Agda's Lovelorn Journey

The priest's face was wet with tears. He stood in the pew, facing Agda and her family who sat in the front row. "I'm sorry," he said.

They'd buried the girl with lovelorn eyes today.

Dressed in a dark brown wool coat, Agda stared blankly at the priest as he spoke, but she didn't hear a word of it. She just stared at his lips as they formed words that didn't seem to match up with what she felt inside. The girl with lovelorn eyes was dead! How could the priest speak so calmly about it? Why wasn't he crying? Why wasn't her mother screaming and wailing like she had been for days? Why weren't her brothers sobbing and tearing their hair out like they had when their grandfather died just a few years ago? Agda knew she should feel sad, but she couldn't catch even a glimpse of sadness from anyone else. It was as if her heart had gone numb as soon as her mother told her that the girl with lovelorn eyes was dead.

It couldn't be true. It wasn't true! It must have been a dream like the others - one of those terrifying nightmares that made her wake up screaming and soaking in sweat. But this time she hadn't woken up to find herself surrounded by familiar walls and belongings; she'd woken up to find herself lying in a coffin! And everyone was crying - everyone except for Agda who sat there stunned by fear and confusion. Her mother pressed her face against Agda's cheek and hugged her tight enough to break ribs while whispering, "My baby, my baby" over and over again, but Agda felt nothing.

The only thing that came close to making an impact on Agda was when her mother hugged her too hard and she heard something snap in her chest - a rib or perhaps even a bone might have snapped - but even then, Agda still felt nothing. She spent hours listening to the wails of mourners outside of the church before someone took her home... or wherever this place was supposed to be now that they'd moved into town two weeks ago. No one seemed to know where they were going or why they were leaving behind their old life, but all they would say is that it was an order from above - something about angry spirits bringing curses upon them if they remained where they were any longer.

Agda lay on the bed staring at the ceiling fan as it turned round and round above her head, wondering how it could keep turning even though there was no wind outside that morning. It should have stopped moving ages ago, but there it was still spinning lazily around and around like nothing had happened at all - everything had stayed exactly the same apart from one thing: The girl with lovelorn eyes had disappeared from beneath the tree where she always sat watching people go by on their way to work each morning. No one knew what had happened because no one knew who she actually was - not even Agda who thought of herself as more than just an acquaintance. They might have spoken every day since they moved into town two weeks ago, but neither of them ever used names when they were together; they preferred to remain anonymous - two anonymous strangers living side-by-side under the same branch on a large willow tree overlooking Lillejord River which ran through the middle of town. Some days they said nothing at all while other days they talked for hours without noticing how quickly time flew by while they were together; they enjoyed each other's company - secrets were shared and burdens were lifted off shoulders by just being together under that large willow tree next to Lillejord River which ran through the middle of town... That is until last night when Agda woke up from yet another nightmare...

"They're coming!" cried Agda as she leaped out of bed and looked around for someone, anyone who could help protect them from whatever threat chased after them down the long, dark hallway towards where Agda slept; "Who are you talking about?" asked Mother, concerned; "The monsters!" screamed Agda; "How many are there?" inquired Mother, alarmed; "I don't know! There are too many! They're all around us! They're everywhere!" cried Agda; "What do we do?" asked Mother, desperate for answers; "Run!" shouted Agda, her voice filled with urgency.

"Where can we run to?" said Mother, fearing that there was no place safe for them. The monsters seemed to be all-knowing and relentless in their pursuit of the frightened family. But then, suddenly, everything went quiet. All was silent, devoid of any signs of life or movement. Was it possible? Could these horrible creatures really have given up now that everyone knew how dangerous they could be? Had God finally decided to show mercy on His people once again?

And then, unexpectedly, everything sprang to life again