Trust Me

V

The sound of a bell chiming pulled you back into reality.

Your eyes snapped open and you pulled yourself away from Jareth. He slowly opened his eyes, his smirk still very present, a smugness about him. You tenderly brushed your fingers against your lips, feeling a tingle and a spark, and it left you wondering what the consequences of kissing The Goblin King would be.

You glanced around the room and spotted a clock. It ticked away, as if the moments before didn't matter. You blinked, now noticing a sand timer sitting in the window.

You gulped nervously. "What's that for?" And why is it nearly empty?

Jareth joined your side, his arm sliding around your waist, pulling you close into him. You didn't dare to struggle against him, but you did tense and become rigid at the action. He didn't seem to notice, and if he did he simply ignored it.

"It's for the runner in the Labyrinth," Jareth explained coolly, now pointing to the land behind the Goblin City. You could just about see it through the mist, and from what you could tell, it was large.

That must be the way out. Through the Labyrinth. It looked as though you'd have to navigate through the Goblin City first, but you figured it would be straightforward as long as you refrained from making any unnecessary detours. Then, you'd reach the Labyrinth itself and search for the way out—and finally you could return home.

But someone was already in the Labyrinth. And their timer was running out. What would happen if the timer ran out?

You looked to Jareth for answers. "Who is it?"

Jareth smirked down at you, but he refused to elaborate. You felt a chill run up your spine. Whoever it was, you prayed they'd finish Jareth's vile games before they ran out of time.

"What happens when it does run out?" You asked, "do they lose the game?"

"They become additions to my Kingdom. They become Goblins."

Who would be brave enough to challenge The Goblin King like this? In fact, why would they want to challenge The Goblin King in the first place? The mere thought of living forever as one of these Goblins, it made you shiver in fear. Living under Jareth's cruel rule for all eternity; that wasn't a fate that you desired to seek or challenge.

"How does someone become a runner in your Labyrinth? Are they wanting to leave your Kingdom?"

Jareth tilted his head back and sighed loudly. You blinked at his obvious annoyance, and flinched as he then directed his gaze back to you. It was clear he was trying not to show his irritation by your many questions. But you were curious about the area of his world that you might need to venture through in order to escape.

Jareth slipped his hands around yours, now holding them to his chest. You tilted your head in curiosity at what he was about to say. "This person made a wish, and they wanted to change it," he vaguely explained, and you felt indifferent to the way he deliberately missed out details. "I gave them 13 hours to complete my Labyrinth or face the consequences of becoming a Goblin."

Only 13 hours? Seeing the size of the city and Labyrinth made you feel as though 13 hours wouldn't be enough. Plus, even if it was, you knew Jareth wouldn't play fairly and would create obstacles for the runner to face, which would ultimately slow them down. It didn't seem right, but you knew Jareth must have done this deliberately with full knowledge that his rules weren't fair.

But this then encouraged the question of how many people made wishes with The Goblin King. You had never heard of him until Sarah recited that line from her book, and until you were whisked away you only believed that he was fictional. It made you wonder how many people had attempted the Labyrinth in hopes to reverse their wish, how many people regretted ever making a wish to The Goblin King.