The Nine Go Shopping – Episode III!!!

Chapter 5

Nine of the Ten are sitting with their backs to the wall of one of the buildings bordering the empty alley. Ten is pacing back and forth in front of them, making sure they don't do anything stupid – that is, making sure they don't do anything.

So the original Nine sit there for hours, backs aching, barrels splintering, until…

Five is really uncomfortable. Ten is such an idiot, making him sit up against the wall like this. This sentiment is punctuated by the fact that Five is the only one who was forced to sit in the puddle of water which extends horizontally across the alley. At least, it looks like water. In this light, it's hard to tell. Five continues to seethe at Ten, making faces whenever he passes by, which Ten of course can't see through the dark. Five is sticking his tongue out when he hears something strange.

"Come… come to me… Let me rip… Let me tear… Let me killllll…"

Five sits bolt upright. The noise seems to be coming from the building behind him. He looks around. None of the others seem remotely troubled by this strange occurrence. Maybe it was just his imagination. Five releases his tension. Yes, that was it. He'd just imagined it, that's all.

Just as Five is settling back down, he hears it again. Louder.

"…rip… tear… kill… soo hungry… for sooo long… kill… time to kill…"

Five knows it isn't his imagination this time. He thinks. But anyway, it's time to alert the others.

"Did you hear that?" he whispers to Four, who is sitting right next to him.

"Hear what?" Four whispers back.

"That voice!" whispers Five rather loudly.

"What are you two at?!" screams Ten. "Shut up, the both of you!"

They shut up, but Ten proceeds to give all nine of them a lecture anyway. "You are so ungrateful! I come here to lead you so you don't get into any more trouble, and what do you do? You disobey me! I told you not to talk! I told you…"

Ten's tirade goes on, but Five hears something else. The voice. It's much louder this time.

"…I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!!!"

Suddenly Ten is cut off in the middle of his sentence. He splashes in the puddle of the stuff that looks like water. He doesn't get up.

Something rather reminiscent of a large, flexible sewer pipe slithers out of the nearest manhole. Now that Ten is dead, or at least appears to be so, for Nazgul can't die, the Nine are free to run to the back of the alley, which is just what they do. They don't notice the snake turn its head in Five's direction.

"Thanksss, amigo."

And with that, it slithers off down the sidewalk.

* * *

The next morning, the Nine all climb out of their respective dumpsters and find Ten still motionless on the ground. It's almost funny. He has his arms up and his mouth open wide, as if he's still giving them a lecture. They leave him there and head for the mall.

They sit down in the parking lot and Eight takes out his cell phone. He dials up Sauron and waits.

Sauron picks up. "Yes?" He is obviously aware that Saruman is not the only one who calls him anymore.

"Sauron! Where are the Uruk-Hai?" Eight barks into the receiver.

"They're coming, my inferior lackey. Just be patient, will you?" Sauron hangs up.

"Two! Go scout out the evil jeweler dude!" screams Eight. Two reluctantly gets up off the asphalt and heads toward the mall.

The rest of the Nine wait for the orkish army.

* * *

Short chapter, isn't it? They all are. But thank you for your reviews.

~ Anoriel