Trust Me

VII

You practically threw yourself through the hallways, calling for Tobey and Jareth. Neither of them were anywhere to be seen, and they hadn't been with you when you woke up.

You sprinted down some steps, coming to a hallway with multiple rooms. You spun around in a circle, already feeling exasperated and overwhelmed from the choice. You couldn't risk being lost in The Goblin King's castle, not when Tobey needed you more than ever. Not when Sarah had jumped through hurdles to try and find you in the Labyrinth.

You picked a room at random. It was a library. You crossed into the middle and stared in awe at the thousands of books that lined the walls, each all rising hundreds of metres to the ceiling. You couldn't even see the top, it was that high up.

A glass ball rolled out from one of the aisles. It rolled towards you, landing against your foot. You immediately picked it up, watching with wide eyes as Jareth appeared, holding Tobey in one hand and a timer in the other.

8 minutes.

"You should stop interfering," Jareth warned, his amusement long since washed from his face. "You'll only cause yourself harm."

Frustrated with his words that constantly belittled you, you pulled your arm back and threw the glass ball across the room. It smashed against a bookshelf, shattering into tiny pieces. You spun around on your heel and headed for the door which you came from.

Locked.

It seemed as though Jareth was deliberately keeping you away. Perhaps Sarah was getting closer to him, and she was almost there to save Tobey.

Or maybe Jareth was sparing you some kindness, and he didn't want you to see Tobey turn into a Goblin? With only 8 minutes left on the timer, it was entirely possible that Sarah wouldn't make it.

You wandered over to the bookshelves.

But why would Jareth confront you like that? He was cruel and calculated; he wouldn't warn you away if you hadn't been getting close to him. Sure, he had locked you inside the library to keep you from leaving, but there must be another way to leave the library.

You looked at each book carefully, trying to find one that might seem out of place. Your fingers traced the leather bound books, feeling for something that you might not see straight away.

Then, you stopped.

A book that had been placed upside down. You bit your lower lip, praying that it would lead to some sort of secret entrance if you pulled it down. And as a satisfying click resounded through the air, you knew that your intuition had been correct.

To your right, a doorway opened up. You grinned and bolted for it, stepping into the darkness as the door shut behind you again. You glanced at the spiral staircase that only led up, meaning you'd have to follow it.

You climbed as fast as you could, not stopping to take a much needed breath. You couldn't waste any more time. You'd wasted roughly 2 minutes searching for that hidden door.

A glass ball came bouncing down the steps. You reached out to grab it, frowning as Jareth appeared once more. He looked annoyed, his lips curled downwards in upset.

"Can't you see that I'm trying to protect you? Everything I am doing is for you. Don't be such a brat." Jareth said through gritted teeth. "Turn back and wait for me. This will all be over soon."

You dropped the ball and let it continue bouncing down the steps, listening with a smile as it shattered at the very bottom. You continued upwards, feeling triumphant that you were beginning to make The Goblin King impatient with your disobedience.