Author note: I don't own The Hobbit or any of its characters. I have read the book in the past and watched the movies. I'm interested in finding a beta reader to improve my writing if anyone is interested however, I do a lead a busy lifestyle due to university.

Two big green eyes blinked in a small side mirror lying on the kitchen table, as a lightly tanned hand unscrewed the lid of a mascara bottle and gently traced them over the lashes. The foundation covered lips gently parted as she tilted her head to get the very corners of the lashes coated with the black substance. Twisting the lid back on the mascara, she looked over her work. The reflection showed a young woman with dark brown hair tied loosely away from her face. Her eyes were delicately painted with a mixture of sparkly browns over her lids to contour and highlight their shape; the lashes gently lined with a thin flick of black eyeliner at the corners. Her eyes almost lit up and appeared bigger.

The young woman let out a defeated huff. Her eye makeup had improved considerably, but her foundation was still a shade too light for her skin and some red blemishes on her cheeks were till visible. The nude lipstick she had used went over her lip on one side, almost unnoticeable unless the observer was brutally scrutinising her makeup. But Julia could still see it. With a large feathery brush, she flicked some of the powder off her face and blended the edges to her natural arabesque skin.

Julia had never worn makeup when the other girls first seemed to discover the sparkling swatches of eyeshadow and shiny lip-gloss. She never had much interest in appearances. At fourteen, she modelled a short pixie hairstyle dyed navy blue, making her chubby face appear sickly pale. Having recently turned eighteen and now experiencing her final month of her first year of university, Julia found she enjoyed the therapeutic painting of colour on her eyelids. Putting on foundation as a skill she had yet to master. It was rare she was allowed the wear it anymore since she began her nurse training.

Still observing herself in the small mirror, Julia pulled the hair tie free and allowed her tresses to fall in waves around her shoulders. Picking up a small pink brush, Julia ran it through once more to make sure the knots were gone before finally feeling satisfied. She allowed herself to smile at the creation which had taken her an hour to do. She loved her eyes. It was easy to become self-conscious of her curvy waist and thick thighs which showed signs of cellulite when tensing, but she was proud of the emerald coloured ones she was born with.

Julia pulled on a figure hugging blue hoody over her black t-shirt and black leggings before turning back to the kettle and boiling some water for the fifth time. It was eleven AM on a Thursday morning. Outside was bright but cloudy, warning to the south-east coast of England that rain was soon to follow. Not that Julia minded. She had not finished work until midnight the night before and having no immediate plans decided to stay indoors with a cup of tea and a book.

"-over the past two days, northern England has been pounded with torrential rain, spectacular lightning and thunderstorms which appears to be making its way further sout-". Julia pushed a button on her phone to turn off the weather report, made herself a cup of tea and sat on the comfortable sofa in her mother's living room and watched the beginnings of rain spit from the clouds. She was quite content to do nothing today.

~O~

So many thoughts rushed through the young hobbit's mind. Annoyance, anger, shock and more than a bit of confusion. His day had begun like any other day. He had devoured first and second breakfast and not long had eaten elevenses when he sat in his beloved porchway, smoking his pipe when that Valar-forsaken wizard had turned up. To think he was asking him to join on an adventure, of all things!

Bilbo had just settled down in his dining room, napkin neatly tucked into his shirt to protect his clothes from any mess, as he squirted some lemon juice over his fish when the doorbell interrupted him. Mildly irritated but too polite to ignore the unknown visitor, Bilbo folded his napkin and made his way to the entrance. Opening the door, a considerably muscular dwarf intimidatingly towered over him in his archway. The top of his head was bald but possessed a large impressive brown beard and long brown hair at the back of his scalp. The stranger wore a deep brown cloak, bowing to Bilbo before introducing himself, "Dwalin, at your service". Bilbo nervously returned the polite gesture before his guest let himself into his home and helped himself to his dinner.

Not long after another Dwarf knocked on his door in a similar fashion. Bowing, introducing himself as "Balin" and offering his service to Bilbo before joining Dwalin in the kitchen to raid his cupboards.

Now, here Bilbo stood in the middle of his own corridor attempting to stop four dwarfs from ransacking his pantry and redecorate the entire contents of his kitchen! The last two dwarves had arrived together (Kili and Fili was it?) To make matters worse, no amount of scolding, pleading or begging made them leave. It was a chaotic and terrible evening at the last!

Another knock at the door spurred on Bilbo's infuriation. Dropping the pile of knives and swords of his unexpected guests to the floor, Bilbo quickly shuffled to the entrance calling to the visitors "No! There's nobody home! Go away and bother somebody else! There's far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is." Irritably clasping the brass nob of the door, Bilbo yanked the it open, allowing a pile of dwarfs to sprawl onto his welcome mat.

Bilbo observed the scene with widened eyes and his mouth dropped open before looking up to see a smiling old man dressed in all grey and a pointy hat, leaning on a staff.

"Gandalf".

~O~

Julia yawned before lightly blinking her eye open, only to realise she was in complete darkness. There were no sounds emitting through the house to indicate if her mum or dad had come home from work and she could not see the familiar flashing blue light of the internet router. There must have been a power cut, she thought to herself. How long was I asleep for if it's this dark already? Julia hesitated to sit herself up on the sofa, she hated the darkness. She knew it was childish but she just could not seem to shake her fear of the dark. Her over active imagination thinking of monsters and ghosts traveling around the house waiting to capture her.

Shaking her irrational fears from her mind, Julia sat up and screamed as a large flash of lightening darted across the sky, followed by a deafening round of thunder. Julia attempted to calm her beating heart and took a deep breath. It's just the storm, she repeated to herself. Julia pushed herself into a kneeling position on the sofa to look up at the sky but could not see anything. All lights on the street and houses had been switched off.

Another flash of lightening struck but this time it travelled through the window and struck Julia in the chest, sending her soaring backwards and unconscious.