Trapped In Lord of the Rings | Book 1 | (Currently Being Rewritten)

The Bridge and the Wood

3/3

"Quickly!" Gandalf said as he pushed us through a small door. Boromir ran ahead.

We came to the bottom of a crumbling staircase. I was right behind Legolas. Boromir, I guess, wasn't paying very much attention and almost ran off the broken staircase. He stopped just in time but dropped his torch. Just before he fell Legolas rushed out and pulled him back, both of them falling back.

Gandalf leaned against the doorway, seemingly in pain. Aragorn put his hand on Gandalf's shoulder. "Gandalf."

Gandalf gripped Aragorn's shoulder. "Lead them on, Aragorn," he commanded. Then he looked out. "The bridge is near." I followed their eyes and saw a narrow strip of rock going from one side of a deep crevice to the other. The Balrog roared again. "Do as I say!" Gandalf yelled, throwing Aragorn away. "Swords are no more use here."

I followed behind everyone down the decaying stairs until we reached a spot with a hole too long to merely step across. I had been pushed to the front of the group and Legolas took my hand, jumping and pulling both of us across. Gandalf stood at the edge, hesitating. The demon began to hit the wall above the door we had come through. "Gandalf!" Legolas insisted. After a moment, he jumped, and Legolas caught him. I heard a strange wizzing noise, and just as it occurred to me that it was an arrow, it hit the crumbled step in front of Boromir. Everyone looked in the direction it came from. More arrows came and, thankfully, missed. Legolas began to counter-fire.

"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir yelled, taking Merry and Pippin under his arms. Just as they jumped, a few steps crumbled and fell.

More arrows came and went. I tried to use my powers and deflect the arrows, but Gandalf stopped me. "Don't waste your energy, Jenakin," he told me. "You'll need it."

I didn't have time to comprehend what he was saying. Next Aragorn tossed Sam into the arms of Boromir. As he turned to get Gimli, Gimli raised his hand. "Nobody tosses a Dwarf." He jumped. He was about a hair's width from missing. He lost his balance and Legolas reached out and got a hold of his beard just before he fell. "Not the beard!" he yelled. Legolas pulled him away from the edge, and now only Aragorn and Frodo remained. The stairs crumbled again, and this time Aragorn almost fell.

The gap was too wide to jump now. I almost passed out I was worrying so much.

The demon was almost through the wall.  It crumbled, sending a huge chunk of stone down and hitting the staircase, just a dozen or so feet behind Frodo and Aragorn. The structure under their feet began to lean and crumble under them.

Come on! I thought. Just lean forward! The structure will do the rest!

Frodo looked up at me and frowned. They both did. Aragorn seemed to snap out of it first. "Lean forward!" he commanded. They both leaned forward. They slowly came toward us. When they were close enough, Aragorn yelled "Now!" and they jumped. Legolas caught Aragorn and Boromir caught Frodo. We continued to run down the crumbling stair way until coming to a flat surface. There was fire behind us, and it was hot as the Underworld itself.

"Over the bridge!" Gandalf yelled, pointing the way and making sure we all got there. "Fly!" I stopped by Gandalf. He tried to shove me on but there was a loud groan behind us. We both looked at the flames, and we both knew what was there. The Balrog lept out in front of us and roared like a huge fire, blowing hot air that smelled of ash and smoke, that swept my hair out of my face.  Gandalf took my hand and ran in front of me as the demon roared again and began to follow us. We had gotten halfway across the bridge before he stopped and looked back at it.

"You cannot pass!" he yelled, pushing me behind him.

"Gandalf!" I heard Frodo yell.

The demon stood up straight and wreathed itself in flames.