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Chapter 3 --- A Face in the Water ---
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It was late at night and he was walking through the forest outside of Hobbiton, his hands in his pockets. It was cold…and yet he wasn't wearing a jacket and he was not sure why. There was a moon, but clouds were obscuring the stars and he was tired. He was 34, he had not left the shire yet…though he was longing to go to Rivendell. His heart was torn between the two places. On the one hand…the Shire was his home, and on the other…she was his heart. He had to find her. But Bilbo had said she was in Rivendell, and that she lived. He had told Frodo that Lord Elrond had forbidden her to leave the Valley, and that many years ago, something had occurred that cast much of her memory to the side. If he waited any longer…he might end up being too old to leave the Shire…too old to see her. But if she did not remember him…how would he be able to deal with that? Maybe it was better that he stayed here. He hadn't seen her in a very long time. More than seven years, and the last time she had seemed…distant and though he had told her that he loved her, she had not responded. He sat down by a tree…near a small pond and the wind was blowing a silent chill. Maybe it was time to let go. To let her go.
He sighed heavily, pulling out the pendant and gazing at her lovely face. Then…suddenly there was another chill in the air and it slipped from his fingers, dropping into the murky pond…Frodo let out a cry and fell to his knees desperately sticking his hands into the dark water feeling around for it. "No…no no no." he whimpered….and then he froze, the tears still falling down his cheeks.
For the dark waters had cleared a little…and he saw her, within….beckoning him. She was so beautiful…so angelic…so filled with light and warmth that all he could do was stare at her. Then he felt something brush against his arms…fingers…hers. Her hands circled around his forearms and for a moment…he was in heaven…and then…plummeted cruely into hell for whatever held him yanked him down into the water. At first he struggled, but when he opened his eyes he saw her there, bathed in darkness. And then she kissed him, holding him fast in the water, draining every last breathe while he finally began to fight for his life.
He struggled helplessly against her strength, fear building in his heart. He now knew it wasn't her, whatever it was…was not here. There was a terrible sound…an evil laugh…and an eye…breathed in flame….rushing forward to consume them both. He screamed into the murky water, but no one heard his call. He cried out again, just as everything began to spin around him, he thought he might have heard his mother's voice but when his eyes flew open and he jolted upright in bed with a silent cry that gave forth to a resounding scream the only one that was with him was Sam who was startled out of his wits and rushed to his master's side, steadying him.
Frodo frantically searched his pockets and heaved a sigh of relief. The pendant was still there and he fell back on the pillows, crying as Sam held him in his arms, gently soothing. "There now, Mr. Frodo, it was only a dream. Is there anything that I can get for you?" Frodo did not respond, he kept crying, the desperate little sobs wracking his small body until finally…he drifted back to dreamless sleep.
Chapter 3 --- A Face in the Water ---
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It was late at night and he was walking through the forest outside of Hobbiton, his hands in his pockets. It was cold…and yet he wasn't wearing a jacket and he was not sure why. There was a moon, but clouds were obscuring the stars and he was tired. He was 34, he had not left the shire yet…though he was longing to go to Rivendell. His heart was torn between the two places. On the one hand…the Shire was his home, and on the other…she was his heart. He had to find her. But Bilbo had said she was in Rivendell, and that she lived. He had told Frodo that Lord Elrond had forbidden her to leave the Valley, and that many years ago, something had occurred that cast much of her memory to the side. If he waited any longer…he might end up being too old to leave the Shire…too old to see her. But if she did not remember him…how would he be able to deal with that? Maybe it was better that he stayed here. He hadn't seen her in a very long time. More than seven years, and the last time she had seemed…distant and though he had told her that he loved her, she had not responded. He sat down by a tree…near a small pond and the wind was blowing a silent chill. Maybe it was time to let go. To let her go.
He sighed heavily, pulling out the pendant and gazing at her lovely face. Then…suddenly there was another chill in the air and it slipped from his fingers, dropping into the murky pond…Frodo let out a cry and fell to his knees desperately sticking his hands into the dark water feeling around for it. "No…no no no." he whimpered….and then he froze, the tears still falling down his cheeks.
For the dark waters had cleared a little…and he saw her, within….beckoning him. She was so beautiful…so angelic…so filled with light and warmth that all he could do was stare at her. Then he felt something brush against his arms…fingers…hers. Her hands circled around his forearms and for a moment…he was in heaven…and then…plummeted cruely into hell for whatever held him yanked him down into the water. At first he struggled, but when he opened his eyes he saw her there, bathed in darkness. And then she kissed him, holding him fast in the water, draining every last breathe while he finally began to fight for his life.
He struggled helplessly against her strength, fear building in his heart. He now knew it wasn't her, whatever it was…was not here. There was a terrible sound…an evil laugh…and an eye…breathed in flame….rushing forward to consume them both. He screamed into the murky water, but no one heard his call. He cried out again, just as everything began to spin around him, he thought he might have heard his mother's voice but when his eyes flew open and he jolted upright in bed with a silent cry that gave forth to a resounding scream the only one that was with him was Sam who was startled out of his wits and rushed to his master's side, steadying him.
Frodo frantically searched his pockets and heaved a sigh of relief. The pendant was still there and he fell back on the pillows, crying as Sam held him in his arms, gently soothing. "There now, Mr. Frodo, it was only a dream. Is there anything that I can get for you?" Frodo did not respond, he kept crying, the desperate little sobs wracking his small body until finally…he drifted back to dreamless sleep.