~ Chapter 4 ~

Guess who's back....guess who's back....guess who's back....

No prizes, though.

*

"Then what do you propose I do?" demanded Saruman angrily. "I can't just....LEAVE it."

"I didn't say you should," replied Angeline, with an infuriating smirk. "I simply said that you should....modify it, shall we say? So that it DOES work. Do you understand?"

She smiled kindly, as if talking to a very stupid person. Which, compared to the rest of the world, Angeline was surrounded by.

"But....HOW?" spluttered Saruman. He stamped his foot. "I don't get it!"

Angeline patted his arm reassuringly. "There, there, Saruman."

"It's all stupid!" wailed Saruman, tears springing to his eyes. "I'M stupid! Boo hoo hoo!"

"No you're not," said Angeline comfortingly. "You're MUCH smarter than my friends...." She considered her words. "SOME of my friends, actually. Michelle's really quite intelligent, although a red mist of violence often clouds her better sense." She frowned and pursed her lips. "IF it's still there."

Angeline began to think. How could an intelligent person not have good sense, and yet, still retain their intelligence? However, there was no mistaking it. Michelle DID have a brain. The problem was in how she used it. If Michelle actually tried to use her knowledge of maths to-

"How does it work then?" sniffed Saruman. "It's too HARD."

"No it's not," replied Angeline. "It's a simple matter of gravity and weight. If a weight is too great, then gravity will bring it crashing back down to the ground. This is also partially because of imbalance, which is not spreading the weight of the ladder evenly enough. The highest point cannot be greater in weight than the lowest part, or equal in weight. Equality of weight will cause it to come crashing down anyway, because of the height. The higher something is, the lighter it should be....that is, if you want it to be stable."

"But-" began Saruman.

"Yes, I know, I know," nodded Angeline. "The wind will blow, and therefore the ladder will rock."

Saruman nodded.

"HOWEVER," Angeline smirked. "The weight at the bottom of the ladder will act as an anchor, holding it in place in much the same way as a ship on choppy water its anchor. If the weight is divided appropriately and accurately enough, no wind will be able to shift it. Albeit, the angle at which you place the ladder will play a large role in stability as well."

"Oh...." Saruman nodded slowly. "I get it."

Angeline beamed. "I thought you might," she said.

Back with the Fellowship....

"NO!" shouted Christina. "I'M NOT GOING!"

"Gollum?" asked Merry and Pippin in unison.

*Y'know, if you read that bit out loud, it kinda rhymes....*

The three fighters gasped.

"Gollum?" gasped Gimli, looking startled.

"Gollum?" demanded Legolas, looking outraged.

"Gollum?" whispered Aragorn, a sad look resting in his eyes.

"I did not know that it still lived," Legolas said, in elfin speech.

"It does," replied Aragorn mournfully, in the same tongue. "The Ring has given it an unnaturally long lifespan."

"Prolonged," corrected Rachel kindly.

"And so now it stalks our every move," sighed Legolas. He clenched his fists in anger. "If I were ever to find that....that....monster, I'd kill it! Will we ever be rid of it?"

"Who?" asked Rachel. "Michelle?"

Aragorn opened his mouth to speak, then froze. "You understand Elvish?" he asked, startled.

"Who me? No," shrugged Rachel. Then she too froze. "Hey cool! I CAN!"

"You CAN what?" snapped Victoria.

"Walk on the moon." Rachel rolled her eyes. "Oh HONESTLY, Biscuit. Use your brain."

Victoria scowled.

And now we move on to....Squishy.

The beast that the creature rode whinnied and reared, pawing at the sky.

"WOW!" exclaimed Michelle, her eyes lighting up. "FUCKING COOL! YOU LOOK LIKE A FUCKING PHANTOM!"

The Ring Wraith sat back down, apparently not affected by the curse. "the ring...." it hissed, reaching out with a clawed hand. "the ring...."

"The WHAT?" Michelle stared. "You're CRAZY." She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "CRAZY." She repeated, fluttering her hands at the sides of her face. "Woah."

"the RING...." urged the Ring Wraith.

"Just like my new best friend!" giggled Michelle. "Electra!"

*by the way, in case you hadn't noticed, there's a few new people mentioned here....they're new to the school, and....so....yeah....*

"Only Electra's crazier," continued Michelle. "She's crazy as a LOON! Hee hee! A LOON!"

The sharp hiss of steel rang out as the Ring Wraith drew its sword.

Michelle grinned. "Finally," she said. "Violence."

Shoving her wand back into her pocket, she rolled up her sleeves and settled into a fighting crouch. "Come on then," she taunted. "If you're ready."

*

I know. My chapters are really short now. But considering that I write them in class, I reckon it's a pretty sick achievement. I'm quite proud of myself. But then again, that's me.

Well....hope ya like it so far. R&R