Chapter 15
Nightmares
Angelica woke late that night to the sound of muffled cries and tormented groans coming from Frodo's bedroom. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, nearly rolling onto the floor. The moonlight streamed through her window and she smiled as she slid to the wooden floor and went to get her bathrobe. "Wonder what he's dreaming about this time," she thought miserably as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She stumbled out of the room and glanced down the dark, empty corridor. After the fight that afternoon Frodo had slept most of the evening and Bilbo had brought him dinner and supper in bed. She pulled a loose strand of her thick curly hair behind one ear once she reached Frodo's door. With hesitation she turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping inside.
Though the room was dark she could make out Frodo's figure in the bed and could tell that it was turning this way and that. "Frodo!" she whispered as she tiptoed to her cousins' bedside. "Frodo!" she gave him a shake. Startled he sat up blinking.
"You were having a bad dream," Angelica explained stepping back. Frodo stared at her.
"What are you doing in my room?" he snapped.
"I heard you yelling and."
"What in the name of the Shire." Both tweenagers jumped at the sound of Bilbo's voice and turned.
"Angelica.what are you doing out of bed at this hour?"
Angelica looked down at her furry foot. "I wanted to make sure Frodo was all right."
"Yes.what's the matter, lad?"
Frodo sat down in bed and his lower lip started to tremble. Bilbo immediately took a seat beside his nephew and shooed Angelica out. "Nightmare again?" Bilbo asked once Angelica had left. Frodo nodded and accepted a hug from his Uncle. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Frodo shook his head. "Uh uh." He hiccoughed.
Bilbo kissed the side of his head. "You know, Frodo.talking about the dream will help it go away."
Frodo sniffed and wiped his eyes with the corner of his pajama sleeve and accepted a clean handkerchief from Bilbo. "I'm sorry to have woken you up." he whispered.
Bilbo hugged him even closer. "Oh lad.you're never a nuisance. Now tell your Uncle Bilbo what the dream was about."
Frodo took a deep breath. "Well.I.I saw my parents.we were hiking through the woods in the back of Brandy Hall and suddenly a big dragon came and."
"Oh my poor boy." Bilbo soothed as Frodo began to cry again.
"I miss my parents.I miss them so much," Frodo sobbed as he burried his face into his Uncle's nightshirt. Bilbo stroked Frodo's thick brown hair feeling a large lump forming in his throat.
"I know.I know. I could never replace them, Frodo. Though I feel sometimes that it what I am trying to do."
Frodo sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Oh no, Uncle.you."
"Listen, lad.I think it is time for the both of us to go back to sleep. I promise that you will have no more bad dreams tonight."
Frodo watched as Bilbo stood and then: "Uncle Bilbo?"
"Yes?"
"Will you tell Angelica that I truly love her? And that I am glad she is staying? I was awfully rude to her earlier."
Tears glistened in the older hobbit's eyes as he stood in the doorway. "I am sure she knows, Frodo. But I will tell her. Good night."
"Good night."
Angelica woke late that night to the sound of muffled cries and tormented groans coming from Frodo's bedroom. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, nearly rolling onto the floor. The moonlight streamed through her window and she smiled as she slid to the wooden floor and went to get her bathrobe. "Wonder what he's dreaming about this time," she thought miserably as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She stumbled out of the room and glanced down the dark, empty corridor. After the fight that afternoon Frodo had slept most of the evening and Bilbo had brought him dinner and supper in bed. She pulled a loose strand of her thick curly hair behind one ear once she reached Frodo's door. With hesitation she turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping inside.
Though the room was dark she could make out Frodo's figure in the bed and could tell that it was turning this way and that. "Frodo!" she whispered as she tiptoed to her cousins' bedside. "Frodo!" she gave him a shake. Startled he sat up blinking.
"You were having a bad dream," Angelica explained stepping back. Frodo stared at her.
"What are you doing in my room?" he snapped.
"I heard you yelling and."
"What in the name of the Shire." Both tweenagers jumped at the sound of Bilbo's voice and turned.
"Angelica.what are you doing out of bed at this hour?"
Angelica looked down at her furry foot. "I wanted to make sure Frodo was all right."
"Yes.what's the matter, lad?"
Frodo sat down in bed and his lower lip started to tremble. Bilbo immediately took a seat beside his nephew and shooed Angelica out. "Nightmare again?" Bilbo asked once Angelica had left. Frodo nodded and accepted a hug from his Uncle. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Frodo shook his head. "Uh uh." He hiccoughed.
Bilbo kissed the side of his head. "You know, Frodo.talking about the dream will help it go away."
Frodo sniffed and wiped his eyes with the corner of his pajama sleeve and accepted a clean handkerchief from Bilbo. "I'm sorry to have woken you up." he whispered.
Bilbo hugged him even closer. "Oh lad.you're never a nuisance. Now tell your Uncle Bilbo what the dream was about."
Frodo took a deep breath. "Well.I.I saw my parents.we were hiking through the woods in the back of Brandy Hall and suddenly a big dragon came and."
"Oh my poor boy." Bilbo soothed as Frodo began to cry again.
"I miss my parents.I miss them so much," Frodo sobbed as he burried his face into his Uncle's nightshirt. Bilbo stroked Frodo's thick brown hair feeling a large lump forming in his throat.
"I know.I know. I could never replace them, Frodo. Though I feel sometimes that it what I am trying to do."
Frodo sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Oh no, Uncle.you."
"Listen, lad.I think it is time for the both of us to go back to sleep. I promise that you will have no more bad dreams tonight."
Frodo watched as Bilbo stood and then: "Uncle Bilbo?"
"Yes?"
"Will you tell Angelica that I truly love her? And that I am glad she is staying? I was awfully rude to her earlier."
Tears glistened in the older hobbit's eyes as he stood in the doorway. "I am sure she knows, Frodo. But I will tell her. Good night."
"Good night."