Lost Out Of Time

Chapter One

Life is A Bitch

“What in the hell was I thinking of?” Amanda muttered to herself as the car fishtailed again for the hundredth time and she struggled to keep it on the narrow dirt road. Slowly coming to a stop she straightened the wheels and stared ahead through the white curtain of snow as it was whipped through the narrow ravine by a strong wind. It shook loose snow from the trees that lined both sides of the track and dumped it with a loud thwack on the top of the car. The cabin lay up ahead another three miles the best she could figure. She just hoped she could make it. The edges of what was fast becoming a faint track blended with the forest that stretched out on either side for miles. A whine from the back seat echoed her unease.

“I know, Glori, I should have checked the weather before we left that last town.” She rubbed the nose of the golden retriever that rested on her right shoulder. It should have been a four-hour drive and the forecast had been for six to eight inches of snow over the next three days. She had been on the road for seven hours and the snow had already surpassed that. The storm had swept out of Canada reaching further south then expected and the lake effect snow generated as it crossed the Great Lakes had deposited eighteen inches in just the past six hours. Luckily the main roads had been clear most of the way and she had not had any difficulty until she had turned off onto the less travelled roads leading up into the northern part of the state.

Not for the first time she was grateful for her decision to buy the small sturdy SUV. She knew it had not been a popular decision with a number of her friends and certainly not her family who were serious environmentalists, but as a doctor and a neonatal surgeon she needed the four-wheel drive and heavier weight to navigate the roads in all kinds of weather. Winters upstate was notoriously unpredictable and her tiny patients had little time to spare when they were in crisis.

“Damn it Eric, damn your Joyce, in my house, in our bed, how could you?”

Her voice broke and she finally let go the tears she had held back for the past painful three days. Turning to the dog that had climbed over the seat back and snuggled up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his thick coat. His front leg settled on a shoulder and he whined softly, licking her hands and face trying to comfort her.

* * * * *

Amanda had never had much time to pursue personal relationships while attending medical school and completing her residency. She was surprised when two years earlier she had started a relationship with an engineer, Eric Devere, she had met through her brother. At first, his heavy travel schedule and the long hours she put in at the hospital left them little time together. As the relationship deepened they both sought ways to improve it and after deliberating for several months she invited him to move into her town house.

During the early months the arrangement suited them both well. Amanda found Eric easy to live with and her adjustments had been surprisingly few. It wasn’t until his travel schedule had changed and lightened considerably so that he had more available time to spend at home he began to resent the hours she worked. She was at a loss on how to repair the growing rift between them. When she had been called back to a couple of emergencies at the hospital causing her to cancel accompanying him to his company Christmas party and family Thanksgiving, he had been furious.

Amanda recognized she had to do something if she wanted to save their relationship. She made plans to spend most of Christmas and New Years with him and requested time off. Because she had often covered other holidays for her colleagues they were more then happy to cover for her.

Leaving work a few hours earlier then usual the Friday before Christmas she picked up a small tree and turkey with all the fixings. Amanda smiled thinking of the special gift she had found for Eric after hours of searching the Internet. It was an antique set of engineering drawing tools similar to the one they had seen in a local museum that he had admired. She had also made reservations for New Years at a nearby romantic bed and breakfast one of the nurses had used during her honeymoon and highly recommended. Humming and very pleased with her plans and the thought of being home first, she easily navigated traffic and reached her front door in record time. Parking her car in the garage she was surprised to see Eric’s Land Rover already there.

Quietly entering the kitchen she noted the wine on the table and grinned thinking of her surprising him for a change. Putting the groceries on the counter she quietly entered the hall and looked for him all through the downstairs. Not finding him she started up the stairs when she heard his voice in the bedroom they shared. Frowning Amanda opened the door and there to her horror found Eric and his secretary Joyce in bed, nude and the smell of wine and sex permeating the room. It took a few moments before the lovers felt her presence. Eric froze when he saw her and started to get up.

Amanda stared at him; her face ashen and drained of all color then silently turned away, descended the stairs and re-entered the kitchen. When Eric followed her he started to say something. She cut him off, stone faced.

“I want you out of here, both of you, in the next five minutes. You can return and get the rest of your things tomorrow while I am at the hospital. Then I never want to see you ever again.”

“Amanda.”

“Five minutes, Eric, then I am calling the police.”

“That won’t be necessary, Amanda.” He turned away then looked back. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry for bringing her here.”

Over the next couple of days she donated the bedroom furniture to a charity, changed the locks, reset the security codes for both the house and the garage and effectively removed all trace of his presence from the house. Unable to face its emptiness over the holidays, she called her brother, Ted, to request the loan of the family cabin. After some discussion he reluctantly agreed.

“Mandy, it’s pretty isolated out there and they are predicting a storm. Won’t you consider coming over here and spending Christmas with us? You know you are welcome any time.”

“I know, little brother, but I need some time to myself so I can get my head back on straight. I will have Glori with me and you can reach me on my cell phone. Do you know what other things I need to take?”

“Calli made sure the place was pretty well stocked with canned goods before we left this fall. There is a lot of mom’s home made canned stuff and dry goods stored in the silver tubs in the basement along with plenty of fuel for the generator in the shed. Dad and I stacked a couple of cords of wood on the side porch so you should be ok once you get there.”

“Sounds like you all were preparing for a lot of serious winter use.”

“Nope, just hunting season, then dad broke his ankle and we didn’t go. We had hoped to get every one together up there for some skiing or snowmobiling when the snow was deep enough but even that has had to be put on hold with Calli’s pregnancy. You be careful and let us know when you get there, will you?”

“I will Ted, and thanks.”

“No thanks needed. It belongs to the whole family.

“Bye, little brother. My best to Calli.”


“Drive carefully. You’re the only sister I have. Oh and Mandy? I am sorry Eric turned out to be such a bastard.”

“Me too, I’ll call when I get there.”


* * * * * *

It was some time before Amanda spent her tears. She became aware that the wind had died down and the snow had tapered off. Using her wipers to clear off the accumulated snow from the windshield and the rear window, she restarted the car and found she could move forward with little problem. She blessed heeding her brother’s advice and getting the snow tires the week before. She covered another mile or two before she encountered a strange thick heavy fog that lay close to the ground like dirty wet wool. Opening her side window she wrinkled her nose at the acrid smell that billowed into the car with the fog and managed to make it down a little hill, across the wooden bridge that marked the start of their property and up the last quarter mile to the cabin. Heaving a sigh of relief, she pulled up to the wide front porch that ran the width of the two story stone building.

Her grandfather had built the whole thing himself with the help of her father and his two brothers. It was a gracious cabin that had sheltered her family for three generations. He and her grandmother had emigrated from Scotland just after getting married. With a small inheritance from her grand mother they had purchased the property upstate initially intending to do some commercial logging. For a number of reasons including the Wall Street Crash of 1929 they had not been able to do so and eventually the cabin had become a rustic retreat for the growing family.

Just as she finished unloading the car and moving it to park in the shelter of the storage shed the storm began again in earnest. She called her brother to let him know she had made it and then turned her attention to starting a fire in the fireplace and putting her groceries away. Crossing back to the shed she started the generator after checking the supply of fuel. Returning to the cabin made up a bed with fresh linens in her small bedroom upstairs, then preparing a hot meal for herself and feeding Glori she settled down in front of the fire to relax and listen to the radio before she turned in for the night.

The next morning broke under a blinding blue sky as can only happen after a storm has blown through. When Amanda awoke to Glori’s insistent woofs to go out, she realized she had slept dreamlessly through the night and the tension in her head and shoulders were gone. After letting the dog out she started a pot of coffee and returned to watch Glori through the window as he jack rabbited through the deep snowdrifts that surrounded the building. She laughed as he burrowed his nose through the snow and tossed small clumps of snow into the air or tried to catch the bits that fell from the trees. Finally calling him back in she fed him and poured her self a cup of coffee savoring its rich smell as she drank it. Warming her hands on the cup she returned to the window and gazed out at the panorama of undulating forests in shades of blue green and bare trunks wearing hats of white snow and silhouetted against the hills rising to the tall mountains blanketed in snow beyond. In the far distance she could see a hawk circling as it hunted. There was the occasional snap of a tree limb or trunk as it gave way to the weight of the newly fallen snow. And then there was the silence, the peacefulness of a world apart. She felt it permeating and soothing her aching soul.

Reluctantly shaking herself she began to mentally review what she would need to do if the forecast held. They were expecting another storm to pass through bringing four to six feet of heavy wet snow during the next forty-eight hours. She hoped she would be able to get out afterwards. She considered starting up one of the snowmobiles stored in the basement garage before the storm arrived just to be sure she could. She worried momentarily how she would get Glori out then remembered the old sled that they had attached to the snowmobile in past winters and hauled wood and even the occasional Christmas tree. With some coxing he would ride it.

Glori finished his food and nosed around the floor hopefully searching for the last bit when he lifted his head and ran to the front door. After listening intently for a while he suddenly began scratching excitedly at it and whining. Looking back at his mistress he wagged his tail wildly and danced around in circles.

Amanda immediately was alert and told him to lie down and be quiet. Cautiously she crossed from the kitchen to the front window and looked through the curtains. She watched as a bundled figure on snowshoes came up the road towards the cabin. The figure stopped suddenly at the edge of the clearing and she got the impression he was surprised at finding the cabin in front of him. He turned around studying the landscape and appeared puzzled at what he was seeing. Finally turning back toward the cabin he slowly approached and threw back the lynx fur lined hood of the heavy brown cloak he was wearing.

At first she took him for a Native American but as he came closer there were some things that didn’t fit. He was very tall and walked with the natural gait of an athlete. His facial features were sculpted and he had high check bones. His black hair was long and pulled back from his brow with a number of small braids and the rest hung loose down his back. His skin was fair with a pearly glow unlike that of the typical ruddier Native American. He wore a pack on his back and she could see what appeared to be an old fashion hunting bow slung with it. On closer examination the snowshoes were of a style she had never seen and his cloths had another worldliness about them.

Amanda looked around for something she might use as a weapon. Her eyes stopped on the antique gun that her mother had bought at a garage sale years before and now hung over the mantle. Even though it no longer worked, he would not know that.

“Hello, is there anyone there?” came her visitor’s voice. He spoke with an accent she didn’t recognize. Now holding the gun she called Glori to her then opened the door cautiously.

“What do you want?” she asked in a blunt tone.

“Forgive this intrusion my lady, I became lost in the storm last night and I have no idea where I am. Can you direct me towards Rivendell?”

She frowned at his archaic language and shook her head.

“Sorry, never heard of such a place around here.”

He studied her, “Are you of the Dunedain? Perhaps you can direct me to Arathorn’s encampment.” He now stood at the bottom of the stairs leading to the porch gazing up at her with storm grey eyes.

She studied him in return. Something nagged at the back of her mind. It was as if she recognized something in what he was speaking of but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Then it dawned on her as she glanced down at Glori, Tolkien, books, Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth, movies, and the actor.


Chapter Two

This Isn't Happening!

“Is this some kind of joke?” She responded angrily lifting the gun. “Because if it is, you had better be prepared to explain yourself.”

“I do not understand your strange words, my lady,” He lifted his hands in bewilderment and quirked a famous brow, “but I do assure you, I am Elrond of Imladris. My hunting party and I became separated in the storm last night. It was most fortunate that I found a cave just up the road beyond a wooden bridge when the fog mists descended; otherwise I would have had a most uncomfortable night. If you cannot direct me to Arathorn’s encampment, can you direct me to the nearest settlement? I fear the storm is about to settle in again and I would like to find cover before it does.”

Amanda could never explain what happened next. Why she decided he really was who he claimed to be and that he posed no danger to her.

“I do believe you…my lord,” she stumbled over the form of address. “If the storm is starting up again, then you had better stay here. I have no idea how you will rejoin your friends, but you will be safe until the storm blows itself out.”

“My lady, I suspect by your caution that you are here alone. I have no wish to cause you unease. I can return to the cave where I found shelter last evening. It provided me much need protection from the cold and it will do so again.“

“Perhaps, but you do not know how bad the storms blowing off the lakes can get. This one according to the latest forecasts appears to be one of the worst we have experienced in nearly two hundred years. If that is true you would not survive the night out there.”

“You have the ability to foresee the future?” he asked mystified as he climbed the steps.

“Foresee the future?” She saw his puzzlement then laughed, as she understood his comment. “No, I will explain it later.” She opened the door wider and stepped back. Glori wiggled a welcome and Elrond bent to hold out a hand to him. She shut the door behind them as the wind picked up."

“He is a beautiful dog, but I have never seen one like him before. What is he called my lady? What does he do?”

“His name is Glori,” she stopped embarrassed, “short for Glorfindel. My brother named him, he is a fan of Tolkien and he thought his coat was like one the character’s hair. His kind is specially bred to hunt birds.”

Elrond scratched Glori’s head and with twinkling eyes shook his head in amusement. “My balrog slayer would not be pleased, I think. If you happen to meet him it would be best to not explain the derivation of Glori’s name.”

She grinned back at him. “My name, by the way, is Amanda Cameron. My friends call me Mandy. You can put your things there in the corner on the bench. I have some hot water heating on the stove. Based on the stories I believe you drink tea instead of coffee but I doubt if I have a flavor you will be familiar with. I certainly don’t have any miruvor. ”

Elrond turned after placing his pack on the bench, a strange look on his face. “When I first arrived you didn’t seem to recognize me or any of the names I mentioned, yet now you have referred to several things that indicate you do indeed know of us. Who or what is this Tolkien and what stories are you referring to, my lady?”

Amanda looked at him trying to frame a reply he would understand and accept. “I am not sure I can explain without sounding like a crazy woman.” She finally said. “If you will be patient while I fix some tea for us I will try to do so while we enjoy it.”

He looked at her through narrowed eyes and considered her request. Finally he nodded and as she turned towards the kitchen he slowly removed his heavy cloak and a fur lined tunic, hanging both over a chair near the fireplace to dry. He sat down and pulled his boots off and placed them near the fire as well.

As Amanda bustled about the kitchen beyond his sight he studied the interior of the cabin both bewildered and fascinated by what he saw. There was nothing he recognized. The lines of the furniture were rustic and bulky, totally unlike the graceful lines he was used to. Yet it was surprisingly comfortable. The patterns of the rugs on the floor were geometric and woven in strong bold colors. There were pictures on the fireplace mantle and on the walls that bore no resemblance to anything he had seen before. He rose and studied them more carefully. They included scenes of a family as it grew and the activities they participated in along the way. He easily identified the child that was Amanda and through the strong resemblance among them, the older couple as her parents and the young boy as her brother.

He was puzzled by their strange clothing and shocked by their skimpy outfits while they played about in a lake. One picture showed a laughing Amanda holding on to a line and standing on the water behind a strange boat. It was apparent that the boat was moving and pulling her with no apparent method of doing so. There were no sails and it was too large for paddles. Another showed a strange kind of wagon but there were no horses or oxen hitched to it. Shaking his head he moved further down the mantle where he found one of Amanda dressed in a strange green tunic and leggings with a cap that covered her head. She was holding an infant and smiling at the artist.

He turned as she re-entered the room carrying a tray with tea and bowls of thick hot cereal. “I thought you might need something hot besides the tea to warm your innards. I had some oatmeal in the cupboard that should do the trick.”

He bowed his head gracefully and reached to take the tray from her and placed it on the table in front of the fire. “I thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

She smiled as Glori poked his head around her and sniffed. “No Glori, you have had your breakfast. This is ours.” The dog lifted sad, pleading eyes and tentatively wag his tail at Elrond. He shook his head and placed a hand on the dog’s head and murmured a soft word of regret. Glori heaved a big sigh and returned to lie on the rug in front of the fireplace.

“Glori must be good company for the child.” Elrond gestured toward the picture.

Startled Amanda looked at him and than at the picture. With a sad smile, “That is one of my patients. I have no children.”

“Patient? You are a healer?”

“Yes, I am a surgeon. My specialty deals with high-risk infants. That particular little fellow we had to do an in uterine repair of a hole in his heart. He is now five and a holy terror.”

Elrond looked at her in horror. “You cut into the mother’s womb and operated on the unborn child?”

She frowned, “While such surgery is relatively common now and conducted by highly trained doctors, we never undertake it without careful consideration of the consequences. Without it these children most likely would not survive.”

“Where and what have I stumbled into?” he muttered in bewilderment. Closing his eyes and shuddering, he gripped the cup of tea tightly then set it carefully down on the table before raising his eyes to her. “Will you please explain!”

“I am not sure I can,” she said thoughtfully. “If what I suspect has happened, you will not want to believe me. It certainly is not rational.”

“Try me.” He sat forward and watched her intently.

“Very well. This is not the middle earth you know, and the date here is the year 2007. There is no way to equate it because we are far in your future. Somehow you have moved through time from where you were in your world to this one.”

He studied her through narrowed eyes as he considered her words. “You are right, my lady, it is not rational.” He switched his attention to the cabin and gestured around, “Yet nothing here speaks to me of my world and I have not sensed any of my family or friends.” He became silent and tried to absorb what it could all mean.

Amanda nodded, “It is not an easy thing to accept, and to be honest, I have no idea if, in fact, the whole thing is just the other way around.”

“You mean that you and this piece of your world somehow was sent back to mine.” He paused and added that idea to the mix of his already jumbled thoughts.

“Yes, but there may be a way to find out.”

“How?” He folded his hands and leaned forward his arms resting on his thighs.

“I will call my brother.”

“He is near here?”

“No, I will use my cell phone.”

“Cell phone?” Mentally he kicked himself. Why was he only able to speak in one syllable words?

“It is a communications device that we use to talk to one another over distances.” She explained in simple words that she hoped was clear enough for him. “If it works, we are in my world. If not, most likely we are in yours.”

“How would we confirm which world is which?”

“I can’t guarantee either way until I try. If my call goes through we are in my world.” She hesitated before continuing. “The problem is that there can be interruptions caused by weather, mountains that block signals, or power outages that can prevent the phone from working.”

“I am sorry, my lady, I do not understand what you are saying.”

Amanda sighed, “I know. I cannot explain it to you either. I wish I could. There are many technical things that my people have developed or invented over hundreds of years and it would take more than a few words or hours to describe to you. We may have time later.”

He frowned, “Time later?”

“There is the possibility that the visitor to which ever world we exist in now will not be able to return to their own.”

“I could be trapped here.” He understood at once.

“Or I could be trapped in yours.” She continued reluctantly.

“Use the cell phone, my lady.”

She crossed to the table where the cell phone lay. Picking it up, she punched in the number. As it rang, she relaxed imperceptibly and turned to face Elrond. She frowned when the voice mail kicked in and rang off without leaving a message.

“It didn’t work?” he asked hesitantly.

“It did, but my brother doesn’t answer.”

“Then we are in your world.” He was dismayed.

“It would seem so.”

He shoulders slumped, “I must go back, there are many things I have to accomplish in my time and world.”

“We may be able to figure it out, so don’t be discouraged just yet.”

“You are optimistic.” He smiled wryly.

“I have to be in my work. Other wise, we would never be able to do what we do successfully.” She dimpled back at him momentarily then became serious once more.

“I should search for traces of some kind of passage between our worlds.” Elrond started to put his boots back on.

Amanda shook her head. “With the storm moving back in, you would not get far and you would die of the cold.” Her words were underscored as a blast of wind rattled the windows and shook the doors.

He paused, “You have a suggestion?”

“I think we should consider any action we take carefully. We should see if we can pinpoint when and what occurred at the time you made the move to this world.”

He rose and crossed to a window, watching as the snow became a heavy white curtain that obscured the world outside. “It would appear your suggestion has merit.”

“The storm will be very bad for the next few days. We have plenty of food and wood for the fire. We are safe here in the cabin. While we wait for the weather to clear, we can consider what to do to get you back to your world. If we should fail, we can explore how best for you to exist in this
one.”

“I could be here a very long time.” He was pensive.

“I don’t understand.”

“Elves live a very long time, my lady, we are immortal.”

She blinked, “I should have remembered the stories.”

“You mentioned them before. Will you explain what you are talking about?”

She crossed to a bookcase and searched the shelves, pulling out a couple of well-worn books and returned to hand them to him. “I don’t know if you will be able to understand these words, but if not, I can read them to you. I am surprised we can comprehend each other’s words since you speak Sindarin and I speak English. Somehow, what ever caused the connection between our worlds has allowed us to communicate.”

He took the books and leafed through them. “I do not recognize this writing system.”

She shrugged. “I expected as much. Let us get you settled in a bedroom and I will explain how things work here. After that I will give you a quick rundown on the author of the stories and try to explain what they have told us about your world. It would be interesting to hear of your world from you and compare how accurate he was.”

“Will you tell me also of your world and your family?”

“That might not be a wise idea,” she grimaced, “You might find it very frightening.”

“I do not believe any thing can be more frightening then Sauron.” He grimaced, “ He has caused untold misery for much of my world foe millennia.”

“You may be right, but we have had a few madmen here who could give Sauron a run for his money.”

“By that do you mean they are his equal?”

She nodded, “I certainly think so if the story Tolkien tells is accurate. But we have had a lot of good men as well, so it helps overcome the effects of their evil.”

“Such efforts are necessary, unfortunately.” He nodded in agreement.

“I know.”

“I will be interested in such an exchange of information, but I would like to bath and change to clean garments first. Three days on the trail and sleeping in caves do not encourage comfort or cleanliness.”

She studied his figured and he noted with some amusement her obvious interest. “You are about my brother’s size and there should be some of his clothes upstairs that will fit you. We can see about cleaning your things later.”

He nodded, “If he will not object, I would be grateful for the loan.”

“He would be delighted to know you wore them. Amanda chuckled at the thought of her brother’s expression when he learned of Elrond’s visit. “He loves the stories of middle earth and would have no problem of moving there if his wife would agree and go along.” She rose from the chair and moved toward the stairs.

“If he is much like you, my lady, he would be most welcome in Imladris.” He gave her a warm approving glance as he swung his pack up on his back and followed her up the narrow stairs to a small room tucked under the eve of the roof. His eyes were drawn to the trim firm bottom in front of him as they advanced to the upper floor. Turning she indicated a bedroom then pointed out the bathroom.

Catching the warm gleam reflected in his storm grey eyes as he followed her narrative, Amanda blushed. As she explained the secrets of the bathroom a picture of him first in the shower then bathing in the tub, had her babbling nervously. She barely showed him the workings of the toilet before she jerkily opened the linen cupboard and pointed out towels and soap as well as shampoo. At his nod of understanding she fled and entered her own bedroom throwing herself down on the bed.

“Real smooth, Amanda, you certainly impressed him! And how can you even be interested when you just broke off with someone else? You know he has a wife back where he comes from, so just cool it.”

Just where was this whole strange thing going any way?