After She Left The Labyrinth

Even after she had left him, he continued to watch her. He watched as her room cleared of childish things and became that of a young woman's. The only thing left to remind her of her journey were the friends she'd made, who continued to visit her, and the little red book that never left her desk. He watched as she stopped putting up a fight when asked to babysit her baby brother and he watched as she became closer to her step-mother. He never stopped watching and he never revealed himself to her.

    Even after she had left him, he continued to plague her thoughts. She thought of those mismatched eyes and crystal balls twirling in his hand. She never spoke to her friends about him. The Jareth they knew was dark and evil, but she knew that was not the real him. The real him was the one she had caught glimpses of throughout her adventure: when they danced together, when he followed her in the Escher room, and when she had broken his heart. In the passing weeks she had matured a great deal, clearing her room of old toys and becoming closer to her new family. It had only been a short time since she'd left his Labyrinth but to her it seemed like centuries. The red book upon her desk was never opened again, yet each night she would stare at it and think of him.

    He would curse himself each day for the way he had acted. He was grieved by shame for the foolish things he had done. Every time he looked at her he felt a longing to change what he had done. But what was said had been said and even he could not change that. Situations that were never to happen ran through his mind of what he would do if she were to ever take him back. Each day his longing for her became worse.

    She would curse herself every day for how she had acted. She came to the realization that she had been a fool. Caught up in trying to find her brother, she hadn't even seen that everything he did he did for her. Tears stained her pillow each night as she thought about what could have been. Each day her regrets became worse.

    Jareth's kingdom was changing a great deal. He acted kindly to his subjects on the few occasions when he wasn't in her world. With each action he brought himself closer to the man that would deserve her. If she were to ever call to him he wanted to be a different person, a better person.

Before long, Sarah had had enough of her agony. For hours she talked herself in, then out, then into it again. She knew the only way to find him was to say the words. When her parents had gone and Toby was asleep she finally worked up the courage to do what her heart had longed to do for so long. The pounding of rain let her know that the time was right. She knew that if she said the words just so, he would hear her cry.

    She drew in a deep breath and chose her fate. "I wish..." she said in the quietest of tones. That won't do, she thought. I need him to hear me. Louder, with all her soul she called out: "I wish..."

    His heart beat within his chest as he heard her words. He had a clear view of her as he was perched in the tree outside her window in his owl form. He willed with his whole body, mind and soul for her to go on and say the words that would set him free from this pain. "I wish..." His pulse was quicker than it had ever been, his hopes soaring high as his fears simultaneously weighed him down. "I wish the Goblin King would come to me, right now."

    A flash of lightning struck as he took flight. Her curtains flapped violently in the wind as her window clashed open. She stepped back, blood pumping and breaths heavy. A thunderous clap across the sky caused her to draw her arms in front of her face, shielding herself from the potential danger. Even with her eyes tightly shut, she knew he was there. Sarah could feel his presence in the room as she opened her eyes. As quickly as she dared she removed her arms from in front of her face. Before her he stood, arms crossed across his chest and his face blank. He seemed different... Something about him more melancholy.