The Labyrinth Sequel

Chapter 18

"Oh, that's a shame, I would have loved to get to know her and your father better." 

"Believe me, you don't want to know them better. They are really boring, nothing like the people you are used to."

"I don't know many people," He informs me, "Most of those I spend my time with are useless Goblins. Even boring humans are more interesting than those annoying creatures."

"Oh," I look away for a moment, "I guess I forgot about that..."

He steps past me to open the door, putting a warm hand on my shoulder. "Let's not talk about this right now. I will meet you outside in a few moments."

In an instant he is gone, leaving me to myself again. I rush down the stairs, sneaking past the kitchen so that Karen doesn't see me. If I am lucky she won't try to bother me in my room and won't notice I am missing until I sneak back into the house.

Outside I see Jareth waiting for me a little bit more down the road. I hurry over to him, trying not to look like I am rushing to his side.

"I thought I might wait out of the view of your stepmother," He explains when I reach him, "I think you will find that I stand out quite a bit among mortals."

"Believe me, I have noticed." 

He smiles, offering me his arm to take. I take it hesitantly, unsure what to expect from my first date. I don't want Jareth to know that this is my first date, but I am so inexperienced that I am sure he has been able to figure it out by now.

"So what is it that we can do in the human world to entertain ourselves on such a fine day?" He asks as we near the middle of town.

"To be honest there really isn't much to do around here. Before I left for school I didn't leave the house often to go to any of the events going on in town unless there was a play so I don't know when they do fun things around here." I say sadly.

Suddenly he steers us off the side walk and heads towards the other side of town.

"Where are we going?" I ask, wondering how he knows any part in town that I don't.

"Perhaps you forget that there was a time that I was an owl and that I spend much of my time in this world. I know just the place for the two of us to spend our after noon." He smiles.

He walks me through the long grass and over a small bridge. It takes me only a moment to figure out where he is taking me.

"I haven't been here is so many years," I breath as I look around the small park, "Not since before everything happened..."

"You used to spend so much time here, reading your little plays. If it were not for your wild imagination I never could have come to find you, my dear. Although," he scowls for a moment, "There are some parts of those plays I wish you would have forgotten."

The play I loved so much as a girl comes floating back to me, reminding me just how much I have hurt him. Too bad I am beyond feeling pity for the man who kidnapped my brother and tortured me. Sure, I will try this date with him, but I will not apologize for hurting him.

There is a small gazebo that the town installed a few years ago that he leads me towards. There are two seat around a table that make for a perfect afternoon sitting together. Although, that might have been meant for couples who weren't so... odd...

"What exactly do you expect to accomplish by having us sit here for the rest of the day," I ask, "I will need to get home before Karen notices that I am missing, which she already might. I don't want to get into any more trouble with her."