| Chapter 3 – Playing Charades When Sarah was dressed for the day’s events, she figured out what to say to her parents and the problem was would Jareth play along. She proceeded to the spare room but when she entered, the room was empty. Realizing that Jareth was down in the kitchen with her parents, she went down. Her parents were still in there bathrobes. She walked into the kitchen giving a nod to everyone. “Morning Sarah,” her father said. “Sarah,” her stepmother, Karen, said as she was feeding Toby. Toby was oblivious to Jareth’s presence as he played with his food that was on his table. Jareth couldn’t help but smile at Toby. It was gentle smile not like his evil, conning smile that he had in the Labyrinth. That smile had been washed away when Leetris took his throne. “I wished that you could have given us a better warning that your friend here and in trouble.” “Yeah, I know. I did say on the note that I would explain everything.” “Well it’s ok,” her father said. “Jareth explained everything.” “He did,” Sarah said looking to Jareth. “I told them that I am a good friend and I was jumped two nights ago and came here to seek your help. The people who jumped me want me dead so I asked for your help for a couple days so I can heal, then go to the police,” Jareth said. Sarah’s jaw dropped at Jareth’s cover story. She couldn’t believe that he could come up with something like that so quick. She hadn’t even thought of anything like that. From his wild story, and the story she was going to tell, would have turned out to be sappy and possibly not believable. “When Jareth was done explaining,” her father said. “I showed him to the shower and he got cleaned up and I gave him some of my old clothes that I don’t wear anymore.” Sarah looked at Jareth and sure enough, he was wearing some of her father’s old clothes that he was going to throw out. He wore a pair of faded old blue jeans with a black long sleeve button up shirt. “Sarah,” her stepmother said, “Don’t forget the parade today.” “Don’t worry Karen, I’m going to take Jareth to the parade. This is his first time here so I’m going to show him around town.” “Alright,” Karen said. “All done,” she said to Toby. “Time to get you cleaned up from eating and playing with your food.” Karen picked her son up out of the high chair and left the kitchen. “Dad could you give us a ride to the school, that is where the floats are gathering,” Sarah said. “Sure honey,” her father said. “I had full intention of driving you to the school. Well I had better get dressed.” When Sarah and Jareth were alone in the kitchen, Sarah went to the cupboard and grabbed a bowl and the porridge. “Would you like some breakfast?” she asked before sitting down. “Porridge,” he simply said. Before putting two bowls and the box of porridge on the table she turned to Jareth. “Thank you,” she said. “If it wasn’t for the fact that I know what’s at stake, I would have thought you were enjoying this pretending game.” “I would, but I’m not taking any pleasure of it,” Jareth said. When Sarah’s parents came back into the kitchen, Jareth and Sarah were just finishing their breakfast. They had eaten in silence. “Here,” her father said, “Here’s an pair of shoes that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas one year and I never wore them.” “Thank you,” Jareth said. It wasn’t his style, then again neither was the clothes but they would do until his powers were restored. “Well we better get going so we can get an early start,” Sarah said. ******** When they arrived at the school, Sarah wasted no time in getting out of the car. She had asked her father to drop them off at the front of the school. The floats were being set up in back. She wanted to be there early so her and Jareth could talk. She was actually an hour early. No one was there and Sarah didn’t want her father to know that. After her father left, Sarah lead Jareth to the back of the school. “There’s no one here,” Jareth said. “I know,” Sarah said. “I wanted to come here and talk to you before everyone gets here. There are still a few more questions.” “I figured as much,” Jareth said. “I knew the dream wouldn’t be enough.” “So you were there? I wasn’t imagining you?” Sarah mumbled. “Yes, I was there but I had woken before you and your subconscious mind allowed me to continue to be there though I was awake. My sister has a way with dreams.” “Now that I know what I’m up against, why didn’t you tell me last night that you were half fae? If I had known, then I would have had my very first question answered when you first arrived.” “What question was that?” “Why would your sister want the kingdom? But I now have that answer. She was going to be heir until you were born by a human woman.” “I didn’t think that would have made a difference,” he said. Sarah was about to make a protest but he continued on. “Sarah, there are many Underground folk who would love to get their hands on the Labyrinth. The Underground evolves around the Labyrinth. Though I’m not the ruler of the whole land, I hold the big key to the land. When I’m not summoned to take babies away, there is a kingdom to run.” “But I thought…” “You haven’t learned much,” Jareth stated bluntly. “A monarch has a huge responsibility. There are negotiations, politics and much more. I am--was a busy man. When I would get summoned I use people’s fear to teach them a lesson.” “I don’t understand.” “To put fear into young people when the wish their young sibling away, I say I’ll turn the child into a goblin but that is not true.” Sarah’s eyes widen in alarm. “I say that so the young child won’t do it again. When the thirteen hours are done, the child is sent home unharmed. I am not a cruel man.” “But your mother turned her mother, your grandmother, into a goblin.” “I do have the power to do that and my father and his father before did do that to children but I don’t. I find it most of the time amusing to watch the older sibling try and solve my Labyrinth. When the thirteen hours are over, it’s back to regular monarch business.” “But I was different,” Sarah said more to herself than to Jareth. “That is true. You are the first person to ever solve the Labyrinth. You are different from all the other teenagers who ever stumbled upon me. At first I didn’t think you would be any different, but you were more determined. You fell into the Oubliette and I thought it was over but you didn’t give up, it made you fight even harder.” “Then there was that peach you gave me,” she said. “I lost my memory for a short time.” “Only to try and stop you from reaching the city, I didn’t want you to solve the Labyrinth because I knew what was at stake. Oh and one more thing. Leetris will not be able to sense me if I’m within fifty feet of you.” For several minutes, Sarah and Jareth were silent. She was trying to comprehend everything that had been told to her in the past twelve hours. But before long it was broken when she heard noises coming from the other side of the wall. It didn’t take her long to realize that people were starting to arrive to decorate the floats. When everyone had arrived, Sarah introduced Jareth as her friend. And for the next couple hours Jareth even helped decorate some of the floats, staying close by to Sarah. He didn’t want his evil sister, Leetris, to find him. When the parade was about to start, Sarah was offered to be in last year’s winning float, which would not be in this years judging. Sarah took the offer but only if Jareth could be on as well. Though she was angry at Jareth for telling her that he lied to her about turning children into goblins, it didn’t make her forget that she agreed to help him. The fourth installment of the new revised version of “Revisiting the Enchanted Land” is now complete. Stand tuned to the next chapter. Soon I’ll be up to where I was last time when I was doing this novel. I was up to chapter 6 before but this time I was able to almost combine a couple chapters together. |