Wednesday, September 4, 2002
Chapter One__________
The rain was falling in sheets, and the more she looked out her window, the more Terri Bowley wished to go outside. Her older sister, Tiffany, suggested she watch The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring on DVD, but Terri hated violent or gory movies. She sat by her bedroom window for hours on end until her mother came into her room and said, "I'll ground you if you don't find something better to do." Terri sighed and went to the downstairs bathroom and started flushing the toilet nonstop until her father told her to find something else to do. Terri went on the Internet. She emailed her friends. They were all going to watch The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring on VHS at one of the girls' house. They invited Terri, but like I said, she dislikes that type of movie. She stayed home, from 3:30 to 7:59 P.M. She went to bed early because she was bored. The next day at school, Terri caught up with her friends; Becky, Laurie, Shauna, Carmen, and Danielle. "Hey Becky!" Terri yelled. "Hi Laurie!" She paused. They were ignoring her. They were talking about a guy named Frodo, a Dark Lord guy named Sauron, and a powerful "One Ring to rule them all". Terri went up to them. "Hi guys," she said. They smiled, but then went back to talking. Danielle, the tallest girl, spoke up. "Hi Terri," she said. Terri replied with a soft "hi". "We were just talking about The Lord Of The Rings," said Becky. "Cool," Terri replied, starting to get bored. "Frodo is sooooo cute!" said Carmen. "No," said Shauna. "Pippin is." "You're both wrong," said Laurie. "Legolas is the hottest!" They all started yelling about who's hotter and who's dumb. "I'm bailing," said Shauna. She walked off with Becky, Terri, and Danielle. That night, Terri got an email from Danielle. It read: Terri, I think somethin's up with Shauna. Shauna says the Ring is real. I know you have no idea what I'm talking about, but I really need your help. I think we should kick her out on account of being psycho. -Danielle Terri laughed. "Ring," she began. "Ha! If there's anything powerful around here, it certainly wouldn't be a Ring!" She went to bed at 9:00 P.M. that night. She couldn't sleep; she heard a scratching noise coming from inside her closet. At first she thought it was nothing, but as it grew louder and closer, she pulled the covers over her head in fear. She finally fell asleep at 10:30 P.M. The next day at school during lunch, Shauna was still acting strange. She told everyone that "the Ring is real!" Of course, no one would believe her. Who would care about a small golden Ring with some form of "Elvish" engraved on it? Not many people, actually. Sure, the kids who liked the sci- fi genre liked the Ring, but they didn't think it was real. "Shauna," Danielle said. "We were thinking, mostly me.and.well.I thought a lot, and we- I mean, I, think you should- I mean, have to go." "Where? Why?" Shauna asked. "You're a total psycho!" yelled Danielle, and a whole bunch of kids began to stare. Shauna stared at Danielle and Terri. Then she smiled. "Fine," she said. "But if you see the Ring, give it to me." She walked off. That night, the noises in Terri's closet got closer. She was about to doze off, when she heard a voice, like one from a horror movie, soft and eerie, say," Terri.Terri.I see all.you cannot.will not.escape me." Terri turned on the light, and both the noises and the voice stopped. She was sort of creeped out, but she began to believe it was her imagination running wild with her. The next day was a Saturday, and Terri and Danielle were going to the Mall. They saw Shauna sitting on a bench outside the jewelry store. She was fiddling with something, and after a few brief glances, Terri could see that it was a golden Ring. Then Terri heard the voice again. "Terri.you cannot escape.I see all.I will get you." Terri shook her head. "No!" she yelled, causing tons of shoppers to stare. "You won't get me!" Danielle looked confused. "You okay?" she asked. Terri shook her head. Then she looked at the Ring, and a huge, fiery eye caught her attention. She heard voices, but it was a different tongue. Terri turned, and saw Danielle staring at her, confused. "I'm fine," Terri said. They saw Shauna laughing. Terri and Danielle approached her. "Hey guys," Shauna began. "Guess what? I bought a replica Ring!" She fiddled with it again. "Isn't it great?" Terri and Danielle smiled slightly. They walked off without so much as a goodbye. The next morning, Terri got an email from Shauna saying she was going to England with her family to go sight-seeing. She seemed really excited. But why? Terri tried calling Shauna, but she was already gone. Terri then called Danielle, who already knew. Later on that day, Terri and Danielle watched the second disc from The Lord Of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring DVD set. They found out that the movie was filmed in New Zealand and was supposed to be like England. "England!" yelled Terri and Danielle. That night they gathered up all their money and begged their moms to let them go to England. "Why?" asked Terri's mom. "Because," said Terri. "Because our favorite actors live there," Danielle said. "Yeah, like Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and Tom Felton," said Terri. They just stood there, quieter than ever, for three minutes, and finally, Terri's mother said "fine". "But," said Terri's mom, "this had better not have anything to do with Shauna." "Okay mom," Terri said as she ran out the door. It took awhile to get from Iowa to London, England. As soon as they got off the plane, Terri and Danielle saw a girl showing off her "replica Ring". They immediately knew it was Shauna. "Shauna!" Terri yelled. She ran over, grabbed Shauna, and pulled her aside. "We're going home," Danielle said. "Cool," Shauna said. "Bye!" "You're coming with us!" Danielle said. "But-" Shauna began. Terri and Danielle dragged her onto the plane. No one said anything the whole time. They got back a long while later, all because the pilot kept getting lost. "What were you thinking?" Terri asked. "I was looking for the Ring," Shauna said. "You're dumb," Danielle said. "Besides, the movie was filmed in New Zealand." As Danielle said that, Shauna's eyes lit up. "Bye guys!" Shauna said, running towards the airport. Terri glared at Danielle. "Sorry," Danielle said. "Now what?" Terri asked. Danielle shrugged. "We follow her, I guess," she said. They ran after Shauna. By now, Becky, Laurie, and Carmen were history. They were all swamped with homework, and Terri and Danielle hadn't done class or homework ever since Shauna left, which was only a few days. Their grades had gone from As to Ds. And they only had one week left to make up the work, and they were never good about doing that. And now Danielle and Terri were going to New Zealand. "Mom, can I go to New Zealand with Danielle?" Terri asked the next morning. "Absolutely not," said Terri's mother. "You and I both know you're just trying to get Shauna. You spent less than a day in England, and everyone knows Shauna's a bit obsessed, but you aren't going." "How'd you know?" asked Terri. "I saw your emails," said Terri's mother. "Why?" yelled Terri, terribly upset. "I told you never to do that!" "Sorry," said Terri's mother. "Sorry isn't good enough!" yelled Terri storming off. "Fine!" yelled Terri's mother. "Go to New Zealand! Stay there forever, for all I care!" But Terri was already gone. Terri and Danielle spent the night at Danielle's house. Danielle was fast asleep, but Terri could not sleep; she heard scratching on the window nearby. She looked out the window, but saw nothing. As she walked back to the couch, she heard a voice. "Terri." it began. "Terri.I see all.I will get you." Terri turned the light on and the voice was gone. Terri almost fell asleep at the breakfast table; she could not sleep because of the scratching and the voices. Danielle kept her awake or they'd be late for their flight. A little after breakfast they headed for New Zealand. On the plane, Terri and Danielle met a brown-haired boy with sparkling blue eyes and some freckles. His name was Ben, and he was 14. He was from New Zealand; he was returning from a visit to California. He heard Terri and Danielle talking about "She's after the One Ring," and he couldn't help but question them. "One Ring?" he asked. "Yeah," said Terri. "Our friend Shauna went after The One Ring." "Wow," said Ben. "She seems a little." "Odd," said Terri. "We know." They talked for a long time, and eventually, the plane stopped. They all got off. Ben's eyes glistened in the sun. He looked at Terri and Danielle. "I think I know where your friend's headed," he said. They all ran towards the mountains. Shauna was giving up, when she heard voices. "Oh yeah," said a boy. It was Ben. "Really," replied Terri. "I've never seen it and I never will." Ben sighed. "Why?" he asked. "It's really cool." "Is not," Terri said. "Right, Danielle?" It was quiet. "Right, Danielle?" Terri repeated. Terri stopped walking and turned around. Danielle was not there. Terri and Ben turned around, and Terri screamed.
Chapter Two__________
"Sometimes I don't understand her," Terri's mother was saying to Danielle's mother. "She's a teenager, Bev," said Danielle's mother. "That's what they're like." Terri's mother just kept sobbing. "Oh my God! Shauna!" Terri yelled. She tried running over to Shauna, but stopped when a sword pointed at her throat. "Ben! Help!" yelled Terri, but Ben was surrounded, too. Terri looked up. She saw a hideous creature, pointy ears, lots of Armour, black hair, basically a "monster". "Terri! Careful!" yelled Shauna. "They're Orcs!" Terri saw Shauna being taken away by Orcs. "No!" Terri yelled. Suddenly, Terri and Ben were knocked out and carried away into a forest that appeared out of nowhere and once they went in, the forest disappeared. Terri awoke a few hours later in what seemed to be a house filled with tunnels full of furniture and other odds and ends. Terri heard two men talking. Ben was nowhere in sight. "Wonderful tea, Mr. Bilbo," Ben was saying. "Why thank you, Benjamin," said Bilbo, a hobbit no higher than four feet. Terri walked into the room. "Finally," Ben said. "You're awake." Bilbo served Terri some tea. "You look tired," said Bilbo. "Did you sleep at all last night?" "Not really," said Terri. "I dreamed about a Ring, and a man named Frodo." "Frodo," said Bilbo, smiling at the name. "Yeah," said Terri. "But.who's Frodo?" "My cousin," said Bilbo. "He went out to destroy the Ring, but I haven't seen him since we met at Rivendell. Wait, no he came back, but went off with Samwise, Pippin, and Merry." Bilbo smiled. "Dear Frodo," he said. He looked at Terri. "You should meet him." "I'd love to," Terri replied. Then she turned to Ben. "Where are we?" she asked. "The Shire," said Bilbo. "No," said Terri. "Yeah, actually, we are," said Ben. "Why wouldn't we be?" "We were just in New Zealand!" Terri yelled. "No," said Ben. "There's no such place!" Terri looked at Ben. She hadn't realized he was wearing funny clothes; trousers, a button-up shirt, no shoes. Terri laughed a little. "What's so funny?" Ben asked. "Your clothes," Terri said, laughing harder. "They're ridiculous!" "Look at yourself," Ben said. Terri looked at her clothes. She was in a dress! Plus, she was only four feet tall! "What am I?" asked Terri, going crazy. "A hobbit," said Ben. "Like me." "I am not a hobbit!" Terri yelled. "Yes you are," Ben said. The front door opened, and a hobbit came running in. He had blue eyes and curly brown hair. He was carrying a girl. Terri gasped. "Oh my God," she said. She clutched Ben's arm. "Bilbo," said the hobbit. "she's.dead." Terri started sobbing. The girl was Danielle. "What happened?" asked Bilbo. "Her throat was sliced open by an Orc, and then she was tossed into the river," said the hobbit. "It was Orcs, all right," said Bilbo. "In the Shire? Frodo, my lad, we must get out of here!" The hobbit grabbed Terri and Ben, and Bilbo followed. They ran to the door but it was opened by Orcs. Shauna awoke in a similar house. She smelled something good. She heard someone saying, "Mmm. Nothing like a good breakfast buffet." Shauna went into the room the hobbit was in, and gasped. "Pippin!" she cried. Pippin served breakfast. The door opened, and Orcs rushed in and surrounded them. "Oh dear," said Pippin. "Yeah," said Shauna. "Run!" she yelled. They ran out the door and down to Frodo's house, but they saw the house filled with Orcs. Frodo, Bilbo, Ben, and Terri were hiding in the woods. They had caught up with Merry and Sam. Shauna saw them, and she and Pippin ran over to them. "Orcs," said Sam. "Yeah," said Shauna. "What do we do?" asked Terri. "Glad you asked," Merry said. "We have to leave the Shire," said Frodo. "Right," said Merry. "Buckleberry Ferry." They all ran off through the woods as the sun began to set. By now the Orcs were trapped in the house, and a tall wizard (known by more than half the Shire as Gandalf) rode by. "Huh?" he asked, a bit curious. He rode off into the woods muttering something about "Frodo" and "Bilbo" and "The Shire." It was dark by now, and Terri was thinking this was all a dream, until she finally found out Shauna was here. Terri was surprised, shocked, puzzled, and confused; Shauna had been so quiet. "Shauna!" Terri yelled. "Why are you here?" "I live here!" Shauna replied happily. Terri was still confused. "I don't live here!" she yelled. "Then where do you live?" Shauna asked. "I live in Iowa," Terri said. "So do you. And Ben lives in New Zealand." Ben turned around. "I live in Hobbiton, thank you very much," said Ben. "There ain't no New Zealand or Iowa 'round these parts," Shauna said. "Perhaps you're from Bree? Or maybe Rivendell. Or Isengard?" "No," said Terri, getting annoyed. "I'm from Iowa!" Frodo turned to Bilbo. "Judging by her accent," he said, "she's probably from Rivendell." "Frodo my boy," said Bilbo. "The Elves speak like us. There are no accents. Just personalities. The dwellers of Rivendell are usually the Elves, strong, fast, and tall. She must be of Mordor, the way she acts gives it away." "What do you mean?" asked Merry. "She's the arguing type," said Frodo. "She hasn't seemed nice at all. Perhaps Bilbo is right. Perhaps she is from Mordor." "Cool!" said Pippin. "I never met anyone from Mordor!" "Pippin!" yelled Merry. "This is serious! She's from Mordor! She could kill us any time she wants!" Pippin looked at Merry, sort of terrified. "Oh dear," he said. They had talked so long, the twenty miles to Bree seemed like two seconds. They all decided to stay a night at The Prancing Pony Inn. The Innkeeper, Butterbur, greeted them. "Hello," he said to them. "Ahhh, hobbits, eh? What can I do for ye? A room, perhaps?" "Yes," said Frodo. "That would be wonderful." "I think we'll be needing two rooms," Bilbo said. "There are eight of us." "Very well," said Butterbur. "Follow me." They got two rooms next to each other. In the first room was Pippin, Merry, Sam, and Frodo. The second room held Ben, Shauna, Terri, and Bilbo. They unpacked the necessary things; food, clothes, blankets, etc. Then they all went downstairs for a drink and some hobbit-like fun. "Now Pippin," said Merry. "I know, I know," said Pippin. "They come in pints. Well, I'm getting one." He ran over to Butterbur for a pint of ale. Gandalf walked in and spotted Frodo sitting alone. He approached Frodo, and they started talking. Frodo told Gandalf about Terri and Mordor. "Gandalf," said Frodo. "You will come with us?" "Yes," said Gandalf. "I will." Frodo smiled, and then looked at Terri. Gandalf knew what he was thinking. "Frodo my boy," said Gandalf. "She can't come with us." "Who?" asked Frodo. Gandalf looked at Terri. "Her," he said. "But Gandalf," Frodo began. "We can't leave her out there. The Orcs will surely get her." "Frodo," said Gandalf. "She is from Mordor. She is probably helping Sauron." "How?" asked Frodo. He looked at Gandalf. "The Ring," he said. "Maybe," replied Gandalf. "You cannot trust anyone these days." "Can I trust you?" Frodo asked. "Yes, Frodo," Gandalf said. "Of course you can." Frodo looked at Pippin. He was sipping his ale. Merry was doing the same. Sam was talking with Shauna, and Ben was talking with Bilbo. "She doesn't even fit in," Gandalf said, again, knowing what Frodo was thinking. "She sits by herself. She hates mushrooms, and ale. She doesn't know she lives here." "But just because she never tried ale or mushrooms yet doesn't mean she hates them," Frodo said. "Besides, female hobbits never drink ale." "Oh but they do," said Gandalf. "They do." That night, Frodo thought about how they were going to leave Terri. He looked at Gandalf, who was sitting in a chair by the window. He and Frodo were the only ones awake. "How do we tell her?" Frodo asked. "We don't," said Gandalf. "Huh?" Frodo asked. "We already decided. We'll sneak out early, while she's still sleeping. She'll never know." "She'll never know?" Frodo asked. "I always knew you were wise, Gandalf, but to tell a hobbit she can't come with us because she's from Mordor, that's just mad, Gandalf. It's mad." With that Frodo walked outside. Gandalf shook his head. Frodo was walking around outside the Inn, and he felt bad for being angry with Gandalf. The rain was falling. Suddenly he heard footsteps. He stood still, and he could see a girl walk by. She was carrying a small backpack with her. "I just found out your plan," she said. "If you didn't want me to come along, all you had to do was ask." "It wasn't my idea!" Frodo cried. "I had nothing to do with it! Honestly!" She was already at the gate, leaving. Frodo looked at her, and finally, she left. "Goodbye," he said softly. The next morning they all packed. Frodo had been packed the night before. He was just sitting on his bed, thinking about Terri. "Cheer up, Frodo," Gandalf said. Frodo looked at him for awhile, and Gandalf could see tears roll down his face. "Frodo," said Gandalf. "It was for your safety." "I don't care if it was for safety," Frodo cried. "She needed us, and you turned her down." He looked back at Gandalf. "You're not the Gandalf I used to know," he said. "You've changed, Gandalf. A lot." Gandalf sighed. "Frodo- " he began. "Frodo." But Frodo had already walked off. Terri was walking a long time, when she saw what looked like an ancient ruins. By now the rain had stopped and it was getting quite dark. Terri decided to spend the night at the ruins. It was known by most creatures in Middle-Earth as Weathertop, or Amon-Sul. Frodo had left The Prancing Pony while the others were almost ready to leave. Gandalf just sat there, on one of the beds, Frodo's words buzzing around in his head. You're not the Gandalf I used to know. You've changed, Gandalf. A lot. "I suppose he was right," Gandalf said to himself. Pippin looked at him, as if he were insane. Gandalf grunted, sending Pippin back to his packing. Merry looked at Pippin. "What was that all about?" he asked. Pippin shrugged. "Hey, where'd Frodo go?" Sam asked. "He left," said Gandalf. "Why?" Sam asked, sad and angry at the same time. "He was angry," Gandalf said. "He needs to be alone." Sam looked at Merry, who looked at Pippin. "Wasn't me," Pippin said. Pippin, Gandalf, Merry, Sam, Shauna, Bilbo, and Ben all left a few minutes later. They rushed their packing because they needed to find Frodo.
Terri awoke to the sound of footsteps. She looked around but saw nothing. Suddenly she heard a voice. "Shouldn't travel alone," the voice said. Terri looked up. "Frodo!" she gasped. "I mean- What are you doing here? I didn't think you wanted me here." Frodo smiled. "No," he said. "I tried to tell you. Gandalf wanted to send you off. He thought you were from Mordor. He wanted to protect us. But I ran off. I think I hurt him." "How?" asked Terri. "I said some things to him," Frodo said. His words buzzed around inside his head. You're not the Gandalf I used to know. You've changed, Gandalf. A lot. Terri looked at Frodo. His eyes were shut, and he seemed upset. "Frodo?" Terri asked. "Frodo, are you okay?" he didn't answer. Terri shook him, and he looked at her. "What?" he asked. "You okay?" Terri asked. "Oh," said Frodo. "Yeah." They had a quick second breakfast and left for Rivendell. "So where are we going?" asked Terri. "Rivendell," said Frodo. "To see the Elves." Terri stopped. "Elves?" she asked, confused. "Yeah," said Frodo. "Elves." Terri shrugged, and kept on walking. "Why would Frodo be mad?" asked Ben. "It was for his own good." "I know," said Gandalf. "But Frodo doesn't like it when we make him do something." "Oh, he'll be back," said Bilbo. "Hhe always does." "Not this time," said Gandalf. "Not this time." "What do you mean?" asked Ben. "He has gone to Rivendell," said Gandalf. "With Terri." They were getting tired, when Terri spotted a house with many horses outside. They each borrowed a horse, and rode off. By now they were only three days from Rivendell. They stopped awhile later to rest. "I'll miss Ben," Terri said. "Why?" asked Frodo. "Where are you going?" "If that Greenelf dude says I'm from Mordor or wherever, that's where I am going," Terri said. "Uh, it's Gandalf," Frodo corrected. "And you can't just walk into Mordor." Frodo remembered Boromir's words: There is evil there that does not sleep. "The very air is a poisonous fume," Frodo said. "So?" asked Terri. "I will make it through." "Then I will go with you," Frodo said. Frodo and Terri hugged. Then they got back on their horses and rode off. Gandalf, Bilbo, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Ben, and Shauna had just reached Weathertop and decided to rest when they heard voices unlike any human's. They could see Orcs running in the direction of Rivendell. "Rivendell!" cried Bilbo. "That's where Frodo is," Gandalf said. "Hurry!" Terri and Frodo were riding peacefully when it started to rain. They didn't care; they kept talking for hours, and the day seemed like minutes. They had been riding all day and all night, and now they were only a day away from Rivendell. By now the rain had stopped and they decided to stop for a quick rest and some food. Frodo pulled out some mushrooms and ale. Terri did not go near any of the food. "What's the matter?" Frodo asked. "I'm not old enough to drink," Terri said. "And besides, I heard mushrooms taste like rubber." "No," said a voice, "You're just not a hobbit." Frodo and Terri looked in the direction that the voice came from. They saw Gandalf looking at them. Behind him were Bilbo, Shauna, Ben, Merry, Sam, and Pippin. "she's not a hobbit, Frodo," said Sam. Frodo looked at Sam, confused. "But she's four feet, right?" Frodo asked. "More like five," said Terri. "You're a tall hobbit," said Pippin. "I'm only four feet!" "I'm not a hobbit," said Terri. Everyone gasped. Frodo just stared. Terri looked at Frodo. "I told you guys," she said. "But you didn't believe me." Terri got back on the horse. "Goodbye," she said, and rode off. Frodo awoke the next morning to the sound of Pippin, Merry, and Sam talking. "That wasn't very nice," Pippin said. "Yeah," said Merry. "That Gandalf should mind his own business." "He never does," Pippin said. "I wish he had died when the Balrog got him." Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity! Pippin glared at the ground. "Was I really stupid?" Pippin asked. "When?" asked Merry. "When you knocked the skeleton into the well in Moria? I guess not." "That was an exception," said Sam. "Yeah," said Merry. "'Cause it was an accident.right?" "Yes," said Pippin. "But if you wished he were dead just now, why'd you cry after we thought he did?" Merry asked. "Yeah," said Sam. Pippin shrugged. "Dunno," he said. "Pippin," Merry said. "Okay," said Pippin. "Maybe I will miss him." Merry and Sam smiled. "A little," added Pippin. "Do you think she'll ever come back?" Terri's mother was saying to Danielle's mother on the phone. "It's been at least a week." "She may never come back," said Danielle's mother.
Chapter Three__________
Terri was almost at Rivendell when a man came over to her. She turned around in case he was looking for someone else. The man approached her. "One should never travel alone," he said. "Who are you?" Terri asked. "I am Legolas," the man said. "And you are?" "Terri," Terri said. She looked at Legolas. "You're awfully tall," she commented. "I'm an Elf," said Legolas. "Come," he said. "Rivendell is nearby." Terri smiled and followed Legolas. She couldn't help but stare at his pointy ears and long, blonde hair. She felt her ears. She had never noticed they were pointed also. Her hair was a shiny brown, when she was back in New Zealand, that is. Now her hair was a dirty brown color. She looked around. They were surrounded by trees. Terri could hear a familiar voice. "Terri." it began. "Terri.I see all.you cannot hide.I will get you!" Terri looked all around. She didn't say anything; she did not want to make a fool of herself in front of a stranger. "Pippin!" yelled Merry as Pippin kept leaning over him, trying to see through the bushes they were hiding in. "I can't see," Pippin replied. They saw Terri walking with Legolas. Pippin didn't recognize them; he went and jumped Legolas. "Who are you?" he asked. Legolas turned around. "Oops," Pippin said. "I almost shot you," Legolas said, beginning to smile. Frodo saw Terri and ran over to her. "How'd you find Legolas?" he asked. "Actually, Frodo," said Legolas, "I found her." Pippin smiled. Frodo ran over to Gandalf. "Gandalf!" Frodo cried. "She's back Gandalf!" Gandalf sighed. "The peace has been disturbed," he said to himself, for Frodo had already run off. That night they all partied like hobbits do, with lots of ale and mushrooms, and there was a lot of laughter and talking. "Where are we going?" Pippin asked suddenly. Everyone looked at each other. "Yeah," said Ben. "Where are we going?" "We're leaving the Shire, that's for sure," said Frodo. "But we are still not safe," said Gandalf. "We will stay at Rivendell until all is safe. If it ever is." That night Terri heard more noises. Scratching, outside her room in Rivendell. "Terri." it began. "I see all.you cannot hide.I will get you." "Where's Terri?" Frodo said the next morning. "She's not here!" "Oh no," said Pippin. "She missed breakfast. Oh well, she can always have second breakfast!" "Pippin, this is serious," said Ben. "She cannot survive Middle-earth. She is not smart enough." "Gandalf doesn't want me here, so I might as well leave," said Terri while walking through Rivendell. She didn't know it but someone was watching her. "I could not help but hear you say Gandalf," said a man. "Is everything okay?" "Yes," said Terri. "Where are you from?" asked the man. "Mordor," said Terri. "I think." The man looked at her. "Are you working for Sauron?" he asked. "No," said Terri. "Why? Who is he?" The man shhok his head. "I cannot tell you," he said. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And you are?" "Terri," said Terri. "Terri Bowley." "where are you headed for?" Aragorn asked. "Mordor," said Terri. A tall Elf with long, brown hair and blue eyes walked back. "Surely you did not say Mordor," he said to Terri. "She did, Elrond," said Aragorn. "She needs to get home." He looked at Terri. "I'll help you," he said to her. "Come," said Elrond. "We have much to discuss." Half of Rivendell was at the council later that day. "She cannot stay," Elrond was saying. "She is from Mordor; she brings many evils." Frodo was looking at the ground. He was very upset, and all of Rivendell knew it. "Frodo," said Elrond. "You know what we must do." Frodo looked up at Elrond. His eyes were red. He was crying. Everyone was looking at Frodo. Elrond looked at Gandalf. Gandalf nodded. "Frodo," said Gandalf. "Go get Terri." Frodo walked off, but returned seconds later with Terri. Elrond looked at Terri. Frodo sat back down. "Terri," said Elrond to Terri. "I know," said Terri. "You want me out of here. You think I bring many dangers." "Exactly," replied Elrond. "Then I will go," said Terri. Elrond nodded. Terri walked off. "NO!" yelled Frodo, but Terri was still walking. Elrond looked at Frodo. "It was for your own good," he said. Frodo glared at Elrond. Tears were streaming down his face. "Was it?" he asked. "Or do you just hate people from Mordor?" "Frodo," began Elrond. Frodo ran off before Elrond could finish. Ben and Shauna decided to follow Frodo. "Someone has to protect him," said Ben. Elrond looked at them, but said nothing. "We could have predicted this," said Gandalf to Elrond that night. Elrond looked at the ground. "Yes," he agreed. "Frodo is very kind; he doesn't care that he is in trouble." Gandalf looked back at Elrond. "That's Frodo," said Bilbo cheerfully. "Bilbo," said Elrond, "Frodo is endangered, and he is endangering the lives of others. We must stop him." "I suppose we could.we should," said Bilbo. "But Frodo is.well.Frodo! You can't just walk up to him and tell him to come back." Elrond looked at his daughter, Arwen, and got an idea. By nightfall Terri was trying to cook dinner, but she was a horrible cook. Her food was burning, and a few times she would hear footsteps. She could hear voices; one of them sounded familiar. "None of us should travel alone," he said. "Especially you." Terri looked up and saw Frodo. She smiled. But her smile faded when Ben and Shauna appeared. "I know what's going on," Terri said. "I'm not going back, Frodo. I don't want to." Frodo began to say something, but Shauna shushed him. Frodo turned to Ben and Shauna. "Come on, guys," he said. "She doesn't need us." "What?" asked Shauna and Ben, confused. "Let's go," Frodo said, walking back to Rivendell. "What ever happened to breakfast?" asked Pippin the next morning. It was real quiet. Frodo, Ben, and Shauna arrived back in Rivendell a few minutes later. "Any luck finding her?" asked Sam. "Yes," said Shauna. "We found her," said Ben. Frodo looked at the ground. "She doesn't need us," he said. He walked off to find Bilbo. "She doesn't need us," he kept saying to himself. "She doesn't need us." "Ulka ante," said Arwen to Frodo the next day. Frodo looked at her. "Rauko," added Arwen. "What did you say?" asked Frodo, confused. "'Evil Female'," said a voice. "'Demon.'" Frodo looked next to him. There was Aragorn. Frodo looked at him questioningly. "She was talking about Terri," added Aragorn. "The Evil one." "She brings many evils," added Arwen. "Rauko."
Terri had reached Mordor a few days later after being led by a wizard by the name of Saruman. The rocky ledges were hurting Terri's feet and she longed for the comfort of shoes. She had fallen asleep several times and by now they had alomost reached Mt. Doom. "Here we are," said Saruman, laughing. Terri looked over the edge. "Now what?" she asked. Saruman gently pushed Terri, and she fell into the fiery depths of Mount Doom.
"Terri!" Frodo yelled. He, Shauna and Ben approached Saruman. "Where is she?" asked Frodo. "Who?" asked Saruman. "You know who," Frodo replied angrily. "Oh yes," said Saruman. "She.fell." Frodo's eyes were full of tears. He charged at Saruman, but the wizard's power sent Frodo flying. Ben and Shauna helped him, and Saruman was gone. Frodo's eyes were red. He had cried an awfully lot. Suddenly Ben and Shauna clutched their heads in pain. "What is it?" asked Frodo. Ben and Shauna were fighting the pain, and eventually it stopped. "Frodo?" asked Shauna. Frodo smiled slightly. "Yeah," he said. Ben looked confused. "Where are we?" he asked. "Mordor," said Frodo. "Can't be," replied Shauna. "We were just in New Zealand." Frodo was about to say otherwise when a girl resembling Terri appeared from nowhere. "Terri!" Frodo cried. He ran over to Terri but stopped when he saw her evil features. Her eyes were glowing bright blue and her hair was now a burnt yellow color. She seemed burnt all over. "Terri?" asked Frodo. "Is that you?" She stared blankly at him. A few seconds later she spoke. "I have fallen into shadow as you have let me," she said. None of them understood her. "I have fallen," she repeated. "And so will you." With that, Frodo was pushed from behind. Shauna and Ben grabbed him before he fell. They looked around. They hadn't seen anyone push Frodo, yet he had obviously been pushed by someone. "Sauron," said Terri. "He is my father." Frodo looked around. "How?" he asked. "Where is he?" "He has fallen," Terri said. "Yet his soul remains." She looked at Frodo. ".In me." With that, Ben and Shauna were surrounded by flames. Frodo could not get to them, for an invisible barrier was blocking him. "I know they are your friends," Terri added. "So I am killing them." And with that the flames swallowed up Ben and Shauna. Frodo screamed, but there was nothing else he could do; they were gone.
Chapter One__________
The rain was falling in sheets, and the more she looked out her window, the more Terri Bowley wished to go outside. Her older sister, Tiffany, suggested she watch The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring on DVD, but Terri hated violent or gory movies. She sat by her bedroom window for hours on end until her mother came into her room and said, "I'll ground you if you don't find something better to do." Terri sighed and went to the downstairs bathroom and started flushing the toilet nonstop until her father told her to find something else to do. Terri went on the Internet. She emailed her friends. They were all going to watch The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring on VHS at one of the girls' house. They invited Terri, but like I said, she dislikes that type of movie. She stayed home, from 3:30 to 7:59 P.M. She went to bed early because she was bored. The next day at school, Terri caught up with her friends; Becky, Laurie, Shauna, Carmen, and Danielle. "Hey Becky!" Terri yelled. "Hi Laurie!" She paused. They were ignoring her. They were talking about a guy named Frodo, a Dark Lord guy named Sauron, and a powerful "One Ring to rule them all". Terri went up to them. "Hi guys," she said. They smiled, but then went back to talking. Danielle, the tallest girl, spoke up. "Hi Terri," she said. Terri replied with a soft "hi". "We were just talking about The Lord Of The Rings," said Becky. "Cool," Terri replied, starting to get bored. "Frodo is sooooo cute!" said Carmen. "No," said Shauna. "Pippin is." "You're both wrong," said Laurie. "Legolas is the hottest!" They all started yelling about who's hotter and who's dumb. "I'm bailing," said Shauna. She walked off with Becky, Terri, and Danielle. That night, Terri got an email from Danielle. It read: Terri, I think somethin's up with Shauna. Shauna says the Ring is real. I know you have no idea what I'm talking about, but I really need your help. I think we should kick her out on account of being psycho. -Danielle Terri laughed. "Ring," she began. "Ha! If there's anything powerful around here, it certainly wouldn't be a Ring!" She went to bed at 9:00 P.M. that night. She couldn't sleep; she heard a scratching noise coming from inside her closet. At first she thought it was nothing, but as it grew louder and closer, she pulled the covers over her head in fear. She finally fell asleep at 10:30 P.M. The next day at school during lunch, Shauna was still acting strange. She told everyone that "the Ring is real!" Of course, no one would believe her. Who would care about a small golden Ring with some form of "Elvish" engraved on it? Not many people, actually. Sure, the kids who liked the sci- fi genre liked the Ring, but they didn't think it was real. "Shauna," Danielle said. "We were thinking, mostly me.and.well.I thought a lot, and we- I mean, I, think you should- I mean, have to go." "Where? Why?" Shauna asked. "You're a total psycho!" yelled Danielle, and a whole bunch of kids began to stare. Shauna stared at Danielle and Terri. Then she smiled. "Fine," she said. "But if you see the Ring, give it to me." She walked off. That night, the noises in Terri's closet got closer. She was about to doze off, when she heard a voice, like one from a horror movie, soft and eerie, say," Terri.Terri.I see all.you cannot.will not.escape me." Terri turned on the light, and both the noises and the voice stopped. She was sort of creeped out, but she began to believe it was her imagination running wild with her. The next day was a Saturday, and Terri and Danielle were going to the Mall. They saw Shauna sitting on a bench outside the jewelry store. She was fiddling with something, and after a few brief glances, Terri could see that it was a golden Ring. Then Terri heard the voice again. "Terri.you cannot escape.I see all.I will get you." Terri shook her head. "No!" she yelled, causing tons of shoppers to stare. "You won't get me!" Danielle looked confused. "You okay?" she asked. Terri shook her head. Then she looked at the Ring, and a huge, fiery eye caught her attention. She heard voices, but it was a different tongue. Terri turned, and saw Danielle staring at her, confused. "I'm fine," Terri said. They saw Shauna laughing. Terri and Danielle approached her. "Hey guys," Shauna began. "Guess what? I bought a replica Ring!" She fiddled with it again. "Isn't it great?" Terri and Danielle smiled slightly. They walked off without so much as a goodbye. The next morning, Terri got an email from Shauna saying she was going to England with her family to go sight-seeing. She seemed really excited. But why? Terri tried calling Shauna, but she was already gone. Terri then called Danielle, who already knew. Later on that day, Terri and Danielle watched the second disc from The Lord Of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring DVD set. They found out that the movie was filmed in New Zealand and was supposed to be like England. "England!" yelled Terri and Danielle. That night they gathered up all their money and begged their moms to let them go to England. "Why?" asked Terri's mom. "Because," said Terri. "Because our favorite actors live there," Danielle said. "Yeah, like Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and Tom Felton," said Terri. They just stood there, quieter than ever, for three minutes, and finally, Terri's mother said "fine". "But," said Terri's mom, "this had better not have anything to do with Shauna." "Okay mom," Terri said as she ran out the door. It took awhile to get from Iowa to London, England. As soon as they got off the plane, Terri and Danielle saw a girl showing off her "replica Ring". They immediately knew it was Shauna. "Shauna!" Terri yelled. She ran over, grabbed Shauna, and pulled her aside. "We're going home," Danielle said. "Cool," Shauna said. "Bye!" "You're coming with us!" Danielle said. "But-" Shauna began. Terri and Danielle dragged her onto the plane. No one said anything the whole time. They got back a long while later, all because the pilot kept getting lost. "What were you thinking?" Terri asked. "I was looking for the Ring," Shauna said. "You're dumb," Danielle said. "Besides, the movie was filmed in New Zealand." As Danielle said that, Shauna's eyes lit up. "Bye guys!" Shauna said, running towards the airport. Terri glared at Danielle. "Sorry," Danielle said. "Now what?" Terri asked. Danielle shrugged. "We follow her, I guess," she said. They ran after Shauna. By now, Becky, Laurie, and Carmen were history. They were all swamped with homework, and Terri and Danielle hadn't done class or homework ever since Shauna left, which was only a few days. Their grades had gone from As to Ds. And they only had one week left to make up the work, and they were never good about doing that. And now Danielle and Terri were going to New Zealand. "Mom, can I go to New Zealand with Danielle?" Terri asked the next morning. "Absolutely not," said Terri's mother. "You and I both know you're just trying to get Shauna. You spent less than a day in England, and everyone knows Shauna's a bit obsessed, but you aren't going." "How'd you know?" asked Terri. "I saw your emails," said Terri's mother. "Why?" yelled Terri, terribly upset. "I told you never to do that!" "Sorry," said Terri's mother. "Sorry isn't good enough!" yelled Terri storming off. "Fine!" yelled Terri's mother. "Go to New Zealand! Stay there forever, for all I care!" But Terri was already gone. Terri and Danielle spent the night at Danielle's house. Danielle was fast asleep, but Terri could not sleep; she heard scratching on the window nearby. She looked out the window, but saw nothing. As she walked back to the couch, she heard a voice. "Terri." it began. "Terri.I see all.I will get you." Terri turned the light on and the voice was gone. Terri almost fell asleep at the breakfast table; she could not sleep because of the scratching and the voices. Danielle kept her awake or they'd be late for their flight. A little after breakfast they headed for New Zealand. On the plane, Terri and Danielle met a brown-haired boy with sparkling blue eyes and some freckles. His name was Ben, and he was 14. He was from New Zealand; he was returning from a visit to California. He heard Terri and Danielle talking about "She's after the One Ring," and he couldn't help but question them. "One Ring?" he asked. "Yeah," said Terri. "Our friend Shauna went after The One Ring." "Wow," said Ben. "She seems a little." "Odd," said Terri. "We know." They talked for a long time, and eventually, the plane stopped. They all got off. Ben's eyes glistened in the sun. He looked at Terri and Danielle. "I think I know where your friend's headed," he said. They all ran towards the mountains. Shauna was giving up, when she heard voices. "Oh yeah," said a boy. It was Ben. "Really," replied Terri. "I've never seen it and I never will." Ben sighed. "Why?" he asked. "It's really cool." "Is not," Terri said. "Right, Danielle?" It was quiet. "Right, Danielle?" Terri repeated. Terri stopped walking and turned around. Danielle was not there. Terri and Ben turned around, and Terri screamed.
Chapter Two__________
"Sometimes I don't understand her," Terri's mother was saying to Danielle's mother. "She's a teenager, Bev," said Danielle's mother. "That's what they're like." Terri's mother just kept sobbing. "Oh my God! Shauna!" Terri yelled. She tried running over to Shauna, but stopped when a sword pointed at her throat. "Ben! Help!" yelled Terri, but Ben was surrounded, too. Terri looked up. She saw a hideous creature, pointy ears, lots of Armour, black hair, basically a "monster". "Terri! Careful!" yelled Shauna. "They're Orcs!" Terri saw Shauna being taken away by Orcs. "No!" Terri yelled. Suddenly, Terri and Ben were knocked out and carried away into a forest that appeared out of nowhere and once they went in, the forest disappeared. Terri awoke a few hours later in what seemed to be a house filled with tunnels full of furniture and other odds and ends. Terri heard two men talking. Ben was nowhere in sight. "Wonderful tea, Mr. Bilbo," Ben was saying. "Why thank you, Benjamin," said Bilbo, a hobbit no higher than four feet. Terri walked into the room. "Finally," Ben said. "You're awake." Bilbo served Terri some tea. "You look tired," said Bilbo. "Did you sleep at all last night?" "Not really," said Terri. "I dreamed about a Ring, and a man named Frodo." "Frodo," said Bilbo, smiling at the name. "Yeah," said Terri. "But.who's Frodo?" "My cousin," said Bilbo. "He went out to destroy the Ring, but I haven't seen him since we met at Rivendell. Wait, no he came back, but went off with Samwise, Pippin, and Merry." Bilbo smiled. "Dear Frodo," he said. He looked at Terri. "You should meet him." "I'd love to," Terri replied. Then she turned to Ben. "Where are we?" she asked. "The Shire," said Bilbo. "No," said Terri. "Yeah, actually, we are," said Ben. "Why wouldn't we be?" "We were just in New Zealand!" Terri yelled. "No," said Ben. "There's no such place!" Terri looked at Ben. She hadn't realized he was wearing funny clothes; trousers, a button-up shirt, no shoes. Terri laughed a little. "What's so funny?" Ben asked. "Your clothes," Terri said, laughing harder. "They're ridiculous!" "Look at yourself," Ben said. Terri looked at her clothes. She was in a dress! Plus, she was only four feet tall! "What am I?" asked Terri, going crazy. "A hobbit," said Ben. "Like me." "I am not a hobbit!" Terri yelled. "Yes you are," Ben said. The front door opened, and a hobbit came running in. He had blue eyes and curly brown hair. He was carrying a girl. Terri gasped. "Oh my God," she said. She clutched Ben's arm. "Bilbo," said the hobbit. "she's.dead." Terri started sobbing. The girl was Danielle. "What happened?" asked Bilbo. "Her throat was sliced open by an Orc, and then she was tossed into the river," said the hobbit. "It was Orcs, all right," said Bilbo. "In the Shire? Frodo, my lad, we must get out of here!" The hobbit grabbed Terri and Ben, and Bilbo followed. They ran to the door but it was opened by Orcs. Shauna awoke in a similar house. She smelled something good. She heard someone saying, "Mmm. Nothing like a good breakfast buffet." Shauna went into the room the hobbit was in, and gasped. "Pippin!" she cried. Pippin served breakfast. The door opened, and Orcs rushed in and surrounded them. "Oh dear," said Pippin. "Yeah," said Shauna. "Run!" she yelled. They ran out the door and down to Frodo's house, but they saw the house filled with Orcs. Frodo, Bilbo, Ben, and Terri were hiding in the woods. They had caught up with Merry and Sam. Shauna saw them, and she and Pippin ran over to them. "Orcs," said Sam. "Yeah," said Shauna. "What do we do?" asked Terri. "Glad you asked," Merry said. "We have to leave the Shire," said Frodo. "Right," said Merry. "Buckleberry Ferry." They all ran off through the woods as the sun began to set. By now the Orcs were trapped in the house, and a tall wizard (known by more than half the Shire as Gandalf) rode by. "Huh?" he asked, a bit curious. He rode off into the woods muttering something about "Frodo" and "Bilbo" and "The Shire." It was dark by now, and Terri was thinking this was all a dream, until she finally found out Shauna was here. Terri was surprised, shocked, puzzled, and confused; Shauna had been so quiet. "Shauna!" Terri yelled. "Why are you here?" "I live here!" Shauna replied happily. Terri was still confused. "I don't live here!" she yelled. "Then where do you live?" Shauna asked. "I live in Iowa," Terri said. "So do you. And Ben lives in New Zealand." Ben turned around. "I live in Hobbiton, thank you very much," said Ben. "There ain't no New Zealand or Iowa 'round these parts," Shauna said. "Perhaps you're from Bree? Or maybe Rivendell. Or Isengard?" "No," said Terri, getting annoyed. "I'm from Iowa!" Frodo turned to Bilbo. "Judging by her accent," he said, "she's probably from Rivendell." "Frodo my boy," said Bilbo. "The Elves speak like us. There are no accents. Just personalities. The dwellers of Rivendell are usually the Elves, strong, fast, and tall. She must be of Mordor, the way she acts gives it away." "What do you mean?" asked Merry. "She's the arguing type," said Frodo. "She hasn't seemed nice at all. Perhaps Bilbo is right. Perhaps she is from Mordor." "Cool!" said Pippin. "I never met anyone from Mordor!" "Pippin!" yelled Merry. "This is serious! She's from Mordor! She could kill us any time she wants!" Pippin looked at Merry, sort of terrified. "Oh dear," he said. They had talked so long, the twenty miles to Bree seemed like two seconds. They all decided to stay a night at The Prancing Pony Inn. The Innkeeper, Butterbur, greeted them. "Hello," he said to them. "Ahhh, hobbits, eh? What can I do for ye? A room, perhaps?" "Yes," said Frodo. "That would be wonderful." "I think we'll be needing two rooms," Bilbo said. "There are eight of us." "Very well," said Butterbur. "Follow me." They got two rooms next to each other. In the first room was Pippin, Merry, Sam, and Frodo. The second room held Ben, Shauna, Terri, and Bilbo. They unpacked the necessary things; food, clothes, blankets, etc. Then they all went downstairs for a drink and some hobbit-like fun. "Now Pippin," said Merry. "I know, I know," said Pippin. "They come in pints. Well, I'm getting one." He ran over to Butterbur for a pint of ale. Gandalf walked in and spotted Frodo sitting alone. He approached Frodo, and they started talking. Frodo told Gandalf about Terri and Mordor. "Gandalf," said Frodo. "You will come with us?" "Yes," said Gandalf. "I will." Frodo smiled, and then looked at Terri. Gandalf knew what he was thinking. "Frodo my boy," said Gandalf. "She can't come with us." "Who?" asked Frodo. Gandalf looked at Terri. "Her," he said. "But Gandalf," Frodo began. "We can't leave her out there. The Orcs will surely get her." "Frodo," said Gandalf. "She is from Mordor. She is probably helping Sauron." "How?" asked Frodo. He looked at Gandalf. "The Ring," he said. "Maybe," replied Gandalf. "You cannot trust anyone these days." "Can I trust you?" Frodo asked. "Yes, Frodo," Gandalf said. "Of course you can." Frodo looked at Pippin. He was sipping his ale. Merry was doing the same. Sam was talking with Shauna, and Ben was talking with Bilbo. "She doesn't even fit in," Gandalf said, again, knowing what Frodo was thinking. "She sits by herself. She hates mushrooms, and ale. She doesn't know she lives here." "But just because she never tried ale or mushrooms yet doesn't mean she hates them," Frodo said. "Besides, female hobbits never drink ale." "Oh but they do," said Gandalf. "They do." That night, Frodo thought about how they were going to leave Terri. He looked at Gandalf, who was sitting in a chair by the window. He and Frodo were the only ones awake. "How do we tell her?" Frodo asked. "We don't," said Gandalf. "Huh?" Frodo asked. "We already decided. We'll sneak out early, while she's still sleeping. She'll never know." "She'll never know?" Frodo asked. "I always knew you were wise, Gandalf, but to tell a hobbit she can't come with us because she's from Mordor, that's just mad, Gandalf. It's mad." With that Frodo walked outside. Gandalf shook his head. Frodo was walking around outside the Inn, and he felt bad for being angry with Gandalf. The rain was falling. Suddenly he heard footsteps. He stood still, and he could see a girl walk by. She was carrying a small backpack with her. "I just found out your plan," she said. "If you didn't want me to come along, all you had to do was ask." "It wasn't my idea!" Frodo cried. "I had nothing to do with it! Honestly!" She was already at the gate, leaving. Frodo looked at her, and finally, she left. "Goodbye," he said softly. The next morning they all packed. Frodo had been packed the night before. He was just sitting on his bed, thinking about Terri. "Cheer up, Frodo," Gandalf said. Frodo looked at him for awhile, and Gandalf could see tears roll down his face. "Frodo," said Gandalf. "It was for your safety." "I don't care if it was for safety," Frodo cried. "She needed us, and you turned her down." He looked back at Gandalf. "You're not the Gandalf I used to know," he said. "You've changed, Gandalf. A lot." Gandalf sighed. "Frodo- " he began. "Frodo." But Frodo had already walked off. Terri was walking a long time, when she saw what looked like an ancient ruins. By now the rain had stopped and it was getting quite dark. Terri decided to spend the night at the ruins. It was known by most creatures in Middle-Earth as Weathertop, or Amon-Sul. Frodo had left The Prancing Pony while the others were almost ready to leave. Gandalf just sat there, on one of the beds, Frodo's words buzzing around in his head. You're not the Gandalf I used to know. You've changed, Gandalf. A lot. "I suppose he was right," Gandalf said to himself. Pippin looked at him, as if he were insane. Gandalf grunted, sending Pippin back to his packing. Merry looked at Pippin. "What was that all about?" he asked. Pippin shrugged. "Hey, where'd Frodo go?" Sam asked. "He left," said Gandalf. "Why?" Sam asked, sad and angry at the same time. "He was angry," Gandalf said. "He needs to be alone." Sam looked at Merry, who looked at Pippin. "Wasn't me," Pippin said. Pippin, Gandalf, Merry, Sam, Shauna, Bilbo, and Ben all left a few minutes later. They rushed their packing because they needed to find Frodo.
Terri awoke to the sound of footsteps. She looked around but saw nothing. Suddenly she heard a voice. "Shouldn't travel alone," the voice said. Terri looked up. "Frodo!" she gasped. "I mean- What are you doing here? I didn't think you wanted me here." Frodo smiled. "No," he said. "I tried to tell you. Gandalf wanted to send you off. He thought you were from Mordor. He wanted to protect us. But I ran off. I think I hurt him." "How?" asked Terri. "I said some things to him," Frodo said. His words buzzed around inside his head. You're not the Gandalf I used to know. You've changed, Gandalf. A lot. Terri looked at Frodo. His eyes were shut, and he seemed upset. "Frodo?" Terri asked. "Frodo, are you okay?" he didn't answer. Terri shook him, and he looked at her. "What?" he asked. "You okay?" Terri asked. "Oh," said Frodo. "Yeah." They had a quick second breakfast and left for Rivendell. "So where are we going?" asked Terri. "Rivendell," said Frodo. "To see the Elves." Terri stopped. "Elves?" she asked, confused. "Yeah," said Frodo. "Elves." Terri shrugged, and kept on walking. "Why would Frodo be mad?" asked Ben. "It was for his own good." "I know," said Gandalf. "But Frodo doesn't like it when we make him do something." "Oh, he'll be back," said Bilbo. "Hhe always does." "Not this time," said Gandalf. "Not this time." "What do you mean?" asked Ben. "He has gone to Rivendell," said Gandalf. "With Terri." They were getting tired, when Terri spotted a house with many horses outside. They each borrowed a horse, and rode off. By now they were only three days from Rivendell. They stopped awhile later to rest. "I'll miss Ben," Terri said. "Why?" asked Frodo. "Where are you going?" "If that Greenelf dude says I'm from Mordor or wherever, that's where I am going," Terri said. "Uh, it's Gandalf," Frodo corrected. "And you can't just walk into Mordor." Frodo remembered Boromir's words: There is evil there that does not sleep. "The very air is a poisonous fume," Frodo said. "So?" asked Terri. "I will make it through." "Then I will go with you," Frodo said. Frodo and Terri hugged. Then they got back on their horses and rode off. Gandalf, Bilbo, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Ben, and Shauna had just reached Weathertop and decided to rest when they heard voices unlike any human's. They could see Orcs running in the direction of Rivendell. "Rivendell!" cried Bilbo. "That's where Frodo is," Gandalf said. "Hurry!" Terri and Frodo were riding peacefully when it started to rain. They didn't care; they kept talking for hours, and the day seemed like minutes. They had been riding all day and all night, and now they were only a day away from Rivendell. By now the rain had stopped and they decided to stop for a quick rest and some food. Frodo pulled out some mushrooms and ale. Terri did not go near any of the food. "What's the matter?" Frodo asked. "I'm not old enough to drink," Terri said. "And besides, I heard mushrooms taste like rubber." "No," said a voice, "You're just not a hobbit." Frodo and Terri looked in the direction that the voice came from. They saw Gandalf looking at them. Behind him were Bilbo, Shauna, Ben, Merry, Sam, and Pippin. "she's not a hobbit, Frodo," said Sam. Frodo looked at Sam, confused. "But she's four feet, right?" Frodo asked. "More like five," said Terri. "You're a tall hobbit," said Pippin. "I'm only four feet!" "I'm not a hobbit," said Terri. Everyone gasped. Frodo just stared. Terri looked at Frodo. "I told you guys," she said. "But you didn't believe me." Terri got back on the horse. "Goodbye," she said, and rode off. Frodo awoke the next morning to the sound of Pippin, Merry, and Sam talking. "That wasn't very nice," Pippin said. "Yeah," said Merry. "That Gandalf should mind his own business." "He never does," Pippin said. "I wish he had died when the Balrog got him." Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity! Pippin glared at the ground. "Was I really stupid?" Pippin asked. "When?" asked Merry. "When you knocked the skeleton into the well in Moria? I guess not." "That was an exception," said Sam. "Yeah," said Merry. "'Cause it was an accident.right?" "Yes," said Pippin. "But if you wished he were dead just now, why'd you cry after we thought he did?" Merry asked. "Yeah," said Sam. Pippin shrugged. "Dunno," he said. "Pippin," Merry said. "Okay," said Pippin. "Maybe I will miss him." Merry and Sam smiled. "A little," added Pippin. "Do you think she'll ever come back?" Terri's mother was saying to Danielle's mother on the phone. "It's been at least a week." "She may never come back," said Danielle's mother.
Chapter Three__________
Terri was almost at Rivendell when a man came over to her. She turned around in case he was looking for someone else. The man approached her. "One should never travel alone," he said. "Who are you?" Terri asked. "I am Legolas," the man said. "And you are?" "Terri," Terri said. She looked at Legolas. "You're awfully tall," she commented. "I'm an Elf," said Legolas. "Come," he said. "Rivendell is nearby." Terri smiled and followed Legolas. She couldn't help but stare at his pointy ears and long, blonde hair. She felt her ears. She had never noticed they were pointed also. Her hair was a shiny brown, when she was back in New Zealand, that is. Now her hair was a dirty brown color. She looked around. They were surrounded by trees. Terri could hear a familiar voice. "Terri." it began. "Terri.I see all.you cannot hide.I will get you!" Terri looked all around. She didn't say anything; she did not want to make a fool of herself in front of a stranger. "Pippin!" yelled Merry as Pippin kept leaning over him, trying to see through the bushes they were hiding in. "I can't see," Pippin replied. They saw Terri walking with Legolas. Pippin didn't recognize them; he went and jumped Legolas. "Who are you?" he asked. Legolas turned around. "Oops," Pippin said. "I almost shot you," Legolas said, beginning to smile. Frodo saw Terri and ran over to her. "How'd you find Legolas?" he asked. "Actually, Frodo," said Legolas, "I found her." Pippin smiled. Frodo ran over to Gandalf. "Gandalf!" Frodo cried. "She's back Gandalf!" Gandalf sighed. "The peace has been disturbed," he said to himself, for Frodo had already run off. That night they all partied like hobbits do, with lots of ale and mushrooms, and there was a lot of laughter and talking. "Where are we going?" Pippin asked suddenly. Everyone looked at each other. "Yeah," said Ben. "Where are we going?" "We're leaving the Shire, that's for sure," said Frodo. "But we are still not safe," said Gandalf. "We will stay at Rivendell until all is safe. If it ever is." That night Terri heard more noises. Scratching, outside her room in Rivendell. "Terri." it began. "I see all.you cannot hide.I will get you." "Where's Terri?" Frodo said the next morning. "She's not here!" "Oh no," said Pippin. "She missed breakfast. Oh well, she can always have second breakfast!" "Pippin, this is serious," said Ben. "She cannot survive Middle-earth. She is not smart enough." "Gandalf doesn't want me here, so I might as well leave," said Terri while walking through Rivendell. She didn't know it but someone was watching her. "I could not help but hear you say Gandalf," said a man. "Is everything okay?" "Yes," said Terri. "Where are you from?" asked the man. "Mordor," said Terri. "I think." The man looked at her. "Are you working for Sauron?" he asked. "No," said Terri. "Why? Who is he?" The man shhok his head. "I cannot tell you," he said. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. And you are?" "Terri," said Terri. "Terri Bowley." "where are you headed for?" Aragorn asked. "Mordor," said Terri. A tall Elf with long, brown hair and blue eyes walked back. "Surely you did not say Mordor," he said to Terri. "She did, Elrond," said Aragorn. "She needs to get home." He looked at Terri. "I'll help you," he said to her. "Come," said Elrond. "We have much to discuss." Half of Rivendell was at the council later that day. "She cannot stay," Elrond was saying. "She is from Mordor; she brings many evils." Frodo was looking at the ground. He was very upset, and all of Rivendell knew it. "Frodo," said Elrond. "You know what we must do." Frodo looked up at Elrond. His eyes were red. He was crying. Everyone was looking at Frodo. Elrond looked at Gandalf. Gandalf nodded. "Frodo," said Gandalf. "Go get Terri." Frodo walked off, but returned seconds later with Terri. Elrond looked at Terri. Frodo sat back down. "Terri," said Elrond to Terri. "I know," said Terri. "You want me out of here. You think I bring many dangers." "Exactly," replied Elrond. "Then I will go," said Terri. Elrond nodded. Terri walked off. "NO!" yelled Frodo, but Terri was still walking. Elrond looked at Frodo. "It was for your own good," he said. Frodo glared at Elrond. Tears were streaming down his face. "Was it?" he asked. "Or do you just hate people from Mordor?" "Frodo," began Elrond. Frodo ran off before Elrond could finish. Ben and Shauna decided to follow Frodo. "Someone has to protect him," said Ben. Elrond looked at them, but said nothing. "We could have predicted this," said Gandalf to Elrond that night. Elrond looked at the ground. "Yes," he agreed. "Frodo is very kind; he doesn't care that he is in trouble." Gandalf looked back at Elrond. "That's Frodo," said Bilbo cheerfully. "Bilbo," said Elrond, "Frodo is endangered, and he is endangering the lives of others. We must stop him." "I suppose we could.we should," said Bilbo. "But Frodo is.well.Frodo! You can't just walk up to him and tell him to come back." Elrond looked at his daughter, Arwen, and got an idea. By nightfall Terri was trying to cook dinner, but she was a horrible cook. Her food was burning, and a few times she would hear footsteps. She could hear voices; one of them sounded familiar. "None of us should travel alone," he said. "Especially you." Terri looked up and saw Frodo. She smiled. But her smile faded when Ben and Shauna appeared. "I know what's going on," Terri said. "I'm not going back, Frodo. I don't want to." Frodo began to say something, but Shauna shushed him. Frodo turned to Ben and Shauna. "Come on, guys," he said. "She doesn't need us." "What?" asked Shauna and Ben, confused. "Let's go," Frodo said, walking back to Rivendell. "What ever happened to breakfast?" asked Pippin the next morning. It was real quiet. Frodo, Ben, and Shauna arrived back in Rivendell a few minutes later. "Any luck finding her?" asked Sam. "Yes," said Shauna. "We found her," said Ben. Frodo looked at the ground. "She doesn't need us," he said. He walked off to find Bilbo. "She doesn't need us," he kept saying to himself. "She doesn't need us." "Ulka ante," said Arwen to Frodo the next day. Frodo looked at her. "Rauko," added Arwen. "What did you say?" asked Frodo, confused. "'Evil Female'," said a voice. "'Demon.'" Frodo looked next to him. There was Aragorn. Frodo looked at him questioningly. "She was talking about Terri," added Aragorn. "The Evil one." "She brings many evils," added Arwen. "Rauko."
Terri had reached Mordor a few days later after being led by a wizard by the name of Saruman. The rocky ledges were hurting Terri's feet and she longed for the comfort of shoes. She had fallen asleep several times and by now they had alomost reached Mt. Doom. "Here we are," said Saruman, laughing. Terri looked over the edge. "Now what?" she asked. Saruman gently pushed Terri, and she fell into the fiery depths of Mount Doom.
"Terri!" Frodo yelled. He, Shauna and Ben approached Saruman. "Where is she?" asked Frodo. "Who?" asked Saruman. "You know who," Frodo replied angrily. "Oh yes," said Saruman. "She.fell." Frodo's eyes were full of tears. He charged at Saruman, but the wizard's power sent Frodo flying. Ben and Shauna helped him, and Saruman was gone. Frodo's eyes were red. He had cried an awfully lot. Suddenly Ben and Shauna clutched their heads in pain. "What is it?" asked Frodo. Ben and Shauna were fighting the pain, and eventually it stopped. "Frodo?" asked Shauna. Frodo smiled slightly. "Yeah," he said. Ben looked confused. "Where are we?" he asked. "Mordor," said Frodo. "Can't be," replied Shauna. "We were just in New Zealand." Frodo was about to say otherwise when a girl resembling Terri appeared from nowhere. "Terri!" Frodo cried. He ran over to Terri but stopped when he saw her evil features. Her eyes were glowing bright blue and her hair was now a burnt yellow color. She seemed burnt all over. "Terri?" asked Frodo. "Is that you?" She stared blankly at him. A few seconds later she spoke. "I have fallen into shadow as you have let me," she said. None of them understood her. "I have fallen," she repeated. "And so will you." With that, Frodo was pushed from behind. Shauna and Ben grabbed him before he fell. They looked around. They hadn't seen anyone push Frodo, yet he had obviously been pushed by someone. "Sauron," said Terri. "He is my father." Frodo looked around. "How?" he asked. "Where is he?" "He has fallen," Terri said. "Yet his soul remains." She looked at Frodo. ".In me." With that, Ben and Shauna were surrounded by flames. Frodo could not get to them, for an invisible barrier was blocking him. "I know they are your friends," Terri added. "So I am killing them." And with that the flames swallowed up Ben and Shauna. Frodo screamed, but there was nothing else he could do; they were gone.