The Viking Journal

What is Normal?

Griffon grabbed my hand as we were running. We were slowing down. We were tired and scared. Griffon directed us down an alley that was home to several dumpsters and rats. Griffon stopped in front of a small, wooden door in the wall. He pulled it open with some effort and we raced through. It was dark, mouldy and cramped. We had to crouch our shoulders just so we could fit. Another wooden door blocked our way. Once that was opened, we were in a seemingly abandoned basement. Everything had a fine coating of dust on it.

“Where are we?”

“The old church just outside of town. Don't think anyone will look for us here.”

I could only nod.

“I suggest we sleep. We'll be able to think it through properly.”

Once again I could only nod.

Griffon sighed and stepped closer to me. He put his arms around me and held me tight. NO tears came but I knew they would later.

“Come on. Let's sleep.”

We collapsed on the uncomfortable ground and held each other as we fell asleep.

I woke up to a loud crash. I sat bolt upright.

“Sorry,” Griffon winced. “I dropped that board.”

“Okay.”

Griffon plonked himself down in front of me.

“We need to solve this.”

“I know.”

“How are you coping?”

“I'm just ignoring the fact that any of this is actually happening. And I'm hoping this is just me dreaming up a new story idea.”

“Fair enough,” Griffon smiled.

“What about you?”

“Just trying to find the logic to this screwed up place.”

I nodded.

“Right,” Griffon stood up. “What do we know so far.”

“Not much.”

Griffon gave me a look.

“okay. We know that a dude was stalking me with a dead bird. He also managed to break my window with several hundred dead birds. We also know that fake police are after us and they have quite a lot of guns.”

“That's a good start. What don't we know?”

“Why there appears to be two groups of people after us. How we're going to fix all this. How we're going to tell our parents. What time it is.”

“All relevant questions. All without answers.”

“That's kind of why they're called questions.”

“We should be writing this down.”

“With what?”

Griffon ignored me and walked over to a patch of ground that only had dust on it. He knelt down and started writing.

Amy researches Vikings

Library picture shows up in old book

We attempt to research further

Creepy bird dude appears

Hundreds of dead birds smash window and us

Fake police show up and shoot at us

We escape

“Well that's an impressive list. So why do you think these guys are after us?”

“I think it has to do with the picture of the library in the book.”

“That's where all of this started.”

“I think the photos fake. Or planted in the book.”

“And you're only bringing this thought up now? It makes the most sense! But why would someone bother to do it?”

“I have no idea.”
“So we're back where we started?”
“Yup.”

We sat in our seemingly never ending awkward silences. I was about to speak when Griffon beat me to it.

“So..the things you were saying before we were attacked by birds...”

“Yeah.”

“All that was true?”

“Down to the last word.”

Griffon moved even closer to me.

“It seems every time we try this, we get interrupted.”

“Yeah,” I nervously laugh.

Griffon placed his hands on the sides of my face. He pulled himself up onto his knees. My breath started hitching in my throat. I'd wanted this for so long. For so long, badly enough that I had written about it in an assignment.

“You've never been kissed have you?” Griffon whispers.

I shake my head no.

Griffon smirks. It's a glorious sight.

Griffon pulls himself even closer. He is towering over me and smells wonderful, even after our long distance sprint. His eyes started to close and I felt mine shutting. This was going to be great!

Then a banging from the small wooden door sounded.