1 Chapter 10
"Quick! To the bridge of Khazard Dûm!" Shouted Gandalf as they ran.
"Bridge? What bridge? We're in a mine. What is there to be a bridge over?" Michelle asked, anxiously, but she was ignored. The orcs were following closely behind and soon the company was surrounded.
The orcs were about to attack when a red light glowed on the wall. A rumbling noise was heard, which stirred the orcs.
"Uh-oh." Said Pippin. The noise sounded again, this time the orcs scattered, screeching and running back to the hollows and passages they appeared from. All the company stared at the light, as it began to move closer to them. Michelle looked at everyone's faces. 'This is bad.' She thought, 'Even Legolas and Aragorn look scared.'
"What is it?" she said out loud. She was really scared now.
"A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you, RUN!" said Gandalf.
They ran out of the great hall and began to run down three flights of stairs. Half way down the third flight, there was a large hole, much to Michelle's dismay.
"Why are we so high up? We're underground!" she said whilst trying to stop the shakes. Legolas jumped first, then Gandalf, and then Boromir jumped with Merry and Pippin. A bit more of the step broke off. Mary-Jo grabbed Becky's hand.
"After 3. 1… 2… 3!" and they jumped. Michelle was highly insulted at first, but then went back to being scared out of her wits. Aragorn threw Sam across. Orcs began to rain arrows on them. He reached for Gimli but he refused, so he jumped without aid, and only just about made it. Michelle finally plucked up the courage to jump. 'Gotta do it, or I die, but I might fall, then I die anyway, but Legolas is over there, I can't leave him alone, or can I? No, don't be silly, gotta go, must go, jump, NOW!' She jumped, as gracefully as she could (which is not at all). She didn't make the other side.
Seconds seemed to last hours. 'Goodbye world.' She thought, then she realised she wasn't falling. She was gripping the side of the other ledge. Boromir, Legolas, Mary-Jo and Becky were all trying to pull her back up. Finally, Boromir got her left elbow and hand in his own hands, and Legolas was helping him. Mary-Jo and Becky had her right arm, and they all pulled her back up. (By the way, while all this is happening Aragorn and Frodo are stuck on the other side). Michelle began to cry half from belated fear and half from joy. Becky and Mary-Jo wrapped their arms around her, also crying.
Frodo and Aragorn got safely back with the rest of the fellowship, and they continue to run from the Balrog. The bridge comes into view.
"Over the bridge! Fly!" shouts Gandalf. They all run towards the bridge, and the Balrog appears behind Gandalf. Despite Gandalf's instructions, they all stopped to watch.
"COOL! A Balrog!" said Sam.
"A Balrog is anything but cool. In fact, it's hot." Said Mary-Jo.
"Thank you." Replied the Balrog.
"I meant hot, as in the fiery sense, being as you are made of fire." Said Becky.
"And shadow!" said Frodo.
"How can you be made from fire and shadow? 'Coz fire is light and shadow is dark, so how does it work?" asked Pippin.
"Look I hate to spoil the fun, but aren't you meant to knock me down a big hole or something?" The Balrog nodded its head. "Well, in order for that to happen we need to run away from you. So, some time soon would be nice." They began to again, but the Balrog let run ahead a bit first, otherwise he would have got them straight away, which just isn't fair. When he started to chase he closed the gap between them, but sneezed, and set Mary-Jo's coursework, which she was still holding onto, tightly.
"You bastard!" then she kicked him hard on the shin. The Balrog whined in pain, and fell over, whilst holding onto his shin.
During this commotion, Michelle was causing trouble, again.
"Just cross the damn bridge, Michelle!" said Boromir.
"No. It can come and eat me for all I care, I ain't crossing it." she replied, defiantly.
"Cross it."
"No."
"Cross the bridge!"
"No!"
"Now!"
"NO!" she yelled. Boromir looked at Legolas for help, having guessed her little crush. Legolas prepared himself to be screamed at. 'Oh God. Not again.' He thought.
"Michelle, please cross the bridge, it is really safe, I promise." He waited for the high-pitched scream down his sensitive ears.
"Ok." Legolas was stunned, as was everyone else. She had actually listened to him? Michelle closed her eyes, and tried to focus, she didn't want to fall, again.
"Right, focus. I really don't want to do this." She finally crossed.
"Typical, she doesn't listen to me and we're related." Said Boromir.
"I can see a resemblance around the eyes." Said Aragorn. Pippin looked at him, oddly.
"What, you mean he wears mascara?" he said. Boromir shot an evil look at Pippin.
Becky went next. She wasn't scared of heights, but she wasn't fond of them either.
"I refuse to run. I won't run. I will not make a fool out of myself. Oh, bugger it!" and she ran the rest of the way.
Finally, everyone was over the bridge except Gandalf, who had stopped to battle with the Balrog.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Gandalf. The last time you fought someone, you buried us in snow." Said Becky. The fellowship agreed with her, but Gandalf ignored them all. He chanted some chant thing, causing the bridge to break at his feet when the Balrog stood on it. Gandalf sighed and turned around, but the Balrog's whip caught his ankle and pulled him down. He couldn't pull himself back up, and there was nothing the fellowship could do to help him. He let go of the ledge and fell into the abyss.
"Quick! To the bridge of Khazard Dûm!" Shouted Gandalf as they ran.
"Bridge? What bridge? We're in a mine. What is there to be a bridge over?" Michelle asked, anxiously, but she was ignored. The orcs were following closely behind and soon the company was surrounded.
The orcs were about to attack when a red light glowed on the wall. A rumbling noise was heard, which stirred the orcs.
"Uh-oh." Said Pippin. The noise sounded again, this time the orcs scattered, screeching and running back to the hollows and passages they appeared from. All the company stared at the light, as it began to move closer to them. Michelle looked at everyone's faces. 'This is bad.' She thought, 'Even Legolas and Aragorn look scared.'
"What is it?" she said out loud. She was really scared now.
"A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you, RUN!" said Gandalf.
They ran out of the great hall and began to run down three flights of stairs. Half way down the third flight, there was a large hole, much to Michelle's dismay.
"Why are we so high up? We're underground!" she said whilst trying to stop the shakes. Legolas jumped first, then Gandalf, and then Boromir jumped with Merry and Pippin. A bit more of the step broke off. Mary-Jo grabbed Becky's hand.
"After 3. 1… 2… 3!" and they jumped. Michelle was highly insulted at first, but then went back to being scared out of her wits. Aragorn threw Sam across. Orcs began to rain arrows on them. He reached for Gimli but he refused, so he jumped without aid, and only just about made it. Michelle finally plucked up the courage to jump. 'Gotta do it, or I die, but I might fall, then I die anyway, but Legolas is over there, I can't leave him alone, or can I? No, don't be silly, gotta go, must go, jump, NOW!' She jumped, as gracefully as she could (which is not at all). She didn't make the other side.
Seconds seemed to last hours. 'Goodbye world.' She thought, then she realised she wasn't falling. She was gripping the side of the other ledge. Boromir, Legolas, Mary-Jo and Becky were all trying to pull her back up. Finally, Boromir got her left elbow and hand in his own hands, and Legolas was helping him. Mary-Jo and Becky had her right arm, and they all pulled her back up. (By the way, while all this is happening Aragorn and Frodo are stuck on the other side). Michelle began to cry half from belated fear and half from joy. Becky and Mary-Jo wrapped their arms around her, also crying.
Frodo and Aragorn got safely back with the rest of the fellowship, and they continue to run from the Balrog. The bridge comes into view.
"Over the bridge! Fly!" shouts Gandalf. They all run towards the bridge, and the Balrog appears behind Gandalf. Despite Gandalf's instructions, they all stopped to watch.
"COOL! A Balrog!" said Sam.
"A Balrog is anything but cool. In fact, it's hot." Said Mary-Jo.
"Thank you." Replied the Balrog.
"I meant hot, as in the fiery sense, being as you are made of fire." Said Becky.
"And shadow!" said Frodo.
"How can you be made from fire and shadow? 'Coz fire is light and shadow is dark, so how does it work?" asked Pippin.
"Look I hate to spoil the fun, but aren't you meant to knock me down a big hole or something?" The Balrog nodded its head. "Well, in order for that to happen we need to run away from you. So, some time soon would be nice." They began to again, but the Balrog let run ahead a bit first, otherwise he would have got them straight away, which just isn't fair. When he started to chase he closed the gap between them, but sneezed, and set Mary-Jo's coursework, which she was still holding onto, tightly.
"You bastard!" then she kicked him hard on the shin. The Balrog whined in pain, and fell over, whilst holding onto his shin.
During this commotion, Michelle was causing trouble, again.
"Just cross the damn bridge, Michelle!" said Boromir.
"No. It can come and eat me for all I care, I ain't crossing it." she replied, defiantly.
"Cross it."
"No."
"Cross the bridge!"
"No!"
"Now!"
"NO!" she yelled. Boromir looked at Legolas for help, having guessed her little crush. Legolas prepared himself to be screamed at. 'Oh God. Not again.' He thought.
"Michelle, please cross the bridge, it is really safe, I promise." He waited for the high-pitched scream down his sensitive ears.
"Ok." Legolas was stunned, as was everyone else. She had actually listened to him? Michelle closed her eyes, and tried to focus, she didn't want to fall, again.
"Right, focus. I really don't want to do this." She finally crossed.
"Typical, she doesn't listen to me and we're related." Said Boromir.
"I can see a resemblance around the eyes." Said Aragorn. Pippin looked at him, oddly.
"What, you mean he wears mascara?" he said. Boromir shot an evil look at Pippin.
Becky went next. She wasn't scared of heights, but she wasn't fond of them either.
"I refuse to run. I won't run. I will not make a fool out of myself. Oh, bugger it!" and she ran the rest of the way.
Finally, everyone was over the bridge except Gandalf, who had stopped to battle with the Balrog.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Gandalf. The last time you fought someone, you buried us in snow." Said Becky. The fellowship agreed with her, but Gandalf ignored them all. He chanted some chant thing, causing the bridge to break at his feet when the Balrog stood on it. Gandalf sighed and turned around, but the Balrog's whip caught his ankle and pulled him down. He couldn't pull himself back up, and there was nothing the fellowship could do to help him. He let go of the ledge and fell into the abyss.