The Road to Middle-Earth
A fanfiction by MushrooomsPTook
Disclaimer: I own nothing. You might as well say it owns me!
Chapter Two: How it Began
A month had passed since I got to babysit my little cousin, Alice, and within that month, our favorite book lay hidden and quiet in my bookshelf, although it was very much alive in my heart. It was a well-worn book, some pages slightly torn and stained with coffee. Only during the last six months did the binding finally start to give way, and the book was really starting to show how loved it really was.
It was a Thursday morning, nearing the end of June, and I had just started my everyday ritual of brewing my coffee. I was quite the little addict. No coffee, enormous headache. That was how it was in the mornings. I glanced at my phone and noticed the time. 6:42. They should be here soon. I was surprised to find how much I was looking forward to my little cousin's second visit this year. It was rare when I got to spend any time with her at all, but this visit was to be a delightful one. She would be staying with me throughout the end of the summer. Her parents had to go across the country to help my uncle clean out the house of their recently departed relative, and after that set up an estate sale. I felt sad, not for James, but for Rachel. It was her grandfather that had passed a month before and she didn't have much family to help out with the house. Alice couldn't understand, and they didn't want her to be in the way, so the idea of a summer vacation with me came up rather quickly. I was surprised, but not in the least against the idea of another visit.
A knock at the door stirred me from my coffee and I hurriedly went to open the door. Before I could even welcome them in, a little bundle struggled out of her mothers arms and leaped into my own.
"Oof!" I cried. "I'm glad to see you too, Alice!"
"Thank you so much for watching her," said Rachel.
"Not at all," I said. "You too just take care and be sure not to overwork yourselves."
Rachel chuckled. "That's easy for him," she said, pointing a thumb in James' direction.
"What?" he said, his mouth full of a muffin he had just taken a bite out of. "I work foo!"
"Don't you know not to talk with your mouth full?" Rachel asked her husband, then gave him a kiss on the lips. "We'd best be off. We want to get to Colorado by tomorrow afternoon."
James bent over and planted a kiss on Alice's hair, leaving a small crumb in the dark brown hair. Rachel gave him a look that spelled, "pig" before taking Alice in her arms and giving her a loving embrace.
"Be good for mommy and daddy," she said.
"I will," Alice reassured her. She knew it would be quite a while before she would see her parents again and gave both of her parents the biggest hug she could muster. After that, they smiled, James mouthing a 'thank you' to me, and then they were gone.
There was a brief moment in which neither Alice or myself said anything. We just stood side by side looking at the door, Alice's hand in mine. Then she gave a sigh and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that she reached her hand up to wipe what I suspiciously suspected was a tear.
"Hey," I said softly and knelt down to her level. Her eyes glittered with tears. "You'll see them again soon." I put my hands on either side of her face and wiped the falling droplets with my thumbs. "And we'll have loads of fun."
Alice said nothing but looked up once more at the silent door. Something had to be done. I picked her up and carried her to the kitchen where I grabbed a sucker from a jar that sat on top of the refrigerator. I handed it to Alice and she took it with a shy smile. A little early perhaps for sweets, but it did the job. Still in my arms, Alice struggled with the wrapper on the sucker, as I swiftly made my way to the bookshelf in my bedroom. After finding what I went in there for, I walked back out into the living room and sat down on my rocking chair. It belonged to my great grandfather, and after a fight between my sister and I, I offered her his pipes in exchange for the chair.
"Let's see," I said after sitting Alice on my lap. She had conquered the wrapper and was now licking the sucker in greedy silence. "Have I ever told you the story about a hobbit—"
"Biwbo!" cried Alice, bouncing up and down on my knee.
I laughed. "That's right, Alice."
And so began the tale of Bilbo Baggins, the never-ending tale. The one that went on and on, putting an end to sad faces and dreams into sleepy heads. Alice leaned up against my chest listening, smiling, and licking, no longer upset with her parents' parting. I was beginning chapter two of the enchanting story and Alice, in her usual cute sort of way, interrupted.
"When we'll we go to Middle-Earth, Alayna?" she asked. I should not have been startled, considering what happened after the last time I read to her, but I was. Why did she have to ask the hardest questions to answer.
"What do you mean, Alice?" I said. "We're in Middle-Earth right now."
She frowned. "Yeah, but when will we see Biwbo and Gandoff and Frodo?" I had no idea what to say. I couldn't say today or tomorrow, or after you grow up some.
"Do you want to watch the movies?" I suggested, putting my book down for the time being.
"No," she said, and she licked her sucker. "I want to go now. Let's go today. We can take Mr. Bear."
Mr. Bear was none other than her stuffed teddy bear that was now lying on the floor next to her bags. I couldn't help but smile. The way Alice spoke, it sounded like she had been there hundreds of times and knew the way.
"Alayna," she went on. "Remember how you told me Middle-Earth is as real as I want it to be?"
I sat back in my chair and readjusted Alice into a more comfortable decision. I closed my eyes. It was just past 7:30 and I was tired, having woke up so early.
"Mmhmm," I finally responded.
"Well, I decided that it's real, so now we have to go find it."
I peeked open an eye and smirked. "What's all this 'we' stuff?" I poked her belly and she giggled in response, but then there was silence.
"Please...?" she begged.
I fully opened my eyes now and looked at the brown eyes that pleaded with my own. So much for a nice nap.
"I don't know how to get there," I said with a shrug of my shoulders.
"But you have to! You talk about it all the time."
The little pipsqueak left me no chance to oppose her demand. I was soon caught up trying to figure out where to find Middle-Earth in Chicago.
"Very well," I said with a sigh. Alice started bouncing up and down gleefully."But you must promise me that you won't fuss when I tell you it's time to turn around."
"Oh, I will! I will! I will, Alayna."
The rest of the morning kept me busy while I packed some snacks and a lunch for Alice and myself. I figured it would be nice to have a picnic in Middle-Earth, once I found it of course. I gathered some other supplies to take, just in case of poor weather or if we stayed out longer than I expected. I was anticipating a couple hours outside at the most.
"Do you want me to carry anything?" I looked up from my backpack and saw Alice standing outside the closet door.
"How about you carry some water for us," I said with a smile. "It's quite a road to Middle-Earth and we don't want you getting thirsty.
Alice clapped her hands in her excitement and skipped to the kitchen to get some bottled water. She bounded back with two bottles in her hands.
"Here's one for you and one for me!"
I reached up and gently pinched her left cheek. She wiggled from my grasp but laughed shyly.
It was after ten o'clock that morning when we left. Even though I knew we wouldn't be out long, I kept listing things off in my head and then checking them off, as if I was going on an extended vacation.
We started off at a steady pace, going east for a while until we were out of the large neighborhood. I would peer down at Alice, often to make sure she was doing okay and not getting tired, and to also make sure she was having fun.
"Are we there yet?" she asked me more than once.
"Does this look like Middle-Earth?"
Alice grinned sheepishly. "No."
"Then we still have a ways to go."
I decided to head for a park that I knew Alice hadn't been to. It was about a twenty minute walk away. There we could have our sandwiches and I would let play with Alice on the playground, pretending to be an Orc and chase after her. I brought the Ring from my Lord of the Rings monopoly set for emphasis. It wasn't Middle-Earth but it was as close to rolling hills that you could get in this part of Chicago.
When we got there, I was satisfied to find Alice running to the playground, but not before I shoved the Ring in her tiny hand, reminding her not to lose it, and gave chase as planned. She shrieked and screamed at the game, and at hearing me make whatever orcish sounds I could imagine. We both went down the slides and played an alternate game of hide-and-seek before heading for the swings. She pushed off with her feet and as she came to get a big push from me, I would tickle her sides.
After a good hour of playing Orc and Ringbearer, I decided it was time for lunch. I took out a blanket from my backpack and set it on the ground in the shade of a tree. Alice helped me with the food and we both sat down upon the blanket for a nice meal.
After we had finished, I packed the blanket and what little of the food we hadn't eaten I decided it was time to head for home.
"When do you we get to Middle-Earth?" asked Alice excitedly. But after I gave her a surprised look and held my breath for a few moments, she came to an understanding. It was just a game.
I looked sympathetically at Alice. All happiness and playfulness in her eyes had drifted away.
"I knew it wasn't real," she said kicking a stone with her foot. I said nothing but stroke her head gently. What had I done to this little thing?
"Come on, Alice," I sighed. At least it was worth a try. "Let's go home."
I extended my hand out to her and she took it. We walked together in silence for a long time. I kicked myself mentally, angry that I had spoiled Alice's head with dreams of hobbits, elves, and wizards. Of course it wasn't real, but then suddenly I surprised myself by wishing it to be real, not just for Alice's sake but for mine. I wanted to see Rivendell and the Shire. I wanted to see the stars and constellations of Middle-Earth and to visit the White City. I wondered if perhaps I only agreed to go off adventuring with Alice because I wanted to know. What if the author, Tolkien himself, never meant to write his books as a fantasy, but as a way to record the things he had seen. What if they were his memories?
As if in a hypnotic trance, my feet changed course and we were now walking back in the direction of the park.
"Alayna?" Alice sounded a bit uncertain.
"It's there, Alice." I said. "We're going to find it."
The next thing I heard from Alice was a scream and a "watch out!"
My feet suddenly left me and I gripped fast onto Alice, dragging her into the enormous ditch with me. We tumbled and rolled down the hill for what seemed to be minutes. There was a splash and after I came to, I realized that we were both sitting in a stream of water. I had directed us right off the road.
Middle-Earth floated out of my mind as I first looked over Alice, making sure she wasn't seriously hurt, and then turned my attention to myself. Alice seemed startled, but she was unharmed, save for a couple of bruises. I pulled Alice to her feet and surveyed the situation. The slopes of this ditch were very steep and probably too much for Alice. But there was a tunnel before us and gleaming through it, I saw that the slopes eventually came to flatten out on the other side of the tunnel.
"Come on," I said to Alice and once more took her hand to lead her through the gateway. Alice was falling behind as we entered and I turned to reassure her. But then her eyes lit up and she looked as if she had seen Gandalf himself.
"Wow!" she said more to herself than me.
I redirected my gaze to what had put that word in her mouth, half expecting and half hoping my wish had come true. Like Alice, my jaw dropped and I let out a "wow."
Nothing could have prepared me for this.