As It Began...  The Labyrinth Prequel
 Chapter 1

It started something like this... A young boy sat quietly on the curb of an empty 
street.  The trees were swaying under the pressure of the aggravated wind, which picked 
up a crumpled page from a newspaper and carried it away beyond his sight.  The boy 
slowly lifted his hands, then extended his arms until he could feel the great power of the 
wind pressing and urging him to come along.  “I wish the wind could carry me away from 
here” young Jareth thought, lowering his arms.  
But where could he go?  Wherever the wind decided to die, he would be dropped 
alone on another cold and desolate street.  Where he really wanted to go was 
underground.  He had dreamed of a vast empire, miles under the earth’s crust.  A magical 
land that had existed for thousands of years, since Cain fled there, away from the world 
that hated him.  A place where goblins, dwarves, and other strange breeds of people lived 
in peace, while people above fought and killed each other and themselves.  Jareth knew 
very well that his dreams mean nothing in the world of reality, but he found it impossible 
to deny the existence of his underground heaven.  Then he thought, “Even if it did exist, 
how could I possibly get there?” and besides, he could not just leave his mother alone… 
he was all that she had left in this world.  Since they took Dad away, Mum had been in a 
nearly permanent state of depression…  However, Jareth connected to his mom in ways 
most boys can’t.  Unlike most adults who lose all sense of creativity by the age of 12, 
Jareth’s mom could relate to his fantasies like no one else... except for the Underground, 
that was his own little secret.  
 The school bus for which he had been waiting suddenly pulled around the corner, 
and he heard “the voice.”  Fluctuations in the wind created a breathy whisper much like a 
soft human voice.  It swirled around him echoing words that seemed to say, “We can help 
you.”  As Jareth gathered his things and got on the bus, an owl that had been perched in a 
tree behind him spread its wings and glided away on a gust of wind.   

Chapter 2

Soaing gracefully through the misty sky, the dark quilted owl quickly approached 
his destination.  Even from above, he could not see the boundaries of his vast kingdom.  
“The Labyrinth”, as it was commonly called, was but a speck of the goblin king’s empire.  
Swiftly, he glided through the window of his castle at the center of the Labyrinth, 
and made his perch on the armrest of a large, eloquent throne.  Goblins fell silent, and 
watched in admiration as their king transformed into his true form.  Arms emerging from 
beneath the feathery blanket grasped hold of the armrests, and legs extending to the floor 
from his scaly clawed feet, the king looked firm as stone, and  sat elegantly upon his great 
throne with kingly posture (His posture and grace with words were the only things that 
visually distinguished him from the other goblins).  The Goblin King, Zepharus cleared his 
throat preparing to administer his report on the marked child.  
All was silent.

“The child with the mark has taken his first steps toward joining our kingdom,”  
the king began.  
“And you,” he said waving his hand gracefully above the multitude, “shall help him 
fulfill his destiny.”
“We will bring him for you immediately!” one goblin called out.
The others began to whisper amongst themselves until King Zepharus silenced 
them with a wave of his hand.  “Young Jereth will come by choice only.  You may abduct 
him only after he has said ‘the words.’”
The goblin king dismissed his faithful followers.  They stormed out of the room, 
and Zepharus found himself completely alone.  “How I long for a companion,”  Zepharus 
said aloud to himself.  “So much power I have, but for what???”
	A small, crystal bubble appeared in his hand.  “Jareth, you will be as a son to me,” 
he said, looking into the heart of the crystal.
	He could see the child, and the mark was there, clear as day.  His hand free from 
the crystal rest on a golden medallion that hung from his neck. 

Chapter 3

	Jareth sat in math class, dreaming of his fantasy world.  Math had always been a 
struggle for him, as he could never quite grasp the concepts of physics, natural laws, or 
numbers at all for that matter.  Class ended long before his dream.   
	As he walked home from school after class, some of his classmates approached 
him.  “Hey Jareth!” one called in that taunting childish tone.  “Why you so weird 
looking?”  “...and what’s wrong with your eye?” said another.  He brought his hand to his 
gray eye, covering it in shame.  “Do you ever talk?”  “Say something!”
	Jareth broke away from them running, tears streaming down his cheeks.  He had to 
get home.  The comfort and privacy of his room would surely comfort him...
	From blocks away, he could see a great commotion in front of his house.  He ran 
faster.  Closer, he could see the fire truck, two police cars, and nearly all of his neighbors, 
and... and ambulance.  Jareth ran to a police officer screaming, “What happened?!  
Where’s mom?” in a hysterical panic.  
“Jareth?  Umm...Johnston?” the officer asked with a solemn uncomfort.   The wind 
suddenly picked up and the child’s hair was as a raging fire.  He glanced at the ambulance, 
worried.  “Your mother,” the officer continued “has apparently had a heart attach.”
“Well?  Is she all right?”
“It could have happened hours ago.  If we had been contacted sooner...there was 
really nothing we could do for her...I’m sor...”  
He had heard enough.  He felt claustrophobic.. neighbors were talking to him.. .but 
nothing they said penetrated his mind... he could no longer stand it... Again, he broke into 
a run.  This time his destination was the forest, actually, it was more like a small grove of 
trees behind his house.  From the distance he heard his name being called out... “Jareth!” a 
strong gust of wind blew a tear from his chin to the dry soil.  “We can help you...”

Chapter 4

	His heart was goblin. It drew him nearer with every beat, making the human world 
more and more alien to him.  The towering pines that surrounded him bowed and swayed 
in the accelerating winds.  He could feel the air pounding against his face from all sides, a 
black hole. His face grew pale, his heart turned black, submitting itself to the goblin blood 
that filled his veins.  Goblins were everywhere around him... waiting and anticipating.
	Jereth knew what he had to do.  “The Words” were fixed in his brain.  He only had 
to say them.  	
	“I wish the goblins would come and take me away!”  he shouted into the echoing 
wind.  The forces of the wind pushed so hard on his frail body that he could scarcely 
breathe.  With the last bit of energy and air that remained in his lungs, Jereth managed to 
say, “right now.” 
	The winds stopped…   complete silence… and a sudden brightness forced him to 
squint.  The great light enveloped him, and a goblin suddenly appeared in front of his face, 
laughing hideously.  “Stop it,  Stop it!” Jareth shouted at the creature, who seemed deaf to 
his pleas.  The pavement beneath his feet felt more like thick mud... he was sinking...
	...opening his eyes, he found himself staring into the eyes of a scabby, short man.  
“So... You’re Jareth.  His majesty has been speaking so fondly of you.”  
	“His majesty?  Who are you?  Is this...?”  
“The Labyrinth?,  Yes.  And I’m Hoggle.”
Jareth got to his feet and looked out upon the miles and miles of twisted walls and 
thorned bushes.  “Well, you better be on your way to the castle!  The king is expecting 
you.”  Hoggle said.  Jareth suddenly spotted the castle, just a speck in the distance.  “Wait 
a minute...You’re telling me that I have to find my way through *that*?”  Jareth said 
pointing to the Labyrinth.  “Actually, yes... I am.”
“I don’t think so!  Even if I felt that I could believe a disgusting little scab of a 
dwarf like you, I still wouldn’t risk my life in that... that...”
“Labyrinth... well suit yerself, I’ve done my job,” said Hoggle, as he began to 
hobble away.  “Yeeahhh, good luck...”  he said doubtfully under his breath.
Suddenly, a loud echoing voice rang out, “Forgetting something, Hoggle?”   Oh, 
yes,” Hoggle said, pulling a piece of paper from the inside of his vest.  
“What is it.” Jareth asked
“A present from the king.”  Jareth took the letter.  It read, 

“WELCOME MY CHILD.  REMEMBER TO GO LEFT.”

“Marked child?  Is that me?”  Jareth asked.  
“Of course it is!” Hoggle said.  “You better hurry or you’re going to be late!”

Chapter 5

Frustrated, the child walked cautiously through the endless hallway.  Suddenly, he 
noticed an odd, worm-like creature crossing the path in front of him.  “Ah Ha!  Another 
helpless victim of Jareth’s shoe!”  He moved in for the strike...  raising his foot high...
“...hang on!!”  a tiny voice cried.  Jareth took a step back and looked at the worm.  
“Excuse me?”
“You almost crushed me, you bastard!” the worm shrieked.  
“I’m sorry.. I...umm, didn’t see you down there,” Jareth said, stuttering.  “Do you 
by any chance know where I could find a rope to climb over this bloody wall?”
“Rope?  No...I’m just a worm, but there’s an openin’ beside ya.”
“I don’t think so..”  Jareth said, his hand searching for a wall that wasn’t there.  
“Wait a minute” he said walking towards the solid looking wall.  He discovered two 
corridors hidden within the wall, one left, and one right. 
His hand tightened around the crumpled piece of paper that Hoggle had given him 
from the king, and he took off to the left.  “Thanks worm,” he said without looking back.
“Hang on!”  cried the worm.  “Wait a minute!  You’re going the wrong way!”
The child ignored the warning... something told him, something deep in his goblin 
heart, that he was heading toward the castle... toward home.
Only minutes later, he found himself before enormous wooden doors... the 
entrance to the castle.
The nervousness struck.  He was about to enter a castle that ruled an entire 
dimension of sub-reality.  How could he present himself before such a powerful king?  The 
doors slowly opened to him.  The polished hinges squeaked under the pressure of the 
great doors.  Two large goblins that had opened the doors both walked slowly to him.  
They were looking into his eyes... closer they came to him, until they were only inches 
away.  Suddenly, one goblin broke into shrill goblin laughter, spitting his reeking saliva in 
the boy’s frightened face.  “The marked child has arrived Your Majesty!” he shouted, 
pulling him in by the arm.
Hundreds of small gray eyes were focused on him, full of curiosity.  There was no 
question who ruled over this body of ruthless creatures.  The king’s brilliant presence 
immediately caught his eye...  The long speared horns, enormous jewel-like eyes (but gray 
as iron), and a large golden medallion that seemed to brighten the musty chamber.  
King Zepharus slowly approached Jareth, and the congregation fell silent.  “I have 
been watching you for a very long time... Your mark led me to believe that your destiny 
lies here, at the center of the Labyrinth.  I also feel that you should know that your 
mother’s death was no accident...”
“...What!?  You mean you and these ugly creatures killed my mom?”
“It was the only way we could ensure that you would choose to join us.”
“I’m going to kill you!  All of you!”  Jareth screamed
“...Wait!  You’ve greatly misunderstood me, my boy.  You’re mother is very much 
alive...and happy too, I must say.  She’s here among us.”  A female goblin stepped 
forward, out of the shadows.  “Hallo Jareth,” she said.  The voice, her facial features, he 
recognized them all as his mothers, but “She’s a goblin?!!”   
“Mom, is it you?”  he asked.
“’course it’s me!”
“But the ambulance, and...”
The king interrupted, “The synthetic body was planted by the goblins at my 
command.  This has been our way for thousands of years...  My goblins plant bodies so 
that the disappearances aren’t mysteries.  You see, if a mystery is left unsolved, awareness 
and suspicion amongst the humans will grow, making the abductions more dangerous than 
they have to be.  If the humans discover us, they will fear us, and try to bring harm to our 
peaceful land.”
Ignoring the king’s rambling, Jareth was in shock at his mother’s appearance.  
“But Mom, you’re a goblin...”
“Yes, yes I know that.  Shocking, isn’t it?  Yes, but it’s very comfortable...I like it 
very much...yes, much less body to carry around!”

All was gay and well in the Underground, but somewhere deep in the heart of the 
most grotesque of obliettes, a crack was widening in the rock, opening passage between 
the Underground and the evil realm of the Ludians.  Lichens shut tight their eyelids, 
terrified, as huge gray hands tore away at the sides of the hole, clawing in rage over their 
long imprisonment.  Enormous and powerful beings, their ghastly howls sent the very 
rocks around them fleeing in terror, thus helping them remove the great barricade.
“HAWWWOOOO...”  They used the power move rock to their advantage, 
howling in a unified chorus.  Like the swell of an aggravated volcano, the pressure upon 
the crack heightened... a sudden explosion sent rock debris flying about the chamber.  
Howls of joy erupted from the darkness as the first emerged from the hole.  One 
by one, the Ludians emerged, filling the vast obliette’s chamber.  There they would wait 
for the perfect time to strike.   (evil laugh) “Ha ha ha (tapers off into an echo) ha ha ha ha”

Chapter 6

For weeks, neither Jareth nor the king left the boundaries of the castle.  During this 
time, Jareth learned much from the ancient king.  Only the boy was trusted with the 
secrets of the medallion and the powerful crystals it bore.  “This golden artifact “ The king 
said, “is the eternal soul of the Underground.  Its power never dwindles...never has a 
goblin king ruled without the medallion as his ally.  
“and the crystal?” Jereth asked.
“Tis but the medallions gift to me.  I need only focus my mind on the medallion, 
open my mind and heart to it, and the crystal appears...”
“...But what exactly does it do?”
“Anything that I desire...”
	“So, if you are the holder of this all-powerful medallion, why exactly do you need 
this elaborate labyrinth to protect your castle?”
“Tis but a reminder of the past, my boy.  During my reign, the labyrinth has proven 
useless, but the Underground hasn’t always been so peaceful and unified.  There was a 
time when the labyrinth was viewed as a necessary precaution.  For thousands of years, 
before construction of this Labyrinth, Ludians dominated the Underground.  These 
enormous, ruthless creatures fed on goblins whenever given the chance.  Their long hell-
colored fur struck fear into the minds of all Undergroundlings.  All fae were forced to live 
like rats, digging holes beneath the ground to house their families and themselves, the only 
place safe from Ludian torment.  Thus, the term, “Underground” was derived from the 
horrible condition that goblins sustained.  Even the king with the medallion lived in 
poverty.  Indeed, this was a dark time in the Underground.
After many long years of living in fear, the undergroundlings emerged from their 
tunnels, and united against the unexpecting Ludians.  In the black of night, all 
undergroundlings came to the king, huddling around him.  Their combined concentration 
on the kings medallion yielded a small crystal in the palm of his hand with the power of 
God himself (in earthling terms).  Casting the crystal into the lair of sleeping Ludians, he 
banished them to eternal darkness and suffering, miles under the ground’s surface.  The 
next morning, howls from below rattled through the ground while the undergroundlings 
celebrated.  They immediately began construction of a great labyrinth to protect the goblin 
city from any future assault.  As for the king, he went completely senile shortly after.  He 
seemed to have buried his ability to rule along with the Ludians...but he can still be seen 
roaming around the outer parts of the labyrinth, along with his last faithful follower, a 
large talking bird.”  

Chapter 7

	As it was his duty to the king, Hoggle had been spending most of his time 
exterminating fairies and keeping watch over the ever-changing labyrinth.  “No, NO!!!”  
Hoggle screamed at two tiny goblins.  “This tile goes here and *that* one goes there!”
	The surprised goblins both jumped, quickly moving the two blocks to there correct 
positions, screaming at each other... “You fraggin’ ardvark!  That one goes here?  Move 
it!  No!  You move it!  We’ll both move it.  Watch out!”  
	“Eahhh...with those two moving everything around, it’s a wonder the whole 
Labyrinth doesn’t collapse!”  Hoggle said.  He suddenly heard a noise that rectified the 
course hair on the back of his neck.  He had heard the noise before...but it had been so 
long...hundreds of years.  Again he heard the deep howl...could it be the wind?  No...the 
wind would never be so cruel.  The rumbling surrounded him, encompassed him, he was 
completely terrified.  Memories that he had suppressed for hundreds of years crept into his 
mind.  This was the same howl that had awakened him from horrific dreams to find himself 
cold and sick, cramped within the black walls of a tunnel that he and his family had dug 
with their own aching hands.  In his mind, he could see the horrified looks on the faces of 
his wife and children as they were swept away to their doom.  “Ludians” he slowly 
muttered, his tiny body trembling.  He could think of nothing else to do but run...he 
hobbled as fast as his stout legs would carry him toward the castle, fearing the fate of his 
king.   

Chapter 8

	Finding himself in the throne room, Hoggle looked up at the King on his throne.  
He and Jareth both looked down upon him.  They sensed something was wrong, “What is 
it Higgle?” Jareth asked.  
	“Hoggle, Your Majesty...Ludians...The noise, it... they’re back!”
	“That’s impossible!” the king said, standing from his throne, “They couldn’t have 
possibly dug their way to the surface...Miles of solid rock has separated us for hundreds of 
years!  Are you sure?”
	“I could never forget the sound of a Ludian howl.  Don’t let them hurt me, your 
majesty, please!”  
	“Prepare the army, send out the guards!” Zepharus yelled, goblins scattering like 
frightened mice.  “Now I must go pay a visit to the old man, the old king, that is...  
Hopefully it isn’t too late.”
	Quickly changing himself into a dark owl, Zepharus flew out of the castle, and 
looked down upon the Labyrinth, eyes searching nervously.  This was his kingdom...so 
strong did it look...would there be a single wall left standing after the day was over?  Note 
even his crystals could show him that.  Over the fireys in their magical forest, over Alph 
and Ralph, Jim and Tim, he flew... “oh, where could he be!?” he thought.
Suddenly, he spotted the wise man below, sitting on a false throne of knowledge.  
So many facts he knows, but they are useless for the old king in his maddness.  Only the 
bird is fortunate enough to hear his many fables and words of wisdom.  
	Suddenly, a movement in a floor tile near the wise man caught his attention.  A 
huge hand slowly opened a hole in the ground large enough to allow his monstrous body 
to pass through.  Realizing that the old man may be the key to defeating the Ludians a 
second time, he knew that he had to save him.	
	
Down on the ground, a shrill screaming woke the old man from his deep slumber.  
“Will you please be quiet!” he yelled, falling back asleep.  
	“Sir, Sir, a monster!  Wake up!  You sleep too much!” cried the bird.
	Opening his eyes, the man saw the figure of a huge Ludian standing before him.  
His eyes were a deep red, and they could both hear the monster’s quick, eager breathing.  
	“You!” the Ludian said. “You make us go down there!  In the dark!  You will 
die!”  He began walking slowly toward the old man’s throne.  He intended to enjoy 
ripping the old man’s feeble body into pieces.  For many centuries, he had dreamed of this 
moment.  The old man hadn’t even attempted to escape.  This was his time.  He would 
except it calmly.  
	Suddenly a huge owl descended upon the beast, clawing at his eyes, and flapping 
his great wings.  “ARRGHHH!” cried the Ludian as he swung his humongous arms at the 
owl.  
	Meanwhile, other Ludians were emerging from the crevice at a steady pace.  “Sir!  
What are you waiting for?  Get off your ass and run!” urged the bird.  
	“No, I will sit here, and await what may come.”
	“Oh, great idea Sir!  The king is risking his life over there, and for what???  You’re 
preparing you’re own funeral!”  The wise man knew the kind was right, he owed it to the 
king to at least attempt to get away...
	“Very well.  Ughhh!” …the wise man moaned while rising from his seat, and began 
to hobble over two a large planter.  Though he was old and had a weak leg, he was still 
able to easily outrun the Ludians.  A Ludian has a wide stride, but goblins, even old 
handicapped ones, are far more agile.  “Almost there sir!  Those suckers don’t have a 
chance!” the bird said, trying to help the old man up into the planter which opened at the 
bottom into the Underground’s tunnel system.  
	Though he ripped numerous gashes in the Ludian’s face, King Zepharus’ luck was 
running slim.  The Ludian finally landed a blow which sent the owl hurling to the ground.  
Luckily, the Ludian’s sight was impaired by the scratches… he could not see, much less 
destroy the owl.  Besides, the wise man was a far more important kill...
	With a bit of a struggle, the wise man was inside the planter, and down the ladder.  
With a dozen Ludians coming toward him, the bird began to panic, and suddenly dived 
into the planter head first.  Just as he began exclaiming his relief, he felt his body jerk to a 
stop as he suddenly found himself stuck midway in the planter.  “I knew I shouldn’t have 
eaten all those peaches!” he screamed, trying to free himself.
	Hoping that wise man was still within reach, one of the Ludians swiped at the great 
bird’s body, decapitating the noble bird in one swift masterstroke.  The head fell down the 
hatch, screaming as it went, right past the wise man who was slowly making his way down 
into the depths of the under-underground.  Unable to see the wise man within the safety of 
the narrow tunnel, the Ludian unleashed a deafening howl, and the wise man felt a tremble 
in the stone walls which surrounded him.

Chapter 9…