Labyrinth Pt. II

8. Last Meal

"Hungry?" Jareth's groggy face made me chuckle. It was 7:30. "Looks like we slept through dinner, and I'm famished."

In what I can't help but describe as a "Jareth-y" way, he grunted.

"Chinese food it is then!" I pulled out a take-out menu from my favorite Chinese place and called in my usual order. The key felt like ice against my chest. I couldn't let Jareth know something was up. Knowing him, he could probably look at me a guess something was on my mind. I needed to be normal. Even though I had finished with my call, I pretended I was in the phone and tried to center my thoughts.

"I have never needed sleep or felt unrefreshed before. I don't like it." He rubbed his eyes and stretched. "Being mortal is horrible."

"Don't complain. You've been mortal for three days. You don't get to complain after seventy-two hours." I walked over and thumped him mid-yawn, plopping on the couch next to him. "I kinda like seeing this side of you. Makes you seem... human."

The goblin groaned and grabbed his head between his hands. "Cheer up, Jareth. You will be back to normal soon, and you will feel all better and go back to your regal, jerk self."

"I wasn't always a jerk."

"Oh really?" I shot him a dubious look. "Are you telling me that the great Goblin King has a back story?" Yeah, let's use this to distract him.

"Something like that." He leaned back and sighed, we were now shoulder to shoulder. "It was very long ago, in another life."

Despite him seeming more "normal" by the hour, he still had this magical quality about him. It bugged me, slightly, how easily he could grab my attention and entrance me with his words.

"Once upon a time there was a child who had everything. As time passed and he grew, his innocence and purity faded. He realized that he was foolish to think that he had everything and slowly his life changed. He grew up. All the growing up in the world wouldn't prepare him for the single drastic change that he would live through in his future. On that fateful dawn everything that was familiar to him was gone and a new harsh reality was his life. He lived with it and found ways to make himself stronger and better. This child grew to be a man who survived better than anyone else. He was chosen by the forces that be to take up a role he was not made for, but became fit for."

His body language grew harder as he spoke but his eyes held a bitter sadness. "I did what I had to do to protect myself and, as time went on, my people. I have lost things like a home and forgotten ones in a distant past."

He stood up and walked to a window near the tv. It seemed like not one of us spoke for hours but when the door bell rang I knew it was less than that. Just a mere matter of moments. While I went to collect our food from the delivery man, he had made his way back to the couch and was back to his "normal" self.

"Is it time for what could possibly be our last meal?" He smirked.

"Well let's hope not. 'Cause take out isn't that extraordinary to be a last meal." Setting the food on the table I arrange everything and open the boxes. Handing him chopsticks, I point to the foods.

"You use these to eat." I demonstrate how to use them and laugh at his attempt. "Ok. So not skilled at chopsticks. Here's a fork. Not everyone can be perfect at everything."

"I'm sure it takes practice. I'll get it eventually." However he accepts the fork and begins to eat the food. We eat in a comfortable silence and watch a sitcom on the television. His subtle attempt at humility had not gone unnoticed.

It's been a while since we've finished eating and all that's on tv is the news and infomercials. I check the clock and it's close to midnight. Jareth has dozed off. His head is tilted back and those long legs of his are resting on the coffee table. Picking up our mess from dinner I stifle a yawn. I'm pretty tired and tomorrow is going to be quite chaotic. I'm dreading it but I have an excited feeling deep, deep down. All the lights are now dimmed and I've placed a blanket across the goblin on my couch.

"Goodnight, Goblin King."

"Sleep well, Sarah."

His response startled me and I paused. I sighed and continued to my bedroom and closed the door.

I prayed to whoever was listening that everything would be ok and that my life would return to normal after this.