I jumped.
And them I was falling, falling, and the stairs and walls and arches were coming apart around me.
Then my feet landed on something solid. I looked around, and noticed a dark shadow in one of the arches that was still attached, and not floating around me.
It was the goblin king. He stepped out of the shadows and I saw that he was wearing paler clothes, with a long feathered cloak over his shoulders. "Give me the child."
He spoke, and his voice somehow had a slight echo, "Sarah, beware. I have been generous up till now, but I can be cruel."
I could hardly believe my ears, "Generous? What have you done that's generous?"
"Everything! Everything that you wanted I have done." He was circling me, and I turned, keeping up with his movements, "You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time." He gestured to a clock I hadn't noticed before, on which the hands were spinning wildly, "I have turned the world upside down and I have done it all for you!" He stopped and stood directly in front of me. "I'm exhausted from living up to your expectations of me." He sounded almost human when he said that. "Isn't that generous?"
I stared at him, taking care to let my eyes show only one of the many emotions I was feeling: defiance. "Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City." I walked forward, he started backing away. "For my will is as strong as yours, and my…"
He interrupted me, holding out a hand, "Stop! Wait. Look, Sarah. Look at what I'm offering you. Your dreams." As he said this, a crystal ball appeared in his outstretched hand. It reminded me of the bubble I got stuck in. The one where I danced with the mysterious stranger which I now knew was the goblin king.
I looked around, a little disorientated by all the masked figures swirling around me.
Then I saw someone up ahead. He stood out because he was standing perfectly still. His mask was small, with long horns, and he held it to his face on a long stick. I took a step closer, and he lowered it, revealing a vaguely familiar face that I couldn't place. His dark blue outfit and blue-streaked hair looked good on him, and I stared into his eyes, mesmerised.
Just then, a couple glided between us, and he disappeared, as if the couple's bushy hairstyles had simply wiped him from the background.
I wandered around, looking for the mysteriously intriguing man, getting more and more frustrated and nervous.
Then, I turned… and there he was, standing with a woman close to him on either side. I stood completely still, mesmerised yet again, until he moved from between the women, towards me.
Next thing I knew, we were dancing, twirling along with the other dancers. At first it was lovely, dancing with him, but then I realised the dancers were getting closer and closer, until they formed a ring around us. They were laughing. Every one of them was laughing.. laughing at me. I couldn't take it any more. I pulled from his arms, and fought my way through the laughing ring of people…
I quickly snapped out of it and carried on, "And my kingdom is great."
"I ask for so little." He sounded almost pleading now. "Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want."
"Kingdom is great…damn! I can never remember that line."
"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." Yes, definitely begging a little.
I looked down, trying to remember the next line, then gave up and decided to say what was really going on in my mind. "I.. can't."
"You.. can't?"
I shook my head, not meeting his eyes. "I'm.. scared," I whispered.
"Like I said, fear me.."
I interrupted him. I had to say it now, or I'd loose my nerve completely, "I'm scared to… to love you." A look of confusion flitted across his face, and was gone. He went to speak, but I cut across him again. "It's not that I don't want to love you - I do, at least I think I do - but I just… oh, I don't know!" I dropped down onto a step and buried my face in my hands.
A rustle as he crouched in front of me, then his voice, which still lacked the one emotion I wanted to hear, softly saying, "Sarah, I…"
I realised suddenly that I didn't know his name, if indeed he had one. "Wait. What's your -- do you have a name?" I asked, meeting his eyes for what felt like the first time in ages.
"Yes. It's Jareth." His expression was a mix of emotions, but I could see hope, longing, even caring. His eyes seemed even more mesmerising than usual, and in them I could see an emotion that I had so wanted to hear in his voice - Love. I decided that there must be more to him than the careless, cruel goblin king exterior.
"Jareth, I.." My voice faltered slightly, and I stood, standing as tall as I could. He rose slowly, and looked at me expectantly. I coughed, and spoke, keeping my voice strong. "Jareth, I accept your offer with all of my heart!"
The look of hope and longing vanished from his face, replaced with a joy that blasted that careless, cruel goblin king exterior into smithereens.
Then suddenly, the chill I had felt since the confusing room fell apart was gone, and I found myself in a warm embrace, long blonde hair tickling my face. I wrapped my arms around him underneath the cloak, and laid my head on his shoulder.
I don't know how long I stood there, practically melting in his embrace, until his voice was next to my ear, his breath fluttering against the lobe. "Sarah, I promise you, I will not let you down." He pulled away, and, with his hands on my shoulders, looked deep into my eyes. It felt like he was looking into my very soul. "Sarah, my love, will you fear me," I nodded, "Love me," I nodded, "Do as I say?" Another nod. He let go of me, and took a step back.
"Then I am your slave." He stated with complete sincerity. Then he bowed to me, deeply and formally.
He rose from his bow, and stepped forward, swiftly pulling Sarah into a breathtaking kiss.
And in that kiss, he realised something. Sarah had filled the part of him that was always horribly empty, the part he had brushed aside for years, trying to forget about.
He felt… complete.