Worth Any Price

The world was colder and darker than he’d ever imagined.

Shunned by his family, turned out of the hole the night before into a dark thunderstorm, he took comfort in the one thing left to him.

“My Precious…”

So beautiful. So perfect. Worth anything.

Anything?

If only he’d let Déagol have it, he would be warm and dry, not shivering in the rain.

The Precious was his!

But it came at a terrible price.

A wave of guilt crept over him. “Déagol!” he shrieked, agonized.

There was no reply.

No. He would never regret what he’d done for the Precious.