by Willow Rose
Chapter Thirty-Nine
July 1965
ULRIK LARSEN hated working on his father’s farm, but as time passed he was coming to terms with the fact that it was his destiny…it was his fate…his inheritance. Ulrik knew it was expected of him to take over from his father and, if anything, Ulrik was very good at living up to people’s expectations. He figured out how to live with it. The work took up most of his waking hours, but every now and then he would take his bike and drive it the many kilometers to Nordby and visit the library. It could only happen on his monthly day off, but for Ulrik, it was worth the wait. He lived for those days. He lived and breathed for the last Saturday of every month.
He had even met a girl. At the library in downtown Nordby, he had met Jonna. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes upon. And best of all, she liked to read as well. She helped out at the library and would always find five or six books for him that she thought he should read. They would spend the entire Saturday together, reading and laughing, and sometimes even going out for an ice cream on the harbor. Ulrik loved these Saturdays, when he was able to forget all about pigs and manure and the corn in the field.
He dreamt of marrying Jonna one day and having her come and live on the farm with him. Being a city-girl, he knew it would require some adjustment for her, and he knew he would need to break it to her gently. She knew he lived and worked on a farm, and one Saturday he finally managed to invite her to come visit the farm and see where he lived and worked. He was terrified that she wasn’t going to like it there, so before she arrived, he ran around cleaning up, even telling his mother and younger brother Per to dress nicely and be polite when speaking to her.
His mother giggled and put on a nice dress for his sake, while his youngest brother, Per, jumped the mud piles along with his friend Erling, who lived next door and always came over to play on the weekends.
Ulrik wasn’t too pleased with them being around and asked his mother to keep them away from Jonna when she came. His mother didn’t look too pleased when he mentioned it.
“It’s Per’s home too,” she said. “He’s having a friend over just like you, and they’re entitled to be here just as much as you.”
Ulrik growled and straightened his water-combed hair for the hundredth time, to make sure it stayed in place. He loved his mother, but she spoiled that kid way too much. Per could get away with anything, while Ulrik and Peter always had to earn their parent’s praise by hard work. Ulrik envied both of his younger brothers so badly it hurt…to think they could both live the life they wanted. Ulrik would give anything to just be able to take off and go live in the city with Jonna and discuss books every day.
His mother held his head between her hands. She looked him in the eyes like she used to when he was younger.
“It’ll be fine, Ulrik. Just wait and see. She’ll love it here. If she loves you, she will. That’s how I felt with your father.”
Ulrik smiled wearily. He wasn’t so sure she was right, but she still had a way of comforting him like no one else. Per and his friend Erling were screaming with joy outside the main house when Ulrik spotted Jonna on her bike riding across the gravel. Ulrik’s heart stopped. Jonna’s blond hair was lifted by the wind, her skirt fluttering beneath her. Ulrik smiled and watched her till she drove into the courtyard. Then he rushed out. He stood at the top of the stairs and waved as she parked her bike. Per and Erling whined with joy as one of the dogs joined their party in the mud pile. The sky was blue with a few clouds above them. It had been raining all morning, but finally seemed to be clearing up. It was perfect for the tour. The farm always looked best in sunshine.
“Hi, Ulrik,” she yelled and waved back.
Her smile made his heart drop. Everything about her was just so…so perfect.
“Hi, Jonna,” he said shyly, while Per and Erling made mocking sounds from their mud pile. Ulrik decided to ignore them. Jonna looked at him as he approached her, his head slightly bowed, his hand constantly making sure his hair stayed in place.
“So, this is where you live,” she said with an enchanted light laughter. “It’s beautiful, Ulrik. I love it. Look at those boys. Look at all the fun they have. And you have animals too?”
Ulrik dared to stand taller. He nodded. “Yes. Dogs, cats, and horses.” He deliberately left out the pigs, since he thought they would be of no interest to a beautiful young girl like her. But he had misjudged her.
“Do you have any pigs?” she asked. “I simply adore pigs.”
Ulrik smiled with a shy nod, and when Jonna grabbed his hand, he knew this was the best day of his life.
Chapter Forty
November 2014
IT WAS HARD for me to sleep that night. A thousand thoughts flickered through my mind. Mostly about this Facebook page. I couldn’t stop wondering who would want to hurt me and Morten so badly. Who would go to this kind of extreme to hurt us?
I couldn’t think of anyone. I tried to let it go and think about something else. Instead, I wondered about the killing of Ulrik Larsen and the mayor. I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling they had to be connected somehow and the faceless man, Slender Man, was the key. I had nothing to base my assumptions on, nothing but a gut feeling.
I grabbed my phone and looked at the clock. It was three o’clock. I had to get some sleep. I put my arm around a pillow and imagined it was Morten. I missed him like crazy and felt angry that we’d fought earlier. It was stupid. He was right to be frustrated, but to blame it all on me? That was taking it a little too far, I believed. On the other hand, maybe I should just let it go. He was desperate and needed someone to blame, and until we figured out who was behind this, I guess I was the best choice. Maybe I should just cut him some slack.
I closed my eyes and pictured Morten and me lying on a beach somewhere in Italy, holding hands. No kids, no dogs, just the two of us enjoying some time to ourselves. I liked the idea, and just before I finally dozed off, I decided to arrange a trip for the two of us. Maybe it should be Spain this time? Yes, I had a friend who lived in Malaga. We could go there and visit her. She had tried to get me to visit for ages. That was a wonderful idea. Maybe we could go just before Christmas? My parents could take care of Victor and Maya while we were away. We both needed some time off. I was going to talk to Morten about it in the morning. As long as I had no computer, I couldn’t order the tickets myself anyway.
Boy, life was hard without the Internet. I didn’t understand how people used to get by before we had it.
I fell asleep dreaming about sunshine and drinks in the sand, but woke up with a start. There was someone in my room. I gasped and turned my head. I stared into the face of Brutus. Then I screamed.
“Viiiictooor!!!”
Victor came in, looking at me indifferently. “What?” he asked.
“Your dog is staring at me in my sleep again. It freaks me out! Get him out of here!”
Victor shrugged, then grabbed Brutus’ collar, but the dog didn’t move. He kept staring at me with those white shining eyes that reflected the moonlight outside my window.
“Get him out of here, Victor. I can’t sleep with him staring at me like that. It’s creepy.”
Victor pulled the collar again, but the dog still wouldn’t move. It surprised me, since he usually obeyed Victor so well. But something was different. It was in his eyes. It was like he wanted to tell me something.
“Just get him out, Victor,” I said again.
“He doesn’t want to come,” Victor said. “I guess he wants to sleep in here with you.” Victor was about to leave, when I called him back.
“Don’t leave that dog in here with me. You get him out of here, now, Victor. I’m not going to say it again. He drives me crazy with that staring.”
Victor pulled the collar again. This time Brutus did react. He growled. He turned his head and growled at Victor. Victor pulled away, startled.
“That’s it!” I said. “He’s going back tomorrow! I’ve had it with that dog. I’m taking him back t
o the shelter tomorrow. Do you hear me, Brutus?”
He didn’t look like he did. Instead, he opened his mouth and let out a loud and very deep bark. I gasped. The sound was very intimidating. Victor looked at me.
“I think he’s trying to tell us something. We’d better listen.”
Chapter Forty-One
November 2014
“WHAT DO YOU mean we better listen?” I asked. I looked at the clock on my phone again. It was getting really late. Actually, it was early in the morning now. I just really wanted to get some sleep.
The dog barked loudly again. There was something very profound about his bark. It sounded urgent, like he was insisting. It was strange, but I got the feeling that Victor was right. Brutus had something he wanted to tell us.
I looked at my son. “Then, you talk to him. Ask him what he wants.”
Victor kneeled in front of Brutus. He bent his head and leaned in towards the dog till his forehead touched its snout. They sat like that for a little while before Victor finally rose to his feet. The dog then turned and walked out of the room.
“How did you do that?” I asked.
“He wants us to follow him.”
“Do I have to?” I asked. The floor was so cold, and I really wanted to stay under the covers and catch up on my sleep before I had to get up.
“Come,” Victor said.
I growled, found my slippers and a bathrobe, and followed Victor out of my room. As soon as I was in the hallway, the dog walked to the top of the stairs where it stopped.
“What is it? Is there someone down there?” I asked. The dog looked insistently at me.
My heart was suddenly pounding in my chest. What had the dog sensed? Had someone broken into our home? “Is there someone down there?” I asked again, like I was waiting for the dog to reply.
Carefully, I walked down the stairs, my heart racing in my chest. All day long, I had felt like I was being watched. Especially on my evening walk with the dogs, I had sensed there had been someone there with me in the darkness. Had this person followed me home? Had this person intruded into my house?
The dog and Victor stayed a few steps behind me. Brutus looked at the kitchen door in front of us.
“Is it in there? You want me to look in the kitchen?”
The dog kept staring. I grabbed the broom that stood next to the door to be able to defend myself if necessary, and then swung the door open. On the other side, I was met by a sight so horrifying I immediately threw up on the floor. I couldn’t believe it. It was like a scene from some horror movie.
Oh, my God. Oh, dear God, no! Don’t let this be true!
On the stove, in one of my grandmother’s old pots, was Kenneth. The stove was on, and the water was boiling with poor Kenneth sitting lifelessly in it, his throat slit. My stomach turned again, as I tried to grasp the reality of the situation. I swayed briefly before I managed to pull myself together.
Who the hell could do such a cruel thing?
Thinking of my children, I wiped my mouth and shut the door, so Victor wouldn’t see anything.
“Go upstairs and bring me my phone, will you?” I said, my voice shivering in desperation.
Luckily, Victor didn’t notice anything. He simply shrugged with an “Okay” and stormed up the stairs.
I looked at Brutus.
“Thanks for the warning.”
I walked back into the kitchen and turned off the stove. Holding back the urgent desire to throw up again, I took the pot to the sink and poured the contents out. I cried as I watched poor Kenneth fall into the sink with a thud. Sobbing, I picked up his lifeless body and put him in a small plastic bag. I found an empty shoebox in the closet and put Kenneth’s tiny body inside of it and closed the lid. Seconds later, Maya came into the kitchen. She almost stepped in my vomit on the floor.
“What’s going on here?”
Victor showed up behind her with my phone.
I looked at them both. I grabbed the phone while Maya waited for an answer.
“Sweetie,” I said. “Sit down.”
“What’s going on?” Maya asked, with a slightly harsher voice. “You’re scaring me, Mom.”
“Sweetie. There has been…an accident. Kenneth…well, Kenneth is no longer with us.”
“What do you mean he’s no longer with us?” Maya looked startled.
I felt like crying myself, but held it back for Maya’s sake. I put my hand on top of hers. “He’s dead, sweetie. I just found him…he…he died.”
Maya stared at me like she thought I was lying. I wasn’t. Just withholding parts of the truth.
“We’ll get you another dog, Maya, I promi…” But Maya didn’t want to listen to me anymore. She rose to her feet with a moan. I could tell she was about to crack. I knew that face. So proud. Too proud to cry in front of her mother.
“Maya. Please…” I said. “We’ll go to the shelter tomorrow. We’ll find one that is just as cute.”
Tears were welling up in her eyes. She tried to speak, but couldn’t. She shook her head and bit her lip. “I loved that dog, Mom.”
“I know you did. But these things happen. Dogs die. When you get a dog, you also get the sorrow that can come with it…”
Maya lifted her hands to signal she didn’t want to hear anymore. “Why my dog? Why couldn’t it have been Victor’s ugly dog over there? Why mine?”
I had no answer. I had no words of comfort. I was still in shock myself.
END OF EXCERPT
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