Changed My Life
It was sunset. I had decided to take a walk along the beach behind my house. A greenish glow caught my eye and I decided to check it out. What I found was a strange bottle with a paper inside. I turned it over and shook it out. It was an old bit of parchment though it seemed strangely preserved. I unfolded it carefully.
What I found on that piece of parchment that fateful night changed my life.
My name is Elysse Carlton. I was just a normal 16 year old girl. I went to high school at Pine Island High. I've lived in this small town of Pine Island, Florida all my life. Nothing ever seems to change and yet nothing stays the same. I got up one morning at 5:30, same as always, to get ready for school. I went about my normal routine of a shower and doing my hair. I looked in the mirror. I was no beauty but I wasn't what you call ugly. I was just average. I had wavy blonde hair that I normally put in a pony tail. I loved my hair. I took care of it to make it the way it was. My eyes weren't spectacular. They were a greenish blue that often changed color with what I wore. My skin was good. A few pimples here and there but nothing serious. I quickly brushed my teeth and put in my contacts. That was another thing I was blind as a bat. I walked down the hall to my room and slid into some jeans and a lavender t-shirt. I walked out to the car thinking thank goodness it's Friday. Maybe I'll be able to hit the beach. I hopped in the car put it in drive and was off to school. School went by rather uneventfully, full of boring lectures and homework for the weekend from numerous teachers. I drove back home, stopping only to get a burger. I loved my house. We lived sort of out of the way. But because of that we had lots of land. We kept two horses there, one was mine and one was my friends. The house itself was country style and fit in beautifully. It was right on the water too. I walked in and threw my stuff down and changed into a bathing suit and wrapped a towel around my waist. It was a pretty day outside, perfect for going to the beach behind my house. First though I went out to the front yard to get my Warmblood mare, Jackie, out of the pasture. She loved the beach and we had fun together. I put her halter on her and we went out to the beach. I dropped my towel on the beach and hopped on Jackie with practiced agility after tying her lead rope into make shift reins. We headed down the beach at a steady walk both just enjoying the view and each others company. We had done this many times before so she knew just when to pick up pace. We raced around for a while loving the feeling of the salty air against our skin. I stopped her and slid off to give both of us a break and sat on my towel looking out into the ocean. Jackie stood by me for a moment with her head drooped and her eyes closed giving her a half asleep look. I felt a nudge on my shoulder and turned around to see Jackie prancing away. I could have sworn she was laughing at me. "Oh no you don't", I said half to myself chuckling. She had started this game we played. It was sort of like tag but no one ever got tagged. I chased after her acting like I was going to get her but never really trying. We played like this for a while and the sun was beginning to set. I noticed a greenish glow behind Jackie's foot. "Jackie", I whistled to her, the signal of the stop of our game. I walked up to her and went behind her to check out what it was. Jackie stepped beside me and I automatically reached up my hand and stroked her neck. With my other hand I reached up my hand and stroked her neck. It was a strange bottle with a paper inside. I turned the bottle over and shook it to get the paper out. It was old with flowing writing on it, it read:
~ Thus forth a spell has been found~ ~to bring other beings to this kingdom~ vâd na dail lîn, estelio i I, of course, thinking it was a hoax, read the so called "spell" out loud. "Can you believe it Jackie? People get weirder everyday." At the same time I felt a tugging at my navel and fell down. "Well that was weird." I got up and brushed myself off. I looked around at my surroundings. Jackie was still with me looking quite ruffled but we were now in a dense forest. I hopped up on her back and asked for a walk hoping to explore this strange place. After a while I got bored and stopped paying attention. This forest seemed endless. Jackie stopped looking around in all directions, her ears going every which way. I knew better than to not listen to her. Horses have better senses than we do so it would be stupid not to listen to her. Something jumped out of the trees and Jackie backed up quickly, throwing me forward but I quickly collected myself and sat up. At first glance I thought a woman stood before me but then it spoke. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to startle you lady." It was a man, a very handsome man at that. He spoke with a beautifully smooth voice. He had light blonde hair that went just past his shoulders. His deep blue eyes were the color of the night sky and sparkled like the stars. "Excuse me lady but what are you doing in the woods of Mirkwood?"
"Honestly I have no idea. I said this spell and it brought me here. Oh, and Jackie too."
"Would that be the name of your horse?"
"Yes, it is."
I suddenly found myself wishing I had more clothes on as a breeze swept through. I shivered a bit and the young man seemed to notice.
"I know I am asking a lot of questions for not even knowing you name but may I ask why you are not, well .. clothed.. properly?" He seemed to hesitate uncertainly as he asked this.
"It's fine. I'm Elysse Carlton. I was down at the beach when I read the spell. I had planned on going swimming but I never actually touched the water."
"I will take you to my kingdom and we will get you some clothing if you would like? My name is Legolas Greenleaf."
"It is nice to meet you and that sounds great." We followed him as he ran swiftly through the forest. He was soundless and he seemed weightless as he ran, leaving no foot prints. I could tell he was not human so what was he? When we came to the place he spoke of he helped me dismount, though I needed no help and led me into a beautiful mansion of sort. There were intricate carvings on the walls and there was no ceiling above us. It seemed that these people loved nature by the decorations I saw. "So where exactly are we?"
"You are in the Palace of King Thuradril, in the realm of the Woodland Elves, in the Mirkwood Forest."
"Elves?"
"Yes, have you not heard of us?"
"I am sorry. I can't say I have."
"What realm are you from?"
"What?"
"Where do you live?"
"Oh! Pine Island, Florida in the United States of America."
"I have never heard of this place. Here are your chambers. You may stay as long as you wish."
The room was beautifully decorated. There was a magnificently carved dresser made of mahogany in the corner. An intricate pattern of vines and small delicate flowers covered its front making it seemed very much alive. It had lovely hard wood floors and above her was nothing but the tops of the trees. A gorgeous mahogany canopy bed with the same design was against one wall. Curtains of light blue sheer cloth hung around it. The back wall opened up into a balcony with rose vines crawling on the rails. The bathroom had a huge bathtub and all the necessaries. I turned around as there was a knock at the door. "Umm...Come in."
A small woman came in. "Excuse me Miss, the Prince has invited you to a ball tonight."
"Prince?" "Yes, Prince Legolas."
I blushed slightly embarrassed, "I have nothing to wear". She smiled at me, "All of that is provided for. I have been sent to help you get ready."
"Thank you that's not really necessary."
"On nonsense, I'll get your bath ready."
The small woman, who I later learned name was Elenwe, moved into the bathroom and I heard the sound of water running. In a moment she came out and pushed me into the bathroom. "Towels are on the rack and shampoo is on the edge of the tub. I'll have your dress ready when you come out."
I moved into the room and she shut the door behind me. The water smelled of vanilla and lavender. I took a long relaxing bath and wrapped a towel around myself before walking back into the room. Elenwe had left, presumably to let me dress. I walked over to my bed where the dress was layed out. My breath caught in my throat. The dress was beautiful. It was made of sky blue silk. I put it on and looked in the mirror. It was cut low with sleeves that were tight until they reached my elbows where they billowed out and hung almost to the ground. The top of the dress was form fitting with a low back and crossed straps that went across my back. The bottom hung low, touching the ground. It had a slight train that flowed with me as I walked. I found a pair of the same color blue shoes with small heels also sitting by the bed. Amazingly they were just my size. Elenwe chose this exact moment to come back in. "Come, we must do your hair."
She lead my to a table with a mirror and a bench I had not noticed. Elenwe bade me to sit down and she started on my hair. She left two strands down to frame my face and took two bunches from the sides and tied them in the back with a bit of ribbon. A headpiece was placed on my head with a small diamond that rested in the middle of my forehead. I got up and looked in the mirror. I could hardly recognize myself. The blue of the dress brought out the tones in my skin and my eyes. I hugged Elenwe, surprising her to say the least. "Thank you", I said not really sure what else to say.
"Your welcome, dear child. Your welcome."
She left and I stood on the balcony waiting for Legolas, who I had been told would be my escort.
I did not have to wait for long before there was a soft knock at the door. I walked to the door, opening it to reveal Legolas.
He was wearing a silver tunic with tan leggings and tan light boots. He offered me his arm and we walked down the halls. "You look beautiful." He said after a moment of silence except for the click of my heels and I blushed.
"You look handsome Prince Legolas", I said blushing a deeper shade of red.
"Please just Legolas."
We walked a bit longer before coming to a set of double doors. A man at the door opened them and announced us. I blushed because all eyes were on us but walked with my head held high. I glanced over at the blue eyed elf beside me. He walked with confidence, grace and a sense of leadership that shocked me. He led me to the dance floor and we danced a quick waltz and several other dances I did not know. After a while I grew tired and Legolas must have noticed. "Do you wish to go outside? It is a cool summer night and the stars dance while the moon sings."
I nodded glad for the chance to catch my breath. He led me out to a beautiful garden and we sat on a bench. It was a beautiful night out and we both sat in silence for a moment thinking. " I - "
"I - "
We both stopped talking, each not wanting to interrupt the other. I blushed and looked down waiting for him to speak. His finger curled under my chin and lifted my head up. I found myself leaning forward.
And then he kissed me.
It has been five years since that night. A spell was found to take Jackie and I back home but I kept coming back when I wasn't in school. Legolas and I became very close and soon we were engaged. I brought my parents and Jackie here and we all decided to stay as soon as I was out of high school. I learned all I could about the Elves and their language. Legolas and I were married and I became Queen of the Woodland elves. No such occurrences have happened since I was brought here but I'm glad it happened to me. My life was changed...for the good.
It was sunset. I had decided to take a walk along the beach behind my house. A greenish glow caught my eye and I decided to check it out. What I found was a strange bottle with a paper inside. I turned it over and shook it out. It was an old bit of parchment though it seemed strangely preserved. I unfolded it carefully.
What I found on that piece of parchment that fateful night changed my life.
My name is Elysse Carlton. I was just a normal 16 year old girl. I went to high school at Pine Island High. I've lived in this small town of Pine Island, Florida all my life. Nothing ever seems to change and yet nothing stays the same. I got up one morning at 5:30, same as always, to get ready for school. I went about my normal routine of a shower and doing my hair. I looked in the mirror. I was no beauty but I wasn't what you call ugly. I was just average. I had wavy blonde hair that I normally put in a pony tail. I loved my hair. I took care of it to make it the way it was. My eyes weren't spectacular. They were a greenish blue that often changed color with what I wore. My skin was good. A few pimples here and there but nothing serious. I quickly brushed my teeth and put in my contacts. That was another thing I was blind as a bat. I walked down the hall to my room and slid into some jeans and a lavender t-shirt. I walked out to the car thinking thank goodness it's Friday. Maybe I'll be able to hit the beach. I hopped in the car put it in drive and was off to school. School went by rather uneventfully, full of boring lectures and homework for the weekend from numerous teachers. I drove back home, stopping only to get a burger. I loved my house. We lived sort of out of the way. But because of that we had lots of land. We kept two horses there, one was mine and one was my friends. The house itself was country style and fit in beautifully. It was right on the water too. I walked in and threw my stuff down and changed into a bathing suit and wrapped a towel around my waist. It was a pretty day outside, perfect for going to the beach behind my house. First though I went out to the front yard to get my Warmblood mare, Jackie, out of the pasture. She loved the beach and we had fun together. I put her halter on her and we went out to the beach. I dropped my towel on the beach and hopped on Jackie with practiced agility after tying her lead rope into make shift reins. We headed down the beach at a steady walk both just enjoying the view and each others company. We had done this many times before so she knew just when to pick up pace. We raced around for a while loving the feeling of the salty air against our skin. I stopped her and slid off to give both of us a break and sat on my towel looking out into the ocean. Jackie stood by me for a moment with her head drooped and her eyes closed giving her a half asleep look. I felt a nudge on my shoulder and turned around to see Jackie prancing away. I could have sworn she was laughing at me. "Oh no you don't", I said half to myself chuckling. She had started this game we played. It was sort of like tag but no one ever got tagged. I chased after her acting like I was going to get her but never really trying. We played like this for a while and the sun was beginning to set. I noticed a greenish glow behind Jackie's foot. "Jackie", I whistled to her, the signal of the stop of our game. I walked up to her and went behind her to check out what it was. Jackie stepped beside me and I automatically reached up my hand and stroked her neck. With my other hand I reached up my hand and stroked her neck. It was a strange bottle with a paper inside. I turned the bottle over and shook it to get the paper out. It was old with flowing writing on it, it read:
~ Thus forth a spell has been found~ ~to bring other beings to this kingdom~ vâd na dail lîn, estelio i I, of course, thinking it was a hoax, read the so called "spell" out loud. "Can you believe it Jackie? People get weirder everyday." At the same time I felt a tugging at my navel and fell down. "Well that was weird." I got up and brushed myself off. I looked around at my surroundings. Jackie was still with me looking quite ruffled but we were now in a dense forest. I hopped up on her back and asked for a walk hoping to explore this strange place. After a while I got bored and stopped paying attention. This forest seemed endless. Jackie stopped looking around in all directions, her ears going every which way. I knew better than to not listen to her. Horses have better senses than we do so it would be stupid not to listen to her. Something jumped out of the trees and Jackie backed up quickly, throwing me forward but I quickly collected myself and sat up. At first glance I thought a woman stood before me but then it spoke. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to startle you lady." It was a man, a very handsome man at that. He spoke with a beautifully smooth voice. He had light blonde hair that went just past his shoulders. His deep blue eyes were the color of the night sky and sparkled like the stars. "Excuse me lady but what are you doing in the woods of Mirkwood?"
"Honestly I have no idea. I said this spell and it brought me here. Oh, and Jackie too."
"Would that be the name of your horse?"
"Yes, it is."
I suddenly found myself wishing I had more clothes on as a breeze swept through. I shivered a bit and the young man seemed to notice.
"I know I am asking a lot of questions for not even knowing you name but may I ask why you are not, well .. clothed.. properly?" He seemed to hesitate uncertainly as he asked this.
"It's fine. I'm Elysse Carlton. I was down at the beach when I read the spell. I had planned on going swimming but I never actually touched the water."
"I will take you to my kingdom and we will get you some clothing if you would like? My name is Legolas Greenleaf."
"It is nice to meet you and that sounds great." We followed him as he ran swiftly through the forest. He was soundless and he seemed weightless as he ran, leaving no foot prints. I could tell he was not human so what was he? When we came to the place he spoke of he helped me dismount, though I needed no help and led me into a beautiful mansion of sort. There were intricate carvings on the walls and there was no ceiling above us. It seemed that these people loved nature by the decorations I saw. "So where exactly are we?"
"You are in the Palace of King Thuradril, in the realm of the Woodland Elves, in the Mirkwood Forest."
"Elves?"
"Yes, have you not heard of us?"
"I am sorry. I can't say I have."
"What realm are you from?"
"What?"
"Where do you live?"
"Oh! Pine Island, Florida in the United States of America."
"I have never heard of this place. Here are your chambers. You may stay as long as you wish."
The room was beautifully decorated. There was a magnificently carved dresser made of mahogany in the corner. An intricate pattern of vines and small delicate flowers covered its front making it seemed very much alive. It had lovely hard wood floors and above her was nothing but the tops of the trees. A gorgeous mahogany canopy bed with the same design was against one wall. Curtains of light blue sheer cloth hung around it. The back wall opened up into a balcony with rose vines crawling on the rails. The bathroom had a huge bathtub and all the necessaries. I turned around as there was a knock at the door. "Umm...Come in."
A small woman came in. "Excuse me Miss, the Prince has invited you to a ball tonight."
"Prince?" "Yes, Prince Legolas."
I blushed slightly embarrassed, "I have nothing to wear". She smiled at me, "All of that is provided for. I have been sent to help you get ready."
"Thank you that's not really necessary."
"On nonsense, I'll get your bath ready."
The small woman, who I later learned name was Elenwe, moved into the bathroom and I heard the sound of water running. In a moment she came out and pushed me into the bathroom. "Towels are on the rack and shampoo is on the edge of the tub. I'll have your dress ready when you come out."
I moved into the room and she shut the door behind me. The water smelled of vanilla and lavender. I took a long relaxing bath and wrapped a towel around myself before walking back into the room. Elenwe had left, presumably to let me dress. I walked over to my bed where the dress was layed out. My breath caught in my throat. The dress was beautiful. It was made of sky blue silk. I put it on and looked in the mirror. It was cut low with sleeves that were tight until they reached my elbows where they billowed out and hung almost to the ground. The top of the dress was form fitting with a low back and crossed straps that went across my back. The bottom hung low, touching the ground. It had a slight train that flowed with me as I walked. I found a pair of the same color blue shoes with small heels also sitting by the bed. Amazingly they were just my size. Elenwe chose this exact moment to come back in. "Come, we must do your hair."
She lead my to a table with a mirror and a bench I had not noticed. Elenwe bade me to sit down and she started on my hair. She left two strands down to frame my face and took two bunches from the sides and tied them in the back with a bit of ribbon. A headpiece was placed on my head with a small diamond that rested in the middle of my forehead. I got up and looked in the mirror. I could hardly recognize myself. The blue of the dress brought out the tones in my skin and my eyes. I hugged Elenwe, surprising her to say the least. "Thank you", I said not really sure what else to say.
"Your welcome, dear child. Your welcome."
She left and I stood on the balcony waiting for Legolas, who I had been told would be my escort.
I did not have to wait for long before there was a soft knock at the door. I walked to the door, opening it to reveal Legolas.
He was wearing a silver tunic with tan leggings and tan light boots. He offered me his arm and we walked down the halls. "You look beautiful." He said after a moment of silence except for the click of my heels and I blushed.
"You look handsome Prince Legolas", I said blushing a deeper shade of red.
"Please just Legolas."
We walked a bit longer before coming to a set of double doors. A man at the door opened them and announced us. I blushed because all eyes were on us but walked with my head held high. I glanced over at the blue eyed elf beside me. He walked with confidence, grace and a sense of leadership that shocked me. He led me to the dance floor and we danced a quick waltz and several other dances I did not know. After a while I grew tired and Legolas must have noticed. "Do you wish to go outside? It is a cool summer night and the stars dance while the moon sings."
I nodded glad for the chance to catch my breath. He led me out to a beautiful garden and we sat on a bench. It was a beautiful night out and we both sat in silence for a moment thinking. " I - "
"I - "
We both stopped talking, each not wanting to interrupt the other. I blushed and looked down waiting for him to speak. His finger curled under my chin and lifted my head up. I found myself leaning forward.
And then he kissed me.
It has been five years since that night. A spell was found to take Jackie and I back home but I kept coming back when I wasn't in school. Legolas and I became very close and soon we were engaged. I brought my parents and Jackie here and we all decided to stay as soon as I was out of high school. I learned all I could about the Elves and their language. Legolas and I were married and I became Queen of the Woodland elves. No such occurrences have happened since I was brought here but I'm glad it happened to me. My life was changed...for the good.