A Man Who Flies From His Fear May Find He Has Only Taken A Shortcut To Meet It by LadySternchen  

Darkness- Dior

“Stay with me!”

Dior clings to his father’s hand, hindering him from leaving him alone in the dark. He is tired, yes, but the fear that bubbles in his throat keeps him wide awake. Beren sighs deeply, and sits back down on Dior’s bed.

“It really is time for you to sleep. Your mother and I will be just outside the door, we will make sure that nothing scary can enter this house.”

That is no help at all. Dior does not fear what is outside, he knows the trees and the beasts- there is nothing within Tol Galen that he fears. Or nothing, except for the darkness. Most of all the darkness that lurks in the very darkest corners of their house. He tells his father that, but Beren only chuckles.

“Do you know that your mother once lived in the dark? Before there was a sun or a moon?”

Dior marvels, but not for long, for his mother’s voice rings in through the open door.

“It never was dark. The stars were so bright, then. But be that as it may, there is nothing to fear from the darkness, and moreover, I know the perfect remedy against it.”

“What is it?” Dior asks, eagerly.

“You don’t want to see it, right?”

“Right.”

“Good. Now what you have to do is pull your blanket up to your chin, lie on your pillow and shut your eyes.”

Dior does what Lúthien tells him.

“And now?”

“And now you keep your eyes shut, then you won’t see the darkness.”

Dior scowls.