A dark laugh echoes in my ears, leaving behind a ringing sensation that makes me want to shiver.
"You are a fool, Fayn. None of this is real. None of it was ever real!" the voice starts laughing again.
I find that I am unable to open my eyes, which makes a panic begin to constrict my throat. "You're lying!" I cry out, anger and fear laced in my words.
"Oh but my dear, they are not lies." the darkness hisses, its voice washing in and out like the tide. One minute it will be in whisper tones so that I strain to hear it, the next a shout so loud I have to cover my ears.
"It that what you told Frodo as well? I am willing to bet it didn't work on him either. We are not so easily fooled"
No answer comes, so I presume I am correct. It gives me a small amount of hope. "You are not as fearsome as you think." I jab. "You have no power over me here, just as the darkness of any land has no control." My voice is confident, sure in my statement. This evil will not make me cover in fear. I have faced countless monsters, fought many battles. It is the darkness that should be afraid.
In response I receive laughing; a dark laugh that seeps under my skin and muffles thoughts in my head. "I know you do not fear me like others do, but that is of little importance. I can reach into your mind, find out what it is that you are afraid of. I can make you live out every nightmare you have ever had in your long life. I can string up every person you have ever cared about. I can make your eternal existance torture."
"Then why don't you?" I say, deadpanned. It is only too happy to continue.
"I am not your greatest problem, protector of the realms. In fact, I think I shall let you and your little companion pass. There is something far worse than I awaiting you, something more terrible than you could even imagine yet. I orchestrated it all just for you."
That pulls me up short. How could there be something worse than pure darkness? It must be toying with my emotions, trying to manipulate me. Still, it offers a means of escape, which seems otherwise impossible. Going along with it seems like the best possible move for my situation right now.
"Very well. Bring Frodo back from wherever it is you have taken him, and we shall continue on to whatever fresh hell is ahead." I say, attempting to keep my voice neutral. There are too many emotions that wish to overcome me; anger, fear, worry, but I keep them all carefully concealed.
"Oh and one more thing." It says in a tone that makes me wish I could hit it with something, despite still having my vision compromised. "You might want to hurry, that other hobbit is not feeling very well."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, but the darkness has gone, and suddenly my eyes are no longer being forcibly shut.
The darkness has left behind a very confused Frodo in its place."What's that supposed to mean!" I try again, but there is no answer.
"What is what supposed to mean?"Frodo asks. "What just happened?"
"The darkness is gone, but we must hurry. Something happened to Sam," I say, breaking into a run. "something bad."
Frodo struggles to keep up, but I dare not slow to accomodate him. "How do you know?" he pants.
"The darkness was gloating about it. Whatever we see up ahead, I fear it will not be pleasant at all."
So we both run, ignoring the discomfort, desperate to reach Sam before irreversable damage can be inflicted upon him.
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Fayn (A LOTR novella)
FanfictionFrodo failed. Sauron lives, and is prepared to wreak his havoc upon Middle Earth once again. Their only hope is Fayn, a creature that disappeared from sight long before the first War of the Ring.
