Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: Through A Glass Darkly (#630)
Author: TheInformer
Chapters: 3

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Archive: Tolkien
Category: Alternate Universe (AU)
Description: A widowed woman and her son have resigned themselves to a rough and lonely life in a rural area of America. But they discover their fate is tied with others. In a place forgotten mellenia ago, heroes still exist, and evil lurks in the shadows...
Published: 17 Feb 2004
Updated: 17 Feb 2004
Warnings:
Type: General
Characters:


Chapter 1 - One

Through A Glass Darkly

    by Corrie McKinnon

Chapter One

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” ­

- 1 Corinthians 13:12

***

It was dark.

Dark and cold, wherever she was.

She reached for...something. Grasping only at empty air, she stood, trembling.

She shivered. Icy tendrils of fear inched their way up her spine, lingering at its base.

Silence. A vast, yet empty, silence.

Then, a scream. The hair at the nape of her neck rose.

The scream came again; this time, other moans and wails accompanied it.

She squeezed her eyes shut, clamping her hands over her ears. “Stop it!” She begged. “Please, leave me alone!”

The cacophony of sounds did not cease. It became more difficult to tell when one sound ended and another began. They seemed to blend.

Whispers taunted her. “...destruction that wasteth...know...child shall lead...”

“No...” she moaned. Why wouldn’t they stop?

As if they heard her, the voices came again with a vengeance. “...darkness over the land...chosen...”

She couldn’t take anymore. “STOP!”

Time itself seemed to freeze. Then, there was a blinding flash of light! She blinked and cautiously looked around. Where was she? This place brought no feelings of terror and despair like the last. She seemed to be standing on a riverbank. The water below was a dazzling shade of blue and just looking at it made her long for a taste.

Suddenly, she tensed. There was someone else here! She glanced nervously around, taking a step back.

Her foot collided with something warm. Something...alive! Screaming, she leapt forward, whirling around to face whatever it was.

It was a person. A man. She couldn’t make out much more. His back was facing her.

Just as she was about to demand his identity, he turned abruptly. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

“J-James?” She stammered. No! Her mind raced, trying to find a logical explanation. Impossible, he’s dead!

Her husband merely gazed at her unemotionally. They stared at each other. It could have been hours or minutes that went by. Without warning, his hand raised and a finger pointed accusingly at her, and he whispered in a wraithlike voice:

“The reaper cometh for thee.”

The image before her shattered and glass rained down, slicing into her painfully. She felt herself falling...falling...

* * *

“Mom! Mom, wake up!”

Shelby Bryant jerked awake, heart pounding. Her son stared at her anxiously from his perch on the end of the bed.

“Did you have another nightmare ‘bout Dad?” He questioned.

She grimaced. It was never her intention that Connor know about the dreams, but for an eight-year-old, he was pretty hard to fool. Who am I kidding? More like impossible to fool, she corrected herself.

“Yes,” she finally allowed. “But I’m all right.” She made an effort to smile, but it must not have worked because he simply stared back solemnly. Her heart wept for the man her little boy had to become at such a tender age. Already his sky blue eyes spoke of a life wrought with hardship.

Connor shifted awkwardly. “Well...I guess I’ll go get ready for school. You didn’t wake me up hours before my alarm this time.”

Shelby winced at the reminder of her nightmare. “I’ll go make breakfast. Let’s see if we can’t get you to school on time today, hmm?”

“’Kay.” He bounded into his room and slammed the door behind him.

She rolled her eyes, but her smile belied the action. Boys. Groaning, she sat up. Her body demanded more sleep but she was determined to start the day on time.

Shelby yawned as she ambled into the miserable excuse for a kitchen, and grabbed for the box of Cheerios on the counter. It wasn’t exactly a breakfast to start your day on, but it was cheap, and with her salary...She shook off those dreary thoughts.

“Connor! Hurry up, or you’ll be late again,” she called.

“Coming!”

Sighing, she gazed morosely out the window above the sink. They lived in the slums of Peculiar, Missouri, in a shabby, run-down apartment complex, getting by with money Shelby had saved pre-James. She swallowed hard, blinking back sudden tears. It had happened only five months ago. His death had been unexpected. Then again, what death wasn’t? He had been driving home on his last day of work before the Christmas break. He had come upon a sharp corner and couldn’t see the patch of ice. By the time he spotted the danger, and applied the brakes, it was too late. He spun out of
control, and hit another vehicle head-on. The next week passed in a blur. The passengers in the other car felt vindictive and sued. They hired lawyers to deceive the court by saying James had caused the accident. No other witnesses had been on the road that night, how could anyone prove otherwise? Shelby’s attorneys were no match for theirs. They got every penny that had been in James Bryant’s name, leaving his family, not destitute, but near it. They had never really been rich, but they were by no means poor. They were simply well off. Now…well.

Shelby smiled sadly. Now we’re living in a hole in the wall with hardly any money to speak of.Still lost in memories, she poured milk in the cereal.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of her son.

Connor scowled when he saw her. “Mo-om!” He complained. “Why’d you tell me to hurry when you’re not even dressed yet?”

She blinked and looked down at herself. Swearing under her breath, she eyed the clock. 8:06. “Connor, there’s a sandwich I made yesterday in the ‘fridge. Pack it in your lunch box with a Juicy Juice while I get dressed. Then put on your shoes and I’ll walk you to the bus stop. We will be on time.”

He immediately moved to obey. She smiled faintly. He was such a good kid. A loud honk from outside caused her to jump. She sighed irritably. Oh, this will be a fun day. Eight o’clock in the morning and I’m already jumpy. Must be PMS.

***

Shelby eyed herself in the mirror critically. Not bad for a twenty-nine year old woman. Glancing at the clock again she smirked. It was only eight twenty-six. They were going to be on time. She slipped on her trainers and grabbed her purse.

“Let’s go Connor!”

She checked herself one last time in the hall mirror. A brown-haired, green-eyed woman stared back. Shelby was mildly surprised at the weight she’d lost. She looked like those anorexic teenagers on TV. Her eyes were hollow and dull; even her hair hung lifeless at her shoulders.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

Mother and son locked eyes. Shelby was the first to drop her gaze. Coward, her conscience mocked her.

“I’m fine honey,” she lied. “Ready to go?”

He looked at her suspiciously, but nodded.

“Right then,” she said, attempting a cheerful tone. “We’re off.”

Shelby locked the door to apartment 14B and walked to the end of the sidewalk where the bus stop was. Connor was abnormally silent. Probably picking up on my good mood, she thought wryly.

“Connor,” she said suddenly, “why don’t I pick you up from school today and we’ll go see the new Lord of the Rings movie? I know you’ve been wanting to see it.”

He perked up. “Really?” He cried excitedly. Movies were a rare, if ever, treat for them nowadays.

She shrugged. “Why not? We need some time together outside of the house.”

He punched the air victoriously. “Awesome! I’ve heard the special effects are really cool. Plus, there’s this part where they…” He prattled on but Shelby only half listened. She was remembering days curled up on the window seat in the attic of her parent’s house, reading about J.R.R. Tolkien’s enchanting world.

If only such a place existed, she thought wistfully. Connor and I would live there and wouldn’t have to worry about our problems anymore. If only...She shivered. The wind had turned chilly.

***

In an alley, something observed the woman and child. It peered down at words written on a piece of parchment in a long-dead language, and looked at the humans again. When it spoke, the wind itself seemed to recoil in revulsion and fear. “So. It begins.”

The creature retreated into the shadows and waved his arm. His form dissipated until it was as if he was never there. The parchment drifted to the ground. Although virtually unknown, the writing could have been dismissed as merely gibberish. Except for the fact that it was written in blood.

To be continued...

A/N: I realize it starts out slow, but it’s necessary for later chapters to make sense. And no, the 'creature' is not an orc.


Chapter 2 - Two

Through A Glass Darkly

    by Corrie McKinnon

Chapter Two

“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”

– Psalm 91:5-6

***

Isn’t there a movie plot out there like this that people pay a lot of money to see? Girl has to slave away at a backbreaking job, getting paid next-to nothing, until Prince Charming sweeps her off her feet. Shelby snorted softly. Why waste that money when they can see the real thing for free? And I sure don’t see any sign of a prince in my life.

After seeing Connor onto the bus, she began the quarter mile walk to her job at the post office. This was one of those times where she wished she had a car. Stumbling over something in her way, she quickly righted herself, and curiously glanced down to see what she had tripped over. Hello, what have we here? She thought to herself. It was an ancient looking piece of paper; in fact, if she didn’t know better, she would have said it was parchment. That wasn’t the most unusual thing, however. There was writing on it, but it was completely undecipherable; she’d never seen the like! Before James had…well, before anyway, they had done a lot of traveling, and she’d been exposed to her share of languages. Shelby was positive that this was no known text. She eyed it closely. Was that…blood?

“Bryant! You comin’ to work sometime this year?”

Shelby groaned. Her boss. Perfect. “Yes, Mr. Pittman.”

The short, balding man grunted, and waddled back into the building up ahead. The post office was not that much to behold. It had once been white, but the paint had peeled so much that it was now mostly dirty-looking beige. Also, someone, a delinquent perhaps, had spray-painted foul words on the entrance. Every time they’d washed it off, it had happened again, so they just ignored it.

Shelby hurriedly increased her pace. Her salary was already minute, she couldn’t afford for it to be decreased anymore on account of tardiness. Out of breath, she threw open the door, its hinges creaking shut in her wake as she entered. Her body was nearly overwhelmed by the barrage of sounds and sights. People were rushing around everywhere and shouting across the room at each other. Another lovely day, she thought dryly.

“Hey Shelby, what’s that there?” A co-worker asked, motioning to her hand.

She shoved the paper in her pocket. “Oh, uh, nothing.”

***

Anyone who saw Shelby Bryant’s face at this moment would probably assume her cat had died. Her shoulders were slumped, her eyes world-weary, and her mouth pinched tightly. She sighed and reached up to massage her temple. After what was almost the worst day of her life, which she would not even begin to go into, she was looking forward to time spent with Connor. Even if it was in an action packed movie.

Shelby approached the local school, smiling slightly, watching the little blond chatter with his friends. It was good to see him talking to other kids his age; ever since his father had…gone, he had become withdrawn like her, and interaction with people meant he was coping.

As she got closer, Connor caught sight of her, and waved his arm excitedly. She heard him brag to a boy that he was going to see the new Lord of the Rings movie. She frowned sadly. If that was the most he had to look forward too…she shoved those thoughts out of her mind, they were too depressing for now.

Connor bade his friend goodbye, and bounded enthusiastically over to her. “Hey Mom! Are we going now?”

“Don’t I get a hug first?” She teased.

He sighed, exasperated, giving her a quick squeeze.

Shelby rolled her eyes. “Well, I suppose that’s good enough.” She stared walking toward the old theatre. “How was your day?”

Connor slung his backpack over one shoulder. “Okay. We had a math test today. Joey did really bad, but I got a 92.”

“Good job!” Shelby praised. “Studying pays off.”

They walked in comfortable silence for about five minutes.

Suddenly, Shelby was forced to stop or run into her son. “What is it?”

He turned pleading blue eyes on her. “Mom, can we cut through the woods? Please? It’s faster.”

Shelby hesitated. It wasn’t really dangerous, but snakes were out this time of year. “Well…I suppose it’d be all right,” she said slowly. “But no running! You could step on a rattler.”

“Yes!” Connor cried. Obeying Shelby, he didn’t run, but he sped up to a fast walk. She pretended not to notice as they entered the woods. It was a place that seemed to glow with magic.

Shelby closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. If she imagined hard enough, she could almost forget about all her troubles. Almost. She glanced at Connor. He too seemed to have fallen under the spell.

Keeping an eye out for snakes, she allowed Connor to explore, albeit close by. It was cool in here, but not overtly so, it was just right. A person could stay in here for hours. Travel anywhere, most forests and woods had at least some amount of litter. Oddly, this small portion of nature in Peculiar, Missouri, had escaped any pollution whatsoever. Even the air was fresh, unspoiled by smog and other such things.

It was a little heaven on earth, Shelby decided. Even the animals were different. It was as if they’d never seen a human before. Instead of running or eyeing them suspiciously, they calmly and curiously regarded them, and came closer. A squirrel came within a foot of them and reared up on its hind legs. Even when they walked by, it stayed where it was.

Shelby allowed all of her tension and stress of the day to be soothed by the peaceful utterings of the woods. It was impossible to be here and not be happy. It was…perfect. There was no other word for it. Maybe Connor would-

Wait. Where was Connor? “Connor?”

Silence answered her.

Shelby’s voice pitched higher in panic. “Connor, where are you?”

What if a snake had bitten him? What if he had fallen and hit his head? What if he had been kidnapped?

She broke into a jog, looking anxiously from side to side. “Connor, please!” She moaned.

Suddenly she paused, listening. Was that a voice?

It came again, not loud enough to be understood, it could be an animal.

But it wasn’t.

“Mom!”

Shelby nearly crumpled in relief. “I’m coming, baby.”

His voice came again, impatient. “Hurry!”

Obviously he wasn’t hurt.

She should have been angry, she knew, but after all they’d been through…well, it just wasn’t worth it.

Shelby followed the direction of Connor’s voice and came upon a small clearing.

Connor was standing in the middle of it, looking down, but he looked up when he heard her.

“Mom, come look! It’s a circle of mushrooms!”

A circle of mushrooms? She gasped. It couldn’t be.

Connor was still speaking. “…and then I tripped over that big one and saw the circle. What is it?”

Shelby was staring, and barely heard her son. “It’s a fairy ring.”

Connor scrunched up his nose in thought. “What’s that?”

Shelby spoke in an awed tone, trying to convey how special this was to him. “I found a fairy ring once. When I went home that day, I asked my mother what it was, and she told me that the fairies had made it for humans to wish upon when they needed help. She warned me to wish wisely, for I would only get one wish. So I went back the next day. But when I got there, it was gone. To this day I’ve never seen another.”

Connor was quiet for a moment.

Then, he smiled at her. “Make a wish, Mom.”

How sweet! She hadn’t gotten to wish before, so he was letting her make one now. It wouldn’t work, but it was sweet all the same. “Are you sure? You found it honey.”

He nodded firmly. “You do it.”

She stepped into the circle with him and closed her eyes. What to wish for? She couldn’t wish for just anything, it had to be perfect. Shelby thought hard. Ah! I wish that we could live in a place with no worries at all so that Connor could be a child again. She opened her eyes and smiled at her son. “Well, we’d better go. We’ll be late for the mov-”

Suddenly, the ground started to shake. Clouds blotted out the sun, and lighting streaked across the sky. Shelby barely heard Connor’s cry of alarm over the roaring in her ears. What’s happening? She clutched Connor to her and felt him tremble in her arms. Something made her look up, and she screamed, just before lighting hit them.

Everything went still. As the sky cleared once again, the sun shone down on the woods. The fairy ring, and everything within it, was gone.

Two eyes glared at the empty spot. “Master won’t like this.” The twin orbs vanished, and all was as it was.

A/N: I love feedback (what writer doesn’t?) and if you see anything lacking in my plot, grammar, etc., feel free to let me know. We can only learn by being taught.


Chapter 3 - Three

Through A Glass Darkly

   by Corrie McKinnon

Chapter Three

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”
– Isaiah 11:6

***

It was dark.

Dark and cold.

Oh no! Was she dreaming again?

As Shelby became more aware, she realized two things: it was dark because her eyes were shut and the cold was a result of being on the ground.

Ground?

Her eyes shot open and Shelby looked around wildly. These weren’t the woods in Peculiar, Missouri! The trees were drastically taller, and seemed more ancient. Noises uttered from the trees were like none she had ever heard before. There was no sign of civilization anywhere. And where was that fairy ring?!

Thoroughly frightened now, Shelby dazedly picked herself up from the forest – for that was what it was, she realized – floor, and absentmindedly massaged her sore head as she tried to place her surroundings.

Suddenly, she froze in terror. Connor! Oh, not again. “Connor!” She screamed, giving no thought to discretion. Just before she voiced another yell, her son complained from somewhere behind her:

“Jeez Mom, you about broke my eardrums!”

Nearly sobbing in relief, she seized him in a hug, ignoring his protests. “Thank God! You scared me to death!” Shelby said hoarsely.

“Okay, okay, get a grip,” Connor muttered in embarrassment, face flushing red.

“Come on. We’re getting out of here.” Holding his hand for reassurance, Shelby started walking. If we walk long enough, we’re sure to find the way out, she determined. Won’t we?

She tugged Connor a little closer. “Stick close, baby,” she murmured, glancing nervously about.

He scowled and mumbled something about not being a baby, but did squeeze her hand. They kept walking.

About an hour later, Shelby was exhausted and Connor was hungry. “All right, we’ll stop for a few minutes,” Shelby sighed. They hadn’t found anything, anyway.

Connor wandered off a little ways, examining a tree, whilst Shelby plopped down tiredly to give her poor legs a break. Why did it suddenly get so quiet? Everything seemed to have gone still. No birds or frogs or bugs were making any noise whatsoever. Not even the wind blew.

“Connor,” Shelby said, standing slowly, “I think we should go now.”

“What is it, Mommy?” His eyes were darting around nervously, and he walked to her, willingly taking her hand. He only called her ‘Mommy’ when he wanted something, or was afraid.

Snap!

Shelby jumped in fright. What was that? Oh Lord, don’t tell me there are bears here too!

Hssss...

She swallowed, forcing her heart, which had leapt into her throat, back down. Connor trembled beside her, but didn’t utter a sound, although he was obviously terrified. His wide eyes met hers and she squeezed his hand for reassurance. Shelby told herself to stay calm. It’s probably just a raccoon, she reasoned.

But the thing that emerged from the copse of trees was no raccoon.

Nor was it a bear. It was a…squirrel?

It was!

However, there was something off about it. For one thing, it was deep, ebony black. That was odd enough, but it also sported ruby red eyes and yellowed fangs covered in frothing white saliva. Rabies? Oh, and it was about twice normal size. That cinched it: trouble.

Shelby recalled reading somewhere that running attracts a predators’ attention. Slowly, non-threateningly, she took Connor’s hand and began backing away. The squirrel-thing regarded them steadily; seeming almost amused by their efforts.

This was not a good situation.

Out of nowhere, someone appeared between them and the mutant squirrel. Shelby bit back a gasp. It was a man! He was tall, over six feet, with long golden blond hair. And what a body! She thought admiringly. He was muscular, but not bulky; lean, but not puny. And all this from behind!

Their rescuer wielded a bow with a quiver full of arrows, one of which, he now had trained on the black monstrosity. The squirrel growled and spat at him warningly. The arrow was loosed and landed with a disgusting slurping sound into the breast of the beast. It gave a last, hair-raising shriek, and died.

The man turned around. Shelby fought to keep from gaping. If perfection had a face, his would be it. Great Shel. Way with the sappiness, she chastised herself. He had intense, forget-me-not blue eyes and generous cheekbones with a firm, kissable mouth. He arched an eyebrow at her perusal and she blushed. The she noticed something starkly different. His ears were…pointed.

Shelby was suddenly feeling lightheaded. Either they had been beamed to Star Trek and this was a Vulcan, or they were further away from home than she had first surmised.

The ‘man’ apparently gathered that something was amiss so he asked her a question. In a language she didn’t understand.

Throughout this exchange, Connor had been quiet, intimidated. Now that the danger had passed, he was filled with an urgent need to speak. “Mom, what’s he saying?”

Still in shock, her reply was mumbled. “I-I don’t know.”

The stranger’s brow furrowed, and he tried in another language, again with no success.

Shelby shook her head helplessly. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand you.”

He appeared frustrated with this development and simply stared at her for a moment. Finally, he motioned for her to follow him. That signal was universal, so she understood it, but still hesitated. For all she knew, he could be an axe murderer. Well, what choice have you got? The next thing you meet might be another mutant squirrel!

Interpreting her hesitance as suspicion, he tapped his chest and said, slowly and clearly: “Túrelio.”

Shelby stared at him, trying to puzzle this out. He repeated his motions. Oh! “Shelby,” she said in the same slow, clear manner, also touching her chest.

He reiterated her name, and then gestured to her side, to Connor.

Having observed his mother and the stranger’s attempt to communicate, he copied their actions. “Connor,” he said.

The stranger seemed to have a harder time with this name. ‘Khonner’ they settled on.

He gestured again for them to follow him; this time they did so without pause. After all, who but Lestat would introduce himself before killing someone? She deduced logically.

They trudged along for a while, and Shelby wondered what sane person would think hiking was fun? Then again, her attire might take the blame for this.

On the other hand, Connor was thoroughly enjoying himself. It wasn’t often that little boys had adventures, and he was having the time of his young life! He darted here and there, chattering excitedly, showing her an assortment of bugs and plants. Túrelio supervised carefully, stopping him if something was dangerous. Connor seemed to both delight and amuse him, but there was another emotion hidden in his expression. It was hours before Shelby figured it out. Longing.

When they got hungry, their guide offered them something that looked a lot like her mother-in-law’s homemade bread. She cautiously took a bite, and found herself closing her eyes in rapture. It was sweet, but not too much, and had an invigorating effect on her weary body.

“Thank you,” she said, handing Connor some. Not that he understands, she thought wryly. However, he got the gist, and he smiled, nodding his head.

Shelby didn’t have a watch, but a significant amount of time must have gone by, because night had fallen some time ago. Connor’s feet were dragging, and his eyes were more than half way closed. Túrelio eyed the sleepy little boy, and, without warning, picked him up.

Shelby was startled, but relaxed when Connor went right to sleep. It’s not like he can run with a seventy-pound kid on his back. I hope, she thought.

Soon after that, Shelby began to tire as well. Maybe there’s room on his back for me, she thought humorously. Just when she was about to ask that they take a break, Túrelio stopped and pointed ahead.

Shelby could do nothing but gape.

In front of them was Camelot.

***

A/N: It’s been quite a while since I read the trilogy, so forgive any mistakes you might find. However, I will attempt to prevent said mistakes, as I am armed with The Silmarillion, The Lost Tales 1 & 2, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, and of course, the original trilogy, which I am re-reading. Thank you for reviewing and I’m glad you’re enjoying the story!

Also, please don’t tell me how no one would blindly follow a stranger, even if they knew their name. I have relatives in Peculiar, and you wouldn’t believe how naïve the whole city is. A bum could walk right up to a house and ask to stay the night, and he’d be welcomed with open arms. Well, maybe not that bad. But it’s close.

Once Shelby finds a way to bridge the language barrier, you’ll find out exactly where she first emerged in Middle-Earth. Hint: It’s near Minas Tirith. And have you noticed how all given names in ME flow off the tongue? If you think about it, Connor's would be more difficult to pronounce.
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