Eternity | T.J.

The Squirrel!... Why Are We Running Again?

     A while had passed since I'd died... again, Magnus and I had gone to eat dinner with our hallmates, and for a while, I managed to get a decent night's sleep ( actually under the blankets this time). At about five in the morning, the chaos started up again as a loud crash came from down the hall, in my brother's room.

      Now I was a light sleeper, something I learned from my time on the streets, so as soon as I heard a loud noise, I leaped out of bed. I rushed into the closet, getting changed before grabbing my backpack, which I'd spent the afternoon packing after Magnus's questions this morning, knowing my brother, he had the stupid idea to try and escape Valhalla.

     By the time I made it to the hallway, T.J. and Mallory were both there standing near Magnus's door, probably also having been woken by the noise. Mallory turned to me.

     " Will, what in the Nine Worlds is going on?"

     " I have no-"

     Magnus's door flew open, and my brother ran out, sword in his hand, followed by Blitz and Hearth.

     " What was that sound?" Mallory asked, sounding very annoyed." Why do you have a dwarf and an elf in your room?"

     I opened my mouth to question the whole 'dwarf and elf' thing, before deciding better of it, they seemed to be in an emense hurry.

     Blitz slammed the door shut." Squirrel!"

     Squirrel. I knew a lot about Norse mythology, and from pricing together the myths mom had told Magnus and I, combined with my reading on the subject, there was only one squirrel that could cause that much fear. Ratatosk.

      T.J. turned to my brother." Magnus, what have you done?"

      " We need to leave the Hotel." Magnus responded." Now. Please don't stop us."

     Mallory cursed." We won't stop you. This is going to give us laundry duty for a decade, but we'll help you."

     " Why? You've known me less than a day."

     " Long enough to know you're an idiot."

     " What she's trying to say." T.J. cut in." Is that hallmates always protect each other. We'll cover your escape." Cracks began to form in Magnus's door, the past civil war soldier yelled to the door across the hall." X! Help!"

     As soon as the words left his mouth, X's door burst open." Yes?"

     " Magnus's door. Squirrel."

     " Okay."

     X walked over, leaning against the door. It shuttered but didn't open. We heard barking coming from within.

     " What's going on?" Halfborn Gunderson stumbled into the hall, wandering over to us." Should I kill the dwarf and the elf?"

     " No!" Blitz quickly yelled." Don't kill the dwarf and the elf!"

     " They're with Willow and me." Magnus explained." We're leaving."

     " Apparently," I added.

     T.J. turned to Halfborn." Squirrel."

     Halfborn's eyebrows raised." Squirrel as in squirrel squirrel!?"

     " Squirrel squirrel," Mallory repeated." And I'm surrounded by moron morons."

     A raven flew down the hall, landing near us before squawking.

     " Well, that's great." Mallory said sarcastically." The ravens have sensed your friends' intrusion. That means the Valkyries won't be far behind. Willow, I thought your friends would be smarter than this."

     " I had no clue they'd even be here," I retorted." This isn't my fault."

     Half a dozen howel pierced the air.

     " And those would be Odin's wolves," Halfborn said helpfully." Very friendly unless you're trespassing or leaving the hotel without permission, in which case they'll tear you apart."

     " And, lucky us," I said." We're doing both."

     " Blitz and Hearth," Magnus turned to our old friends." Is there any alarm you guys failed to set off!?"

     Not fair. We avoided the tree mines.

     " Tree mines!?" Magnus and I yelled simultaneously.

     Halfborn lifted his ax." I'll slow down the wolves. Good luck Willow, Magnus!" He raced down the hall with nothing but his ax and a pair of smiley face boxers." Death!"

     Mallory's face turned red." I'll stay with X in case the squirrel breaks through. T.J., you take them to recycling."

     " Yeah."

     " Recycling!?"

      Mallory drew the sword from her waist." Magnus, I can't say it's been a pleasure. You're a true pain in the Nari. Willow, keep that idiot safe. Now get out of here."

     " The squirrel is coming." X said." Hurry."

      T.J. fixed the bayonet to his rifle." Let's go."

      We ran down a load of hallways ( I supposed having been at Valhalla for as long as T.J. had, it was easy to remember which hallway led where, I, for one, was very lost). Every once and a while, an Einherjar would stick their head out to the hallway to see what was going on, before retreating back into their room. Another raven flew past, and Magnus reached to swat it.

     " Don't." T.J. advised." They're sacred to Odin."

     As we passed another hall, a loud, familiar voice rang through the mainly empty hallway.

     " Magnus!"

      All five of us turned to see who it was. Gunilla.

     " Take another step." The Valkyrie warned." And I will destroy you."

      T.J. turned to us." You four keep going. Next right, there's a chute marked 'recycling'. Jump in."

     " But-"

     " Are you-"

     " No time. Go kill some rebs for me- or monsters, or whatever." He pointed his riffle at Gunilla before yelling," Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts!" and charging.

     Hearth grabbed Magnus and I by the arms, dragging us down to the trash shute, which Blitz had just opened.

     " Go! Go!" Blitz yelled at us, as Hearth dove in, quickly followed by me."

A/N: And out of Valhalla they go. Unlike the last two Authors Notes, I don't actually have much to say today, happy Pride Month ( still). And with that, I hope at least someone somewhat enjoyed this chapter, any to all comments from anyone about anything make my day, and just keep in mind the world is your erster.