Journal #19

Gollum crawled his way down to a tiny lake. It was full of fish just as Gollum had anticipated, he was starving. He peered into the clear water and laughed, the fish would never even see him coming, thanks to his "Precious." Which made him invisible. He thrust his spindly bony hand into the water and pulled out a fat, juicy, wriggling fish. A quick smack against a rock and the fish went limp. Thoroughly pleased with himself, Gollum took a bite as he gibbered to himself.

"And we only wish to catch a fish so juicy sweet my precious. And we does. Everyday there is nice fish for us to eats. Nice fish."

As he continued to munch he began to think a bit about how his life used to be, many, many years ago.

"We have not always been so alone, no precious, no. We had family, and Deagol, and everyday we would catch fish on a boat and with rods, not with our handses."

A cold chill flowed through Gollum's body, and suddenly he didn't feel like eating anymore. He through the fish aside. Though he couldn't remember it he had a name once. Gollum was only what they began to call him because of the wretched sound he made in his throat. He was once called Smegol, but he has long forgotten it.

"Gollum, Gollum!"

Gollum remembered the day he found his bright, round, golden treasure. His "precious." Is what he called it, or sometimes; "My birthday present." But wait. It wasn't he who found the bright golden, magic ring. It was his best friend Degol who discovered it on the bottom of the lake where it had laid long forgotten for many years. Degol found it, and Smegol took it. Gollum heard voices echo in his weary mind;

"Give it to us."

"Why?"

"Cause it's our birthday, and we wants it."

When Deagol refused Smegol attacked, killing his friend and taking the treasure for himself. Gollum became overwhelmed with guilt, and grief.

"We didn't want to, we didn't want to hurt poor, poor Deagol. The precious made us do it!" He wailed piteously.

"Murderer they called us, and they drove us away." Gollum shook his head. Feeling sorrow for his ruined life.

Having had killed his friend, he was forced into exile by his own people, forced to live in caves and eat only what he could find and catch. Sometimes all he could get was the occasional ork who crossed his path.

"Nassty orkses, they doesn't takte nice, not like fish."

Gollum sighed as he looked around him. As always he was only talking to himself. H e was alone. He stroked the golden ring in his hand. He would always be alone, only a shadow of his former self.