Not Long At All

Chapter Thirty Two

David's POV:

      Ziggy faltered under my gaze, his hand slipping from the door, "I didn't have a choice."

      The empty shock of betrayal began to melt away and I hardened, "What did you do?"

       Weighing his options, he glanced at the door, trying to backpedal, "We don't have time."

      "Make time." Sarah's voice was harsh next to me and I turned, her expression set. Sir Didymus chimed in from below, "Does thou not owe us the truth before our final battle?"

      I looked to Ziggy, feeling everyone else do the same, and he cowered under our stares, "There is no battle."

      Confused, an unrealistic hope rose in my chest that maybe nothing would happen- maybe we would all just go home. Sarah didn't share my optimism, "What do you mean there is no battle? Isn't that why you brought us here?"

      Ziggy's eyes dropped, answering her question. Sickness settled in my stomach, "Why did you bring us here?"

      He met my eyes, his mouth opening, but Sarah answered for him, anger building in her voice, "Isn't it obvious? He brought us straight to them." Hearing her words out loud, she latched onto them, finally having a reason to unleash her fury, "The son of a bitch brought us straight to them!" 

      Forgetting she was holding my hand, she lunged at him, tugging me with her. I stumbled, trying to pull her back, "Sarah!"

      Unstoppable, she shook her hand free of me and grabbed Ziggy by his shirt, ripping him from where he stood in front of the door. Using all her force, she slammed him against the side of the arena, his body thudding into the stone. Ziggy tried to orient himself but she pulled him towards her, ramming him back into the wall. His head whiplashed backwards, smacking the stone and I ran towards them. 

      Grabbing her, I tried pulling her away but she held on, shouting and dragging my friend with her. I wrapped my arms around her, eventually managing to separate them and she turned her rage on me, elbowing her way out of my grip. Suddenly free, she stood, her hair wild around her as she heaved angry breaths. Ziggy brokenly braced himself against the wall, careful to keep an eye on her as he wheezed, his breathing pained. 

      I looked between them as they watched each other, waiting for Sarah's next attack. The tension bit the air, no one willing to move. It was a standoff. 

      As silence sifted through the stress, Sarah regained her composure. She settled, her eyes wandering aimlessly up the towering arena wall. I could see the defeat in her face as she stepped away from it, slowly lowering herself to the ground. She sat, staring numbly at her surroundings, realizing the situation, "We got so far."

      My heart crumbled, knowing nothing could be done. Beside me, Didymus removed his hat, holding it solemnly over his chest. Ziggy stumbled slightly, sliding himself down the wall to join her in the dusty sand, "I'm sorry, love."

      I watched Sarah as she stared silently into the distance. Finally she turned to him, "Was any of it true?"

      Ziggy nodded, "I did try to save Jareth. I thought that getting him to the Aboveground would help him. But... by then he'd already been broken, love." He looked to the ground, "I didn't think about what that would mean for him."

      Sarah frowned, "I don't understand."

      "People, when they go into your world," he met her gaze, "can't live with a broken soul. They fall apart. And, I didn't understand that." Ziggy shook his head, "So when the sepulchrists found out, they created a host soul, something to keep Jareth alive until they got him back. Like a bandage. And that, David... that would be you."