"Just a Wish"
by
"Just a Wish"
by
*Dreamspinner*
Chapter 1/?
'It was just a stupid wish...like anyone would ever listen to it!'
The boy thought as he paced the room furiously, kicking his mother's
precious artist pencils and sketchbook out of the way. He bent down to
survey a very realistic portrait of a faerie resting on the windowsill,
then resumed his tantrum with a huff. She wasn't there- and he knew why.
She had been sitting on the floor sketching away when he had come home
from another rotten day at school in this new town...not new to her, but
new to him. After Dad died, she seemed to want to go home, and home
meant a long trip to a forsaken, abandoned house out in the middle of
nowhere. She seemed so happy as she gazed longingly at the huge
Oaks...happier than he'd ever seen her since....no...he didn't want to
think about that night. After carefully watching her expression of sheer
joy, he thought she would try to climb one of those tall oaks- and in
her present condition, that would have been disastrous. Her eyes...he'd
never forget the look in her eyes when he said the words along with the
many other words designed to hurt...she was so sad, so resigned. He had
slapped a hasty hand over his mouth to prevent anything more, but it was
too late....she had vanished instantaneously- softly and without a word
of protest. And in her stead stood the enemy.
The man looked like a fashion reject from the late 1800's- and Alan
told him just that. The stranger had just smiled in smug satisfaction,
gazing into Alan's eyes until he could not bear the scorching heat of
the creature's gaze. 'It's your fault...your fault...all yours....' kept
swimming around in his head. Alan gritted his teeth and demanded to know
how he could get his mother back.
"It will not be easy, Alan...why don't you just forget all about
this little mishap and we shall call it even, hmmm...?" the strange man
said in his faintly lilting brogue.
"No- never! She needs me. I need her. I should not have said the
words. I didn't mean it!" Alan stonily stated.
"What's said is said. You cannot undo the past. She is mine
now."
the man said softly, but his voice carried the weight of authority and
bold magics.
"Never! She'll die there and you know it. Let her go! You're only
supposed to steal babies anyway!" Alan snarled as he circled the tall
man, looking like a kitten stalking its prey.
"I take whatever I wish, bratling. Enough of your foolishness. You
know the rules to this game- and you know what will follow. You have a
limited amount of time to solve the labyrinth...I suggest you get
going." the stranger said with disgust as he waved away Alan's reality
and replaced it with something other. Alan looked up to see the walls of
the labyrinth stretching for miles and miles- as far as the eye could
see.
"Care to give up now? I can make it worth your while." the
strange
man gloated.
"No. I must do this...for Her, for me...and for my father."
Alan
sighed.
"As you wish. But I must warn you- this one will not be so easily
found. How do you know she will want you after what you did? Think on
that, bratling. You don't deserve her." the man swirled his cape about
himself and met Alan's stare with his own piercing icy blue gaze.
"Neither do you. No one does. That's the problem." Alan
stated
grimly, which caused the man to almost smile.
"We shall see that now, won't we?" his voice slid about Alan
like
the cold reptilian sound of scales on stone as the creature shimmered
away.
************
She did not know how she had gotten here...she barely remembered
anything, and this frightened her. She found herself resting safely in a
sumptuous bedroom, the comforter carefully pulled up about her and
neatly tucked in for her maximum comfort. She looked at her pale white
hands resting atop the shimmering blues of her bedclothes- wondering
briefly where the ink stains that were upon her fingers had gone
to...this thought to be mildly replaced by gentle surges of tranquility,
and she tried desperately to remember more. 'A wish!' she thought
suddenly as she bolted upright to glance warily about the room....a wish
had gotten her here. Oh no...no...please, no....she felt the surges of
overwhelming grief and the rending pain of a soulwound as she
remembered...oh the callous strangeness in her son's eyes...ohhhh...he
had ripped her heart out and shredded it while she watched. No...no..no
more...I cannot bear it! She collapsed backwards to sob into one of the
many pillows, curling up in fetal position and burying her face in the
downy softness. Her grief was not easily abated, no matter what her
unseen attendants did- she ignored the glass of mead which had
mysteriously appeared upon her night stand, ignored the fluffy teddy
bear which had poofed into existence to land regally upon the bed beside
her....she clung to the pillow weeping as if her heart was broken...and
those who watched were certain it had.
Jareth watched the frail woman sob herself into an uneasy slumber,
then shimmered into the room to look over his newest guest. He paused to
move a silky tendril of her hair from her face, marveling at its
brightness and colour. He pulled off his gloves to run his fingers along
her smooth cheek and jaw line, sensing everything he would need to know
in that deceptively simple touch.
He sighed, "A true innocent...what a waste on such a barren world.
You never understood humanities' dishonor...and you were betrayed by
your own son. Such a pity..." he said with undertones of regret, bending
down to kiss her soft lips before leaving...but she sighed contentedly,
and he found her arms had wrapped themselves about his shoulders,
holding onto whatever dreaming she was apart of now. Jareth smiled sadly
and sat down. Not missing the opportunity, she snuggled in, safe and
content in his arms for the moment. He briefly wondered what her
reaction to him would be upon awakening...secretly hoping fear would not
be among the emotions she would certainly display. He gently wiped the
tears from her face with a soft silken handkerchief, also smoothing back
wayward strands of her bright hair from her face. Her eyelids flickered,
and she opened them to find herself in the arms of a...what was he? He
had to be Fae...the stories her Gran had told her about the Underground
rang too true now. She was spellbound, like a deer caught in the
headlights of an oncoming car. He tried to ease her mind by smiling
gently and placing the handkerchief into her hands. She slowly sat up on
her own to regard him intently, and it was he who found himself unable
to meet her twilight eyes.
"So. I am here...it was not a dream, and yet again I am
unwanted."
she said so softly, his hands were now upon her shoulders- and he
reflexively tightened his grip in answer.
"Unwanted? Childling...if you only knew...do not ever say that
again. I will not tolerate such ridiculousness." he said sternly, but
smoothed the harsh words with a smile. He watched her jaw clench as she
tried to fight the pain, but the pain won out and she pulled away from
him to bury her face into a nearby pillow. Right now, he was at a loss
for what to do and sat by helplessly as she wept. He attempted to
console her by stroking her lovely tresses, humming a long-forgotten
tune in the ancient way of the Bard. Slowly, she relaxed, seeking solace
in the melody...solace which she found. He whispered a sleeping spell
upon the breeze which wrapped itself about her, and soon she was asleep.
He stood and watched her peaceful breathing for a moment, then left the
room to tend to the business at hand.
****************
Alan had already made it farther than the Goblin King expected- and
he cursed himself for not keeping a better watch on the boy. The child
was gifted at least- and this sort of thing seemed to come too easily
for him. Jareth had the nagging suspicion that a Faerie Godmother was
somehow involved- for no matter how complex the area the boy was in, he
unerringly found his way out. How infuriating. This called for special
measures. With a mental command, he sent for two separate parchments,
and upon each, quickly penned rules for a contest- with the Lady as the
prize, knowing full well that the King of the Faeries was indeed seeking a
bride, as was the Elven King...and a lovely woman which had already born
a son was worth more than the three kingdoms tied together...so rare was
the simple act of birth here. He sealed the parchment scrolls with
sealing wax stamped with his royal signet, then mentally sent them
onward to their destinations. Now the web he had woven would get a
little more tangled...and he was certain he would enjoy anything that
came of it. He smiled knowingly, hands clasped behind his back as he
paced down the corridor to await the anticipated responses.
on to Chapter 2