A/N: I've thought about doing this type of story for a while. Basically, I've
based Stephen King's "It" in a Lord of the Ring's background. If you've never
read the book or seen the movie, a creature terrorizes neighborhood children,
feeding off their worse fears and then, well, eating them. I've decided that it
would be easiest to set the story in the Shire. This is an A/U fic. Warning,
graphic violence and some scenes may bother the weak of heart (and stomach) BP
Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR, Stephen King's ideas, or Frodo, Sam, Merry, and
Pippin, or any other of Tolkien's hobbits. The rest is mine.
Symbols:"********" is flashback "****************************" scene/POV change,
' ' means someone's thinking
Prologue: And so it begins again
It was happening again. Another loss, another innocent child taken. Frodo's
heart skipped at the first shriek that went into the air. The body had been
found. He walked numbly over to where the group was gathering. Someone had been
good enough to lay a blanket over what was left of the corpse and also to escort
the hysterical mother away, but for Frodo, it wasn't enough. It was his fault it
was happening again. They had failed to kill it, and now it had reawakened.
Frodo stood silently as the dead child was carried away. It had been the third
killing in 4 weeks. Everyone blamed wild wolves, but he knew better. Something
had to be done. This time, they couldn't afford to fail.
*****************************
Despite the tragedy, life continued normally, as it always did. These days,
there were curfews. "Children don't wander too far," concerned mothers would
say, "these are dangerous times. There are dangerous animals about." Little
Gerbald Humdum heard these words, like all the other children, and he listened,
most of the time, but one day, temptation got the best of him.
He went into the fields to play hide and seek. Somehow, he was always the one
seeking. "I'm going to find you," he taunted. At the sound of distant giggles he
turned his head tentatively, Brushing back deep amber curls from his face, he
ran towards the sound. He pushed the high grass aside, stepping through
carefully, "I'm gonna get you!" he said. The giggles subsided. Gerbald stopped
and looked about him. The grass a bit higher than he thought it was, and already
he was having a hard time remembering which way he had come. He turned to face
forward, and received quite a shock. A person, a very tall person had somehow
appeared before him. Gerbald fell backwards, startled. "Well now," the stranger
said with a laugh, "you should watch your step." Little Gerbald looked up in
wide eyed shock. It was an elf. He'd heard about them, but he'd never seen one
before. This one was a male with long lovely blond hair and bright blue eyes and
a very gentle smile. Gerbald stood slowly. "Hello there little one," the elf
said gently, "are you lost?"
Little Gerbald shook his head slowly. The elf looked him over and then cocked
his head to one side. Even though Gerbald wasn't but twelve years old, there was
something about the elf that Gerbald did not like. It wasn't his face or even
his height. The elf smiled at Gerbald, who suddenly felt afraid. It seemed the
more afraid Gerbald felt the wider the elf smiled. "What's the matter little
boy?" The elf asked sympathetically, "You aren't scared of me are you? Come now,
let's be friends." "My...momma says not to talk to strangers." Gerbald said
decidedly, taking a step back. "A very wise woman your mother," said the elf in
a whisper, "tell me, if I weren't a stranger, we could be friends then couldn't
we?" The little boy pondered this for a moment. "I," said the elf in an official
tone, "am Gómir . What might your name be?" Gerbald gave a quick glance
backwards, feeling suddenly very far from home. "I'm Gerbald," he admitted
almost reluctantly. The elf knelt slowly before Gerbald. "So can we be friends
now?" the elf asked eagerly. "I...I guess so." Gerbald said. Nearly too fast for
young Gerbald's eyes to follow, the elf's hand opened, and a small lovely flower
was revealed. "Isn't it pretty?" his voice cooed. Gerbald nodded. The flower was
a pretty shade of blue, it seemed exotic for some reason. Gerbald wanted to hold
the flower.
"Would you like this flower, Gerbald?" Gómir asked, "It floats in water, it
floats so slowly and gently, almost like a dream." Gerbald was nodding in spite
of himself. The elf's hand remained open. "Go on," he smiled, "take it." Again,
the uncertainty and fear returned, but the temptation was too much for Gerbald.
He reached for the flower. Immediately, the elf grabbed Gerbald's arm, crushing
it. But that was not what made Gerbald scream. No, it was the new sight fell
before his innocent eyes. It was no elf that had him now, but something that
made Gerbald lose his mind. So that he could not fight as he was drug away to
his death.
****************************
Pippin awakened from his nap in a cold sweat. He looked quickly around and
remembered that he was in his home, safe. As consciousness came, the dreams that
had troubled him so faded and he could not remember what had made him afraid. He
knew of the deaths, but couldn't understand why it was so....familiar. Indeed,
as his own coming of age drew near, he could scarcely remember his childhood. He
dismissed it as a time of foolery and games as most do as they become too
serious for the games and fears of children.
He had stood to stretch his weary form when there came a knock at the door.
Since he was nearest he went to answer. "Hullo Merry," he said cheerfully at the
sight of his best friend. The look on Merry's face wiped the smile off of his
own. "What's wrong?" he asked. "The Humdum's boy Gerbald's gone missing," Merry
replied grimly.
*************************
Okay, that's the end. A review or two would be encouraging, but in the meantime,
I'll be going. Later days! BP
based Stephen King's "It" in a Lord of the Ring's background. If you've never
read the book or seen the movie, a creature terrorizes neighborhood children,
feeding off their worse fears and then, well, eating them. I've decided that it
would be easiest to set the story in the Shire. This is an A/U fic. Warning,
graphic violence and some scenes may bother the weak of heart (and stomach) BP
Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR, Stephen King's ideas, or Frodo, Sam, Merry, and
Pippin, or any other of Tolkien's hobbits. The rest is mine.
Symbols:"********" is flashback "****************************" scene/POV change,
' ' means someone's thinking
Prologue: And so it begins again
It was happening again. Another loss, another innocent child taken. Frodo's
heart skipped at the first shriek that went into the air. The body had been
found. He walked numbly over to where the group was gathering. Someone had been
good enough to lay a blanket over what was left of the corpse and also to escort
the hysterical mother away, but for Frodo, it wasn't enough. It was his fault it
was happening again. They had failed to kill it, and now it had reawakened.
Frodo stood silently as the dead child was carried away. It had been the third
killing in 4 weeks. Everyone blamed wild wolves, but he knew better. Something
had to be done. This time, they couldn't afford to fail.
*****************************
Despite the tragedy, life continued normally, as it always did. These days,
there were curfews. "Children don't wander too far," concerned mothers would
say, "these are dangerous times. There are dangerous animals about." Little
Gerbald Humdum heard these words, like all the other children, and he listened,
most of the time, but one day, temptation got the best of him.
He went into the fields to play hide and seek. Somehow, he was always the one
seeking. "I'm going to find you," he taunted. At the sound of distant giggles he
turned his head tentatively, Brushing back deep amber curls from his face, he
ran towards the sound. He pushed the high grass aside, stepping through
carefully, "I'm gonna get you!" he said. The giggles subsided. Gerbald stopped
and looked about him. The grass a bit higher than he thought it was, and already
he was having a hard time remembering which way he had come. He turned to face
forward, and received quite a shock. A person, a very tall person had somehow
appeared before him. Gerbald fell backwards, startled. "Well now," the stranger
said with a laugh, "you should watch your step." Little Gerbald looked up in
wide eyed shock. It was an elf. He'd heard about them, but he'd never seen one
before. This one was a male with long lovely blond hair and bright blue eyes and
a very gentle smile. Gerbald stood slowly. "Hello there little one," the elf
said gently, "are you lost?"
Little Gerbald shook his head slowly. The elf looked him over and then cocked
his head to one side. Even though Gerbald wasn't but twelve years old, there was
something about the elf that Gerbald did not like. It wasn't his face or even
his height. The elf smiled at Gerbald, who suddenly felt afraid. It seemed the
more afraid Gerbald felt the wider the elf smiled. "What's the matter little
boy?" The elf asked sympathetically, "You aren't scared of me are you? Come now,
let's be friends." "My...momma says not to talk to strangers." Gerbald said
decidedly, taking a step back. "A very wise woman your mother," said the elf in
a whisper, "tell me, if I weren't a stranger, we could be friends then couldn't
we?" The little boy pondered this for a moment. "I," said the elf in an official
tone, "am Gómir . What might your name be?" Gerbald gave a quick glance
backwards, feeling suddenly very far from home. "I'm Gerbald," he admitted
almost reluctantly. The elf knelt slowly before Gerbald. "So can we be friends
now?" the elf asked eagerly. "I...I guess so." Gerbald said. Nearly too fast for
young Gerbald's eyes to follow, the elf's hand opened, and a small lovely flower
was revealed. "Isn't it pretty?" his voice cooed. Gerbald nodded. The flower was
a pretty shade of blue, it seemed exotic for some reason. Gerbald wanted to hold
the flower.
"Would you like this flower, Gerbald?" Gómir asked, "It floats in water, it
floats so slowly and gently, almost like a dream." Gerbald was nodding in spite
of himself. The elf's hand remained open. "Go on," he smiled, "take it." Again,
the uncertainty and fear returned, but the temptation was too much for Gerbald.
He reached for the flower. Immediately, the elf grabbed Gerbald's arm, crushing
it. But that was not what made Gerbald scream. No, it was the new sight fell
before his innocent eyes. It was no elf that had him now, but something that
made Gerbald lose his mind. So that he could not fight as he was drug away to
his death.
****************************
Pippin awakened from his nap in a cold sweat. He looked quickly around and
remembered that he was in his home, safe. As consciousness came, the dreams that
had troubled him so faded and he could not remember what had made him afraid. He
knew of the deaths, but couldn't understand why it was so....familiar. Indeed,
as his own coming of age drew near, he could scarcely remember his childhood. He
dismissed it as a time of foolery and games as most do as they become too
serious for the games and fears of children.
He had stood to stretch his weary form when there came a knock at the door.
Since he was nearest he went to answer. "Hullo Merry," he said cheerfully at the
sight of his best friend. The look on Merry's face wiped the smile off of his
own. "What's wrong?" he asked. "The Humdum's boy Gerbald's gone missing," Merry
replied grimly.
*************************
Okay, that's the end. A review or two would be encouraging, but in the meantime,
I'll be going. Later days! BP
