Author's Notes: Thanks for the words of encouragement gategrrl.
Feedback welcomed.

5, 692 ... 5, 693 ... 5, 694 ... 5, 695 ... 5,696 ...

He lay flat on his back on top of his bed as the numbers raced through his head. He lay perfectly still. Arms straight at his side. Eyes affixed to the ceiling. Daniel was counting.

5, 707 ... 5,708 ... 5,709 ... 5, 710 ... 5, 711

He was counting something, but he couldn't remember what. He only knew that it was important and he couldn't stop until he was finished.

5, 721 ... 5, 722 ... 5, 723 ... 5,724

Numbers and thoughts intermingled in his mind. What was it? What was he counting? Why was he counting? There was a reason for these numbers. They had a purpose. There had to be. Everything had a purpose. But they just went away. As soon as a number was completed in his mind. It just went away. It no longer existed. It didn't make any sense.

5, 745 ... 5, 746 ... 5, 747 ... 5, 748 ... 5, 749

There was a time when it did make sense. When he did understand it all. That was back on P4X 347 in the room with that wonderful, amazing light. That wonderful, glorious light. Standing in that room watching that light and feeling its beauty wash over him, Daniel understood everything. He knew everything. Everything made sense. Everything was clear. But now ...

5, 770 ... 5, 771 ... 5, 772 ... 5,773 ...

It just went away. He couldn't understand why. He couldn't bring it back.

5, 779 ... 5, 780 ... 5, 781 ...

The room had been dark when he started. Now the first light of the early morning sun began to filter through. Removing the darkness. Pushing away the shadows. Revealing. Exposing. Making everything ... clear. Daniel began to smile. It was coming back. It was starting to make sense. It was ...

Daniel raised his arm and saw the shadow of a hand blot out the whiteness of the wall. NO! Panic set in as he realized the horrible, awful truth. He was the shadow. He was the darkness that killed the light. He was the reason it went away. Now the numbers ... Oh god, the numbers ... the numbers were gone ...

Daniel's mind scrambled and clawed to bring them back.

3, 000 ... 3, 000 ... 3, 000

No, no. That wasn't right.

4, 608 ...

Wrong.

947 ...

Where did they go? Don't panic. Don't panic. You can bring them back. Just start over.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ...

No! Wait! Oh Stop! Oh my God, Jackson! Stop! You are so stupid. You are stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. You are the reason everything goes away. Everything you see, taste, feel, smell, touch, think, speak, hear ... goes away. Everything that falls under your shadow gets destroyed. Sha're, Sarah ... Everything dies. You kill everything. And now, you're killing the numbers. So stop. Just stop.

STOP!

There was silence. There was nothing.

No, not nothing. Something. There was a sound. A ringing. The shadow felt itself rise from the bed. Curious, the shadow found the source of the ringing. It was that thing. That. That phone.

`Answer it.'

`No, I'll kill it.'

`No you won't.'

The shadow felt a hand bring the receiver to its ear. The ringing stopped. It had killed the ringing. As with all things, the shadow had touched it and it had ceased to exist.

"Daniel?"

It said nothing.

"Daniel, are you there? This is Sam."

The shadow quietly placed the phone back down on the counter.

`Oh, Sam. Oh, wonderful beautiful Sam. Have I killed you? Have you fallen under my shadow? I am sorry. I am so, so, sorry, Sam. Please forgive me.'

The shadow looked around the room knowing that it was destroying, killing, causing things to cease to exist with its very gaze. It all just went away. It didn't make any sense. It did at one time. It made sense once. Long ago. Back in that glorious room with the light. That wonderful, glorious room where everything was right and good and perfect. It all made sense then. It was all there. Now it was all gone. None of it made any sense now.

The shadow walked through the rooms. Going through the mechanics of a being that had a purpose. But it had no purpose other than to destroy. The shadow placed a kettle of water on the stove.

`Why?'

`To destroy the water.'

The shadow spied an apple on the counter. It held it in its hand and marveled at its beauty. Its roundness, its smoothness. The luscious redness of this vibrant creature.

`Don't destroy it,' something pleaded.

But, the shadow felt its teeth rip into the tender flesh of the fruit. The shadow looked with remorse at the gaping wound it had created. There was a space, an emptiness where life had once existed, but was no more. The shadow had taken it away. It could almost hear its cry of pain as the morsel lay dead its mouth. The shadow spit out the death that was in his mouth.

Destroyer of worlds. Someone had said that once about someone it had once known. But, now the shadow understood. It was the destroyer of worlds. It was the destroyer of light and life, and it made everything go away. The shadow was beginning to understand. It knew what it must do to bring it back.

The shadow walked to the balcony.

`It will all be over soon. Everything will soon be safe and right," it thought as legs made their way over the railing. The shadow felt hands hold on to the railing as the body leaned into the morning air. The shadow closed the eyes.

`Why? What does it mean?'

`Hush. It doesn't matter now. None of it means anything. Just let go and it will all be over soon. Just ... let ....'

"Daniel? What are you doing out here?"

The end