The Next Sarah - Chapter 2 - Jareth x OC

The next day went the same, fry duty, nursery pickup. Oliver was playing with his toys in the next room, she could hear him from the sofa, making car noises and using the worn carpet as a racetrack. She looked between the two books in front of her, Harry Potter, or The Hobbit, which should she read next. She felt drawn back to the small red book on the side, Labyrinth. She was tempted to read it again, pull another all-nighter.

She reached for the small book, but before she had the chance, Oliver came running through, knocking the small book off the side as well as a few loose pieces of paper. 'Oliver be careful!' She said it more harshly than she had meant to, gaining the small boy to pull a pout and go back into the other room, resuming his game of cars. She was tired, she hadn't meant to snap at him.

She gathered up the paper, picking up the book that had landed open on a particular page. The page started with Sarah, in with Toby, the crying baby and the incantation to summon the Goblin King. She could hear Oliver in the next room with his cars, banging them into the wooden floor over and over again.

'Oliver! You'll damage the floor!' Helena walked over to the small boy who looked defiantly at her. She sat cross legged on the floor beside him as he continued to play. 'Oliver… darling why don't we start getting ready for bed soon.' She spoke sweetly to him, stroking the blonde hair growing on his head as he turned his back on her.

'I don't wanna go to bed yet, I'm playing!' He was defiant with her all the time. Something they say would happen, a way of grieving for his parents. Their parents.

'Why don't I go and run your bath for you first, you can finish playing with your toys as I do that.' Another attempt at being sweet with him.

'No! You're not mummy you can't make me!' He threw one of his toys, hitting her square in the forehead.

Helena stood angrily; she was losing patience with him again. She bit her tongue, reminding herself of his age and then heading out to the bathroom to prepare it.

'He's just a child Helena, just remind yourself, he's just a child.' She spoke to herself as she let the water fill in the bath. 'If only life really was a fantasy…'

Helena looked to her side, listening to the sounds of Oliver playing with his toys as she thought back to the book downstairs. She laughed at herself for even considering it.

'One little sentence and my life could go back to normal…' she laughed at the concept of it.

'Goblin King, Goblin King… Wherever you may be…' She smiled in amusement, almost singing the sentence. 'I wish you would take this child of mine far away from me…' She laughed again.

The bath was full, she turned off the taps and turned to convince Oliver to come upstairs, but she couldn't hear him.

'Oliver! Your bath is ready, come upstairs!' Silence once again.

'Oliver, I mean it!' Helena descended the staircase into the living room, 'I won't ask you again!'

The room was empty, the toy cars scattered where he had left them. There was a flash of lightning outside and all the windows in her living room flew open all at once. Helena cried out, ducking down and pulling her dark hair around her face. The sound of wings flapping around her head brought her attention as she looked up.

In front of her, stood, who she could only imagine from the description in her book. The Goblin King.