On My Own
A loud clap of thunder echoed throughout the Last Homely House, but Elladan Peredhel didn't move.
The storm had been going on for about an hour, now. It was well into the night, and so it was pitch black outside. He could hear tree branches scraping against his windows, and the sound of raindrops hammering above him was almost deafening.
But he wasn't paying much attention to it. He was on his side on the bed, body facing the door to his room. He felt horrible.
One half of his mind was telling him that Eleniel would come running through that door and straight into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder about how terrified she was of the storm. But the other half of his mind was yelling at him that this would never happen again… that Eleniel was newly married and she had no reason to run to her brother anymore when she had her husband right next to her in bed.
And this killed him.
His baby sister had grown up so fast, and he couldn't help the tear that rolled down his cheek as memories of that little blonde elfling flooded his mind. Now she was an adult. A beautiful, strong, independent, married adult. He would probably never be able to hold her in bed like he used to, or tickle her on the sofa of the Hall of Fire like he used to, or go swimming with her in the river in the forest like he used to...
And for the first time in thousands of years, Elladan felt alone.