Sarah went to bed quite early, but could not sleep at all in these unfamiliar surroundings and with the excitement of tomorrow. She tossed and turned in her old bed, but finally gave up and went to her bags to get something to read. She had a small collection of her favourite books with her, and the one she found now was Pride and Prejudice – she just loved the scenes with Darcy and Elizabeth and could never get enough of them. She was planning to write about Jane Austen's career in her third year for her main report.

Deeply lost in the fields of Pemberley and Netherfield she didn't notice the time passing, the stars disappearing outside her window and the clouds gathering. Only at the low rumbling of thunder did she look up.

"Oh, it isn't fair," she exclaimed loudly, "It can't rain on my birthday!"

She looked at the clock, and then couldn't help smiling. 23:59 – only one minute till she was of age! She closed her book and got up, going to the window at the other side of the room to see whether the storm was close by or just passing by. She liked keeping the windows open on warm summer nights and tonight was no exception. Looking out of the window, the weather seemed dark and foreboding, but at least it didn't rain yet. She took a deep breath of fresh air, and at the same time, her digital clock changed to 00.00 and she could hear the grandfather clock in the hallway begin to chime. It was midnight.

A large lightning flickered across the sky, and the following thunder came so quickly and loudly that she jumped back, startled. Another flash followed and another, and suddenly a white blur of feathers shot through the window and right past her. She jumped and whirled around, and for a moment she thought she must be dreaming. But as his shadow grew and loomed over her, there was no mistaking the dark graceful figure of Jareth the Goblin King standing in the middle of her bedroom!

He looked exactly as she remembered him from all those years ago, clad in black and with a flowing gleaming cape around him. His blonde hair was gathered in a ponytail and his burning mismatched eyes rested on her, intense and slightly amused. His face was as strikingly handsome as ever, and his body well-formed and lean.

Sarah forgot to breathe for a moment, completely overwhelmed by his presence. She had forgotten how tall he was, and how his presence could fill a room with its sheer magnitude. Why was he here? Was she dreaming? Why now?

"Good evening, Sarah," he said with a low growl in his voice, which sent shivers through her. "Happy birthday. Happy twenty-first birthday!" He underscored the number.

She took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. After all, she shouldn't be afraid of him – she had won all those years ago – he had no power over her!

"Why are you here?" she asked and tried to sound calm. "What do you want from me? Our business was concluded years ago, and I did not wish anyone away tonight."

Jareth chuckled and smiled a devilish smile. "Well, my dear Sarah, I knew you weren't expecting me, but I can assure you… our business is not concluded."

"Of course it is. What do you mean?"

"Sarah, I have a present for you. " He took out a crystal and played with it in his hand. "But this is not a present for any ordinary girl – it is a present for a special girl, who entered my labyrinth six years ago and went all the way through it to save her baby brother." She stared at his hand, hypnotized by the dexterity of his fingers.

"What will it do?" she asked fearfully, "show me my dreams? Why would you give that to me now?"

"No, not your dreams, Sarah, " he replied and let it roll back and forth between his gloved hands. "It contains a memory – a memory that you left behind in my labyrinth all those years ago."

She had no idea what he was talking about and looked at him in confusion.

"What memory?"

"I'll show you… catch!" He threw the crystal at her with a swift movement, and instinctively she grabbed for it and caught it in her hands. It exploded with a soft puff of silver sparkles, and she felt herself falling into darkness, into a dream, although she remained awake and standing. The last thing she heard before the dream carried her away was Jareth's soft triumphant laughter.