Chapter 3
“Sarah…”
A ghostly whisper echoed around the halls of the stone corridor that looked eerily like the beginning of the Labyrinth as she remembered. Fog obscured her vision so she couldn’t see very far in either direction, and she had no idea where she was. Sarah stood frozen, unsure of where to go or what to do.
“Sarah…!”
The voice was louder this time, and closer too. She began to run away from it, not ready to see who the voice belonged to, or what they wanted from her. The fog that had felt very normal at first now pressed tightly around her, smothering her like she’d been wrapped in a comforter and sat upon. She was choking; there was no air to breathe, only fog, but she kept running even though her lungs burned.
“Sarah!” The voice was practically on top of her now, and it shrieked at her as she swatted at what she wasn’t sure was there. Her flailing limbs made contact with something solid. Strong hands grabbed a hold of hers…
“Woah, girl!”
It wasn’t the Labyrinth after all. Sarah sat up with a start, so quickly that Briana had to take a quick step backwards to avoid the back of her friend’s head smacking into her. Her college chemistry classroom, bright and full of lab equipment, were her current surroundings. She breathed a sigh of relief. “It was just a dream.”
Briana’s eyebrows raised so high they nearly met with her hairline. “Must have been some dream. You okay?”
Grabbing her books and rising quickly from her seat, Sarah nodded. “I just haven’t been sleeping well,” she assured her friend. The truth was… just too weird to try and explain, so the brunette settled for trying to make things a much smaller deal than they actually were.
Forehead wrinkles ironed themselves back out as Briana’s eyebrows came back down to their resting position. “Well, alright then. Come on, girl! I want to grab a smoothie before start on this headache of a project. And clearly you’re going to need some caffeine.”
~ ~ ~
The image in the crystal distorted as the two girls left the classroom and walked away from his viewing area. Jareth cursed to himself. He had been so close. Still she resisted him, even in her dreams. Her fighting spirit had grown even stronger than ever, and the Goblin King liked to think he had himself to thank for that, in part.
Normally he might have enjoyed the challenge of reaching her, but now was not the time for that. Sarah had to be warned about Mab’s trickery. What exactly his twin’s endgame was, he couldn’t say, but it frustrated him to no end that she had spoken with Sarah in a dream so recently, while the girl still eluded even the mere mention of himself.
Jareth sighed, sinking wearily into his throne. None of his subjects were around to witness this sudden display of weakness, so he did not mind taking a moment to himself. He stared at the blank crystal momentarily, as though its transparent surface might suddenly show him the answer to all his problems. When none magically appeared, he returned to what he seemed to be doing best as of late; watching her.
Sarah and her friend were sitting at a table, and while there were textbooks out and open in front of them, it didn’t appear that either one was doing much studying. Briana took a long loud slurp from her straw. “Please, please, please? Pretty please you say you’ll come? With strawberry banana and whipped cream on top?” The smoothie in the redhead's cup sloshed to punctuate her statement.
The brunette sighed. “Six hours warning is not a lot of time if you want me to go to a party with you tonight. Weren’t you just saying that I should be getting more sleep?”
“Girl, you will get more sleep! All the alcohol and dancing is gonna knock you right out! You’ll be sleeping like a baby… at say, four in the morning.” There was a stare down, a momentary battle of wills… And for once, Sarah was the first to break.
“Okay. I guess I could use more fun in my life.” Briana cheered in triumph and the two girls clinked their to go cups together. “Finish that soda; I’m taking you shopping!” The two girls started to pack up their school things. Studying could wait for another time, there was fun to be had now.
~ ~ ~
Jareth waved his hand over the crystal. He had seen all that he needed to see. This could be his chance. Yes, this was the perfect opportunity. Sarah wouldn’t have her guard up, Mab wouldn’t be there to interfere… He could finish this little wager before it got out of control. Sarah had nearly loved him once before, and if a little glamour had to help finish the job, then so be it. She was his, and he wouldn’t lose her again. Not to anyone. Especially not his infuriating nuisance of a twin.
The Goblin King stalked out of his throne room. As his love had said, six hours was not a lot of time to prepare for an evening out.