Lost In Middle Earth: An Unexpected Journey

Bag End

I found myself staring hatefully at my bed. It was nothing but an empty promise. I knew I would go to lie, lie awake for hours and think about all the stupid and embarrassing things I have ever done in my life, think about all the things I could do about it, and then fall asleep. Once I'm asleep, I'll get sweet dreams of things I want to happen and then I will be cruelly awoken by my alarm. I sighed. Life is one never ending circle of promises and disappointments. Sure some people get lucky but average, invisible people like me get stuck in a rut forever. Fact. I reluctantly changed out of my jeans and t-shirt and pulled on my leggings and baggy jumper that I sleep in. I plaited my hair into two plaits as it was still dripping wet. I couldn't even be bothered taking my bra off. I flopped down on my bed and sighed. I wanted to end up anywhere but here. Like a fantasy land with orcs and giants and dwarves and elves. That'd be nice, that'd be wonderful- to wake up in another world. I lay awake for hours picturing what this world would be like. After a while my daydreaming became me dreaming.

Birds twittering loudly. That's what aroused me from my sleep. I felt rather peaceful until those damn birds began twittering. I groaned, realising I had left the window open. There was a pleasant breeze as well that swirled around me. I rolled onto my back and stretched out, my eyes still closed. Something cracked beneath me. It was rough and dug into my back painful. My eyes flew open. I was gazing up at the night sky. I sat up and looked around. A leaf fell from my hair. I twisted my body and looked around. I was sitting in the middle of a woodland area. I stood up and looked around. I had no idea where I was. It felt like both a dream and reality. I pinched my skin. It hurt but I didn't work. I heard people talking, laughing loudly. I followed the sound and emerged from the woodland area. I stood up on a bank with what appeared to be a dirt track below. I looked down and saw I was wearing what I fell asleep in- my leggings and baggy jumper. The only thing I had on my feet were my mismatched socks. Two people were walking up the road, walking away from me. I had no idea where I was and they were the only two around. They might be murderers or something! I thought. I was a risk I was willing to take. I jumped down and landed on the dirt track, landing right on a rock. I winced as it pressed into my foot.

"Excuse me!" I called after the two men.

They stopped and turned round. I hurried up towards them. As I got closer to them, I noticed I was a good head taller than me. They were also dressed peculiarly: One was wearing brown with a pale brown fur lined jacket, the other wearing dark leather. They had extremely long hair and beards just starting to grow. The one in the dark leather, who had dark hair, was extremely cute looking in the dim look.

"What can we do for you?" he asked.

"Can you tell me where I am?" I asked, sounding stupid.

He and the other person threw each other looks of confusion. I felt so stupid and humiliated. They looked like I had lost my mind. I gazed down at my socks, desperately wishing I would wake up or the ground to swallow me whole. I still wasn't convinced this was real. It has to be a dream, only in a dream would I be taller than a fully grown man.

"You're in the shire," the one with the paler hair asked.

"Are you lost?" the other one asked.

"Yes," I said, sounding breathless. "I woke up in those trees and I have no idea where am I- wait did you say the shire?"

The two men exchanged looks of uncertainly. It was like they were having a silent conversation with one another with merely looks and eyebrow twitches. I stood there, shivering in the coolness of the night.

"Come with us," the one with the dark hair said suddenly.

"Gandalf will know what to do," the other one added.

"We're heading to a meeting with him right one!" the dark haired one said happily.

"Oh- okay," I responded in surprise.

And that was that, that was how I joined two strangers going to their meeting with this Gandalf in the Shire. The name sounded familiar but I couldn't place were. My head felt all fuzzy. As I tried to recall things before I fell asleep, they came in patches and in a blurred, unfocused sort of way. My head started to hurt. We must have walked for at least half an hour before I started to see lights. The lights were coming from little windows in the hills. The two men looked at the doors determinedly. They stopped at a particular door. There was a glowing blue mark scratched onto the door. The door was small and round. I could just fit in it, I decided. They opened the gate and walked up to the door. I suddenly felt shy and hung back nervously. They knocked on the door. An extremely small, grumpy man answered the door. He was wearing a dressing gown and looked harassed.

"Fili," said the light haired one.

"Kili," said the other. "And this is-," Kili added, turning to point me out.

"Oh, we don't know your name!" Kili gasped.

"Rosalie," I muttered.

They turned back to the door.

"At your service," they said together, bowing at the same time.

"You must be Mr. Boggins!" Kili said

"Nope, you can't come in, you've come to the wrong house," the tiny man cried.

He tried to close the door but Kili stuck his foot in the door. I winced at the door slammed on him.

"What? Has it been cancelled?" Kili asked, sounding upset.

"No one told us!" Fili added, sounding annoyed.

I just stood at the back, feeling awkward and forgotten. They were more interested in intruding on this poor man's home than anything else. I had no idea what they were hoping to find here but I just kind of wanted to pull them away.

"Can--? No—nothing's been cancelled," the little man said, sound confused.

Kili and Fili pushed their way into the lobby and began unloading everything they had on them- mostly weapons. I hover by the door for a moment before stepping into the lobby. My head almost brushed the ceiling of the lobby. I stood in a beautiful crafted home built into a low, curved mountain. There were tunnels and doors leading everywhere. It was wonderful. I gave the tiny man an apologetic shrug. He looked just as lost and confused as I felt.