It's dark out. It's dark inside. I can no longer tell the difference between day and night, even though my mind and my eyes tell me when the sun is shining or when the moon has risen. Neither give me comfort as they once did. I am always alone in the dark, with my dreams.

I dream about my journey, about events along the way, about It. They are always dark dreams, more often ending with one or all of my closest friends dying. I dream about the Witch-King attacking me again, about Aragorn and Glorfindel not reaching Rivendell in time, and the horrible things Sauron would make me do as a wraith under his power. I dream about giant spiders wrapping me in tons of restricting webs until I can no longer breathe. I dream about it; about wanting it, needing it, about taking it for my own again.

I hate my dreams, but there is no escape from them, even during the day. I have just had one now. I lay alone and scared in my bed, my mind telling me I am safe at home in Bag End, but my heart telling me that I am forever lost and will never return.

I cry out in fear as my dream begins again, taking me back to the fires of Mount Doom, and in the back of my mind I hear footsteps heading my way. My heart is telling me it's Gollum, coming up behind me to take my precious away from me.

A hand reaches out and takes mine as I reach for the chain around my neck, and a voice says, "Frodo, wake up, dear. Your Sam is here."

Terrified, I try to pull away, until, slowly I see a vague light behind me, and I know it's coming from my Sam. Now all I can see is Sam's worried face. He is worried about me. If it weren't for him, I would be dead. As I look up at him, I am slowly brought back to reality. Sam is the only one who can bring me back from these horrible nightmares.

"Sam," I say, attempting to steady my voice without much success. "I'm sorry to wake you."

He sits on the edge of my bed and lets me lay my head in his lap. "No need to apologise, dear." He pushes a lock of my hair from my eyes and says, "I'd stay up all night for you, Frodo."

I close my eyes and smile briefly. Sam kisses my forehead, and slowly I fall asleep, safe in his arms, safe from the dreams and darkness, if only for a little while. Someday I will be healed, away from this world, away from the darkness, but that will only happen because of my Sam keeping me anchored in this world until I can leave it in peace.