Chapter 1, Rebirth

Maybe it was all a dream, or maybe she was in a coma, and she had recessed so far in to the depths of her mind that her imagination had become her reality. Laurel did not know for certain what had transpired, but she hoped it was her imagination, because Middle Earth felt more like a nightmare, than her new reality.

She remembered seeing a child in the water, floating on his back and unmoving. Seeing no one else nearby, she had swum out to help. That day the water was rough, and a heavy wind had made the water dangerous even for an experienced swimmer. She would have been nowhere near the water had she not felt compelled to, not only for the child, but for something else. It felt right to enter the dangerous water, as if a voice upon the wind was calling her. She had gotten to about a meter from the boy before she felt an undercurrent pull her beneath the surface of the water. She struggled to free herself from it, but no longer did she see the light from above, and everywhere was dark. Panic had started to set in as darkness continued to envelope her, until alas she heard a voice, soft, graceful, and clear.

"This is where I die…" Laurel struggled to swim, but found she was going nowhere.

"Calm down dear child of the other realm. I have called to you to help in a great task. Desperate are we, to change the fates of a few but meaningful lives. You know of this story and its outcomes; both its sad tragedies and great victories. I entrust upon you to see this done, for your passion to see good in the world, and your knowledge of this world and the possibility of new outcomes is valued dearly. I hope you can save these men, and help save Middle-Earth. Do you accept this?"

Laurel gasped for air, wanting nothing more than to be free of this struggle, and yet suddenly she found herself able to breathe within the water, or maybe she wasn't breathing and merely existing without breath within the water, for she could still produce no sound, and spoke with her mind to this beautiful voice she heard.

"I am not sure if I am dead, but how can I be of any help? I must be dying or going crazy to think that I have been brought into the world of Tolkien."

"I assure you, that you are not dead, yet, nor are you currently in Middle Earth. You are very much a part of Master Tolkien's story, even though he had not written it. Often stories that have happened elsewhere come to great people in another world. They are memories that are shared through the ages, and does not know the boundaries of worlds nor time, for what has been written ages ago in your time, is only occurring now here in Middle Earth. Your part had not occurred when Tolkien came across this story and the many memories of the men and women within it, for he was special, and he was gifted with not one but many stories. It is now that the Valar seeks to change certain paths, however it is entrusting this task to you, for your knowledge and human empathy is a great thing that can save lives."

Laurel considered accepting this task in hopes of being let out of the water more than of care for saving anyone else's life. She could not stand to be in the dark and watery abyss for any longer. Her body was trembling from the cold, and she had yet to take a breath with her lungs; she felt death ever close to her.

"Not dead yet… Will I die accepting this task?"

"That is something I cannot tell you. Many lives will still be lost saving middle-earth, but I assure you that your life will be greatly compromised should you decline. Your human body is dying as we speak."

"Did you send that boy out there to drown in order to talk to me?"

There was a pause.

"I beckoned to those who knew our story, to come to me. Unfortunately he was first to hear my call. Strong that boy was, but he was not who we were looking for. His heart was in the right place, but there are things he did not understand of this world, and too young was he. Do not worry for his life. Someone has come for him and is pulling him ashore as we speak. He will remember nothing of our meeting. You were second to come, and I wish you had in a different manner, preferably first, for you human body may not have suffered. There are always unforeseen consequences when two worlds come together for such a meeting. Do you accept this task?"

Laurel felt pain in her chest, as though her lungs were burning. She would die if she did not accept, because she had rushed in to the water without truly thinking of the danger. She nodded her head, "I accept."

Within moments her once empty lungs filled with water, and she could see rocks beneath her. The urgency for air became strong, and she struggled to bring herself to the surface, and she began to breathe in the water while gasping. She was drowning, and all she could think about was that she was going to die both in her world and now Middle Earth, despite accepting the task.

"Human you are no longer, for your human body is dead in your realm. While you may look similar, here you are Elven. You have much to learn, and I do not fear that your resilience and persistence will make haste of it. Do not fear your new self and duty; you will find help the moment you take your first breath in your new world."

Just when Laurel's eyes began to close, she felt someone grasp the back of her shirt and haul her up. She sputtered without much grace as she was laid on her back. She could feel the jagged rocks of the shore dig in to her. In her mind she was unsure if she preferred the numbness of drowning, or the jagged shore which allowed her to breath. With much effort she opened her eyes momentarily and looked in to piercing blue eyes, which showed worry as they stared back at her. Relief came over him when he saw her eyes open, and he propped her head up, trying to tilt it to the side so she could cough out some more of the water. His blonde hair was soaked, and water droplets fell from the tips on to her face. She coughed a few more times, water spilling from her mouth much more easily, before she closed her green eyes and lost consciousness.

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A/N: Who pulled Laurel out of the water? Hmmm.

I hope you are enjoying my story so far. I will try not to make my character like a Mary-Sue. This is an OC/Haldir story. So if there is a dislike for these sorts of stories, I do hope you'll either give it a chance, or move on to a story you would enjoy more.

I enjoy/appreciate creative and corrective criticism, as well as appreciation. I will try to take in to account reviewer comments/ideas; however I do have certain ideas already planned for this story, so I may not add in every suggestion, if at all.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Tolkien's characters, I do not own the story he has written, I do not own the movies or the script, nor did I have any input/involvement with them. I am not profiting from my written story. Laurel and possible other non-Tolkien characters are my own, and not a part of the true stories Tolkien has written, and are not a part of the movies either. This is a fan-written story, based off events of the books and movies, but is not the actual story. This is for pleasure and not for profit.