Welcome back, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to leave a comment with encouragement or concerns, I'll accept both :) and I will hopefully post the next chapter in a few days.

Chapter 2

The voices seemed to come from far away, and weren't so much talking as they were grunting and... singing? Something about cutlery and dishes being thrown about. And what was that smell? A mixture of earth and flowers clashing with something a bit mustier and more reminiscent of unwashed bodies. Sarah's senses returned to her in bits and pieces, creating a whole picture that was rather confusing given that the last thing she remembered was having a panic attack in her apartment.

She propped herself up on an elbow in the bed she was lying in and massaged the sleep sand from her eyes with her free hand so that she could blearily look around the strange room she was in. Huh. This is the most vivid dream I have ever had. Okay, but no time for this! How do I wake up? Pinch myself? OUCH! Nope, wrong answer...

Just then someone rapped several times on the other side of the rounded door of the room she was in, and then the door creaked open and a little man with large feet entered. "Pardon me, I hate to bother you. I was just wanting to check on you and make sure that you are not in need of anything," the man spoke in a kind voice, and Sarah was surprised to realize that she vaguely recognized him. Interesting.. "What are you doing in my dream?"

"I'm sorry, what?" The man appeared more than just a little concerned for Sarah's mental wellbeing. He stumbled over his feet for a moment in an odd little dance, as if he had hesitated between taking a step forward and taking a step back, and gravity had taken hold in between.

Realizing that her presence wasn't perfectly normal to the people in her dream, which was not typical at all for Sarah's usual dreams, she tried to calm her apparent host. "I didn't mean to alarm you, I am simply still tired."

"Ah, well... If you would like, I can try to find you something to eat, however the dwarves have taken over my house for the moment, and it would seem they are still waiting for yet another if that wizard is to be believed-" the man suddenly stopped and gasped aloud, looking horrified. "I have completely forgotten my manners in all of this, my mother would be sorely displeased if she knew. My apologies, I have failed to introduce myself to you! My name is Bilbo," the man bowed at the waist.

Wizard? Bilbo?? It took Sarah a moment to respond as she tried to grasp all this new information, but when the silence lengthened, she realized Bilbo was waiting for her to introduce herself in return. "Oh! Ah... my name is Sarah," she gave a crooked smile. Bilbo returned her smile and then left the room again.

As soon as Sarah was sure that Bilbo had secured the door behind him, she flipped the covers off herself and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, which was a surprisingly large bed compared to the small size of the little man. She looked down, and saw that she was still wearing the clothes she had had on when she passed out. This has to be confirmation that this is a dream! I'm still wearing my old clothes, my hair is still in a ponytail... this is just a really strange dream.

She stood up to pace back and forth on the available floor space as she attempted to brainstorm how to wake up. She felt like she was having an existential crisis, because even though everything she thought she knew told her this was only just a dream, she couldn't ignore the fact that the colors were brighter, the smells stronger, the objects more realistic than any dream she had ever had before. And the more she tried to figure it out, the more her anxiety grew. However before she could spiral again, another knock sounded at the door.

"Come in?" Her voice warbled a bit. The door opened, but this time it did not admit Bilbo, rather it was a tall man dressed all in grey, with an impressive staff and an even more impressive beard. "My apologies for bothering you, my lady, but our host mentioned to me that you had awakened, and I wished to see how you fared," the old man had twinkling eyes that were quite merry, but were also quick and knowing.

The entire picture this man painted was not easily ignored, and almost immediately she knew who he was. "You're Gandalf, aren't you?" She groaned as she sank back onto the bed. "Yes, I am Gandalf, and you are a mystery. Tell me, how is it that you came to be in Hobbiton?" Gandalf was very much the concerned grandfatherly type, and his tone was sincere, which caused a stinging heat to spring up behind her eyes and a lump to form in her throat.

"I don't even know where to begin, I mean if you are just another part of this crazy dream that I'm having, then nothing changes if I spill the beans to you. But if this is real, which I am starting to fear that it is, then if I tell you everything, you'll think I'm crazy and probably lock me up someplace or-" Gandalf cut her off with a look and a hand on her shoulder. "I have seen mad persons before, and you do not strike me as such my lady. Perhaps you could tell me your tale, and allow me to come to my own conclusions regarding the state of your sanity," he spoke kindly.

Sarah nodded and took a deep breath before she plowed into her story in a long, run-on sentence. "Well, I'm not from this whole... Middle Earth place, which is where I assume we are, and to be clear, as you mentioned we are in Hobbiton, but if I am correct in my thinking, we are specifically in Bag End, the home of a Hobbit known as Bilbo Baggins, and the rough-and-tumble voices coming from the other room are dwarves, and you all are about to go on a crazy mission that includes dragons and treasures and many close encounters with death."

"A world crosser," Gandalf spoke so quietly Sarah almost missed it, but before she could ask what a 'world crosser' was, Gandalf spoke again. "I don't believe you to be mad at all. In fact I think you are very much sound of mind. However now is not the time to sort through the details as I am expecting one more dwarf to join us this evening. Would you care to join us in the dining room for some dinner?" Gandalf offered her an arm, and after a moment of consideration, Sarah accepted and allowed him to lead her out the door and down the winding halls of Bag End.

Thanks for reading this chapter, stay tuned for the next one!