Tolkien University (Modern LOTR AU)

Chapter 4 ~ History Lesson

~Callie's Point of View~

Song: "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay

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"That's stupid." I say in indignation, tossing my pencil onto the desk as I stared incomprehensibly at the list in front of me.  "He cannot possibly be him."

Anna nodded. "Well, he is." She shifted a literally uncomfortably where she perched on her bed. "We don't usually discuss out True Names. It's dangerous. We just go by our Earth names."

I looked at her as if she had sprouted horns. "You talk is if you're not a human." She clenched her jaw and just pulled the blankets of her bed down.

"If you haven't noticed this school is different by now, then you're going to be in for a huge surprise. We all see our real selves while we are here- the only one who doesn't is you for a reason none of us quite understand yet."Anna said and slid under the blankets then clicked off her lamp. "One more thing, Callie."

"What?" I asked, frowning.

"Don't walk around campus at night."

Before I could ask anything more, she rolled over and went to sleep. True Names? True selves? What the hell did that mean? Was I actually surrounded by the characters I grew up reading about? Seriously?

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I stood at the library desk, shifting uncomfortably as the guy who sat behind it just stared at me. He had curly black hair and eyes so blue, I thought they were made of sapphires.

He looked from me to the books on the Ancient World of Mesopotamia and raised an eyebrow. "You can't be serious."

"I am." I say stiffly.

"You do know this college teaches M-"

"Yes. I know. Just check out the book, please, and quit staring at me."

He scowled, then jumped down from his chair and I stiffened a bit as he came around the desk, holding my book, to look me up and down. "Freshman?" He asked.

"No, transfer, but-"

"Exactly. Follow me."

I was startled that not only was this guy shorter than me, but he also wore no shoes.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Fitz." He simply tossed over his shoulder. "And yours?"

"Callie." I mumbled and just followed him downstairs to the lower levels and he pointed me to a row of shelves.

"Well, Callie. Those aren't the history books you need. That earthly trash can be tossed aside. It doesn't matter." He waved a hand dismissively, and before I could protest, he was gone.

I shoved down my anger and frustration and just shoved my earbuds into my ears. I looked at the shelf that Fitz had led me to and scowled. The shelf was lined with tomes and scrolls certainly not from the 21st century. Apparently not from this world, either. Why was everything and everyone so vague?

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

This wasn't happening. This wasn't real. I was dreaming and I was going to wake up soon. I just knew it. I squeezed my eyes shut, hit my head, and pinched my arm, but when I opened my eyes, that shelf of ancient books and manuscripts still sat there.

I clenched my jaw and felt my eyes begin to water and a tear slipped down my cheek. I slowly sank to my knees and wrapped my arms around my head, knees tucked in to my chest.