Lost and Lonely
4
Later that Night, I was sitting in the throne room as Jareth dealt with a little girl who had been wished away.
"Now now Hon you mustn't cry. Being a goblin isn't all bad." Jareth said to her. The girl, who looked about 12, was scared to death.
"But I don't wanna be one of them!" She said through tears, pointing to some goblins chasing chickens. "She isn't a goblin." Then pointed at me. I was holding a crystal in my hand and sitting by the hole in the floor where goblins sat yelling random things.
"Oh her. She's…special." Jareth said, winking at me. I looked behind me then back at the other two.
"Special?" I said. "That's what Hoggle said."
"Just please don't make me a goblin!." The girl cried. Jareth shook his head and walked over to his throne.
"Your mine now. You've been wished away to me obviously." Jareth said. He was having fun with this. "Toss me the crystal, Precious." He said, suddenly looking at me. I threw it over and he caught it, juggling it with ease.
"What makes her so special?" The girl asked, glaring.
"Okay, uno, I'm not special. I'm just…well….I dunno," I said, exhausted from this, "I came here uninvited. As in, on my own. Not wished away. Through a door that appeared in the woods. And now I'm a prisoner here so technically, I'm just here." I dodged as a chicken flew past my head. Jareth sighed and snapped his fingers. Suddenly I was on his lap.
"Oh I beg to differ." He said, grinning again.
"I don't like being manhandled and you very well know that." I said, testily. Jareth just laughed and snapped again. The girl shrunk and deformed into a goblin. "And she's a goblin."
"Ooh that's an A for you Little Miss Obvious." Jareth said tauntingly. I grinned.
"Thank you Sergeant sarcasm!" I said in a mock accent of his. Jareth just looked at the new goblin.
"Go fetch me the box over there on the shelf." He said defiantly. The goblin ran and grabbed the box. "Now go." He said, taking it. She ran off and other goblins went to pick on her. Jareth looked at me, handing me the box.
"What is it?" I asked, taking it.
"A gift." He said, smiling the very rare seen warm and kind smile. I opened the lid and inside was the most beautiful necklace I had ever seen. It was one of a crystal heart, that seemed to shine bright white. Jareth picked it up and placed it around my neck and shut the clasp.
"It's Lovely." I said, holding the crystal part with two fingers.
"Beautiful." Jareth said, putting my hair back over the back of the necklace.
"Why?" I asked, looking up at him.
"Why what?" He asked me. I touched the necklace again.
"Why did you give me this?" I asked him. Jareth looked over me for a second and then back at me.
" Because I felt Like I owed you something. For kidnapping you. For yelling. And for pushing you in an oubliette." He said, brushing my hair out of my face. "Plus you'll need it."
"Need it?"
"In two days I am hosting a party, where other Fae's will come. And There's a second part to the gift." Jareth said, poofing us away to my bedroom.
"I feel like we come in here too often." I said sighing. Jareth smirked, then snapped his fingers. Suddenly, I was in a sleeveless dress. It poofed out at the bottom, like a Cinderella dress, and had three layers. The first was pure white with gold flowers splitting opposite sides down to show the second layer which was gold and the last which was barely visible underneath was white again. My hair was the same and I was wearing gold heels.
"This…is what you will wear." He said as he walked up to me. He put his hands on my shoulders, moving them back and forth.
"It's so..so…Oh my god." I said as I fumbled for the right words.
"Outstanding? Elaborate? Amazing? Gorgeous? " Jareth filled in the blank. "Magical? Dream Like?"
"Any of those." I said smiling. He snapped his fingers, and I was in my regular clothes again.
"Now, come on. It's almost time." Jareth said, grabbing my wrist.
"Time for what?"
"You'll see." I shrugged and just followed him as he tugged on my wrist. We made our way to a door.
"Isn't this the cloud room?" I asked him. He nodded. The door swung open, and I gasped. The sky was black and full of dazzling stars. The full moon caused the room to be filled with a soft white light.
"I promised I'd take you." Jareth said, "And I never break a promise."
"But you never promised to me that you would." I said.
"I promised myself I'd take you." He said. "Isn't that good enough?"
"Yeah I guess-" I started to say as Jareth pushed me onto a cloud. "Not fair!" I said, laughing as I stood back up. He wasn't there anymore. "Where did he go?" I asked myself as I hopped from cloud to cloud looking. Suddenly, I felt something hit me, grabbing my waist. I felt myself go up and land on something curved.
"Found me." Jareth said, as he carried me over his shoulder.
"Manhandling!" I yelled. I laughed as he started to go up toward the moon. He put me down as we sat on it.
"Ever sit on the moon before?" He asked, smirking.
"No not recently." I said, laughing.
"I could have guessed that." He said. I sat there, staring at the stars for a second. I began to yawn and rested my head on my chin. I yawned again and closed my eyes a second.
"Why am I so tired?" I asked myself out loud. I had been feeling funny lately. I yawned again and was surprised to find Jareth pulling me onto his lap and putting my head on his chest.
"Shh." He said quietly. "Just rest." He began stroking my hair and singing. "No one can blame you, for walking away. Too much protection na na. No love injection na na. Life can be easy. It's not always swell. Don't tell me truth hurts little girl. Cause it hurts Like hell. But down in the underground. You'll find someone true. Down in the underground. A land serene. A crystal moon."
"Why are you being so nice to me?" I said, still half awake. "At first I was scared and you seemed so cruel, but the second you told me I was staying here, you treated me so nicely. Why didn't you turn me into a goblin? Why?" I said yawning.
"Well, because." Jareth said. "I care about you that's all."
"But why?" I asked, nodding off. "I'm just like any other girl."
"No," Jareth said, "Your not 'any' other girl. you're my girl." He said the last part so sweetly.
"Like…your daughter?" I asked, getting comfy.
"In a way." Jareth said, stroking my hair some more. He snapped his fingers and suddenly we were on my bed. "I think you should go to bed now." He said as he picked me up and put me under the covers.
"No I can stay awake a little longer." I said, eyes still closed, yawning. Jareth snickered.
"No. Sleep" He said, laying next to me, above the covers.
"Stay." I said, whispering almost.
"Alright dear, I'll stay." He said, stroking my hair again. Content and happy, I started to fall asleep.
"who who?" I stirred in my sleep as someone spoke.
"Mhhmph." I muffled looking up. I saw Winter sitting on the window sill. "Winter, I don't want to get up, I'm too tired." I said, rolling over. I heard a flapping noise. Looking up, I saw Winter sitting on the edge of the bed. I reached out and scratched behind his neck. He ruffled his feathers in delight.
"Who who!" Winter hooted as I scratched him.
"Attention hog." I said. "You remind me of Jareth."
"Who…." Winter hooted, almost hesitantly. I looked at him.
"What's wrong?" I asked him. He ruffled his feathers and flew next to me. That's when I noticed Jareth had left. "Oh. He left." I said, disappointed. "Well, couldn't expect him to stay and watch over me. More important things to do."
"Who!" Winter pecked my face.
"Ow! What was that for?" I asked. Winter was glaring at me. "I didn't know owls could glare." I said.
"Who!" He hooted pecking my hand.
"Alright Alright jeez don't make me get Jareth to bog you." I said. Suddenly, Winter snickered.
"I think not!" Winter said, sounding a lot like.
"Jareth?" I said, falling out of the bed. I watched as Winter flew up and transformed into Jareth.
"Hello Darling." Jareth said smiling. He waved his fingers and came over, helping me up.
"Oh my goblins!" I said. "You mean your?"
"Mhm." He said smirking.
"And you!"
"Indeed." He seemed pleased with himself. I walked over onto the bed and sat on the edge. "Did I scare you?" Jareth said crooning. I shook my head. "You seem flushed.."
"I dunno maybe Im just tired." I said looking at him. He was wearing his gray tights, same old boots, that white poets shirt again, with the black vest and the black gloves. He still wore a lot of makeup and glitter. His hair as poofy as ever.
"No no," He said, taking off a glove and feeling my forehead. His hands were cold. "Your foreheads burning up." He said, concerned. "Have you consumed anything strange?"
"Well," I said thinking back, "One goblin did give me a drink when we were in the throne room."
"Which one?" Jareth said, glaring.
"Skeeter." I said. Jareth slammed a fist on the table and snapped his fingers. Suddenly I was sitting on his lap in the throne. Skeeter and all the other goblins were around.
"You." Jareth said to Skeeter.
"Majesty?" Skeeter said innocently.
"What did you give her?"
"Me famous Scrambresian Cocktail." Skeeter said. Jareth groaned.
"Mortals. Can't drink. That. It sickens them." He said in complete disgust. I just looked at Skeeter. He seemed so sad and frightened.
"Me sorry lady! Me no me too!" He said.
"Too late skeeter." Jareth said. "Too the bog." He raised his hands to snap.
"Jareth," I said, grabbing his hand.
"What dear?" Jareth said, still glaring at Skeeter.
"Don't send him to the bog he didn't know." I said. Jareth looked at me. "Please."
"Fine. Skeeter, I banish you to an oubliette for eight days." He snapped and Skeeter fell through the floor screaming.
"That wasn't necessary." I said softly.
"Yes it was." Jareth said, looking down at me. "Your ill."
"He didn't know." I said. I sure didn't feel great. But I felt bad for poor Skeeter.
"But-"
"I'm fine." I said, leaning against his shoulder. Jareth just sighed and stroked my hair.
"Well I can't heal you when your sick so rest and drink liquids that aren't poisonous." He said.
"I can do that." I said, coughing. I coughed continuously. Finally after five minutes of constant coughing, I noticed that when I coughed, a strange purple liquid sprayed my hand. "That can't be good." I said.
"No it's not." Jareth said, suddenly moving me from his lap onto the throne as he rumedged through the shelves. He grabbed a bottle full of a silver liquid. "Drink this." He said. I did as told and drank. Immediately I felt like I was going to be sick.
"Im gonna be sick." I said, hunching over. Jareth quickly grabbed a bucket out of nowhere, handing it to me. I got sick in it and took a deep breathe. "Oh god that's disgusting." I said, looking away. Jareth snapped, making the bucket disappear. I sat down on the floor, rubbing my forehead.
"Feeling better?" Jareth asked, rubbing my back. I nodded and kept rubbing my forehead.
"In a way." I said. I wanted to cry because my insides were burning. But I kept thinking 'no mustn't cry mustn't cry'. Jareth looked at my face and saw my struggle to keep tears back.
"Don't be afraid to cry, Love." He said. I nodded, and started to cry. Jareth pulled me to his chest as I cried. "Oh, why do you look so sad? Just cause things seem bad. Little girl, now hush. I'm here now, I'm here. Close your eyes and dream Close out your awful reality. Things will turn 'round again. Just hush you precious thing. Sleep as you will, You sweet little girl. I'm here now my dear, Don't worry, I'm here. Broken hearted It's all in your head. Someone still loves you, Carries you through. So hush my darling, Nothing will hurt thee. Not when I'm here, You are mine dear. I am your gentle guardian. And you my gem. You lovely creature you." I looked up at Jareth.
"The singing," I said, "That was you." I sniffled and coughed away from him. He nodded.
"As a matter of fact, It was." Jareth said, picking me up and walking to my bedroom. "I wrote it."
"For Sarah?" I asked. I remembered the whole Sarah Jareth thing. Jareth shook his head.
"No."
"What for?"
"Why who else but you?" Jareth said, still walking.
"Why?"
"Did you not hear the lyrics?" He asked, smiling. I smirked.
"I did." He opened the door and walked over to my bed. He put me under the covers and lay next to me. I put my head on his chest and he held on.
"I feel like crap." I said groaning.
"Well hopefully you'll be better for tomorrow." Jareth said. "Who else can I dance with?"
"Majesty!" Genevieve came flying in. She froze, then made a smile when she saw me leaning on Jareth. But frowned when she saw my condition."Oh dear Is Aleixa alright."
"Yeah Gennie I'm fine. Just poisoned and all." I said laughing. "Aww everything is so blue."
"No she isn't." Jareth said. "Mind watching her and keeping her company while I get ready for tomorrow night?" He asked her.
"Not at all." Genevieve said flying over to me. Jareth suddenly poofed away.
Thanks to anyone who read this. Please Review!
Jareth, belongs to Jim Henson
Me, Random girl, Genevieve and Skeeter belong to moi