Sarah's Return To The Labyrinth: Sooner Than You Might Think

Chapter 2 Back Again

Chapter 2

Back Again

Sarah's POV

When I opened my eyes I did not know where I was. Then, when my eyes came in to focus, I saw the faded grey brick of the roof. I was in the castle at the centre of the labyrinth, The Goblin Kings castle. I sat up startled by Karen's screaming,

"SARAH WHAT DID YOU DO!"

Hmm, Naturally it's my fault she wished us here.

I was about to answer her when my father and toby woke up too.

"What happened? Where are we?" My father asked, groggy from the travel.

"Isn't it obvious?" Karen starts "Sarah has done something, she's drugged us or something"

I was getting sick of this now. "Karen just... shut up whilst I try and find a way out of this mess you got us in to." I look around and I recognise the room I am in, the throne room. Though, thankfully, it is empty, I wondered where The Goblin King was.

"I got us in to! I GOT US IN TO! WHY YOU UNGREATFUL-"

I flinched away as Karen raised her hand to me. I closed my eyes bracing myself for the impact, but it never came. When I opened my eyes I saw Karen's shocked face, I looked to her hand and saw another holding it. When I looked to my left I saw him, The Goblin King. He stopped her from hitting me. He was wearing the same leather shirt and black trousers as he was when we first met. His black cape absent though. Something was off about his skin, it was paler than its already fair colour. His hair was its usual messed up self and his missed matched eyes were glaring at Karen.

He gave me a slight sideways glance, "Are you ok Sarah?"

I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded. Why would he help me? I thought.

Seaming satisfied with my answer, or rather action, he let go of Karen's hand, pushing slightly so she stumbled back a few steps.

"Who are you?" My father asked catching Karen.

The Goblin King Just waved him off as he walked towards he window balcony that looked over the Goblin City.

I went to follow him,

"Sarah" My father said catching my arm. "We don't know who this guy is. He might be dangerous." For the first time since I can remember my dad actually seamed bothered about me.

"Its fine" I said taking a few steps forward.

"Goblin King" I called to him, He tilted his head downwards slightly, but that was the only sign I got that he heard me. I got annoyed. "Goblin King you will speak to me." I demanded.

He snapped around quicker than I could see, "Or what. Hum? After everything you've already put me through, what exactly are you going to do?"

"What do you mean everything I have put you through?" I asked trying to remember if I had done anything wrong by him but, from what I remember, he kidnapped my baby brother, not the other way around.

"Wait... You two know each other?" My father asked confused. I ignored him, if I lost focus on The Goblin King for even a moment we all might have wound up in The Bog Of Eternal Stench.

The Goblin King's mismatched eyes seared right into mine. Finally he broke the eye contact and turned back around.

"Everything I've done I've done for you, I have been generous, but I can be cruel." He said quoting the last time we saw each other, I figured it wouldn't harm to play along.

"Generous? What exactly have you done that's generous?"

"EVERYTHING!" He snapped "You asked that the child be taken" He pointed viciously at Toby, "I took him. You cowered before me and I was frightening. I have re ordered time. I have turned the world, upside down and I have done it all for you."

I was bored now "Oh give it up Goblin King, Why did you bring me back here?"

"I didn't" was all he said. His back still turned to me.

"What do you mean you didn't bring us here?"

"Your being here is nothing to do with me. Do you really think I would just ,'bring you back' after all this?" he gestured out the window.

I walked up to stand beside him, gasping when I looked out on to the labyrinth. It was in ruin. Some of the walls had crumbled down, the hedge maze was dead and the bog of eternal stench had burst its banks and was now flowing through the forest where the fire gang lived. Shocked I looked up at The Goblin King. Being closer now I could see the opaqueness of his skin and the bags under his eyes.

I reached out my hands to touch his face. "Goblin King? You don't look well..."

He turned away, but not before I could catch a slight touch of his skin... Ice cold.

The Goblin King started to walk away but stumbled. I caught him before he could fall but after he stabilised himself, he waved me off.

It was at that moment when the doors to the throne room burst open and a goblin came running in.

"There you are my king, You are sick, you must go back to bed."

Jareth was about to answer but was interrupted by Karen screaming again, at the little goblin this time. She nearly frightened the poor thing out of its little skin.

Finally Karen shut up.

"I am fine" The goblin king insisted. "Leave me be."

"Bur sire-" the goblin started but was cut off by a vase flying towards him and he ran out of the room.

"That wasn't very nice" I stated, angry at The Goblin King.

"Surely by now my dear, I thought you would have noticed that I am not a particularly nice person." He sat down on his throne at the head of the room. His leg draped over the arm of it.

I opened my mouth to talk again but was cut off my The Goblin King groaning.

"Sarah could we please talk about this in the morning I have I splitting headache that even the strongest and oldest of the fae would not be able to cope with. I will arrange quarters for you and your family, the castle will take you there."

I tried to protest but was stopped by the words "goodnight Sarah." I knew this meant not to push him any further if I had any wishes of leaving this place. I bowed and hurried my reluctant family out of the room.

The moment the door closed, the questions started. Just the usual stuff.

'who is he' , 'why has he kidnapped us' , 'how do you know him' , 'what does he want form us' , 'what did he mean the castle will show us the way' , 'why would you do this to us' . I bet you can guess who that last one was from. I promised to explain everything when we got back to our quarters, and with that, we walked down the hall way.

Thank you for reading this story, this is as far as I have actually planned and I hope it goes well from here. I apologise for any typos. I dropped a full mug of tea on my laptop a while back so all the keys are sicky. I have worked most of the letters loose but the spacebar is very temperamental, it either works, doesn't work, or puts about 6 spaces in.

Thanks again

Labyrinth