Sarah sat alone in the theatre, her eyes staring forward at the closed curtain, her focus on the single spotlight shining on the middle of the stage. The theatre was quite and cold, only the sound of Sarah's soft breathing filled the air. Then she sighed softly, pressing her reading glasses up the bridge of her nose as she lifted the script of Tell Me That You Love Me Junie Moon up to her line of sight. She tried to focus; keep her attention on her work as she reviewed the auditions over mentally, trying to determine who would fit which character. But she couldn't. She couldn't focus; all she could think about was Avery.
"It only lasts as long as you make it." The voice made Sarah's skin crawl. No matter how many times she heard it, no matter how many times it whispered to her in the dark; it always petrified her with fear. "You need to tell her the truth."
"Is she ready?" Sarah whispered in a shaky voice.
"Not hardly." He chuckled softly, as if it was all some kind of joke. "But she is smart, too much so for her own good. She knows enough and it won't be long before she puts it all together."
"Why did you tell her anything to begin with?" Sarah's voice was sharp now, trying to sound intimidating. "I'm supposed to tell her everything."
"And you're taking too long, and she's asking questions. She's not happy not knowing the truth, and she's no good to me unless she's happy." He insisted.
"What am I supposed to say to her?"
"That's not my problem. You've have plenty of time to figure that out."
"Why do you insist on being so heartless?"
"Oh, I'm heartless am I?" He snickered. "You're the one who sold your own sister."
"I didn't sell her." Sarah argued.
"Yes you did."
"Shut up."
"It's hard to make me feel threatened when you're still too afraid to look at me." Sarah heard a chair behind her creak and then she felt his hot breath against the skin of her neck left exposed by her hair pulled up into bun. "But I wish you would look at me Sarah." He whispered softly into her ear, " I miss your eyes, your beautiful eyes filled with wonder and imagination."
"Stop it." Sarah leaned forward, trying to put as much distance between her and Jareth. "You don't need me anyway, you have Avery."
"Did it ever occur to you that it's not a need as much as a desire?" Jareth snapped at her.
"Liar."
"How dare you-"
"If you loved me you would never have agreed to take Avery, you would have never agreed to give up on me and settle for second best."
"Are you…angry with me?" Jareth chuckled softly.
"What? I never-"
"Is that what you wanted Sarah? For me to keep fighting for you until the bitter end? Like some love sick school boy chasing after his crush? Well I don't beg like some pathetic dog. I am the Goblin King and I will not bring myself to my knees begging for you."
"Well maybe if you had things would have turned out different." Sarah snapped harshly as she rose to her feet and whipped around to finally come face to face with him. She looked him dead in the eyes, glaring at him with such an intense hatred. "Instead you just haunted me, hoping I'd just break down and come back to your world out of fear but did you ever for a second think the best way to win my love was with actual affections instead of intimidation? Most men bring a girl flowers, but you bring nightmares. How am I supposed to ever possibly believe you actually love me after all the torment you've put me through?"
"How can you question me like that?" Jareth seemed genuinely offended as he stood to tower over Sarah.
Sarah just rolled her eyes at him before shaking her head and looking down at her feet away from him. "I do believe you want to love me Jareth, but I don't believe you're capable of love."
"And tell me what you think love is then."
"Jareth, I-"
"No, tell me." He insisted.
"It's putting someone else before yourself." She answered without further hesitation.
"And you think me agreeing to take Avery in exchange for your benefit isn't me doing just that? You don't think that would be a prime example of me placing my wants and wishes aside for your own?"
"I hardly think this situation can be applied to-"
"And second, if that is your definition of love…then that just makes you that much crueler. To trade your own sister for your own gain without a trace of remorse…At least you came back for Toby, but Avery? You can't wait until she's gone for good, can you? You're a terrible, selfish, and horrible woman Sarah, and that's the exact reason I love you so much."
Sarah didn't even get a chance to counter before he disappeared in a split second. One blink and he was gone. And she was alone, standing in the middle of the theatre with rage radiating off her. She didn't want to think about Avery or about Jareth. She never wanted to think about the Labyrinth again. But that was all she could think about anymore. She knew Jareth was right, it would only last now as long as she made it. As much she was dreading the truth of the matter, she would have to come to terms with it sooner or later; she would have to face Avery if she wanted it all the finally end.