Sarah fluttered her eyelids opened, and immediately realized her
mistake. Too bright, must close eyes. Giving a slightly muffled groan in
her throat, she turned away from the painful morning rays, curling under
her blanket as children being woken up by their parents for school are wont
to do. She furrowed her eyebrows, and stubbornly kicked her feet,
attempting to untangle them from the sheets and diaphanous nightgown. In
her groggy mindset, she managed to mumble, "Whoever invented huge
nightgowns should be shot." Then her eyes flew open, despite the brightness
of the room, and thought to herself, "I never wear a nightgown to bed!"
Bolting up straight, her gaze went down to the silky embroidering on its front, and her eyes widen a bit in shock. Reaching out with her fingers, she slid her touch along the gossamer threading. Without looking up, she spoke aloud.
"You know, Will, I suppose it's kinda kinky that you changed me while I was asleep, but.." Looking over at that moment, she realized she was alone in bed and stopped speaking. Sarah rubbed her eyes, attempting to get the sleep and delusions out of them. After fully satisfied she had done so successfully, her eyes opened once more.
"Nope, not successful at all," she said in awe, taking a sweeping glance about the alien room. Tapestries of heroes and monsters unknown, graceful furniture and a large desk made from strange materials completed the otherwise Spartan chamber. Swinging her feet to the marble floor, she took a few steps and the floor changed. Looking down, she saw a large plush rug beneath her feet. Suddenly feeling quite alone and afraid, she noticed a balcony and ran to it, throwing open the doors. The lump in her throat caught her breath.
Trees, waterfalls, stone buildings, and flowers filled her vision. This was not the cold and wintry Indiana that she remembered! Despite the obvious majesty and unearthly beauty of the place, the lump in her throat dissolved when she let out a blood curling scream. Pausing for a moment in horror, she let out weak and panicked screams over and over.
"I.I've been kidnapped!," her mind screamed as well. Speaking aloud in a breathless voice, she murmured the mantra, "Holy shit, holy shit holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!" over and over, thinking it would give her some kind of strength to deal with the situation logically, but it only made her panic more.
Getting the bright idea to run, she turned and made for the first door she saw, but she only made it half way there before it burst open, spilling out six men, armed to the teeth with swords. Sarah stopped dead in her tracks, even sliding a few inches due to the loose floor rug.
The turned their attentions to Sarah after a quick survey of the room. "A! Mankoi naa lle sinome?! Ya naa lle?!", they spoke in exclamatory voices. Sarah's face became even more contorted in fear and confusion; it was obvious she didn't understand. Switching to Westron, they spoke again, "Why are you here? Who are you?" Their voices calmed a bit, but the set of their chins and the grip on their swords did not lessen any. Sarah licked her lips, and replied in a hoarse voice,
"My name is Sarah, and I do not know why I am here. I woke up in that bed." She sank to the floor, and began to weep softly. Seeing that she was not an immediate threat, the front elf murmured to another behind him, who nodded and departed quickly before taking one last glance at the girl on the floor. They watched her wearily for several minutes, hours it seemed to Sarah, before there was a commotion in the small crowd. It parted to let another through.
Sarah did not hear his footfalls, so engrossed in her thoughts and so light were his steps. He stopped before her. She looked up, and saw two booted feet in front of her eyes. She shrinked back, thinking he was about to maul her. Several beats past, and the beatings did not commence. Sarah dared to look up, and saw glistening robes. Glancing up more, her eyes made its way to his face, which was angular and intelligent. She then noticed something odd about one particular feature. His ears were pointed
Looking past him, she saw that the others had the same feature as well. "No, there's no way. They cannot be," she muttered to herself. Returning her gaze to the one before her, she realized he was still looking at her. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she spoke in the same harsh voice. "Are you going to hurt me?"
He replied in a melodic and deep voice, "Not unless you were sent here to do harm to us, we shall leave you as you are." That comforted Sarah some, as she believed him. "No, sir, I do not plan to harm anyone." His believable words sank into her and gave her courage enough to stand shakily. She met him eye to eye.
"I was not sent here," she said in a quite voice. "I do not know why I am here, either. As I told your..soldiers..I woke up in this place." Her courage was drained, and she suddenly felt tired again. "I don't know why I'm here." Her voice broke a few times, but she managed to hold tears in.
The elf's face softened slightly, as he could detect no duplicity in her. He sighed, and nodded. "Do you know where you are?"
Sarah shook her head, and sniffed, wiping her red and stinging eyes. "No, I don't. But I would like to know." She looked up hopefully, wondering if he would tell her.
He looked at her curiously, wondering the same thing. A moment passed, and he nodded to his own thoughts. "You are in Rivendell. And I am Elrond."
She stared at his face for a moment more, and then looked back out the window at the flora, fauna, and architecture, as if to confirm his answer. Obviously getting some kind of confirmation, she slowly looked back to Elrond's kind face. She mouthed "Rivendell" breathlessly before fading into blackness.
Bolting up straight, her gaze went down to the silky embroidering on its front, and her eyes widen a bit in shock. Reaching out with her fingers, she slid her touch along the gossamer threading. Without looking up, she spoke aloud.
"You know, Will, I suppose it's kinda kinky that you changed me while I was asleep, but.." Looking over at that moment, she realized she was alone in bed and stopped speaking. Sarah rubbed her eyes, attempting to get the sleep and delusions out of them. After fully satisfied she had done so successfully, her eyes opened once more.
"Nope, not successful at all," she said in awe, taking a sweeping glance about the alien room. Tapestries of heroes and monsters unknown, graceful furniture and a large desk made from strange materials completed the otherwise Spartan chamber. Swinging her feet to the marble floor, she took a few steps and the floor changed. Looking down, she saw a large plush rug beneath her feet. Suddenly feeling quite alone and afraid, she noticed a balcony and ran to it, throwing open the doors. The lump in her throat caught her breath.
Trees, waterfalls, stone buildings, and flowers filled her vision. This was not the cold and wintry Indiana that she remembered! Despite the obvious majesty and unearthly beauty of the place, the lump in her throat dissolved when she let out a blood curling scream. Pausing for a moment in horror, she let out weak and panicked screams over and over.
"I.I've been kidnapped!," her mind screamed as well. Speaking aloud in a breathless voice, she murmured the mantra, "Holy shit, holy shit holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!" over and over, thinking it would give her some kind of strength to deal with the situation logically, but it only made her panic more.
Getting the bright idea to run, she turned and made for the first door she saw, but she only made it half way there before it burst open, spilling out six men, armed to the teeth with swords. Sarah stopped dead in her tracks, even sliding a few inches due to the loose floor rug.
The turned their attentions to Sarah after a quick survey of the room. "A! Mankoi naa lle sinome?! Ya naa lle?!", they spoke in exclamatory voices. Sarah's face became even more contorted in fear and confusion; it was obvious she didn't understand. Switching to Westron, they spoke again, "Why are you here? Who are you?" Their voices calmed a bit, but the set of their chins and the grip on their swords did not lessen any. Sarah licked her lips, and replied in a hoarse voice,
"My name is Sarah, and I do not know why I am here. I woke up in that bed." She sank to the floor, and began to weep softly. Seeing that she was not an immediate threat, the front elf murmured to another behind him, who nodded and departed quickly before taking one last glance at the girl on the floor. They watched her wearily for several minutes, hours it seemed to Sarah, before there was a commotion in the small crowd. It parted to let another through.
Sarah did not hear his footfalls, so engrossed in her thoughts and so light were his steps. He stopped before her. She looked up, and saw two booted feet in front of her eyes. She shrinked back, thinking he was about to maul her. Several beats past, and the beatings did not commence. Sarah dared to look up, and saw glistening robes. Glancing up more, her eyes made its way to his face, which was angular and intelligent. She then noticed something odd about one particular feature. His ears were pointed
Looking past him, she saw that the others had the same feature as well. "No, there's no way. They cannot be," she muttered to herself. Returning her gaze to the one before her, she realized he was still looking at her. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she spoke in the same harsh voice. "Are you going to hurt me?"
He replied in a melodic and deep voice, "Not unless you were sent here to do harm to us, we shall leave you as you are." That comforted Sarah some, as she believed him. "No, sir, I do not plan to harm anyone." His believable words sank into her and gave her courage enough to stand shakily. She met him eye to eye.
"I was not sent here," she said in a quite voice. "I do not know why I am here, either. As I told your..soldiers..I woke up in this place." Her courage was drained, and she suddenly felt tired again. "I don't know why I'm here." Her voice broke a few times, but she managed to hold tears in.
The elf's face softened slightly, as he could detect no duplicity in her. He sighed, and nodded. "Do you know where you are?"
Sarah shook her head, and sniffed, wiping her red and stinging eyes. "No, I don't. But I would like to know." She looked up hopefully, wondering if he would tell her.
He looked at her curiously, wondering the same thing. A moment passed, and he nodded to his own thoughts. "You are in Rivendell. And I am Elrond."
She stared at his face for a moment more, and then looked back out the window at the flora, fauna, and architecture, as if to confirm his answer. Obviously getting some kind of confirmation, she slowly looked back to Elrond's kind face. She mouthed "Rivendell" breathlessly before fading into blackness.