Lord Of The Rings Fan Fiction ❯ Bargaining with Death ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Prologue
It was rather unexpected. The rain that suddenly poured down on the young women soaking her in seconds. Although the clouds had been brewing, they were normally ignored as it rains quite a bit in Manchester and so it was a rather unpleasant and unwelcome shock to the young woman waiting next to the closed bakery.
"You've got to be kidding me?" She wailed ignoring the few people who rushed by her giving her strange looks. "This isn't funny! First my train is late, then it gets stuck outside bloody Wolverhampton, then my boyfriend decides to dump me, my friends are all with their boyfriends, I'm reduced to calling my ex to get a lift and then just to top it off, the heavens open and decide to make my already fabulous day even better."
Throughout her monologue the small woman, about 5 foot, had rushed down the street towards the nearest wide doorway which just happened to be the church. After dumping her small bag on the step she took off her beret, which was now dripping, and shook her hair down.
Now to a normal Mancunian this woman wouldn't have seemed particularly odd. Indeed to any modern city or town dweller in England she would have been classed as odd or eccentric. Clad entirely in black, coat, skinny trousers, boots and all she appeared fairly normal until one reached her hair. White, silvery hair which was soaking wet, hung limply down her back reaching the tops of her boots despite the high pony-tail the young woman had put it in. She shook her head hoping to shake off some of the extra wetness and ruffled her fringe which hung just into her eyes.
"Of course, this would have to happen to you Teru." She continued talking to herself. "You're just bloody lucky Matthias isn't still angry at you and agreed to come rescue you. At least you didn't dump him over the phone." She peered out into the rain hoping that her rescuer would appear soon. "What an arse! Jack could have at least picked me up from the train station and then dumped me before going to the pub. 'Sorry Teru. I just don't think things are working out between us babe. I need time.'" Her voice had dropped in the last bit whilst she mimicked her now ex-boyfriend."I bet he just went to the pub to see Stacey. She had been hanging around him a lot recently and he was getting more texts than usual."
The rain by this time had died down and was now a gentle trickle. Teru placed her drenched beret and back on her head leaving her hair hanging out from the edge. She could see car lights approaching the bakery where Matthias had said he'd pick her up. Quickly grabbing the handles of her bag she ran towards the bakery. She skidded to a halt beside the stationary car and pulled the passenger door open and dived in."Oh my god! Thank you so much Matthias! You have no idea how grateful I am. Can you believe Jack just dumped me?" Teru fiddled with the bag pulling a towel out and began to towel her head. "You're a bit quiet aren't you Matthias? Cat got your tongue?" she teased him."I ain't Matthias babe." Her head shot up and she peered at the driver from under her fringe.
"What the hell Jack? Where's Matthias? This is his car!" Teru shouted. Jack sat in the driver's seat, an impressive man with 6 foot 4 build and broad shoulders."Matthias isn't gonna be waking up anytime soon, babe. He decided to take a little nap on the back seat." He gestured towards the back of the car and Teru twisted round and saw her first boyfriend sprawled across the seat with a nasty cut and bruise on his forehead."What the hell did you do?" She whispered as she turned back to stare at Jack. "Did you hit him?"Jack snickered and Teru could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Course I hit him. How else do you think he got that nasty bump on his head? I hit him after I followed him to the car park of the pub. Didn't realise he was out with the boys did you babe? Didn't realise that I knew about your little meetings?" Teru just stared at him and then tried to interrupt but Jack just kept talking whilst turning the engine of the car on. "Poor sap never even noticed the brick coming towards his head. Not even when he turned around to talk to me." Streetlights flashed through the windows of the car illuminating Jack's maniacal expression. "and then it was easy. Just got in his car and drove here to get you. Now, we're gonna have some fun." As he leered at the young woman something in her snapped and she yanked viciously at the man's arm, jerking the steering wheel to the side.
"Shit!" he exclaimed and slammed the brakes on the vehicle. Teru wasted no time and was out of the car before it had even stopped. She ran back down the street they had just driven down heading towards the vicars house next to the church."Stop you little cow!" Jack yelled after her. Teru didn't stop, her wet clothes were causing her to slow down but the heavy sound of his feet on the pavement only spurred on her movements. She could see the gate to the graveyard and a light in the vicarage just beyond. The large man was gaining on her despite his intoxicated state and Teru threw her overnight bag behind her, hoping to delay him. There was a thump and muffled curses before "You little bitch! I'm gonna kill you!"Sobs were rising up in her chest now and she practically vaulted over the small gate into the graveyard."Help! HELP ME!" she screamed. The door to the vicarage was opening and she could see the vicar standing in the doorway. Despite her close proximity the building just wasn't near enough as a large hand encircled her arm yanking her back into a tall, ungiving frame.
"Thought you could get away from me huh? Well, this is the last time you'll try to run away from me you bitch." Jack whispered into her ear as he thrust a knife into her back."AHHH!" Teru screamed the pain, excruciating as he twisted the blade. Then he dropped her."Oh Lord!" The vicar was there, kneeling next to her as she gasped through the pain. Two officers had Jack on the ground fighting to handcuff him. "My child, hold on, try to hold on." The vicar had his hands pressed to the wound, attempting to stem the flow of blood.The last thing Teru remembered was the taste of blood in her mouth.
Then...everything stopped.
It was rather unexpected. The rain that suddenly poured down on the young women soaking her in seconds. Although the clouds had been brewing, they were normally ignored as it rains quite a bit in Manchester and so it was a rather unpleasant and unwelcome shock to the young woman waiting next to the closed bakery.
"You've got to be kidding me?" She wailed ignoring the few people who rushed by her giving her strange looks. "This isn't funny! First my train is late, then it gets stuck outside bloody Wolverhampton, then my boyfriend decides to dump me, my friends are all with their boyfriends, I'm reduced to calling my ex to get a lift and then just to top it off, the heavens open and decide to make my already fabulous day even better."
Throughout her monologue the small woman, about 5 foot, had rushed down the street towards the nearest wide doorway which just happened to be the church. After dumping her small bag on the step she took off her beret, which was now dripping, and shook her hair down.
Now to a normal Mancunian this woman wouldn't have seemed particularly odd. Indeed to any modern city or town dweller in England she would have been classed as odd or eccentric. Clad entirely in black, coat, skinny trousers, boots and all she appeared fairly normal until one reached her hair. White, silvery hair which was soaking wet, hung limply down her back reaching the tops of her boots despite the high pony-tail the young woman had put it in. She shook her head hoping to shake off some of the extra wetness and ruffled her fringe which hung just into her eyes.
"Of course, this would have to happen to you Teru." She continued talking to herself. "You're just bloody lucky Matthias isn't still angry at you and agreed to come rescue you. At least you didn't dump him over the phone." She peered out into the rain hoping that her rescuer would appear soon. "What an arse! Jack could have at least picked me up from the train station and then dumped me before going to the pub. 'Sorry Teru. I just don't think things are working out between us babe. I need time.'" Her voice had dropped in the last bit whilst she mimicked her now ex-boyfriend."I bet he just went to the pub to see Stacey. She had been hanging around him a lot recently and he was getting more texts than usual."
The rain by this time had died down and was now a gentle trickle. Teru placed her drenched beret and back on her head leaving her hair hanging out from the edge. She could see car lights approaching the bakery where Matthias had said he'd pick her up. Quickly grabbing the handles of her bag she ran towards the bakery. She skidded to a halt beside the stationary car and pulled the passenger door open and dived in."Oh my god! Thank you so much Matthias! You have no idea how grateful I am. Can you believe Jack just dumped me?" Teru fiddled with the bag pulling a towel out and began to towel her head. "You're a bit quiet aren't you Matthias? Cat got your tongue?" she teased him."I ain't Matthias babe." Her head shot up and she peered at the driver from under her fringe.
"What the hell Jack? Where's Matthias? This is his car!" Teru shouted. Jack sat in the driver's seat, an impressive man with 6 foot 4 build and broad shoulders."Matthias isn't gonna be waking up anytime soon, babe. He decided to take a little nap on the back seat." He gestured towards the back of the car and Teru twisted round and saw her first boyfriend sprawled across the seat with a nasty cut and bruise on his forehead."What the hell did you do?" She whispered as she turned back to stare at Jack. "Did you hit him?"Jack snickered and Teru could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Course I hit him. How else do you think he got that nasty bump on his head? I hit him after I followed him to the car park of the pub. Didn't realise he was out with the boys did you babe? Didn't realise that I knew about your little meetings?" Teru just stared at him and then tried to interrupt but Jack just kept talking whilst turning the engine of the car on. "Poor sap never even noticed the brick coming towards his head. Not even when he turned around to talk to me." Streetlights flashed through the windows of the car illuminating Jack's maniacal expression. "and then it was easy. Just got in his car and drove here to get you. Now, we're gonna have some fun." As he leered at the young woman something in her snapped and she yanked viciously at the man's arm, jerking the steering wheel to the side.
"Shit!" he exclaimed and slammed the brakes on the vehicle. Teru wasted no time and was out of the car before it had even stopped. She ran back down the street they had just driven down heading towards the vicars house next to the church."Stop you little cow!" Jack yelled after her. Teru didn't stop, her wet clothes were causing her to slow down but the heavy sound of his feet on the pavement only spurred on her movements. She could see the gate to the graveyard and a light in the vicarage just beyond. The large man was gaining on her despite his intoxicated state and Teru threw her overnight bag behind her, hoping to delay him. There was a thump and muffled curses before "You little bitch! I'm gonna kill you!"Sobs were rising up in her chest now and she practically vaulted over the small gate into the graveyard."Help! HELP ME!" she screamed. The door to the vicarage was opening and she could see the vicar standing in the doorway. Despite her close proximity the building just wasn't near enough as a large hand encircled her arm yanking her back into a tall, ungiving frame.
"Thought you could get away from me huh? Well, this is the last time you'll try to run away from me you bitch." Jack whispered into her ear as he thrust a knife into her back."AHHH!" Teru screamed the pain, excruciating as he twisted the blade. Then he dropped her."Oh Lord!" The vicar was there, kneeling next to her as she gasped through the pain. Two officers had Jack on the ground fighting to handcuff him. "My child, hold on, try to hold on." The vicar had his hands pressed to the wound, attempting to stem the flow of blood.The last thing Teru remembered was the taste of blood in her mouth.
Then...everything stopped.