Disclaimer: J.R.R. Tolkien owns Lord of the Rings and the world of Middle Earth. I, FindaHappyPlace, does not.

Chapter One:

My name is Sharana McNamara and, well, I'm nothing special. My 'Myspace' profile that is never checked says that I have brown hair and brown eyes. I spend way to much time at the local athletic center's rock wall and swimming pool, and I have the to body prove it. I could not exist with out my paint-splattered jeans and tee shirts.

I attend the best art school that my ACT scores would allow. I pride myself on the fact that it's a pretty damn good college. Judging by what school I go to one would assume that I'm an aspiring artist. I won't deny that my first friend in life was the Crayola 64 pack.

I paint, I draw, I sing, I dance, I act, I learn, and I live. But to tell the truth, that's about it. I'm not witty or able to talk myself out of a bad situation. I'm always in the wrong place at the wrong time, I'm quick to anger and quick to help when I'm not needed. I drive too fast, and listen to loud annoying techno music. I could balance my self on a thin balance beam and couldn't falter, but I tend to trip on air. I'm lonely to boot.

All my friends have spread out along the country to achieve their dreams and I've been to busy with Biology homework and memorizing my next monologue to make friends. I'm sure the only thing my roommate knows about me is that my name is Sharana, I always smell of photo developer, and that I have an annoying habit of leaving my paint brushes in the toothbrush holder. All I know of my roommate is that her name is Lynzie, a music major, and a blonde bombshell.

It had been a long semester and I could have sworn finals would be the death of me. I had a Creative Writing, Painting, Drawing, and Photography portfolio all due. As well as 2 monologues, a scene with my acting partner, the Christmas Production, Biology, Calculus, and Dramaturgy finals. So I was happy to clean out my room, say an awkward goodbye to my roommate, and leave college for a month.

I was ready to be able to go home, write by Christmas tree lights with nothing but my own personal deadline to follow. I got in my Scion, the small silver box that was in desperate need of washing and needed the oil pastels I had accidentally melted into the backseat floor board washed out. I hit the highway going a little to fast when a thick blanket of snow decided to fall on the highway, making the road instantly slick and my windows to fog up. I slowed down and tried to wipe away the fog and I failed to see the eighteen wheeler slide on the ice in front of me until I couldn't do much about it. I hit the brakes and watched the bumper of my car curl like a tin can. I was jettisoned forward, luggage slammed into the back of my seat and a tin of color pencils flew forward and hit the windshield. My seatbelt caught me, and my head slammed into the steering wheel as my airbag failed to deploy. Light flashed behind my eyelids and then I felt nothing.

--

Sirens and voices wailed in my ears, the air smelled of ash and smoke and then the voices turned to wind through trees and then smoke turned to clean air with the smell of flowers. My mind felt thick, like I was wading through mud. I couldn't manage to distinguish a single thought except. What? I tried to move, but I felt numb. Something told me I should be in intense pain, but I felt nothing except the feeling of grass brushing along my back and wind along my face. I open my eyes and my vision cleared surprisingly easy. Needless to say, I didn't see what I wanted to.

I was in a field of grass, with a grove of fruit bearing trees next to me, wearing nothing but my own skin. I moved toward the shadows of the trees. My brain was finally working again, and it could only tell me to hide. Adrenaline pumped though every nerve in my body as my fingers clutched the bark of a tall tree, I pulled my knees close to me in and effort to cover and warm my self. I saw thick droplets of dark scarlet liquid drop along my thigh. I looked up to the treetops to see if that was the source, only to feel warm liquid slide along my face large amounts. I touched the tips of my fingers to my temple and drew them back from my face to find them covered in the same scarlet liquid. I was naked, alone, and bleeding to death. I heard a tattoo of heavy footsteps breach the eerie silence of the woods I was in. I looked up again. If I climbed the tree, no one would see me, but I couldn't bring myself to move. I saw something over enter the opposite side of the grove. It was some human-like creature, with black scabby dead skin and I could smell the death on it before I could even see what color eyes it had. I seemed to smell me too, because it gave a ear splitting shriek and turned to my direction and ran across the field toward me. Its crimson eyes were fixed on me. It waved a large rusted flat sword at me threateningly.

It had a horrible laugh, it was more like an evil cackle. It called out and twelve more edged out of the gloom of the trees, waving the same horrible weapons. They ran after me and all I could do was grip the bark of the tree closer and clamp my eyes shut. I heard them call to each other, in a language I didn't not know, but occasionally I heard excited whispers of fresh meat. It was only when a melee broke out did I opened my eyes. Men emerged from the trees, some on horse back some not, with long hair and grace I could not achieve. They made quick work of the monsters with the bows and long knives. I tried to make myself as small as possible, but one of them spotted me and called out in a language I didn't know. He immediately took his cloak and covered me with it. I know I must have been a sight, naked, frightened, disoriented, and covered in my own blood. I tried to count how many there were surrounding me, but my mind felt heavy again and voices were calling out to me from the back of my mind. Voices I knew. I closed my eyes in an attempt to surrender myself to them.

"Mom, will she wake up?"

"Alec, I'm not sure." It was my mom and my brother Alec. I felt fingers brush along my face. I hadn't heard their voices in person since August.

"Can she hear us?" spoke another familiar voice. My cousin, Colt. Yes, Colt, I can. I tried to respond, to move, to wake, to see, but I couldn't. I could only feel and listen.

"Maybe, Colt, I'm not sure. You could try. Do something. They say it helps. Maybe read to her or something." my mom said with a shaky voice. I heard change jingle.

"Alec, You look pale. Go see if they sell mountain dew or something." Colt said, his voice also seemed weak. Was I really that bad?

"But… Okay." he said. I heard him leave.

"How bad is it?" Colt asked my mom. She went into paramedic mode.

"She broke three ribs, her femur, her knee, and had some mild internal bruising. All fixable, but she hit her head hard. I don't know if she'll wake up or not. The first few days will tell if she will wake up eventually or not. I mean were getting a small response. Maybe if we stay. Talk to her or something."

"I brought a book I've been pressuring her to read for years. I'll read it to her. Maybe you should go get some rest or something. You've been here all night."

"I'm fine. But reading to her would be a good idea." I heard the groan of a cushion and the scratching of chairs legs against the floor. I had no idea they were standing around me. Probably assuming I was at my death bed. Not knowing I was listening.

"Okay, well now that I finally get the chance to get you to read the Lord of the Rings its some what bittersweet. Well hear goes nothing."

I sat an listened to him read to me for hours. When he couldn't read to me any more, Mom picked up and read for him and so did Alec. It was an enchanting story about elves and hobbits and a wizard. They read to me until a doctor entered the room proclaiming that everyone but my mother should try to leave and get some sleep. I wished the would have continued, this Strider character that just entered the story was intriguing. It grew quiet after Colt took Alec home. All I heard was my mom flipping through channels restlessly and her pacing the room. Long fingers pressed against my forehead. Cool to the touch, they felt good against my hot skin.

"I bid you to awaken young one."