Everyone looked at each other. There was a loud snore from Pippin, who had
somehow managed to fall asleep on a nearby sofa.
"Jesus, he can sleep anywhere," said Gimli, amazed.
Suddenly Pippin smiled in his sleep. "Hello, Mr Man in a funny hat," he said to himself in his sleep. "Hey, I like your knife-fingers..."
"Shit!" screamed Elizabeth, running over to wake him up.
"That's not a child, that's a hobbit! Can't you tell the difference, you moron?" Neo shouted.
Pippin sat up. "Hey, I had the strangest dream. A guy in a strange hat with knife-fingers was chasing me. Oh, Neo, he told me to tell you that he tries his best, and to expect a visit when you next have a nap."
"What?" asked Neo nervously.
"Hey, cool," said Trinity. "Go to sleep now!"
"No!" said Neo. "I can never go to sleep again!"
"Oh. Here's some caffeine pills," said Pippin, handing over a small bottle. "They really give you the edge."
"You have sunk to a new low," said Sam disapprovingly.
There was suddenly a loud crash. Frodo has finally mustered up the courage to pull open the door he had chosen to reveal a small boy.
"Who are you?" asked Elizabeth.
The boy smiled widely and held out a roll of fabric. "This is for Neo from my friend Spoon Boy. He said he'd know what it meant."
"Err...thanks," said Neo, taking the roll and unravelling it to reveal a bent spoon. "Aaaaaargh! For the love of God, I said I was sorry, leave me alone! Just leave me alone! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh..." He trailed off, noticing the strange looks he was getting from everyone. "Erm...so...thank him for this...err...gift...I'm very...err...grateful..." he blustered, blushing bright red.
The little boy nodded and disappeared back into the cupboard, shutting the door behind him.
"What was that about?" asked Trinity.
"Oh, nothing important..." Neo laughed unconvincingly, before quickly changing the subject. "Now, back to finding the attic door. Is this it?" He pushed open the nearest door to reveal a spiral staircase.
"Good job, Neo-" began Trinity.
"Thanks!" said Neo, relieved that the subject seemed to be closed.
"-but this is so not over," she finished, starting up the staircase.
They emerged in a small room containing only a television, window and mouldy rug, as well as an enormous spider web spun in one corner.
"Ewww! I wouldn't want to meet whatever spun that on a dark night," said Elizabeth, poking it with her parasol.
"Hey guys, look!" Gimli pointed at the television screen, which had suddenly turned itself on, filling the room with an unearthly glow.
Everyone peered at the screen, when suddenly an image of a girl crawling through the trees towards the screen with her long dark hair draped over her face appeared.
"That isn't..." said Trinity nervously, as the girl crawled closer.
"It is!" yelled Will.
"It's Samara!" screamed Elizabeth.
"Do something!" screamed Governor Swann.
"Pull the plug out!" shrieked Neo.
"It's not plugged in!" cried Legolas.
Samara was almost at the front of the screen.
"What do we do, what do we do?" screamed Frodo.
"There must be something in the back of the TV that'll cut the picture," reasoned Pippin. "Someone see if they can find it!"
"I got it!" Jack seized the television and hurled it out of the window. Everyone leaned out to see it shatter on the drive below. Samara winced and swore as she pulled herself out of the set, rubbing her head. She was now sporting a black eye. She limped over to the front door and rang the bell.
"Oooh, doorbell! I'll get it," said Will cheerily, heading for the door. Trinity grabbed his arm.
"I really wouldn't do that if I were you," she said warningly.
"There. Done and dusted," said Jack, hurling the VCR out of the window for good measure.
"Ow!" yelled Samara. Her curses against the thrower of the VCR drifted up through the window.
"Well done, Jack, you are quite the craftsman," said Neo sarcastically.
"Right, we seem to have come to a dead end," said Elizabeth. "Shall we return to the first floor landing and try again?"
"Yeah. Go for it," said Trinity unenthusiastically.
"Jesus, he can sleep anywhere," said Gimli, amazed.
Suddenly Pippin smiled in his sleep. "Hello, Mr Man in a funny hat," he said to himself in his sleep. "Hey, I like your knife-fingers..."
"Shit!" screamed Elizabeth, running over to wake him up.
"That's not a child, that's a hobbit! Can't you tell the difference, you moron?" Neo shouted.
Pippin sat up. "Hey, I had the strangest dream. A guy in a strange hat with knife-fingers was chasing me. Oh, Neo, he told me to tell you that he tries his best, and to expect a visit when you next have a nap."
"What?" asked Neo nervously.
"Hey, cool," said Trinity. "Go to sleep now!"
"No!" said Neo. "I can never go to sleep again!"
"Oh. Here's some caffeine pills," said Pippin, handing over a small bottle. "They really give you the edge."
"You have sunk to a new low," said Sam disapprovingly.
There was suddenly a loud crash. Frodo has finally mustered up the courage to pull open the door he had chosen to reveal a small boy.
"Who are you?" asked Elizabeth.
The boy smiled widely and held out a roll of fabric. "This is for Neo from my friend Spoon Boy. He said he'd know what it meant."
"Err...thanks," said Neo, taking the roll and unravelling it to reveal a bent spoon. "Aaaaaargh! For the love of God, I said I was sorry, leave me alone! Just leave me alone! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh..." He trailed off, noticing the strange looks he was getting from everyone. "Erm...so...thank him for this...err...gift...I'm very...err...grateful..." he blustered, blushing bright red.
The little boy nodded and disappeared back into the cupboard, shutting the door behind him.
"What was that about?" asked Trinity.
"Oh, nothing important..." Neo laughed unconvincingly, before quickly changing the subject. "Now, back to finding the attic door. Is this it?" He pushed open the nearest door to reveal a spiral staircase.
"Good job, Neo-" began Trinity.
"Thanks!" said Neo, relieved that the subject seemed to be closed.
"-but this is so not over," she finished, starting up the staircase.
They emerged in a small room containing only a television, window and mouldy rug, as well as an enormous spider web spun in one corner.
"Ewww! I wouldn't want to meet whatever spun that on a dark night," said Elizabeth, poking it with her parasol.
"Hey guys, look!" Gimli pointed at the television screen, which had suddenly turned itself on, filling the room with an unearthly glow.
Everyone peered at the screen, when suddenly an image of a girl crawling through the trees towards the screen with her long dark hair draped over her face appeared.
"That isn't..." said Trinity nervously, as the girl crawled closer.
"It is!" yelled Will.
"It's Samara!" screamed Elizabeth.
"Do something!" screamed Governor Swann.
"Pull the plug out!" shrieked Neo.
"It's not plugged in!" cried Legolas.
Samara was almost at the front of the screen.
"What do we do, what do we do?" screamed Frodo.
"There must be something in the back of the TV that'll cut the picture," reasoned Pippin. "Someone see if they can find it!"
"I got it!" Jack seized the television and hurled it out of the window. Everyone leaned out to see it shatter on the drive below. Samara winced and swore as she pulled herself out of the set, rubbing her head. She was now sporting a black eye. She limped over to the front door and rang the bell.
"Oooh, doorbell! I'll get it," said Will cheerily, heading for the door. Trinity grabbed his arm.
"I really wouldn't do that if I were you," she said warningly.
"There. Done and dusted," said Jack, hurling the VCR out of the window for good measure.
"Ow!" yelled Samara. Her curses against the thrower of the VCR drifted up through the window.
"Well done, Jack, you are quite the craftsman," said Neo sarcastically.
"Right, we seem to have come to a dead end," said Elizabeth. "Shall we return to the first floor landing and try again?"
"Yeah. Go for it," said Trinity unenthusiastically.