Snow and the 13 dwarves

Chapter 1: How did I get here?

(Sarah's POV)

I stirred.
My head felt sore, and I winced as I touched the forming bump.
I groaned and whined, "OwowOW...." Instant regret began to flood my mind, and I couldn't tell if the tears were from the incident or from shock. With a sigh, I continued to mumble, "That hurt."

Opening my eyes felt too troublesome of a task, so I tried to get up instead. Propping myself up with my hands, I merely sat there. Strangely, a warm breeze met my ears. I noticed that the temperature had gotten noticeably warmer. That wasn't the only thing that struck me as odd. Surprisingly, the only sounds my ears got were silence. And as I felt around with my hands, marsh didn't squelch beneath me. Instead, my fingers were met with grass.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "That's weird," I muttered to myself, before calling out, "Hello? Is anyone still there?" There must have been a wreck or something, I thought. I became frustrated and exclaimed, "What the heck were you doing!?! Driving straight towards me?!?" Assuming the driver was still around, I angrily called out, "Why were you driving so fast???" I was met with silence. Maybe the driver is hurt, I thought worriedly. Deciding that it was time to stop sitting on my butt, I tried to open my eyes again. I was surprised. Warm sunlight was glittering through tall trees.

"Woah," I started, very confused, "Wait... What?"
I was in a completely different forest.
Although the forest at home was green, the forest here was... green, like when you see something in a picture versus what you see in real life. And there was no car, nor damaged bushes, and my bike was nowhere to be seen. Weird. No, make that extremely weird.

"What? What? Gosh. How long was I out?" I asked myself, trying to register the fact that it was sunny and that there was no car. Darn guy must have driven off and left me for dead, I thought disappointedly, Of all the nerve. I mumbled more questions to myself as I stood up.

Brushing off my jeans, I looked around. Nothing seemed familiar. "Um... Okay? What?" I said repeatedly, trying to put together any reasons as to how I got here. Worry overcame me as I wondered if I had been knocked out and kidnapped. I saw a clearing of the woods in the distance and decided to walk that way. When I got to the edge of the forest, my jaw dropped, and I couldn't decide whether I should be panicking or fangirling.
Instead, I stared in confusion. "Wait... What?"

There before me lay Hobbiton.

Little hobbits were walking down dirt paths around the hills, a lake was shining in the sunlight, and there was a market bustling with people down below.

Taking a step forward, I realized I was on a dirt road. I laughed and fangirled in confusion for a moment, then stood, mouth agape, and tried to think of a logical explanation as to why I could be here. "I've died I guess?" I told myself happily. There was no explanation, and that partially worried me. Was I on a prank show? I scanned the area for any signs of movie set pieces, or a giant camera filming my reaction. The grass seemed real enough. As I continued to wonder, my eye caught a tall old man coming down the road. He was wearing a pointy blue hat that was almost grey, and he had a long, grey beard flowing down to his belly. Along with a long dark grey robe, he held a tall wooden staff in his hand. With a bewildered glee, I automatically guessed who he was.

As he continued to walk, he eyed me and arched a bushy eyebrow. I simply waved and smiled in confusion, wondering if I had actually died and gone to heaven. My eyes and mouth must have been bigger than saucers or something because he stopped walking and said, "It is considered very rude to stare, especially when one's mouth is open."
I didn't even realize it was open, but I immediately shut my mouth.

(Gandalf's POV)

She quickly closed her mouth. She certainly was dressed strangely, for she wore tight blue trousers and some short coat with no opening, which was strange for the time of year being near the end of April. She continued staring at me, grinning, eyes clearly big in awe, and asked, "Are you Gandalf?"

I slowly answered, "Yes?... And who might you be?"
"OmiGOSH," and a hop was the response that I got.
Realizing what she had said, she quickly asked, "Oh sorry, I mean, I'm not from around here." Looking around and smiling, she continued, "Um, where am I, exactly?

"You're in Hobbiton, home of hobbits of the Shire," I explained slowly, wondering if she was drunk, "Now, how do you come to know my name? I have never seen you here before."

She slapped herself. Twice. She then proceeded to pinch herself. "I KNEW it." Blinking and grinning from ear to ear in uncertainty, she proceeded to say, "I can't believe this. I'm in the hobbit." "Excuse me," I asked, noticing a bruise forming on the side of her head, "but you didn't answer my question. And what do you mean? What do you mean you're 'in a hobbit'?"

She stopped and said, "I'm sorry- It's just... I'm here! I never expected to be here, of all places! And I know I should be freaking out, but I just- agh!" She seemed to be thinking for a moment, and then finally said, "Hi I'm Sarah, and I dunno if this means anything, but I'm from another world? The last thing I remember is... hitting my head, I think?" That explained where the large bruise came from. She sighed and continued, "Anyhoo, either someone voodooed me here, or I'm on a Peter Jackson set, or I'm in a coma or something. Cause I have no idea how I got here. But this..." She motioned around herself as she said, "This is legit the best place to wake up."

She turned her gaze back to me as she continued to ask, "Being a wizard, I don't know if you could maybeee magic me back or something? Or, if not, do you mind if I stick around with you wherever you're going?"

I was silent for a moment. Never had I met anyone with a story like this. I couldn't tell if she was crazy or telling the truth. But I knew for certain that I had given her no information and that she had called me a wizard. Slowly, I said, "Well, I don't know if I could enchant you back, but if you would like you could follow me." "Thanks so much," she interrupted, but I continued, "I don't know where you come from, but here it is also considered very rude to interrupt." She quickly apologized and allowed me to continue. "But only for this afternoon," I explained, walking and glancing at her. "We could get you situated at the Green Dragon or something of the sort. Although, the hobbits will, of course, charge you for rent. Afterwards, I must be off. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure, and I believe I know just the fellow for the job." Smiling, she said, "Okay then 'Mr. Gandalf'. Let's go." What does 'okay' mean? I thought to myself, continuing down the dirt road with a newfound companion and towards the home of a certain hobbit of whom I suspected to be in need of an adventure.

(Sarah's POV)

I have no idea how Igot here, I thought seriously. Myseriousness lessened as I continued to think about the fact that I was inMiddle Earth. Or at least, I thought Iwas... for now. This actor was prettygood, I'd have to give him that. Not exactlylike Ian McKellen, but very close to it. And when Gandalf had said he waslooking for someone to share in an adventure, my mind automatically puttogether the clues, and I knew where he was going.