Only in Her Dreams -A Short Story
She sat on the edge of the brook,dangling her feet in the cool water. The day had been long and hot. Babysitting for seven kids had wearied her. Sam Gamgee,she thought to herself, if your young wife has anymore kids,I'll shoot myself in the head. Samwise Gamgee was her best friend. He had been,ever since she'd gotten lost in the Shire. She was the only one of the Big Folk to live in Hobbiton. She was younger than most of the Big Folk Samwise and his friend,Frodo Baggins had ever seen. That day,Sam had asked her to watch seven of his ten kids. The young hobbits had driven her insane,going into Farmer Maggot's garden every five minutes. Now,she sat on the bank,and sighed restlessly. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever feel like leaving the Shire,in search of her own kind. Something told her it would be never. The hobbits loved her. Sam would be heartbroken if she left. "Cassiel! Come on! We're going into the fields!" She looked up,and smiled. "Alright then,Sam. I'm coming with you." She let out a sigh,this time,one of contentment. Samwise really did think the world of her,and the world of Middle-Earth was big. She got up and headed towards the hobbits,watching for the little ones,who were playing tag aroundd her ankles. Sam smiled up at his best friend. "We shall go as far as Buckland today,Cassiel. I want you to meet Frodo's cousin,Pippin. He is a real riot!" Cassiel smiled to her self."Sure thing,Sam....only,Mr. Frodo say it'll take you more than a day to get there." Sam nodded,with a laugh. "Ah...Frodo is so wise. I guess if you save the whole of Middle-Earth,it does happen." Cassiel nodded,and waited as Sam stood,obviously trying to find a solution. "Why don't we play around here? It's nearly dark anyway. The younger hobbits will be going to bed anyway." She suggested. Samwise nodded. "That's good then!" He looked up at the sun,and started. "It's past tea! Come along,children. Go on home to Mother." He led Cassiel and his brood up the large hill to his small cottage. He looked up at her at length. "I'll bring you yours,Cass. Wait here." Cassiel sat under a tree,and yawned. "Nevermind,Samwise. I'm too tired for tea tonight. I think I will just.......take a nap." In truth,Cassiel was thinking about telling Sam of her desire to return to her own people. The fourteen year old girl had been missing since she ten. Surely her mother and father must think her to be dead by now. Sam looked at his friend in grave concern. It was unlike Cassiel to forgo her late night tea. "Are you alright,Cass? Is ther anythin' I can do?" Cassiel looked up at Sam,a sad smile on her face. "No,Sam.....there's nothing you can do. I was trying to decide how to tell you this...." Sam came and sat next to her. "What is it? Are you ill?" Cassiel nodded. "Only,I am ill of heart. I'm homesick,Samwise." Sam looked at her,confused. "You are home." She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. She knew Samwise wouldn't understand. "No,Sam. I want my real home. My own mother and father." Sam nodded,catching on. "I see......" He sat thoughtful for a minute. "Do you know where to go to find them?" She shook her head. "Don't you remember? I was only ten when I came to the Shire. I don't remember ever being anywhere else." There was a long pause. She wondered what Samwise was thinking. She knew this had to be tearing him up inside. He and Frodo had been her adopted "parents" for as long as she could remember. "I'm sorry,if I'm hurting you,Sam......I just want to know what it's like.......having a Big Folk mother and father. " Sam put a hand up to silence his young friend. "No. It is I who should be apologizing. We should've taken you to your parents years ago. I was just so fascinated with you,it clouded my judgement. I know it will be a hard thing to do,but the best thing for us to do is to help you get home." Cassiel looked down at Samwise. Sam had little tears on his cheeks. "Don't cry,Samwise Gamgee. Even if I do go home,I'll come to visit. The Shire will always be home to me." Sam was comforted by those words. "And you will always be welcome here,my friend."He helped her roll out the bed he and his friends had made for her. "Sleep well,Cassiel." She bid him good night,and curled up to sleep. Cassiel,Cassiel........It's Momma. wake up,honey. You've been out for months. Cassiel.......come on,it's Samuel. She slowly opened her eyes,but closed them against the blinding florescent lights of the hospital room. "Momma! But...how? I was in the Shire with Sam and Frodo! How can I be here? Where are they?!"She looked around widly,for a trace of her hobbit friends. Her mother pushed down on the bed gently,soothing her . "Shh....... you've had a very traumatic experience,Baby. You were lost in the wildeness for quite a few months." Cassiel she nodded. "I know! And then I met Samwise Gamgee,who took care of me!" Her brother Samuel smirked."Sure sis,sure." Cassiel groaned in frustration. "Don't you believe me?! It really.......She trailed off,looking to her bedside table. There sat her copy of the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. "It was all a dream......." She began to feel sleepy again,and fell back on her pillows. "All a dream......"
She sat on the edge of the brook,dangling her feet in the cool water. The day had been long and hot. Babysitting for seven kids had wearied her. Sam Gamgee,she thought to herself, if your young wife has anymore kids,I'll shoot myself in the head. Samwise Gamgee was her best friend. He had been,ever since she'd gotten lost in the Shire. She was the only one of the Big Folk to live in Hobbiton. She was younger than most of the Big Folk Samwise and his friend,Frodo Baggins had ever seen. That day,Sam had asked her to watch seven of his ten kids. The young hobbits had driven her insane,going into Farmer Maggot's garden every five minutes. Now,she sat on the bank,and sighed restlessly. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever feel like leaving the Shire,in search of her own kind. Something told her it would be never. The hobbits loved her. Sam would be heartbroken if she left. "Cassiel! Come on! We're going into the fields!" She looked up,and smiled. "Alright then,Sam. I'm coming with you." She let out a sigh,this time,one of contentment. Samwise really did think the world of her,and the world of Middle-Earth was big. She got up and headed towards the hobbits,watching for the little ones,who were playing tag aroundd her ankles. Sam smiled up at his best friend. "We shall go as far as Buckland today,Cassiel. I want you to meet Frodo's cousin,Pippin. He is a real riot!" Cassiel smiled to her self."Sure thing,Sam....only,Mr. Frodo say it'll take you more than a day to get there." Sam nodded,with a laugh. "Ah...Frodo is so wise. I guess if you save the whole of Middle-Earth,it does happen." Cassiel nodded,and waited as Sam stood,obviously trying to find a solution. "Why don't we play around here? It's nearly dark anyway. The younger hobbits will be going to bed anyway." She suggested. Samwise nodded. "That's good then!" He looked up at the sun,and started. "It's past tea! Come along,children. Go on home to Mother." He led Cassiel and his brood up the large hill to his small cottage. He looked up at her at length. "I'll bring you yours,Cass. Wait here." Cassiel sat under a tree,and yawned. "Nevermind,Samwise. I'm too tired for tea tonight. I think I will just.......take a nap." In truth,Cassiel was thinking about telling Sam of her desire to return to her own people. The fourteen year old girl had been missing since she ten. Surely her mother and father must think her to be dead by now. Sam looked at his friend in grave concern. It was unlike Cassiel to forgo her late night tea. "Are you alright,Cass? Is ther anythin' I can do?" Cassiel looked up at Sam,a sad smile on her face. "No,Sam.....there's nothing you can do. I was trying to decide how to tell you this...." Sam came and sat next to her. "What is it? Are you ill?" Cassiel nodded. "Only,I am ill of heart. I'm homesick,Samwise." Sam looked at her,confused. "You are home." She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. She knew Samwise wouldn't understand. "No,Sam. I want my real home. My own mother and father." Sam nodded,catching on. "I see......" He sat thoughtful for a minute. "Do you know where to go to find them?" She shook her head. "Don't you remember? I was only ten when I came to the Shire. I don't remember ever being anywhere else." There was a long pause. She wondered what Samwise was thinking. She knew this had to be tearing him up inside. He and Frodo had been her adopted "parents" for as long as she could remember. "I'm sorry,if I'm hurting you,Sam......I just want to know what it's like.......having a Big Folk mother and father. " Sam put a hand up to silence his young friend. "No. It is I who should be apologizing. We should've taken you to your parents years ago. I was just so fascinated with you,it clouded my judgement. I know it will be a hard thing to do,but the best thing for us to do is to help you get home." Cassiel looked down at Samwise. Sam had little tears on his cheeks. "Don't cry,Samwise Gamgee. Even if I do go home,I'll come to visit. The Shire will always be home to me." Sam was comforted by those words. "And you will always be welcome here,my friend."He helped her roll out the bed he and his friends had made for her. "Sleep well,Cassiel." She bid him good night,and curled up to sleep. Cassiel,Cassiel........It's Momma. wake up,honey. You've been out for months. Cassiel.......come on,it's Samuel. She slowly opened her eyes,but closed them against the blinding florescent lights of the hospital room. "Momma! But...how? I was in the Shire with Sam and Frodo! How can I be here? Where are they?!"She looked around widly,for a trace of her hobbit friends. Her mother pushed down on the bed gently,soothing her . "Shh....... you've had a very traumatic experience,Baby. You were lost in the wildeness for quite a few months." Cassiel she nodded. "I know! And then I met Samwise Gamgee,who took care of me!" Her brother Samuel smirked."Sure sis,sure." Cassiel groaned in frustration. "Don't you believe me?! It really.......She trailed off,looking to her bedside table. There sat her copy of the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. "It was all a dream......." She began to feel sleepy again,and fell back on her pillows. "All a dream......"