Time Transcended
Life Goes On
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Or pretty much anything mentioned in this chapter, though, Rebecca is mine!
Authors note: Trying to kill time between my first and second posts of Remember, I decided to write its sequel! YAY FOR YOU! I hope you all enjoy it! REVIEW!
It had been four years since Rebecca returned from Middle-earth. She was now attending the University of Michigan with a major in Literature and a minor in History. She still was madly in love with Elrohir, and counted the years of average life expectancy for a Caucasian female and prayed they would be less. More than once her friends at college would tease her about her blank stares into space. They all noticed her ring of course, and when she refused to tell who gave it to her, they joked she had married the Invisible Man.
One day, her and her friend Liz were sitting in a café doing homework, when suddenly Liz rested her elbows on the table and her head on her woven fingers and said, "So, Reb, when are you going to tell me who gave you that ring?"
"I'm not," Rebecca replied while scribbling down an answer.
"And why not? Every other girl gets a ring and tells the world who gave it to her, you, you hide it. Why?"
"If you needed to know, I'd tell you," Rebecca replied, scribbling down another answer.
"Well, it's not like you leave any clues you know. You never go out on dates, you never even look at guys, and when a guy does ask you out, you shut him down and walk away. There must be a reason," Liz said. "You've been wearing that ring since before I've known you. I know there must be someone!"
"There was someone," Rebecca quietly admitted. She was hoping Liz wouldn't hear, but she did.
"Wait, was? Oh Reb, what happened?" Liz said, growing suddenly sympathetic and compassionate.
"I don't know," Rebecca simply replied. "I had to go home, and then I never saw him again."
Liz looked compassionate but confused. "What do you mean?"
Rebecca sighed, out of annoyance and sadness then said, "I met him when I fell out of a tree in his father's garden. We spent two months together, and had a marvelous time, but then, I had to leave, forever. I walked through the door and we never saw each other again."
"That's terrible! Why didn't he ever write or call or something?" Liz inquired.
"He couldn't. I couldn't. It simply could not be done. It is...forbidden," Rebecca replied.
"How awful! I'm sorry Reb!"
"Thanks Liz, but please don't mention it to anyone. My folks don't even know, nor should they ever. You are the first person I have ever told, and I beg you not to breathe a word to a soul!" Rebecca pleaded.
"Okay Reb. Not a word, not even to your parents," Liz said. "So do you think he is still around?"
"No. I think he's gone. Maybe even dead," Rebecca replied. By dead she meant in Valinor.
"Oh. That's sad. Come on, let me buy you a cappuccino as an apology for dragging all that out of you," Liz offered.
"No, that's okay..."
"I insist. Extra whipped cream right?"
"Right," Rebecca said, giving in to her friend's offer.
She returned a few minutes later with a tall cappuccino with a mountain of whipped cream on the top.
"Reb, if you ever need to talk more about that guy, you can always tell me. I won't blab. You know that," Liz offered. Her intentions were half pure, half curious. Rebecca knew this.
"Thanks Liz," Rebecca said.
They talked for about five minutes, then they realized what time it was and that they should go get supper.
"I know a great little restaurant around the corner, we could go there," Liz suggested.
"Sure," Rebecca said. They gathered their books, shoved them in their book bags, and headed out into the brisk October chill.
Once seated in the quiet little restaurant, Rebecca spoke. "You know, he was a really great guy," she said.
"Reb, before this goes much farther, can I get a name?" Liz interrupted.
"Uh, sure. I always called him Elro," Rebecca said. "It was a nickname. Anyway, he was always very nice. He was also a poet. He always spoke of things from a poets point of view. And he always spoke eloquently. He was tall, about six foot, dark shadowy hair, clear grey eyes... He was great. He did things with me constantly, took me places, showed me things, helped me learn how to love life. I owe him everything."
"Sounds like the perfect guy," Liz commented. The waiter walked up, the placed their orders, and resumed their talk.
"Well, he wasn't perfect. Neither of us are. Neither of us would admit we loved the other for quite some time, and then when we did, he said we should ignore the emotions."
"But why?" Liz said, sounding confused and slightly disgusted.
"Because it could never be. He knew, I knew, his whole family knew that it could never work out."
"Why not?"
"Because we knew soon after we met that I would have to leave and never come back."
"May I ask how?"
"You may, but I can't answer," Rebecca said. "Anyway, he showed me where his star was,"
"His star?" Liz asked. This sounded strange.
"Yes. Almost everyone in his family has a star. I don't understand it all, but the first one that appears is his sisters, then his and his twin brother's. His is second to shine, and second to last to fade into the rising sun."
"Reb, I don't mean to sound harsh, but... you sound like you've gone off the deep end," Liz said.
"That's why I haven't told anyone before. It's a weird story and everyone in it is different. You must believe me that all I say is true," Rebecca said.
"I do, it's just, strange. That's all. Please, continue with your crazy tale," Liz said with a smile.
Rebecca told about her time with Elrohir, but never said his whole name, nor revealed anything to suggest she had ever gone to Middle-earth.
When Rebecca came to the part where they parted company, tears welled in her eyes, one or two fell down her cheek into her lemonade.
After supper they walked back to their apartment in silence.
Authors note: Well, I think this chapter was kind of slow, but on purpose! Please, REVIEW!
