huzzah for boredom!
disclaimer: yeah...you get it already.
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…A couple of hours later…
Gimli: …with lanterns everywhere! This place used to be filled with light! (looks around—or rather, tries to see something through the darkness)
Merry: (whispers to Pippin) I wish he would stop talking…what he says just makes the darkness so much more…dark…
Pippin: (whispers) I know… I'm getting tired of his blabbing.
…A few yards away…
Lavender: (whispers to The 8th) When will he ever shut up?
The 8th: (shakes head in mock sadness) How I wish I could just ring his neck, so we can get through this place in peace and quiet.
Lavender: (stifles laughter)
…Several hours later…
Gandalf: (is stumped on which arch to go through) Hmmm…which arch…? Oh well, I'm too tired to decide, and I'm sure you are too. (glances back at rest of companions, who are practically crawling along on hands and knees because they are so tired) Yes, I guessed correctly…
Frodo: What is that room to the side there, Gandalf?
Merry & Pippin: (in unison) Where?
Frodo: (points) Over there.
Merry & Pippin: (rush towards room)
Aragorn: Hold it, you two! Let the guide go first, while you still have one.
Lavender: (sigh) He's so wise…
The 8th: (is disgusted) Ewww…Lavender, do you have a thing for Aragorn? He's so…old…
Lavender: (is brought back from her dream-world) Huh?…oh…no, I don't have a "thing" for Aragorn…
The 8th: (is unconvinced) Sure…
Gandalf: (walks cautiously towards room) (peers inside) It's relatively safe, except that there is a rather large hole in the middle of the room.
Everyone: (makes their way inside)
Gimli: (looks at hole) This must be a well…I'm guessing this room was a guardroom, and this well is where the guards got their water. Look! There are the remains of the stone lid, over there! (points)
…Ten minutes later…
Pippin: (tosses a small stone into well)
Small Stone: ………………..PLOP!………..
Gandalf: (gasp) What in the name of Middle Earth was that?
Pippin: Uhhh…that was me…I threw a rock into the well.
Gandalf: You fool of a Took! We should just throw you in there, so we won't have to deal with your stupidity anymore!
…At that moment…
Weird noise: (issues from well) plinkplonkplinkplonkplink…
Frodo: What was that?
Gimli: That's the sound of a hammer, or I'm an Elf.
Legolas: Hey!
Gimli: (ignores Legolas)
Boromir: That sounded a lot like a signal of some sort…
Gandalf: Yes, it did, but hopefully it had nothing to do with us and that stupid stone… (to Pippin) Just for that, Peregrin, you can go on first watch.
Everyone (except Pippin): (settles down to get some sleep)
Pippin: (thinks to himself) I hate this place…I wish we were out in the sunlight again…oh no, what if something horrible is out there…? (looks out of doorway) I don't like this place at all…
…One hour later…
Gandalf: (walks over to an increasingly frightened Pippin) Why don't you get some sleep? I can't get any, so I might as well do the watching.
Pippin: Wh-what? (looks around, startled) Oh, it's only you, Gandalf…
Gandalf: (beginning to get cross) Did you even hear one word of what I just said?
Pippin: No, now that you mention it…why are you over here?
Gandalf: (shouts) Because I'm going to relieve you of your watch, you blockhead!
Pippin: (scurries over to an empty spot and lays out his blankets) (looks around at his companions, who are still sleeping) (murmurs to himself) Amazing…and I thought I was a heavy sleeper… (settles down and falls asleep)
…Six hours later…
Gandalf: (wakes almost everyone up)
The 8th: (wakes up suddenly) (stretches) (yawns) (looks around room at others, then spots a sleeping Lavender) (shakes Lavender) Wake up, Lavender. The others are starting to get up too.
Lavender: (tosses and turns) (talks in sleep) Elmo…wait! I want to go to Sesame Street too! (moans) No! Take me with you…
The 8th: What the heck…? (shakes Lavender harder) Wake up!
Lavender: (sits bolt upright) Wh-what…? Oh…hey, The 8th. (yawns)
The 8th: Hey… (looks around) Umm, Lavender, did we have enough sense to bring any food with us? I'm kinda hungry…
Lavender: Umm…hey! Let's look in those packs that were randomly on our backs when we got here.
The 8th: (bends over and rummages through packs) You mean these?
Lavender: Yeah.
The 8th: (finds some lembas and gives a bit to Lavender) (eats some lembas) (rummages through packs some more) Wow! These things have everything! Food, water skins, blankets…even some rope!
…At that moment…
Sam: (rummages through packs) Oh no! I knew I forgot something! I forgot rope! Mark my words, Mr. Frodo…we're going need rope at some point on this trip, and when we do, I won't have any! It always works that way… (slaps palm against forehead)
Frodo: Don't worry, Sam. We'll have rope when we need it. Now stop worrying and eat something. We'll probably be leaving soon.
Gandalf: Alright, everyone. I've made up my mind. We'll take the right passageway. Now, start packing everything up. We need to get going if we're ever going to get out of these mines.
…Five minutes later…
Everyone: (stands in front of the arches)
Frodo: Which way did you say we were going, Gandalf?
Gandalf: To the right.
Merry: (groans) But that's the uphill way!
Gandalf: You can stay down here if you want, but I know which way I'm going; we are going right.
Merry: (sigh) Oh, all right.
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as always, reviews welcome...