Darkness

It was all that he saw, all that he felt, all that he knew.  He was floating in an endless abyss of darkness.  Shadows pulled at him from every direction, wrenching his limbs painfully.  Darkness and pain were all that his mind focused on.  There was no warmth, only bitter cold.  There was no sound, only deafening silence.  He tried to cry out for help, but the shadows plunged down his throat, choking him.  Shadows poured into every opening of his body, filling him with darkness until he was sure he would burst.  He longed for escape, but found only pain.  He wanted to simply give in and let the black void end his life, if only to end the excruciating pain.

And then he felt the darkness lessen, as if something was driving it away from his body.  He felt arms encircle him, sending arrows of blessed warmth shooting throughout him.  He could feel the void release him to the pleasant heat.  With renewed energy, he raised his head to see what had delivered him from the darkness. 

He found himself floating in an endless sea that was not black, but white.  This new place seemed to be the exact opposite where he had been.  Instead of cold and pain, he felt warmth and tranquility.  He was not being pulled in every direction, but left to float contentedly and move about at his own will.  Despite the pleasant feel of this place, he felt that he did not belong here.  It seemed to him that he was only being admitted here for a short time.  That suited him just fine.  As much as he enjoyed this place, he knew that he would have to return home eventually. 

And then he saw it.

At first, it appeared as a small ball of light floating toward him on some unfelt breeze.  As it grew closer, it began to grow until it was slightly larger than him.  And then the ball of light began to change shape, its sides pulling in to become an oval.  Its smooth contour was marred as the oval pulled in at different points.  He stared in fascination at the changing shape as it pulled in to form the distinct silhouette of a Man.  And then the silhouette began to fill with colors.  They swirled together inside their silhouette prison, choosing a place to settle.  Light shadows were added, accentuating curves of the silhouette and making it three dimensional.  When all colors and shadows finally settled, he gasped in shock at what they had formed.  In a shaking voice he spoke, unsure if what he was seeing was real or simply an illusion.

"Brother?"

The Man stared straight into his eyes, smiling, and nodded.  The auburn, shoulder length hair, the face covered in rough stubble, those unmistakable blue-grey eyes; it was him!  After all this time, he was finally reunited with his brother in this mysterious place.  He could feel tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes as he embraced his brother for the first time in many years.

"It is you.  We are finally reunited after such a long time, my brother."

"Yes," His brother held him tightly, his words sending the last remnants of shadow away. "But we will not be together much longer."

"What do you mean?" He gasped and pulled back to stare at his brother in confusion.

"Brother, my time here is short.  Even now he is searching for me."

"Who?  Who is searching for you?"

"A shadow of the past…"

At that moment, the world of white that surrounded them dissolved back into black.  The intense cold returned with a vengeance, causing him clutch his brother closer.  He found no warmth, though, as his arms passed directly through his brother, sending knives of ice into his veins.  He watched in horror as his beloved brother began to fade, until his body became translucent.

"No!" His brother cursed. "I did not think he would find me so quickly!  Brother, you must listen well.  I have come to warn you.  An army of darkness is growing from the blood of darkness passed.  Souls that were once light have been turned to darkness and only exist for destruction.  Even now they walk among the living."

He shuddered.  His brother's words which brought warmth and comfort to him only moments earlier were now freezing the very blood in his body into ice.  What was happening?

His brother began to fade more. "Forgive me, my brother, but I must go.  My soul is in grave danger and will be even more so if I stay any longer.  I…"

Whatever his brother was about to say was cut off as ghostly grey chains shot out from the darkness.  They wrapped around his brother, pinning his arms to his chest, and began to pull him backwards into deeper darkness.

"You will not have me!" His brother shouted as he began to struggle wildly. "I will not let you defeat me!  Brother, listen to me!  They must not find what was left behind!  No!  Let me go!"

And then his brother was gone.

He stared into the endless darkness with horror written across his face. "No!  Come back, Brother!  Come back!  BOROMIR!"