1 Come What May
- By Hitchhiker
1.1
1.2 Chapter One
It is impossible to experience one's death objectively and still carry a tune.
1.2.1.1 Woody Allen
*~*~*~*~*
"At slow speed
You'll seem bogus
Emotion, we seem wrong
In summer, we can
Taste the rain
Never knew to be free
Don't worry about me
And just like the movies
We play out
Our last scene
Two can play this game
We both wonder
About the war
In winter, we can
Taste the pain
In our short years
We've come along way
To treat it bad and
Throw it away
In our short years
We've come along way
To treat it bad and
Throw it away
Never knew to be free
Don't worry about me
And just like the movies
We played out our last scene!"
"Movies" by Alien Ant Farm bounced off the walls of Hope West's room. She danced through the clothes-strewn floor, belting out the lyrics. Her voice could not even be heard over the pounding of the music.
Nor could the knocking on her door from her roommate, Gwyneth.
Finally, Gwyneth got fed up with waiting and opened the door, stepping inside and scaring Hope. "SONOVABITCH!" she screamed. Gwyneth stared blankly at her and held out the phone as Hope turned down the sound.
"Sorry," Gwyneth muttered, although in her monotone voice she sounded anything but. "Your dad is on the phone."
"Oh, K thanks, Gwyn," Hope took the phone and waited for Gwyneth to leave before speaking mildly into the phone. "Hi, Daddy, how's everything at home?"
"Fine, princess, everything is just fine. Actually, I called to see how your job search was going."
"Oh," she replied, very downhearted, "Actually I was just taking a break. Been working' real hard, you now. Hehe."
Silence on the other end.
"You don't believe me do you?"
"Sorry, no."
Hope sighed and lay on her bed. "Daddy, I cannot find work anywhere. Nobody needs a doctor anywhere."
"I think if you look enough, you'll find something. Don't worry; I know you can do it. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Right then," said her father, obviously changing the subject, "How's the current job doing?"
"Well, I'm employee of the month again."
"That's great . . . hey, wait, aren't you the only employee?"
"Oh yeah, you noticed that too."
Hope worked in a bookstore to pay rent on the apartment she shared with Gwyneth. And it wasn't just any bookstore; it was a travel bookstore. Needless to say, they didn't get enough business to need more employees. But it paid the rent.
They chatted a little while longer before Hope remembered her job search.
"Uh, hey Daddy, I think it's about time I get back to looking for a job."
"Of course. Um, Hope . . ."
"Yeah?"
"I want you to know, that I am very proud of you. I'm sure mother would be as well."
Tears sprang to Hope's eyes at the thought of her mother, especially her mother being proud of her. "Thank you, Daddy. I love you."
"I love you too. Bye, princess."
"Bye." Hope gazed sadly at her mother's ring and turned back to her computer, logging into the Internet and searching for an open doctor job.
*~*~*~*~*
Hope's mother was always a touchy subject. When Hope was six and her brother Jonathon was ten, their mother had fallen ill. On her final hour, Bianca had called her family to her, whispering unknown things, first to her husband, then her son, and finally, to Hope.
"Love, my little one, love will make all the shadows flee, love will light the darkness, love will make you shine, and love will save all. Always love."
And with a last effort in her pain - wracked body, Bianca took from her finger the silver ring that no one had seen her take off. She slipped it into her daughter's tiny hands and closed them over the item. "Always love." And she closed her eyes and died.
*~*~*~*~*
For hours she had searched the Internet, finding only that no jobs were needed for a physician. Finally she got so fed up with no job openings.
"I DIDN'T GO TO MED SCHOOL FOR FOUR YEARS BECAUSE IT WAS FUN! NOW GIMME A FREAKING JOB!!"
She laid her head on the keyboard of her computer making it beep until she lifted it off.
"I think it's time for Hope's coffee break." She said weakly, grabbing her coat and walking into the living room/dining room.
"Hey, Gwyn, I'm going over to Barnie's, want me to pick you up a latté or something?"
"No." said her roommate, so engrossed in the news on T.V. that Hope was sure she hadn't even understood correctly. "Look at this," cried Gwyn, "There's like this huge, storm heading this way."
"Really, in summer time? That's odd."
"Yeah, and, like I said, it's huge."
"Well, I really need some coffee, so I'll see you later, K?" Hope turned toward the door, and left.
*~*~*~*~*
"Sonovabitch," muttered Hope upon seeing the closed sign on the coffee shop's door. She had been looking forward to a warm cappuccino, especially after the storm. Gwyneth had been right; the storm was a big one.
The rain splashed down like bullets, thunder and lightning seemed to tear apart the sky. Few people were on the streets, and the few that were, were inside their cars.
"I am such an idiot," she muttered to herself, drawing her soaking wet coat closer to her body as she struggled to get back to her apartment building. "I should have brought my car, I should have brought my car, I should have brought my car."
The wind howled in her ears louder than it had before and then, suddenly silence. Complete and utter silence. Hope looked up saw the strangest thing.
Everything was frozen. The cars, the people seemed to be unable to move. The raindrops were stuck in their downward path and even the dark clouds and brilliant lightning were motionless.
Hope reached out a hand to a close raindrop and, ever so carefully, touched it's surface. She could feel it's cool, wetness but it neither moved nor broke.
Hope was just about to turn and run when something far down the street caught her eye. It was mist, but the strangest mist she'd ever seen. It was brilliant and silvery, glowing and getting brighter by the moment. It was also getting closer.
Fear gripped Hope's heart with a strong hand and squeezed. She wanted to run and hide but something kept her rooted to the spot.
Her eyes widened and as the mist touched her, icy cold and as bright as the sun, she felt wind whip around her, howling like haunted spirits. And for the last moment before blackness took her vision, Hope felt her heart stop, and cold creeping over her, except where her mother's ring encircled her finger.
*~*~*~*~*
Disclaimer: oh, yeah, sure
A/N : No flames, but helpful criticism id welcomed with open arms. Also, your gonna need a Middle-earth map for this fic I think. Unless you have it stamped on your brain. Like me. . .
- By Hitchhiker
1.1
1.2 Chapter One
It is impossible to experience one's death objectively and still carry a tune.
1.2.1.1 Woody Allen
*~*~*~*~*
"At slow speed
You'll seem bogus
Emotion, we seem wrong
In summer, we can
Taste the rain
Never knew to be free
Don't worry about me
And just like the movies
We play out
Our last scene
Two can play this game
We both wonder
About the war
In winter, we can
Taste the pain
In our short years
We've come along way
To treat it bad and
Throw it away
In our short years
We've come along way
To treat it bad and
Throw it away
Never knew to be free
Don't worry about me
And just like the movies
We played out our last scene!"
"Movies" by Alien Ant Farm bounced off the walls of Hope West's room. She danced through the clothes-strewn floor, belting out the lyrics. Her voice could not even be heard over the pounding of the music.
Nor could the knocking on her door from her roommate, Gwyneth.
Finally, Gwyneth got fed up with waiting and opened the door, stepping inside and scaring Hope. "SONOVABITCH!" she screamed. Gwyneth stared blankly at her and held out the phone as Hope turned down the sound.
"Sorry," Gwyneth muttered, although in her monotone voice she sounded anything but. "Your dad is on the phone."
"Oh, K thanks, Gwyn," Hope took the phone and waited for Gwyneth to leave before speaking mildly into the phone. "Hi, Daddy, how's everything at home?"
"Fine, princess, everything is just fine. Actually, I called to see how your job search was going."
"Oh," she replied, very downhearted, "Actually I was just taking a break. Been working' real hard, you now. Hehe."
Silence on the other end.
"You don't believe me do you?"
"Sorry, no."
Hope sighed and lay on her bed. "Daddy, I cannot find work anywhere. Nobody needs a doctor anywhere."
"I think if you look enough, you'll find something. Don't worry; I know you can do it. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Right then," said her father, obviously changing the subject, "How's the current job doing?"
"Well, I'm employee of the month again."
"That's great . . . hey, wait, aren't you the only employee?"
"Oh yeah, you noticed that too."
Hope worked in a bookstore to pay rent on the apartment she shared with Gwyneth. And it wasn't just any bookstore; it was a travel bookstore. Needless to say, they didn't get enough business to need more employees. But it paid the rent.
They chatted a little while longer before Hope remembered her job search.
"Uh, hey Daddy, I think it's about time I get back to looking for a job."
"Of course. Um, Hope . . ."
"Yeah?"
"I want you to know, that I am very proud of you. I'm sure mother would be as well."
Tears sprang to Hope's eyes at the thought of her mother, especially her mother being proud of her. "Thank you, Daddy. I love you."
"I love you too. Bye, princess."
"Bye." Hope gazed sadly at her mother's ring and turned back to her computer, logging into the Internet and searching for an open doctor job.
*~*~*~*~*
Hope's mother was always a touchy subject. When Hope was six and her brother Jonathon was ten, their mother had fallen ill. On her final hour, Bianca had called her family to her, whispering unknown things, first to her husband, then her son, and finally, to Hope.
"Love, my little one, love will make all the shadows flee, love will light the darkness, love will make you shine, and love will save all. Always love."
And with a last effort in her pain - wracked body, Bianca took from her finger the silver ring that no one had seen her take off. She slipped it into her daughter's tiny hands and closed them over the item. "Always love." And she closed her eyes and died.
*~*~*~*~*
For hours she had searched the Internet, finding only that no jobs were needed for a physician. Finally she got so fed up with no job openings.
"I DIDN'T GO TO MED SCHOOL FOR FOUR YEARS BECAUSE IT WAS FUN! NOW GIMME A FREAKING JOB!!"
She laid her head on the keyboard of her computer making it beep until she lifted it off.
"I think it's time for Hope's coffee break." She said weakly, grabbing her coat and walking into the living room/dining room.
"Hey, Gwyn, I'm going over to Barnie's, want me to pick you up a latté or something?"
"No." said her roommate, so engrossed in the news on T.V. that Hope was sure she hadn't even understood correctly. "Look at this," cried Gwyn, "There's like this huge, storm heading this way."
"Really, in summer time? That's odd."
"Yeah, and, like I said, it's huge."
"Well, I really need some coffee, so I'll see you later, K?" Hope turned toward the door, and left.
*~*~*~*~*
"Sonovabitch," muttered Hope upon seeing the closed sign on the coffee shop's door. She had been looking forward to a warm cappuccino, especially after the storm. Gwyneth had been right; the storm was a big one.
The rain splashed down like bullets, thunder and lightning seemed to tear apart the sky. Few people were on the streets, and the few that were, were inside their cars.
"I am such an idiot," she muttered to herself, drawing her soaking wet coat closer to her body as she struggled to get back to her apartment building. "I should have brought my car, I should have brought my car, I should have brought my car."
The wind howled in her ears louder than it had before and then, suddenly silence. Complete and utter silence. Hope looked up saw the strangest thing.
Everything was frozen. The cars, the people seemed to be unable to move. The raindrops were stuck in their downward path and even the dark clouds and brilliant lightning were motionless.
Hope reached out a hand to a close raindrop and, ever so carefully, touched it's surface. She could feel it's cool, wetness but it neither moved nor broke.
Hope was just about to turn and run when something far down the street caught her eye. It was mist, but the strangest mist she'd ever seen. It was brilliant and silvery, glowing and getting brighter by the moment. It was also getting closer.
Fear gripped Hope's heart with a strong hand and squeezed. She wanted to run and hide but something kept her rooted to the spot.
Her eyes widened and as the mist touched her, icy cold and as bright as the sun, she felt wind whip around her, howling like haunted spirits. And for the last moment before blackness took her vision, Hope felt her heart stop, and cold creeping over her, except where her mother's ring encircled her finger.
*~*~*~*~*
Disclaimer: oh, yeah, sure
A/N : No flames, but helpful criticism id welcomed with open arms. Also, your gonna need a Middle-earth map for this fic I think. Unless you have it stamped on your brain. Like me. . .