Chapter 1:
"We can't give in now, guys! They're going to relent soon!" "Look, Em, face it- they're not giving in. They want this theater gone as much as we want it to stay," a short girl whispered to me. It was really an odd scene- five teenage girls standing in front of an old, run down building, with bulldozers and cranes surrounding us. Construction workers were yelling at us to move, to get out of the way so that they could pulverize the small theater till it was no more than dust. "NO! WE WILL NOT MOVE UNTIL YOU AGREE TO LEAVE OUR THEATER ALONE!" I was thoroughly mad now, and the workers were getting tired of my insolence. "Fine," one worker said. "We'll just destroy it with you here!" The man grabbed the controls, aiming the wrecking ball just above our heads. We stood fast, barely cringing at the thought of being hit with a ten-ton wrecking ball. Slowly at first, but gaining speed, the ball moved towards us. Still we didn't move a muscle.
************ "I shall meet you at the Prancing Pony in Bree." Gandalf cleared his throat once, twice, to show Frodo that he really meant to meet him there on time if all went well. But there was still that small margin of error. "Very well, Gandalf. I shall see-" a noise came from outside the window. "Quick, get down!" Gandalf went to the window and poked around with his staff. Then, throwing it aside, he reached down and pulled up Sam. "Samwise Gamgee! How much did you hear?" "N-n-nuthin' much, Mister Gandalf, sir! Just somethin' about a ring, and the Dark Lord, and somethin' about the end o' the world, but that's it, I swear! Don't turn me into anythin'. unnatural please, Mister Gandalf, sir!" Sam sputtered, frightened. "No," Gandalf growled. "I've thought of a better use for you!"
************ The world began to spin as it got closer and closer. Everything swirled together until all colors blended into one. Then it stopped, and there was only darkness. Gradually, I became aware of my surroundings. Trees. Grass. I was in some type of forest. but a totally unfamiliar one. "Kelly! Michelle! Jen! Cori! Where are you guys? Hello?" My voice faded into a whisper. Where was I? How did I get here? And most importantly, where was everyone else? "Well, this couldn't get any worse," I thought as I stood up. But of course, something else was bound to go wrong- it began to pour. "Great. Just my luck. My summer couldn't get any better," I said sarcastically. "Nice going, Rachel, you've managed to lose yourself and your friends in some strange alternate reality in a total of thirty seconds. Gee, that must be some sort of record!"
************ "Excuse me, but could you tell Gandalf we've arrived?" Frodo asked uneasily. "Gandalf? Hmmm. ah yes, tall fellow, long beard? Haven't seen him for six months. Sorry." The innkeeper shook his head. Frodo turned to his companions, Merry, Pippin, and Sam, and together they sat for a drink. Merry brought over a pint, and so, of course, Pippin had to have one. Soon, though, Pippin was talking, and in doing so, blowing Frodo's cover. "No, you fool! Pippin!" The small hobbit ran to pull his friend away, but slipped ever so gracefully and fell, only to have the ring land on his finger. After pulling it off, the Ranger from the corner of the tavern grabbed him and pulled him upstairs. "You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. Underhill. I know what you carry." Strider said. "I carry nothing," Frodo lied. "Liar, liar, pants on fire!!!!" Strider sang, dancing around the room like a headless chicken (okay, so that's not how it really happened, but who cares?). Just then, Sam, Merry, and Pippin burst into the room. "Don't you hurt him!" Sam growled fiercely. "You have a stout heart, little hobbit." Strider commented, sheathing his sword.
"We can't give in now, guys! They're going to relent soon!" "Look, Em, face it- they're not giving in. They want this theater gone as much as we want it to stay," a short girl whispered to me. It was really an odd scene- five teenage girls standing in front of an old, run down building, with bulldozers and cranes surrounding us. Construction workers were yelling at us to move, to get out of the way so that they could pulverize the small theater till it was no more than dust. "NO! WE WILL NOT MOVE UNTIL YOU AGREE TO LEAVE OUR THEATER ALONE!" I was thoroughly mad now, and the workers were getting tired of my insolence. "Fine," one worker said. "We'll just destroy it with you here!" The man grabbed the controls, aiming the wrecking ball just above our heads. We stood fast, barely cringing at the thought of being hit with a ten-ton wrecking ball. Slowly at first, but gaining speed, the ball moved towards us. Still we didn't move a muscle.
************ "I shall meet you at the Prancing Pony in Bree." Gandalf cleared his throat once, twice, to show Frodo that he really meant to meet him there on time if all went well. But there was still that small margin of error. "Very well, Gandalf. I shall see-" a noise came from outside the window. "Quick, get down!" Gandalf went to the window and poked around with his staff. Then, throwing it aside, he reached down and pulled up Sam. "Samwise Gamgee! How much did you hear?" "N-n-nuthin' much, Mister Gandalf, sir! Just somethin' about a ring, and the Dark Lord, and somethin' about the end o' the world, but that's it, I swear! Don't turn me into anythin'. unnatural please, Mister Gandalf, sir!" Sam sputtered, frightened. "No," Gandalf growled. "I've thought of a better use for you!"
************ The world began to spin as it got closer and closer. Everything swirled together until all colors blended into one. Then it stopped, and there was only darkness. Gradually, I became aware of my surroundings. Trees. Grass. I was in some type of forest. but a totally unfamiliar one. "Kelly! Michelle! Jen! Cori! Where are you guys? Hello?" My voice faded into a whisper. Where was I? How did I get here? And most importantly, where was everyone else? "Well, this couldn't get any worse," I thought as I stood up. But of course, something else was bound to go wrong- it began to pour. "Great. Just my luck. My summer couldn't get any better," I said sarcastically. "Nice going, Rachel, you've managed to lose yourself and your friends in some strange alternate reality in a total of thirty seconds. Gee, that must be some sort of record!"
************ "Excuse me, but could you tell Gandalf we've arrived?" Frodo asked uneasily. "Gandalf? Hmmm. ah yes, tall fellow, long beard? Haven't seen him for six months. Sorry." The innkeeper shook his head. Frodo turned to his companions, Merry, Pippin, and Sam, and together they sat for a drink. Merry brought over a pint, and so, of course, Pippin had to have one. Soon, though, Pippin was talking, and in doing so, blowing Frodo's cover. "No, you fool! Pippin!" The small hobbit ran to pull his friend away, but slipped ever so gracefully and fell, only to have the ring land on his finger. After pulling it off, the Ranger from the corner of the tavern grabbed him and pulled him upstairs. "You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. Underhill. I know what you carry." Strider said. "I carry nothing," Frodo lied. "Liar, liar, pants on fire!!!!" Strider sang, dancing around the room like a headless chicken (okay, so that's not how it really happened, but who cares?). Just then, Sam, Merry, and Pippin burst into the room. "Don't you hurt him!" Sam growled fiercely. "You have a stout heart, little hobbit." Strider commented, sheathing his sword.