A note before I start. This is called the Prologue for a reason. It is
unnecessary for the story and you don't have to read it. It might help
later on. I don't know because I haven't finished it yet. :(
Also, if there is any confusion this symbol: ~~~ means time has passed. The three starts (***) symbolize the changing of character's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, Mirkwood, orks or any other Tolkien characters/places etc that are in this story.
Prologue
It was a quiet summer night with only the slight sound of crickets chirping in the background.
Linetta stared into the sky. The starts were bright tonight. She smiled. This was a night worth living. Her fingers fumbled over the scars on her hand. Glancing down at them, she reminded herself that moments like this were rare. Tossing her long blonde hair behind her, she looked back up at the sky.
~~~
Quietly opening her eyes to the rising sun, the orange and pink rays illuminated her. Linella closed her eyes again and absorbed the warmth of the it. For a moment she just sat there. Reluctantly, she got up and headed into the house.
The door swung shut behind her and the sweet aroma of freshly baked apple bread met her. She had fixed the bread the night before, but was glad the scent had stayed.
She left the kitchen and headed soundlessly up the stairs. The green lights on her digital clock gleamed 5:48.
Linetta flopped down on her bed. She closed her eyes. The house was silent.
Twelve minutes later her clock started playing the tune Hero sung by Enrique Inglaisis. A tear slid down her cheek and she reached over and turned the radio off. She didn't want to live this day. It was going to be like every other day. It was only going to get worse than it already was.
~~~
She sat quietly. Her arms draped her bent knees, her feet flat on the cement deck. Around her teenage girls were talking about this and that. No one even acknowledged her presence. That was usual.
Glancing at the clock, she noticed there was ten minutes until six-thirty. She straightened her leg and put the other down on the cement. Stretching each muscle, she went through her normal routine.
Linetta finished just before six-thirty. Perfectly timed, her coach waked over to the group and told them to get up and shake it out.
~~~
The cold water surrounded her. The tiny bubbles that seemed to be a warm blanket were rapidly fading. Linetta surfaced and took a second to regain her breath.
Pulling her cap firmly down over her ears, she put her head back underwater and pushed off the wall. She relaxed and smoothly crawled through the water. It rushed past her and she tried to remember why she was still doing this.
She completed the seven hundred yards in just less than ten minutes. Grasping the water she pulled off her goggles and grabbed her water bottle. The icy water soothed her throat and rid of the chlorine taste.
The other three high school girls in her lane were huddled around the wet piece of paper posted on the gutter wall.
"Here we go," she muttered beneath her breath as she moved the two feet to join them.
~~~
She achingly lifted the damp towel and dried her face and her hair with it. Practice had been so hard she was having trouble doing small tasks because of aching muscles.
"It is time I quit this," she whispered to no one. "Twelve years is nearly enough."
She slowly dressed and neatly folded her towel. After placing it in her bag, she zipped it and slid it on her shoulder.
The walk was long. But she had come to enjoy it over the years. Once she crossed through the school's football, baseball and soccer fields she was in the quiet forest. Within five minutes, there would be no sign of civilization.
The day was warm. The birds were chirping. All was sweet. It was well after eleven o'clock and the two hour walk had just begun. It would be one before she arrived home.
~~~
Also, if there is any confusion this symbol: ~~~ means time has passed. The three starts (***) symbolize the changing of character's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, Mirkwood, orks or any other Tolkien characters/places etc that are in this story.
Prologue
It was a quiet summer night with only the slight sound of crickets chirping in the background.
Linetta stared into the sky. The starts were bright tonight. She smiled. This was a night worth living. Her fingers fumbled over the scars on her hand. Glancing down at them, she reminded herself that moments like this were rare. Tossing her long blonde hair behind her, she looked back up at the sky.
~~~
Quietly opening her eyes to the rising sun, the orange and pink rays illuminated her. Linella closed her eyes again and absorbed the warmth of the it. For a moment she just sat there. Reluctantly, she got up and headed into the house.
The door swung shut behind her and the sweet aroma of freshly baked apple bread met her. She had fixed the bread the night before, but was glad the scent had stayed.
She left the kitchen and headed soundlessly up the stairs. The green lights on her digital clock gleamed 5:48.
Linetta flopped down on her bed. She closed her eyes. The house was silent.
Twelve minutes later her clock started playing the tune Hero sung by Enrique Inglaisis. A tear slid down her cheek and she reached over and turned the radio off. She didn't want to live this day. It was going to be like every other day. It was only going to get worse than it already was.
~~~
She sat quietly. Her arms draped her bent knees, her feet flat on the cement deck. Around her teenage girls were talking about this and that. No one even acknowledged her presence. That was usual.
Glancing at the clock, she noticed there was ten minutes until six-thirty. She straightened her leg and put the other down on the cement. Stretching each muscle, she went through her normal routine.
Linetta finished just before six-thirty. Perfectly timed, her coach waked over to the group and told them to get up and shake it out.
~~~
The cold water surrounded her. The tiny bubbles that seemed to be a warm blanket were rapidly fading. Linetta surfaced and took a second to regain her breath.
Pulling her cap firmly down over her ears, she put her head back underwater and pushed off the wall. She relaxed and smoothly crawled through the water. It rushed past her and she tried to remember why she was still doing this.
She completed the seven hundred yards in just less than ten minutes. Grasping the water she pulled off her goggles and grabbed her water bottle. The icy water soothed her throat and rid of the chlorine taste.
The other three high school girls in her lane were huddled around the wet piece of paper posted on the gutter wall.
"Here we go," she muttered beneath her breath as she moved the two feet to join them.
~~~
She achingly lifted the damp towel and dried her face and her hair with it. Practice had been so hard she was having trouble doing small tasks because of aching muscles.
"It is time I quit this," she whispered to no one. "Twelve years is nearly enough."
She slowly dressed and neatly folded her towel. After placing it in her bag, she zipped it and slid it on her shoulder.
The walk was long. But she had come to enjoy it over the years. Once she crossed through the school's football, baseball and soccer fields she was in the quiet forest. Within five minutes, there would be no sign of civilization.
The day was warm. The birds were chirping. All was sweet. It was well after eleven o'clock and the two hour walk had just begun. It would be one before she arrived home.
~~~