Title: Elrond & Estel: The Haunted Room
Author: Sivan Shemesh
Beta: rosethorn59
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Warning: AU, Angst. Horror.
Rate: K+ to T
Summary: Halloween Fic: Estel's room is haunted, what will he do?
Note: Estel is only a boy.
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1.
Imladris
At night...
Estel tried to sleep and found it hard. For some reason he just could not fall asleep. He had tried everything that his adar suggested might help; and yet, still nothing.
He counted birds, horses, elves, and yet he could not find any sleep, although he was so tired he felt sick.
Then he heard a voice. He turned to see who was there near him, and saw nothing. He believed that he might be hallucinating.
They are coming for you...
Estel could swear that he heard drums, and that voice again.
They are going to kill you...
Estel lay on the bed his hands fisted in the blanket almost covering his head, and sweat slowly started forming on his forehead. His palms became white as he did not want to let go of the blanket.
They will kill you...
Drums...
Like they killed the other boy...
The other boy...
Dead...
Estel shivered in fear, tears running fast from his eyes, as he did not wish to die. Not at the hands of his family.
Although he was afraid, as the tears ended the boy slept like the dead; although his mind still worked, and he believed that he would find death soon.
Late morning...
Estel woke up, and almost jumped in surprise as he saw the twins facing him.
"I thought that I would never see the day, and look what just happened," Elladan grinned at his other half. "Is there anything that we can help you with, little brother?"
Estel was still taken aback; fearful of what occurred in the night still coming back; as he moved away from their touch.
The twins exchanged glances, wondering with concern what was wrong with their brother.
"Estel, are you feeling all right?" Elrohir asked.
To Estel it sounded like - "Estel, are you ready to die?"
"Maybe we should ask Elrond to come, he might be able to figure out what is going on with Estel," Elrohir suggested to his twin.
Estel, who still gripped the blanket, heard - "Maybe we should ask Elrond to come and figureouta way to kill Estel with no fuss."
The twins left the room and Estel sighed in relief. He remembered that Elrond might come and kill him, so he left the room in a hurry with his pajamas on, and ran to the green fields. He sighed with relief as he felt the cold air brushing his skin; and the rays of the sun kept him warm and comforted.
Estel wondered why his mother left him in this family, they were murderous.
Did she want him dead?
Had he not run far enough? He still could hear voices, steps on the ground, although the elves walked lightly, he could feel them very clearly.
Estel started to run again, only to find that he could not move.
Hands grabbed at him, as he started to beg.
"Estel, ion-nin, you need to calm down," Elrond called to the boy; trying to get his attention; but found that it was harder than he had believed it would be. The twins were right about that.
There was something going on with Estel, and he wished to know what it was, because it began to worry him.
All of a sudden, Estel felt as if he could hear his so-called father saying to him - "Estel, my son, you need to lay down the demons before death..."
"Estel, please tell me what is bothering you, and I will try to help you with it," Elrond asked the child, as he could feel him flinching and trembling under his touch.
Estel wished to escape from the grasp of his father, the words that been spoken to him still echoing in his mind - "Estel, would you like to help me decide in which way you wish to die, and I will try to make it a less painful death."
"Please... let go of me..." Estel begged and tried to get free from the hands.
"Please, my son, let me know what is bothering you," Elrond asked his son, "I only want the best for you."
"Please, my son, let me know what you prefer," Estel found himself staring at his father, ready to fight to break free, "I only wish to kill you with less noise."
"I love you my son, please tell me what it is that troubles you," Elrond pleaded with him.
"I will kill you my boy, like I killed the other boy."
Estel succeeded in getting one hand free from the elf who wished to kill him; but soon he was grabbed again by both hands.
"Please do not kill me," Estel begged, not daring to look into the killer's eyes.
"Why would I wish to kill you, Estel?" Elrond asked the boy with wonder. With that he released his grip on the boy's shoulders.
Estel finally was free, and started running away from the killer, shouting, "Like you killed the other boy..." He ran towards the woods to try and hide from the elf and the twins.
"What is going on here?" Glorfindel asked Elrond; who kept calling for Estel to come back.
"What happened to Estel?" The slayer asked, not knowing what was going on with the boy.
"I wish I knew, my friend," Elrond replied to the old elf. "He seemed afraid of me and the twins, and I have no idea what in the name of the Valar is going through the boy's mind."
Glorfindel sighed heavily, knowing what Elrond secretly wanted from him. Although he knew that Elrond would ask him, he answered his lord without being asked, the minute he came closer to the worried lord.
"I will do what I can, my Lord," Glorfindel said to Elrond. "I can predict orcs, but I cannot predict Estel. Humans are unpredictable."
"I understand my friend." Elrond thanked him, and walked toward the bench, waiting away from the garden and yet near to the house, for he did not wish to scare Estel more than he was.
Glorfindel walked into the woods looking for Estel, who seemed to know where to hide, although the slayer could feel his presence very well.
"Estel," Glorfindel called to the boy, "It is I, Lord Glorfindel."
With that; Estel almost knocked the elf lord on the ground. Thanks to Glorfindel's hold they did not fall down.
"What is it, young one, that frightened you so much?" Glorfindel asked the boy softly, his eyes locked on the boy's gray eyes, as tears fell from those eyes.
"They want to... to... kill... me..." Estel sobbed on the elf's shoulder, breaking the eye contact.
"Who would wish to kill such a sweet boy like you?" Glorfindel asked him as he ruffled the boy's hair, and tried to help him to rest and calm down.
TBC...