The man known as jareth

Warmth

I... I need to get out of here... please?'' I didn't know how to handle this situation. My mind was overwhelmed by these strange creatures. They held my focus but I kept bouncing from one rat to another. They were so unusual I didn't even know how to go about this. "Stay with us" they whispered. "Yes play with us" they started hopping from one coil to the other, the momentum making the coils rotate. Their bodys were a blur of red as they bounced up and down and hopped. I was thinking about just running through but their fire would surely burn me. "You'll have fun here" "we can make you one of us" "we only want to help" "you look delicious" "her skin is ripe" they spoke to one another and to me.

All that went through my mind is this is fucking creepy. There was no way out. The rats were circling me plus beyond the coils there only seemed to be more. I fell on my knees and my head fell into my hands. Think Mari. I remembered the man who's been on my mind since I came here. The goblin king. I made that deal with him! The rats stopped hopping from the coils and started coming down to me. I couldn't think about it anymore so I had to call him. That was my only chance.  "GOBLIN KING GOBLIN KING WHEREVER YOU MAY BE, COME TO ME" i screamed. I didn't know if those were the right words but that was my best bet. The coils bounced once more then stopped. I looked around and they were all gone. I assume they went up into the ceiling. All that was left was a vast open room with no walls. I looked up and there he was in all his glory, the goblin king.

"Well well mari" he teased. He looked down on me and smirked "it seems you've already invoked our deal. '' I felt no anger towards his words, instead relief flooded my body. I laid down on the floor, the coolness of it touching my bare arms. "Ha... hahaha" I started laughing. I'm alive! I put my hand on my forehead and just layed there soaking in the air and everything around me. I knew the goblin king was watching but at this moment I couldn't care less. I lazily turned my head to look at him "what's your name" i smiled at him. I could tell he was slightly confused but he didn't let the emotion show on his face for anymore than half a second. He was good at hiding himself. "You don't know?" no i shook my head "my name is jareth" i repeated his name "jareth the goblin king" i whispered the words. They felt forigien on my tongue but strangely comforting.

"Do you intend to lie down on the floor for the rest of your time." he reminded me. I tried to get up but I lost my balance and fell back down. "You are an insolent woman" he spoke as he reached out his hand. I grabbed it and pulled myself up. "You sound like a kid who's being mean to his crush," I retorted. I looked at him, he was slightly taller than me, maybe 2 or 3 inches. "And you mari sound like a girl who's running out of time" i hated how he kept his cool, no matter what jareth always seemed level headed. I wanted to do something to break that.

"Jareth" I spoke in an overly sweet voice. Similar to the tone a child uses to their mother when they want something. 'Can you show me the way out? ''I repeatedly batted my eyelashes and looked up at him. He crossed his arms and leaned forward so that our faces were close. "Now why should I do that?" I froze at the short distance between our faces. i felt his warm breath on my skin that sent shivvers down my spine. "Because it would help me out? And this place is scary?" I squeaked out and tried to smile. He chuckled. He wasn't so intimidating whenever he laughed. A sincere laugh not a scary one. after a moment he looked back at me, our eyes locking "There are no favors in the labyrinth mari. What will you give me in return"

I couldn't come up with anything but i knew i had to think quickly in order to get out of here. If i stayed here and jareth was gone, there was no doubt the rats would come back and worst case scenario, eat me alive. "Can i do something for you in the future? Like favor or a request"  i stood with uncertainty, fidgeting with the hem of m shirt. after a few moments of thinking, he seemed satisfied with that answer. I knew it gave him an advantage that would inevitably hurt me in the future but at this point in time i had no other option. "Very well" he spoke "follow me and dont stray further than 3 feet" he turned on his heels and walked faster than what I could keep up with. i ran behind him, following him like how a little dog would follow their owner. I heard the rats moving again. Their pitter patters kept up with our pace. their whispers filling the air around us, making it hard to concentrate on anything else. They were constantly in the back of the cave hidden within the walls and in the back of my mind,  making everything harder than what it should be.

I ran closer to jareth, my body colliding with his  "im sorry" i said and took a step back. He looked at me expectantly. Like he was waiting for me to say something.  ¨i cant keep my eyes open. I hear them. It's like they're everywhere. " I gushed out. I looked up at him for some sort of reaction, of which he gave none. ¨is there another way?¨ I asked him.¨there has to be. i'll take anything else.¨ amusement danced through his eyes. ¨could it be that you're scared?¨ i didn't answer him and instead looked away. ¨There is another way. However you already know that way out¨ ¨NO!¨ I screamed. There was a silence thicker than air following that ¨i mean i don't want to quit...not yet...  I just wanted to get out of the cave in a different way. I'm not  leaving.¨" as i said that, a bunch of tiny squeaks seemed to laugh at me. Hundreds if not thousands little voices came from the shadows in the masses.

I felt myself cower at the sounds. I heard a sigh then jareth mumbled something. ¨close your eyes.¨ was all he said to me. I did so obediently without a moment's haste. A large warm hand embraced my own. He grabbed my left hand gently but firm, as though it was something delicate. He began walking again and I was forced to follow. The unusual feeling of a hand in mine shocked me. This wasn't a baby nor was it my mother. It was someone new which in turn brought about new feelings. Heat rushed to my cheeks as my mind spun with millions of foiegn thoughts. I no longer could focus on the mice instead Jareth's hand stood bright and center in my mind. Ironically the man who has put me through tourture and killed babies for the fun of it was comforting me in ways no one ever had. 

¨thank you¨ i whispered

I couldn't see his reaction which both frightened me and gave me a sense of relief. All I knew was at that moment his hand squeezed mine a bit tighter and we stayed like that until we got out.