Chapter 2
Emma woke with a start.
Light filtered into the room through her curtains.
Shit, I overslept!
She thought as she checked her alarm clock.
It read; 8:35.
"Shoot!" She thought aloud, "I'd better hurry!"
Emma pulled on a white owl t-shirt and electric blue jeans. She then rushed down stairs, grabbed her harp (A Shepherd lap harp engraved with flowers and vines) and ran out of the door. As she started her S-Type Jaguar, she had a strange urge to run back into the house and grab her copy of 'The Return of the King', but she was determined not to give in to it. So she put her foot on the accelerator and drove down to the local school of music.
She got there and got parked with plenty of time to spare, so she headed to the local bakery for breakfast. Emma bought herself a small pastry, before wandering back to the school of music.
On the way though, she started to notice strange things. Well, not strange exactly, more like ironic, because every book shop and every film store had a special offer on the same trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings.
At first she thought it was simply a coincidence, but after the fourth store she started to get suspicious. Emma briefly considered asking one of the shops owners why they were having the sale, but decided it was silly. She was obviously being too superstitious.
She bit down thoughtfully into her pastry and didn't dare look up at the other shops.
She reached the school of music and stopped dead.
The pastry slipped through her fingers.
It landed on the floor with a muffled thud, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were focused on a huge poster stuck to the window, its blood red ink more prominent than ever.
It read:
CD copies from our 'Lord of the Rings' concert on sale now.
Please collect them from the main reception.
Thank you.
Four words stood out to Emma.
Four little words.
'Lord of the Rings'.
She nearly screamed. She must be going mad.
She managed to recollect herself before she did so and closed her eyes so that she couldn't see the poster. When she opened them though, she kept them focused on the ground.
Emma then stepped into the reception area and looked up.
And froze.
She let out a small yelp of surprise.
For every wall was decorated with posters, posters advertising the concert.
But the one behind the reception's desk was the biggest and simply displayed an image of the 'One Ring' and the words 'The Lord of the Rings'.
Emma gasped again before taking a deep breath and stubbornly approaching the front desk.
Stubbornness.
That was good. It would keep her sane.
"Um, I've got a harp exam at 9:00." She told the receptionist.
"Name?" Came the clipped reply.
"Emma Johnson,"
"Ah yes, go right in," She told her and gestured to a door on her right, "First door on the left."
Emma thanked her before walking down the corridor a little way and taking the first door on her left.
She winced as she opened the door, half expecting the room to be decorated the same way as the reception. She found it wasn't so she stepped inside.
"Ah, Emma, come on in." The examiner said. He was tall, bald and had a smile across his face.
Emma shut the door behind her as she entered the room.
She set up her harp and did as the examiner instructed.
She was done in less than 15 minutes, the vocal exam the easiest part.
Emma had loved singing since she was five years old and had taken it up properly when she was thirteen. She had already gotten a diploma in it and was very passionate about it.
As she left the room, she caught sight of Chloe, one of her old friends.
"Emma!" She called, "Wow, I haven't seen you in, like, ages!"
"Oh hey Chloe!" Emma replied.
"Listen, you're not gonna believe this!"
"What?" Emma asked.
"I've just got my diploma for piano, and passed!" Chloe shrieked.
"Really?"
"Yeah! Hey, do you fancy going out tonight, like a celebratory dinner? I mean, you've just done your diploma."
"That would be great!" Emma exclaimed, "What time?"
"Can you do eight-ish?"
"Yup."
"Ok, I'll see you there!"
"See you later!" Emma said.
That was the last time she ever saw Chloe.