Bones and Loneliness.
So many thoughts in Suzanna's head! An entire ocean of them. She'd never actually seen the ocean, but you didn't need to travel anywhere to see the sea or any point on the planet. All it took was switching on your laptop and going online. You could even spot dolphins there.
But you wouldn't find thoughts on the Internet. They didn't live there. To catch them, you had to travel down the winding trails of your own brain, and behind one of its many folds, they'd set up a permanent commune. They lived there like a thriving little hippie town and had zero interest in
stepping into the light. To get to them, you had to stretch apart the slimy - body - of the brain with your hands. And it looked way worse than Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. At least Krang was kind of funny in his eternal grumpiness. His real - life twin, though? Looked like a dish sponge that got digested and spat back out by stomach acid.
Why did Suzanna think in metaphors like that? Because she didn't like her brain. It was a tight - fisted cheapskate. Never shared any nice thoughts, just tossed her expired leftovers in the form of sneaky little worries. Like the idea that Grofo was fed up with this boring little settlement and would soon move to Stockholm. Would he even find such loyal friends there, like Suzy? Did he ever ask himself that?! Ughh… how depressing. And it made her so mad! Although she didn't really know the nature of that anger.
No one at school wanted to talk to Suzanna, except Grofo. Her permanently angry face and droopy eyebrows freaked out her classmates, who mentally sketched out protective runes in their heads to ward her off instead of just asking: - Hey, Suzy, how's it going? -
But whatever! She had Grofo and little crybaby Roman. If Grofo left, she probably wouldn't be able to hang out with his younger brother either, and then she'd be totally alone… wait, what?! So she didn't even have Roman?!
Suzanna stabbed a fork into her painted saucer with the leftover fish, and one of the pieces catapulted up and landed straight on her nose, making her sneeze. Wiping her traumatized nostril, the girl glared hatefully at the trout, who stared blankly off into the distance and refused to engage. Even a fish didn't want to talk to her! Fine then - she'd eat it.
But her stomach was already way too full. Suzanna didn't need much food to feel ready for a journey. And that's exactly what she was aiming for: a long walk. Her legs were itching for movement. The heavy snowfalls had stopped for now, along with her interest in YouTube and homework. What she wanted most was to get dressed and head out - anywhere her feet would take her.
But… where to?
The word - Övrekjäla - kept circling insistently in her head, spilling its clear waters all over the grubby floor of her brain. She'd never been allowed near that lake. Even her brave mom refused to take her, always coming up with some excuse.
Sometimes it felt like Petra wasn't afraid of anything. She'd go to her job at the sawmill in awful weather, even when it wasn't her shift and they needed someone to cover. Mom always did her best for her, hoping to give her daughter a good future, and Suzanna knew it. She appreciated it.
That said, you've got to understand - Suzy wants an adventure! She's sick of being cooped up and needs to blow off some steam. -
It didn't take long to pack.
She had everything she needed right at hand: a compass, a thermos filled with hot tea, and a couple sandwiches with a double layer of cheese. Her smartphone went into the left pocket of her eco - coat, and on her feet she pulled on her fur - lined Uggs (also fake fur from some imaginary critter).
She refused to wear anything else, and when she and Petra went shopping in the big city, she only bought this type of practical boot.
But the crown jewel of Suzanna's wardrobe - and her soul - was her long beanie, which hung down past her shoulders. Because of it, her classmates called her - Suzy the Goofy Sock, - after that one famous character. Not to her face, of course - they didn't want to provoke a potentially aggressive response. Though honestly, nothing would've happened. Suzanna just wanted peace with everyone. She just… didn't know how to show it.
Bag packed. Time to head out. Beyond the door, reality switched modes: loud and freezing. The sun sparkled brighter than any diamond today and kissed her cheeks with its rays.
Sounds of industry rang out all around, and it was exactly that Suzanna wanted to escape. She was sick of all the factories and plants sprawling around Lake Stora Le, never letting her sit quietly by the water.
What do you do in a situation like that? You look for a more peaceful and pleasant lake. And in search of such a place, she marched on, her canvas bag rustling on her shoulder. Her lungs started aching immediately - the cold air pierced right through her - so she tried switching to nose - breathing. Then suddenly she stopped.
She'd forgotten to do today's rune reading!
Fumbling into her pocket, the girl pulled out a little pouch, untied the strings, and took out her rune bones. She shook them in her palm, crouched down, and tossed the little bits onto the snow.
Hope the Old Gods are listening to Suzy today and bless her journey. What do we have here? Nice! Ansuz - the rune of wisdom and new Odin himself's got her back now, watching her every move with his one creepy eyeball. No need to hesitate anymore. -
Squaring her shoulders, Suzanna gathered the bones back into the pouch and really picked up the pace now, feeling uplifted. Thanks to Petra for teaching her this ancient craft - now she never traveled alone.
Övrekjäla was out there. Calling. Waiting.