Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own any characters or places in Lord of the Rings.

It didn't look like much from the distance, when they had first seen it from the rocks. But up close was a different story. Up close, Sam smelt the still, dead, hanging air of their next obstacle.

With one misplaced foot, Sam suddenly sank into a gooey mixture of water and sticky things.

"Whoa! It's a bog! He's led us into a swamp!"

Hearing his half yelled comment, Gollum turned back and confirmed Sam.

"Swamp, yessss, yessss. Come master. We will take you on safe paths, through the mist. Come hobbits, come! We move quickly." urged Gollum with impatient waves of his hand.

Frodo, Sam, and Gollum continued to make their way across the swamp, when Gollum spoke up again.

"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. Soft and quick as shadows we must be."

As Frodo and Sam slowly made progress into the marshlands, Frodo slipped and accidentally stepped into stinky water. In front of Frodo, Sam suddenly noticed the closed eyes of pale faces between the tall clumps of plant life in the water.

"There are dead things! Dead faces in the water!" Sam exclaimed.

"All dead. All rotten. Elves and men and orcses. A great battle long ago." explained Gollum and he looked around him. "The Dead Marshes. Yes, yes! That is their name. This way. Don't follow the lights." warned the grayish creature.

"Ohh!" breathed Sam as he slipped and plunged into waist-deep water.

"Careful now! Or hobbits go down to join the dead ones, and light little candles of their own."

Slipping into a half-trance, Frodo separated from Sam and Gollum and started to follow the lights to a dead person dressed in elven armour.

"Frodo!" yelled Sam noticing his master had gone off course and was dangerously close to the edge of a particularly deep section of the water.

Suddenly, the eyes opened to reveal white clouded orbs staring straight at him. Without a single noise, Frodo fell straight into the water, where he encountered ghostly, half decayed forms surrounding him. A hand reached into the water and half dragged Frodo out onto a patch of land. It was Gollum.

"Gollum?"

Without a word and with a glare, Gollum hopped passed him as Sam rushed to where Frodo was lying.

"Frodo! Are you alright?" asked Sam frantically as Frodo stared after Gollum.

"I'm… I'm alright, Sam." said Frodo finally as he slowly stood up with the help of his best friend.

After catching up to Gollum and continuing their journey, Frodo started to feel guilty.

Why didn't I listen to Sméagol? Why did I follow the lights when he had warned us not to? I should go apologize to him and thank him for saving me from those nasty things. Yes, yes. That is what I will do.

Walking quickly, Frodo soon came up beside his guide. "Sméagol?"

"Yes, master?" Gollum said without turning.

"I'm… sorry. I should have listened to your warning about not following the lights. Thanks for saving me." half whispered Frodo.

There was complete silence as all three beings walked. Then finally, Gollum spoke.

"I did not warn you against the lights of the ghosties. I warned you against the fireflies in the air." replied Gollum as his hand waved around the air, pointing out the fireflies that had escaped Frodo and Sam's notice. "Fireflies getting in your eyes, distracting you, nasty taste the fireflies have when they get in your mouth. Filthy fireflies!"

WHAT THE-?

AN: I wonder if this chapter could be considered funny… Hmm… Well, review and let me know what you think.

I realize that I'm really overdue in getting this chapter out. Sorry. Had end-of-the-quarter tests… Oy… I hate those. Next week I'll try to get back to the normal day I update stories.

Thanks to randomrohanfreak for the next character suggestion. Glad you thought it was hilarious, maneatingbananas. frodoschick, so so very sorry about messing up your name. Thanks for reviewing and sharing what happened in your class, Eruanna7979. It was very refreshing to hear. Can I ask you a question though? What class was it? Ah, yes. It was kinda funny with Boromir and Aragorn fighting, wasn't it, Riverfox237? As for the charm against evil, couldn't think of anything shiny and didn't want it to make it into another ring, sooo… charm.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my story!