Torture Session

Amelia didn't know what was happening. One minute she was with Frodo, the next she was captured by a bat. She tried to free herself from the giant bat, discovering only too soon that the bat's feet gripped her arms tighter, ensuring she would not fall.

Amelia looked to her left and to her right. There was Rosie, Estella, and Diamond, fighting off the bats as best they could. When one hobbitess got free, Amelia let out a scream, watching in seconds as the bat that captured the hobbitess and continued its flight through the sky.

She shook her head, hardly believing this. There was no way they were ever getting freed of these bats.

Nope. It was hopeless.

.

At last, the land changed to a darker tone, filled with purples, dark blues, and blacks, while red and orange thunderbolts lit up the cloudy skies above Amelia's head. But how was that a good thing?

Amelia shook her head, not daring to dream that the manor she and her friends were about to enter was vampiric. At last, she was dropped onto the floor inside the first room, but so were her three hobbit friends, all as confused as she was.

She gasped the moment the largest bat in the room, the one who had captured her, transformed into the Vampire Queen. Amelia tried to reason with what she was seeing, but then even she had to admit that anything was possible.

She wasn't home. So, why was it taking her so long to get the hint? Maybe it was natural to think that way. Or maybe not.

Shirina smiled as another bat came to her aide, this time taking her place as it pinned Amelia to the floor, along with the other bats doing the exact same thing to Rosie, Estella, and Diamond. Shirina smiled evilly, flicked her hand towards the heavy doors, watching them shut automatically. She laughed as four of her servants poured themselves a glass of icy blue liquid, found in a chalice, before forcing it down the hobbit lasses' throats.

"Now, that liquid won't kill you. It'll give me a timer of when to stop torturing you all before you die," Shirina said with full confidence. She added, enjoying this, "It is a shame that you all have to be tortured, but all's well that ends well."

"You monster! You'll never win!" Rosie cried out in fury, fighting the bats.

"Oh, won't I?" Shirina asked in turn, facing the lass. She grunted, laughing wickedly in the process. "You have a fire, as do your companions, your friends. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm thirsty." She dived for Amelia, a moment after Amelia was forced to drink the blue liquid down. In seconds, she bit Amelia on the side of her neck, sucking as much blood as she could until Amelia was in a weakened state.

The liquid let Shirina know when to stop, allowing her to release Amelia, watching the lass fall to the floor in pain and tiredness, while savoring her blood. "Mmm. Just as delectable as Frodo said. It's no wonder you two share that bond. And now I know everything there is to know about him."

"You may… have my memories…" Amelia said, weakly, "…but… you'll never have… my Frodo."

"Do you honestly think I love him?" Shirina hissed, enjoying this immensely. "Oh no, child. I don't love him. He's my pet, just as Balin is, and so is Sam, Merry, and Pippin. They all say the same thing about their lover's blood. So, what's the difference?"

She shrugged, enjoying watching Amelia get tortured by her words and actions. Shirina added with a snarl, speaking harshly to the lass, "I don't care for love. If I wanted to, I would kill Frodo already. He'll stop thinking about you and only work for me. Because he's my pet and I treat my pets wisely." She snapped her fingers, drawing out a silver gorilla from its nest. The gorilla roared, charging towards Amelia and tossing her from one side to the next. Shirina snapped her fingers when the liquid told her that was enough. "We're not here to kill her," Shirina added to the gorilla and to the three other beasts that entered the room, heading straight for Rosie, Estella, and Diamond. She cackled in triumph. "No. We're only here to torture them!"

"What do you – know – about – taking care of – pets?" Amelia huffed and puffed. She felt so weak and tired. Broken bones, aches everywhere. Exhaustion nearly took her.

Shirina hissed again. That wasn't good!

"Do you know why you weren't with Frodo in the beginning? Why everyone said obsessions don't last long or become addicting?" Shirina asked, kneeling before her. "It's because you can't have Frodo forever. Frodo will never be yours. He belongs to me!" She pulled out her dagger with its sharp silver blade. "And to prove my point, that I don't care anymore about what you say, I'm going to cut out your tongue!"

"Nooo!" Estella screeched, just as a huge saber-tooth tiger, with orange and silver striped fur, pounced on her.

Shirina moved quickly, pinning Amelia to the floor. She held her tightly, moved to her tongue, and sawed it off. Amelia screeched in pain until it was over, but even then, the pain commenced inside her mouth. She couldn't believe this! Shirina sawed off her tongue! How was she to speak now? Would Frodo care about her now that her tongue was cut off? She cared for him when he became a vampire. What if he didn't return the favor?

Amelia slumped on the floor as the gorilla attacked her again, stopping only when Shirina snapped her fingers, as she did to her other three beasts. Amelia watched in agony as moving images appeared, showing Frodo being killed again and again until it numbed her heart and her mind.

"Take them to their rooms," Shirina said, enjoying this moment. "We're going to have more fun with them. Oh yes, we are!" She said, observing her prize: the piece of Amelia's tongue she had sawed off from that helpless brat. She looked on, one last time, as the four hobbit lasses were taken away, wondering what dear Frodo would say now that his wife was about to be tormented in the most unimaginable ways she could think of.

She hoped it would please him, but, more than anything, it pleased her that her revenge was sated.

.

In the time that Frodo left the dormitory to find Shirina's lair, his heart ached. He crumpled to the ground at last, tears threatening to leave his eyes. No! This was the most empty feeling he'd ever endured. How could live without his Amelia? How could he? No! He needed to pull himself together! But how? Amelia was gone and he was alone!

He needed to relax. The lump grew heavier in his throat and in his heart, tightening in knots. Oh, what was he to do? He didn't show anyone this pain, due to seeing Sam unconscious minutes ago.

He turned his gaze to the left, spotting a tunnel leading into a darker realm. Yes, he sensed Amelia was down there. Amelia was alive! He smiled, making his way back to the dormitory and to his three friends. They got a lead! Now, it was time to finish this!