Howdy to all. So, I've enjoyed the Lord of the Rings films immensely and I enjoyed the Hobbit when it was released but it all kind of crept up on me. I wasn't too infatuated with it until I watched it again after a while and BAM! Instant obsession. It was all kind of weird.
So anyways, to commemorate the release of The Battle of the Five Armies I'm uploading the first chapter of my fan fiction. Hopefully I'll be able to keep on top of my updates (especially since I've already written out quite a few) and I'm proud to say that I've already beaten all of my previous fan fictions! Woo, pat on the back. Regardless I've really enjoyed writing what I have so far and if I keep this up I might actually be able to finish it. High hopes but there you go.
Slightly important: As the story progresses there will be some AU elements but it's nothing that will change what happens in the original plot. Just a few ideas that I've worked in to try and help my character fit in.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from J.R.R Tolkien's works but I do own all my original characters that you will see.
Anyways, hope you enjoy!
Alex sighed as she stomped up the small stone steps to her cottage, flicking away her finished cigarette butt in a random direction. Her day had persisted with making her mood worse and worse as time had passed which was just typical. She shifted the strap of her guitar case on her shoulder as she fished for her house keys from her pocket. Huffing in frustration after minutes of searching she finally whooped in triumph, unlocking the front door. After closing and locking the door behind her Alex kicked off her boots to the side and sat her guitar next to the door frame, extracting her bag of earnings before moving to her bedroom. The sound of coins jingling echoed through the empty house after her, improving her mood substantially.
Throwing the bag of coins, and herself, onto the bed Alex groaned in relief. She'd been stood on her feet all day so the small lay down on her bed was bliss. She enjoyed busking and normally would only complain about how tight people were with their money but today she'd woken up late and thrown on the only pair of shoes she could find. She wished she'd just taken her time now as when she'd finally arrived at her usual spot, it had already been taken. Bastard had been eyeing that spot since she started playing there, the useless little vulture.
That was an occupational hazard with busking unfortunately. If you weren't vigilant then chances were good that you would turn up every day to find somebody already in your spot. Thankfully she'd been able to fight off the other competitors most of the time, today was clearly just a bad day. Fortunately she always had a backup spot on the high-street for such occasions and her playlist made up for her lack of earnings. The thing was, she knew what everyone usually played: the usual bouncy, happy shit everyone hears every day. That's why her calmer, more 'depressing' songs drew a few more people than normal.
Forcing herself to sit up on her bed Alex tipped the bag of coins onto the duvet. She rubbed her face in exasperation as the majority of the coins staring back at her were coppers, the odd pound coin and fifty or twenty pence peeking through the mass of brown. The generosity of the public absolutely astounded her… to think that they thought she could eat for a week on one and two pence's simply flabbergasted her. She'd like to see them try to live the way she did, even if it wasn't necessary due to the large amount of money in her bank account. No longer did she have to suffer learning how to do a job she'd hate for the rest of her life, now she could do as she pleased as long as she was sensible. Heck, her biggest spend had been her little abode.
Collecting the coins and returning them to their plastic bag the young woman grudgingly dragged herself to the bathroom. She'd have to hurry if she was going to make it to her 'pick-up' point, a cave a few miles away from her cottage, in time for Emily, her best friend, to take her back to hers. She just couldn't wait for the night to begin. It wasn't often she got to spend a night being purely social and silly. There was just far too much to do these days.
Going through her routine Alex thought back to when she'd first found the cave. She'd just bought the cottage and had been exploring the land around it when she'd slipped and tumbled down the hill she was climbing. After she'd finished cursing she'd looked up and found herself right in front of it. It wasn't a cave as such, just a low, concave hole in the side of the hill. Afterwards she'd texted her friends about it and they'd had many a camp-out there. It also turned out to be closer to the road than her little cottage so when Alex arranged to see her friends they always picked her up from there.
A lot of the time the cave was also where Alex went to practice her songs for busking. She knew there was a bit more privacy in her home but she liked the way the notes from the guitar bounced off the low walls; the only place in her home she could imitate it was in her bathroom and she wasn't going to sit there for hours. Perfect ambience simply could not be imitated and so she suffered the walk more often. It was more than worth it.
Rubbing her dripping hair with a towel Alex wiped the condensation from the mirror. Her Blue eyes stared back at her. Leaning closer to the mirror to see the small green flecks near her pupil the young woman grabbed the nearby hairbrush. Brushing the tangles out of her long, brown hair Alex finally smiled, splitting the length in half and tying the top half back into a simple braid. A shower always worked to relax her and she knew she was getting closer and closer to sitting down in front of a huge television, eating a greasy takeaway, and watching her favourite set of films with her best friend.
Dressing back into her clothes, a royal blue bandeau top with grey skinny jeans, the brunette moved back into her bedroom to begin packing for the night. She mentally checked off the items she threw into her backpack haphazardly. Making sure to pack her baggy sweat pants she smiled in triumph. Most of the clothes she'd packed were for comfort but most of her clothes now were 'comfort' clothes anyways, baggy due to the amount of weight she'd lost since she'd moved into the cottage a couple of years ago. She would have bought more clothes that fit but that meant she actually had to walk around looking at the different rails in each store. She was far too lazy for that. She could only just bring herself to get dinner while working in the city centre.
Looking at the only clock in the house, that was attached to the wall above her bedroom door, Alex grinned. She had a little bit of time to relax before she had to start hiking to her little cave, perfect for practicing a couple of songs. Dragging her overnight bag into the lounge and dumping it on one of the few chairs she owned Alex retrieved her guitar and started plucking at the strings, grinning at the posters on the opposite wall as she leaned against the open-planned kitchen counter.
Ever since she'd been to the cinema to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug she'd instantly fallen in love with the song I See Fire. She thought that Ed Sheeran had caught the devastation of the dragon attack on both the people and the kingdom superbly. She was even ashamed to admit that the few times she'd played the song in her bedroom when feeling down had caused her to shed a few tears. Not many songs affected her in such a way. And so whenever she had a chance to practice she always started with that song, due to it being her favourite and it was great for warming up.
It was simply her guilty pleasure to play the song both on her ipod and on her guitar whenever she had the chance. If she had neighbours she was sure they would have begged her to play another song by now. Her second guilty pleasure however, was to play the song in front of the three posters she currently had blue tacked to her lounge wall. It felt fitting to be singing of the desolation to the images of the three sons of Durin.
Normally she wouldn't have bought such poster, despite her desire to, but thankfully Emily had done the deed for her as a birthday present last month. She'd never been so happy to have turned twenty three as she did the day she unwrapped the posters. Alex had been even more grateful to be friends with Emily that day, even since the day they bonded over a drinking session at the local pub with a few pints and a long discussion over The Lord of the Rings. That girl simply knew her too well; she was like a clone of her sometimes.
Checking her mobile for the time Alex grinned at the notifications stating she had twelve missed calls, all from her best that was a sign that she was overexcited to start and eager for the film marathon to begin, although twelve was an abnormal number. She noticed that she also had an equal amount of voice mail messages and groaned in frustration. Emily knew she couldn't listen to her messages and she had to send a text message if it was urgent. Such was the joy of a pay-as-you-go phone that was never topped up. Plus an internet connection usually solved her restrictions on replying to social correspondence.
Leaving her phone on the kitchen counter Alex collected her overnight bag and zipped her guitar back into its case, slinging it onto her shoulder over her backpack. Retrieving her mobile she then typed out a quick email to Emily, grateful she at least had Wi-Fi, as she left her cottage and locked the front door behind her. She succeeded in marching down the steps without tripping this time, which was a nice change especially since she was distracted.
En route to cave. Super excited for the marathon!
See you soon! X
Pressing the send button and slipping her mobile into its usual pocket she shifted her guitar more firmly onto her back and began the slow trek to the cave. She truly loved her little cottage and its location. For six miles in any direction there was just woodland. If you ignored the small country road a couple of miles away that was mainly used by the dying bus service. Regardless of that small blip in the beauty, it was made up with the groups of wildflowers that grew in small patches all throughout the woodland. All her friends had commented on it when they made the time to camp out at the cave. All of it seemed like a little slice of heaven just for her.
The hour and half it took Alex to walk those couple of miles to the cave passed by in a blur. Absorbing the scenery usually helped her with that. Unfortunately, now that she'd reached the cave and got settled while she waited she could feel how clammy her feet were. She nearly face palmed at the realisation that she'd put back on the boots she'd been stood around in all day. Not wanting to make the trip back to her cottage she resigned herself to her fate of sweaty feet and unzipped her guitar from its case, absentmindedly stroking her fingers across the strings. Now all she had to do was wait for the message saying her friend was waiting and she would walk to the road. Playing a few songs would help with the wait.
As the sun began its slow descent Alex became concerned. Checking her phone she found that an hour had passed and her friend had yet to let her know that she'd set off. Trying to shrug off her worries she fished out her pouch of tobacco and filters from her bag, rolling herself a liberally sized cigarette. Using her trusty lighter she lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, leaning back as the nicotine worked its magic. She knew this cigarette would probably be her last today, especially since she'd told everyone she knew that she was trying to quit.
Determining she only had a couple of drags left of her smoke Alex readied herself to flick it into the surrounding area when loud quacking interrupted the silence. Recognising it as her ring tone she fumbled with her mobile in her haste she checked the caller ID, grinning widely as she accepted the call. "Hey! What took you so long?"
"Alex! Listen, stay at home! Don't go anywhere!" Alex frowned at Emily's frantic tone of voice. Not once in their five year friendship had she ever heard her sound so worried. Taking the last drag on her cigarette she exhaled the smoke from her nose and flicked the tab end towards the woods.
"Woah, just calm down okay? What's going on? I'm already at the cave." She had to hold the phone away from her ear at this point, still hearing her friend screaming at her even from the small distance. She continued to hold the phone away from her pounding eardrum until the screeching became a bit more manageable.
"Look, Alex please. Just head straight back home as soon as you can! Promi-" A long, flat tone interrupted whatever Alex was going to be told next. Pulling her mobile away from her ear again she stared at the screen in confusion. 'Call Ended' stared back at her in bold letters before the phone locked itself. She was sure she wasn't touching the screen with any of her fingers so she couldn't possibly have accidently ended the call. All of a sudden the silence around her seemed stifling. Except now that she listened carefully, it wasn't as silent as she had thought.
In the distance, she couldn't determine just how far, there was a low humming sound. It reminded her of a plane engine but that couldn't be right. There were no airports around for at least twenty miles. Gripping the neck of her guitar Alex stood to try and take a look at the offending object disturbing the peace. She knew it'd be futile, especially since the sound had come from the direction of the setting sun and it was blinding her, but she had to try. Unfortunately it was just as she suspected, the sun blinded her sight and prevented her from seeing anything a few metres in front of her. Just her luck.
Nervously Alex sat back down and started to roll another cigarette. She was beginning to become scared and it showed in the sloppiness of her roll-up and the way she was taking larger drags than usual. In the back of her mind she casually kept an ear open for the persistent humming noise and was disappointed when it didn't disappear. Was it to do with Emily practically begging her to go back home? If it was she knew she should have left the area a good while back but she was unsure to if this was some form of elaborate prank. It wouldn't have been the first time; most of her friends were bad jokers. So she decided that she would wait for half an hour before making her way back to her cottage. If there was no car horn beeping in that time to tell her she'd been well and truly tricked, then she would panic and hole up under her bed.
Unfortunately Alex didn't see it to the thirtieth minute. Before she could finish her fourth chain smoked cigarette she was deafened by what could only be described as a roaring explosion. In shock and fright she jumped up and tried to locate the source, a slight ringing bouncing through her ears. She grabbed her guitar out of instinct but was unbalanced by its weight when an overwhelming gust of wind blew straight at her and sent her flying to the back of the cave.
Alex had barely a few seconds to see the dust cloud swiftly heading towards her as the dirt and rocks above the cave began to tumble down, blocking all the light from her eyes. As the entrance to the small entrance closed up the ground beneath her shook from the force. Fortunately she didn't have the chance to panic over the cave-in as she slipped into unconsciousness, the small amount of blood soaking into her hair being the only indication she hadn't escaped the gust unscathed.
Alex groaned as she slowly came to, coughing violently after her sharp intake of breath. She blearily opened her eyes to find her vision blurred, the time streams of light making its way through the small gaps in the wall ahead of her further obscuring her sight. Groggily sitting up she found her arms shaking. She felt abnormally weak, like she'd been on one of her more adventurous nights out and was recovering from hours of dancing, a hangover and smoking a hundred cigarettes. Her wheezing breaths cemented her final thought.
After an indeterminate amount of time she tried to stand, only to find her legs being weighed down. Reaching forward blindly her fingers found dirt, but as they explored more a quick note filled the air. Relieved to realise it was her guitar she quickly brushed away the dirt and small stones covering it and pulled the guitar up straight. The instrument had plenty of room to be stood up since she was only just able to stand at her full height of 5'8. At least she was, before whatever had happened had caved her in.
Reaching upward the brunette's hand met the ceiling, her arm only just starting to straighten up. Reaching around her she found the confines of her space barely big enough for her to curl up in. Having a much needed stretch would be out of the question. Taking stock of the situation she focused her attention on the pinprick sources of light shining through the wall in front of her, laying her guitar on the ground next to her where possible. Surely the wall wouldn't be that thick.
Dirt once again met her hands but as her hands roamed she found that the stones keeping the wall together were much larger than those that had sat on her guitar. Curiously Alex tried to see through where the tiny shafts of light were penetrating the dirt and stone wall but to no success, the light merely blinded her and left her unable to see even more. What felt like hours passed in a similar fashion until she had to take a break, her arms and legs shaking from exhaustion from staying in the same hunched position. This worried her greatly and caused her to fidget as she waited for her strength to return. She'd never felt so weak in her life, even after that bad case of flu she had last year.
She couldn't say how long she sat there; exploring the small, dark space she was in with her hands. She noticed however that it was slowly becoming harder to breathe. This realisation caused her to panic and begin tearing at the wall in front of her, clawing away at the dirt in clumps. The stones caused her more trouble; digging away the dirt around them and feeling the roughness of the stone rub her fingertips raw. She refused to give up though; she would not die in a place like this!
She had briefly managed to dig a bigger hole in the foot deep wall at one point, pulling one of the larger stones free before more dirt had fallen and filled in all her hard work. At that point she had screamed and attacked the wall in frustration before having to sit back and regain her breath from the dwindling air supply. Taking a wheezy deep breath Alex slowly began picking away at the wall again, this time starting at the top. As her efforts continued at a calmer pace she felt her fingertips become more and more sore until she lost feeling in them altogether. She had long ago lost her nicely shaped, long nails.
She couldn't say how long she was picking at the wall for. Her only concept of time was the space between each of her wheezy breaths, each becoming more laborious. Her breaks became shorter and shorter, her limbs more exhausted but she was eventually greeted with success. It was only small but it was enough for her to throw herself against the wall in relief, her burning lungs drinking in the fresh air that they so desperately craved. The tightness in her chest increased for a brief moment before finally easing.
The hole she had made was only the size of her fist but it was enough for the fresh air to slowly start filling the confined space and a steady stream of light now penetrated the gloom. She pulled her face from the hole after a few minutes, her lungs already burning significantly less despite the persistent wheeze to each inhale. As her eyes became more adjusted to the light she took stock of her condition.
Most shocking to her was the dirt and dust that coated her entire body. She prided herself on her cleanliness and always made an effort with her appearance. She also found that she had managed to smear faint traces of blood on herself, the source being the pads of her fingertips which she'd split open in her efforts. Her clothes also caught her eye or what was left of them anyways. Whatever it was that had happened before she'd passed out had left her clothes in tatters. Her jeans had survived better than her bandeau, which was now barely covering the essentials, while the skinny jeans now resembled a badly made pair of DIY shorts with one leg barely hanging on. Thankfully her leather boots didn't seem to be any worse for wear, same for her guitar which seemed to have some dirt on it but didn't look damaged.
Feeling invigorated by her small victory with the wall the brunette slowly started picking away at it again. Now that more light was coming into the collapsed cave she could see that it was around midday, or so she assumed. Roughly an hour, or so she guessed, passed before she had expanded the hole enough for a small child to be able to squeeze through. Thankfully she'd lost enough weight that if she made the hole slightly bigger she'd be able to squeeze through herself. Motivated she began to work again, praying that she'd be able to properly rest and tend to her bleeding fingers soon. Heck, some dinner wouldn't be turned down either.
Shifting back she carefully examined the bigger hole she'd made. She reckoned she could now squeeze through and make her way to freedom but there was something else that had priority. Manoeuvring her guitar so she could start pushing it through Alex carefully saw the instrument to safety. Her guitar was the last birthday present she'd received from her parents so there was no way in hell she was leaving it behind. She could barely hear the thunk of her guitar falling to the ground but started to squeeze through the gap. Her battered fingers grasped the outside edge to pull herself through.
Blinding sunlight caused her to pause in her wiggling crawl as she pushed her shoulders out of her prison. Despite being blinded by the light though she drank in huge gulps of the fresh air, finally being able to breathe without being hindered. She put it down to the stale air of the cave but she swore that she could almost taste the purity of the air. Feeling energised she continued to wiggle her way out into the open while trying to accustom her eyes to the mid-afternoon sun. Her stomach lurched as she fell from the hole to the floor, all her hard earned air gushing from her lungs at the impact.
Taking a moment to simply lay there and rest, Alex continued her efforts to accustom her eyes to the level of brightness. It took her longer than she would have liked to open her eyes just the slightest and even then her vision was slightly blurred. Trying not to take it to heart she instead started feeling around her with her hands, similar to what she did while still trapped in the cave. She revelled in feeling the soft grass beneath her battered and wounded fingertips. She couldn't have spent that long in the collapsed cave but it felt like forever since she'd touched anything so soft. Fluffy cats couldn't even compare.
All the while she continued trying to improve her sight and it soon got better. She still had a little more work to do before she earned back her twenty-twenty vision but she could now look around her while only slightly squinting. From what she could comprehend above her was a mass of treetops, the vivid colours striking her like a slap to the face. Maybe it was due to the time she'd spent in the darkness but she couldn't remember the greenery around the cave ever looking so alive. It was almost abnormal and alien to her, as even on a bright summer's day the surrounding countryside by her cottage always seemed a little muted. She was never surprised by that though, the world she lived in had lost its purity a long time ago.
Looking around her some more the brunette found it was the same all around. Her heart raced as her eyes fully recovered and her sights clarity revealed more vibrant colours and healthy woodland. Focusing back on the hole she'd emerged the cave from she nearly screamed in shock. The previously bare rock side she'd become accustomed to was now covered in grass and wildflowers that were unfamiliar to her. She couldn't have been out for longer than a few hours at most so how had grass had time to grow? Maybe somebody had been a busy bee and decided it would make a great secret garden? She just didn't know. She began to shake a little as her mind ran a mile a minute.
Forcing her thoughts to slow she grasped hold of her guitar, treating it as a lifeline. She knew her best line of action was to make her way home and think things through there, maybe Emily even knew what was happening. She had tried to warn her after all and she had ignored those in frustration she stood on wobbly legs and leaned her guitar against the side of what used to be her pick-up spot. She wondered if her overnight bag was still in that small, dark space. She hadn't felt it when she was scoping out the inside earlier but decided it was worth a look. Peering in proved to be futile however. She blocked out any light that would enter the cave, leaving her little choice but to abandon her hope of having extra clothes.
Scowling down at her disintegrating attire Alex once again grasped her guitar and hoisted it so the curve would rest comfortable on her shoulder and she could keep a thorough grip without tiring her arms too much. She found it disheartening that she was already getting tired and she'd only made it out of the cave so far. Her stomach had also made its complaints more audible, cramping lightly at the thought of being full. When was the last time she'd had a decent meal that wasn't instant noodles or a ready meal? She was disappointed to realise that she actually couldn't remember.
Gazing up at the sun behind the treetops she was shocked at the progress it had made. She hadn't realised that she had lain on the grass for an hour or two; it had simply felt like a few minutes as she waited for her eyes to recover and her body to regain strength. She realised she must have taken a quick nap; her efforts had taken more out of her than she would have liked. Shaking her head to clear it of the shock of her revelation she used the former entrance of the cave to determine the direction she would have to travel to make it back to her cottage. With a shaky step forward she began the slow trek back to her home.
"This shit is fucked up." Alex stated to no-one, her croaky voice echoing back to her and her dry throat jumping to the forefront of her mind as she steadily made her way over the wild terrain one wobbly step at a time
Time dragged on for Alex as she slowly made her way through the woodland. She kept track of the sun and had an idea that it'd only be a short while until she reached her little cottage. Or at least she hoped so. She'd taken twice as long to reach what she guessed was the halfway point due to having to take multiple breaks, her arms and legs nearly giving out on her at various points. It was beginning to worry her more and more. She'd been a part of various accidents before and she'd never felt so drained. The hope that before long that she'd be able to take a shower and have dinner kept her feet moving slowly but surely.
Pausing to catch her breath the brunette glanced around for her bearings, finding even more unfamiliar trees. She had yet to spot a single familiar landmark and that distressed her further. She knew she was giving herself false hope with the thoughts of her little home but she couldn't deny she was undoubtedly lost. She adamantly refused to accept it until she saw proof however. She'd just escaped from her cave, which she knew and was familiar with; she just couldn't fathom how the trees had changed within the space of a night at most.
Now tired and frustrated she let herself fall to the floor, settling her guitar on the dirt gently so she could tie the lower half of her hair into another knot. She'd regretted not tying all her hair back now but as the saying went: hindsight is a bitch. She couldn't even play her guitar for long to relax due to her sore fingers. That was currently ranking within the top five of her mental list of frustrations. She would go nuts if she couldn't play something soon.
Breathing deeply to try combat her current stress levels Alex rethought her current plan of action. She'd gotten out of her cave, she'd headed in the direction she knew her cottage was in and was now lost. She now needed to find either a landmark or find a local for directions back home. That was the best she was going to get she decided, she was never one for making solid plans. That was Emily, her ever stalwart friend who always came up with the awesome plans.
A sudden pang of loneliness hit her then. Emily always knew what to do in a sticky situation. She normally just stood there like a lemon and became worried about whatever trouble she was in, which is what she was currently doing. If she ended up missing in these strange woods would her friend mourn her? Would she gather the rest of their friends of try to find her? She knew her family would when they heard but how long would it take for the news to reach them? She now regretted the way she scarcely talked to her parents. Maybe that would now be her downfall.
The brunette growled and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes as tears began to gather. She rarely cried these days and she wouldn't start now. No way in hell. Crying had only made her situation worse in the past. She'd rather get on her knees and beg her best friend to sing with her which usually ended in some bruises for both parties, than cry just because she felt a little sorry for herself. Nu-uh. No way.
Pulling her hands from her eyes as she felt her eyes dry up again, Alex looked up at the obscured horizon. It was starting to get dark now and her stomach cramps were becoming more severe. She couldn't fathom sleeping outside without her sleeping bag and the company of her friends but it looked like she might have to if she couldn't find her way soon. She supposed she could give searching one more go before giving up hope for the day. It couldn't hurt, right?
And so the brunette dragged herself up onto her sore feet again, hoisting her guitar onto her shoulder once more, this time setting off in a random direction. She decided that if she couldn't find anything this time then she would find somewhere to settle that didn't look too dirty. She was already dirty enough to be able to pot plants, for crying out loud! Unfortunately desperate times called for desperate measures.
She slowly drifted off into her thoughts as she trudged along. Her only acknowledgement of the world around her during this time was when she took in the dwindling light. However after an indeterminate amount of time, just as the final light of the sun was fading she noticed the trees around her thinning and being replaced by rolling hills and grassland. She didn't fail to notice that even in the setting sun the colours of the world were still ridiculously bright. She had to know if it was just her or not.
At that moment she heard distant laughter and the sound of cheering. Alex was paralysed in shock by simply hearing other people interacting with each other. How long had it been since she'd heard or seen anyone? It was just earlier that day right? It felt like longer, like years had passed for her in solitude. That's what the silence of the woods had done to her: closed her up into its own little world and isolated her from her social habits. Now though, now she had the chance to finally talk to someone! To finally find her way home!
Breaking into a run she scrambled up the nearest grassy hill, eager to find what she assumed was a group of people were. She cradled her guitar to her torso after nearly dropping it when she tripped for the third time. The hill wasn't the biggest she'd ever climbed but her legs were still having trouble trying to match the speed her mind recalled. She nearly bellowed in triumph as she crested the hill, taking a much deserved break before looking at the scene presented to her.
She nearly fell backwards and tumbled back down the hill she'd just climbed. This couldn't be possible. She had to be dreaming. Sure, all of this felt real: the dropping temperature as the sun set, her aching feet and weakness in her body, the depleting air in the cave. All of it. It all felt real but it simply couldn't be. She refused to believe she wasn't dreaming! Sure, she'd read stories like what she was experiencing right now but those were just stories! No, this was just pure nonsense!
Alex barely managed to sit herself down, her guitar thudding dully against the grassy ground as it slipped from her numb fingers. Her mind refused to register the cold seeping through her tattered clothing in favour of the sight before her. Parts of her brain began to shut down, darkness encroaching on the corners of her vision before she shook her head to bring herself back to the present. She desperately wished she had a fat cigarette to help clear her mind and focus on the messed up situation at hand. Tobacco always seemed to help in such sticky situations.
Surely her obsession hadn't taken such a drastic turn for the worst? She'd read up on people who had gone on killing sprees due to avid fantasies brought on by such obsessions. But that wasn't her… was it? No, she'd have noticed other signs that were leading to it, or she would like to think so anyways. Why, oh why, was she stuck on her own and not with someone who could explain this messed up shit to her? Even Emily would have all the answers to this clusterfuck. Regardless even she knew this was madness. Just how did she know?
Because imagining Hobbit Holes in the hillsides just over the crest of that hill was for the mentalists. Complete, utter nutjobs.
"Oh hell no."
Alright, there's chapter 1 for you folks. Hope you enjoyed, if you did then leave a little review if you will. It always makes me happy to hear what people think. Also, constructive criticism is welcome, flames will be used to light my cigarettes.