Here it is, as promised. Not very long...but building up for the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. Please let me know what you think. Love you all. xxx
As Jareth faded slowly into view, he immediately knew that something was wrong. Surreptitiously, he tried to fade himself out again, but something seemed to block him. The Labyrinth was calling. He tightened his grip on the medallion.
"They are here Jareth. Jareth it hurts. Come to me Jareth. Come and stop the pain."
"How do I reach you? I can feel them all around."
"Use your cunning. Don't lose purpose."
"My magic is so weak...what is wrong?"
"Your shields Jareth. You're stopping them but you're stopping you. You must lower them."
"But they'll see me."
"Yes. And you must free us."
"Where?"
"His grave Jareth. Come back to his grave."
Jareth lowered his head, biting his lower lip.
"What if I'm not strong enough, what if I'm not worthy?"
"You stood there once before My King, you can do so again."
The voice grew fainter in his mind, laced with pain.
"Come quickly Jareth. I am retreating. I must hide now, or lose forever. Good luck Jareth."
And for the second time in his life Jareth felt the yawning emptiness in his heart that signified the loss of the Labyrinth. The warmth of life that usually lay against his chest in the form of the medallion grew cold and heavy, dragging at his neck and weighing down his spirit. His heart trembled. In that moment, he felt lonelier than he ever had done in his entire life.
Across the miles of sprawling Labyrinth, Hoggle and the goblin froze in their actions of pinning the healer to the wall, and shuddered at the cold feeling of unidentifiable change that swept the castle.
"You. You helped cause this," Hoggle whispered in fearful tones. The panic stricken healer nodded and, as Hoggle released his arm from his neck, he fell sobbing to the ground.
Sarah felt the ambience of life flicker out of existence, as though a wave of death had swept through the world and something that was intangible, but inherently connected and present to the life of Jareth's kingdom, was suddenly switched off. She shuddered fearfully, her eyes seeking to pierce the growing shadows as she pulled her blanket closer around her trembling body. Her ears strained, terrified at the sound of silence as her mind went in to over drive, imagining the horrors that could be waiting to seize her, take her and force themselves on her. Something stirred within her and she sobbed at the fear of what it might be. The cylinder. Jareth's Labyrinthian cylinder. It was growing cold and heavy. Lifeless as any other chunk of metal. Howling at the betrayal Sarah tore it from her body and hurled it into the gathering night. She curled herself into the foetal position, shuddering as her sobs abated. She felt broken and used. She wanted Jareth to comfort her, but at the same time she could not bear his touch. She shut her eyes and another face swam into her mind. One with ice blue eyes and jet black hair.
Sarah moaned and covered her eyes with her hands, balling them into fists and screwing them into her eye sockets until the stars leapt and danced in the blackness. Why did he keep sending visions, she moaned inside her head. Why couldn't he leave her alone? But Jareth had said he was gone...and she recalled the sickening crunch as the door had been blasted off its hinges. But not before he had done his damage. Her body ached; her mind repulsed him, so why could she not get him out of her head?
"Go away," she cried into the darkness, "leave me alone."
Out of the silence that followed, Sarah heard the distinct sound of scuttling feet.
She moaned fear, pulling herself into a tighter ball, lifting the blanket over her head so that she would not have to see her death approach. And then, in the darkness, the husk of the girl that had been Sarah Williams, the Champion of the Labyrinth, fainted from fear and pain.
The congregating spiders circled the statue of the noble centaur, blocking off all lines of retreat. The circle grew in thickness as more of the creatures arrived, adding their numbers to those already gathered. But they did not move closer. Jareth had chosen wisely as the ancient power of the centaur protected the huddled and unconscious form at its base. The centaur, representative of and the only creature allowed to carry the tight drawn, stone carved bow of Hern the Hunter, Over Lord of all the animals. Even in replica, his power kept his people in check, as the sorrowful and kindly eyes of its bearer stared purposefully down the line of his arrow towards his king, where he stood at the centre of the Labyrinth.