Yes, yes...I know...this isn't much of a story-plot right now...telling of everyday's troubles and throwing in some sparkling crystals...BUT...it will get better, that much I can promise ! And if you read the first three chapters and were wondering about "wheres Frodo ?", well...we are getting closer already...this IS a Lord of the Rings fanfic after all, although it doesn't seem to be right now...'Til now, this was kind of an introduction...getting into characters, so to say...

Please, read on and maybe...tell me, what you think so far..?

Ruby :)))

Ch.4

Of Books and Thresholds

Unbelievable, as it seemed, but nonetheless true...so half a year had passed, since Francine had lost her job, and still there was no new door in sight, that would open for her...and all the while, life went its usual way...

She was lucky then, getting the opportunity to help out on weekends in a small gift-shop. It was not much, but made it a little easier for her, and with the work-department's blessing to earn a little on the side, it was one small step back to normal.

Sometimes, Francine spent her lunch-break in the nearby library, armed with a sandwich, and an even greater hunger for knowledge. What she was looking for exactly, didn't have anything to do with minerals this time, and so the book, she was studying, held a collection of essays, all regarding Tolkien's Middle Earth...

As her thoughts wandered back to that frightful moment a couple of weeks ago, when she had had that "vision" or some "vivid dream", and everything with all of her senses involved, Francine could again hear two words clearly in her mind...

Maura Labingi...

First it seemed easier to get a glint from a needle in a haystack, then to find the meaning of something, that had sounded like a whisper from another place - or time...

A name..?

One of Middle Earths places..?

Francine decided to go for names first, which wasn't to be underestimated, as she soon found out. Tolkien's inventive spirit could be read in every word and in every single language of the peoples of Middle Earth, imaginary or not...

But still...no trace...

Family trees of important characters were no help either...at first anyway...and as there were only a few essays left - and her lunch-break was coming to a close as well, Francine was about to give it up for now, when something caught her eye...

A little dictionary of...(no, no mental diseases, sorry), but of the „native tongue", spoken by a human-like race, known as "Halflings" or "Hobbits", who would, apart from that, play a major part in the Professor's epic story.

So...looking up main characters had not been such a bad idea at all, as „Maura Labingi" was the Hobbit name of none other than a certain...

Frodo Baggins...

...which was still no explanation for her, about hearing whispering voices in her mind and the bearer of said voice was nowhere to be seen...

Well, at least she had an idea now...where to begin...to really begin with her further observation, and no psychiatrist would have to bother with her...not untill...well, not to think about it now...

This would be as good a time as ever to start with reading the story, to find out more about a well beloved and often misunderstood character, and maybe get to know, why some imaginary person from out of a book would whisper his way into her thoughts...and into her life...

And not to forget...the crystal, which gave that first impression to her...and the part it would play in all of that..!

And...Francine had a life to live yet...with not only problems but a good deal of questions to get answers to...and hopefully soon...

The gift-shop, she was working for at weekends, had a quite unique assortment of goods, and there was no danger of getting bored, just by rummaging through the many things, as there were little figurines, like from out of a fairy tale, even jewellery and books, along with delicate, ciseled bookmarks in them. Francine was allowed to let her creativity flow into the process too, by making necklaces and other things to give and wear.

It wasn't until three more weeks later, when that crystal, that she kept in her drawer since her first experience with its mysterious ways, reminded her of its presence.

It had been a very strenuous day at work, and Francine was more than happy to lock the shop's entrance and head home, looking forward to a nice bath and then to relax, doing...whatever...

Everything was as always...except for the quiet...

Francine lit a candle, enjoying the warmth and glow of the flame, even staring into it for quite some time, lost in her thoughts...it seemed alive, taking away a bit of the sudden loneliness, she felt.

All around her, the room was dark.

Something made her tear her gaze away from the flame and lead her steps to a certain drawer..

After taking out the crystal and enclosing it in her fist, she looked up, intended to go back and sit down again by candlelight.

But...that was not to be. There was no more candle to dimly light the room, and as she opened her hand, all of the crystal's facetts mirrored the dancing flames of an...open fireplace...

Francine was aware of where she was...or at least thought so...this was her appartment,...or was it...? Nothing seemed familiar anymore...it even felt like being drawn back in time...to a place, that might have existed centuries ago...

No...this was not happening...

There were things on the mantelpiece, pictures and vases...but as the flames kept on with providing more details of the room, now so estranged to her, Francine still just stood there with her eyes doing all the wandering around.

And then...she got the impression of not being alone anymore...of being watched...

With a voice, that was hardly her own, she called into the semi-darkness of the room, adressing only the shadows on the wall :

„...Someone there..?"

Not even expecting an answer, Francine still could not move, but tried to focus her eyes on what was - or was not - there...before her.

A sudden gust of wind, coming from an unseen source, as there was no window anywhere, made the flames flicker and added to the surreal scene.

„Is that my answer..?" she whispered, finally able to take one step toward the fireplace.

In response, the flames seemingly calmed down, showing a bright blue and green in their center.

„Maura..?"

She couldn't tell, what had made her say that, but soon, as it was out, there was laughter, a giggle even, accompanied by a smell, she wasn't able to identify first, but then...it reminded her of her granddad's pipe...

Just more intense...

„It is you...right..?...but why...and why me..?"

The smell of „pipeweed" grew stronger, and was entirely gone the next moment. Francine took a deep breath, moving forward now, like awakening from a deep trance, and was about to open her mouth again, when something stopped her...

Questions...I too had them once...and doubts...and fear...

„Frodo..."

Yes, that is my name...

„So...why..?"

I do not know.

„Well, that makes two of us."

Shall I leave ?

„Since I can't see you, I can't tell if you have left or if you're still there, can I..?"

Ah..yes.

„Is this...a dream..?"

No.

„You don't talk much, do you..?"

Sorry.

„No need to be...well...if I am here, talking to you...hear you laugh...even smell...whatever weed that is...where will that lead me to..?"

You saw...my home...

„If you are referring to that vision I had some time ago...yes...I did...oh, this is just..."

Not real..?

„Is it..?...then what happened to the familiar look of my appartment...I don't own an open fireplace...nor anything else I see now..."

It is another world...

„Seems to be another time too...like a threshold to the past...right..?"

Maybe...

„If you leave now...will I see...ah...hear from you again..?"

Would you like to..?

„Very much so...you are an...interesting...enigmatic...person..."

Thank you.

„I...the pleasure was all mine...," Francine stuttered, and right then, another swirl of wind, stronger than the one at the beginning, blew at the flames and all that was left afterwards, were some glowing ambers.

Francine felt the returning darkness of the room around her, no more flickering flames, except one small candle infront of her.

And the crystal..? Still somewhat translucent, but not as it had been, it only reflected the small shimmer of the candle...and the tears on Francine's face.

Looking around with bleary eyes, she saw everything at its usual place, and that felt even more...strange...

There was nothing wrong with her...nor with the way she felt about all this...

Questions upon questions...

...And she would demand some answers...