The island museum

When I was 8 my dad took me to see the movie “Night at the museum.” It captivated me and since then I have been in love with history. So much that I became a professor of history at the University of Columbia.

Professor Daniel McNeal, it has such a beautiful ring to it. Especially after how hard I worked to become a professor at such an early age, only 24, but I made it. It was the happiest day of my life. Until now that is.

They invited me to a soft opening of the new Norwegian Viking Museum at Klosterøy, or Monastery Island as it’s sometimes called by foreigners to Norway. It’s a dream come true.

Just imagine, they built up a massive museum with outdoor experiences, and comprehensive education of the life of a Viking. There is also a Monastery there that is rumored to have been built around 1257, although some say the work began much sooner, maybe as early as 1157. It makes me positively giddy just thinking about it. I will be one of the first guests in the whole world to experience this.

The flight over to Norway took forever but I finally got to step into the reception where I joined a small tour group. We must have looked like kids at a candy store because our guide seemed to have difficulties keeping an amused smile off her pretty face.

She introduced herself as Ingrid, a name I later learned means beautiful, a gorgeous woman around 25 years old, with shoulder length black hair and grey eyes that seemed to look through me and into my soul at the same time.

Ingrid made sure that we were all gathered around her and then she took us on a trip through history.

“On the 7^th of September 2023 a team of archeologists found the presence of several, clearly man-made structures below the surface. When we started to excavate, we found, among other buildings, so-called pit houses and foundations for piers and boathouses.”

“Sorry but can you tell me what a pit house is?” The question came from a small woman with thick glasses that was franticly taking notes on her phone.

“Oh yes of course. A pit house was a type of dwelling where the floor was dug up below the ground level. Later in the tour I’m going to show you a replication of such a house and as a special treat, I’m also going to show you one that we are just now starting to excavate.

The woman squealed with excitement and hurried along after Ingrid. I found my mouth curling up in a smile of its own. I had always wanted to see that type of a house for myself.

-----

The lights flickered gently around Daniel as he slowly came to. He was lying on the floor of a spacious bathroom, with a splitting headache. Gingerly he touched the back of his head and came back with blood on his fingers. He had a huge bump with what felt like a small gash right next to it.

What on earth happened?

It took a couple of tries but finally he managed to sit up with his back up against the wall and winced when he saw a small puddle of blood where his head had been. This had been a hell of a tumble. It wasn’t surprising that he was feeling this bad.

With difficulty Daniel tried to puzzle everything together. He vividly remembered the tour, how the beautiful Ingrid had led them around the museum, showing them the excavations outside and the wonderful exhibits inside.

She told them about the daily lives of Vikings and at the end of the tour she led them into a big office where she showed them sketches and models the archaeologists had made of how they thought the marketplace might have looked like.

“This will someday be a part of the museum but for now it’s just for those who work here. Until we know a bit more and have uncovered more of the ruins below.” She had a wistful smile and Daniel felt his heart beat faster. How he longed to give her a reason to smile only for him.

This thought had taken him by surprise. Usually, he only saw women as friends and colleagues. Beautiful creatures yes, but never with any real, romantic, interest.

“No this is not the time to daydream of possible hookups.” Daniel scolded himself silently for getting off topic.

They had all been chatting on the way out when he had suddenly needed to use the bathroom. There was a sign for one not far away, so he had let the group walk past him and changed direction without telling anyone about it. It hadn’t seemed all that important; it would only take him a moment to pee and jog back to catch them.

The image of washing his hands and looking himself in the eyes in the mirror was the last thing he could recall. It was like his memory had just stopped working. Somehow, he must have blacked out, maybe he had slipped on a wet patch on the floor? That would have been just his luck.

But it didn’t seem right to just sit in here forever. Daniel used the wall as a support to stand up. His only thought now, as he battled through nausea and dizziness, was to get back out to the reception. Ingrid and the others had to be wondering where he was.

When he opened the door out into the hallway his heart sank a little. Everything was dark and eerily quiet.

Did they forget about me?

He felt stronger with every step and as soon as he stepped into the reception area his suspicions were confirmed. He was indeed all alone. The front door was locked and no one that could let him out.

With a frustrated sigh he fished his phone out of the back pocket and felt the need to cry. This really was not his day. The phone, that he had purchased just for this trip, and used like a mad man to take photos with, was broken beyond repair. Not only had the screen cracked but the phone itself looked like someone had tried to break it in half. The only time Daniel had ever seen a phone in such a shape was when his roommate got drunk and tried to make a “phone parachute.” The fall from the fourth floor down to the concrete had not gone well, although the parachute had somewhat worked.

The frustration turned to anger as he cursed under his breath.

The architect who designed the building had not been thinking of bringing the daylight in. With few windows to peek through there was a slim chance that someone might see him and call it in to the authorities. As an added bonus he couldn’t find the light switches, so everything was cloaked in darkness and shadows. 

He let the ruined phone fall to the ground and tried to think. Ingrid had informed them that they didn’t have any nightguards, so they would not find him wandering about. But a place like this should have a landline.

With determination he walked over to the reception desk and quickly located the phone. Sadly, this new hope died just as fast as it had been born. There was no dial tone to be heard. This useless gadget could just as well have been a letterpress.

Daniel let himself sink down into a chair and tried not to panic.

I’m in so big trouble.

Today was Saturday and tomorrow, as Ingrid had shared with them, the museum would be closed. Without a way to contact the outside world he would either have to break out, which to him sounded like a horrible idea, or wait till Monday morning.

He might even get lucky, and some workaholic would pop his head in for some relaxing weekend work session.

As for computers, Ingrid had said that the whole system was scheduled to be set up in the coming week. So, no lifeline there.

The whole world seemed to be against him. Daniel didn’t know how long he had been sitting there deep in thought when his stomach started to growl. He had been forced to skip lunch to make it to the museum on time and now his body was starting to feel it.

In a moment of triumph, he remembered seeing bottles of water and three lunch boxes in the office. The one with the models and drawings.

He started to jog over there but ended in more of a slow crawl when his head started throbbing again. It would be better to take it easy, at least for a while.

A sigh of relief escaped from him when he saw four sealed water bottles lined up on a small table at the back of the office. He wasn’t sure if the tap water was safe to drink and now, he might not have to try it out at all.

Daniel gulped down half a bottle before turning his attention to the stacked lunchboxes. A small part of him felt bad eating someone’s snacks but his stomach didn’t care. It just wanted food as soon as possible.

In the top two boxes he found salted sunflower seeds and a mix of nuts. The box on the bottom, on the other hand, was marked hyoscyamus niger seeds, and was blue while the other two were red. Inside he found small, brownish, seeds that reminded him of chia seeds, though he knew that they weren’t.

After eating half from each of the red boxes he had built up enough curiosity to taste the mystery seeds. He put four of them in his mouth, started to chew and regretted it instantly. The seeds had a bitter taste, and it took the rest of the water bottle, and the nuts to get rid of it.

Being somewhat full Daniel sat down, made himself comfortable and closed his eyes. Maybe a little nap would help the time move faster.

-----

The sound of footsteps woke Daniel up from an uneasy sleep. Dreams of being chased in the dark echoed in his mind. And he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. His mouth was dry and his whole body felt unusually warm. There was something wrong. Only he couldn’t understand what it was.

Carefully he made his way back to the bathroom, conscious of the shadows moving around. Whispering words, he couldn’t quite make out.

With the door securely locked behind him Daniel splashed cold water on his face and gripped the sink with both hands. The room seemed to be spinning around him. Or was he spinning around it?

In an effort to ground himself he looked up at the mirror and locked eyes with his reflection. A terrible scream seemed to come out of nowhere and it took him a moment to realize that it had come from his own mouth.

The reflection looking back at him was ghostly pale, with a terrifying scar running down one cheek. It was so wrong. Instead of his nerdy self this image was one of a warrior. Long, braided hair was pulled to the back of his head and held there with a leather cord. Although pale this reflection was tan. Like this person had spent years outside in all weathers, not in class or a library with the nose stuck to a book.

His clothes had changed too. Gone were his jeans and shirt, replaced by brown trousers and a green tunic, made from wool that he was starting to itch from. Around his waist was a rudimentary belt, made from leather, that felt way too tight. But no matter how he tried to remove it, his hands just slipped off it, almost like it was an illusion.

The world around him kept spinning ever so slightly. In a moment of clarity, he realized that it felt like he had drunk too much beer. Though he hadn’t touched that stuff for months. Not since he started to save up for an apartment of his own.

Sounds of footsteps could be heard again from the hallway. Could this be someone here to save him? Or an enemy trying to take him out. His reflection looked like it had more than his share of enemies.

Daniel rushed out into the hallway, brandishing the toilet brush like a sword to surprise this mystery guest but the hallway was just as dark and empty as it had been before. Maybe he was losing his mind.

The whispering voices came back, louder than before. Daniel tried his best to ignore them as he crept towards the main showroom. He felt sure that if someone was in here with him that would be the place to find him, or them.

The whole showroom was set up like a small Viking town with one small longhouse for the typical family, a bigger one that was set up as an assembly hall, two pit houses and a pier.

As soon as he stepped inside, he could feel a dark presence in the shadows. Someone or something was stalking him. Feeding on his fear. Waiting for him to let his guard down. Daniel could sense it creeping closer and moving further back. Taunting him. Always staying just beyond his line of sight.

Daniel kept his back against the wall and mulled the situation over. Ingrids words popped up in his mind and suddenly he knew exactly what was going on.

This could only be Loki the famous god of lies and mischief. Wasn’t he known for his ability to shape-shift and love of tricking people. Somehow Daniel must have angered him. Maybe the ancient god had his eyes on Ingrid, but Daniel somehow got between them. It had to be him.

The world seemed to tilt, and Daniel fell to the floor. Everything around him kept moving and it was so hard to think, to focus. His brain felt like it had been wrapped in cotton, all smooth and warm. The fuzzy feeling made him want to curl up and sleep.

As he was closing his eyes, he saw the shadows move again. A burning feeling went through him, and Daniel jumped to his feet. There was no time to relax. Not now.

This time he caught a glimpse of what he was dealing with. It was a man, thin and regal, with dark hair and eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. He smiled cruelly and disappeared again.

Daniel walked into the middle of the room and turned in a slow circle. Letting Loki get the drop on him would be his last mistake in life.

More people appeared. Men, women and even children, all clad like Vikings, dancing around him. They tried to get him to follow them, but he wouldn’t. He knew better. This was a game of life and death, and he was not about to lose to someone as devious as Loki.

Cautiously, Daniel walked over to a display that held some replicas of period accurate weapons and broke the glass with his elbow. It hurt like hell, and he could feel long gashes being ripped into his arm, but he didn’t care.

He selected a decent looking knife and smiled grimly. At least he was armed now and wouldn’t go down without a fight.

The shadows seemed to be moving quicker now so Daniel made his way into one of the pit houses. It would be harder to get to him in there.

Much to his surprise it wasn’t empty.

Ingrid stood there up against the back wall. She was wearing a beautiful dark red apron dress that reminded him of dried blood. She smiled at him and opened her arms, almost bowing to him. Her black hair tumbled free over her shoulders and looked much longer, and thicker, than it had before.

Daniel felt so relieved. Finally, he had some company that he could trust. He walked over to her, eager to formulate a plan to get out. She had to have keys to this place. They would only need to outsmart Loki and flee.

He had two steps to go when he locked eyes with her and stopped moving. Her beautiful gray eyes had golden flecks in them. Flecks that shone in the darkness.

Ingrid still didn’t say a word to him. She only stood there smiling, waiting for him to reach her. So beautiful and tempting. Like all his dreams coming into one solid thing, something he hadn’t even known was missing from his life until now.

But those flecks, those god damned flecks. They gave it away. It was Loki again. Trying to trick him and tempt him into oblivion.

With tears in his eyes, he tightened the grip on the knife and plunged it into her stomach. Ingrid went down, still smiling. Her gaze never left him as the life slowly drained out of her.

He heard a horrible laughter pierce through the air and suddenly he was alone again. That dark presence was gone. Now there was only him and the body of poor Ingrid.

The tears were flowing steadily down his cheeks now. But he couldn’t take back what he had done. It had been to save himself after all. She shouldn’t have tried to trick him.

A horrible cold took over his body and Daniel knew that this was his punishment. He would end up in Helheim, the realm of the dead, never to know warmth again.