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"She's in the Oubliette."
A chorus of laughter sprang up around him. It went straight to his core and fueled the irritation that was sitting there.
"Shut up!" He hissed, "She should not have gotten as far as the Oubliette."
It looks like, once again, he would have to take care of things himself.
--
She hit the ground with a hard thump. She heard the crate close above her and she felt her hope slip just a bit. The only source of light was from directly above her head. She couldn't see past her little circle of light and dare not go out of it. She had no idea what lay beyond her vision and she wasn't willing to risk it. So, she sat. 'I have to move sometime. I HAVE to figure out a way out of here!' She warred between caution and determination. She knew she had to get to Toby, but how was she to get out of someplace she couldn't even see all of? Guilt started to slip in. She had been pushing back the feeling ever since the clock started ticking its 13 hours and she knew she had to put it away, had to fight it back. Sarah knew that if she let it win she would sit and cry and never get back up. She knew that it would all be over. Planting that resolve deep into her heart, she beat the despairing feeling back and tried to plan.
The silence was starting to distract her; it was so loud she felt it pushing in on her. She had tried exploring her space but it was hard when most of the room was dark and she was terrified of what could be waiting in said darkness. It also didn't help that she couldn't heart a sound. Not the breeze or water running or rocks shifting, even the Helping Hands were quiet above her. Her own breathing was harsh and ragged in her ears. Her heart seemed to be beating too fast; too loud. She felt like the sound was going to swallow her up. Then she felt it, a presence as if someone else was in the room with her. She froze.
"Is someone there?" She winced at the sound of panic in her voice.
"Me."
The reply sent shivers down her spine. She knew that voice. It was the one that kept playing in her head over and over, like a broken record. She felt even more tired.
"Oh, it's you." She tried to play it off like she was indifferent to him being in the same room as her, but she felt her heart catch. She heard the Goblin King take a step toward her. Her back involuntarily straightened. She hated that she couldn't gauge how far, or how close, he was to her. It added to her growing paranoia in the darkness.
"Now, Sarah. Is that any way to talk to me?" He was close, closer than she would have liked. "Don't you like my visits?" He sounded like he was right behind her. She tried to spin around but her shoulder hit what felt like a wall then arms circled around her. Feeling herself get pinned with her back to the Goblin King, she reacted and jerked away. The arms around her tightened like vices. Crap. She couldn't move. She started to panic again when she found she couldn't budge an inch in his steely arms. Her mind reeled as she felt an arm circle her waist. She cried out in protest and Jareth's other arm slid up and his hand cupped her chin. She felt breath on her face as he leaned closer.
"You hush. I'm thinking. "
About what?!
"Just how did you get as far as the Oubliette? Hmm? Is someone helping you?"
He sounded like he was just thinking out loud so she didn't bother responding. She wasn't sure she could if she wanted to. His breath traveled down her neck because of his close proximity and she felt the urge to scrub the skin there. He smelled her neck running his nose up her skin and it tingled. Sarah felt a strong desire to scrub the spot with her hand. She felt his nose make its progress along her chin and she couldn't take it anymore. "What…are you doing here?" She managed to get out through clenched teeth. She felt him chuckle, "Cheeky child." He lifted some of her hair in his hand.
"It's not every day I have someone like you in my Labyrinth. I couldn't help but come and check your progress myself." He let her hair fall back against her shoulder. Good Lord, she felt like showering. She felt trapped, and vulnerable, and disgusted at being treated in such a manner and at not being able to do anything about it.
And yet…
She felt his hand on her stomach and underneath there were butterflies; Jareth pulled her closer to him and she felt her face ignite.
With his hand on her face Jareth could feel the heat there. He smiled inwardly. There was just something about her that made it fun to play with her. Every time he watched her play with her dolls or read her plays, he wanted to tell her how ridiculous she looked. When she said those magical words he thrilled at the idea of a new game. When she stood up to him and vowed to get her brother back he wanted to crush her. He knew that blatant show of bravery was a mask and he wanted to tear it away. She had all these innocent and foolish ideas about how she was going to solve HIS Labyrinth and be a hero. The audacity. "So, little girl. What will you do now?"
Sarah couldn't think. It was like her brain had shut down and left her to fend for herself. All she could do was feel and what she was feeling scared her more than the man behind her. Where they touched her body was on fire and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand the heat. It was decidedly uncomfortable and she started to squirm, instincts taking over. He chuckled and pulled her even closer so that their bodies didn't have an inch between them. She couldn't think; couldn't breathe. So instead she stiffened and stayed very still. She felt like a mouse and then, it occurred to her, that that was exactly what this was. He was the snake and she was the little field mouse.
Her face flamed up for a different reason. Oh, now she was furious. How dare he treat her like she was a...a toy. Surely he had better things to do than pick on innocent girls. But, no, how could he ignore her when she was trying everything she could to beat him. This was a challenge that Sarah was in, one that he made the rules to. There was a contest happening right that instant and she was running out of time. Toby's precious minutes were ticking by and Jareth was just standing there. Something in her snapped. She was no longer going to stand by and let this world choose her paths for her, but rather she was going to plow over anything in her way. She was going to do what she needed to do to save her baby brother, and god help anything that tried to stop her.
"It must piss you off that a girl like me did get as far as the Oubliette." Even she could hear spiteful undertone in her words. He went still, so still, she almost lost the small bit of bravery she had mustered up in her fury.
The air in her lungs let out a painful whoosh as her back hit a wall. Sarah was briefly confused before she realized he had slammed her against the wall in his anger, his hands planted roughly on her shoulders. When he leaned in to speak, Sarah could only partially see his face in the shadow outside of the light and his eyes had a fire in them.
"What did you just say?" He practically spits in her face.
Her chin tilted up, "I said you must feel pretty stupid right now."
He was frozen at her words, so she kept going feeling empowered.
"You think you have everything at your fingertips and you DON'T. You think that everyone is going to just fall in fear at your feet, the great and mighty Goblin King isn't to be crossed. News flash, you're not. So. Great."
Sarah didn't get any farther than that because Jareth had shaken himself from his initial shock and reached for her. He slid his hand right up to her throat and just lifted her off of the floor. Jareth's face had an almost calm demeanor to it as her legs kicked uselessly at the wall behind her. She was starting to see stars as the pressure became unbearable and her hands went around his wrists pulling and clawing at his grip in an effort to escape, but it was no good. Her lungs were starting to burn and her mind was boiling to a point of terror when pulled her toward his face. Her body swung from the wall effortlessly, like a rag doll.
"You would do well to fear me, child." He said the word like it disgusted him. "It is because I have not interfered that you have gotten so far. I could end everything if I so chose." He accented his words by tightening his had around her throat very quickly and then suddenly, he dropped her and she hit the ground hard. Her hands automatically went to her throat and she was gasping for breath. It hurt to drag the air into her lungs and her throat felt like sandpaper. She sat up and looked up at him. He was staring down at her with eyes that made her feel cold to the core.
Then he was gone.
--
His blood was boiling. He couldn't stand to look at her anymore. He could see in her eyes that she meant every word she said. He didn't know where she was pulling this pompous attitude from but it was grating him. He'd never reacted to a challenger in such a way. Sure, Jareth would interfere and put on his show of power. He was powerful. It was his damned Labyrinth and he did have a reputation to uphold. But he had never become so furious that he was violent. He didn't know what to make of it and he didn't know what he was going to do with her. Heading back to the child she was there to save, he settled in to see how long her charade would last. Because he was going to be there when she stumbled and fell.