Gollum crept slowly away from Sam and Frodo, who lay fast asleep. Slowly, and unwillingly, he crept. Oh, he was very willing to leave them, the stupid Hobbits who thought Gollum was helping them, but he was unwilling to go where he was going: Shelob's lair.
This was not the first time he had encountered the Great Spider. Long ago, he had come upon her. She would have killed him, but Gollum had promised to bring her tasty food. And now he had brought it. Shelob would eat the unsuspecting hobbits, and when she tossed the clothes and things aside... "Precioussss..." Gollum hissed to himself while these plans ran through his cunning mind. "We will get Precious back, no matter what we has to do."
Gollum arrived at the opening of the tunnel sooner than he had expected. He peered into the gloomy darkness, shuddering as old memories flooded back into his mind. They were terrible memories - memories of Mordor. Then, remembering his errand, he crawled inside the tunnel.
It was uncomfortably stuffy and hot inside, and the darkness was overwhelming. But the dark mattered little to Gollum. He loved darkness. Through all those long years spent underground he had grown accustomed to it. He could see well at night, for his huge eyes shone like lamps lighting up the gloom just enough to see.
The deeper into the tunnel he went, the fouler the air became. It was growing difficult to breathe.
It was there in the deep dark tunnel of Shelob's lair that Gollum began to reconsider his plans. Master had been kind to him. Perhaps there was a way to get Precious back and still allow Master to live. No, he was a Baggins, and it was a Baggins that stole Precious long ago. It was a Baggins that had caused all Gollum's suffering and torment. But this Baggins was not like the first. This Baggins was different, and Gollum did not want to kill him. But there seemed to be no other way to get the Precious.
As Gollum's mind tossed back and forth, suddenly, there She was - the Great Spider - Shelob herself. Gollum looked up at the giant creature. Her vast size and foul smell and sharp jaws were terrifying. Her many eyes stared scornfully down at Gollum. He bowed before her, trembling. "O Great Spider," he stammered, "We bring tasty food for your Ladyship, just as we promised." The spider grunted her approval. "Very nice, juicy food, it is. It waits outside. We will fetch it for you."
There, it was done now. As Gollum turned back to get the hobbits, a tiny flame of regret flickered in his mind, but he quickly put it out. He would do anything, anything for his Precious.
This was not the first time he had encountered the Great Spider. Long ago, he had come upon her. She would have killed him, but Gollum had promised to bring her tasty food. And now he had brought it. Shelob would eat the unsuspecting hobbits, and when she tossed the clothes and things aside... "Precioussss..." Gollum hissed to himself while these plans ran through his cunning mind. "We will get Precious back, no matter what we has to do."
Gollum arrived at the opening of the tunnel sooner than he had expected. He peered into the gloomy darkness, shuddering as old memories flooded back into his mind. They were terrible memories - memories of Mordor. Then, remembering his errand, he crawled inside the tunnel.
It was uncomfortably stuffy and hot inside, and the darkness was overwhelming. But the dark mattered little to Gollum. He loved darkness. Through all those long years spent underground he had grown accustomed to it. He could see well at night, for his huge eyes shone like lamps lighting up the gloom just enough to see.
The deeper into the tunnel he went, the fouler the air became. It was growing difficult to breathe.
It was there in the deep dark tunnel of Shelob's lair that Gollum began to reconsider his plans. Master had been kind to him. Perhaps there was a way to get Precious back and still allow Master to live. No, he was a Baggins, and it was a Baggins that stole Precious long ago. It was a Baggins that had caused all Gollum's suffering and torment. But this Baggins was not like the first. This Baggins was different, and Gollum did not want to kill him. But there seemed to be no other way to get the Precious.
As Gollum's mind tossed back and forth, suddenly, there She was - the Great Spider - Shelob herself. Gollum looked up at the giant creature. Her vast size and foul smell and sharp jaws were terrifying. Her many eyes stared scornfully down at Gollum. He bowed before her, trembling. "O Great Spider," he stammered, "We bring tasty food for your Ladyship, just as we promised." The spider grunted her approval. "Very nice, juicy food, it is. It waits outside. We will fetch it for you."
There, it was done now. As Gollum turned back to get the hobbits, a tiny flame of regret flickered in his mind, but he quickly put it out. He would do anything, anything for his Precious.