Memory

Chapter 10: Begin

With a flick of Jareth's fingers, they immediately appeared at the same room where she saved Toby.  Instinctively, her eyes dart to her body. Clothes were the same. Surprisingly fit even if she remembered throwing them away. Her core starts to sway as the rumbling of the rocks that floated endlessly drove her mind to insanity. Jareth was nowhere to be seen. Yet, even in this familiar grove of emptiness, she finds herself lost to the looming darkness from nowhere.

Why is everything dark? Why was she alone? Why is it that this crushing darkness remind her of... that night when men greedily ravaged her innocence? It's cold. She wants to make it stop. Please make it stop.

Please make it stop.

She knelt in hopes that containing her body with her arms will help at all. Alas, to her dismay she feels as if seconds of her life are being snatched away. Why was she here? Where was Jareth. Why does she feel like she was back again with her teenage self.

"Sarah" A voice overlayed with echoes of her past eerily approaches from the dark. Cold. Piercing. It struck her in the chest like it corrupted her being. She looked behind... then at her sides. The bodiless voice had her gripping tightly at her shoulders.

"Who's there?"

***

Jareth reappeared in his throne room. Met in the eyes of fate as Sarah's parents bolted inside. Along with Ludo, Dydimus and Ambrosious. Hoghead must've tipped them off...

"Where is my daughter?" Robert asks. Suit almost in tatters, Karen was right behind him along with her self made wooden bat.

"I seem to remember that our agreement was for you to find Sarah. I am here, but she is nowhere to be seen." Says the Goblin King striding as he pleases to his throne. There was an etch of glibness in his face.

"Where in your kingdom is she exactly?"

"Who's to say? I may be the ruler of this kingdom, but I'm no idiot. She goes where she pleases."

And both Ludo and the dog cried as they disappeared along with the snap of his finger. "Games already halfway, my dears." He disappeared.

They bolted to follow them in another room however the floating rocks made the path meander to oblivion. At the deadend, they could see her clothing, of when they left her with Toby ten years ago. Her father tried to make the sense of it as he walked towards the scattered fabrics. Karen watched out. The cold solitude reflect on the floating garbage, but nothing was telling them of what lies deep in the shadows of space. The stairs fade into infinity as Karen laid eyes on one side.

"GOBLIN KING!" Yelled Robert. He couldn't bear to think about her predicament. There was a seething heat rising from within his chest. Eyes almost popping as it glanced with great horror at the scattered fabric that he knew belonged to Sarah. Savage drumming was all he could hear that he felt throughout his body. His hands crumpling at her blouse, he stands up wailing at whatever could've happened. From gentle persuasion to molestation, he could only be left wondering.

This was not fair.

As the continuous wailing end at the Goblin king's snap of a finger. He found it odd that Sarah was nowhere to be found. He specifically transported her there to tease them. Not to trick them. This was an unintentional turn of events, he thought. The Labyrinth is toying with him once again.

Swiftly he took his orbs and sent them out to the nearest sentinels and the nearest kingdom. One by one they flew out of his hand. The lurch in his stomach made him contort his face with disapproval.

He transported himself to where Sarah was. The gleaming, moonlight held her body in a trance as it floated slowly. Wearing white, one could imagine a cloud giving birth to a woman. Running to her, he was almost caught unaware of the impending weight that came after. She looked so peaceful when sleeping.

They were in the outskirts of his kingdom. Close enough at the cliffs nowhere and the white plains. He concluded that Sarah's parents are never going to reach her in time if they only knew she was right at the foothold of his realm.

But this was not in his plan at all. Why was the labyrinth playing tricks on him when it hasn't done this before?

***

Robert came rushing down the gate of Jareth's castle. Karen followed suit whilst being also pursued by goblins ever so slightly. This was an entirely different story from what Sarah used to tell when she rescued Toby.

Staring at disbelief of the grandness of the Goblin city. It was no wonder no one would believe her. All of these seems so certainly made out a fantasy book. Straight out, that even Robert was glancing too much at the red sky. Why was it so red?

They both walked and tried to pursue Sarah through Ludo's great nose. Sir Didymus assured both that fragrant is Sarah and it doesnt take a minute for them to pinpoint her whereabouts.

Just what kind of world is this? Hands for ladders, goblins as previous kids, seemingly benevolent creatures turned malevolent and the other way around. It does not make sense. It was a nightmare. But the piercing feeling of anything worse that is currently happening begs him to differ. This is real.

"Sire! Thy daughter lies out of the kingdom! We must follow our steedy of a creature in order to save thee beloved!"  Didymus says energetically as if positivity was in spades.

***

Jareth, with all his might woke Sarah from her slumber. Bells rang. They were near. How is it that when he's in danger, the Labyrinth does not protect him?

"Of all the maidens you could've taken, this is the one you take?" He asked as if awaiting an answer from the Labyrinth.

He sees his city, his kingdom. Too disorganized from usual. Everything he's ever worked hard for is in shambles. He felt a shaky hand reach out on his arm.

Sarah woke, scratching her head. Confused. She couldn't see anything.

"Jareth? Hold me please. It hurts. I'm scared."

Her eyes, she touched her eyes but there were only gems in place. Shocked, her hands cold and sweaty she felt a hand almost reach out to her face. Warm. Unlike the cold the voice that time.

Horrified. Jareth had no words to describe. When Sarah opened her eyes, white gems looked at him. She could not see him, she was shaking. He touched her face and hand in sympathy.  "Who did this to you, sweet thing?" 

Sarah's tears formed diamonds. 

"What's happening Jareth? It hurts." 

"I do not know... what happened before you slept?"

Sarah grabbed hold of Jareth's hands. They were the closest thing she wanted to come near. The shiver she had went away instantly. Calm faced her. She breathed in a lot of air like it was the first time.

*** flashback ***

"I am the Labyrinth."

She tugged herself and stood up. First time talking to a formless entity. "How are you talking?" She transformed her fear to courage. This was no time to be frail. She needs to protect herself.

"I heard you when you allowed fear overtake your being. I protect the ruler."

"How am I the ruler?"

"Did you not know? I thought Jareth made it clear that you are to be his queen because of the blatant disregard of the rules?"

Sarah walked towards the dark corner "I don't understand. He disregarded what exactly?"

Silence.

"He was supposed to be mortal again right after you beat the Labyrinth."

*** end of flashback ***

"You!" Sarah pointed her fingers to where she thought Jareth was. "Are in heaps of trouble!"

"Dear I'm over here." As he directed the pointed finger at him. And he knew what the trouble was. It just seemed so harmless.