Chapter 6

Shelob's Layer

Sam was the first to wake on the shelf of the cliff. He wondered how he was able to stay asleep, having to look out at the long and uncomfortable drop. He was startled when he saw Gollum climb down to where they were.

"What are you up to?" Sam demanded. "Sneaking off, are we?"

"Sneaking?" Gollum asked. "Sneaking? Fat hobbit is always so polite! Sméagol shows them safe pathways that nobody else could find-and they say sneak? Sneak? Very nice hobbit, oh yes, Precious, very nice, very-"

"All right!" Sam interrupted Gollum's rant. "All right, you startled me is all! What were you doing anyways?"

"Sneaking," Gollum sneered.

"Have it your own way!" Sam retorted. He walked over to Frodo and shook him awake. "Sorry to wake you Mr. Frodo, we have to get moving on."

"It's dark still," Frodo said quietly.

"It's always dark here," Sam said. "Hazel, wake up." Sam walked over and grasped at her shoulder. Hazel twitched and shoved him away. "Miss, Hazel, come on." Sam attempted to shake her awake. She sat up, her eyes still closed, and screamed. The bone-chilling screech seemed to last for an eternity, and she kicked at Sam as if he were attacking her.

"No, no!" She cried. "Get away, get away!" Her eyes opened and she jumped at Sam and pinned him down.

"Hazel," Sam said, sounding surprisingly calm. "Hazel no, it's your Sam? Don't you know your Sam?" Hazel was thrown off guard long enough for Frodo to grab her and remove her from Sam. He looked into her eyes and for a moment he didn't recognize his Hazel.

"What's wrong with you?" Frodo asked.

"The nightmares!" Hazel cried, tears pouring down her face. "They keep getting worse! It's dark and endless! There's something attacking me! Something big!"

"It was just a dream," Frodo said. "You're safe now, come have something to eat, and then we can continue."

"Why don't you sing, Miss Hazel?" Sam asked. "That always seems to make you feel better."

Hazel took a few deep breaths, and started to sing.

The song did make her feel better, but only for a few moments. Sam took out the lembas bread, and they ate for a moment. Then they continued on their journey. Hazel so desperately longed for it to be over. Her nightmares paralleled her fear and anticipation. All she could see was fire and darkness, orcs everywhere, Gollum's fingers around her throat. She wanted to give up.

She wanted to die.

~jb~

They had finally made it up the stairs and found their way to a nearby cave.

"There," Gollum said. The hobbits stared at it for a moment, inside was nothing but darkness, and a foul stench filled the air.

"What is this place?" Frodo asked.

"Master must go inside the tunnel," Gollum insisted.

"I don't think I want to," Frodo said, stepping back hesitantly.

"It's the only way!" Gollum insisted again. "Go in, or go back!"

"I can't go back," Frodo decided, and led the way into the cave. "What's that smell?" He asked.

"Orcses filth," Gollum replied. "Orcses come in here sometimes, this way." Gollum said, skipping ahead. Hazel tripped and fell into a strange substance, very much like a spider's web, except very large and sticky. Hazel tore away from it.

"It's sticky! What is it?" Hazel cried.

"You'll see." A voice replied.

"I don't like this!" Hazel cried again. "We can't stay here! I want out!"

"Maybe the exit is nearby." Sam said reassuringly.

"No, no!" Hazel cried again, beginning to panic. "Let's turn back! Let's leave!"

"Calm down, Hazel," Frodo said. "You're probably just jumpy because it's dark-"

"Frodo, pinch me!" Hazel cried. "I'm dreaming again! I'm dreaming." She began to blink a lot and squirm as if tickled by an unseen creature.

"Hazel, are you alright?" Sam asked nervously. "You've been acting very odd lately."

"Just get me out!" Hazel screamed. "Let me out!"

"Hazel-wait!" Frodo said as Hazel fell to the ground, curled up and crying. He pulled out the vile Galadriel had given.

"May it be a light for you," She had said. "When all other lights go out."

Frodo lifted up the vile and called out: Aiya Earendil Elenion Ancalima! He wasn't sure what he had spoken; for it seemed that another voice spoke through his, clear and untroubled by the foul air of the pit.

Hazel instantly stopped shivering, sat up, and looked around in confusion. "What happened?" She asked weakly.

"You went insane," Sam said. "You started panicking, and completely lost it. You don't remember?"

"No," Hazel said. She got up and walked through the cave, all fear had vanished. "Thank you," She said to Frodo.

"My pleasure," Frodo replied. And with that, they continued, Hazel walking in front, until Sam turned around and saw two red lights glaring at him.

"Mr. Frodo…Miss Hazel…we might want to run…run!" Sam cried. Frodo and Hazel jumped and did so, Hazel never running so fast in her life. Sam ran past Frodo and after his cousin. Frodo quickly tossed Sam the vile before he had fallen behind and was knocked down by something. Frodo hit his head on a rock and fell into unconsciousness.

Hazel was running so fast she actually was quite far ahead of Sam. She tripped and stumbled into what appeared to be webs, strung all across the walls. Hazel panicked as she struggled against it. She heard a faint voice nearby, and Gollum peeked his head over the rocks.

"Why does she cry?" Gollum sang. "Caught in a web…soon she'll be eaten!"

Hazel's anger rose from her toes to her head.

How in all of Middle-Earth did he know?

Did he hurt Frodo?

Hazel took the dagger Faramir had given her and drew it out. She sliced at the webs that held her, slowly freeing herself. Hazel cut faster when she heard a loud hiss behind her. Gollum's eyes widened with fear, and then he turned and ran. Hazel eventually was able to free herself, almost tiring herself out. Unable to pull the dagger with her, she left it hanging on the webs, and continued her running. She saw a light and ran for it, finally coming out of the tunnel and rejoiced to be free. Only a moment before Gollum came out of nowhere and jumped on her.

"It got away from us Precious!" He said. "Not this time! Not this time!"

Hazel shouted loudly and threw herself at Gollum. He tossed her aside and dazed her for a moment, but she quickly gathered herself and pinned him to the ground. She struck him across the face. She grabbed his throat and squeezed, her anger rising like never before. She half-expected Frodo or Sam to come and stop her, but no one came. She knew it; she knew he was trying to kill them!

It wasn't a dream!

"It wasn't us!" Sméagol cried. "It wasn't us! Sméagol wouldn't hurt nice Mistress! We promised, you must believe us!" He pleaded. "It was the Precious, the Precious made us do it!"

Hazel gasped, loosened her grip on his neck, and fell backwards, not sure what to think. She could feel the evil from the ring and she pitied Gollum. But then again…

She stood up, her anger had diminished. "I have to destroy it Sméagol." She told him. "I have to destroy it for both yours and Frodo's sake…possibly my own." She started to walk away.

Gollum slowly became angry; he crouched and once again, and attacked Hazel. The two of them tumbled by the side of a cliff-edge. Gollum flew and fell down the cliff, grabbing anything he could find as a foothold. But down, down, down he fell.

Hazel sighed in relief. She stood back up and walked a little ways. She felt light-headed again and fell to the ground.

Hmm…the ground wasn't as hard as she expected. She looked up and saw a vision of Lothlorien. She looked around at the beautiful green wood-land, feeling peace all around her. She noticed a tall elf-maiden, dressed in white, walking toward her. She knelt down and smiled at Hazel. Hazel recognized the beautiful face of Galadriel.

"This task was appointed to you," She said. "And if you do not find a way, no one will." Hazel remembered when Galadriel had told this to Frodo. Her heart lightened when she finally realized that Galadriel had been talking to the both of them all along. But Frodo didn't know it, only Hazel and the Lady of Light.

Galadriel reached out her hand, and Hazel quickly took it. Galadriel smiled, and lifted her to her feet. At first Hazel could have sworn she saw Ruby's face, and a new motivation seized her.

She had to do it. She had to save Middle-Earth, the Shire.

She had to protect Ruby.

She had promised, long ago.

She walked forward and saw a tower nearby, she wondered if she could somehow get around it…wait a minute! She almost laughed at herself when she remembered her Frodo and her Sam. How could she have left them behind in the cave? She walked over to the cave entrance, and there, sitting above the opening was a giant spider.

Hazel stared up at it in shock. Her worst nightmare had come true!

"Oh, Gandalf's Beard!" She gasped. At that, the spider came up to her and stabbed her right in the neck with its stinger. Hazel would have run, but she had frozen in fear, and the spider would have outrun her anyways. She would have screamed, but she had lost her voice, and her whole body went numb. Foam drifted out of her mouth, and the world went black.

Not that it wasn't black to begin with.

HAHA! Cliffhanger! I am so evil! Bwahahahahahaha! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Leave a comment.