The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Page #8

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SAM:

Whoa, it’s a bog! He’s led us into a

swamp!

GOLLUM:

A swamp, yes, yes. Come, master. We

will take you on safe paths through

the mist. Come, hobbits, come. We go

quickly.

[Gollum looks back and gestures for

the hobbits to follow.]

GOLLUM:

I found it, I did. The way through the

marshes. Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't

know it. They go round for miles and

miles. Come quickly. Swift and quick

as shadows we must be.

[The marsh lands stretch for miles and

miles as far as the eye can see. The

hobbits and Gollum appear as little

specks. As the three pick their way

gingerly though the marshes, they see

faces floating in the water, still,

rotting and pale, and flickering flames

on the swamps.]

SAM:

There are dead things! Dead faces in

the water!

GOLLUM:

All dead. All rotten. Elves and men

and orcses. A great battle long ago.

[Turns to face the hobbits.] The Dead

Marshes. Yes, yes that is their name.

This way. Don’t follow the lights.

[Sam’s foot slips again into the water.]

SAM:

Ohh!

GOLLUM:

Careful now, or hobbits go down to join

the dead ones and light little candles

of their own.

[Frodo is drawn to one of the faces

in Elven armour. He stares at it intently,

until suddenly its eyes open and Frodo

falls face-down into the water.]

SAM:

Frodo!

[Frodo is in the water and sees many

faces of the dead, no longer still but

screaming and grasping, their rotten

robes and hair flowing about their gruesome

faces. Their hands are reaching for

him. Suddenly he is grabbed from behind.

Frodo sputters and gasps for air as

Gollum pulls him out of the water.]

FRODO:

[Looks at Gollum in perplexed gratitude

and disbelief.] Gollum...

GOLLUM:

Don’t follow the lights! [Crawls away]

SAM:

[Runs to Frodo’s side.] Mr. Frodo! Are

you alright?

[Frodo lies panting, staring after Gollum]

[NIGHTFALL

Sam is asleep but Frodo is still awake.

He is holding the Ring in the palm of

his hand and stroking it, mesmerized.

Suddenly he hears Gollum.]

GOLLUM:

Sooo bright. Sooo beautiful. [Frodo

quickly puts the Ring back inside his

shirt. He looks up to see Gollum crouching

away from him, stroking the centre of

his palm] our preciousss...

FRODO:

What did you say?

GOLLUM:

Master should be resting. Master needs

to keep up his strength.

FRODO:

[Moves over and crouches in front of

Gollum] Who are you?

GOLLUM:

Mustn’t ask us. Not its business. *Gollum,

Gollum*

FRODO:

Gandalf told me you were one of the

River Folk.

GOLLUM:

Cold be heart and hand and bone. Cold

be travellers far from home.

FRODO:

He said your life was a sad story.

GOLLUM:

They do not see what lies ahead, when

sun has failed and moon is dead.

FRODO:

You were not so very different from

a hobbit once, were you... Sméagol?

GOLLUM:

[Looks up slowly.] What did you call

me?

FRODO:

That was your name once, wasn’t it?

A long time ago.

GOLLUM:

My name... My name... S... S...Sméagol…

[Suddenly, the piercing cries of the

Nazgûl are heard overhead]

GOLLUM:

Argh!!

SAM:

Black Riders!

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