Warning: A cliffhanger.
October 24th, either morning or afternoon
Sam
I wasn't sure how long we had been walking since breakfast. It could be hours, but it could be twenty minutes as well. I didn't know, didn't care.
My head hurt, my muscles hurt, pretty much everything hurt. The only thing I could do was drag my feet forwards, take another step, be another step closer to Moria.
The lack of oxygen in the Mirkwood forest was taking its toll on me. We had been walking there for the last three days. Fíli and Kíli had wandered off to somewhere else in the group on the first day, and I hadn't seen them since, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to talk to them, anyway. I was feeling too tired to form words.
I'd murder someone for a cup of coffee.
I wondered how long we'd have to stay here. If I had done the math right, we were nearly halfway through the forest, but I felt like we were only moving slower, as if we were walking through thick syrup.
I was just thinking about that when I was pulled out of my trance by a loud scream. Someone was yelling something. At first, I couldn't hear what he said, but then my tired ears picked up the word.
"Spiders!"
At that moment, the Dwarves that were walking in front of me dove to the side of the path, and I knew something was coming. I broke into a sprint, pushing the people behind me forwards, but I wasn't fast enough.
Before I even knew it, I felt two hairy legs on my arms, and I was lifted up into the air. I screamed for help, but nobody came. The next thing I knew was a sharp prick between my shoulder blades.
My vision went blurry, and I vaguely thought: This is the end. I'm going to get eaten by a spider, even though I knew I'd just get sent back to my own world, but it would still feel like the end of the world, because I wouldn't be able to get back here.
I wanted to do something, grab the sword Thorin had given me, but my body wouldn't move. I managed to whisper "Help" one last time before I finally passed out.