Howdy's to one and all! I hope you've enjoyed this story so far and for
those of you who haven't this chapter is for you! Because nobody dedicates
chapters to the haters, and I'm just a bit of an oddball.
Disclaimer: I should be sleeping, but I'm writing this, even though I don't own anything that has to do with it. Hence the fact that I'm FOURTEEN and in JR. HIGH!!!!!!!
Chapter Six: Field of Dreams
Jericho stood in a field in the middle of a forest. All around her she could see large and menacing trees. It was dusk, and she could feel a cool night breeze on her skin. In front of her there stood a large tree stump. Behind her there was a fallen log. The log could not have been from the stump because of where it lay and where the stump stood. She glanced at the stump and then at the log. Thinking nothing of it she sat down on the stump facing the log and stared off into the woods, expecting something.
Suddenly there was a large crack of thunder, and the rain poured down. Jericho looked up at the sky that had turned black. When she looked back down everything was still black. She blinked her eyes, but nothing changed. She opened her mouth to scream but not a sound came out. Lighting flashed through the blackness and she saw an illuminated image of a girl standing next to the log glaring at her. She tried to scream again, but nothing happened.
Jericho awoke screaming.
"Jericho?" asked Pippin scared out of his wits.
"The girl, she's mad, I can't see, what's happening?" asked Jericho wildly.
"It's all right," Sam soothed from near by. She felt a hand stroke her head.
"I'm so lost, I don't know where I am," Jericho sobbed into whoever's shoulder. She didn't care who it was at the time she just needed a shoulder.
"You're all right here," he soothed, "With us, we'll take care of you, don't worry," he shushed her and rocked her back and forth.
"I don't deserve to be here, the girl wanted me dead, I know it," she whispered.
"Nobody wants you dead it was just a dream," Jericho realized who's shoulder she was sobbing into.
"Merry?" she asked.
"Yes, Jericho?" he replied placing his hand on hers.
"I-I" she didn't know what to say, "I want to go back to bed now," she finally sputtered sniffing loudly.
"Alright then, pleasant dreams," he cooed patting her back and leaving. Jericho pulled the covers up to her chin and sat there for a long time trying to take in what had just happened. The dream, the screams, the comfort, it all confused her. Thinking about it was not helping the situation when what she really needed was sleep, but her mind was far too busy trying to process the whole ordeal.
()
Merry awoke the next morning at about the same time that everyone else did. He sat up rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and trying to shake off his own horrible nightmare. It was about that same time that Tom came bustling in, singing loudly another nonsensical melody.
"Hey dol, me hearties!" he sang awaking them all. Merry looked over at Jericho who was staring at the ceiling. It was odd she looked as if she was still asleep, but then she couldn't be her eyes were wide open. He jumped out of his bed and walked over to her.
"What you doing Merry?" asked Pippin coming up beside him.
"Shh..." he hushed waving a hand in front of Jericho's face. She didn't move. He did it again. No movement.
"Well, what do you know," Pippin mused glancing at her eyes, "You know, it's kind of odd just how much she looks like-
" "ACK!" Jericho screamed sitting up quickly. Merry jumped back and Pippin fell over.
"Where am I?" she asked wildly.
"It's okay Jericho, it's morning!" Merry sighed clutching his chest. She looked off in a direction far away from Merry.
"You mean I wasn't dreaming about the singing penguin playing the banjo?" she asked. Merry looked at her bewildered.
"I'll take your silence as an answer meaning that it was a dream," she sighed, "Can you help me here, I'm a bit blind." She smiled.
Merry helped her out of bed and led her down the hall to the washroom.
They ate breakfast alone. Tom was off dancing and singing about in the rain and Goldberry was... well he really didn't know where she was, but she had run off somewhere.
Jericho accidentally placed her hand in her cup.
"Darn it!" she spat trying to find something to wipe her wet hand on.
"Here," he offered handing her a handkerchief. He placed it on her hand that was now waving in the air.
"Thanks," she sighed staring off blankly at the table.
"Now that doesn't sound very reassuring," Frodo smiled chewing.
"That's what I was thinking Mr. Frodo, it seems that somebody is feeling down today." Sam added a twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh, it's nothing," she lied pushing her plate away and just about knocking over a glass. Pippin caught it just in time.
"You know," Pip began, "I can't help but think about an old friend of mine and Merry's we used to know." Merry caught his breath. He looked at Pippin darkly and motioned for him to be quiet. The brilliant young lad didn't notice and continued.
"She was very clumsy," he mused finally noticing Merry's frantic motions, "And- what are you trying to do Merry?" Merry slapped his own head in frustration.
"What are you doing?" Jericho cocked her head towards him.
"Nothing," he lied giving Pippin a VERY dark look, "I'm going to step outside for a moment." He got up and walked towards the door.
"Can I join you?" Jericho asked. Merry smiled.
"Sure, I'll help you up!"
()
Merry led her outside onto a small covered porch. She could smell the damp smell of the rain soaking into the earth. She loved that smell. It reminded her of the a Lake and the smell of rotting fish, a soothing smell to her.
"I love the smell of the rain," Merry mused taking a deep breath.
"Really?" she asked, "I do too! It reminds me of rotting fish."
"Rotting Fish?"
"Yes, I like that smell too," she laughed.
"Your family must be very strange," he said happily, "Tell me about them."
"You don't want to know about my dysfunctionally strange family," she said more to herself than Merry.
"Strange is just something more interesting than normal," he chided. She smiled pleasantly towards the ground.
"Okay," she began shuffling her feet restlessly, "I have a brother. He's about 8 years older than me, very nice, very mature, but also a very big mess. He has ADD."
"What's that?"
"It's where you can't concentrate very well, I have to have a lot of patience with him, even if he is older. Anyways, my mom lives up toward Chicago. I don't see her very much, or talk to her much. My Dad lives where I live and he teaches at my school. His wife is a surgeon at the local hospital and she's really nice." Merry didn't respond.
"You have no clue about anything I just told you do you?"
"Uh..."
"It's okay, I didn't expect you to understand, but..."
"But what?"
"Thanks for listening anyways."
"Anytime Jericho!" she felt a hand on her back and another on her shoulder. She looked toward where she suspected him to be and smiled.
()
Jericho smiled over his left shoulder. He couldn't help but start laughing. She was trying so hard to keep things normal in her life. He could imagine that if she had been able to see him she would have smiled at him much more. He wished she would. In fact, the smile that she was beaming at him was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Why are you laughing?" she asked her smile fading and her pale milky eyes darting around.
"It's nothing," he lied.
"I wasn't even looking at you, was I?" she asked looking down.
"You were close." He offered.
"How?"
"You were smiling at whoever was behind my left shoulder."
"Well, that's pretty good for a blind chick!" she answered smiling again. He sighed and hugged her.
"Let's go back in, the others may be getting worried about us," he said.
"Okay!" she beamed and he led her into the house of Tom Bombadil.
Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I've been just a bit sidetracked. A bunch of crap is going on over here. I'm going to be moving half of my crap into my mom's new house in like 2 weeks and then I've got Spring Break! I will not be able to write then cause I'll be out of town, but I promise that in April things'll go a LOT faster! PROMISE! Luvs ya'll!-DB:D
Disclaimer: I should be sleeping, but I'm writing this, even though I don't own anything that has to do with it. Hence the fact that I'm FOURTEEN and in JR. HIGH!!!!!!!
Chapter Six: Field of Dreams
Jericho stood in a field in the middle of a forest. All around her she could see large and menacing trees. It was dusk, and she could feel a cool night breeze on her skin. In front of her there stood a large tree stump. Behind her there was a fallen log. The log could not have been from the stump because of where it lay and where the stump stood. She glanced at the stump and then at the log. Thinking nothing of it she sat down on the stump facing the log and stared off into the woods, expecting something.
Suddenly there was a large crack of thunder, and the rain poured down. Jericho looked up at the sky that had turned black. When she looked back down everything was still black. She blinked her eyes, but nothing changed. She opened her mouth to scream but not a sound came out. Lighting flashed through the blackness and she saw an illuminated image of a girl standing next to the log glaring at her. She tried to scream again, but nothing happened.
Jericho awoke screaming.
"Jericho?" asked Pippin scared out of his wits.
"The girl, she's mad, I can't see, what's happening?" asked Jericho wildly.
"It's all right," Sam soothed from near by. She felt a hand stroke her head.
"I'm so lost, I don't know where I am," Jericho sobbed into whoever's shoulder. She didn't care who it was at the time she just needed a shoulder.
"You're all right here," he soothed, "With us, we'll take care of you, don't worry," he shushed her and rocked her back and forth.
"I don't deserve to be here, the girl wanted me dead, I know it," she whispered.
"Nobody wants you dead it was just a dream," Jericho realized who's shoulder she was sobbing into.
"Merry?" she asked.
"Yes, Jericho?" he replied placing his hand on hers.
"I-I" she didn't know what to say, "I want to go back to bed now," she finally sputtered sniffing loudly.
"Alright then, pleasant dreams," he cooed patting her back and leaving. Jericho pulled the covers up to her chin and sat there for a long time trying to take in what had just happened. The dream, the screams, the comfort, it all confused her. Thinking about it was not helping the situation when what she really needed was sleep, but her mind was far too busy trying to process the whole ordeal.
()
Merry awoke the next morning at about the same time that everyone else did. He sat up rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and trying to shake off his own horrible nightmare. It was about that same time that Tom came bustling in, singing loudly another nonsensical melody.
"Hey dol, me hearties!" he sang awaking them all. Merry looked over at Jericho who was staring at the ceiling. It was odd she looked as if she was still asleep, but then she couldn't be her eyes were wide open. He jumped out of his bed and walked over to her.
"What you doing Merry?" asked Pippin coming up beside him.
"Shh..." he hushed waving a hand in front of Jericho's face. She didn't move. He did it again. No movement.
"Well, what do you know," Pippin mused glancing at her eyes, "You know, it's kind of odd just how much she looks like-
" "ACK!" Jericho screamed sitting up quickly. Merry jumped back and Pippin fell over.
"Where am I?" she asked wildly.
"It's okay Jericho, it's morning!" Merry sighed clutching his chest. She looked off in a direction far away from Merry.
"You mean I wasn't dreaming about the singing penguin playing the banjo?" she asked. Merry looked at her bewildered.
"I'll take your silence as an answer meaning that it was a dream," she sighed, "Can you help me here, I'm a bit blind." She smiled.
Merry helped her out of bed and led her down the hall to the washroom.
They ate breakfast alone. Tom was off dancing and singing about in the rain and Goldberry was... well he really didn't know where she was, but she had run off somewhere.
Jericho accidentally placed her hand in her cup.
"Darn it!" she spat trying to find something to wipe her wet hand on.
"Here," he offered handing her a handkerchief. He placed it on her hand that was now waving in the air.
"Thanks," she sighed staring off blankly at the table.
"Now that doesn't sound very reassuring," Frodo smiled chewing.
"That's what I was thinking Mr. Frodo, it seems that somebody is feeling down today." Sam added a twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh, it's nothing," she lied pushing her plate away and just about knocking over a glass. Pippin caught it just in time.
"You know," Pip began, "I can't help but think about an old friend of mine and Merry's we used to know." Merry caught his breath. He looked at Pippin darkly and motioned for him to be quiet. The brilliant young lad didn't notice and continued.
"She was very clumsy," he mused finally noticing Merry's frantic motions, "And- what are you trying to do Merry?" Merry slapped his own head in frustration.
"What are you doing?" Jericho cocked her head towards him.
"Nothing," he lied giving Pippin a VERY dark look, "I'm going to step outside for a moment." He got up and walked towards the door.
"Can I join you?" Jericho asked. Merry smiled.
"Sure, I'll help you up!"
()
Merry led her outside onto a small covered porch. She could smell the damp smell of the rain soaking into the earth. She loved that smell. It reminded her of the a Lake and the smell of rotting fish, a soothing smell to her.
"I love the smell of the rain," Merry mused taking a deep breath.
"Really?" she asked, "I do too! It reminds me of rotting fish."
"Rotting Fish?"
"Yes, I like that smell too," she laughed.
"Your family must be very strange," he said happily, "Tell me about them."
"You don't want to know about my dysfunctionally strange family," she said more to herself than Merry.
"Strange is just something more interesting than normal," he chided. She smiled pleasantly towards the ground.
"Okay," she began shuffling her feet restlessly, "I have a brother. He's about 8 years older than me, very nice, very mature, but also a very big mess. He has ADD."
"What's that?"
"It's where you can't concentrate very well, I have to have a lot of patience with him, even if he is older. Anyways, my mom lives up toward Chicago. I don't see her very much, or talk to her much. My Dad lives where I live and he teaches at my school. His wife is a surgeon at the local hospital and she's really nice." Merry didn't respond.
"You have no clue about anything I just told you do you?"
"Uh..."
"It's okay, I didn't expect you to understand, but..."
"But what?"
"Thanks for listening anyways."
"Anytime Jericho!" she felt a hand on her back and another on her shoulder. She looked toward where she suspected him to be and smiled.
()
Jericho smiled over his left shoulder. He couldn't help but start laughing. She was trying so hard to keep things normal in her life. He could imagine that if she had been able to see him she would have smiled at him much more. He wished she would. In fact, the smile that she was beaming at him was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Why are you laughing?" she asked her smile fading and her pale milky eyes darting around.
"It's nothing," he lied.
"I wasn't even looking at you, was I?" she asked looking down.
"You were close." He offered.
"How?"
"You were smiling at whoever was behind my left shoulder."
"Well, that's pretty good for a blind chick!" she answered smiling again. He sighed and hugged her.
"Let's go back in, the others may be getting worried about us," he said.
"Okay!" she beamed and he led her into the house of Tom Bombadil.
Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I've been just a bit sidetracked. A bunch of crap is going on over here. I'm going to be moving half of my crap into my mom's new house in like 2 weeks and then I've got Spring Break! I will not be able to write then cause I'll be out of town, but I promise that in April things'll go a LOT faster! PROMISE! Luvs ya'll!-DB:D