Memory

Let's Steal a UFO

"Is there a bathroom in here or something?" I ask Loki, who is flipping something in his hands while reading.

He points to a white rectangle barely distinguishable from the wall, and I reach for a small dent in the wall that seems to be like a handle for opening it.

I disappear into the bathroom and I hear voices right before I open the door to walk out.

I'm thrown back by a blast of magic--and a heavy chair that hits me square in the stomach. "Ow!"

I fly back with the force of it and my head bangs against the wall. Hard.

The world seems to spin a little before the throbbing starts.

I groan and pull myself up. "The fuck?"

I see Loki glare at me. And a single tear roll down his cheek.

"What--" I start, but I realize what must have happened as I take in the familiar-looking mess of furniture. Even if he hadn't told the Kurse to take the stairs to the left, Frigga must have died anyway.

And I'm sorry she died. She shouldn't have. It was unnecessary and sad and horrible, the way she died. But I won't ever be able to tell what losing a mother must feel like. Not a real one, anyway.

So I stay silent and leave him alone for two reasons: One, I am no good with comforting others or helping with their grief, and two, he hates me anyway and won't appreciate me trying to help. Maybe I should try to help anyway, but again, I'm the type of person that will make it worse.

And I wait silently, wondering what Dad and the others are doing now, where Rowan is...

And I find a pen. A few feet away from me, that must have landed here from Loki's blast.

My stomach and head both hurt, but I crawl to it and click it. The point comes through and I begin to write on my skin.

Rowan? Are you there? I miss you. I love you. Where are you?

But there's no reply.

And Thor comes up to the cell.

Loki looks up. "Thor, after all this time and now you come to visit me. Why? Have you come to gloat? To mock? "

"Loki, enough. No more illusions."

Loki lifts his magic, and suddenly the cell is transformed, the illusion is lifted and his cell is a mess, everything has been thrown around and he's on the floor, looking unkempt and messy, in the other corner of the cell.

"Hey, see the blood on his foot?" I look at Thor. I was hidden by the illusion, and now I'm not.

Thor sees Loki's foot. "Brother, what--"

"They're fucking berries," I say. "Such a fucking drama queen."

Loki makes as if to pull out a knife, giving me a real death glare for the first time, and turns to Thor. "Now you see me, brother. Did she suffer?"

Thor walks up to the other side of the cell. "I did not come here to share our grief. Instead I offer you the chance of a far richer sacrament."