Title: Vanishing Game
By: Kryptonite
Disclaimer: I do not, will not and have never owned JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Nor have I ever owned anything remotely related to Middle Earth as the general public knows it. I also have no money so please don't sue.
Summary: A girl in modern day Middle Earth is sucked back in time to the Fellowship of the Ring, getting to live in the time of magic and kings.
A/N: Just a little idea I had after watching the third Lord of the Rings movie, which I didn't like the ending much. I just wanted to see what you (the reviewers) thought; this is just basically a prologue. No LotR character action yet, but there will be in the next chapter. The title is subject to revision so just tell me if you have any bright ideas.
*****
" Okay, this meeting has officially come to order. Sister Elizabeth, you may start." The blonde to the first speaker's right smiled in what she thought was a gracious smile and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
" Lord Legolas, King of the Forests and Master of the bow, I pray thee hear my plea. Take me into Middle Earth to live with thee." Smiling, Elizabeth opened her eyes and glanced around the circle. The first speaker spoke up.
" Lord Legolas, King of the Forests and Master of the bow, I pray thee hear my plea. Take me into Middle Earth to live with thee." Three other girls spoke the same phrase and then all turned to the girl next to Elizabeth. She glanced around the fire-lit circle, licked her lips and then burst out with words.
" Lord Aragorn I pray thee hear my plea. Bring me into Middle Earth with thee." Instantly the circle was full of angry girls, sputtering and yelling at her.
" Lexie, you can't just change the words around when you want." Alexandri continued to hold onto the haughty look of someone who knew that what they had done wasn't right but still clung to why they had done it.
" I've been calling Legolas for months to take me into Middle Earth, you guys have been calling for over a year. He hasn't heard any of us. I figured it was time to try someone new." She explained her actions earning herself amused smiles and a few titters.
" Oh honey." Alexandri turned her glare on the 'leader' of the group, Sarah Jonston. " Your mom warned me that you took things a little too seriously. I just never thought…" She trailed off as laughter over took her, ice blue eyes shining with mirth.
" It's just a game." Elizabeth broke in.
" We LIVE in Middle Earth, how can you think it's just a game? These people existed just as much as we do!" Alexandri insisted, standing up in her tirade. " I thought you believed as much as I do!"
" Elves and dwarves and trolls and orcs and magic are just fantasy. Made up stories to make humdrum lives all that much better. Now, sit down before you hurt yourself. Has anyone found any new histories for the fire this week?" Alexandri glared once more before turning her body half way so she could watch the ocean crash against the dark rocks on the beach below.
" Sister Alexandri? You usually find some obscure histories that survived the Burning Time." Alexandri sat silently, not willing to share the texts with her 'sisters' now that they had made known how they really felt. The Burning Time had been a time in history when the Church had gone around burning records that they considered heretical.
" Well, since Sister Alexandri is withholding from us while she recovers from insanity," this earned Elizabeth a few half hidden giggles, "does anyone else have anything to share?"
*****
Alexandri lay face down in her room, breathing in the scent of mint on her pillow. She heard the door creak open and didn't even bother sitting up, already knowing whom it was.
" Honey? Sarah just called and told me what happened at the meeting tonight." Alex didn't even make a move. " Do you want to talk about it? I mean, you never used to get this upset about anything." Alex turned to face her mother, turning onto her side and propping herself up with her elbow.
" Not you too." She said, looking at her tired mother. At thirty-five her mom looked closer to fifty, having to work two full-time jobs for the past six years.
" I'm sorry honey but whatever happened to my little girl who believed in looking at everything with a little bit of salt?"
" But I know this is real. I know it is mom. I know it in my soul that this really happened, is still happening." Her mom stood up angry, beautiful face distorting ugly.
" Stop it. All this talk of magic and elves and rings that control people has made you lose sight of the real world. None of this stuff happened." She said, grabbing onto the sides of Alex's face. Alex grabbed at her mom's hands, prying them from her face, giving her mother a look to match hers.
" Then why are there records in the Church basement? Why would those records be down there if they weren't real?" Her mom screamed in rage and one long nailed hand came up and made a resounding slap noise as it connected with Alex's cheek.
Her mom was instantly beside herself, hands covering her mouth gaping open in horror at what she had done. " Oh Alex. I'm sorry."
" Get out." When her mom didn't make a move towards the door Alex grabbed at one of her pillows. " GET OUT!!!" She shrieked, hurling the perfect pillow at her mother's form. " Get out!!!" Alex screamed again, face turning red and cheek pounding.
As the door clicked shut behind her mom Alex broke down and turned back to lie on her stomach as the tears poured from her eyes.
" Aragorn, if you have any love in your heart you will take me from this place." She choked out quietly, sending all her pain and loneliness into that one plea.
*****
" Alexandri? Is that you?" A voice called as Alex tried to slip into the darkened room unnoticed.
" Yes Father." She answered after heaving a sigh.
" Don't sound so pleased to see me." Turning Alex smiled up at the old man.
" I am Father Marcus it's just… I'm bummed out about the 'Sisters of Truth' meeting I had the other day." He just gave her a look that said 'I told you so'. " And mom slapped me afterwards."
" If it wasn't so dark I'd be able to see better. Let me have a look." Alex let the old man guide her to a light as he tugged her face into a position where he could see the damage.
" It doesn't hurt that bad," Alex hissed as he brushed his finger over the darkening bruise. " Except when you do that." She said, trying to smile up at the concerned man.
" Well, I take it you want to look up more records before the Burning Times?"
" Yeah. I know it all happened, every last bit of it. I just need to convince the Sisters of that." Father Marcus smiled down on his self-appointed charge.
" You can't change anyone's minds in a short period of time. Especially when they have always believed that it can not have existed in any sense of the words. Come, I'll take you to a new room this time." The monk, keeper of the Church records, led Alex down the halls, deeper and deeper into the dark and dusty catacombs. " Just remember that all these records were copied and hidden deep in here before the Burning Times. I don't know how good some of the copies are anymore."
Alex tried not to breathe to deep as they stepped into the room, Father Marcus having to shove the door back with his shoulder. " How long has it been since the last time someone was in here?" She asked in awe at the inch of dust on everything.
" I just found it a week ago. I've been so busy cataloguing and cleaning everything else that I forgot again. And then something you said before about hiding manuscripts to try and save them reminded me. You left before I could show you."
" Thank you so much Father. You've been a huge help in all of this. None of the other Officials I've ever known have ever been this keen to help me." Father Marcus just smiled down on her.
" I just want you to get to the truth, what ever it may be. If this is the best way, so be it. Can you find your own way back or do I have to come get you in an hour?"
" Just don't lock me down here." She said, grinning back at him, already heading for the shelves.
" For your information this door was sealed when I first found it. No one was supposed to get in here for one reason or another. I've never even seen a seal like it before. It's nothing they ever had recorded and we never figured it out either." Father Marcus winked before turning and leaving out the door, feet shuffling as he walked his way back up the long hallway.
" Thank you." Alex whispered before wrapping her handkerchief around her nose and mouth and going to pull out the first book.
*****
" The meeting of the Sister's of Truth is now called to order. Before we repeat our usual chant for luck and prosperity does anyone have any new business to bring about?" Sarah asked, looking around the fire-lit circle.
" I think we should vote Alexandri out. She's insane." Elizabeth spoke out, a sneer on her face. A few other girls who wanted to be on Elizabeth's good side nodded their heads in agreement. Karen, a dark-haired 'beauty' spoke up against her, eyes blazing with fury.
" Why should we? Just because she has a deeper faith than we do? What if she's right?"
" Don't tell me you actually believe that little brat?" Elizabeth all but shrieked. " She's only been here six months and already you're willing to believe her over me? I've known you since you were born!"
" So? I'm just saying we shouldn't kick her out because we don't believe her. That's like saying we should kick Elizabeth out because she never contributes to the meetings except to cause trouble and mayhem." Karen turned a small superior smile at Elizabeth. The girl started sputtering at the accusation.
Alex turned to leave heaving a little sigh, keeping the information she had spent the past day finding to herself. She stopped as she heard her name again.
" Where is Lexie anyway?" Sarah asked, finally noticing she wasn't at the meeting. For Alex, that was something close to sacrilegious since she attended the meetings and didn't miss one."
" She spent most of the day with that old coot Marcus in the Church's records. I feel sorry for her, willingly subjecting herself to his insanity. Maybe that's where she got hers." Elizabeth's already twisted face looked even more demonic as she sat in the firelight.
" I heard they're going to set him up with a nice retirement package tonight." Another girl, Carrie perhaps or her sister Amy, said with a twisted little laugh. Everyone knew what happened to Church Officials who had lived past their duty to the Church. Alex turned in horror and raced back to the Church hoping she wasn't too late.
*****
" Alexandri? Marcus is just going to bed now. Can't you come back in the morning." Alex put on her best distressed face and started begging and pleading, tears falling down her cheeks in her enthusiasm.
" Please, it's urgent! If I don't talk to him now, I-I-I don't know what I'll do."
" Are you sure there's no one else…"
" No! Brother Frederick, you must let me see him. Please, I'm begging!" Alex was lucky it was Brother Frederick that had answered the door and not Brother Jacque who had, since Brother Frederick was known to be a softy.
" Okay, okay. Just try and not to stay too long." Alex tore off down the hall after muttering a quick thank you, tears already drying up.
" Father Marcus!" Alex burst into the Father's room just as he was going to drink the liquid in his cup. " Don't drink it! Please, don't!" Alex said, fresh tears coming as she saw how close she had been.
" My dear, why ever not?" Father Marcus asked, standing up stiffly and going to Alex, hugging her close to him.
" It's poison!" She managed to choke out. A deep rumbling laugh startled her out of her sob fest.
" Of course it is."
" But- but-" Father Marcus smiled at her, smoothing her honey-brown hair down.
" I've been too long for this earth. I'm hoping to find out just what is on the other side soon. I left a note saying that you want to study theology, which will give you complete access to all the records."
" But I need you!" She cried, hot tears squeezing out from the corners of her eyes to trickle down her cheeks.
" You don't need me. Now, listen up child. No one else knows about that room. If they didn't the Abbot would have a fit. Probably destroy it. You have to make sure no one else knows not even my replacement. Brother Frederick should be easy enough to manipulate." Father Marcus gave Alex a wink as she wiped her nose. " That's why I chose him." Hiccuping slightly Alex nodded her head.
" I just-"
" I know my dear, I know." Father Marcus pulled Alex close again, hugging her tight. " Now get on home. I'll always be here for you, right here in your heart." Alex nodded again, leaving the old man to his 'retirement'.
*****
" Honey? Everything okay?" Alex passed her mom as she trudged slowly up the steps. " Honey, just don't forget it's a school night!" Her mom paused again, craning her neck to see up the steps. " I'm sorry?!" Her only answer was the door slamming.
*****
" Hey Lexie, honey, wait up." Alex turned her infamous 'you wanted me for something you pathetic weakling' look on her face. " Sorry about having to call your mom the other night, it was a necessary evil." Sarah said shrugging. " So are you coming to the meeting tonight?"
Sarah continued to smile sweetly like Alex was her best friend in the whole world. Alex shot that look down in one word. " No. And it's Alex." She turned and continued walking down the hall to her last class of the day.
" Glad to see you could make it on time today Alex." The math teacher, Mr. Carlson, smiled sickly at her as she walked past him at the door. Alex kept her mouth shut as she moved to her seat in the back of the room.
Sarah walked in behind Alex, smiling her angel smile at the teacher as she sauntered to her seat, dragging the attention of each and every guy in the room. She started whispering to Elizabeth the second her butt touched her seat as Mr. Carlson closed the locked door to the classroom five minutes before the bell for class would ring. Two students ran into the glass, looks of panic on their faces.
" Sorry." Mr. Carlson laughed out in that sick voice of his as he pulled the shade down. " So where did we leave off the other day?" Sarah's hand instantly raised into the air at his question. " Ah yes, Sarah."
" We were working on matrices sir." She said, once more smiling that angel smile at the teacher. She passed Elizabeth a note while his back was turned.
" Yes as Sarah said we were working on matrices. Please pass forward the homework." He smiled, his yellowed teeth just barely showing through his thin lips.
Alex groaned slightly and started clearing off her desk. He was only ever this happy when they had a pop quiz.
Elizabeth let out a startled, " What!" And just smiled sweetly at Mr. Carlson when he snapped around. Sarah nodded her head and then they both turned to glare at Alex.
I didn't even do anything. Alex tried hard to concentrate on remembering everything they had covered the last lesson as she ignored the looks from her two 'sisters' in the middle of the room.
Please, I'm begging. Someone get me out of here!
" If you paid any attention to the last lesson, you'll do fine. If you didn't…" Mr. Carlson's smile just got sicker if it was possible. A note landed on the corner of Alex's desk and she quickly swiped it off her desk as the quiz was handed back.
Once every one had a quiz Mr. Carlson said, " You may begin." He then took to walking around the room, making sure no one was cheating. Alex took one look at the test and breathed easier. Despite Mr. Carlson's iffy grading, she knew most of the material cold.
" Is there a reason your hand is in your lap and not on your desk?" Mr. Carlson asked sweetly, having walked up behind Alex. She had unconsciously grabbed the paper on her lap and not moved her hand back to the desk.
" No sir." He smiled at her, continuing to look down on her. Alex tried to discreetly back away from his body. He was standing way to close for comfort.
" Good then." He finally walked away, allowing Alex to breathe easier.
After class Alex sped out the door, planning on going to take another look through the Church's basement records. She ignored Sarah and Elizabeth's attempts to get her attention as she noticed that she was feeling funny.
Alex continued to walk as the people and objects around her started going in and out of focus. Her stomach felt like it was at the bottom of her shoes and she was growing dizzier by the minute.
" Alex?" Sarah called, concerned as Alexandri started to weave back and forth. The girl continued walking until she suddenly and completely disappeared into thin air.
*****
A/N: So, what did you think? Be honest and please give reasons, thanks. Have a good life.
A/N2: 1-1-04, I made this longer, hope it's better than it was the first time. Enjoy :)