My first LOTR fic, and my first fic in a long time.
I dedicate this to all those who have 'favorited', 'followed', me and my last story (under Pompeii). I hope this gets to reach your notif inboxes. Sending much love to all. This has been years in the making, both enjoying writing, and at the same not wanting to upload it just yet. This has been sitting on my library for a while now, I am sorry if i have kept my followers waiting.
This pandemic has only brought me back, having recently lost my job, i have now too much time on my hands to finally get this thing published and share with all of you.
You may find a few similarities from a few books and movies and I thought it was fun and an ode to them to incorporate them here. I am not a professional writer nor am I getting paid for my stories. I just have an overactive imagination that needs an outlet.
I am forever in love with tolkien's works, and my younger self has always enjoyed judith mcnaught so here you go. (the hopeless romantic in me.)
Again, I welcome reviews and reactions. People do get quite hostile towards 'mary sues' but I hope you'll be kind to this one. I do believe we all need our little dose of 'mary sue' once in a while.
A little side note: italics are for either thoughts, flashbacks, or memories or dialogues in elvish language. (-) mean change in time, setting or pov. There will be a lot of time jumps so please hold on to your seats.
disclaimer: I do not own anything.
Chapter 1
-Summer of June 1991, Fontanellato, Italy-
Clinks of champagne glasses, giggle, and laughter could be heard all throughout the vast balcony that extended towards the large lawn that showcased a large garden designed as a labyrinth that lead into the woods on the far end.
The Townsend's never did anything simple. Her Nana's house is just one of the many properties the Townsend's have that is scattered all across Europe, but this one in particular is special to Alex and her Nan, considering this is the only one that has the spacious grounds accommodating the huge labyrinth decorating the property.
The one hundred twenty two acre land that stretched from the manor did nothing to quell the imaginative and creative mind of 5 year old Alexandria as she spends her vacant time sprinting across the vast lawn, her three year old poodle hot on her heels.
Lavish garden party every year, celebrated by all private elites. All Alexandria's Mother's doing of course. Her mother enjoyed the high life. Surrounded by friends and business associates, her mother enjoyed her place in society. Something Alexandria never seemed to inherit from.
This year the party was staged indoors, with the weather being uncooperative this time of the year.
Odd, Alex thought. Since she has never recalled it being cloudy nor gloomy whenever she visited her Nana's house.
Her Nana's house; was where Alex's mother preferred to have her parties. Obviously due to the fact that the grounds where huge and the place was actually more of a manor than a house which excited her Mother and her friends even more, feeling like the old aristocrats they liked to play.
With her small chin propped upon her fists, Miss Alexandria Grae Townsend watched the yellow butterfly perched upon the windowsill of her grandmother's manor, then she turned her attention back to the beloved white-haired woman seated across the desk from her. "What did you say, Nana? I didn't hear you."
"I asked why that butterfly is more interesting than Socrates today," the kindly woman said, smiling her gentle smile at the petite five-year-old who possessed her own glossy dark brown curls and her mother's own emerald eyes. Amused, she tapped the volume of Socrates' works from which she had been instructing her.
Alexandria sent her a melting, apologetic smile, but she didn't deny that she was distracted, for as her gentle, scholarly grandmother oft said, "A lie is an affront to the soul, as well as an insult to the intelligence of the person to whom one lies." And Alexandria would have done anything rather than insult this gentle woman who had instilled her with her own philosophy of life, as well as educating her in basic mathematics and science. Alexandria's fondness for the literary works already visible.
"I was wondewing," she admitted with a wistful sigh, "if there's the slightest chance that I'm only in the 'caterpillar stage' just now, and someday soon I'll change into a butterfly and be beautiful?"
"What's wrong with being a caterpillar? After all," Aemilia quoted, teasing," 'Nothing is beautiful from every point of view.' " Her eyes twinkled as she waited to see if Alex could recognize the quotation's source.
"Horace," Alexandria provided promptly, smiling back at her.
Aemilia nodded, pleased, then she said, "You needn't worry about your appearance, my dear, because true beauty springs from the heart and dwells in the eyes."
Alexandria tipped her head to the side, thinking, but she could not recall any philosopher, ancient or modern, who had said such a thing. "Who said that?"
Her grandmother chuckled. "I did."
Her answering laughter tinkled like bells, filling the sunny room with her musical gaiety, then she abruptly sobered. "Mother is disappointed I'm not pwetty, I can see it whenever she looks at me. She has every reason to expect me to turn out better, for you is beautiful and, besides being handsome, Papa is intewigent."
Barely able to conceal distaste for her daughter-in-law, Aemilia quoted meaningfully, "Birth is nothing where virtue is not."
"Molière." Alexandria automatically named the source of the quotation. "But," she continued glumly, reverting to her original concern, "you must admit it is excessively unkind of fate to give my mother a daughter who is so very common-looking. Why," she went on morosely, "could I not be blue eyed and blond? That would be so much nicer than looking like a plane-jane, which Mama says I do."
She turned her head to contemplate the butterfly again, and Aemilia's eyes shone with fondness and delight, for her granddaughter was anything but common. When she was a child of three she had begun instructing Alexandria in the fundamentals of reading and writing, but Alex's mind was more fertile, quicker and more able to grasp concepts. Alex had been born with Aemilia's own fascination for learning.
The elderly woman smiled at her granddaughter; the "cycle" was not such a bad thing, she thought.
Had Aemilia followed her own youthful inclinations and remained a bachelorette, devoting all her life to study, rather than marrying, Alexandria Townsend would never have existed. And Alex was a gift to the world. Her gift. The thought uplifted and then embarrassed her because it reeked of pride. Still, she couldn't stem the rush of pleasure that flowed through her as she looked at the curly-haired child seated across from her. She was everything Aemilia hoped Alex will be, and more. Alex was gentleness and laughter, intelligence and indomitable spirit. Too much spirit, perhaps, and too much sensitivity as well—for she repeatedly turned herself inside out, trying to please her shallow mother.
Aemilia then wondered what sort of man Alex would marry—not such a one as her own daughter-in-law had already been seeing in secret, Aemilia devoutly hoped. Elizabeth lacked Alexandria's depth of character; Garett had spoiled her, Aemilia thought sadly. Alexandria's mother was weak and selfish. She is seeing a man exactly like herself, but Alex would need, and deserve, a far better man.
With her usual sensitivity, Alexandria noticed the sudden darkening of her grandmother's mood and strove immediately to lighten it. "Are you feeling unwell, Nana? The headache again? Shall I rub your neck?"
"I do have a bit of the headache," Aemilia said. Alex came around behind her and began with her child's hands to soothe away the tension in her shoulders and neck.
No sooner had her hands stilled than Aemilia felt the tickle of something brush against her cheek. Absorbed in her reading, she reached up and absently rubbed her cheek where it tickled. A moment later, her neck tickled and she rubbed it there. The tickle switched to her right ear and she bit back an exasperated smile as she finally realized her granddaughter was brushing a feather quill against her skin. "Alex, my dear," she said, "I fear there's a mischievous little bird in here, diverting me from my reading."
"Because you work too hard," Alex said, but she pressed a kiss against Aemilia's cheek and returned to her seat to draw. A few moments later, her lagging attention was diverted by a worm inching its way past the open door of the library window. "If everything in the universe serves God's special purpose, why do you suppose He created snakes? They're ever so ugly. Quite scary, actually."
Sighing at her interruption, Aemilia laid down her book, but she was not proof against Alex's sunny smile. "I shall make it a point to ask God about that when I see Him."
The idea of her grandmother dying made Alexandria instantly somber, but the sound of laughter drifting into the open window caused Alex to leap to her feet, running to the open window. "It's starting!" she burst out joyously. "Mama's party is starting!"
Brushing the bangs from her eyes, Alex glanced back at the balcony a few feet away. She has finally managed to evade her sitter. Old Franny. A fifty six year old, old maid whose only purpose in life was to instill in Alexandria schedules and lessons and even more schedules. Sadly, with all that her sitter had planned for her to do, play was not one of them.
So here she found herself now, during one of her mother's garden parties where she had finally managed to escape and find freedom, even for just a couple of hours. Maybe the reason Old Franny liked to keep her locked indoors is because she couldn't really keep up with Alex if she tried to chase her outside.
Ignoring the wind, and slowly setting sun, Alex turned and made a run for her Nana's garden. Lily by her side.
"Shh. Be quiet Lily, or Old Fwanny'll find us!" with an index finger to her lips, Alex successfully convinced her dog to quiet down, even just for a few minutes.
Picking up speed, her frilly skirt billowing around her, not caring about her white oxford shoes and lace socks picking up dirt, she sprinted towards the labyrinth, the fountain in the middle her only destination in mind.
Alex never got lost in her Nana's garden, with her spending most of her time with her Nana than with her mother, Alex has the entire property memorized. At such a young age, Alex had developed a love for the adventure and the outdoors. Usually her Nana was always with her whenever they decide to visit the gardens, her Nana never ran out of stories for her. Stories about wizards and dwarves. Of little people and magic. Of Kingdoms and kings, of warriors and goblins and of prince and princesses and dragons.
It was one of the reason why Alex had developed a love for the outdoors. Always replaying Nana's stories as if she was part of them. Although sadly, with her Nana's condition worsening because of her age, Alex only get to spend her time with her grandmother indoors, usually locked in her Nana's library, reading books. Up until recently, Nana had started telling her stories about elves and their magic. Oh, how she had enjoyed those stories.
Alex was becoming more of her Nana than her social butterfly of a mother. Something that her mother had deeply fretted about whenever she had the time to spend with her daughter.
Turning left and then right, running up ahead, and another left, Alex did not waste anytime getting to the fountain in the middle of her Nana's labyrinth.
At last, Alex had reached the fountain, and without fail every time the little brown haired girl gets to visit this part of her Nana's garden, she'd always look up, admiring the huge mallorn tree in the middle of the fountain. Always trying to figure out how a tree ended up the middle of the fountain. When Alex used to visit the garden with her Nana in the morning, the tree provided great shade, shielding them from the sun, giving them the opportunity to admire the various gold fishes in the fountain. Turning around, she checked to see five different exits out of the center, each one leading to a different part of the property. Inclining her head to check out the walls of leaves that make out the labyrinth, Alex noticed how thick and towering the walls have become since she last visited.
Shrugging her shoulders, she continued towards the fountain, sitting beside Lilly who was by now busy, barking at the fishes. Alex picked out a coin from the hidden pocket of her dress, closing her eyes and wishing before throwing the coin, spooking the nearby aquatic animals.
Standing on the ledge of the fountain, Alex pretended to be one of the warrior princesses her Nana had told her stories of.
"Stand down Lilly or I'll have yow neck!" Giggling in the process when the dog just looked at her and ignored her as it continued to chase and bark at the fishes. Jumping and waving her arms in the air, as if wielding a sword she raced after Lily around the fountain.
"Suwender now!" Alex acted, and by this time a huge thunder rolled over the sky, giving it a sudden white hue.
Startled Alex immediately looked up, noticing how the weather had changed. The wind picking up speed, her hair blowing around her face, her skirt billowing around her, tangling around her legs, the dried leaves rustling all around her.
"I think we should head back Lily." Realizing she had stayed in the garden at lot longer than she intended to, turning her head to were she thought her dog was, only to find that Lily had completely disappeared and Alex was left all alone.
"Lily!' Alex shouted over the wind, "Come back!", straining her ear for any sign of her dog.
It wasn't long before she heard faint barking in the distance, running to the direction of the sound, Alex took off running, completely forgetting that she took one of the exits that lead her farther away from the manor and into the other side of the garden.
Stepping into the dark woods, Alex couldn't care less about the worsening weather. The wind picking up speed and the slow fall of rain, slowly dampening her hair and the ruffles of her once pristine yellow sun dress.
"Lily where are you?" the dark brown haired girl yelled again, into the same darkness that is slowly engulfing her.
A snapping of a twig brought her back to her senses, turning her neck to the sound completely oblivious to the danger lurking.
A sudden fear slowly crept into her, tightening her hold on her skirt, she sprinted away from the sound. Desperately but with no such luck, trying to avoid the extended branches of the woods and foliage surrounding her, not realizing that her small steps had taken her further deep into the forest.
"Aragorn, nad no ennas!" A velvet voice barely above a whisper broke through the howling of the wind, directed to the boy , not more than twenty years of age, crouched beside the elf. Both heads inclined to the direction of the soft footsteps not quite sure to decipher the source of the sound.
Brown eyes snapped back, looking directly at icy blue ones, both boys though looking quite the same in height and structure actually differ in age and maturity. "Something is coming." whispered the brown haired one.
Something is definitely coming closer. Soft footsteps from an unknown origin. First becoming quick and fast has slowed down and sounded unsure.
A rustle in the bushes ahead caught the attention of the two.
The blonde one with an arrow ready at hand, long fingers brushing the soft feathers at the end of the long arrow, while the other boy, a dagger grasped tightly at the hilt.
'Lily.' this time Alex had not the energy to shout, fear has finally got her in it's grip. The once bright sky had fallen dark now, victim to the oncoming nightfall. Trying to keep herself from crying, Alex straightened her back, her chin held high. She was not about to back down now, her dog was still lost in the woods. Five year old or not, Alex had the sense to be strong if only to convince herself that she was safe.
Pushing at the bushes blocking her way, Alex stumbled forward, the end of her dress caught at the stray branches, her frilly dress reaping at the ends. She fell face first to the ground landing a few feet from a booted leg that unknowingly to her landed softly and soundlessly from the adjacent tree.
'Ow.' sniffing and slowly rising to her small height Alex's eyes widened at the sight of a being she could only describe as an angel.
Icy blue eyes stared into green ones, arrow still dangerously pointed but hesitation slowly seeping into his consciousness. How could he! A little girl, a helpless and obviously lost little girl had unknowingly stumbled into his father's kingdom!
'A girl?' the brown haired boy asked, bewildered by sudden turn of event. Sheathing his dagger by his waist. Slightly looking disappointed but relieved. 'Legolas," a warning tone escaped his lips, trying his best not to startle his friend whose attention was solely concentrated on the poor girl. Her watery eyes wide in fear, glanced between him and his friend. Her eyes momentarily straying to the sharp arrow directed at her.
'She is but a little girl, mellon nin.' slowly moving his body in the direction of arrow completely blocking the girl from his view.
Lowering his arrow, but his gaze still penetrating "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Legolas asked.
"I'm looking for my dog, Lily! Have you seen her?" sniffing, Alex looked up staring at the angel head on. He is scary, she noted. Her watery green eyes never strayed from his icy blue ones. Her dog is somewhere lost in the woods, concern flooding her senses for her poor helpless dog!
'she..she's just this small, with bwownish hair.. she likes to bark a lot. You must've seen? Have you seen where she went?!" pleading eyes had started to cry, softening the heart and resolve of the two companions. Alex's arms and hands moving in time with her description trying with all her might to describe her dog.
Aragorn was the first one to break from the trance. This little girl, younger than any child he has had any encounter in his life is on the brink of a panic over her dog.
'Are you alone?' Aragorn asked, kneeling down on one knee to talk to the girl eye to eye.
Sniffing Alex could only stare at the dark haired boy. 'No.'
'Is there anyone else with you?' Aragorn asked again, this time Legolas could only admire his friend for his patience. Dealing with the lost little girl, especially someone as annoying as this one is clearly not his forte.
'My dog! Lily!' Alex raised her voice, more tears spilling down from her cheeks. Old Franny had told her of scary men and how she should stay away from them. But they are not scary, Alex thought. If not, for some unknown reason she felt relieved in finding them.
'Hush girl. You'll attract unwanted attention.' the blue eyed angel countered, his clipped tone giving no room for question. His head dangerously whipping towards the surrounding shrubs.
'Alright, we'll find your dog.' grabbing a hold of the end of his dirty shirt, Aragorn tried to wipe the little girl's tears. Moving to standing position, rearranging his dagger on his hip, he was however startled into silence when he felt the girl latch onto his leg, with no signs of letting go soon.
'Thank you Mister.' Alex sniffed, earning a soft glance from the dark haired boy.
'Come. Let us get out of this woods and this weather.' Giving the little girl a small smile.
With this, Alex consciously took hold of the brown haired boy's hand. Walking side by side with him through her Nana's woods in search of her dog.
Unbeknownst to them, which is just at the clearing between the fountain and the woods Lily stood, tail straight, eyes determined, barking at her human to come back.
-Autumn, September 2016, Fontanellato, Italy-
'I can't believe I'm fucking back.' taking a drag of the cigarette, Alex stared out at the vast garden of her Nana.
Fifteen years since she was last here. Her last day at the garden clear as day in her head.
Great! Patel's going to kill me.
After that fateful day in the woods, Alex had vowed never to return, but here she was again. Just her luck, the weather seemed to have sensed her gloomy mood for the clouds have suddenly made their appearance, with what once was a sunny morning had turned cloudy and looking like rain in the afternoon.
'-and I thought you said you quit smoking.' Handing her a flute, her only friend Paul walked beside her, seeming to appreciate a break in their mundane lives from the city, also looking out at the vast garden ahead of them.
'I said that?' a humorless laugh escaped her lips, earning a sideways glance from her friend.
'I hate to be a bearer of bad news, but Tom's here. And he's looking for you.'
'Ugh. I'm really not in the mood.' rolling her eyes, taking a last drag of her cigarette before unceremoniously throwing the butt on the floor and stomping the last remains with her left boot. Alex drank the champagne in one full sweep, placing the glass in the cement railing.
'Well, incase you have forgotten, he's your fiancé now.'
'Don't remind me.' a resigned sigh escaping past her lips,
'I thought you liked him?'
'You and me both chief.' Turning around, and passing by the staircase on the side of the balcony trying to make her quick escape from her fiancé.
The events from twenty five years ago still haunts Alex. At five years old, she was sure that those adventures were real. Her friends were all real. That Middle Earth was real.
No! They were not. Alex reminded herself in thought.
"Alex, talk to me." Paul insisted softly, following his best friend down the short staircase,
"About what?" Alex threw over shoulder barely glancing at her friend who followed her. Her feet, as if moving in memory is taking her towards the path that lead to her Nana's labyrinth. A path she had took countless times before during her younger years.
"I don't know..about anything..everything..I guess." Paul grasped, wanting to hear Alex rant about just about anything. Paul had learned long ago, that a quiet Alex is never a good Alex, especially in her head. "You haven't been back here in ages, you haven't spoken to your Mother in about the same time span, and your Nana's health is deteriorating. She is basically confined to her bed now." Paul added,
Alex only looked over shoulder to look at her best friend nonchalantly.
"-and on top of that, your fiancé has been hunting you down for nearly a week now." Paul interjected exasperated at his best friend's obvious apathy at her peculiar situation. It is not helping that the entire place is giving him the 'jibby' vibes too.
Casting an irritated glance over Paul, Alex continued on as if in a daze.
The fountain, the tree.
"When was the last time you where here anyway?" Distraction might be a way to go, Paul thought,
"Fifteen years ago." But she wasn't expecting clipped answers from her, trying his luck at a different tactic, Paul decided to change topic.
"You know, if you don't like Tom or are having doubts, you know you can always give him to me.." Paul added with a smirk, humor falling flat on deaf ears of his best friend who looked to be in a daze,"and where are we going anyway?" Paul asked again, looking around the tall vertical leafed walls serving as puzzles of the labyrinth garden, stretching as far as a a meter or two over their heads, hair on his arms standing, and it's not just because of the cold.
White light flashed on the sky, the wind suddenly picking up speed. The leaves rustling around them, the lamp posts scattered around the pathways of the garden and grounds flickering, almost falling in sync with the peculiar weather giving the place an entirely creepy vibe.
"Alex? Don't you think we should head back now?" Paul asked, this time with a slight uneasiness to his tone. Something definitely doesn't feel right.
"I just have to see something…" Alex trailed off,
memories of a five year old girl running through the gardens flashed in her mind,
then a taller eight year old with dark brown hair slightly longer, bangs grown out, wearing boyish denim jeans, backpack behind her filled with pen and sketch book, and then a flash of lightning
and a vision of a slightly older fifteen year old Alex, a shirt clinging to her barely noticeable thin frame, her legs covered in dark leggings and flat ankle boots, her hair up in ponytail, her arms covered in books and trinkets and a boxed up stolen slice of her favorite chocolate cake, her pace hurried in the direction past beyond the fountain and the Mallorn tree.
She stopped abruptly, standing just a few paces beyond the fountain and tree, her gaze directly on the exit she knew like the back of her hand.
The exit leading to the woods.
"What kind of a tree is that?' Paul asked, eyes wide, astonished to find a tree in the middle of a fountain. It's trunk thick and sturdy with a grayish, silver hue, it's branches spreading out like long fingers, it's leaves a beautiful shade of green, yellow and gold.
Turning look back at her friend, Alex fixed a glance at the tree and turned her attention back at the exit, "Mallorn Tree."
'Mal-what?" Studying the magnificent tree again, "I don't think I have ever seen a tree like this before." Paul added in a daze, this tree is definitely one of a kind. After receiving no response from his friend, he turned his attention to Alex who seemed to be engrossed on the thick line of trees visible from the pathway she was standing on.
"um, hello? Earth to Alex? Did you hear me? You are not even dressed for this weather" Paul strode behind Alex. Gesturing to her thin beige trench coat that reached her mid calf not entirely matching her outfit being it was worn in obvious hurry, her white satin long gown peaking between the unbuttoned coat. Her feet covered in also hurriedly worn black leather boots peaking under the satin gown, her hair in long messy dark curls falling on her mid back. She looks like a mess! But a hot mess I might say.
Clearly his friend was miles away, "You have an engagement party to attend to. YOUR engagement party might I add." And I doubt your mother will be particularly proud of this look you're trying to pull off, Paul added mentally doubting his friend might not appreciate his sarcasm now.
Alex continued to stare head on, not hearing a single word Paul said.
There is something in the air. Something in the atmosphere she could not quite put her finger on, but nevertheless, it felt very familiar to her.
Taking another step forward, Alex took the exit that lead directly to the forest.
"Alex!" Paul hissed, panic and irritability lacing his tone, but like a good friend that he was, zipping his jacket up as he felt the temperature slowly drop, he followed her, to where, he doesn't really know and to be quite honest Alex is really starting to creep him out.
I have to see that it's not real. I know it is not real!, Alex thought trying with all her might to convince herself.
Slowly but surely Alex stepped over the cemented pathway and made her first step onto the muddy ground into the woods. Paul on her heels.
The rain slowly fell, pelting with small rain droplets both their hair and Alex's coat and Paul's jacket.
Into the woods they went it, the only light coming in from in between the branches and tree trunks, the light a faint cast from the lamp posts scattered over her Nana's garden.
"Alex, another more minute of this madness and I am calling Dr. Patel!" Paul threatened glancing at his already muddy and ruined Oxford shoes. He knew of his friend's expensive therapy session with the renowned psychologist. He knew about her past, her childhood that only held heartache and her way of coping with it. He would not see her regress now after all the years of treatment.
Stress from the wedding preparations, that must be it! There is no other explanation for Alex's bizarre behavior. Her Nana's place must be triggering something from her past.
One foot in front of another and Alex slowly felt herself relax. The breath she had been holding slowly released from her lungs. Glancing back, she can still see the shadows of the garden, the silhouette outlined by the lamp posts they had passed not too long ago.
See! It's not so bad. Alex told herself, looking behind her to look at her best friend.
It's not real! Slowly inhaling and then exhaling, a euphoric feeling engulfing her senses. She looked manic as a Cheshire Cat grin spread across her features.
"It's not real." Alex breathed out, satisfied and contented with her discovery that her memories of long ago, were just that, just memories of an active imagination of a five year old girl.
Paul gazed at his friend in both a mix of bewilderment and happiness. "Okay. Alright. Now that we got that out of the way, why don't we head back-"
A snap of a twig alerted the pair. Both heads whipped in the opposite direction from where they are standing.
Goosebumps erupted along Alex's arms. NO!
Paul slowly inched his way in front of his best friend. I may be gay, but like hell would I leave Alex on her own.
Peaking behind a rather tall thick tree, odd, Paul leaned closer squinting his eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness, when a long silver blade caught the moonlight, glinting menacingly and was aimed for Paul's neck.
Alex's breathe caught in her throat. Her feet locked in place. She stood frozen, watching her friend frozen beside a tree, a silver blade directed at his throat.
Suddenly, a voice she knew all too well spoke. A voice, belonging to too many memories she tried to erase from her past.
"Who are you and what is your business here?" Slowly inching his way from behind the tree, the light from the moon illuminating his face.
Alex gasped. It can't be!
This caused the rugged man to turn his attention to her. His familiar brown eyes focused on her face, running his eyes with no hint of maliciousness, but scrutiny over her frame until his brown eyes locked into her green ones.
"Alex?" Confusion and awe written in his features, his sword forgotten hanging over Paul's neck.
"Aragorn." Only a single breath escaped her lips before she passed out completely.