Sunrise Sunset

It was dark; that was the first thing she noticed, dark and lonely. She should have said “up.”

“She’s in the oubliette,” Jareth sighed. As the Goblins laughed he glared. “Quiet! She shouldn’t have gotten this far. She should have given up by now.”
“She’ll never give up.” Croaked a thin-faced goblin.
“Maybe not on the boy, but I’m about to change the rules.” Jareth rolled the crystal in his hand until it vanished. He laughed, the Goblins gaped at their king. “Well laugh.” As they laughed he shook his head and left.

Sarah was trying to walk in the darkness with her arms outstretched. She was taking small shuffling steps because twice she had tripped over the uneven floor. There was a snap and then the smell of sulphur.

A little light started to peel away the darkness. A large cobwebbed candle was lit and the room was flooded in an unnatural light for a moment then faded to the illumination of the candle.

“Who’s there?” she called squinting.
“Me,” that voice, Sarah focused on the sound of it trying to get rid of the spots flashing before her eyes. She saw Jareth hold a match to his face. He pursed his lips dramatically and blew out the tiny flame.
“What?” Sarah backed away and tripped over another raised stone. She landed with a solid thump on her backside.
Humiliation and terror combined with anger and self-righteousness and Sarah got to her feet.
“So you’ve come to gloat have you? Want to see the little girl cry and beg?” She squared her shoulders “I won’t be doing that.”

Jareth sighed, “Oh so dramatic, so brave.” He shook his head when Sarah started to use the light to look around the room.
“Look around you Sarah, you will see there is no door, no way out. Even the hole is gone.”
“Where am I?”
“An oubliette, the Labyrinth has a few.”
“Oh I see.” Sarah walked around freer now that was some candlelight. She saw that Jareth was right there was no way out; there was only the candle on the stone table and some dark alcoves hidden in shadow.
“Do you even know what an Oubliette is?” Jareth asked as he leaned against a stonewall.
“Umm..”
“I thought not.” He waved his hand. “Think of it as a dungeon. A place to put someone you don’t want to remember.”
“What!?”
“There is no way to escape Sarah, you’ve lost.”

“No! I’ve come to far I can’t loose.” She bit her bottom lip and looked to the ground. She suddenly had an idea.
“I know how I got here, but how did you get here?”
“I’m in no mood for Games Sarah, Admit I have beaten you and I will leave.
“If I’ve lost why are you here? You could just forget about me.” She stepped forward tenvelyvely gathering her courage. “No, you aren’t here to gloat. You are here to try and make me loose.” Suddenly confident she pounced verbally. “There is a way out, and I will find it. You can get in and out of here, so will I. I will rescue my brother.”
“Very well” Jareth walked backwards out of the candlelight “Try your hardest little girl.” And he disappeared from sight.

Sarah looked around herself and figured that the Goblin King had left, somehow. She picked up the candle and walked into the deeper shadows.

The oubliette was actually quite big. In one darkened alcove was a simple cot and a rough blanket. Directly across from it was a large stone fireplace. There was wood; tinder and a small flint box in a very old and dusty basket beside the fireplace.

Sarah set up a fire and lit it with her candle. The dry wood flared and the shadows receded a little further.
The Goblin King was right, there was no way out. Even the fireplace’s flue was too small for her to crawl into.

Still she tried to find loose stones in the walls or any other means of escape knowing that it was useless.

Time passed and she gave up her futile efforts and sat in front of the fire.

Soon she had to add more logs. The pile was dwindling faster than she anticipated. She wrapped herself in the blanket and stared into the coals.

“She wont’ give up.” Jareth whispered to no one as he watched her in his crystal. The goblins ran about the throne room caterwauling and torturing the chickens.

Jareth eyed the baby, “So much trouble over such a little thing.” Jareth let the crystal vanish and walked over to Toby. The goblins, which were caring for him, wiggled and crawled out of the way of their king. “Well my find fellow,” he picked Toby up. “Let us see how devoted she is.” And disappeared with the child in his arms.

The fire was now little more than coals; Sarah didn’t dare put more wood on the fire trying to conserve it. She was only really aware of the red glow and the darkness around her. Then she heard a childish giggle.

The was the sound of tiny steps and a soft padded thud.

Sarah turned around and searched the darkness. Bright eyes and a pale happy face appeared.
“Toby” Sarah squealed and grabbed her little brother. She hugged him close to her and the tears she didn’t know she was holding back started to fall. She held her little brother close to her heart as she sobbed.

“Oh Toby, I’m so sorry, you didn’t deserve this. I’ll get you home I promise.” She rocked holding the child trying to reassure herself he was real.

Heartbeats past and Toby squirmed in her arms. Sarah stifled her sobs and looked at Toby.
He was squirming and trying to burry himself into her arms. “You’re cold!” without worrying about the rest of her dwindling supply she threw more logs on the fire. As it started to burn she wrapped him in her blanket and started to rock him to sleep.

Jareth Watched this from the Shadows. As Toby drifted off Sarah dragged the cot closer to the fire and put the sleeping babe on it. Watching her tend to her brother with such devotion gave Jareth one of the answers he needed from her.

Her selfish wish to be rid of her brother was a moment of weakness; underneath that final layer of childhood cruelty was a generous and giving person. She had almost learnt what she needed to know and it was time for Jareth to give up the game and win her heart.