Live Without Your Sunlight | ✏

3. Open your heart

Sarah walked out of the castle hurriedly. She needed fresh air. She needed to think clearly. She breathed in and out. That was better. You have to tell him, she thought to herself. Sighing, she started walking away from the castle and into the forest. She asked herself, "Are you sure you want to stay?" She sighed. "You don't know how long you'll have to stay. It could be forever." Sarah shrugged. "I don't know," she muttered. She'd better hurry with making her mind up. His life literally depended on the decision she made. She let out a little yelp of frustration. Making decisions wasn't her strength, she knew that. She was thinking frantically. To stay or not to stay? That was, after all, the question. To help or not to help a friend? She decided to help a friend, and therefore, stay.
" 'allo," a cheerful voice said. She spun her head around and saw the worm. "Whaddya doin' here?" it asked.
"Well, I was... uh... I came here to help a friend."
"Huh. A friend, eh?" it grinned. "You sure you ain't comin' for him?" Sarah was confused. It seemed everyone knew something that she ignored. But she wouldn't take it for granted that they did—particularly in this place. The worm smiled at her confusion. Yet they did know something she didn't—Jareth's not-so-secret love for her.
"Yes," she finally said. "A friend."
"Okay then," the worm sighed. "You in for a cuppa tea? You owe me one." Since when were these people holding grudges against her? Sarah asked herself.
She managed a small smile. "No thank you."
"Hm. Just like last time," it mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing," the worm shook its head with great conviction. "Just you go on with whatever you're doing."
"Hm. Okay then."

Since she was planning to stay, Sarah needed more clothes. She couldn't be with the same ones forever, could she? She sighed and headed back to the castle. But then something stopped her right on her tracks. She heard a familiar roar.
"Ludo!" she couldn't help but feel happy. She ran towards the roar. "Ludo," she said again.
"Sarah—Sarah back!" he was beaming with joy. She couldn't resist hugging him, to which he felt confused at first, but then hugged her back. They pulled away. She looked up at him with a tear rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away with the sleeve of her t-shirt.
"Oh, I missed you, Ludo," she smiled.
"Ludo missed Sarah too." They saw a movement from behind one of the bushes. Ludo looked at it with a growl of suspicion in his throat.
"Hoggle!" Sarah said with relief. "I wanted to ask you something, Hoggle."
"What is it?"
"I need to get back home to grab some clothes."
"That means you're gonna stay?" his eyes shone.
"I guess I am, yes."
"Good."
"So? Can I go back home?"
"No need to."
"Why not?"
"Cause you already have some clothes here."
"So you knew I was gonna stay?"
"We were expecting it, yes."
She didn't know what to say, so she just uttered, "Oh."
"Well, let's go. I'll show you your room."
"Oh. Okay. Bye, Ludo! See you around," she waved.
"Goodbye, Sarah!" he waved back.

Sarah and Hoggle walked back to the castle and entered it. He guided her through a long hallway and finally said, "Alright, here we are." She couldn't believe it. It was her own room! Well, like her own room. She knew it wasn't her real room. Was it? She couldn't say she knew something about this place. "Does the little lady like her room?"
She was speechless and couldn't say no more than, "Uh... yes."
"Hm," Hoggle said, pleased with his work. "That's what I thought." She stepped inside and sighed. "Well, I'll leave you to it." She nodded, looking around her room.

The door closed. She spotted something. It was a letter. That's weird, she thought. But then she remembered that everything in this place was weird. She opened the letter.

I love you.

—J.

She looked at the back of the paper to see if there was something else written. That was all it said. "Now that's strange," she muttered to herself. She shrugged, paying little to no attention to it. "It's impossible. He doesn't love me. He never loved someone, so he can't love me. He can't." She had to admit it, though, she was sort of relieved to see he loved her too. But anyways, she knew that if —and only if— they ever had something, it could never go right. Or could it? Sarah shook her head. She shouldn't have such high hopes, should she?

Back at the Goblin King's chamber, Jareth sighed. He was reflecting. Now that he'd left the paper in Sarah's room, he felt a bit relieved. Yet something was not right. She might think I'm a coward, mightn't she? He thought. There was nothing he could do, or so he believed. He sighed again. It sure was a boring night. He needed to do something before he was bored to death. Taking a walk was certainly not an option. Playing board games? No, he wasn't really into them. Other options were: sailing in the Sea of Dreams and Memories, watering the plants —ah, don't you just love watering the plants? It's so much fun— and a few more things. He decided to sail in the Sea of Dreams and Memories. He was in a melancholy mood. He sat on the bed and afterwards stood up. He winced. He walked through one of the chamber's walls and instantly ended in the Sea of Dreams and Memories. Leaning against the coast, there stood a canoe. He picked it up and laid it on the crystalline waters. Carefully, he stepped inside and sat down. It automatically started. Jareth was taken through the transparent waters as if he was flying. His hand touched the water and took out a crystal ball. Inside of it was reflected all of his childhood memories at the Goblin City. The ball soon became a bubble and merged itself with the rest of the sea. He picked up another crystal ball and all his dreams were inside of it. With a shudder, he threw it away. Some dreams weren't meant to be remembered and he should keep things that way. Too many hurtful things there, in some dreams. Suddenly, he heard a voice calling him.
"Jareth!"

Well, this one was much longer hehe. Hope y'all enjoyed it😊.
⚡Isa⚡