Betty, Sarah's room mate, had startled her out of her intense day-dreaming on many occasions. Sarah would be ripped out of her fantasies so severely that she would scream or jump and fall out of her chair or off her bed. It was an on-going joke amungst Betty and her friends, for there was no way to avoid it. Even knocking on the door to alert Sarah would startle her.
"You're such a basket-case," Betty had teased on numerous evenings. Sarah was unable to deny it, and always sighed and nodded in agreement.
"Do you suppose there is help for me?" Sarah would say in all exasperation. Betty would grin, squint her eyes playfully and wrinkle her nose, and say, "But of course. All you need, dear, is a good man to occupy your thoughts. A real one who can actually act out these little fantasies of yours."
Sarah would only nod, but knew that the sort of man she would need to fulfill her definition would not be found at college. Or even on earth, she thought bitterly.
Because she stayed up so late in order to diligently and punctually complete her studies, she lost much sleep. Sarah was a girl that lusted for the night when she could dream, unhindered. Her dreams were vivid and exciting, the only true escape she ever had. And because her dreams were so engaging, she would reach over in a drunken state of slumber and beat her alarm until it ceased its demanding chortling of beeps. Sara would then fall back into dreamland and resume where she had left off when she had been so rudely interrupted.
Now, Sarah rushed around her little dorm room, clumsily tripping over piles of hers and Betty's clothing and shoes and books and the sort, rushing to ready herself on time to reach her first class of the day: advanced philosophy.
Five years had passed since her excursions in the Labyrinth. She was now twenty, and well into her college years. Her experiences in the Labyrinth were now mere memories that played out over and over again in her mind's eye. She molded them and shaped them into her perfect story, so much so that she began to doubt if the Labyrinth ever happened. If her imagination was so vivid and compelling at her grown state of mind, what would it have been at fifteen, when she was naive and rage-suppressed? Still, she never hesitated to tell her little brother the tale of the Labyrinth, and of Jareth.
After the endless hour of Advanced Philosophy ended, Sarah found her way to the on-campus park. There were trees and many different wood-chipped trails to travel upon. A river ran along the edge of the campus, and Sarah fancied a trail that led to a hill overlooking the sparkling river. She would sit upon that hill and gaze at the river for hours, or read to herself on a warm and sunny day. Today was one of those days, but Sarah had no book. Ah, well, she thought, that never stopped me before. She climbed the small hills and walked the twisting trails until she found her secluded spot, and plopped down comfortably on the lush grass.
Still feeling the effects of her dream from the previous night, she laid down on her back with her hands behind her head and closed her eyes to the warmth of the sunshine, resuming her nightly fantasy of a dashing young dark-haired man with no face. Sarah dreampt of him many nights, this man with no face. He would not speak, but he was ever alluring, and Sarah knew him inside and out. And why not? He was in side of her head, invading her dreams. She sighed and an indulging smile quirked on her lips.
:::~~~~~:::
An indulging smile quirked upon the lips of Jareth, as well. He gazed upon the face of Sarah through one of his crystal balls, a favorite past time. If Sarah over-indulged in daydreaming, Jareth over-indulged in spying. He did not consider it spying, though. He was checking in on his most potent adversary; the little girl who had bested him and lost him a new goblin.
Jareth was, after all, the Goblin King.
He knew that he could never forgive this brass girl for stealing away his treasure and for humiliating him with his defeat, but he held no sour emotions toward her; merely a curiosity that a young mortal girl could best him at his own game. What sort of mind had this creature?
The Goblin King had had a new obsession ever since that day. He had lusted for the prize of Sarah, such a strong will had she! He had wanted to keep her, to learn from her and to no longer be alone amongst the imbecilic goblins he reigned over. In bittersweet spectation, Jareth had witnessed Sarah mature into the young woman that he saw in his crystal ball. She had never disappointed him; he had always been amused. He could not know what she thought when she was awake, but her facial features were more than enough map for him to be guided through her thoughts. Her dreams, however, were another story.
Jareth had always been alone. His mother and father had been hierarchies that would not bother with the life of their maturing son, and as soon as he was old enough, they had pushed him out of the nest to make it on his own. His inheritance of the Goblin Kingdom was solemn, Jareth had never really aspired to rule over anything. But the first taste of the magick had left him hooked, and he had never discarded his kingship because of it. Sure, the years were long, but he made himself a hobby out of the mortal world and from time to time had a little fun. Nonetheless, the fun began to grow dull and repetative, and Jareth became bitter out of boredome. He had not always been a seething, negative entity. In his youth, he had been playful and energetic, a purely loveable soul that was ruined because of his solitude.
And then came along Sarah, the only one to arouse his interest and keep it, despite the fact that she was better at his game than he. Jareth had wanted her from the first time he saw the look of determination upon her face. This would be the kind of person that would keep his life entertained, instead of the droning monotony of endless ritual that was his life.
The Goblin King smiled and looked on into his crystal. Ah, Sarah...if only you would remember me and wish to be here once more... He had decided long ago, that if Sarah were ever to return, he would do anything in his power to make her want to stay. He had tried to coax her before with his petty bribery, but now he knew that she would need to know things better. She would want her dreams fulfilled.
So then, why not send her dreams that you can fulfill?