Authors note: Thanks to everyone who's read and enjoyed my story, and all it's reviewers! I'll update whenever I can find the inspiration!

Jenny didn't like it here, and she was bored. She'd gone to look out of the window, but she couldn't see her house – though she hadn't really expected to – just tall dark trees, and, in the distance, tall icy mountains. Then Julian had come and pulled her away from the window, pulling shut the dark red curtains. Now the room was dark.

There wasn't much to do here – and no one to play with. She missed all her friends. She didn't dare play with Julian, he was too old and she thought he looked as if he were in a bad mood. So instead she sat on the cushions, thinking, and trying to stop herself falling asleep. She was scared of what might wait for her in her dreams.

Julian was worried too. He was worried about Jenny. She was getting paler, her eyes getting darker. He wasn't sure if she could last much longer in the shadow world – but if she went back to her own world it would be easier for the shadow men to find her – and he wouldn't be able to protect her. He was unlikely to win a battle against them here, let along back in the human world, where his powers were considerably weaker.

In the shadow world there were places to hide, places the shadow men couldn't penetrate with their icy minds. Somewhere Jenny would be safe – but he couldn't protect her forever. Even if the shadow men could not find her, the shadow world itself would kill her eventually. She wouldn't be able to sleep, and she wouldn't have any human company. At her age, she wouldn't be able to live here. If she were older – say 17 or so – then he might have kept her here. No, he would have kept her here. 15 years matured, Jenny would be beautiful. He wouldn't be able to let her go. He wasn't sure if he could now.

There was one alternative – he could hand her over to the shadow men. But he knew he couldn't. He hadn't even been able to let her sleep through a harmless nightmare – how could he leave her to face the nightmare becoming real? He didn't know what to do – and time was running out. The clock in the room began to strike – its hands ticking down the seconds until Jenny's time was up. He had 5 days – 48 precious hours had already gone.

"Julian," A whiney voice in the corner of the room, Julian looked up. "I miss mommy."

"Would you like to see her?" Julian asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes please."

Julian produced a mirror from one of the cupboards, silver around the edges and the shiny surface itself seeming to stretch out to infinity. Jenny peered over, looking into it, but she didn't see her reflection. Instead she saw a familiar sight.

"Zach!" she cried, happily. But Zach didn't look happy. His face was red, his eyes puffy. He had been crying. "Why is he sad?"

"How should I know?" Julian snapped. Jenny's lip trembled. "He's probably missing you – you've been gone for two days!"

"But I'm safe! I'm with you!" Julian couldn't meet Jenny's smiling eyes. "Tell Zach I'm all right." Jenny demanded. Julian didn't reply.

The mirror fogged up again, and when it cleared she saw her parents. Her mom was crying, her dad had his arm around his wife's shoulder. His face was pale, his expression grim.

"They're sad too!" Jenny's face showed her dismay. "Julian, you have to tell them I'm all right! I don't want them to be sad!"

The mirror changed image again, this time to show…

"Grandfather! But what's wrong with him?" The old man's eyes were closed, his face eerily white. He lay completely still, somewhere dark. Julian knew what was wrong with him. Serves him right, he thought, teach him to shut me in a cupboard.

But Jenny's face had begun to crumple, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Julian! I want to go back! They all need me. Tell them I'm all right. Send me home. I don't want to be here."

Julian made up his mind.

"All right," he said, "Let's go."