DISCLAIMER: I'm not sire if I've done a disclaimer in while. Still, I own
absolutely nothing except Steph. That goes for every chapter in this story.
A/N: Peeps, I'm really, really sorry I haven't updated for like... ages, but I had serious Writer's block and I couldn't think of any way to get the story moving along. Also, I'm sorry about the loooooooong delay on More to Life – I've now got this one out of th e way, so Chapter 19 should be up pretty soon. Sorry!! I blame it on Writer's Block. So, replies to reviews:
Elvenstorm: Thanks!! Is this the right length? Sorry about the looooooooong wait for More to Life – BIG WB and I need a little help....ASSBB
CJ*-Cj: Sorry. This isn't exactly what anyone would call soon, and I think it's a bit shorter than the last chapter, but I'll hope it'll do!! ASSBB
Crecy: Fruit?! Where did that come from?! Thanks. Though I would like the chapter to have something to do with the title... Although at this rate, I'm going to end up with about ten chapters called 'Followed'. ASSBB.
Boobtubesngrass: YAY!! NEW REVIEWER!!! Woah – what's with the name? (No offence) Yep, that's definitely the star prize.... ThankYOUUUUU!!!!! ASSBB
*hem* On with the story....
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Chapter 7 ~ Faces
We seemed to be going nowhere. That, or the way we'd already been.
"It's so frustrating, everything looks the same!"
The creature (I still hadn't got to terms with calling it 'Gollum') disappeared ahead. Frodo nodded in my direction, and I ran silently ahead to where it was. He seemed to be having an argument with itself. As if it was split in half.
Nice-half: To the gate, to the gate! To the gate, the master says. Yes!
Evil-half: No! We won't go back Not there. Not to him. They can't make us. Gollum! Gollum!
Innocent-half: But we swore to serve the master of the precious.
'Orrid-'Alf: No! Ashes and dust and thirst there is and pits, pits, pits. And Orcses, thousands of Orcses. And always the Great Eye watching. Watching.
Gollum turned to the Hobbits in the distance and growled. As Sam approached, Gollum quickly ran away as fast as possible. I followed it to find it was just hiding.
Sam: Hey! Come back now! Come back! There! What did I tell you? He's run off, the old villain. So much for his promises.
He reappeared to the hobbits behind a rock.
Smeagol: This way, Hobbits. Follow me!
We did. We didn't exactly have much choice. Following Gollum, we finally reached the end of Emyn Muil, to see it replaced with miles of swamp, rising cliffs and my first real glimpse of Mordor.
Gollum: See? See? We've led you out! Hurry Hobbitses. Hurry! Very lucky we find you.
Gollum jumped onto a rock. Frodo walked past, but Gollum shrunk back as Sam drew near.
Gollum: Nice hobbit.
It leapt after Frodo, putting a wide berth between him and Sam. Sam's foot slipped into muck, and I grabbed him by the collar to stop him falling any further. He grabbed my arm that was supporting him and I pulled him up. He muttered thanks under his breath and turned his attention back to what had just happened.
Sam: Whoa, it's a bog! He's led us into a swamp!
Gollum: A swamp, yes, yes. Come, master. We will take you on safe paths through the mist. Come, hobbits, come! We go quickly.
Gollum looked back and gestured for the hobbits to follow.
Gollum: I found it, I did. The way through the marshes. Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. They go round for miles and miles. Come quickly. Swift and quick as shadows we must be.
"Swift as Shadows... I like that. Very poetic."
When you're in them, the marsh lands stretch for miles and miles as far as the eye can see. In other words, they're a lot bigger than they look. We stopped to take a short rest.
Sam: I hate this place, it's too quiet. there's been no sight nor sound of a bird for two days.
Gollum: No, no birdses to eat, no crunchable birdses. We are famished, yes! Famished we are, precious!
"Ew... us crunchable a word? Dunno. Stop asking yourself useless questions, Steph."
Gollum hovered over a puddle for a moment, then plunged his hand into it and grabbed... a worm. His didn't look too happy about this, but he eat it quickly. Sam looked at him in disgust. I couldn't blame him.
Frodo: Here.
He tossed Gollum a piece of Lembas. I nudged Sam, asking if Gollum would like it because it was Elvish, reminding him of the incident with the Elvish rope. He cleared his throat and nodded thoughtfully.
Gollum: What does it eats? Is it tasty?
Gollum took a bite, but choked on it, rather melodramatically.
Gollum: It tries to chokes us! We can't eats Hobbit food! We must starve!
Sam: Well, starve, then. And good riddance!
Gollum: Oh, cruel hobbit! It does not care if we be hungry. Does not care if we should die! Not like Master. Master cares. Master knows. Yes, precious. Once it takes hold of us, it never lets go.
Frodo reached to touch the ring, and Gollum tried, too, but Frodo pushed his hand away.
Frodo: Don't touch me!
At that, we (or rather – they) decided we should be moving off. As we picked our way gingerly though the marshes, I noticed faces floating in the water, still, rotting and pale, and flickering flames on the swamps. It seems Sam noticed too.
Sam: There are dead things! Dead faces in the water!
Gollum: All dead. All rotten. Elves and men and orcses. A great battle long ago. The Dead Marshes. Yes, yes that is their name. This way. Don't follow the lights.
Sam's foot slipped again into the water.
Sam: Ohh!
Gollum: Careful now, or hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own.
Frodo was drawn to one of the faces in Elven armour. I nudged Sam and turned him to face Frodo. He stared at it intently, until suddenly its eyes opened and Frodo fell face-down into the water.
Sam: Frodo!
I put my hand on his shoulder and straight dived in, hoping it would go unnoticed with all the splashing Frodo was currently making. What I saw when I opened my eyes underwater nearly made me scream. I could see Frodo's outline in the water and many faces of the dead, no longer still but screaming and grasping, their rotten robes and hair flowing about their gruesome faces. Their hands are reaching for him. I swam in front and pushed him towards the surface, where he was grabbed from behind. I then turned to see those faces again, turned to the surface - or what I thought was the surface – to get outta here ASAP. I just met more faces. Each different, individual.
"Which way is up?"
I looked around me, no longer able to distinguish where everything was. I was beginning to panic.
"Is this the end, then? Is my life flashing before me? Why can't I see? Is this really the end?"
I kicked in a final struggle, and I hit against a rock of something because my foot connected with something hard. I pushed, and swam in one direction, hoping it was up.
"Daylight!"
For once, luck was on my side. I leapt up out of the water and sat on the bank, shivering. I looked around, trying to see anything that might show that something living had been there. Any signs. It seemed I had been underwater a lot longer than two minutes. It had already grown dark and I was having difficulty seeing where to go. I was lost. I made my way up to the top of a small hillock, and spotted three figures: Two short, and one on all fours. It had to be them. I planned my path across to them then set out at full speed, before I could lose them again.
Despite nearly falling twice, I eventually reached them, and poked Sam gently in the back to let him know. He squeaked a bit, then hung back, letting Gollum lead Frodo further on. He began muttering.
Sam: Where were you? All this time –I've been trailing behind hoping you'd talk to me. I called you quietly, but you didn't say anything.
I gasped in between breaths when talking.
Steph: Listen Sam, I had a little set back.
Sam: What kind of set-back?
It sounded more like a demand than a question.
Steph: I dived into the water to get Frodo out. There were... dead things all over the place. I didn't know which way was which. Believe it or not, I only came out of there about 15 minutes ago.
Sam suddenly stiffened and His face showed he was surprised, if a little confused.
Sam: But we left there well over an hour ago. We had a break for a bit and then set off again. But... you couldn't- wouldn't have been able to be underwater for that long.
Steph: Exactly.
Sam: And there's something else. How could you have got here in that time if we've spent at least an hour walking?
Steph: I sprinted. Well, no. Sprinted doesn't exactly cover it. Ran like Hell seems to be more appropriate.
Slightly confused silence from Sam.
Steph: C'mon. We should catch up.
*^*^*^*
Night fell. As Frodo began unpacking his bedroll, I simply lay down, spread eagled, not wanting to move. I was just dozing when somebody poked me roughly , grabbed the back of the neck of my shirt and dragged me out of sight of Frodo or Gollum. That left one person.
Steph: Sam! What the hell do you think you're doing?!
Sam: Look at yourself, Steph, look at you!
Steph: What's this all about? Why the hell did you just drag me over here? Hang on. How did you grab my collar? You know where I am, but I didn't think You knew exactly where I was.
Sam: I don't.
Steph: Then how-
Sam: Look at yourself!
Not bothering to get up, I crawled on all fours to the edge of a pool. I tried to concentrate on the surface of the water rather than the freaky faces beneath it.
I could see my reflection.
Steph: How the hell?!
I turned to look at Sam, who seemed to be as clueless as me. I looked again, but there was no mistake.
Steph: I'm... I'm a shadow. A short of, shadow of myself.
That was the only way I could describe it. I couldn't see myself, but I could see a soft outline of myself in blue. All different shades where the light hit my face, and where there would be shadow. I gazed in awe. I could only see the shape of my face – no marks or scars on my skin showed up.
Steph: Why blue?
This was (once again) followed by a confused silence.
Steph: Aw, don't ask.
Sam: Maybe it's because the light from the moon seems blue?
Steph That. Is a very good point.
Then, a voice cut through the air. Unlike us, the speaker definitely wasn't trying to be unheard.
Gollum: Sooo bright. Sooo beautiful. Our preciousss...
Frodo: What did you say?
Gollum: Master should be resting. Master needs to keep up his strength.
I crawled up behind a hillock, well out of site. Frodo moved and crouched in front of Gollum.
Frodo: Who are you?
Gollum: Mustn't ask us. Not its business. *Gollum, Gollum*
Frodo: Gandalf told me you were one of the River Folk.
Gollum: Cold be heart and hand and bone. Cold be travellers far from home.
Frodo: He said your life was a sad story.
I didn't like the sound of this; I was beginning to get the feeling this Gollum character would go to any lengths to get the ring of Frodo. Even if that meant killing him. Something that only a few weeks ago, I had thought would be impossible for someone to do in cold blood.
Gollum: They do not see what lies ahead, when sun has failed and moon is dead.
I made to go forwards, but Sam grabbed my sleeve and whispered:
Sam: You're invisible, remember?
Frodo: You were not so very different from a hobbit once, were you... Sméagol?
Steph: O god, I wish I was invisible.
Sam leapt back a few feet in surprise. Something had obviously startled him.
"I didn't know hobbits could jump so far."
Steph: What this time?!
Sam: Look at yourself.
I looked down.
Steph: Wow.
Sam: You... you can turn invisible at will!!
Steph: Wow.
Without waiting, I scrambled to my feet and crept silently towards the Hobbit and the Ex-hobbit.
Gollum: What did you call me?
Frodo: That was your name once, wasn't it? A long time ago.
Gollum: My name... My name... S... S...Sméagol...
That was when I heard it. Loud was one way of putting it. Piercing was a bit better. But I think ear-splitting and deafening describe it better. I covered my ears with my hands and sank to my knees.
Screams. Just screams. Nothing else.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
A/N: Do you think I went a bit too far? There have been quite a lot of comments on the length of the last chapter – please tell me if this is too long/short etc, etc.... Other than that-
REVIEEEEEEEEEEEEW!!!
ASSBB
~Kess ;P~
A/N: Peeps, I'm really, really sorry I haven't updated for like... ages, but I had serious Writer's block and I couldn't think of any way to get the story moving along. Also, I'm sorry about the loooooooong delay on More to Life – I've now got this one out of th e way, so Chapter 19 should be up pretty soon. Sorry!! I blame it on Writer's Block. So, replies to reviews:
Elvenstorm: Thanks!! Is this the right length? Sorry about the looooooooong wait for More to Life – BIG WB and I need a little help....ASSBB
CJ*-Cj: Sorry. This isn't exactly what anyone would call soon, and I think it's a bit shorter than the last chapter, but I'll hope it'll do!! ASSBB
Crecy: Fruit?! Where did that come from?! Thanks. Though I would like the chapter to have something to do with the title... Although at this rate, I'm going to end up with about ten chapters called 'Followed'. ASSBB.
Boobtubesngrass: YAY!! NEW REVIEWER!!! Woah – what's with the name? (No offence) Yep, that's definitely the star prize.... ThankYOUUUUU!!!!! ASSBB
*hem* On with the story....
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Chapter 7 ~ Faces
We seemed to be going nowhere. That, or the way we'd already been.
"It's so frustrating, everything looks the same!"
The creature (I still hadn't got to terms with calling it 'Gollum') disappeared ahead. Frodo nodded in my direction, and I ran silently ahead to where it was. He seemed to be having an argument with itself. As if it was split in half.
Nice-half: To the gate, to the gate! To the gate, the master says. Yes!
Evil-half: No! We won't go back Not there. Not to him. They can't make us. Gollum! Gollum!
Innocent-half: But we swore to serve the master of the precious.
'Orrid-'Alf: No! Ashes and dust and thirst there is and pits, pits, pits. And Orcses, thousands of Orcses. And always the Great Eye watching. Watching.
Gollum turned to the Hobbits in the distance and growled. As Sam approached, Gollum quickly ran away as fast as possible. I followed it to find it was just hiding.
Sam: Hey! Come back now! Come back! There! What did I tell you? He's run off, the old villain. So much for his promises.
He reappeared to the hobbits behind a rock.
Smeagol: This way, Hobbits. Follow me!
We did. We didn't exactly have much choice. Following Gollum, we finally reached the end of Emyn Muil, to see it replaced with miles of swamp, rising cliffs and my first real glimpse of Mordor.
Gollum: See? See? We've led you out! Hurry Hobbitses. Hurry! Very lucky we find you.
Gollum jumped onto a rock. Frodo walked past, but Gollum shrunk back as Sam drew near.
Gollum: Nice hobbit.
It leapt after Frodo, putting a wide berth between him and Sam. Sam's foot slipped into muck, and I grabbed him by the collar to stop him falling any further. He grabbed my arm that was supporting him and I pulled him up. He muttered thanks under his breath and turned his attention back to what had just happened.
Sam: Whoa, it's a bog! He's led us into a swamp!
Gollum: A swamp, yes, yes. Come, master. We will take you on safe paths through the mist. Come, hobbits, come! We go quickly.
Gollum looked back and gestured for the hobbits to follow.
Gollum: I found it, I did. The way through the marshes. Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. They go round for miles and miles. Come quickly. Swift and quick as shadows we must be.
"Swift as Shadows... I like that. Very poetic."
When you're in them, the marsh lands stretch for miles and miles as far as the eye can see. In other words, they're a lot bigger than they look. We stopped to take a short rest.
Sam: I hate this place, it's too quiet. there's been no sight nor sound of a bird for two days.
Gollum: No, no birdses to eat, no crunchable birdses. We are famished, yes! Famished we are, precious!
"Ew... us crunchable a word? Dunno. Stop asking yourself useless questions, Steph."
Gollum hovered over a puddle for a moment, then plunged his hand into it and grabbed... a worm. His didn't look too happy about this, but he eat it quickly. Sam looked at him in disgust. I couldn't blame him.
Frodo: Here.
He tossed Gollum a piece of Lembas. I nudged Sam, asking if Gollum would like it because it was Elvish, reminding him of the incident with the Elvish rope. He cleared his throat and nodded thoughtfully.
Gollum: What does it eats? Is it tasty?
Gollum took a bite, but choked on it, rather melodramatically.
Gollum: It tries to chokes us! We can't eats Hobbit food! We must starve!
Sam: Well, starve, then. And good riddance!
Gollum: Oh, cruel hobbit! It does not care if we be hungry. Does not care if we should die! Not like Master. Master cares. Master knows. Yes, precious. Once it takes hold of us, it never lets go.
Frodo reached to touch the ring, and Gollum tried, too, but Frodo pushed his hand away.
Frodo: Don't touch me!
At that, we (or rather – they) decided we should be moving off. As we picked our way gingerly though the marshes, I noticed faces floating in the water, still, rotting and pale, and flickering flames on the swamps. It seems Sam noticed too.
Sam: There are dead things! Dead faces in the water!
Gollum: All dead. All rotten. Elves and men and orcses. A great battle long ago. The Dead Marshes. Yes, yes that is their name. This way. Don't follow the lights.
Sam's foot slipped again into the water.
Sam: Ohh!
Gollum: Careful now, or hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own.
Frodo was drawn to one of the faces in Elven armour. I nudged Sam and turned him to face Frodo. He stared at it intently, until suddenly its eyes opened and Frodo fell face-down into the water.
Sam: Frodo!
I put my hand on his shoulder and straight dived in, hoping it would go unnoticed with all the splashing Frodo was currently making. What I saw when I opened my eyes underwater nearly made me scream. I could see Frodo's outline in the water and many faces of the dead, no longer still but screaming and grasping, their rotten robes and hair flowing about their gruesome faces. Their hands are reaching for him. I swam in front and pushed him towards the surface, where he was grabbed from behind. I then turned to see those faces again, turned to the surface - or what I thought was the surface – to get outta here ASAP. I just met more faces. Each different, individual.
"Which way is up?"
I looked around me, no longer able to distinguish where everything was. I was beginning to panic.
"Is this the end, then? Is my life flashing before me? Why can't I see? Is this really the end?"
I kicked in a final struggle, and I hit against a rock of something because my foot connected with something hard. I pushed, and swam in one direction, hoping it was up.
"Daylight!"
For once, luck was on my side. I leapt up out of the water and sat on the bank, shivering. I looked around, trying to see anything that might show that something living had been there. Any signs. It seemed I had been underwater a lot longer than two minutes. It had already grown dark and I was having difficulty seeing where to go. I was lost. I made my way up to the top of a small hillock, and spotted three figures: Two short, and one on all fours. It had to be them. I planned my path across to them then set out at full speed, before I could lose them again.
Despite nearly falling twice, I eventually reached them, and poked Sam gently in the back to let him know. He squeaked a bit, then hung back, letting Gollum lead Frodo further on. He began muttering.
Sam: Where were you? All this time –I've been trailing behind hoping you'd talk to me. I called you quietly, but you didn't say anything.
I gasped in between breaths when talking.
Steph: Listen Sam, I had a little set back.
Sam: What kind of set-back?
It sounded more like a demand than a question.
Steph: I dived into the water to get Frodo out. There were... dead things all over the place. I didn't know which way was which. Believe it or not, I only came out of there about 15 minutes ago.
Sam suddenly stiffened and His face showed he was surprised, if a little confused.
Sam: But we left there well over an hour ago. We had a break for a bit and then set off again. But... you couldn't- wouldn't have been able to be underwater for that long.
Steph: Exactly.
Sam: And there's something else. How could you have got here in that time if we've spent at least an hour walking?
Steph: I sprinted. Well, no. Sprinted doesn't exactly cover it. Ran like Hell seems to be more appropriate.
Slightly confused silence from Sam.
Steph: C'mon. We should catch up.
*^*^*^*
Night fell. As Frodo began unpacking his bedroll, I simply lay down, spread eagled, not wanting to move. I was just dozing when somebody poked me roughly , grabbed the back of the neck of my shirt and dragged me out of sight of Frodo or Gollum. That left one person.
Steph: Sam! What the hell do you think you're doing?!
Sam: Look at yourself, Steph, look at you!
Steph: What's this all about? Why the hell did you just drag me over here? Hang on. How did you grab my collar? You know where I am, but I didn't think You knew exactly where I was.
Sam: I don't.
Steph: Then how-
Sam: Look at yourself!
Not bothering to get up, I crawled on all fours to the edge of a pool. I tried to concentrate on the surface of the water rather than the freaky faces beneath it.
I could see my reflection.
Steph: How the hell?!
I turned to look at Sam, who seemed to be as clueless as me. I looked again, but there was no mistake.
Steph: I'm... I'm a shadow. A short of, shadow of myself.
That was the only way I could describe it. I couldn't see myself, but I could see a soft outline of myself in blue. All different shades where the light hit my face, and where there would be shadow. I gazed in awe. I could only see the shape of my face – no marks or scars on my skin showed up.
Steph: Why blue?
This was (once again) followed by a confused silence.
Steph: Aw, don't ask.
Sam: Maybe it's because the light from the moon seems blue?
Steph That. Is a very good point.
Then, a voice cut through the air. Unlike us, the speaker definitely wasn't trying to be unheard.
Gollum: Sooo bright. Sooo beautiful. Our preciousss...
Frodo: What did you say?
Gollum: Master should be resting. Master needs to keep up his strength.
I crawled up behind a hillock, well out of site. Frodo moved and crouched in front of Gollum.
Frodo: Who are you?
Gollum: Mustn't ask us. Not its business. *Gollum, Gollum*
Frodo: Gandalf told me you were one of the River Folk.
Gollum: Cold be heart and hand and bone. Cold be travellers far from home.
Frodo: He said your life was a sad story.
I didn't like the sound of this; I was beginning to get the feeling this Gollum character would go to any lengths to get the ring of Frodo. Even if that meant killing him. Something that only a few weeks ago, I had thought would be impossible for someone to do in cold blood.
Gollum: They do not see what lies ahead, when sun has failed and moon is dead.
I made to go forwards, but Sam grabbed my sleeve and whispered:
Sam: You're invisible, remember?
Frodo: You were not so very different from a hobbit once, were you... Sméagol?
Steph: O god, I wish I was invisible.
Sam leapt back a few feet in surprise. Something had obviously startled him.
"I didn't know hobbits could jump so far."
Steph: What this time?!
Sam: Look at yourself.
I looked down.
Steph: Wow.
Sam: You... you can turn invisible at will!!
Steph: Wow.
Without waiting, I scrambled to my feet and crept silently towards the Hobbit and the Ex-hobbit.
Gollum: What did you call me?
Frodo: That was your name once, wasn't it? A long time ago.
Gollum: My name... My name... S... S...Sméagol...
That was when I heard it. Loud was one way of putting it. Piercing was a bit better. But I think ear-splitting and deafening describe it better. I covered my ears with my hands and sank to my knees.
Screams. Just screams. Nothing else.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
A/N: Do you think I went a bit too far? There have been quite a lot of comments on the length of the last chapter – please tell me if this is too long/short etc, etc.... Other than that-
REVIEEEEEEEEEEEEW!!!
ASSBB
~Kess ;P~