Moving On

Chapter 7

Samantha had always wondered how she would die. In her sleep. Murder. Drowning. Falling down the stairs. Car accident. But one thing that never occurred to her was being eaten by a giant tentacle monster.

Never occurred to her.

Not once.

But, that was the reality she faced. Samantha could feel the wet and slimy tentacle wrap around her shin, the suction cups leaving nasty bruises on her leg. It happened so fast her legs were pulled out from under her and she got a face full of dirt. The others in the company sprang into action when they turned and saw both Frodo and Samantha get dragged out of the mines and toward the water. Samantha tried to claw at the dirt before she was hoisted into the air, her heart hammering against her rib cage as she let out another scream. She could hear arrows whizzing through the air but she could only focus on the other tentacle that began looping around her midsection and began squeezing like a vice.

As air became harder and harder to get into her lungs the world around her seemed to slow down. The world became silent as she thought about her life. She was going to die. This was the end for her.

Looking down she saw the creatures head rise out of the water. It certainly did look like the Kraken. The monster exposed its teeth, ready to have its meal and Samantha didn't have enough air to scream. Her vision was becoming blurry and the pressure on her chest made her lungs burn for more oxygen. She closed her eyes and wished for her death to be quick. She didn't want to die. She wanted to go home, to be away from this. Maybe she would wake up in her bed when the Kraken inevitably ate her. Maybe she would wake up right now and it would all just be a very bad dream.

The beast brought Samantha towards its mouth but before it could get too close the Kraken shrieked. The creature flung her into the air and its grip on her loosened enough to where she was soaring through the air. Samantha immediately took several deep breaths and began coughing now that she could breathe. She expected a hard impact with the ground and a fractured skull but instead was caught in the sturdy arms of Boromir.

Aragorn was able to slice off the tentacle holding Frodo and pick him up into his arms. Gandalf saw no other choice but to flee, "Into the Mines!" He yelled to them.

As the Fellowship fled into the mountain the beast was enraged at the loss of its food. It lashed out at them and the force it put on the mountain was enough for the doors of Moria to collapse. Within the darkness there was no sound other than the labored breathing of Samantha and Frodo. As the two were regaining their senses the rest of them knew they had just traded one danger for another.

Gandalf tapped his staff on the ground again to shine light. "We have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."

He allowed them all a few moments before they moved on. Boromir placed Samantha on her feet, one of her hands still clung to his tunic. "Are you alright?" His hand rested on the back of her head as he asked her looking into her wide eyes.

Samantha couldn't bring herself to speak. Tears were running down her face and it was plain for all to see that she wasn't alright. Boromir felt his heart tighten at the sight of her and brought her in for a firm hug, letting her cry for a minute to let it out. His hand stroked the back of her head as he said to her, "It's alright, you are safe." His grip tightened for a moment before letting go.

She was going to thank him but Legolas cut her off, "We must be moving." Samantha noted that his gaze was icy. What happened to make him so upset?

Legolas glared at Boromir and the two shared a cold stare, neither backing down from the other.