The Wrong Direction

Chapter Eighteen

Adriana

Chapter Eighteen

The old man continued to twist and shake on the ground.  Niall and I looked at each other with worry and confusion in our eyes.

But just as soon as his twitching began, it ended.  The old man climbed back to his feet and actually started to grin at us.

"Now, I hope ya all got yer questions answered, 'cause The Rock is too tired ta answer any more," he said.

No one said anything.  We all just stood there, staring at the old man with wide eyes.

"What's wrong with ya kids?" asked the old man frantically.  "Cat got yer tongue?"

"Who are you?" demanded Liam.

The old man just chuckled.  "Why, me Larr, the greatest modern day Viking around."

That just confused us even more.

"But didn't Vikings come from Norway or something?  Not Switzerland!" I argued.  I should know.  I've been forced to sit through years of Switzerland history lessons back in high school.

Larr whipped around and pointed his finger at me warningly.  "Ya shut up girl, before me come over there and punish ya the good ole Viking way."

Niall shook his head and stepped towards Larr.  "There will not be any 'punishing', Larr.  Adriana is just stating what we are all thinking."

I don't know what I would do without Niall right now.  Larr already slapped me multiple times.  I don't think it'd bother him to do it again.

"Fine, then me slap ya instead, pretty-boy!" Larr yelled evilly.  He extended his hand, and started to do a slow motion slap.

But his hand never touched Niall.

At the last second, Ben pushed Niall out of the way while screaming, "No!  Not my precious Niall!"  Larr slapped Ben instead, since he got in the way, and Ben crumpled to the ground.  He curled up in a ball and started to whimper.

"Now look at what you did," I snapped at Larr.  "You made my brother have another emotional breakdown.  He already has too many as it is."

Larr looked at all of us with a psychotic look burning in his gray eyes.  He leaned over and picked up Ben, throwing him over his shoulder like he weighed nothing.  Then he turned around on his heel and started to stomp back towards the meadow.  "Follow me!" he called over his shoulder.  "You are all now me captives."

"Well, what if we just run away?" asked Zayn.

Larr just giggled.  Yeah, giggled.  "Then ya will never see yer friend that me is carrying ever again."

Zayn burst out into hysterical laughter.  "Ha!  That's the best news I've heard all day!  You can have him.  Please!  He's all yours."

"No, Zayn!" I exclaimed.  "Ben is my brother.  I will not let a freak like Larr take him away from me.  I mean, the man is convinced he's a Viking.  Who knows what he'll do to Ben.  He might lock him in a cell and poke him with a stick for fun!"

"I'd be all right with that," Zayn mumbled.

Larr stopped walking and looked back at the four of us, glaring deviously.  "Are ya kiddies coming?  We don't got all day.  The sun will be going down soon."

I sighed and threw my hands up in the air.  "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going with my brother.  If we all get separated, then it's your fault."  Without looking back, I followed after Larr, who was still carrying Ben.  I could hear Ben mumbling about Harry's gorgeous face from where I was standing.  Ben was really too obsessed with that boy.