The Web of Loki

by Carla Reighard

  Since most of the volunteers were men, they normally wore cloaks to imitate what the myths said Odin, the Norse god, had worn when he traveled Earth in disguise. Since Ingrid was a woman, they gave her a ceremonial white gown to depict Freya, the Norse goddess, who was also Odin’s wife. Underneath the oversized gown, she wore travel clothes since Ingrid was going to enter the Beyond as soon as the ritual was complete.

  It was like no other dream Ingrid had ever experienced before. She heard in the distance the ritual drums beat as if they were real and not something pulled from her memory of past ceremonies. She viewed everything from a bird’s eye view and not like she was inside her own body. All the people of the village lined up in two groups that faced each other so that they could outline a path from the Tuntre tree to the edge of the Beyond. Ingrid began her journey at the tree and walked towards her destination. Each villager whispered prayers, blessings, and best wishes to her as she passed. Just before she entered the Beyond, the leader of the town’s elders held a bowl of animal’s blood in front of Ingrid. The Vikings had normally sacrificed animals or people to please their gods and ask for success on their endeavors. Tuntre wasn’t that barbaric, so the blood was taken from an animal someone had planned on eating anyway. The elder put his thumb in the dish and dipped it into the blood. Then he marked Ingrid’s face with the blood by putting a crimson line across her forehead, down her nose, and one mark on each cheek. As he did this, he said something in ancient Norse that she didn’t understand but she knew was a blessing for safety plus a successful return. The elder put the bowl down onto the ground and handed Ingrid a pack of provisions and a cloth to wipe away the blood.

  Just before Ingrid entered the Beyond, she woke up in a sweat. She didn’t get to experience the terror of the Beyond in that nightmare, but she was certain that even her mind wouldn’t be able to conjure up the horrors she would have to face in real life.

  Chapter 6

  Present - Tuesday

  Hilde was nowhere to be seen on Ingrid’s way to school, though there was a stray dog that startled her by seeming to follow her. It always kept its distance from her, but it seemed to be stalking her, nonetheless. Its eyes were uncannily like Stein’s, which freaked her out even more, so she quickened her pace. The dog’s presence temporarily distracted her from thoughts about her friend, but then Ingrid returned to pondering about Hilde.

  She wondered if her parents finally scared her friend off for good. Ingrid didn’t think her mom’s reasoning for the girls to stop hanging out with each other was the real motive she had for wanting to dissolve their friendship. Ingrid thought her parents wanted her to be miserable, so they were taking away the one person who brought her joy.

  Bjørn made Ingrid happy too, but he also stirred up discontentment and sadness. Having a person she thought she loved more than a friend in her life – one that would never feel the same way about her – offered more torture than enjoyment. She was thankful for Bjørn and Hilde’s friendship, but she knew in the end that they would get married to each other. Then she would eventually lose their friendship because, after people got married, they became caught up in their own lives and families. They may socialize at festivals and other occasions, but they found their core companionship from their spouses and children.

  As Ingrid approached the school, Hilde was waiting outside. “I’m so sorry I didn’t walk with you, but as I passed your house, your mom gave me the stink-eye. I didn’t want to get you into trouble so I kept walking. I think I’m going to take the long way to school tomorrow.”

  “That’s ludicrous. My parents shouldn’t have any say in my friendships. I need to leave Tuntre.” The words escaped her mouth, and she was immediately sorry she said them aloud.

  “Ingrid, you’re being a little dramatic. You don’t really mean it.” Hilde half smiled, but Ingrid could tell that her friend wondered if she meant what she had said.

  “I know you have a future in this cursed village, but I don’t. The sooner I face my destiny, the better. The supposed reason we’re not allowed to hang out together anymore is that men would feel uncomfortable approaching us if they feel like a third wheel.”

  “Freya’s gown, why do we want men to approach us?”

  “So they can hook up with us in marriage.”

  “If someone wants to marry me, he isn’t going to care if I have a friend hanging around me. If he wants to see if I’m the chick for him, he’s going to find a way to get to know me.”

  “I know my mom sounds crazy but that’s what she told me last night, and I think it is the most berserk thing I’ve ever heard. She also told me that my father is arranging a marriage for me with a widower after I graduate. He’s an older man who couldn’t care less about me, but he wants my abilities to cook, clean, and care for his children. I wouldn’t be surprised if the widower asks me to wear a veil even after the wedding so that he doesn’t have to look at my ugly face.” Ingrid felt tears brim into her eyes, but school was about to start and she couldn’t let anyone see her cry.

  “Oh Ingrid, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you worried about your future.”

  “Of course you didn’t, because you’re beautiful and will have any man you want when the time is right. My only choices are widowers, living with my parents, or entering the Beyond for a way to save our village.”

  “You can’t mean that.” Hilde’s eyes showed her concern, but she couldn’t change Ingrid’s resolve.

  “Besides, if that book is telling the truth, I believe it is my destiny. It said I was the cause and the cure for the Web.”

  The teachers outside the school told the girls to hurry along to their classes so Hilde and Ingrid couldn’t talk anymore on the subject. It wouldn’t matter, because Ingrid wasn’t going to change her mind. She was tired of being under her parent’s control. After pondering over it the night before, she came to the conclusion that school was a waste of time. What did any of the knowledge she gained matter if she was going to die in the Beyond anyway? If she chose a life of slavery as the widower’s wife, she still didn’t need the education. Her mother taught Ingrid how to cook, clean, sew, and even gave her tips on child rearing. What Ingrid learned in school didn’t prepare her for her bleak future.

  The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to get up from Mrs. Hanrick’s lecture and walk outside into the Beyond now. School was probably just the town elders’ way of keeping children busy and out of trouble until they were enslaved into a marriage. That seemed impractical, the longer Ingrid thought about it the more people who got married, the more babies would be born and the larger the population would be. Wasn’t it better to at least have a few people who never married so they didn’t become overly crowded?

  By Ingrid’s second class, she had decided to stay in school all day, because hastily entering the Beyond without proper supplies was ignorant. She needed to read more by the anonymous author to see if there was vital information to help her find Loki. She also wanted to say goodbye to her friends and let them know what she was going to do so they wouldn’t try to look for her. Ingrid didn’t want them to try to stop her either, but she worried about their overprotectiveness. If they thought Ingrid’s parents had locked her away somewhere, they would try to free her, so they needed to know where she was going. She had to find a way to the Beyond for her own freedom, but she also wanted to do it for the whole village. The book made it sound like Ingrid was the only one who could save Tuntre.

  Time went by slowly, like the dripping of sap from the trees during the winter. Ingrid heard nothing but the warbles of teachers’ lectures. She had the advantage of always being in the back row of each class and being left alone by everyone. Her lack of attention to what was being said hadn’t been noticed. Teachers never called on Ingrid to answer questions because they avoided her as much as the other students did. She still didn’t want to risk getting caught reading the book because the teachers would take it away from her. It remained in the bag she carried to each class.
/>   While Ingrid sat in the back row, she schemed about the food she would take from the cellar for her journey in the Beyond. She planned how she would conserve on water because she didn’t know if there was a water supply where she was going. Ingrid knew she would have to preserve lamp fuel as well since the forest outside the village was probably even darker than the village itself; she guessed that she wouldn’t be able to see her hand in front of her face. Ingrid’s imagination ran amuck as it conjured up images of beasts lurking behind each corner. She would have to bring weapons to fight them off, but she wasn’t strong like Hilde. Ingrid knew hiding from creatures would be her best way to survive but she needed to be prepared for the worst. The problem was she had no idea what she was going to face, and all the mental preparation seemed futile without knowing what was in store for her in the Beyond.

  When the school day had finally ended, Ingrid didn’t feel any more ready to face the demons of the forest than before. All her thoughts of what to take on the journey and how to survive seemed like a foolish girl’s fantasy. She still was going to leave, but she didn’t think she would live past a day or two.

  Hilde approached Ingrid after the last class. She pulled Ingrid to a hidden corner away from the other students scampering to leave. “Did you mean what you said about leaving Tuntre? I’ve been freaking out about it all day. You can’t go alone.”

  “When I’m ready to leave, I plan on telling you and Bjørn goodbye. I won’t go until I have all the details worked out.”

  “It sounds like you’re taking a vacation. There are no details to work out. The Sacrifice ritual isn’t for another month or more, and they never let girls our age offer ourselves.”

  “Even though I think that is a bunch of cow poop, I won’t be going through that stupid ceremony to mark me as a hero of the Sacrifice. No one but you and Bjørn will even know that I left until it is too late to stop me. In my opinion, the problem with this village is that they fit everyone into a role the elders had created a long time ago. Everyone is expected to talk and act a certain way, but I never fit in. I never will. My face alone has made me an outcast, and I don’t belong here. Besides, the diary said I created the curse and I am the one to cure it. It is my destiny to find out how to break Tuntre free from this Web.”

  “Freya’s gown, what if you end up dead, how are you supposed to free Tuntre?” Hilde had made a good point, but Ingrid didn’t see any other option.

  “I don’t know what to say. I will do my best to stay alive and find Loki.”

  “So what exactly did the journal say?”

  “It said the only way Tuntre would be free from the Web is for Ingrid Hansen to find Loki and put a stop to it.”

  “Who is Loki?”

  “I only know of the Loki in the books about Viking gods. He was mischievous and created mayhem for the other gods.”

  “So we’re talking supernatural stuff. I know the Web seems a little magical in itself, but our world isn’t full of weird mumbo jumbo other than the Web. I find it hard to believe someone would create a barrier to entrap the whole village because of you.” Hilde sighed.

  “It does sound kind of hinky, but what else could explain it? I’m still trying to figure out how the author of that book knew me.”

  “What book?” A male voice asked that seemed to come from nowhere.

  “Goddess!” Hilde screamed. “Bjørn, stop sneaking up on us.”

  “What do you want me to do, announce myself every time I’m near? Bjørn is entering the room!” Bjørn laughed.

  “No, but you could walk a little less quietly or something,” Ingrid replied.

  “So what were you two talking about?” Bjørn looked back and forth between Ingrid and Hilde, waiting for one of them to say something.

  Stein appeared and the girls became even more resolutely mute. “Hey guys, what are you doing after school?”

  “I don’t know, but these girls are acting weird. Every time I come into their conversation, they stop talking.”

  “It’s probably because of me. They don’t really know me, so they don’t want to say whatever it is in front of me.”

  “If you’re worried about trusting Stein, don’t be. He’s fine. He won’t rat you out if you want to break any rules.”

  “We aren’t really breaking any rules, you dork. It’s just that I found this book that had Ingrid’s name in it.” Hilde explained.

  “What book? Aren’t all the books copied and shared with everyone?”

  “There was a book I found that my family wasn’t going to copy because it looked old. They thought it was some kind of history volume, but it seemed to be written before the Web. My family won’t reproduce non-fiction documents that can’t be proven trustworthy. The elders didn’t want the village getting information that wasn’t accurate from books that were created by unknown authors before the Web. They only allow us to duplicate esteemed historian’s accounts.”

  “We don’t have access to all the books? Son of Thor, that’s horrible!”

  “I agree,” Ingrid added, “and the book we’re talking about ended up being written for me. It said...” she stopped herself and looked at Stein.

  “I swear whatever you say stays between the four of us. I won’t tell anyone,” Stein promised.

  Even though Ingrid didn’t know Stein well enough, Bjørn vouched for him and that was all Ingrid needed to trust him. Bjørn had always kept her safe from people who had ulterior motives, and she felt she could believe that Bjørn knew Stein well enough to trust him to be a part of their inner circle.

  Ingrid continued, “The author said that the Web’s curse was my fault and that only I could fix it. My name was written in it, along with the description of my scar and everything.”

  “Was that all it said?” Stein asked.

  “It mentioned that Ingrid must find Loki to destroy the Web, but she couldn’t read any more of the book because of the fire drill, and then she didn’t want anyone to see that she had it,” Hilde added.

  “Who is Loki? We’re not talking about the Norse god, are we?” Bjørn asked.

  “Hilde and I don’t know, and we didn’t discuss it much further. I have already decided I must leave Tuntre and look for this Loki.”

  “That’s a bad idea,” Bjørn said.

  “Why? Because I’m a girl?” Ingrid didn’t want them to see her fear so she acted offended.

  “No, because you have no survival skills. Can you kill and skin an animal for food? How long will it take you to find this Loki? You may need to wander the Beyond for months before you find a way to escape it. How will you eat? What if there are wild beasts in the woods? Can you defend yourself against them?” Bjørn brought up many good points.

  “I know, I know, I don’t hunt and I’m not brave, but I have no choice. I thought about the stuff I need to bring including the weapons. It’s my fault alone that Tuntre is doomed, and you all need to stop worrying about me and let me go. Besides, I have nothing better to look forward to in my life.” Ingrid felt the tears threaten to squeeze out, and she fought them with all her strength.

  Bjørn couldn’t know that Ingrid thought she wanted to marry him someday and that she was going to be stuck in a loveless marriage with a widower instead. None of them could know how totally despicable she felt about herself. Ingrid never shared her true self-loathing opinions with anyone. Perhaps she had even wanted to die, but no one needed to know that. She wanted her friends to think the best of her, and they couldn’t if they saw her true feelings.

  Stein spoke softly, “I don’t think you realize that you have other options, but you do.”

  Ingrid looked at him. She was no longer worried about her scar showing as she moved her hair behind her ears. “What do you know about options? In this small town, I have no control over my own life. Girls are stuck living with their parents or getting married. If you haven’t noticed, this isn’t a face that gives me a lot of choices.”

  “I meant you have other options besides going into th
e woods alone. I will go with you. I can hunt and fight off dangerous animals. I will also teach you how to do those things for yourself,” Stein said seriously.

  “Why would you want to help me?” Ingrid’s throat tightened as she held back the tears.

  “Because I know how it feels to be a misfit. Until recently, I was stuck in a home with people I didn’t feel any affection from. They forced me to learn things that made no sense, and they never showed me any love. When I met Bjørn, and then you girls, I realized my family wasn’t typical. I saw how Bjørn’s family treated him and I realized what was missing. I know how you feel, and I think we would make a good team.”

  That was the most Stein had ever said about himself, and it mirrored Ingrid’s own story. She hadn’t expected every parent in Tuntre to be loving or kind like Bjørn or Hilde’s family were, but all this time she had thought that she was an oddity. Now she knew she had been wrong.

  Bjørn added, “I don’t have to feel like a misfit to know that I want to help you too. You aren’t going to leave Tuntre without me. You’re like a sister to me, and I’ve been taught that family looks out for each other.”

  “I’m not going to see my best friend risk her life while I sit back waiting for someone to propose marriage to me. After school finishes, that’s all I have to look forward to. That isn’t any better than being forced to marry the widower,” Hilde huffed.

  An overwhelming feeling washed over Ingrid. She knew she had loyal friends, but the fact that they were willing to sacrifice their own lives for her was too much to comprehend. A jittery joy surged through her veins as her brain started working out the details of their journey.