THE SAD FATE OF PETER BRACEGIRDLE
4.12.04
September 30 of 3018 of the Third Age; 1418 in Shire Reckoning

Quiet Wraith: *It was late afternoon and Peter Bracegirdle was returning from a visit to Fatty Bolger. Fatty had loaned him some of Frodo's clothes that did not fit him*
Quiet Wraith: *Peter had gone on the main road and was walking back to Buckland*
Quiet Wraith: *when he felt a sudden wave of apprehension. He did not understand this because he had been happy when he started back home*
Quiet Wraith: *But progressively as he walked he felt a presence of fear coming towards him*
Peter Bracegirdle: *he ducked behind a tree to see what it was*
Quiet Wraith: *he had never experienced this in his life and he tried to dismiss it as something he had eaten for supper that had given him a bit of nausea*
Quiet Wraith: *He sees three black riders on black horses, an air of fear seeming to come from them and radiate towards him*
Quiet Wraith: *the riders halt their horses near the tree*
Quiet Wraith: *a sniffing sound is heard*
Quiet Wraith: *they talk in languages that he does not understand, in eerie hissing voices, evil sounding*
Peter Bracegirdle: *Peter remembers his last conversation with Frodo*
Quiet Wraith: *but they clearly say the word Bagginsssss*
Peter Bracegirdle: *remembers the fear in Frodo's eyes as he mentioned that he was being pursued but would not say by whom*
Peter Bracegirdle: *Peter cannot believe the sight before him--that such ominous figures could enter the Shire*
Peter Bracegirdle: *or that they could be pursuing Frodo*
Quiet Wraith: *all three riders get off the horse and sniff the air around them*
Peter Bracegirdle: *But they said "Baggins"*
Quiet Wraith: *their dark hoods cover their faces concealing their identities*
Peter Bracegirdle: *They must not get to him*
Peter Bracegirdle: *steps out from behind the tree*
Quiet Wraith: *One of them says to the others* Bagginssss
Quiet Wraith: *they sense his presence and see him as a shadow through the dim mist of their eyes*
Peter Bracegirdle: *stands in front of the Riders*
Peter Bracegirdle: *speaks in a voice strained with fear*
Peter Bracegirdle: You will not find him here
Quiet Wraith: *one of them faces him and two of them quickly go towards his back*
Quiet Wraith: Baggins?
Peter Bracegirdle: You will never find Master Baggins
Quiet Wraith: *they sniff at him*
Quiet Wraith: You smell like Baggins, and the Ring
Peter Bracegirdle: He has escaped you
Quiet Wraith: *one nods to the other and says* Ash nazg.....
Peter Bracegirdle: Your quest is futile
Peter Bracegirdle: Why are you here in the Shire?
Quiet Wraith: You lie
Peter Bracegirdle: No, I do not lie
Quiet Wraith: Our business is with Bagginss
Quiet Wraith: And we think thou art he
Peter Bracegirdle: *backs away and stumbles over a root*
Quiet Wraith: Resist us not
Peter Bracegirdle: I told you, Baggins has gone away
Quiet Wraith: *the one in front approaches him*
Peter Bracegirdle: You have to leave the Shire
Peter Bracegirdle: Leave us alone!
Quiet Wraith: *and draws from beneath his robe a sword and a dagger*
Peter Bracegirdle: *continues backing away*
Quiet Wraith: You lie
Quiet Wraith: You are Baggins
Peter Bracegirdle: *shakes his head vigorously*
Quiet Wraith: *the two behind him part away*
Quiet Wraith: *The one in the front looks down at him*
Quiet Wraith: The Ring! The Ring!
Peter Bracegirdle: *feels the desire to run but is paralyzed with fear*
Quiet Wraith: *They all chant* The Ring! The ring!
Peter Bracegirdle: *opens his mouth to say he does not have the Ring*
Peter Bracegirdle: *but his throat is dry and he cannot speak*
Quiet Wraith: To Mordor we will take you!
Quiet Wraith: You are Baggins. We know it
Quiet Wraith: Put on the Ring
Quiet Wraith: Do not resist us
Peter Bracegirdle: *yells* I am not Baggins!
Quiet Wraith: You try our patience
Peter Bracegirdle: I am not the one you want
Quiet Wraith: Yes but you are
Peter Bracegirdle: He is gone
Quiet Wraith: You are Baggins
Peter Bracegirdle: !Leave us alone!
Peter Bracegirdle: All of the hobbits, leave us alone
Quiet Wraith: *the one in front takes his dagger*
Quiet Wraith: *holds it above peter's prostrate body*
Quiet Wraith: *it gleems with greenish white glow*
Peter Bracegirdle: *tries to slide away*
Quiet Wraith: *and plunges it down*
Quiet Wraith: *into his heart*
Peter Bracegirdle: *screams*
Peter Bracegirdle: *lies there panting*
Peter Bracegirdle: *then passes out*
Quiet Wraith: *the blade hits the ground beneath Peter driven with angry force*
Quiet Wraith: *and shatters on impact*
Quiet Wraith: *they kneel down to his body*
Quiet Wraith: *and search his clothes for the Ring*
Peter Bracegirdle: *floats in a kind of half consciousness*
Peter Bracegirdle: *feels nothing but pain and cold*
Quiet Wraith: *they still search and find nothing*
Peter Bracegirdle: *wonders if he will die*
Quiet Wraith: *Khamul, the first one, says* Skai... this one is worthless
Quiet Wraith: *he says to the others in the language of Mordor*
Quiet Wraith: We will leave him here to die
Peter Bracegirdle: *wakes up*
Quiet Wraith: My messenger, take his body into the bushes and hide it
Quiet Wraith: Let no one find it
Peter Bracegirdle: *tries to wave the wraiths away but screams in pain at the movement*
Quiet Wraith: until he is.... gone...
Peter Bracegirdle: !Help!
Quiet Wraith: Then anyone looking for him will find.... nothing
Peter Bracegirdle: !Someone help me
Quiet Wraith: *Khamul tells the others but Peter can't understand it* My brothers, let not this get back to Mordor
Quiet Wraith: The Eye will fry me for this
Peter Bracegirdle: *attempts to crawl away*
Quiet Wraith: I should have used the Black Breath to paralize him and then search him, but he made me angry and I struck
Peter Bracegirdle: *makes slow progress*
Quiet Wraith: Brothers, he is already in our world...
Quiet Wraith: I can see him
Peter Bracegirdle: *turns and sees the wraiths clearly for the first time*
Quiet Wraith: Perhaps we should stay and watch him for a while?
Quiet Wraith: Brothers, this one went quick
Quiet Wraith: *they see him very quickly*
Peter Bracegirdle: *his jaw drops at the eerie robed figures he can now see*
Peter Bracegirdle: *the world around him becomes blurry*
Quiet Wraith: At least we do not have to worry now about hiding his body. *he laughs almost maniaclly*
Peter Bracegirdle: *frantically wonders what is happening*
Peter Bracegirdle: *tries to get up to run away*
Quiet Wraith: *they all mutter among themselves... oh curses, curses*
Peter Bracegirdle: *falls down heavily*
Quiet Wraith: *The three of them confer together in whispers in the dark tongue but suddenly he can understand it*
Quiet Wraith: Brothers, he fights too much
Peter Bracegirdle: *begins to watch the Riders again*
Quiet Wraith: My friends, we will not take him to Mordor. We will leave him here as a wraith, a ghost
Peter Bracegirdle: *is afraid they will stab him again*
Quiet Wraith: *they decide to mock him*
Peter Bracegirdle: *speaks to the wraiths* A...what?
Quiet Wraith: Our little friend, welcome to our world
Peter Bracegirdle: *listens in horror*
Quiet Wraith: What do you think of it?
Quiet Wraith: But we would not be so cruel as to take you to Mordor!
Quiet Wraith: You can stay here and be near your friends forever
Peter Bracegirdle: *raises himself on his elbow*
Quiet Wraith: Get up and face us
Peter Bracegirdle: What is happening?
Peter Bracegirdle: Why can I understand you now?
Quiet Wraith: The process is complete, and quickly
Quiet Wraith: Your body has faded forever
Quiet Wraith: You can understand us now because we will it
Peter Bracegirdle: *notices that the pain has lessened somewhat*
Quiet Wraith: You will soon feel no pain. You will soon feel nothing
Quiet Wraith: And remember nothing but glimpses of the past
Peter Bracegirdle: *crumples on the ground and lets out a cry of despair*
Peter Bracegirdle: *hopes he will be heard*
Quiet Wraith: We are servants of Sauron the Great, Lord of Mordor
Quiet Wraith: Perhaps you have heard of this land?
Peter Bracegirdle: Mordor!
Peter Bracegirdle: Everyone fears that name
Quiet Wraith: Aye, Mordor
Quiet Wraith: You need to fear it no more for you are part of it
Quiet Wraith: And bound to us for eternity
Quiet Wraith: *they laugh*
Peter Bracegirdle: I will not bind myself to Mordor!
Peter Bracegirdle: I will not bind myself to evil!
Quiet Wraith: You already are whether you would will it or not
Quiet Wraith: You are bound to evil and by the stroke of the Morgul blade
Quiet Wraith: You should not have fought us and angered us
Peter Bracegirdle: I should have brought more hobbits to drive you out!
Quiet Wraith: Should I appologize for my mistake? *laughs the most horrifying laugh that Peter ever heard in his life*
Peter Bracegirdle: *reels backward*
Quiet Wraith: Rangers guard your pathetic little land. We killed some at Sarn Ford when we entered
Quiet Wraith: If Men cannot keep us out, what can creatures of your kind do?
Peter Bracegirdle: *sits on a rock and attempts to comprehend what has happened*
Quiet Wraith: What are you anyway?
Quiet Wraith: I have seen no creature like you before
Peter Bracegirdle: *looks squarely at the wraiths*
Peter Bracegirdle: We are hobbits of the Shire.
Quiet Wraith: *the other two wraiths mutter at Khamul... we have spent ages trying to find this horrid land and now you get the wrong one!!*
Peter Bracegirdle: We are simple folk, but we appreciate the most important things in life
Quiet Wraith: Hobbits, what manner of being is that?
Quiet Wraith: You are neither man nor elf
Quiet Wraith: And you look like a little child with hairy feet
Peter Bracegirdle: I believe we are distant kin of men
Quiet Wraith: How old were you?
Peter Bracegirdle: But we are a different race
Quiet Wraith: Yes you have something that smells of the Edain about you
Peter Bracegirdle: I am 30
Quiet Wraith: Were 30.
Peter Bracegirdle: What?
Quiet Wraith: You will always look that age in our world
Peter Bracegirdle: I'm not dead, am I?
Quiet Wraith: Dead?
Quiet Wraith: Ha!
Quiet Wraith: You are in the wraith world
Quiet Wraith: Bound by the One Ring
Peter Bracegirdle: *desperately* How can I get out?
Quiet Wraith: *he laughs* there is no turn in this road
Quiet Wraith: Your course is set
Quiet Wraith: You are like us
Quiet Wraith: But weaker
Quiet Wraith: And are under our command
Quiet Wraith: *the other two mutter amongst themselves.... I wish he weren't! He should have been Baggins!*
Peter Bracegirdle: *Rage boils up in him and he feels a desire to attack them...but realizes that is impossible*
Quiet Wraith: *They all sense his anger and laugh and stare at him imposingly*
Quiet Wraith: *Being taller than average men and quite overwhelming*
Quiet Wraith: *Khamul's messenger says* Is this our prize to be taken to Mordor?
Quiet Wraith: He is worthless
Peter Bracegirdle: *recoils, lying back on the rock*
Quiet Wraith: *they gather around him in a circle*
Quiet Wraith: Khamul, if you had to kill him, why could you not have used your long sword?
Quiet Wraith: *Khamul says* He made me angry. I can speak no more of this.
Peter Bracegirdle: *before they closed in on him he noticed a hobbit passing in the distance*
Peter Bracegirdle: *He calls out to the hobbit*
Quiet Wraith: *peter feels his tongue cleaving to the top of this mouth*
Quiet Wraith: *and he can say nothing*
Peter Bracegirdle: *freezes with terror*
Quiet Wraith: *The three are debating of what should be the fate of this creature*
Peter Bracegirdle: *He can do nothing but lie on the rock looking up at the wraiths*
Quiet Wraith: *and peter understands everything they say*
Quiet Wraith: *Khamul says to the others* Let us leave him here to wander among his own kind
Quiet Wraith: And should he find his way to our city far away, we will bar him entry
Quiet Wraith: So he shall wander forever homeless and unseen
Quiet Wraith: *the other says to Khamul* Let us keep this from the Eye
Quiet Wraith: *they argue * But the Eye will know!
Peter Bracegirdle: *imagines returning to his home and watching his parents grieve fo him, unable to reveal himself*
Peter Bracegirdle: *for
Quiet Wraith: *They talk* We can hide nothing from the Eye!
Peter Bracegirdle: :The Eye sees into the Shire?
Quiet Wraith: He will find out your mistake, Khamul, and we will all be doomed
Quiet Wraith: His thoughts reach us even here
Peter Bracegirdle: *is appalled that the Shire is not really protected*
Quiet Wraith: *Khamul says* You fools, you think by power of thought we can keep the Great Lord from knowing our minds, our hearts, our every deed?
Quiet Wraith: His Eye is not turned to us but he will find out and he will be angry
Peter Bracegirdle: *hears hobbits singing in the distance*
Quiet Wraith: Even now I sense the Eye turns his thought upon this one called Peter
Peter Bracegirdle: *they must be going for a walk, or to a picnic*
Quiet Wraith: *Peter hears in his mind a voice... I see you*
Quiet Wraith: *But you are not Baggins*
Peter Bracegirdle: *the voice blocks out all other sounds*
Peter Bracegirdle: *answers in his head* I am not Baggins...let me go!
Quiet Wraith: *the thought from the Great Eye comes to him.... It matters not, for now you are mine*
Peter Bracegirdle: *covers his ears hoping to block out the voice*
Quiet Wraith: *He feels his mind start to grow colder like death and then is hit by a seering fire... it is Sauron*
Peter Bracegirdle: *is speechless and terrified*
Quiet Wraith: *You.... Peter Bracegirdle... I know your name. You are now a thrall, another one of the spirits who serve Mordor*
Quiet Wraith: *You will bow before my three servants*
Peter Bracegirdle: *is too afraid to protest*
Peter Bracegirdle: *though the thought enrages him*
Quiet Wraith: *He feels some more thoughts from Sauron and he knows that Sauron is not pleased with the one who pierced his heart with the morgul blade*
Peter Bracegirdle: *He looks to Khamul*
Quiet Wraith: *but nothing is important now, nothing but Sauron*
Peter Bracegirdle: *and is drawn back to the Eye*
Quiet Wraith: *Khamul turns away from exchanging fearful and angry whispers among his companions and looks to Peter*
Peter Bracegirdle: *His whole mind and body burn under the Eye's gaze*
Peter Bracegirdle: *He becomes exhausted*
Quiet Wraith: *Sauron says... you are now my servant, by unlucky or lucky doom, so serve me well*
Quiet Wraith: *And the gaze of the Eye turns elsewhere*
Peter Bracegirdle: *lies there panting, his eyes closed*
Quiet Wraith: *Khamul says* You will always feel my fury, little one, for you are my bane!
Peter Bracegirdle: *lies still as if dead*
Peter Bracegirdle: *wishes he were dead*
Peter Bracegirdle: *opens his eyes*
Peter Bracegirdle: *now they are weary and almost soulless*
Quiet Wraith: *The three turn from him and get on their horses. They feel angry, miserable, afraid, disgusted and shocked*
Peter Bracegirdle: *he is too tired to fight anymore*
Peter Bracegirdle: *He rises and begins to follow them slowly*
Peter Bracegirdle: *his head down, not looking at them*
Quiet Wraith: *Peter feels an urge to follow them.... follow them to Mordor, for it draws all under Sauron's command*
Peter Bracegirdle: *stumbles along blindly following the Riders*
Quiet Wraith: *They get on their horses and ride off silently*
Peter Bracegirdle: *lags behind*
Quiet Wraith: *one halts and calls back to him* Bracegirdle! Tell us all you see on your way to Mordor!
Quiet Wraith: We will be waiting for you there!
Quiet Wraith: But you must walk back for we have urgent business
Quiet Wraith: And cannot deal with you
Peter Bracegirdle: *watches the wraiths ride off*
Quiet Wraith: We must search for Baggins and the Ring
Peter Bracegirdle: *as though through a fog, the memory of Frodo returns*
Quiet Wraith: *soon the horses gallop away into the distance on the road*
Peter Bracegirdle: *his life as a hobbit now seems like a long time ago*
Quiet Wraith: *And Bracegirdle, the unwilling wraithling reflects upon what has happened to him*
Quiet Wraith: *but now he is all alone, left to cope with the strange new thing that has happened*
Peter Bracegirdle: *sinks to his knees and raises a horrible cry of rage and despair*
Peter Bracegirdle: *the nearby trees wither*
Peter Bracegirdle: *lies there hoping to die*
Peter Bracegirdle: *after a while he hears one of the singers approach from a distance, still humming*
Peter Bracegirdle: *he painfully raises his head toward the sound*
Peter Bracegirdle: *he sees a blurry figure come into view*
Peter Bracegirdle: *it wears a skirt*
Peter Bracegirdle: *he thinks he recognizes the voice*
Peter Bracegirdle: *it is his fiancee*
Peter Bracegirdle: *he watches her, frozen with grief*
Peter Bracegirdle: *he finds himself making a strange sound, wailing he might call it, under his breath*
Peter Bracegirdle: *the girl looks around to see where the sound came from*
Peter Bracegirdle: *but she seems to see nothing*
Peter Bracegirdle: *she notices some wildflowers and picks some*
Peter Bracegirdle: *Peter struggles to his feet, still in pain from the wound, and makes his way toward her*
Peter Bracegirdle: *calls to her hoarsely* Mary! Dear! My love...*his voice breaks*
Peter Bracegirdle: *she seems to have heard something*
Peter Bracegirdle: *but decides it was the wind in the trees*
Peter Bracegirdle: *for it was so quiet*
Peter Bracegirdle: *Peter remembers the wraiths' curse: to wander unseen*
Peter Bracegirdle: *Peter gratefully realizes he is still able to shed tears as he watches Mary nonchalantly arranging her flowers*
Peter Bracegirdle: *He sits on the end of her log and sobs; she hears it as a wind in the trees*
Peter Bracegirdle: *He rises and moves behind her*
Peter Bracegirdle: *she shivers*
Peter Bracegirdle: *He does not want to cause her discomfort but cannot help himself*
Peter Bracegirdle: *He kneels next to her, puts his arms around her waist and kisses her cheek*
Peter Bracegirdle: *She gets up and pulls her shawl around her*
Peter Bracegirdle: *Peter takes one last look at her*
Peter Bracegirdle: *lets out a shuddering breath*
Peter Bracegirdle: *and turns toward Mordor*
Peter Bracegirdle: *walking wherever he is led*
Peter Bracegirdle: *the wind still wails in those trees in late afternoon*
Peter Bracegirdle: *the end*

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