Pocket Watch, you tick timelessly.
Your gold shines upon my Sam and me;
You count the time until my rose gift.
Hanging on your metal chain, you amuse Samwise;
Amuse him to his death.

I woke at dusk. I reached out to hold my Sam but he
wasn't there.

"Sam!" I panicked, but I needn't have.

"I'm right here, Frodo." His head peeped around the
doorway. I smiled. I left my bed to hug him. Before I
even touched him, the word 'blood' ran through my
mind, begging me to eat. I grew hungrier.

"Sam, take me outside. I must tell you something."

"But why must we go outside? Can't you tell me in
here?"

"My cousins would hear. I'm not sure if I want to tell
them yet. But I do know that I want to tell you."

We sat in an area where a garden once grew. We were in
the shadows and I felt calm, knowing only moon and
starlight were upon me. I stuck my hand into my pocket
and presented the watch to Sam.

"I was given this from someone known as Norno. Do you
know of anyone by that name?"

"No, Frodo. " He looked at the watch as if he'd never
seen one before. "Why is it important?"

"I don't know. But I must tell you something you
mustn't tell anyone."

I then proceeded to tell him of my encounter in the
woods and of the reasons for my actions. He sat
quietly, nodding every so often. Sam showed no alarm
of what he learned I now was. He just held my hand,
trying to make it warm.

"You're a vampire."

I stared into his eyes. "A what?"

"A vampire. They were supposed to be old wives tales,
and I guess they're not!" He kissed my hand, giving up
on making me warm again. "Vampires can only live in
th' dark and they have to live off of blood and all."
He frowned. "Is that why you bit me earlier?"

"I had meant for it to be a love bite. I am sorry." I
cupped his face in my hands. I wanted him to love me.
I wanted him to still be mine, even now that I was a
demon's spawn. Lightly I kissed him…and he kissed
back.

"Sam, please tell me you will still love me now that I
have…changed."

"I still love you. I'm just afraid." He fiddled with
his hands while looking down.

"Samwise, I shall never harm you. Trust me." We hugged
again, though this time it was longer and I held him
close. I knew he trusted me and I was glad.

I followed my way back into the woods. It was no
longer eerie, but a dark playground for my eyes. Light
flickering on dark bark, owls calling out a greeting,
I felt at home. The watch felt heavy in my hands. I
halted to open it for its song for a few seconds. It
no longer bothered me, along with the watch.

"You're an annoying little object, aren't you?" I said
to it. "Ticking away endlessly like that. You caused
me to scare my cousins, you did."

"You were the one who caused you to scare your
cousins, not the watch." I spun around. A very tall
Elf stood before me clad in a dark green. Part of his
hair was in braids and his silver eyes were a sharp
contrast to my green ones.

"Why am I forever cast into Shadow, dark one?" I
asked. He laughed.

"You are neither in Shadow nor I. We are merely on its
edge like that of a knife." He circled me, grinning
like a cat. "I am not the only dark one present. You
best be thanking me for that watch now."

I snorted. "For what? To work like all watches do or
for the cost of the gold to make it?"

He smirked. "I like you." He stopped moving and
gracefully sat down cross-legged in front of me. "The
watch," he said in a bored manner, "has the properties
to mesmerize and catch the 'dark one's' prey by making
the kill's eyes transfixed on the watch, making them
want it for their own. Once the chosen one is close
enough, the 'dark one'-" this time he moved his hands
in mock "- may drink to sustain his or her life."

I cocked a brow. "So this watch makes it so you may
kill easily?"

"Yes." He smiled like one would after their pupil
learns the names of the great battles correctly. "It
is a wonderful thing. I found it in Moria of all
places."

"And why do you not want to keep it?" He laughed
again. This Elf looked young like its entire race, but
he had an even more childlike air about him than his
brethren.

"I need it no longer."

"Why? If where are on the edge of Shadow, would we not
be able to lure our victims ourselves. "

"Yes. But you are too young and your attempts would
hurt you. I only use it on nights when I am lazy."

"You do not talk like an Elf."

"It is because I am no longer an Elf, but just the
shell of one. Oh, don't look at me like that." I
stopped frowning. "Thank you. I am not a corrupted Elf
like Orcs. For ages, I wished to leave my kin. And
year after year I became less like them. I am
outlandish. I bedded more than once in my lifetime. I
am but a child with the rest of his life ahead of him
to play and enjoy simple things that only a young one
would seek amusement in."

I sat there for the longest time. My creator was an
Elf whose only urge was to eat and play. What a simple
life to live. No worries. No heartbreaks. Nothing.
Even as I sat, he was drawing a picture in the forest
floor with a stick. He chuckled at his art and cleared
it away with his hand.

"How did your lover react?" My head snapped up. He had
the largest grin on his face.

"I have no lover."

"Oh, yes you do." I wagged his fingers in my face. "I
heard you cry his name…more than once." He giggled.
The Elf moved so that he was on his stomach, his legs
kicking behind him and his head propped on his hands.
"Tell me about it. I have not experienced such a thing
in years."

"No, I will not!"

He sighed. "Alright. I best show you how to use that
watch." He snatched the watch out of my hand and
turned the crank for the music. "You must have it
ready to play. Then when you spot your meal," he
pretended to see someone as he spoke, "you stand with
your arm out and let it swing." It swung back and
forth, the ticking becoming louder with each round.

"It does not work anymore."

"Wrong, Halfling. It only works on mortals."

"Mortals? So I'm no longer a mortal? I will live
forever?"

He nodded his head gleefully. "You could be an Elf if
you were a few feet taller and had long hair. I
sometimes wonder how it would be to live in a hill
like your people do. It wouldn't be nice, I bet, as
I'm tall and I would 'bang!' Hit my head on your
ceilings." He sighed again and handed the watch to me.
"I bet you're hungry."

"Yes." I put the watch back into my pocket and ask,
"What is your name?"

"I have many names. Blood Eater, Norno-nildo, Earo,
and countless others.

Norno-nildo as I prefer to call him seemed odd at the
time and still is. I kept hoping that I would not be
like him someday, and thankfully I have not. Norno
held my hand as he led me in twisting paths. He
stopped me when we reached a small brook.

"Do you see that rabbit there?" I nodded. It had the
prettiest brown fur and its ears fell to its sides.
Remembering his instructions, I let the watch swing.
Nothing happened at first, but after a few seconds the
rabbit's ears went up and his eyes focused on the
watch. I got on my knees. The little creature hopped
towards me. Automatically, I dropped the watch in
front of it. As it sniffed it, I picked it up. It
struggled, but my grasp was stronger than it had been
before.

"Now this is the fun part," Norno said. He dropped to
the ground and looked over my shoulder. This was the
most annoying Elf alive. My teeth sank easily into the
skin. The blood was warm and it made me think of Sam,
of his warmness. I felt drowsy, thoughts of my love
raced in my head, making me aroused. Sam. The rabbit's
heart bounced with mine, but it was not the same. I
longed for Sam.

I threw the rabbit to the ground and wiped my mouth.
Norno clapped.

"Must you do that?"

"Yes. Sorry, that is all I can show you before you
leave."

My eyes widened. "How do you know of my leaving?"

He pointed to his ears. Since he was an Elf and a
vampire, he could hear probably miles away. Norno
stood, waved and walked across the brook.

"Wait!" He stopped.

"I have questions. Why does the sun harm me?"

Norno rolled his eyes. "Because we live in the dark.
All light affects creatures of the night. You should
hide somewhere like a cupboard or a root cellar when
it is daylight. Or at least cover your head if you're
sleeping near a window. You'll get burns."

"And why must we drink blood?"

He thought for a moment. "They did not tell."

"Who are they?"

"Them." He broke a stick in half and continued
breaking it until it was no longer breakable. "You
know you can run faster. And you can jump farther and
climb things unfathomable."

I nodded. It appeared that he wouldn't be helping
learn how to do any of those things.

"And why are you helping me? You said you wouldn't."

"I did not say that."

"Yes, you did."

"I said I would help you."

"No you didn't."

"Yes, I did. "

I learned many things from Norno-nildo that night. I
left him sitting there; he did not seem to notice. I
went back to the house sulking.

Sam was in my bed asleep. I was hungry and wide awake,
just looking at him made my head throb with thoughts
of harming him. Sighing, I curled up next him and held
him in my arms. My arousal in the woods was nothing
compared to what was happening to me in my bed.
Heartbeat after heartbeat it became worse. It was
horrible and wonderful. With one arm around Sam, I
unbuttoned my trousers with the other and began
rubbing myself. If I moved too much I'd wake Sam up.

I bit my lip, holding back moan after moan, mentally
calling out Sam's name. I gasped when there was
another hand on me.

"Sam…Y-you're awake."

"I know." He yawned and kissed my cheek. I let Sam
take over and I lifted up his nightshirt.

"How long have you been like th-this?" I had always
enjoyed Sam's hand better than mine. I moaned and
thrusted. It was so much better with all my new
senses. I took hold of him making him moan in turn.

"Ever since you started."

"I thought you were asleep."

"No."

I climbed on top of him and kissed Sam lightly.

"It is the middle of the night and I am wide awake."

Sam smiled. "You're supposed to be." He yawned again.
His nightshirt was up to his chin and I wanted it to
lead to more. Sam pulled his shirt down and kissed me.

"I need to sleep, Frodo. I've stayed awake and waited
for you. You were gone for a long time."

"I"-kiss-"am"-kiss -"sorry, Sam. You go to sleep and
I'll find something to amuse myself with. "

Sam grinned and we laughed. I kissed for the last time
that night and tucked him in.

After closing the door I slinked about the house. It
was quiet and I could even hear the silence. Merry and
Pippin were sleeping in Peregrin's bed. I smiled
seeing the two together. Merry moved and Pippin's arms
went around him tightly. Just like Sam and I. Their
hearts beating as one made me happy and excited. They
were beautiful and I found myself inching towards the
bed. The pocket watch was with me. No. I couldn't. I
left them.

Freddie was in his room. Once again I had to stop
myself from harming my friend. I turned away sadly and
entered Sam's room. His pack was there. I could tell
that he had been trying to stuff more things into it.
I laid down into the bed. Even though it had only been
a day, it smelled of my love. I wanted to be with him,
but I couldn't. I'd harm him in his sleep. Sighing, I
forced myself into slumber.