AN: Konnichiwa, gente! Look, um, I'm revising this chapter because I realized that the format I was formerly using just wouldn't work. Firstly, you, the reader, the most important element in any story, would not be able to understand what the heck I was saying because my poetry ::ahem:: sucks. Secondly, I ran out of rhymes. Thirdly, hehe, I came up with a better idea. Soooo, let me just clear a few things out for you: 1) This is a dream. 2) Elizabeth (the main character) is having it. 3) I can't think of anything else to say, but I always like to list three things. Just a quirk, I guess.

So I'm terribly sorry that I posted the first idea before I was sure that I could use it. Thanks for your understanding and patience. Love ya lots!

Disclaimer: You know, I feel sort of bad for tampering with Tolkein's characters like this, especially since he could have done such a better job with this plot than I ever could. But if he didn't want people to use his characters, he shouldn't have died in the first place! And no, I don't own them.

~oOo~

Chapter 3: Darkness Falling

The girl was hanging suspended in darkness, a darkness so deep and expansive that it seemed to her that it filled her whole being. She knew not where she was, or who she was, or if she even was. All she was aware of was pain, and that was oddly comforting in itself. But she could not move. Nor could she cry out for help. All she could do was stay there, and wait, and wait...

And this waiting went on for a time. How long? Days? Weeks? Hours? Minutes? She could not even be sure of that. It was as if the darkness filled everything. As if... as if everything she had known, or thought she had known, had never been. Had it all been a dream?

She was the darkness, and the darkness was she.

The pain, the pain. Oh the pain. Every fiber of what might have been her being ached. Was she on fire? No, even that must produce a light. But if the darkness was all-encompassing, how could she know that there was anything for light to hit? Maybe she was on fire. The pain was becoming unbearable. How much longer must she wait? Would no one come for her? Although she knew not who she was, some part of her knew that she had friends.

But what was a friend?

It was in this darkness that a light then shone, nearly blinding her with its intensity. It was beckoning to her, calling to her. Come! Come! it was saying. And she wanted to come, so badly did she want it. She reached out with her spirit. And as she did so, she felt herself rising, rising towards it. Yes, it was working! Her spirit sang as she rose. She felt the pain falling away as she left herself in the darkness to rise to the light. And she was almost there- so close she could almost touch it...

And then there was a face, a face blocking the light from her. Did she know that face? Part of her... part of her seemed to remember it, and there was a feeling of betrayal as it kept her from the light. Move! she cried out to it. Can't you see I need to get there? No, the face answered. Not yet. Not time. Why? she pleaded. Why will you not let me through? I cannot go back there, not now! The face remained impassive. No. Not yet. Not time.

And the light was gone, and she was falling

falling

falling

falling back into the darkness.

~oOo~

AN: You know the drill.