The man known as jareth

The night begins

The night was cold and the room was dark. I woke up to the sound of voices downstairs. When did I fall asleep? I got up from the covers and headed my way to the living room. "Hello? Who's there?" a deep voice responded "it's me dave" i scoffed "why are you here? Where mom ''Dave was a man I hated with my whole being. He was the man my mom cheated on my dad with. I hated my mom equally as much. She was the reason dad was dead. "I'm over here baby" she called from the kitchen. "I told you not to call me that" "i'm your mother im allowed to call you whatever i want" i held my tongue, i didn't want to fight tonight. I moved the conversation along "why are you here? I thought you were going to be spending the week at daves" i was ignoring him now. Scum didn't deserve my attention or any attention at all. "Well baby" she said "me and dave need to talk to you" i was defensive, see anytime any parent (good or bad) says we need to talk, it's almost never good.

"Dave is moving in with us," she said, smiling sweetly. "WHAT!" I screamed at her, my eyes moving between the two of them. Dave held her in his arms and their eyes seemed to bore into me. "You can't be serious. I didn't know anything about this! YOU didn't tell me anything about this!" daves voice once sounded human and now sounded like Satan himself said "we didn't want to give you anxiety, we know you strug-'' I cut him off''. Do you expect me to believe such a bullshit excuse?!? You don't have any say in this! You arent even my family hell you cant even take care of your own fucking kid!" "enough out of you Mari '' my mom's voice was stern "you think i'm wrong?! What's this basterds kid doing upstairs then? Who was the one who fed her? Bathed her? Put her to sleep?! You know what fuck you!" "Mari upstairs, don't you dare speak like that. You are a lady" my mother raised her voice at me. Once upon a time, I'd be scared to yell back and to say anything. That was before dad. "Fuck you both! You can't pretend to play family whenever you betray the only one you had. Go screw on a bed of nails you fucking whore!" I ran upstairs and slammed my door.

I heard my mom crying but there was no sympathy in my body for her. She and Dave would leave for weeks, leaving me to take care of his kid and she was the victim? She's the one who's crying? I had to drop out of school just so she and him could screw around. The rage in me felt as though it had no end. I screamed into my pillow every profanity and every vile thing that came to my mind. I didnt stop and I just let it all out. Tears soaked my face and I knew whatever makeup I had on was gone now. I looked at a pink teddy bear that contrasted the black of my sheets. "I'm sorry," I whispered. Its beady eyes dead and lifeless gave me a warm feeling. My mother had taught me that even those you love can betray you at any second, but not my candy. I picked up the bear and just stared at it. "Oh candy" I asked her, "Why is this unfair?" It gave no response.

My mothers crying had ceased. I listened carefully to try and pick up their conversation. "We are going out. Well be back in an hour ''Dave's voice was loud and curt. "Go and never come back" I mumbled. The door slammed shut and then there was quiet. It was unsettling and honestly I think I'd prefer the yelling and crying over it. The silence was suffocating and I was in the middle of it drowning. A loud call disrupted it all and cathay hollered as though the world was ending. I got up from my bed and went to the nursery. In hindsight I should have seen this coming. My mom already made a half-assed nursery for her. Of course she'd only do that if they were moving in. i believed all her lies, that she did it so that cathay would be more comfortable while i babysat. The pale pink door screeched as it opened. "What now?" I moaned as I went over and picked her up. I bounced her in my arms singing some silly nursery rhyme. "God, I wish I could just be free. I wish I could escape and run away somewhere far, far away, ''I sighed. I placed Cathay down in her crib and pulled up the rocking chair next to her. "Wanna hear story" it wasn't a question it was more of me speaking to myself. "Papa used to tell this to me when I was young" I smiled thinking of his old face dusted with age.

"In a land somewhere far away their lives the goblin king." i put emphasis on 'goblin king' to try to make it scary. "He is a handsome man who gets his power from dreams. Oh but he is not a good man nonono he drinks the blood of babies to stay young forever, and his goblins? All of them used to be babies. Their youth only makes him stronger. They were offered to him by countless people to try and appease him. It's said that even to this day... if you say the right words. The goblin king will come and take your baby away."

Cathay looked at me. Her eyes wide open. It was almost like she understood the whole story and was listening to every word. "It must be lonely, don't you think?'' I looked out the window. There was a white owl perched on the tree outside. It was beautiful. "Being all alone. In the storys it's always just him. I'm sure the goblins are no good company. He doesn't have anyone but i mean neither do i so how i can i judge." cathay made a sound almost saying 'but what about me', "well cathay i hate to break it to you, but you arent exactly the best company" her dumb eyes changed their focus to a small blanket with a bunny head in the middle. "If i could, id say the words. Just to see him and to see the look on my mothers and dave's face when their baby is gone."

" "Goblin king, goblin king" a smooth deep voice echoed in my head. "wherever you may be. Come and Take this baby away from me" say those words mari and i'll take her '' the voice filled my mind and took over every crevice. It sounded beautiful and lovely. Like a violin played by the world's best. I was hypnotized. Without thinking i looked at cathay

"Goblin King... Goblin King. wherever you may be. Come and take this baby ''I didn't recognize myself. My words were put together and sounded sure. My tone was neither light nor heavy; it was monotone. Lifeless. I breathed out "away from me