Title: A Bad Dream
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue.
Knock Knock Knock
Then softly, "Merry."
Merry gets out of bed and opens the door to his bedroom. "What time is it?"
"Almost midnight."
"Why are you here when 'tis almost midnight?"
"Couldn't sleep."
"Why not?"
"Had a bad dream."
"About the war?"
"Yes."
"Come in." Merry opens the door wider and goes back to his bed. "Shut the door." Merry gets under the blanket. "Hurry up!" It has the desired effect and within seconds there is a second body in the bed.
"Thanks, Merry."
"You're getting too old for this."
"No, I'm not."
"Tell me about the dream."
"I dreamed that we lost. That the orcs came and took over the Shire. That they killed all the hobbits. That they burned down the white city. That they killed everyone. You, Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Elrond, Treebread, Arwen…" Then tears started flowing, "But they didn't kill me. They tied me down and made me watch everyone die. I was scared, Merry, I was really scared."
"'Tis alright. Everythin's alright." Merry put an arm around the crying figure.
"But it seemed so real."
"I know but everything is fine. We won the war."
"I know."
"Go to sleep. It will all seem better in the morning, Pip."
