And then the lights went out.

"Not another power outage." I groaned unhappily.

Toby, also deciding to express his irritation with the absence of light, began screaming at a volume which would rival that of a tornado siren. I rocked him back and forth in my arms absent-mindedly while trying to remember where Karen kept the matches.

"I can't remember… Are they behind the coffee mugs, or the wine glasses?" I mused out loud, as I laid a discontented Toby in his crib. "Or are they in the cupboard?"

"I believe they're kept under the sink, actually." A silky voice purred from behind me. I spun around, and almost toppled over. Leaning casually against the window sill was a seemingly teenaged boy with blond hair tied back messily in a ponytail. He was dressed in very tight skinny jeans with black riding boots, as I couldn't help but notice, and fingerless hobo gloves. He held himself with a regal smugness that suggested that I was an idiot.

I scowled at him.

"Who are you, and how'd you get in here?!" I demanded.

He smirked at me, and began toying with a crystal ball, rotating the smooth glass 'twixt his slim fingers. It was only then that I noticed that his ears were pointed, and that a delicate gold crown sat skewered atop his messily drawn hair. My eyes widened in surprise, and my mouth fell open. He stared at me, bemused.

"Shut your mouth, Sarah. You look like a fish."

I closed my mouth with a snap.

"You're the Goblin King, aren't you?" I asked slowly. He just smiled haughtily. A thought niggled at the back of my mind.

"Oh shit!"

I spun around, grasping the edge of Toby's cradle. I leaned over the side, and peered down at the mussed sheets. Toby was gone. I turned back to the Goblin King.

"Where's Toby?" I spat angrily.

"You know very well where he is."

"May I please have him back? Please?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"What's said is said."

I looked at him quizzically.

"You know… that doesn't really make sense."

He shrugged.

"I'm a king. I always make sense."

I snorted. The Goblin King looked disgruntled.

"You could try asking politely." He suggested.

"What?"

"You… could… try… asking… politely." He repeated slowly. There was another silence. He looked at me expectantly. I sighed unhappily.

"Oh Great Goblin King…"

"Call me Jareth."

I pouted.

"Fine. Oh Great Jareth, could I please have my brother back?"

He smiled, showing small, pointy teeth.

"Go back to your room, Sarah." He stalked menacingly towards me. "Play with your toys and your costumes. Forget about the baby."

I blinked at him in disbelief.

"He's my brother, you idjit! Like I'd really forget about him!"

Jareth smiled indulgently at me.

"I've brought you a gift."

"Oh, is it shiny?" I asked sarcastically. Jareth rolled his eyes, and pulled a small crystal out of his pocket.

"It's a crystal."

"No, really?" I widened my eyes in mock surprise. Jareth ignored me.

"It's a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way, and look into it, it will show you your dreams."

"Oh, how fascinating."

Jareth looked annoyed.

"Do you want it?" He held it in front of my face. The crystal glimmered softly, beckoning, beckoning. I slapped it out of his hand, and it fell to the floor, vanishing just before it hit the carpet.

"No thank you. I want my brother back." I said. Jareth was looking quite vexed by now.

"Sarah. Don't defy me." Jareth's face grew stormy, and his eyes flashed angrily. The wind howled outside, and the trees thrashed against the window, threatening to break the glass. I shrank back against the wall as fat raindrops beat a heavy cadence on the pane. Jareth scowled at me, and muttered something to himself. Suddenly, the room melted away, and we found ourselves standing on a tall hill, overlooking a stone Labyrinth that stretched out as far as the eye could see.

"You're no match for me."

I jolted in surprise, and nearly fell over. I had forgotten that Jareth was behind me.

"He's there in my castle." Jareth whispered tantalizingly into my ear. "Do you still wish to look for him?"

I sighed.

"Why do you even ask me these kinds of things?"

Jareth spun me around, and we glared at each other.

"Turn back, Sarah. Turn back while you still can."

I cocked my eyebrow.

"It's already too late for that."

He shrugged.

"It's your funeral, then."

I'm so terribly sorry this took so long to post - I was away on vacation for a week and a half with virtually no access to a computer. And then when I got back, I had to have surgery... seriously. I'm writhing in pain right now. It feels like there's a hole in my chest that emits a dull ache. Ouch. Anyways... review!