This story popped into my head today, as I was walking to stage crew. It's 
sort of an Alternate-Labyrinth story, where Sarah and Jareth exist, but not
really in the form we are accustom to. This idea has probably been done to 
death, but I wanted to remove the fairy-tail glow from the story, and 
dredge out some of the darker aspects of our souls into the harsh light of 
day. So here we go. It's not explicit, but it does have a little suggestive 
stuff near the end. I don't think it will offend. The title was taken from 
the name of a short story I read awhile ago, but I can't remember the 
author's name. If anyone knows, I'd love to give credit where it's due. 
I've no plans for a sequel at this time, but if someone wants to write one, 
feel free to contact me. Note: This is the first edition of this story. 
The revised addition is forthcoming.

Demon Lover

She trudged along the dusty ground, the wind whipping her hair. "Go away!" 
She whispered harshly to the wind. The too hot sun beat down on her without 
reply. This suffering was her own creation, she knew. It had all began a 
few months ago, and something deep within her recognized the days strange 
events as a warning that the end result was near. 
     She had always been intrigued by fairy-tales, most probably because 
her own life was such a horror. Her mother abandoned her when she was small;
she grew up with only her father, and the shadow of her mother's fame. So 
the stories became her means of escape. While most little girls revered 
the heroines though, she had always despised them, with their princes that 
always ran to their rescue. Where was *her* knight in shining armor, she 
wanted to know. As she had grown, her tastes had changed slightly, sliding 
more and more into darker magic and the occult. She grew accustom to 
holding strange rites in the dark sanctity of her room, mostly out of 
curiosity as to what would happen. She was skeptical of all of it, and 
unsurprisingly, nothing ever came of her dabbling. There was another part 
of her, though she did not want to admit it, that was longing for it to 
really work, for one of her spells to conger up some black sprite from the 
pits of hell, just so she'd have someone to talk to. Which is why, she 
supposed, she spent so much time searching in musty bookstores and dimly 
lit libraries for long forgotten texts. One evening, in a particularly 
out-of-the-way shop on the edge of town, she had found a small book, bound 
in red leather, richly embossed. She began reading and was instantly 
fascinated. Here was a nether-realm demon worthy of her attentions.

"This daemon, the Goblin King, Lord of the Labyrinth, is fond of young 
maidens, who call on him to take away unwanted babes. He is said to make a 
challenge to the girl, and may keep both her and the child if she fails. 
He can be summoned simply by calling upon him..."

The book was titled "Daemons and Spirets of the Underground. She bought the 
book and retreated to her loft. The apartments in the collage town were far 
out of her price range, but she had found an attic loft for rent cheaply. 
It was small, but close to the collage, and she was left alone. She had 
spent the whole night reading the book. The character of the Goblin King 
completely  captivated her. Even still, it took her fully two nights to 
work up the courage to call him. She lit every candle she owned, and sat in 
the middle of her room. She took a deep breath.

"Jareth, Goblin King, Come to one who calls for you; Come to one who needs 
you; Come to me."

No sooner had the words been spoken, than the wind set up howling outside. 
She could hear branches lashing against the windows, and lightning flashed 
through the curtains. A roar of thunder ripped through the air, causing her 
to jump. "What have I done? What have a done?" She was starting to panic. 
Shadows were dancing around her room in fiendish ways; the wind seemed to 
have penetrated the very room, making the candles flicker, and then, all at 
once, go out. At the same time, the whole room was plunged into unearthly 
silence. A breath of warm air tickled the back of her neck, sending a 
shiver down her spine.

"You don't know how long I've waited, Sarah. I haven't been called in such 
a long time." A melodic voice whispered in her ear.

"Wh-who are you?" She stammered.

"Oh, I think you know. You called me, after all."

"But I didn't think you were real!" She cried. He laughed, a cold, hollow 
sound. "Let me see you."

"I can't. Not yet. I'm not strong enough. Soon though....soon." His voice 
died away in a sweet whisper.
	He had grown stronger in the following weeks. She had awoken one 
night to see him, leaning against the door frame. He had pallid skin, and 
an angular face. His white-blond hair was cut in a strange spiky fashion, 
with longer strands cascading around his face. He was dressed in black 
boots that came to his knees, black pants, and a red velvet doublet. Over 
this, he wore a kind of breastplate, with a strange symbol set into it. 
She got out of bed and walked to him. She looked into his eyes, one blue 
one hazel. She raised her hand to touch his cheek, but her hand passed 
right through him.
"Soon. Soon I'll be as real as you are, Dear Sarah. You called me back when 
I was almost forgotten. Much longer, and I would have been trapped in the 
Underground forever." She never tired of hearing his voice. She could 
always hear him, even when she was at school. There would be a puff of air, 
and her whispered name. It always made her tingle. Soon, she could think of 
nothing but him. She realized he was beginning to control her life. "Come 
with me, Sarah. I can show you your dreams." A crystal ball he had conjured 
out of thin air rested in the palm of his hand. He held it level with her 
eyes. "Leave this place. What happiness is there for you here?"

"NO!" she shouted, shaking her head. Her sable hair flew out around her. 
"Your trying to control me. Leave me alone!" He gave her a cold look.

"Sarah, don't defy me." With that warning, he vanished into the night. 
He hadn't returned for quite a few nights, and for a little while, she 
thought he had actually left. That, or he had been a figment of her mind. 
Then, one night, she saw him in a dream. They were standing on a windswept 
hill, beneath a rusty sky. Spread out before them was the Labyrinth, ever 
winding in upon itself, changing even as she watched. "This could all be 
yours, Sarah. Just love me,  do as I say, and I will be your slave."

"I don't want you!" She almost screamed.

"Foolish girl." He snarled. "You *will* be mine. This I vow." She awoke in 
a cold sweat. She had been living in fear of him for weeks now, dreading 
the moments when she could feel invisible kisses trail down her neck, feel 
is intangible fingers caress her skin. She raised her head, and peered at 
the dry landscape. The wind blew hard, making it difficult to even walk. 
Crows flew in front of her, and cawed at her passing. How could he have 
grown so strong? The dusty air parched her lips and throat. Too hot for 
late September. She hurried towards home. "Damn you, Jareth!" She screamed 
to the air. As if in reply, some unseen wind-blown object cut across the 
inside of her arm. She stared in mute horror as blood welled out of the 
laceration, inches from her wrist. She stifled a low groan as the sun sank 
below the horizon, and she reached home. Clutching her injured arm, she 
hurried inside. She quickly bandaged the cut, and ran to her bedroom. 
"Come to me Jareth. Show yourself!" The wind howled louder. There was a 
laugh behind her.

"I knew you'd call." He walked towards her, and touched his gloved hand to 
her cheek. "Real as you are. You've made me strong, Sarah. I thrive on your 
passion."

"Why are you doing this to me? I helped you, now leave me alone!"

"I love you, Sarah. Why won't you accept it? Why won't you open your eyes 
and see the world around you, what your life has become? There is only one 
path for you to take."

"Your a monster!"

"And you love me. Isn't it so? Look deep inside yourself, see that it is. 
Admit it!"

"Yes." She said weakly, closing her eyes. She had no strength left to 
resist him.

"Then you're mine?"

"Yes."

"Forever?" He purred seductively.

"Yes." She whispered in reply. She felt his soft lips on hers, trailing 
back to her ear, on her eyelids. She collapsed against him, giving in 
completely. "Forever." She lost herself to the embrace of her Demon Lover.

A little on the dark side, but I got great reviews. There is an expanded
version in the works as I said. I've no idea when it will be done, it's
just something I play with now and then.