Chapter Twelve: Hopeless

"What is this angel's name?" The Lady of Night whispered as she re-entered the throne room.

Jareth glared at her from his place at Sarah's side, arms still wrapped around her.

The Lady of Night didn't look up as she retook her seat in Jareth's throne. "Does he have a relative coming for him?" She paused for Jareth to answer, but went on even though he didn't, "How much time does the relative have left?"

"I won't tell you anything," the Goblin King announced.

The Lady of Night laughed and finally graced Jareth with her full attention. "You think I need you to tell me anything?" She laughed again. "I know more than you could ever have found out on your own. For example, did you know there was a second verse to that curse about the Labyrinth? You know, the one that starts:

The Goblin King shall rule his maze

Until a girl does seize his gaze.

Then the walls will crumble and fall,

Goblin King be kind to all.

"The rest of it goes like this:

But should the girl choose to stay

And with great power does she play

Dark and shadow will return

Love to break and light to burn.

"So you see," the Lady of Night stood, clutching the baby to her chest, "I have returned from the prison you threw me in, to break your love and burn your light." She walked up to Jareth and Sarah, cuddling the child in her arms. "Incidentally, I really have Sarah to thank. If she hadn't broken your little rule, I would never have found the weak spot in the bonds you tied me to. Of course, even then, I would never have gotten here if Sarah hadn't brought me here herself."

Sarah's gray eyes leaked rivers as they stared apologetically at Jareth's mismatched eyes.

The Goblin King shook his head. "I love her." He told the Lady of Night, still watching Sarah's eyes. "No one can change that." He cupped the side of Sarah's face in his hand.

The Lady of Night laughed. "I never said anything about changing it." She leaned forward and whispered in Jareth's ear. "I said I was here to break it." She waved a hand over Sarah's head and the shadows covered her completely.

"No!" Jareth squeezed Sarah tighter. "What have you done?" He demanded of the woman as Sarah's body went limp in his arms and the shadows suddenly scattered to the corners of the room.

"I've given her a little gift," the Lady of Night answered, sauntering back to the golden throne. "To thank her for all her help." She plunked down and stroked the baby's hair.

"What have you done to her?" The Goblin King demanded again, sitting heavily down on the floor, holding Sarah so that her head rested against his chest.

"It's called the Nightmare Curse," the Lady of Night explained leisurely, "no one can wake her, not even me, and all while she sleeps, her dreams will be filled with all her worst fears."

***

Jeremy finally found his way out of the trees and stood a the top of a hill overlooking a giant landfill. The castle and the walls of the city were both clearly visible just past the mountains of trash. He went on, ignoring the odd little people who milled about among the garbage. When he arrived at the wall, he found the gate slightly ajar with no one around to guard it. The streets beyond were also completely empty. All the windows and doors were shut and locked, though it was getting to be well into morning.

He looked cautiously around him every time he turned a corner, but nothing jumped out at him, nothing fell on his head, and he didn't fall into any random holes. All was quiet. Jeremy approached the castle.

***

Sarah found herself standing in a long corridor with nothing but doors on either side of her. She went to the nearest door and twisted the handle. It came open easily, without so much as a squeak, and Sarah poked her head inside.

Beyond the door, standing only a few feet away in the center of one of the tunnels under the Labyrinth, was the Goblin King, smiling at her. "I love you, Sarah." He held out his hand, palm up.

Sarah started to reach out to him, but stopped when she saw the shadow lizards thundering toward him from behind. "Jareth!" She shouted and tried to grab him, but her feet refused to move. "Jareth!" She shouted again, "the monsters!" Her arm was too short and her fingertips only raked the air in front of him. "JARETH!"

"I love you, Sarah." He said quietly, still smiling as dark creatures crawled up his legs, leaping onto his arms, climbing over his face, latching onto every inch of him with their long, sharp teeth.

Sarah screamed.