Cross the Einstein-Rosen Bridge
By Elhwesta
Disclaimer: I own not a single element of LOTR that presents itself in this fic. Nor do I own the ones that don't. I quote the movie at times, so I don't own that writing either.
A/N: This chapter contains a lot of exposition, so I plead you bear with it for just one chapter. There's a lot to this character that needs explanation. It will make Mari's mannerisms much easier to understand. ************************************************************************ "Mari, watch it!!"
Mariko's huge, overweight backpack was literally pulling her backwards towards the floor. Her friend Adam braced her and pushed her back up, spraining his wrist in the process.
"Cripes, what have you got in that thing, cement?!"
"AP Physics, AP Calculus, Economics, AP European History, AP American Literature, flashlight, mace, harmonica, portable stereo, CDs, gum."
".Why?" Adam asked with a blank stare. Mari shied away a bit.
"Well, I thought, you know, just in case, nothing wrong with being prepared," Mari replied in a barely audible voice.
Although he wouldn't say anything, in his heart, Adam was worried that Mari was wearing herself too thin, physically and mentally. He couldn't believe the counselors let her take a course load like that!
"You're gonna break your back before the semester's done," Adam had scolded. "I'm not looking forward to pushing your wheelchair." Mari just gave him a ghost of a smile. Adam sighed. Mari hardly ever smiled anymore, not since the old man died. There was nothing highly unusual about the way Mari looked. Big brown eyes, soft brown hair about shoulder length, 5'7", slightly broad shoulders, a fairly normal-looking girl with a few pretty features.
What was unusual lay in her mental condition. Mari couldn't remember anything before the approximate age of eight. She didn't know her true name, her real name, where she'd come from, nothing. She celebrated September 12th as her finding day since she didn't know her birthday. September 12, 1984 was the day that she was found by a kind, old man as she wandered the streets of downtown Minneapolis. He took her in and she lived with him for the next ten years. Adam lived next door, and after discovering there was someone his age next door, came over often. He would always talk about school and the things they learned that day. The old man had decided to home school Mari, so she was always curious to hear Adam's stories. He often brought along his textbooks for Mari to look at. From these, Mari taught herself grammar, math, science, foreign languages, anything Adam's class was studying. Within a month, she would know everything in the textbooks, and Adam would have to bring her books from the library. By 16, she had mastered Pre-Calculus, Physics, World History, Japanese, French, Italian, Latin, and Sign Language.
Then the old man died about one and a half years later. He didn't leave a will, so the government took possession of the house, and Mari was placed in the custody of the court. Adam's parents adopted her shortly after. Mari mourned for the old man, but being able to live with her only friend made things a little better. She was also given the opportunity to study music. Soon she was playing the flute, piano, guitar, saxophone, and blues harmonica. She also took great joy in singing. However, Adam's parents decided it was important for Mari to experience high school for at least a year instead of just getting a GED and going to college. Upon her entrance to high school, the school officials declared her a genius. This, on top of the old man's death and being suddenly thrust into a high school environment, caused Mari to develop Social Anxiety Disorder very quickly. She also took a high interest in the arts of Shamanistic healing. Her skills tended to be geared more towards the emotional side.
So let's recap: a missing past, a confirmed genius, has SAD, a medicine woman. Quite a step away from normal. Mari loaded her schedule with advanced classes and got all the work that came with them. So here she was, halfway though first semester about to break her back under the 50 pounds of books she carried in her pack.
"I've got theater practice today. Do you want to wait for me, or can you make it home alone?" Adam asked her.
Mari really didn't want to stay any longer than she had to. That would mean enduring the strange looks and hushed whispers. To keep people away, she always dressed in as much black as she could. Today she wore a pair of black pipes with red straps crossing in the back, a rare white tank top that was covered with a black zip-down hoodie with zip-off sleeves, and LOTS of spiked bracelets and bangles. She painted her face white and used tons of black make-up. She was the perfect picture of a witch.
".I'll walk.'
"You sure?"
Mari nodded.
"Ok, but be careful. It gets dangerous out there in the evening. Keep your mace out." Mari nodded again.
****Mari was getting really tired walking home that night. Her bag was heavier than usual, and she had to take her guitar home for the weekend. A semi-drunk guy pulled up beside her as she walked. Mari's grip tightened on the mace.
"*hic* Yeah, I remember the first time I ran away from home!" He threw his head back in laughter and drove away.
As she was crossing the Hennepin Avenue Overpass, she became too tired to continue. She sat down on the guard railing and gazed up at the moon. It was shrouded in thin wisps of cloud. She sighed heavily, enjoying the moment of peace. Suddenly she felt herself tipping backwards. She'd forgotten to take off her pack!! But by then, it was too late. She fell forever towards the asphalt of the crowded highway below. Tires squealed, glass shattered, horns blew, and Mari's eyes saw no more.
A/N: The date used for the "finding day", September 12th, is the day my friend, Danielle Schueller, died in a car crash. I love you Danielle, wherever you are, and I will never forget you.
A/N: Also, about Mari, a few things, she is not based off of me. The only similarities are the looks, and the musical instruments played. Yes, I play that many instruments. Also, I'm not sure if this came across, but she is very scared of people. This is crucial. And if you've never experienced a healing by a true medicine man, it's incredible. Believe me.
By Elhwesta
Disclaimer: I own not a single element of LOTR that presents itself in this fic. Nor do I own the ones that don't. I quote the movie at times, so I don't own that writing either.
A/N: This chapter contains a lot of exposition, so I plead you bear with it for just one chapter. There's a lot to this character that needs explanation. It will make Mari's mannerisms much easier to understand. ************************************************************************ "Mari, watch it!!"
Mariko's huge, overweight backpack was literally pulling her backwards towards the floor. Her friend Adam braced her and pushed her back up, spraining his wrist in the process.
"Cripes, what have you got in that thing, cement?!"
"AP Physics, AP Calculus, Economics, AP European History, AP American Literature, flashlight, mace, harmonica, portable stereo, CDs, gum."
".Why?" Adam asked with a blank stare. Mari shied away a bit.
"Well, I thought, you know, just in case, nothing wrong with being prepared," Mari replied in a barely audible voice.
Although he wouldn't say anything, in his heart, Adam was worried that Mari was wearing herself too thin, physically and mentally. He couldn't believe the counselors let her take a course load like that!
"You're gonna break your back before the semester's done," Adam had scolded. "I'm not looking forward to pushing your wheelchair." Mari just gave him a ghost of a smile. Adam sighed. Mari hardly ever smiled anymore, not since the old man died. There was nothing highly unusual about the way Mari looked. Big brown eyes, soft brown hair about shoulder length, 5'7", slightly broad shoulders, a fairly normal-looking girl with a few pretty features.
What was unusual lay in her mental condition. Mari couldn't remember anything before the approximate age of eight. She didn't know her true name, her real name, where she'd come from, nothing. She celebrated September 12th as her finding day since she didn't know her birthday. September 12, 1984 was the day that she was found by a kind, old man as she wandered the streets of downtown Minneapolis. He took her in and she lived with him for the next ten years. Adam lived next door, and after discovering there was someone his age next door, came over often. He would always talk about school and the things they learned that day. The old man had decided to home school Mari, so she was always curious to hear Adam's stories. He often brought along his textbooks for Mari to look at. From these, Mari taught herself grammar, math, science, foreign languages, anything Adam's class was studying. Within a month, she would know everything in the textbooks, and Adam would have to bring her books from the library. By 16, she had mastered Pre-Calculus, Physics, World History, Japanese, French, Italian, Latin, and Sign Language.
Then the old man died about one and a half years later. He didn't leave a will, so the government took possession of the house, and Mari was placed in the custody of the court. Adam's parents adopted her shortly after. Mari mourned for the old man, but being able to live with her only friend made things a little better. She was also given the opportunity to study music. Soon she was playing the flute, piano, guitar, saxophone, and blues harmonica. She also took great joy in singing. However, Adam's parents decided it was important for Mari to experience high school for at least a year instead of just getting a GED and going to college. Upon her entrance to high school, the school officials declared her a genius. This, on top of the old man's death and being suddenly thrust into a high school environment, caused Mari to develop Social Anxiety Disorder very quickly. She also took a high interest in the arts of Shamanistic healing. Her skills tended to be geared more towards the emotional side.
So let's recap: a missing past, a confirmed genius, has SAD, a medicine woman. Quite a step away from normal. Mari loaded her schedule with advanced classes and got all the work that came with them. So here she was, halfway though first semester about to break her back under the 50 pounds of books she carried in her pack.
"I've got theater practice today. Do you want to wait for me, or can you make it home alone?" Adam asked her.
Mari really didn't want to stay any longer than she had to. That would mean enduring the strange looks and hushed whispers. To keep people away, she always dressed in as much black as she could. Today she wore a pair of black pipes with red straps crossing in the back, a rare white tank top that was covered with a black zip-down hoodie with zip-off sleeves, and LOTS of spiked bracelets and bangles. She painted her face white and used tons of black make-up. She was the perfect picture of a witch.
".I'll walk.'
"You sure?"
Mari nodded.
"Ok, but be careful. It gets dangerous out there in the evening. Keep your mace out." Mari nodded again.
****Mari was getting really tired walking home that night. Her bag was heavier than usual, and she had to take her guitar home for the weekend. A semi-drunk guy pulled up beside her as she walked. Mari's grip tightened on the mace.
"*hic* Yeah, I remember the first time I ran away from home!" He threw his head back in laughter and drove away.
As she was crossing the Hennepin Avenue Overpass, she became too tired to continue. She sat down on the guard railing and gazed up at the moon. It was shrouded in thin wisps of cloud. She sighed heavily, enjoying the moment of peace. Suddenly she felt herself tipping backwards. She'd forgotten to take off her pack!! But by then, it was too late. She fell forever towards the asphalt of the crowded highway below. Tires squealed, glass shattered, horns blew, and Mari's eyes saw no more.
A/N: The date used for the "finding day", September 12th, is the day my friend, Danielle Schueller, died in a car crash. I love you Danielle, wherever you are, and I will never forget you.
A/N: Also, about Mari, a few things, she is not based off of me. The only similarities are the looks, and the musical instruments played. Yes, I play that many instruments. Also, I'm not sure if this came across, but she is very scared of people. This is crucial. And if you've never experienced a healing by a true medicine man, it's incredible. Believe me.
