth declared. "But if I did what you're asking, we would be back at square one. The Midnight Prince has powerful clients who owe him favours. If I attack him without just cause they will attack me. Nox and his band of miscreants will hunt down and kill everyone I care about. It is a very short list and you are at the top of it. Believe me when I tell you, there is no other way." He held her possessively to his chest in a firm embrace as if he feared she would melt away.
Sarah was forced to admit defeat. At least she wouldn't be haunted by the faces of those girls at the club or remember anything about them. It didn't make it alright but that's the way it had to be. When it came down to a choice between them or her family, they were always going to lose.
"Okay, what happens next?" Sarah asked as she glanced over at the clock that was ticking behind the Goblin King's head.
"You will feel as if you are falling at first. But all will be well, so do not fear." Jareth tenderly caressed her cheek to reassure her. "When you awaken, all this will be a faded dream. It's not the end of our story, my love. I'll get to court you properly next time around, and you will be mine," he vowed.
"What will happen to the magic powers you gifted me?" Sarah questioned flexing her fingers and thinking of the crystal balls she had conjured.
Jareth looked away in an evasive manner. "When you become my wife and queen you will receive some Fae abilities."
Sarah gave him a hard glare. "Will I still have magic powers when I wake up or not?"
"The truth?" Jareth inquired and she nodded in reply. "I'll have to reclaim the powers I gifted you so that you won't be able to remember any of this," he said, watching her face fall in disappointment. "I'm sorry, precious. But you will get them back and more besides, one day."
'When you become my wife and queen'... Sarah knew for sure now that the Goblin King would never let her go. She sat down on the bed and pulled on her dress. "I know it's kinda pointless asking questions when I'll forget the answers, but there are a couple of things I need to know, regardless. You can be honest with me because it isn't as if I'll hate you afterwards if I don't like what you've got to say."
The Goblin King bowed his head in agreement. "I suppose no harm can come of it. What exactly would you like to know?"
Sarah took a deep breath. "For starters, whose bones are in the catacombs?"
Jareth scowled, making his elegant eyebrows slope menacingly. "You should not have gone down there," he scolded.
"You promised me the truth, so who were they?" Sarah was determined to know, for good or ill.
Jareth gave a resigned sigh. "The bones are those of mortals who died trying to solve the Labyrinth or wished away children who were too sickly to be transformed. Some are from those who became goblins and who eventually succumbed to old age. They are as much a part of this place as I am, and without their souls, the Labyrinth would wither and die." He knew Sarah wouldn't like the answer, and she didn't.
"I think I'd already guessed as much," she said, mournfully.
There had been skeletons in the Oubliette, she recalled seeing them. Hoggle warned her that death was the fate of some of those who tried to solve the Labyrinth.
There was only one more thing Sarah needed to know. "Why doesn't Hoggle remember who I am?"
Jareth visibly winced as if that was the one question he never wanted to answer. "I've resurrected the dead before," he replied, his voice low and his tone confessional.
Sarah had a feeling of dread. "You mean Hoggle? He died?" Her eyes grew wide at the realisation of what he had done.
Jareth couldn't stand to meet her horrified gaze. "I didn't want you to hate me and so I brought him back — I brought them all back."
Sarah thought about the recent nightmare she'd had — Hoggle's head on a spike outside the castle, Ludo made into a rug, and Sir Didymus stuffed and mounted on a plinth. It hadn't been just a bad dream, after all.
"I - I don't understand." Sarah realised, too late, that she knew practically nothing about this monster she'd been so ready to give her heart too. "You told me my friends were alive and well and still working for you."
Jareth reached out to her but she shrank away from his touch."They betrayed me, and I was angry and vengeful," he offered in his defence. "I brought them back for you, because I knew you'd hate me if you discovered what I'd done. But, alas, they returned incomplete. Your friends were dead for nine years, not three days, like your family."
"So you turned the clock back to before you killed them?" Sarah was angry and confused.
Jareth shook his head. "Time works differently here. I could pluck the exact moment their deaths occurred out of my mind, without erasing the intervening period, and events simply reordered around them. However, the consequence of squeezing nine years of compressed memories into their heads meant they lost much of who they were before. That's why Hoggle doesn't remember you."
Sarah, beware, I have been generous up until now but I can be cruel… His past words to her echoed through her mind. She was disgusted by what he'd done. "I understand now, about your definition of generosity and cruelty. They are two sides of the same coin to you," she sneered.
The Goblin King struck a defiant pose with his hands on his hips. "I resurrected your friends and now I'm going to do the same for your family. If I did not love you so, my precious, I would have left them all dead and kept you here forever, regardless of your feelings on the matter."
The truth certainly did hurt.
Sarah wiped away a tear. "Will you ever tell me any of this when I can remember it again?"
Jareth was brutal with his honesty. "Perhaps, once I've made you mine forever."
Sarah nodded in understanding. This was the kind of creature the Goblin King was — obsessive, cruel, manipulative and completely beguiling. She had fallen for him once and would likely do so again. The only thing left to hope for was that she would pay closer heed to the warning signs next time. If not, history would repeat itself and the real truth about him would only be revealed to her when it was too late.
"I asked you what the cost of saving my family would be, and it turns out it's me. My heart and my soul, to be ruled by you forever. That was what you wanted all along, wasn't it?" Sarah wept.
The Goblin King wore a look of triumph as he raised a gloved hand and pointed his index finger at the clock face. "Until we meet again, my love."
The hands started to spin faster and faster. Sarah began to get dizzy. She closed her eyes and then she was falling...falling...falling…