The Red Maiden, Part Nineteen
The Red Maiden
Content Warning: This story contains Restricted content including intense violence, physical abuse, trauma
This story is written for an adult audience.
Savior
The end was drawing near for Carrie White. Pitch black enveloped her with enough intense strength to surround her. It suffocated Carrie, this advanced darkness. It began to fill the depths inside and embraced her with a welcoming presence, like an old friend who waited for her return. The feeling coursed through her existence. Like drowning, but faster than falling asleep. It is where she belonged.
“Is this what heaven feels like?” Carrie pondered as she found herself, her presence among the endless void. Isn’t she dead? Is this what the afterlife is like? If true, why wasn’t her life flashing before her eyes? She looked around, hoping for some sign of her momma. Of her loved ones. Of God himself and the angels along the golden streets of heaven. None of it made sense, as all she could see and feel was pure darkness.
Panic began to swell inside her like an angry hornet’s nest. She couldn’t decipher if this was heaven, hell, or purgatory like the Catholics believed. It was an advanced darkness that not even the devil could touch. She felt lost, alone, and abandoned as she did in the goblin town caverns. The hopeless despair became an endless eternity. A blinding light abruptly appeared and cast aside the black void. It filled her soul and brought clarity to the chaos, reviving, gravitating, and pulling her towards that light.
A feeling began to overwhelm Carrie as her memories of identity resurged her being she hardly ever felt: love. It was enough to remind Carrie this was not the end for her, the force growing more powerful to bring her back to consciousness. She could hear a whisper of a different language reinforcing that need, that desire for Carrie to return. “You’re not alone,” a familiar voice said softly, warmly in the blinding light. Before Carrie could dare comprehend everything, the light left her sight. Her consciousness overcame her.
She heard low mutterings of concern, despair, and grief as she could feel her existence returning. She could feel a hand on her forehead among the soft murmurs, the same whisper of an ancient language she knew belonged to Gandalf. “Is the lass dead?” she heard Bofur say softly, full of concern and worry in his voice. Was that it? Is this the love that she felt in the void? If that is true, a deep and powerful love around a company became family to her.
Panic overcame her soul the moment she thought about the company. She could recall what happened in the forest and Thorin’s welfare. Hearing a low rumble among Gandalf’s whispering that was Thorin, her fears were now put to rest. It was an urgent tone within his native language as she felt a warm, calloused hand hold one of hers. “Don’t leave me, Carrie,” she heard Thorin whisper as his lips brushed her hand, giving it a soft kiss. It was enough for Carrie to have the strength to awaken, her eyes fluttering open to see Gandalf and Thorin by her side.
“Gandalf? Thorin..?” she moaned out, hoping that this was not an illusion and with everyone she cared deeply about. The relief she saw wash over their expressions and a tearful smile on Thorin’s face was enough to confirm that this was no illusion. “Thorin,” she softly said as she could not contain herself any longer and rose to embrace him as tears left her eyes. She heard the company cheer, relieved that Carrie was awake as she held Thorin close. She felt him embrace her as she buried her face in his chest, breathing in his scent and feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat. Carrie held him tight within her embrace, unwilling to let go as she felt a soothing hand rub her back.
“I thought I lost you. I couldn’t let them take you away. I’m sorry,” she said with a sniffle, powerless to hold back her tears. She began to sob into his chest as Thorin whispered words of comfort and reassurance within his native tongue. Thorin released her, holding her chin and wiping the tears from her face. She gave a small sniff as Thorin smiled warmly, with tears leaving his own eyes.
“Don’t ever apologize for saving my own life, Carrie. I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for you or Bilbo. You belong with the company, as you do with me,” Thorin whispered as Carrie smiled despite her tearful face. Thinking of Bilbo, she pulled away and looked among the company in concern. The moment she saw Bilbo standing near the edge where the company stood, she went over to hug him without a second thought. She began to sob again, afraid to let him go.
“Now, now, don’t shed any tears for me; it’s alright. I’m here,” Bilbo whispered as he held Carrie close. A lot of questions danced in Carrie’s mind about all that occurred. For now, she did not care. What mattered was that everyone was safe, including Bilbo and Thorin. Her thoughts were interrupted as she glanced to see a bird flying past them. Bilbo released Carrie from his embrace, seeing the bird as well, his eyes beginning to fix upon the direction the bird flew towards a lone mountain peak in the distance.
“Erebor..” Carrie whispered as she glanced to see Thorin nearby with a smile, knowing his kingdom, his home, was close to their reach. Carrie smiled in return, glad the dwarves were almost to the doorstep of their lost home. The house was stolen from them thanks to the dragon Smaug. A renowned hope stirred within Carrie as she knew the end of their quest was drawing near.
Another bird followed the first, flying by as Oin remarked the bird was a raven heading back to the mountain as foretold. Gandalf corrected Oin that the bird was a thrush as Thorin looked toward Carrie and Bilbo with a smile. “But we’ll take it as a sign,” Thorin said as Carrie nodded, a smile forming on her face with her hand dangerously close to touching his. Carrie could not help but agree with Thorin as Bilbo remarked how the worst was behind them. Maybe it was, perhaps it was not. All Carrie knew within her heart was that the dwarves would finally reach Erebor, no matter what came their way.
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This is a work of Fanfiction, as none of the content is my original work. Stephen King and J.R.R Tolkien created the characters. The content belongs to MGM and Screen Gems, as the 2013 film remake of Carrie was directed by Kimberly Pierce and produced by Kevin Misher, and additional production is through MGM, Screen Gems, and Misher films as well as distributed by Sony Pictures releasing.
