Disclaimer: Tolkien's is Tolkien's
All of my childhood memories flashed back to me in an instant. A little girl in a dumpy sweatshirt saying "Elves are real, I know they're out there somewhere!" The same girl crying in a bathroom stall, then walking out with a fake smile and red eyes. A teacher laughing, and saying "Kate? She can take care of herself."
A slightly older version of the same girl facing off a boy with glasses and a shock of orange hair. "That's stupid coming from you, miss elf!" Another boy laughed and said "So you want to work with Santa?" "Don't call me miss elf, mister glasses!" the girl shouted. "That's enough, Kate!" yelled the teacher. Another trip to the bathroom. A less dumpy version of the same girl, in a room, surrounded by female teachers, skinning her thumb under the table. Three cuts. A bloody knife.
I had curled up in the fetal position unwittingly, paying no attention to Sylver softly stroking my back, not hearing her soft entreaties. Suddenly I realized what was going on, and took a steady breath, and then let it out in a sob. I uncurled myself, and my fingers found their way to my right thumb. Three silvery scars, barely visible.
"Are you an elf?" I asked. Sylver nodded. "Elves are real?" Another nod. "Middle Earth?" "Yes." "Where were you when I was being teased!" Sylver winced. It was apparently a touchy subject. "Come home with me." Sylver begged. "I can explain it all there." I paused, considering, then scribbled a hasty note to my band, left it on the outside of the booth. Victoria would surely find it there, not to say that she'd be happy about it. I then followed Sylver out the back door, where she proceeded to a faded red Toyota
I hopped in the passenger's seat, Sylver started the engine, and we drove about a half hour to one of the biggest forests I had ever seen. It took about two hours to drive to the center of the forest, I spent the entire time staring out the window. The scenery was amazing.
We stopped at a particularly tall tree. A little, homely looking house was built in it's branches. Sylver pressed a button on the dash, and a rope ladder dropped from a now open hatch. Sylver opened her car door and got out. I followed her. Sylver swiftly climbed the ladder, with me directly behind her.
I reached the top, and gazed around in delight. Covered candles were everywhere. Off in the corner was a piano, on the other side a small table with a vase and two chairs. In the front was a sink accompanied by an ice box and with the backdrop of a huge window. In the back was two bunk beds and a cabinet.
"One of my many homes." Sylver said with a smile. I turned around and around, entranced by the beautiful simplicity of the place, unsure of where to look next. I sat down on one of the chairs that were pulled up at the table. Sylver sat across from me.
"Well Kate, I shall cut to the point. I was sent to find you, because you are one of a group of thirteen who are the only ones who can send my friends and I back to middle earth."