The day the mountain troll appeared

-Hi Tina! I’m so sorry it’s been so long since we have talked. I keep meaning to reach out, but keep getting distracted.

-No problem, I do the exact same thing. It’s so good to hear your voice again. It makes me so nostalgic for our childhood summers together.

-Me too. We had some great times together. Our little crew of 5 miscreants. I laugh at that. There was only one troublemaker among us, Daniel.

-That’s sort of why I am calling, and it is not good news. I wanted you to hear it from me, I figured that would be best.

-Now you are scaring me Kristine.

-Daniel died hun. I got the news straight from Lise, so I’m sure. The corona virus took him suddenly and out of nowhere. The line went completely silent.

-Oh Kristine. We need to do something. But we can’t do anything because of this damned virus. We should be there for his siblings and parents. Damn it!

-I know. We will send flowers. At least they know we think of them. We had so many good times growing up together every summer at the campgrounds. At least we have the memories. I swallowed hard so I wouldn’t cry, because if I started, Tina would definitely follow, and I wanted to reminisce. I heard she was struggling even now. Not that I was surprised. They were really close at one point.

-Tell me your favorite memory of us with Daniel. Are you up for that? She asked pleadingly.

-Do you remember the night the mountain troll appeared?

-You mean the nigh all of us escaped death by the grace of the goddess? She laughed a little. Yeah, that was a perfect night.

-We had a plan to meet at midnight for a midnight swim, and to, umm, borrow, a paddle boat.

-Haha, you mean steal it, don’t you? Hasse, the campground director hated us in general. I don’t think he liked people at all, or even himself, but at least that night we gave him a legitimate reason to not like us. Her laughter pealed out. We loved getting on his last nerve, mostly because he truly was a hateful, cruel man, no matter how kind you were to him. At least that way we could have a little fun. The result was the same either way.

-Yeees ma’am, I mean steal it. I giggled. It was Daniel, his sister Lise, our friend Gisle and you and me. Little kids, 7-8 years old sneaking out from our camping wagons, secretly with our parents' permission. You know they always knew, at least most of the time. I might have snuck out more then you guys since I was a strong swimmer, and they didn’t mind. I could never sleep well, and I’m part mermaid you know.

-You certainly got the hair and enough love of the water to be one!

-You remember, don’t you? Time almost stood still and had no meaning there. Us doing that was not as crazy as it would have been to do the same thing today. But anyway, the boys were planning on taking the paddle boat out to our spot near the docs. It was almost light out because the night was so clear and the moon was almost full and so big. You could see everything so clearly.

-It’s almost like I’m there again. Smelling the saltwater and fresh air. The water was warm, but not as warm as it had been earlier that day. The air was warm, but still crisp somehow.

-I’m right there with you. I remember hearing the laughter from the adults sitting outside the camping wagons having a mini party with the families that was closest, including all of ours. The boys had to struggle a bit to get to boat out in to the water, remember? Hasse always made sure they were pulled far up on the beach at night to that people could not take them like we were about to do. We girls giggled and teased them about their muscles for having a hard time getting it to the water. By the time they were successful, we girls had walked pretty far out. We always did our night swims from my preferred beach for some reason. Even though there are 6 beaches there. I love you guys for that. I know you did it for me.

-That was a given. We know you love that one so much. Plus, you are the mermaid. Who was going to save us if anything happened, and you didn’t know what was under you? Her laughter was more carefree now. You were the lynchpin, the one keeping us all together.

-Aww, Tina. I swallowed emotionally for many reasons. Then I continued the story. -The water is rather shallow and gradually deepens, before it gets shallower again, but you know that. I ducked under water as soon as it was deep enough to be submerged. I was the only one who could stand where it was deep, so you girls squealed and held one of my arms each until we got to our spot in the shallows near one of the other beaches. The boys was right behind us. And then the most unbelievable and beautiful things we had experienced in our short lives happened. We were surrounded by fluorescent light. Or milky sea, I checked what it was called after I was an adult. Noctilucales. So pretty.

-So pretty. That was one of the more memorable nights of my life at least. Daniel jumped or rather bombed from the boat. The fluorescent light moved so pretty even with his shenanigans, and Lise kicking the water up with her legs.

-We had a full-on water fight with the beautiful water. I tried to look at it from under the water, and seeing the waves going over my head above me was certainly memorable. You and Lise jumped from Daniel and Gisle’s shoulders as well I remember. I was too busy trying to find cockles with pearls in them. That was always my go to. I can’t find them up here where I live, so I dream about going back.

-You and those pearls. I could practically hear her roll her eyes, but lovingly. I did have an obsession. -That night couldn’t be more perfect. But it sure is a good thing we got so cold our lips turned blue. Or else neither of us would be here todays. It’s a bit trippy to think about. Or rather, I try not to think to hard about it. It could scare the bejeezus out of anyone,

-Yeah, you got a point there.

-Could you tell the rest of the story if you remember? I think we need an extra: thank the goddess we are alive! Now that Daniel is gone.

-Sure. We hauled our cold bodies up to the camping wagons and tents and was send right to change before being able to to talk and tell our parents what we saw. It was just you and me that had gotten back you our parents and their party. We talked over each other telling them what we had seen. They told us what it was called and that it didn’t happen often here. We were very lucky. Then came a sound so scary it wasn’t comprehendible. Pieces of the mountain made of mostly limestone and flint broke of in huge pieces and landed right where we had been maybe 20 minutes earlier, if even that long. I think the whole campground woke up and came out that night. Our parents and their friends couldn’t stop staring at us. I don’t think we realized then how close a call that had been but we do now. We got so many hugs that night and they send us straight to bed after that. I think they needed to process everything. But I’m the morning, we saw something special. We had a new friend. The face of a mountain troll had appeared right where the blocks had fallen from. It’s a comforting thing to know that in at leas 60 years, that is the only time the mountain let go of any blocks of stone. No one got hurt, we got our troll that looks out for everyone at Rognstranda (Roe beach) and we still got to have our midnight swims, just not right after it happened. I love that we weren’t bubble-wrapped as kids.

-Me too. Although I am surprised that we were allowed near that beach at all after what happened. So dangerous. One of the best nights and scariest night all wrapped in one. We need to have more contact. Thank you for playing storyteller and reminiscing with me about Daniel and everything else. Love you.

-Love you too hun. Don’t be a stranger.