"Where'd Diamond go!" Frodo cried. Doubled over in pain, Estella gasped for breath. She was feeling sicker to her stomach by the minute.
Pippin shook his head, eyes filled with worry. "I haven't the slightest idea! She just disappeared! What happened? Diamond! Diamond love! Can you hear me?"
Diamond could hear him. And she could see HIM. But somehow, she knew he couldn't see her. Then everything around her seemed to dissolve like sugar in water. Anxious, but annoyed at the same time, she looked around. "Hello?" she called out.
"I wasn't expecting you." The voice came from behind Diamond.
She whirled around, but found no one there. "Where are you?" she demanded. "Show yourself! Who are you?"
The voice let out with a loud, horrible laugh.
"Ah!" Diamond covered her ears. The laugh was just too terrible to hear.
"It is I."
"Who is I?" Diamond shrilled, blue eyes cold and icy. Like someone lost in the dark, she staggered around, trying to find the voice. Then all of a sudden, a dot appeared in the distance. It was red and small at first, but then grew bigger and bigger and bigger. Before Diamond could realize it, the big red eye was in front of her. It stared at her. Piercing her. Diamond gasped and tried to back away, but couldn't. The evil stare felt like a knife cutting into her heart.
"I am Sauron," the eye told her.
"I've heard that name before," Diamond murmured. "I can't remember who you are, though..."
"I wasn't expecting you."
"You said that already."
"I wasn't."
"Who are you, Sauron?"
"I want the ring."
Diamond frowned and looked down at the ring on her finger. "It is mine."
"No, it is mine."
"You're mistaken."
"No," Sauron's voice rose to a terrible volume. Once again, Diamond covered her ears. "YOU are mistaken, Hobbit. Take the ring to me. Take it to the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree. One of my servants will be there to get it."
"Why should I?" Diamond's eyes narrowed.
"Because if you don't... Your loved ones will feel your decision."
"I'm an orphan," snapped Diamond. "I have no loved ones."
The eye shifted its glare to Pippin. Poor Pippin was scrambling around trying to find the invisible Diamond.
"You love him, don't you," the Eye continued to stare at Pippin Took.
"Who? Pip?" asked Diamond. Her eyes softened. "Yes, I do love him."
"He shall be the first one to die if you do not give me the ring."
Diamond's blue eyes went wide. "No! You can't!" A tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it awayquickly, anger smoldering inside her, annoyed that she was crying, angry that Sauron threatened to kill Pippin. Pippin: the only Hobbit in Middle Earth she cared about. Pippin: The only Hobbit in Middle Earth who cared about HER. Although Diamond was strong, she needed Pippin. And he needed her. "Please… You can't… no…"
"Bring me the ring."
"I feel I shouldn't..."
"Pippin shall feel your decision."
"No… Please...." Tears stung Diamond's eyes.
"You have fifty hours, Diamond of Long Cleeves," Sauron boomed. "You have fifty hours to bring the ring to the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree."
"I…." Diamond knew what she had to do.
"Oh my," Estella mumbled to herself.
Frodo stared at her. "What's wrong?"
Once again Estella heard a conversation inside her head. But this time, it was different. This time it was between Diamond and someone who claimed to be Sauron. She heard the whole conversation. And her face turned deathly pale. Sauron told Diamond that the ring made her invisible, which is why the others couldn't see her.
"What's the matter, Estella?" Frodo sounded anxious now. "You look pale. Don't get sick on us! Not with Diamond disappearing!"
"We have to find Diamond," Estella whispered, her face a white sheet.
"Of course we do!" Pippin was frantic.
"It's more serious than that, I'm afraid," Estella said. "Diamond's invisible. We have to find her. She's in serious trouble."
Merry gave Estella a skeptical look. "That sounds more like fiction than fact, how do you know this?"
All Estella did was shake her head. "It's too hard to explain."- she looked at the frantic faces of Pippin, Frodo and Merry- "I'll tell you all later. First, we have to find Diamond. Oh, my."- She wrung her hands nervously, green eyes wide and darting around, looking more rabbit like than ever- "I'm so scared."
Estella knew it would be difficult to find Diamond. Especially since Diamond was invisible and already on her way to Bree.
Pippin shook his head, eyes filled with worry. "I haven't the slightest idea! She just disappeared! What happened? Diamond! Diamond love! Can you hear me?"
Diamond could hear him. And she could see HIM. But somehow, she knew he couldn't see her. Then everything around her seemed to dissolve like sugar in water. Anxious, but annoyed at the same time, she looked around. "Hello?" she called out.
"I wasn't expecting you." The voice came from behind Diamond.
She whirled around, but found no one there. "Where are you?" she demanded. "Show yourself! Who are you?"
The voice let out with a loud, horrible laugh.
"Ah!" Diamond covered her ears. The laugh was just too terrible to hear.
"It is I."
"Who is I?" Diamond shrilled, blue eyes cold and icy. Like someone lost in the dark, she staggered around, trying to find the voice. Then all of a sudden, a dot appeared in the distance. It was red and small at first, but then grew bigger and bigger and bigger. Before Diamond could realize it, the big red eye was in front of her. It stared at her. Piercing her. Diamond gasped and tried to back away, but couldn't. The evil stare felt like a knife cutting into her heart.
"I am Sauron," the eye told her.
"I've heard that name before," Diamond murmured. "I can't remember who you are, though..."
"I wasn't expecting you."
"You said that already."
"I wasn't."
"Who are you, Sauron?"
"I want the ring."
Diamond frowned and looked down at the ring on her finger. "It is mine."
"No, it is mine."
"You're mistaken."
"No," Sauron's voice rose to a terrible volume. Once again, Diamond covered her ears. "YOU are mistaken, Hobbit. Take the ring to me. Take it to the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree. One of my servants will be there to get it."
"Why should I?" Diamond's eyes narrowed.
"Because if you don't... Your loved ones will feel your decision."
"I'm an orphan," snapped Diamond. "I have no loved ones."
The eye shifted its glare to Pippin. Poor Pippin was scrambling around trying to find the invisible Diamond.
"You love him, don't you," the Eye continued to stare at Pippin Took.
"Who? Pip?" asked Diamond. Her eyes softened. "Yes, I do love him."
"He shall be the first one to die if you do not give me the ring."
Diamond's blue eyes went wide. "No! You can't!" A tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it awayquickly, anger smoldering inside her, annoyed that she was crying, angry that Sauron threatened to kill Pippin. Pippin: the only Hobbit in Middle Earth she cared about. Pippin: The only Hobbit in Middle Earth who cared about HER. Although Diamond was strong, she needed Pippin. And he needed her. "Please… You can't… no…"
"Bring me the ring."
"I feel I shouldn't..."
"Pippin shall feel your decision."
"No… Please...." Tears stung Diamond's eyes.
"You have fifty hours, Diamond of Long Cleeves," Sauron boomed. "You have fifty hours to bring the ring to the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree."
"I…." Diamond knew what she had to do.
"Oh my," Estella mumbled to herself.
Frodo stared at her. "What's wrong?"
Once again Estella heard a conversation inside her head. But this time, it was different. This time it was between Diamond and someone who claimed to be Sauron. She heard the whole conversation. And her face turned deathly pale. Sauron told Diamond that the ring made her invisible, which is why the others couldn't see her.
"What's the matter, Estella?" Frodo sounded anxious now. "You look pale. Don't get sick on us! Not with Diamond disappearing!"
"We have to find Diamond," Estella whispered, her face a white sheet.
"Of course we do!" Pippin was frantic.
"It's more serious than that, I'm afraid," Estella said. "Diamond's invisible. We have to find her. She's in serious trouble."
Merry gave Estella a skeptical look. "That sounds more like fiction than fact, how do you know this?"
All Estella did was shake her head. "It's too hard to explain."- she looked at the frantic faces of Pippin, Frodo and Merry- "I'll tell you all later. First, we have to find Diamond. Oh, my."- She wrung her hands nervously, green eyes wide and darting around, looking more rabbit like than ever- "I'm so scared."
Estella knew it would be difficult to find Diamond. Especially since Diamond was invisible and already on her way to Bree.