Frodo and Merry One-Shots

Don't Be So Hard On Yourself

I was sitting quietly in the living room of Bag End, doing nothing but stare at the curved ceiling of the hobbit hole. I wasn't feeling the greatest. There was an emptiness growing inside me. It was awfully boring, sitting inside this hobbit hole. I could go outside, but I didn't want to. The reason why I didn't want to go outside was because of those horrible hobbits who would always tease and poke fun at me for the way I looked. Being a human living among hobbits isn't particularly easy. The Shire was made for the hobbits and not for humans, like me.

I was ridiculed by the hobbits. Every time I took a step outdoors, whether I was with Frodo, Merry or by myself, I noticed how the hobbits would look at me in disgust or in fear. They'd secretly whisper to each other; saying hurtful things about me behind my back.

I remember one time I was with Frodo in the market. This little hobbit boy came up to me, gazing at me, in curiosity. He was somewhat fascinated with me. All of a sudden, the boy's mother came up to me. She looked at me, in revolt. Her face looked as if she had smelled something horrible. She quickly took her son by the hand and lead him away from me.

"Son, what did I tell you?! Stay away from that human!" The mother scolded. "She's nothing but trouble! She doesn't even belong here! You might catch a disease if you're near that thing for too long! Now, come along." Her comments about me were sharp and stinging like a cut you'd get from the edge of a knife.

I came up to Frodo and told him about what the hobbit mother had said about me. All of a sudden, the hobbit mother turned around and noticed me just as she was about to leave the market. She guided her son in mine and Frodo's direction.

As soon as she came up to Frodo, she asked him what his business was with me. Frodo politely told her that he was having a private conversation with me and that whatever we were talking about wasn't any of her concern.

The hobbit mother was appalled. "It is very much my concern!" She retorted. "My child was in danger!"

Frodo was bewildered. He fixed his gaze upon the small hobbit boy that stood beside his mother and noticed that the boy wasn't frightened at all. He was smiling at me. I gave a friendly wave to the little boy and the boy giggled with glee.

Frodo chuckled softly. "Pardon me for saying this, ma'am, but I do think you may be overreacting. Your child is in no danger at all."

The hobbit mother placed her hands on
her hips and grimaced. "I'm overreacting?!" She looked down at her son and wrapped her bony arms around him, protectively. "Why, That's absurd! I only want what's best for my son and I can't leave him on his own! The Shire isn't safe anymore now that that beast is living among us! Why can't it leave us alone?!"

"Because she's with me." answered Frodo, in a stern voice. "She's my daughter and I love her. Now, if you don't mind me saying, we have better things to attend to."

Frodo gently took my hand and led me away from the market. As we were heading back to Bag End, I heard the hobbit mother shout back at us. "You know she doesn't belong here! You should be rid of her, once and for all!"

That painful memory had been ingrained into my head. It was difficult not to think about it.

A deep sadness grew inside me. I felt a large lump in my throat. It was difficult for me to swallow. Behind my eyes, I felt a heaviness. I was trying my best not to cry, but the sadness and the pain was so great. There was no courage inside me anymore. Tears streamed down my eyelids like giant waterfalls.