***
Jackie was awakened by a loud rapping on the door. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Remembering where she was and her heart sank. She reluctantly got up and opened the door. Outside was an elf woman, carrying linens. Jackie opened the door wider and moved in order to let her in.
"Master Elrond has sent orders that you were to be sent towels for bathing as well as clothes." She placed the linens on the table in the corner of the room. Then she opened the wardrobe and hung up a few dresses. "He has said that you may wear your." she looked at Jackie's outfit, which was a pair of jean Capri's and a white tank top. ".own clothes for now, but on some occasions it might not be appropriate. He has sent outfits that will fit you. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, thank you very much," Jackie said. The elf woman left. Jackie went over to the wardrobe and reopened it to look at the dresses.
"Ohh.." she breathed as she pulled one out. There were 5, of all different colors. They were all made of the finest velvet material, soft and smooth.
There was another knock at the door. "Come in," Jackie said softly. In walked Jenny.
"Jackie did they bring your dresses up yet? Mine are amazing!" she said excitedly. She rushed over to where Jackie was standing at her wardrobe and they oohed and aahed over the beautiful dresses.
"I wonder if Andi got hers," Jackie said quietly. Jenny stopped. "I don't know, we could go and check," she said. "That is, if she's not too mad at us."
They walked over to Andrea's room and Jackie knocked tentatively on the door. It creaked open and Andi peeked out.
"We wanted to know how you were doing," Jackie said.
"Okay, I guess," said Andrea slowly. "Some elf lady brought me up dresses. They're really pretty."
"We got some too," Jackie said. "Andi, please don't be mad at us."
"We're sorry we got you into this mess," Jenny added.
Andrea sighed. "It's okay. I guess it's partially my fault for following that guy anyways. And it's only a matter of time, right? We will get out of here, right?"
"Right," Jackie and Jenny said in unison. Jackie, however felt more uncertain than she sounded. "I guess we might as well make the best of the time we do have here," Jenny said, shrugging. "After all it's not every day you go through a secret passage way and meet.elves."
Jackie looked at her watch. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "It's 5:50! We have to be at the Great Hall in 10 minutes!"
The girls banged desperately on Alex's door until he finally came out, yawning. When they told him about dinner, his eyes got wide and the four raced down the passageways, trying to the best of their memory to get back to the Great Hall. They finally reached it, at 1 minute until 6. They hurriedly sat down on the side opposite from Elrond, who was shooting them disapproving looks. Jackie noticed she was sitting next to Legolas. She had to admit, she was pleased with the seating arrangement.
***
The food was the most delicious Jackie had ever tasted in her entire life. Although most of it was unidentifiable, it was scrumptious and she loaded more and more onto her plate. Legolas stared at her in disbelief.
"Does everyone eat that ravenously where you come from?" Jackie noticed Jenny was eating fast, and Alex was shoveling food in his mouth at a tremendous rate, which was causing him to receive disgusted stares from the elves sitting around him, who were picking daintily at the small amount of food on their plates.
"No," she answered him. "We're just really hungry. And this food is really good. Really good."
Legolas smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Are you finding your stay most enjoyable?"
Jackie hesitated. She missed it back home, but she was enjoying it here. "Yes," she answered truthfully. "I guess I am." But that did not mean she did not want to go home.
"Glad to hear it," Legolas said.
There was a pause before she finally asked "Where are we?"
Legolas sighed. "Well that is difficult to answer as we do not know where you have come to us from. We have never seen people in all of Middle-Earth as strange as you."
"Middle Earth," Jackie said. "I heard you say that before. What do you mean by it?"
"Middle Earth. You did not come from Middle Earth?" He asked curiously.
"Um, I'm not really sure what you're talking about. What is Middle Earth? Is there an Upper and Lower Earth too?"
Legolas looked startled. "If you don't know, then I do not believe I am the one to tell you. You must take it up with Elrond. He will be able to explain this much better than I."
Dinner began to disperse. Legolas got up and left the table abruptly, leaving Jackie confused and bewildered.
***
"What did you talk about with Legolas?" Jenny whispered to Jackie as they walked back to their rooms.
"I don't know," Jackie said doubtfully. "But I think I figured out we're in a place called Middle Earth. Do you know where, or what, that is?"
"No clue," said Jenny "But it sounds really weird."
***
The next morning Jackie woke up to light pouring from the window. A window that was not her own. Suddenly she shot up, remembering what had, what was, happening. She got up and made her bed. As she looked around her room, she realized that breakfast had been brought up for her. She carefully carried her wooden tray to Jenny's room, where Andi soon joined them, and then Alex. Jackie filled in Alex and Andi about what Legolas told her last night at dinner.
"Well what the hell does that mean?" asked Alex, stuffing a piece of Andi's bread in his mouth. He had eaten all of his breakfast earlier.
"Well we don't know. But I think it means that we're not anywhere near Pataskala. Possibly not even America." Jackie said.
"I knew we were in France!" Alex said triumphantly.
"Look at the clothes and food.it looks primitive. I'm not so sure we're in the same time period. I think we may have traveled through time." Jenny said gravely.
"Though time?" asked Andi with a worried look on her face. "But that's impossible. We can't do that! We just.we just crawled through a tunnel!" She shook her head in disbelief. "This is some kind of joke."
"Who would play a joke this elaborate?" Jackie said. "No. this is very real. Whether we like it or not, this is happening."
"I think it's time to find out where we are exactly," said Jenny.
"Elrond," they all said together. ***
A short time later, when they got to the hall where they had first seen Elrond, he was not in his chair. They questioned a nearby elf who refused to tell them where he was.
"Look man, tell us where Elrond is, or else I will punch your face in!" Alex said threateningly. The elf said something in elvish back, or what Jackie assumed was elvish, which sounded like it was possibly an elvish curse. Jackie sighed.
"Shut up, Alex." She turned towards the elf. "Listen, this is really important. We need to talk with him. We have questions that only he can answer-"
"I am sorry, but Master Elrond is not to be disturbed. You may ask him later." The elf sniffed at them.
"You better let us see him!" Alex lunged at the elf. Jenny and Andi both had to hold him back by his shirt. Just then Elrond came out of the adjacent hallway.
"Elrond!" They all exclaimed at once.
"Yes I thought you might be looking for me," he said. "Please come into this room, and we will discuss your presence in Rivendell."
Alex directed a very rude gesture towards the haughty elf as they left, which earned him a smack on the head from Andrea.
When they all got into the room and sat down, Jackie started.
"When I was at dinner yesterday night, Legolas said something about Middle Earth. What exactly was he talking about?"
"Yes, I feared this. I am afraid you have come from another dimension of some sort, of different time and space. The tunnel you traveled through must have been some kind of time and space port, which transported you from your world to ours. But now, it has closed up. I have not yet figured out a way to get you back home."
Jackies heart sank.
"However," he continued. "I do have ideas that I will need to look farther into. I will let you know when I make progress. I do not think it was by chance that you find that key. I think that someone wanted you to find it for a reason. Someone wanted you here for a reason. What that reason is, I cannot be sure. However I am very busy now with more pressing matters, so I beg your pardon if I am not able to find your way back home just yet. " "Oh," Andrea said, disappointedly, as Elrond got up and left the room. "Looks like we're going to be here for a while."
"Well it isn't all so bad," Alex said, appearing to be in deep thought. "They have really good food!"
***
Jackie was awakened by a loud rapping on the door. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Remembering where she was and her heart sank. She reluctantly got up and opened the door. Outside was an elf woman, carrying linens. Jackie opened the door wider and moved in order to let her in.
"Master Elrond has sent orders that you were to be sent towels for bathing as well as clothes." She placed the linens on the table in the corner of the room. Then she opened the wardrobe and hung up a few dresses. "He has said that you may wear your." she looked at Jackie's outfit, which was a pair of jean Capri's and a white tank top. ".own clothes for now, but on some occasions it might not be appropriate. He has sent outfits that will fit you. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, thank you very much," Jackie said. The elf woman left. Jackie went over to the wardrobe and reopened it to look at the dresses.
"Ohh.." she breathed as she pulled one out. There were 5, of all different colors. They were all made of the finest velvet material, soft and smooth.
There was another knock at the door. "Come in," Jackie said softly. In walked Jenny.
"Jackie did they bring your dresses up yet? Mine are amazing!" she said excitedly. She rushed over to where Jackie was standing at her wardrobe and they oohed and aahed over the beautiful dresses.
"I wonder if Andi got hers," Jackie said quietly. Jenny stopped. "I don't know, we could go and check," she said. "That is, if she's not too mad at us."
They walked over to Andrea's room and Jackie knocked tentatively on the door. It creaked open and Andi peeked out.
"We wanted to know how you were doing," Jackie said.
"Okay, I guess," said Andrea slowly. "Some elf lady brought me up dresses. They're really pretty."
"We got some too," Jackie said. "Andi, please don't be mad at us."
"We're sorry we got you into this mess," Jenny added.
Andrea sighed. "It's okay. I guess it's partially my fault for following that guy anyways. And it's only a matter of time, right? We will get out of here, right?"
"Right," Jackie and Jenny said in unison. Jackie, however felt more uncertain than she sounded. "I guess we might as well make the best of the time we do have here," Jenny said, shrugging. "After all it's not every day you go through a secret passage way and meet.elves."
Jackie looked at her watch. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "It's 5:50! We have to be at the Great Hall in 10 minutes!"
The girls banged desperately on Alex's door until he finally came out, yawning. When they told him about dinner, his eyes got wide and the four raced down the passageways, trying to the best of their memory to get back to the Great Hall. They finally reached it, at 1 minute until 6. They hurriedly sat down on the side opposite from Elrond, who was shooting them disapproving looks. Jackie noticed she was sitting next to Legolas. She had to admit, she was pleased with the seating arrangement.
***
The food was the most delicious Jackie had ever tasted in her entire life. Although most of it was unidentifiable, it was scrumptious and she loaded more and more onto her plate. Legolas stared at her in disbelief.
"Does everyone eat that ravenously where you come from?" Jackie noticed Jenny was eating fast, and Alex was shoveling food in his mouth at a tremendous rate, which was causing him to receive disgusted stares from the elves sitting around him, who were picking daintily at the small amount of food on their plates.
"No," she answered him. "We're just really hungry. And this food is really good. Really good."
Legolas smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Are you finding your stay most enjoyable?"
Jackie hesitated. She missed it back home, but she was enjoying it here. "Yes," she answered truthfully. "I guess I am." But that did not mean she did not want to go home.
"Glad to hear it," Legolas said.
There was a pause before she finally asked "Where are we?"
Legolas sighed. "Well that is difficult to answer as we do not know where you have come to us from. We have never seen people in all of Middle-Earth as strange as you."
"Middle Earth," Jackie said. "I heard you say that before. What do you mean by it?"
"Middle Earth. You did not come from Middle Earth?" He asked curiously.
"Um, I'm not really sure what you're talking about. What is Middle Earth? Is there an Upper and Lower Earth too?"
Legolas looked startled. "If you don't know, then I do not believe I am the one to tell you. You must take it up with Elrond. He will be able to explain this much better than I."
Dinner began to disperse. Legolas got up and left the table abruptly, leaving Jackie confused and bewildered.
***
"What did you talk about with Legolas?" Jenny whispered to Jackie as they walked back to their rooms.
"I don't know," Jackie said doubtfully. "But I think I figured out we're in a place called Middle Earth. Do you know where, or what, that is?"
"No clue," said Jenny "But it sounds really weird."
***
The next morning Jackie woke up to light pouring from the window. A window that was not her own. Suddenly she shot up, remembering what had, what was, happening. She got up and made her bed. As she looked around her room, she realized that breakfast had been brought up for her. She carefully carried her wooden tray to Jenny's room, where Andi soon joined them, and then Alex. Jackie filled in Alex and Andi about what Legolas told her last night at dinner.
"Well what the hell does that mean?" asked Alex, stuffing a piece of Andi's bread in his mouth. He had eaten all of his breakfast earlier.
"Well we don't know. But I think it means that we're not anywhere near Pataskala. Possibly not even America." Jackie said.
"I knew we were in France!" Alex said triumphantly.
"Look at the clothes and food.it looks primitive. I'm not so sure we're in the same time period. I think we may have traveled through time." Jenny said gravely.
"Though time?" asked Andi with a worried look on her face. "But that's impossible. We can't do that! We just.we just crawled through a tunnel!" She shook her head in disbelief. "This is some kind of joke."
"Who would play a joke this elaborate?" Jackie said. "No. this is very real. Whether we like it or not, this is happening."
"I think it's time to find out where we are exactly," said Jenny.
"Elrond," they all said together. ***
A short time later, when they got to the hall where they had first seen Elrond, he was not in his chair. They questioned a nearby elf who refused to tell them where he was.
"Look man, tell us where Elrond is, or else I will punch your face in!" Alex said threateningly. The elf said something in elvish back, or what Jackie assumed was elvish, which sounded like it was possibly an elvish curse. Jackie sighed.
"Shut up, Alex." She turned towards the elf. "Listen, this is really important. We need to talk with him. We have questions that only he can answer-"
"I am sorry, but Master Elrond is not to be disturbed. You may ask him later." The elf sniffed at them.
"You better let us see him!" Alex lunged at the elf. Jenny and Andi both had to hold him back by his shirt. Just then Elrond came out of the adjacent hallway.
"Elrond!" They all exclaimed at once.
"Yes I thought you might be looking for me," he said. "Please come into this room, and we will discuss your presence in Rivendell."
Alex directed a very rude gesture towards the haughty elf as they left, which earned him a smack on the head from Andrea.
When they all got into the room and sat down, Jackie started.
"When I was at dinner yesterday night, Legolas said something about Middle Earth. What exactly was he talking about?"
"Yes, I feared this. I am afraid you have come from another dimension of some sort, of different time and space. The tunnel you traveled through must have been some kind of time and space port, which transported you from your world to ours. But now, it has closed up. I have not yet figured out a way to get you back home."
Jackies heart sank.
"However," he continued. "I do have ideas that I will need to look farther into. I will let you know when I make progress. I do not think it was by chance that you find that key. I think that someone wanted you to find it for a reason. Someone wanted you here for a reason. What that reason is, I cannot be sure. However I am very busy now with more pressing matters, so I beg your pardon if I am not able to find your way back home just yet. " "Oh," Andrea said, disappointedly, as Elrond got up and left the room. "Looks like we're going to be here for a while."
"Well it isn't all so bad," Alex said, appearing to be in deep thought. "They have really good food!"
***