We get to see our first appearance of Jareth in this chapter. That should be exciting.
Thank you for reading, please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own the labyrinth. *insert funny joke here about everything else I own instead*
"I's got your stupid stuff." Gus called once he appeared into Sarah's living room.
Sarah looked up from the book she was reading, and set it aside on the coffee table in front of her leather couch.
Gus carried a whole bag of things and Sarah frowned; she did not remember that many bras going missing. First, he handed her the picture back, and with a scolding glare she quickly slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans.
Then she turned to the bag he held.
Gus held out a single, black lacy bra. One that Sarah's eyes recognized instantly as she snatched it out of his stubby hands.
"So that was where that sucker went. I can't believe it!"
Gus then pulled another bra out from the bag. Except, this one looked different. It looked almost medieval, and Sarah found she did not recognize it at all.
She cocked her head to the side, "That's not mine".
Gus shrugged and dropped it on the floor as he pulled out another, racier one.
Sarah's eyes widened at the suggestive corset.
"That's not mine either."
Gus frowned and they both peered in the bag.
"None of those bras are mine…" She breathed.
"Say, do yous think Kingy holds prisoners in his room?" Gus asked as he reached for a metal cuffed object.
Sarah slapped his hand away and he glared at her, affronted.
"Where did you get all these things?"
"In a box unders his bed," Gus said as he bent down and picked up the two bras he had left on the floor, stuffing them without care into the large bag.
"I think you should put these things back…"
He gave her an exaggerated sigh filled with exhaustion and irritation.
"First, it's ,'Gus, gimme!' Nows, it's 'Gus, give back!'." He cried.
"No, Gus. I don't think the king would be very…" she searched for the perfect word, "pleased if he saw these things missing."
Sarah smirked at her own joke.
Gus froze, his usually green face whitened in terror. "Yous think Kingy knows?"
"Not yet, if you put it back quick enough." Sarah hoped.
"I's go ands put them back, right now." He said, and promptly disappeared. He did not appear again for quite some time after that, and Sarah wondered why he had not come back for his ice cream, but she shrugged it off believing he had probably gotten sidetracked while chasing chickens and whatnot.
Sarah, remembering the picture, pulled it out from her back pocket and took the time to really study it. She had accidentally sketched it while listening to a love song.
Shaking her head she mumbled, "I'm such a hopeless romantic."
The picture was of him and her, enveloped in each other's arms as they shared a passionate kiss. Thank God he had never seen it; she closed her eyes in relief and wondered what she should do with the picture.
It was probably the best piece of art she had ever drawn, which was why she had kept it in the first place, but now she had an overwhelming temptation to burn it for safety reasons. Since the king had somehow attained her bra - which she was trying hard not to waste energy pondering - then he could easily get ahold of something like this.
Sarah shook her head and stuffed the drawing in her back pocket once again; she would sleep on it.
"Aha!" Gus cheered as he pushed the box full of objects back under the king's bed.
"And just what are you doing?" A stern, authoritative voice said from behind him.
The goblin did not have to look back to tremble in fear.
"Ugh," Gus froze on spot as the king behind him waited with impatience.
"Well?"
"I - uh - I's… Wells," Gus searched through his mind for anything that would save his pathetic life. "I's got this prisoner and I's need to gets information… and - ands I thoughts, 'Heys, Kingy has tort-"
"Enough." Jareth raised his voice. "Gus, you do know the consequences for breaking into my chambers, don't you?"
"No!" the tiny goblin cried, turning around and throwing himself at the King's nicely styled boots. "I's don't want to swims in the bog!"
Jareth bent down, picking Gus up by the tail with pity.
Gus snapped.
"Not the tail! Everyone's always picking me up by me's tail! First, the lady! Then the picture, then bras and ice cream and now - and now kingy!" He cried, his body shaking in sobs.
The Goblin King frowned, "What are you talking about?"
"Lady made me do it! She promised me ice cream." He bellowed.
"What lady?" Jareth piqued.
"Lady Sarah!"
The Goblin King raised a surprised eyebrow, dropping the snivelling goblin on its head.
"Ouch." Gus frowned and rubbed his head in irritation.
"So, sweet, little innocent Sarah has gotten curious, hasn't she?"
"Oh, dear." Gus's eyes widened. He knew that look upon the king's face, and he may not have liked Sarah very much, but concern boiled deep within himself for her.
Oh dear, indeed.
With her thumbnail between her gleaming white teeth, Sarah's eyes centered on a crinkly page of a book. Her dark eyebrows furrowing as she absorbed the words. After a moment, her green eyes widened in shock.
"No way." She gasped.
The young woman flipped through the pages with a pure anxious drive. Her eyes following her fingers quickly.
"Dangit, cliffhanger." Sarah cried.
She flung the now finished book from her bed and it landed across the room with a heavy thump.
"Humph." The young woman glared at it from a distance with crossed arms.
Sarah no longer lived with her parents; moving out as most children do into the real world. The real world where adults had no time to act out fantasy plays and live in Neverland. Where no one daydreamed or believed in monsters and other creatures.
Suffice it to say Sarah did not fit in.
Her bedroom no longer held as many childish qualities as it once did. Instead of posters there were bare walls; occasionally a picture of her half-brother and her. Instead of toys there were books, albeit fantasy and action books, but the toys were gone.
She had simple furniture. A queen-sized bed placed near a wide window, a dresser with a mirror hanging overtop and a nightstand where more books were placed. Sarah tried not to allow herself to gather too many knick knacks, but she could not help but keep a certain figurine on her dresser; the Goblin King.
The labyrinth held a special place in her heart, and she had desperately tried to retain the memories exactly as they had played out. Over the years some slipped away, but she never wanted to forget him, which was why she had kept the tiny statuette.
"Psst, Lady!" A not so subtle voice whispered.
Slipping out of her thoughts, Sarah frowned and looked around the empty room.
"Down here!" The voice cried.
Following the direction of the voice, Sarah bent her body in an awkward position over the side of the bed, peering underneath.
In the ebony shaded shadows, a small goblin crouched with a tense posture.
"Gus, what are you doing down there?"
"Me's hiding, and you should be too."
Sarah froze, "Why?"
"Kingy's coming…"
A clattering noise arised out of the silent room. Sarah took a second to pinpoint it, before she realized it was the visible shaking of the terrified goblin, shaking so hard his teeth clicked together.
"What do you mean he's coming?" Her voice nervously raised an octave higher.
"I's cracked. I tolds Kingy everything." Gus panicked.
"Wait, everything?"
"Everything." A slippery voice joined in from directly behind her.
The clattering of Gus's mouth stopped, and Sarah froze in shock.
"Quite an interesting dilemma you have found yourself in, Sarah." The accented voice observed.
Twisting her body so she could face her opponent, Sarah met eyes with the notorious Goblin King for the first time in years.
"-Wells, I's warned you. Bye lady!"
Gus squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he disappeared from sight, abandoning Sarah.
"Hey!" She cried.
He is no help at all, Sarah internally groaned to herself. Now she had to face the Goblin King…
Alone.
Next chapter: Sarah and Jareth meet. Uh-oh. How is she going to get out of this one?
Oh, also...
*Gives Gus a stuffed animal penguin*
Gus cheers!
I think you just made his day...