At The Precipice by Beatrisu

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Fanwork Notes

It is currently four in the morning, and I am trying to defeat both my insomnia and my writer's block. This was the result so far.

 I have always had a fascination with Maedhros' suicide. Then again, what Silmarillion writer doesn't? This is my second take on it - the first one written a very long time ago. Back when I first started writing fanfiction. So I decided to give it another go.

Constructive criticism is always welcome.  

 

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Maedhros stands at the precipice and ponders his choices, his folly, and his release.

Major Characters: Maedhros

Major Relationships:

Genre: Experimental

Challenges:

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Suicide, Character Death, Mature Themes

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 221
Posted on 6 December 2009 Updated on 6 December 2009

This fanwork is complete.

At The Precipise

Not for the faint of heart, or for those who find suicide disturbing!

Read At The Precipise

 

 

 At The Precipice

 

I stand on the precipice, watching the churning flames beneath while agony is coursing up both my arms. Tears seem to be evaporating faster than they can fall from my eyes, and there is a great pain in my chest like someone clawing at my heart, trying to wrench it from its cavity.

No more. I will handle this agony no longer – the hatred, the pain of the loss I have felt. My brothers are all gone. Maglor is alive, somewhere, yes, but he wanted to betray our Oath – that cursed Oath! My laughter bubbles from my chest like a lament for my sins, and my folly. I do not know what hurts more – the Silmaril scorching my hand, or the knowledge that I brought so much evil and destruction upon peoples that did not deserve it. I have committed the greatest sin – I have slain my own kin, killed them without thought to their families – only for the gain of my own. And yet we left our mother behind, and we all ended up dead for nothing.

Without a backward glance, I take the final step, Silmaril in hand, and I plummet into my release. The pain stops, even as flames the same color as my hair lick my body, utterly destroying me.

 

 


Chapter End Notes

As stated before, constructive criticism is always appreciated. This is merely my take on the suicide of Maedhros.


Comments

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Thank you, thank you!

 Intense is the middle name of Maedhros, I think, especially after all that happened to him. With the torture he underwent from Morgoth, to the wars, and all the horrible things the Noldor did to retrieve those three jewels. In my mind, Maedhros thought them not to be worth it in the end, and he felt that he was responsible, as was his way of thinking - or at least, that's how I see him. 

Maedhros is one of the characters I love the most, and so this just came to me as a way to banish my writer's block - and it worked, somewhat. 

Anyway! Thank you for your marvellous review! I'm happy I was able to give you the goosebumps. That's the highest praise I could ever hope to get.

The line about how his tears evaporate faster than they can fall is excellent--not only is it a sharp image but, to me, it also seems to show how his sorrow has been buried beneath necessity; now, at last, it can show, but it is too late. Very nice! ... well, erm, as nice as this particular topic can be. ;)

(Also, I got your email but had a lot of schoolwork this week ... didn't want you to think the website ate it or anything!

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

 I think Maedhros' suicide is something that fascinates a lot of Silmarillion fans, really, and I've played with the idea over and over again, written several fics for it. This is by far the most detailed one I've ever written, and also the one I thought turned out the nicest.

Thanks for the wonderful review! It really made me happy to see someone actually read and understand it - that's what I long for and what I feel I don't get at ff.net. I'm glad I came here!