Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Valora Caley and this story itself.
The real deal is not mine.
A/N: Just a reminder, this girl may seem like a Mary-Sue at first, but she's not. That will be made clear later on. Trust me. Oh, and I said this would not be a romance and, basically it won't be. But, I should probably warn you that there will be some attractions and sexual tension later on. You don't need actual romance for those to be present.
Thanks to all who reviewed so far. ____________________________________________________________________________
After about fifteen minutes of reading, Valora sighed again and let the book fall into her lap. She was frustrated. Usually, she flew through books. And she loved fantasy stories. So, why couldn't she get through this book?
She had tried to read this book several times already. She had never gotten past the first chapter. In fact, she usually never got past the prologue. It seemed that, no matter what, she just couldn't get very interested in this book. It was irritating. Especially since she knew that the book was supposed to get very interesting and exciting after the first part. She really did want to read it, but damned if it could keep her interest long enough for her to get to anything really good.
This was ridiculous. She loved to read. She had gotten through several of the Tarzan books, almost all of the Sherlock Holmes stories, a bunch of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, a few Jack the Ripper books, the Harry Potter stories, some of The Chronicles of Narnia and who knew how many other stories that most people would find boring or had never heard of. All that and now she couldn't get into a book that most people loved? It was so stupid. (The situation, not the book.)
There was a knock at the door and her mother poked her head into the room. "Val, if you need me, I'll be in the tub. Okay?"
"Uh-hu."
"Are you making any progress on that book?"
"Uh, yeah, a little." It wasn't totally a lie. She had made it about a page and a half further than she had last time.
"Well, good luck with that."
"Thanks." As soon as her mother shut the door, she quietly added to herself, "I'll need it."
After a few more minutes of attempting to be interested in what she was reading, she tossed the book down next to her on the mattress. "Ugh," she half growled, half sighed. "I wish I could get into this story." She rubbed her hands over her face, feeling tired and frustrated.
She didn't notice it at first. The book at her side began to glow softly in the center. Slowly, the light intensified, growing to envelope the rest of the book. She finally noticed it out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she stared at the book. Her eyes widened in astonishment. What the hell was going on.
Valora started as her hair moved. It took only a split second to register what it was that had caused the movement. The wind. This didn't seem too strange until she realized that the window was closed. So, where had the wind come from?
The letters that spelled the title of the book shimmered for a moment, holding her spellbound. The book opened suddenly. Valora jumped back slightly. The light intensified even more. It suddenly became blinding, forcing her to shield her eyes. There was a pulling sensation on her body. She had barely made a sound when the light suddenly disappeared, leaving the room just as it had been less than a minute before. But with one key difference. Valora Caley was not there.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Valora's yell of surprise was cut short when she crashed onto the ground. Her back ached as she lay there for a few moments. After that, she groaned. What the hell had just happened?
Finally, she opened her eyes, expecting to see the ceiling of her room. But the sight that greeted her was not that of her familiar ceiling. The sight that greeted her was a beautiful blue sky and a lot of trees. Huh? Sitting up, she looked around. She was not in her room, or even in her house. She was in the middle of what appeared to be a dirt road out in the country somewhere. How had she gotten there?
Valora stood up slowly, dusting herself off as she did. The sound of birds filled the air. There was no one else around. At least, not that she could see. Wherever she was, she'd never been here before. Where was she?
There was a sound behind her. She turned sharply and stared down the road. There was what appeared to be a horse drawn wagon approaching. Her first instinct was to get off the road, to run and hide, but she found herself just standing there, waiting. Whoever was driving that cart might be able to tell her where she was. Then again, it might also be a homicidal killer. You never knew these days. Still, it appeared she really didn't have much of a choice. She had no idea where the nearest town was, or when the next person would happen along. So, she stood and waited.
"Whoa," said the old man who was driving the wagon, reighning the horse to a stop. He eyed the girl in front of him. She was dressed strangely. And she looked rather nervous.
"Excuse me, please. Could you, um, could you tell me where I am?"
"Are you lost?"
Valora bit back a sarcastic remark about how she wouldn't be asking if that wasn't the case. After all, there was no need to be rude. "You could say that."
"You are on the East Road, my dear. That way," he pointed ahead, "leads to the Shire. The other direction will take you to Bree."
She frowned. The Shire? "Uh-hu," she said slowly. "And that puts me where, exactly?"
He frowned at her. She must be new to this part of Middle-Earth, he decided. "You are in the west. How is it that you do not know where you are?"
She eyed him warily. What the hell kind of an answer was that? Who was this nut-job? Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.
When she didn't answer, his frown deepened. "Who are you?" he asked finally.
She hesitated. "My name is Valora Caley. Who are you?"
"I am Gandalf the Grey."
Valora felt the blood drain from her face, her eyes widen, her jaw drop and her heart sink. Gandalf the Grey? That couldn't be. He didn't exist. And even if he did, he was from... "Where am I?" she demanded somewhat shakily.
Gandalf eyed the girl, concerned now. She had suddenly gone awfully pale. "In the western lands of Middle-Earth." He swore that, if it were possible, she had gone even whiter at his answer.
Valora stood staring in shock at the wizard. Middle-Earth? But that couldn't be! How in the-?
The shock was too much. Valora then did something she had never done before and had never thought she ever would do. She fainted. As she lost consciousness, a tiny thought nagged in the back of her mind. Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.
Gandalf stared at the fallen girl for a moment, completely bewildered. "Good heavens," he said finally.
____________________________________________________________________
Any takers? Anyone? (Crickets chirping) ANYBODY?! (Echos) (Sighs)
A/N: Just a reminder, this girl may seem like a Mary-Sue at first, but she's not. That will be made clear later on. Trust me. Oh, and I said this would not be a romance and, basically it won't be. But, I should probably warn you that there will be some attractions and sexual tension later on. You don't need actual romance for those to be present.
Thanks to all who reviewed so far. ____________________________________________________________________________
After about fifteen minutes of reading, Valora sighed again and let the book fall into her lap. She was frustrated. Usually, she flew through books. And she loved fantasy stories. So, why couldn't she get through this book?
She had tried to read this book several times already. She had never gotten past the first chapter. In fact, she usually never got past the prologue. It seemed that, no matter what, she just couldn't get very interested in this book. It was irritating. Especially since she knew that the book was supposed to get very interesting and exciting after the first part. She really did want to read it, but damned if it could keep her interest long enough for her to get to anything really good.
This was ridiculous. She loved to read. She had gotten through several of the Tarzan books, almost all of the Sherlock Holmes stories, a bunch of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, a few Jack the Ripper books, the Harry Potter stories, some of The Chronicles of Narnia and who knew how many other stories that most people would find boring or had never heard of. All that and now she couldn't get into a book that most people loved? It was so stupid. (The situation, not the book.)
There was a knock at the door and her mother poked her head into the room. "Val, if you need me, I'll be in the tub. Okay?"
"Uh-hu."
"Are you making any progress on that book?"
"Uh, yeah, a little." It wasn't totally a lie. She had made it about a page and a half further than she had last time.
"Well, good luck with that."
"Thanks." As soon as her mother shut the door, she quietly added to herself, "I'll need it."
After a few more minutes of attempting to be interested in what she was reading, she tossed the book down next to her on the mattress. "Ugh," she half growled, half sighed. "I wish I could get into this story." She rubbed her hands over her face, feeling tired and frustrated.
She didn't notice it at first. The book at her side began to glow softly in the center. Slowly, the light intensified, growing to envelope the rest of the book. She finally noticed it out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she stared at the book. Her eyes widened in astonishment. What the hell was going on.
Valora started as her hair moved. It took only a split second to register what it was that had caused the movement. The wind. This didn't seem too strange until she realized that the window was closed. So, where had the wind come from?
The letters that spelled the title of the book shimmered for a moment, holding her spellbound. The book opened suddenly. Valora jumped back slightly. The light intensified even more. It suddenly became blinding, forcing her to shield her eyes. There was a pulling sensation on her body. She had barely made a sound when the light suddenly disappeared, leaving the room just as it had been less than a minute before. But with one key difference. Valora Caley was not there.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Valora's yell of surprise was cut short when she crashed onto the ground. Her back ached as she lay there for a few moments. After that, she groaned. What the hell had just happened?
Finally, she opened her eyes, expecting to see the ceiling of her room. But the sight that greeted her was not that of her familiar ceiling. The sight that greeted her was a beautiful blue sky and a lot of trees. Huh? Sitting up, she looked around. She was not in her room, or even in her house. She was in the middle of what appeared to be a dirt road out in the country somewhere. How had she gotten there?
Valora stood up slowly, dusting herself off as she did. The sound of birds filled the air. There was no one else around. At least, not that she could see. Wherever she was, she'd never been here before. Where was she?
There was a sound behind her. She turned sharply and stared down the road. There was what appeared to be a horse drawn wagon approaching. Her first instinct was to get off the road, to run and hide, but she found herself just standing there, waiting. Whoever was driving that cart might be able to tell her where she was. Then again, it might also be a homicidal killer. You never knew these days. Still, it appeared she really didn't have much of a choice. She had no idea where the nearest town was, or when the next person would happen along. So, she stood and waited.
"Whoa," said the old man who was driving the wagon, reighning the horse to a stop. He eyed the girl in front of him. She was dressed strangely. And she looked rather nervous.
"Excuse me, please. Could you, um, could you tell me where I am?"
"Are you lost?"
Valora bit back a sarcastic remark about how she wouldn't be asking if that wasn't the case. After all, there was no need to be rude. "You could say that."
"You are on the East Road, my dear. That way," he pointed ahead, "leads to the Shire. The other direction will take you to Bree."
She frowned. The Shire? "Uh-hu," she said slowly. "And that puts me where, exactly?"
He frowned at her. She must be new to this part of Middle-Earth, he decided. "You are in the west. How is it that you do not know where you are?"
She eyed him warily. What the hell kind of an answer was that? Who was this nut-job? Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.
When she didn't answer, his frown deepened. "Who are you?" he asked finally.
She hesitated. "My name is Valora Caley. Who are you?"
"I am Gandalf the Grey."
Valora felt the blood drain from her face, her eyes widen, her jaw drop and her heart sink. Gandalf the Grey? That couldn't be. He didn't exist. And even if he did, he was from... "Where am I?" she demanded somewhat shakily.
Gandalf eyed the girl, concerned now. She had suddenly gone awfully pale. "In the western lands of Middle-Earth." He swore that, if it were possible, she had gone even whiter at his answer.
Valora stood staring in shock at the wizard. Middle-Earth? But that couldn't be! How in the-?
The shock was too much. Valora then did something she had never done before and had never thought she ever would do. She fainted. As she lost consciousness, a tiny thought nagged in the back of her mind. Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.
Gandalf stared at the fallen girl for a moment, completely bewildered. "Good heavens," he said finally.
____________________________________________________________________
Any takers? Anyone? (Crickets chirping) ANYBODY?! (Echos) (Sighs)