Hybrids

Chapter 3

I wouldn't say I had a sleepless night. I did eventually fall asleep at like four in the morning. Just as I thought, jetlag kicked my ass. It also didn't help that my mind wouldn't shut the fuck up about everything and anything involving the supernatural and all of the new people I had just met yesterday.

Just as I got up and stretched out my tired limbs, Aron knocked on the door. When I opened the door, he was standing there with a stack of books and some old looking cigar box. He said that the books should help me understand the new world I have been shoved into and that the cigar box contained some personal items from my parents.

"They sent me the box a couple of years ago in case something like this were to happen. If the angels and demons never found you, your parents would have been able to give you this box and also tell you everything about the supernatural world you live in. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way," Aron said to me before he took off to run some errands.

I sit down on the bed and flip through the books. I see fantastical images of different creatures and pages of lore and history. As a history nerd, I was actually excited to get into the books. But as a boy, I am super hungry and need to get food for the apartment before my body eats itself.

I take a shower and was away the sleep. For today, I get dressed in a black sweater with a cartoon ghost print on it and blue jeans. And let's not forget the beanie. Obviously.

I throw on my coat and head out the door to get to the nearest grocery store, which was luckily within good walking distance. As I walk, I absorb my new surroundings. As scary as the situation is, being able to discover a new town in a new country is really exciting.

After about five minutes of walking, I get to the grocery store and immediately realize most of the products in here are labeled in Icelandic. Some products had English translations, but I still couldn't quite grasp what each thing really was. At least I know what fruits and vegetables look like, so I don't have to play the guessing game there. No scurvy for me.

I am walking aimlessly down the aisles with a basket filled with vegetables, when suddenly I see a familiar small figure with long blonde hair.

Of course, I could just think she looks familiar because everyone in Iceland is blonde and gorgeous, but after a moment of staring at her like a weird person, I see that it is Frigg; the woman that came in for her shift at the bar after Sigjon.

I think about not saying hello to her because I didn't think she would remember me, but before I could turn away, I hear my name being yelled by a sweet voice. Frigg was calling me over with a wave.

"Hey! You are Ren from yesterday, right?"

"Yeah that's me. How are you doing, Frigg? Had a good shift last night?"

"Oh man, don't even get me started. A group of already drunk men came in last night and kept trying to hit on me. I eventually had to kick them out because they started to disturb the other women."

"That must have been scary. Were you working alone?"

"Yeah I was working alone but those kinds of creeps don't scare me. I scare them," Frigg said with a small evil looking smile.

I let out a laugh at that. I like her.

Frigg then looks down at my basket filled with vegetables and cocks her head to the side. "You like vegetables, huh?"

I scratch the back of my neck and say, "Actually, I can't read a lot of these labels, so I just got the vegetables because I knew what they were."

Frigg lets out a small giggle and covers her mouth while she smiles; laughing at the adorable American boy.