365 Days (Part 1) | ✓

58. Darkness

58. Darkness: Write a poem or journal entry inspired by what you can't see

"And if the night is burning
I will cover my eyes
For if the dark returns
Then my brothers will die"
~I See Fire, Ed Sheeran

Inspired by The Hobbit music
And also a side story to my fantasy novel

My love,

We have been besieged five nights now and the end is nigh upon us.

Atchrabald is gone. The men say he is gone, and I do not doubt it. He went to talk to the monsters surrounding us and has not returned. The day after he left, they came in droves. I have never seen so many assembled in one place. They were not organized, but they came from all directions and equipped with all weapons. They surrounded us, and we have not been at rest since.

They are frightful creatures, Nina. To look at them is to shudder. Will we ever eradicate them from this land? Will we ever truly be free from these monsters?

Nina, I am sorry. I have tried to make this land a safer place, but I cannot win against these creatures. They will not be our allies, and we cannot win. I die in vain.

In Atchrabald's absence the men turn to Marunan for guidance. I like Marunan; he is quicker and harder than Atchrabald. But even he cannot defeat our enemies when they outnumber us so. He has no hope for victory. All we have is the promise of an honorable death.

I think of you in my sane moments, Nina darling. When they leave us alone for an hour, I do nothing but sleep, and in my dreams, I see you. My old man told me I see what I am connected to the most in my dreams. Nina, I see you.

This is our last night. We have withstood onslaught after onslaught. Tonight is our last night, though. We cannot go longer, and we all know it. I know that this knowledge empowers us. It is almost over and then we will rest eternally. Come night we will fight like demons alive and ready to raze, but for now we are broken.

The Temple is filled with quiet sobs. We are humanity shattered. What we hoped to accomplish ruined us, and hurt others. We need sleep, but we won't. It is our last hours and we inhale the air like it is perfumed.

Oh, my love, you don't know how beautiful the world is when you must say farewell to it.

I write this by the light of the moon that comes through the stained glass in colored slats. I am bathed in the most beautiful light, and I am sad. Nina, I miss you. This last night especially, I miss you. I wonder if you will ever get this letter. I wonder if you will ever find it.

Marunan is going around to each of the men, encouraging them. From my place among the dias, where Atchrabald used to speak and exhort us to have friendly relations with monsters, I can see him. He is coming my way --

-- Marunan is a good man. He spoke to me as I think a leader should, firmly and wisely. It is a shame he is to depart this land forever.

The fires are burning brightly now. I see those too, from looking out the window. They are oddly tinted by the glass, and the flames look purple or blue. The time is soon.

The monsters, at roughly midnight, always begin their rituals. We have not seen them but we guess them to be such by the fires and the noises. We cannot send men out to investigate. They never come back. If I press my ear against the glass, I can hear their shrieking and yelling. The languages of their different races smash discordantly against each other: guttural or whinnying or rasping. All the sounds of evil.

You can tell when they are close to being finished when their voices lower and their fire rises. Then they attack. They approach at every angle. Getting in the temple doesn't seem to be their purpose. It is killing us that they want, and they are in no hurry to do so or we would be dead.

If I wasn't so desperate to stay alive, I would think about this more. But my brain is frazzled. All I can do is wonder what will happen. I am sweating, but I am cold and shivering.

Nina, I love you. I didn't tell you that enough.

It is almost time. I will shove this letter under the bust of Kira when they come, and hope they do not find it. Hope that it finds you.

I don't want to stop writing. I didn't want to leave you, but I had to try to make this land a better place for you.

-- The shouting has stopped completely now. I must write quickly to you now. I have my sword ready. They are coming. We can hear them. Marunan is telling me to put away my letter, but I cannot. Not until I must.

Nina, I love you. Take care of everyone. Tell my parents that I'm going to die as bravely as I can.

The men are at the doors, waiting for the monsters. We have placed traps all around. My sword is by me. I cannot stop writing. The monsters are yelling battle cries now. They are getting closer.

Nina, remember that --