Chapter 1 Don't Talk to Strangers
Author's Note: Another new story that I thought of out of the blue. I've been doing that a lot lately. I don't own any of the characters in the Hobbit. I only own my OC character.
Happy reading!
It was a cloudy day in Cotswolds, which was sixty miles west of London, when Phoebe Byrd was walking her grey Husky, Oz, down the street. Phoebe was 37-years-old with long red hair and hazel eyes. She lived alone in a little flat with just her dog for company. She moved out of her mother's house three months ago due to a big fight they had.
Phoebe's mother, Tabitha, kept saying that if she didn't loose some weight she would die an old fat spinster. Even though she was used to her mother's rude comments about her looks but she went too far that day. Phoebe is the first to admit she was a bit on the heavy side but she was actually happy with her size. She wasn't a stick but she wasn't a planet either. She was in the middle and that was good enough for her. But apparently it wasn't good enough for Tabitha Byrd. Which is why she moved out and away from her criticizing mother.
It's not like she wanted to die a spinster, but it's so hard to meet someone she could connect with. Most of the men here were wankers.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the man coming from around the corner until she bumped into him. He was an old man around his early to mid 70's. He had grey hair and wore a grey tailor suit and wearing a leather shoulder bag. As soon as Oz saw him he started barking.
"Oz!" she scolded him.
Oz kept barking until the old man gently pat the dog's head and he instantly stopped.
"There, there now. That's a good dog," the old man smiled.
"Sir! I am so sorry. He's never acted that way before," Phoebe apologized.
"That's all right, my dear. No harm done," he said.
Phoebe noticed the man's shoulder bag on the ground and some of the things inside had spilled out.
"Let me get these for you," she said bending down to pick everything up.
"Thank you. That is most kind of you," he replied.
While Oz was staring at the stranger with curious eyes Phoebe putting everything back in the bag. There was a leather journal, some pens, a scarf and a book. She looked at the title she gasped.
"The Hobbit!" she declared.
"You've read it, my dear," the old man asked curious.
"Of course! It was one of my favorite stories when I was a little girl. My father would read this to me all the time," Phoebe smiled.
"You two must be very close," he nodded.
"Yes...we were. He died three years ago. Heart attack," Phoebe explained sadly.
"I'm sorry to hear that," the old man said.
"It was a long time ago. But now it's just me and my mum, who thinks I look like whale," Phoebe bitterly declared.
She didn't know why she was unloading her frustrations to a total stranger.
"I'm sure your mother means well," he tried to cheer her up.
"I know she does, but it still hurts. You know it's silly but I used to have a bit of crush on the character Dwalin from the Hobbit," she confessed.
"Really? I thought for sure you would be more interested in Thorin or at least one of his nephews. The actors that play them in the movies are quite handsome."
"They are handsome. I won't lie but I've always been more attracted to the sidekicks, the ones that get over looked. Dwalin seems like a big brute but I know he's a softy underneath it all," she explained.
"I see," he nodded.
"Well, here's your book back sir. It's just a shame that Thorin, Fili and Kili died at the end," she said.
The old man takes the book and looks at her curiously.
"If you could change the end, my dear, would you?"
"Of course! It would save everyone in the Company a lot of heartache. Plus Dain Ironfoot won't be king. I don't mean to sound harsh but he didn't join them on the quest. Thorin and the Company did all the work and he only helped out toward the end. It just seems unfair to me," Phoebe explained.
"I couldn't agree more. Well, I must be off. Until we meet again Miss Phoebe," the old man said walking away.
Phoebe smiled politely and started to walk Oz again. She only took five steps when she turned around and called out, "Hey! How did you know my name?"
But there was no one there. It was like the old man disappeared into thin air.
"Where did he go," Phoebe asked out loud.
Suddenly Oz starts barking when he sees a squirrel run by. He starts tugging on the leash trying to break free.
"Oz! No!" Phoebe commanded.
But the dog wasn't listening. He manages to break free of his owner and starts chasing after the squirrel.
"Oz! Oz, come back!" she yelled.
Soon she was running down the streets trying to catch up with her dog. She almost ran into a married couple and a boy on his skateboard.
"Bloody hell!" the boy cried out.
"Sorry!" she replied.
Oz soon runs into the nearby woods and Phoebe is right behind him.
"Oz!" she yelled.
As Oz continued to chase his prey it was getting harder for Phoebe to keep up with all the trees surrounding her. Suddenly she trips over a tree root and falls down a hill. Phoebe screamed as she continue to fall going round and round until she finally she hit the bottom. Oz shows up and starts licking her face, trying to wake her up but she was out cold. The dog whimpered as if afraid that his owner was dead.
Suddenly the old man from earlier appeared.
"No need to worry, my friend. She's not dead," he said to the dog.
Oz looked up at the old man unsure.
"I promise you. When she wakes up she will be just fine. Although, I'm certain that she'll be quiet cross with me. While, enough chit chat. Time to go," the old man said.
He waved his hands and changed his clothes appearance. The man now had a long grey beard, wearing grey robes and a pointed hat. He carried a long staff.
Gandalf the Grey tapped his staff on the ground and soon the three of them disappeared.
Author's Note: Did you like it? I've noticed a few Dwalin/OC pairing stories lately. And I thought I would write one too just for the hell of it. Again I only own Phoebe and her dog Oz. I pictured Phoebe to look a lot like Sara Rue. Whether she's heavy or thin, I think Sara Rue is beautiful. Later!