I do not own anything associated with the Lord of the Rings. All I own is my OC character. Please feel free to message me with corrections or suggestions and by all means... PLEASE leave a comment. especially if you want this story to continue.

Prologue

Screams.

Grunts.

Cries.

Heavy Breathing.

My own breaths came in fast sharp gasps, legs pumped me forward. My arms desperately moving in front of me as I blindly ran.

A grunt from behind caused me to glance back, body twisting awkwardly trying to keep running but wanting to see what was behind. I steadied myself on a trunk when something caught my shoe.

Do not look back! Stupid!

I screamed at myself before regaining my footing and pushed myself faster. Still stumbling a few feet but back to full speed with in a moment.

Angry grunts and growls crashed through the brush not too far away.

They were getting closer.

I pumped my arms even faster. Reaching in front of me like my very salvation was just out of my reach, if I could only just grasp it.

A blood curtailing howl split the air. I clamped my hands over my ears, allowing a small cry of fear tear from my burning lungs, as I tore through the brush. Unrelenting branches clawed at my tender skin, pulling another yelp from my lips, without my hands there to fend them off.

I gasped for air, tumbling over logs and rocks.

Go! Keep going!

Sweat leaked into my eyes blurring my vision of what little the moon allowed me to see through the branches. I swiped it away and immediately felt stinging when my fingers brushed my forehead. The thought was pushed aside when my hands slammed onto a fallen log to volt me over its decaying form.

I heard a rip of fabric and I went down. Air rushed out of my lungs with the unexpected impact and for a few moments…I could not do anything but lay there and gasp. With big gulps the musty thick air eased the fire in my chest but did not help the ace in my head nor in my eyes.

Move!

My fingers dug into the damp earth, releasing some more of the musty smell, trying to gain control of the sobs raking through my chest.

Move!

"I can't." I sobbed, curling my fingers and slamming my fist into the soft ground. "I can't! I don't know… where to go…"

Shaking hands covered my face, coughing and sputtering while sobbing in defeat, only to pull them away and see red. My hands shook violently.

"What…happened to me?" I hiccupped.

My head jerked to my left, a sob caught in my throat.

Trees crunched.

Feet pounded.

Bodies grunted.

RUN!

I could not move.

A roar split through the trees and all other noise stopped. So did my breathing.

Another roar bounced through the trees.

My breath came in short, clipped breaths as my eyes scanned what little of the woods I could see. Everything was deathly silent. Ears straining to hear something, anything.

I heard… footfalls…it was them… and then… not them.

This was… something else.

Something… bigger…

Another roar flooded the woods followed closely by screams of pain.

RUN!

This time I listened to myself.

My feet slid a few times before I realized I was caught. I glanced back and saw my skirt was snagged on the trunk. I jerked my skirt back and got my feet under me, they finally caught ground; clawing at the earth I took off.

Suddenly it seemed the whole dark forest erupted in chaos.

Growls.

Screaming.

Metal on metal

Running feet.

More screams.

Fear drove me more than before. Because even though fear consumed me, like before, I knew something bigger was killing my pursuers… and I knew when it was done with them, I would be its snack. The distance did not seem to lessen the turmoil behind me nor give me the lest bit of comfort.

With one last screech, the woods were quiet again expect for my pounding feet and heavy breathing.

Do not look back.

This time I did not look back. I just ran. Busting through the trees and into a clearing, I continued to run. I picked up my speed and my skirt, since nothing hindered my feet, hoping beyond hope that I would not be detected, but it did not seemed to matter.

I could hear it coming.

Do not look back!

I saw fire ahead.

A small glimmer of hope pushed me faster. Arms pumping at my side.

Just make it to the fire.

My chest burned but I could also hear its snarling breaths behind me… getting closer.

With a growl, trees were trampled behind me and then there was the sound of crunching grass.

Tears streamed down my face with every pounding step and gasping breath but I was going to make it.

I was going to make it.

There was fire.

There was a door.

A door.

I did not take much notice of the stone gates or pillars when I ran past them, not that I would be able to with the blood and sweat burning my eyes, but kept my eyes on the door ahead.

Slamming into it almost lost me my balance, and consciousness, but I regained my footing and fumbled for a handle. Sobbing when my efforts were unfruitful and screamed when I could hear it bearing down on me.

"How do I open it!" I wept frantically stepping back, searching for another way in. "Please!"

As if it was the door itself that was hiding it from me and I was pleading with it.

Then I saw it.

A latch.

Jumping forward I jerked it aside, and with all my strength shoved the door open. I fought to grip the stone ground with my shoes but it was a slow and terrifying process. My shoes gained enough footing to push open a small opening between doors and I was able to squeeze through the small space. I world around and shoved with all my might, luckily my shoes having better footing this time around… because I could see it now, coming straight for me with teeth bare.

Screaming I pushed even harder and finally the door closed with a loud thud, muffling the creatures roar. I screamed again, grasping the bolt and heaving it into place just as the creatures weight smashed into the door. I jumped back but fell when my feet were jerked from under me. I grasped my skirt caught in the door and pulled with all my might. The door vibrated with each of the creatures swipes, a sickening thud echoing through my ears. A scream and a sob ripping through my lips with every terrifying blow the beast landed with its best attempts to get in. Finally, with a loud rip of fabric, the skirt came away louse and fall on my back. Scooting away, screaming. Even when I clamped my hands down on my ears, trying to hold out some of the noxious noise, it did not help.

My fingers failed to hold out much.

"Go away!" I screamed. "Leave me be! Please!"

I sobbed.

"I am nobody! Leave me be!"

The creatures' efforts to get in the door seemed only to intensify with my screaming but it also made me more frantic.

"I am nobody!" I sobbed.

On all fours I crawled away from the door, flinching with every pounding of the door. My tears blurred the room around me. Sniveling I somehow made it under a table against a far wall. Pulling my knees up under my chin, covering my ears again against the snarling growls, and giving myself over to the body raking weeping.