Legolas blinked, trying to analyze the sharp pain in the side of his head. His bright, sharp
eyes that had never failed him in the past would not focus. He did not know where he was. He was
not sure he *wanted* to know.
'Hey-la, Prince Legolas,' said a smooth, earthy baritone. 'Can you hear me?' A dark-skinned
face appeared before Legolas' wildly blinking eyes. It was blurred, though still discernible.
'I can,' he replied, and his own voice sounded strange to him, faint and faded.
'How do you feel?' asked the newcomer in a kind tone.
'My sight...' Legolas managed, frightened lest whatever was wrong with him should not go away.
'Blurry? Fuzzy? It's all right. It'll all get better, I promise.'
'What is wrong with me?'
'The stranger laughed a little. 'The girls accidentally got you drunk, friend. Apparently,
carbonated beverages have the same effect on elves as alcohol does on humans.'
'Who are you?' the elf asked.
'My name's Jeremie,' the stranger replied. 'D'you remember Joseph?'
'Yes, and Sivi and Andrea.'
'OK, well, I'm a friend of Sivi's. I'm in her drama course at the college.'
'I take it you know who I am,' Legolas said, struggling to sit up out of courtesy. The surface
beneath him was cushiony and springy, but altogether too soft for the elf's tastes. His slender
hands sank into the substance and provided next to no support.
'Lie back,' Jeremie commanded.
Humbled by his weakness, Legolas obeyed. 'Where are Sivi and Andrea?' he asked. He refused to
believe that the friends who had been so kind to him would have left him alone with strangers.
'They're in the next room, talking with Sarah and Christina,' Jeremie answered soothingly.
'Who are Sarah and Christina?'
'Sarah is Sivi's first cousin, and Christina is another girl in our drama course. Christina is
the one who drove you here.'
'She is a charioteer?' Legolas asked.
'Not...well...kind of; sort of; not exactly.'
'As you say,' Legolas conceded, not wanting a complicated explanation that would surely only
double the thundering in his head. 'Where am I?'
'You are in Joseph's apartment.'
'Where is Joseph?' Legolas inquired, hungry for a familiar face, though he was likening Jeremie
very much.
'He's not home from his job yet. He works third shift. You don't know what third shift is. Uh,
he works at his trade from ten-thirty in the evening to seven o'colck in the morning. It's just
now seven, so he'll be home in about an hour, if traffic is decent.'
'Why does he work at night?'
'Well, the machines he uses have to be working all day and all night, so there are some people
who run them during the first part of the day, some people who run them during the mid-afternoon
to mid-evening hours, and different people who run them at night.' Jeremie explained as plainly
as he could.
'I think I see,' Legolas sighed, settling back into the overly pliant bedding. He blinked a
few times, relieved to find that his spectacular elven eyesight was slowly but steadily returning.
He studied Jeremie's face: dark brown skin, wide, dark oval eyes, a pleasant mouth, and
black hair cut incredibly short. A connection formed in the elf's mind.
I saw your portrait at the mall yesterday.' he told Jeremie solemnly. 'A startling well-painted
likeness.'
Jeremie refrained from trying to tell the elf about cameras.
'My portrait?' he asked instead.
'Either yours or your elder brothers,' Legolas answered. Jeremie blinked. He didn't have any
brothers, and he didn't remember having his portrait done or his picture taken at the mall.
Then Legolas solved the mystery for him by continuing: 'under the painting was written in odd,
bulky characters, 'Will Smith.' Do you not know him?' Jeremie managed, by the tearing of several
muscles, not to laugh.
'I'm flattered, Legolas,' said he, 'but I'm not related to Will Smith. He is a famous...um...
troubadour.'
'You look a good deal like him,' Legolas said.
'Thank you.' Jeremie said.
They talked for a while longer, until Joseph came home. Jeremie then explained that he would
go to a market called 'Hardees' and bring back breakfast. Joseph concurred, but instructed
Jeremie not to bring home any Coke's or Pepsi's. Jeremie nodded emphatically.
Will write for reviews.
eyes that had never failed him in the past would not focus. He did not know where he was. He was
not sure he *wanted* to know.
'Hey-la, Prince Legolas,' said a smooth, earthy baritone. 'Can you hear me?' A dark-skinned
face appeared before Legolas' wildly blinking eyes. It was blurred, though still discernible.
'I can,' he replied, and his own voice sounded strange to him, faint and faded.
'How do you feel?' asked the newcomer in a kind tone.
'My sight...' Legolas managed, frightened lest whatever was wrong with him should not go away.
'Blurry? Fuzzy? It's all right. It'll all get better, I promise.'
'What is wrong with me?'
'The stranger laughed a little. 'The girls accidentally got you drunk, friend. Apparently,
carbonated beverages have the same effect on elves as alcohol does on humans.'
'Who are you?' the elf asked.
'My name's Jeremie,' the stranger replied. 'D'you remember Joseph?'
'Yes, and Sivi and Andrea.'
'OK, well, I'm a friend of Sivi's. I'm in her drama course at the college.'
'I take it you know who I am,' Legolas said, struggling to sit up out of courtesy. The surface
beneath him was cushiony and springy, but altogether too soft for the elf's tastes. His slender
hands sank into the substance and provided next to no support.
'Lie back,' Jeremie commanded.
Humbled by his weakness, Legolas obeyed. 'Where are Sivi and Andrea?' he asked. He refused to
believe that the friends who had been so kind to him would have left him alone with strangers.
'They're in the next room, talking with Sarah and Christina,' Jeremie answered soothingly.
'Who are Sarah and Christina?'
'Sarah is Sivi's first cousin, and Christina is another girl in our drama course. Christina is
the one who drove you here.'
'She is a charioteer?' Legolas asked.
'Not...well...kind of; sort of; not exactly.'
'As you say,' Legolas conceded, not wanting a complicated explanation that would surely only
double the thundering in his head. 'Where am I?'
'You are in Joseph's apartment.'
'Where is Joseph?' Legolas inquired, hungry for a familiar face, though he was likening Jeremie
very much.
'He's not home from his job yet. He works third shift. You don't know what third shift is. Uh,
he works at his trade from ten-thirty in the evening to seven o'colck in the morning. It's just
now seven, so he'll be home in about an hour, if traffic is decent.'
'Why does he work at night?'
'Well, the machines he uses have to be working all day and all night, so there are some people
who run them during the first part of the day, some people who run them during the mid-afternoon
to mid-evening hours, and different people who run them at night.' Jeremie explained as plainly
as he could.
'I think I see,' Legolas sighed, settling back into the overly pliant bedding. He blinked a
few times, relieved to find that his spectacular elven eyesight was slowly but steadily returning.
He studied Jeremie's face: dark brown skin, wide, dark oval eyes, a pleasant mouth, and
black hair cut incredibly short. A connection formed in the elf's mind.
I saw your portrait at the mall yesterday.' he told Jeremie solemnly. 'A startling well-painted
likeness.'
Jeremie refrained from trying to tell the elf about cameras.
'My portrait?' he asked instead.
'Either yours or your elder brothers,' Legolas answered. Jeremie blinked. He didn't have any
brothers, and he didn't remember having his portrait done or his picture taken at the mall.
Then Legolas solved the mystery for him by continuing: 'under the painting was written in odd,
bulky characters, 'Will Smith.' Do you not know him?' Jeremie managed, by the tearing of several
muscles, not to laugh.
'I'm flattered, Legolas,' said he, 'but I'm not related to Will Smith. He is a famous...um...
troubadour.'
'You look a good deal like him,' Legolas said.
'Thank you.' Jeremie said.
They talked for a while longer, until Joseph came home. Jeremie then explained that he would
go to a market called 'Hardees' and bring back breakfast. Joseph concurred, but instructed
Jeremie not to bring home any Coke's or Pepsi's. Jeremie nodded emphatically.
Will write for reviews.