Disclaimer: Even though no names from LotR are mentioned, the universe this tale is playing in belongs to Tolkien.

LadyElwing´s note: A friend of mine wrote this story and she asked me if I could upload it, so that she did not have to create an account and she could remain unknown. Of course I did... You will never guess what kind this demon is of... *grin*

Aní and the Evil Beast

"It will not get me!! I will be prepared, when it comes for me! It will not get me!" The dark-haired elf maiden, called Anírathiel, or short Aní, murmured frantically and looked out of the window, searching the darkness outside for a sign of the evil creature that she knew was out there. Hiding. Lurking. Patiently waiting for its chance.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she imagined the evil gleaming eyes, hiding somewhere in the dark, watching her from afar. She turned around and her eyes fell on the weapons on the table: a bow, a sword, a dagger and a big war-hammer. "It will not get me!" she promised herself and grabbed the bow and the arrows. Then she waited. She had again turned to look out, but still she could not see what she was looking for. When she heard a sound from outside, she trembled terrified and her grip on the bow tightened. But it had only been a branch, clattering against the wall.

After some time, she finally heard the familiar sounds at the door and her eyes widened in terror. The foul beast bumped against the door that soon trembled under the fierce attacks of the demon but did not give way. The elf shuddered, when the attacks stopped all of a sudden and it was silent once more.

But not for long. the evil beast had figured out another way to get through to her. It now began to gnaw the wooden door with it's razor-sharp teeth and soon she could see it. It had paused in its efforts and now looked through the hole. Its mean little eyes stared straight into her grey eyes, gleaming with an evil promise and she could see its sharp teeth.

"You will not get me!!" she yelled and tried to ready her bow, but the arrows, one by one, slipped through her trembling fingers. She looked around terrified and finally grabbed the dagger and threw it at the demon. But it had foreseen her move and avoided the weapon easily, once again looking at her, through the now much bigger hole, with an expression that could only be an evil grin. Soon the hole would be big enough for the foul beast and it would attack her. Panicky she grabbed the sword and waited. When it lunged to attack her, she leapt out of the way and swung her sword at it. The demon laughed evilly, avoided the blows of her sword and moved closer, with a terrifying sparkle in its eyes.

Then it leapt at her and tried to bite her neck. The sword fell to the floor and with a horrified scream, she grabbed the beast and struggled to get rid of its strong claws. She finally managed to get it off herself and threw it at the wall. Then she stood there, gasping for breath, while her eyes never left the evil creature that now lay there, spread on the floor, not moving.

With new determination, she slowly moved backwards until she could feel the table right behind her. Without turning her eyes from the beast, her hands searched for the hilt of the hammer and grabbed it.

Suddenly the beast jumped onto its feet again and turned around to face her. With another evil grin it leapt at her, just when the dark-haired elf swung the hammer forward.

It hit the evil demon on the head and sent it back to the floor, where it then stood, shaking its ugly head with the long ears in pain but far form giving up.

The elf did not wait for the beast to recover and she attacked it once more, crushing its head with the hammer, time and time again, until it lay on the ground motionless. When she was sure that it was dead, a smile crept on her face. Triumphantly she grabbed the beast by the ears and picked it up.

"I told you, you would not get me this time, you evil plotbunny!!" she commented satisfied, before she opened the window and threw it into the darkness. With a content smile on her face, Aní went over to her bed, slipped under the covers and drifted off to her well-deserved sleep.

*~*~*~*

My friend told me, that this is happening to her all the time.. she is attacked by demons of such sort always when she wants to sleep and this is her revenge for it... We know that every writer feels like doing this sometimes ;-) Please leave a review, she will check.