It…

It…

It…

No, it was He!

And He was unrelenting. Seducing. Wet tongue grazing over the tip of his ear, and he almost said yes.

It was yes after all in the end. Frodo could not drive Him away, not after those contemptuous laughs roared in his ears, scoffing at him for his inability to avoid His beguiling presence, His faint yet captivating voice.

Four gaunt fingers groped on a white gem dangling from his neck, and clenched it tight. Four – and the fissure in the midst was throbbing dimly.

And somewhere at the back of his mind he screamed,

"You are not mine... I'm yours. All yours!"