Loki and the Kindergarteners Save the World (ONC 2023)

kindergartners unleashed

Cold water hit Will's face like a slap. He washed his face, gasping each time the icy water hit his skin. The power remained off, but at least the water worked—for now. He wanted to wash away everything. All it did was numb his cheeks and dampen his hair.

They had moved into a classroom on the lower level of the school. Budget cuts and overcrowding meant the school had to make hasty adjustments to the building. Once upon a time, the basement housed a spacious, comfortable staff room, a library, and a gym. The library had been repurposed into two cramped classrooms (effectively creating the "travelling library"), while the staff room was cut in half. Only the gym remained untouched.

A few older grades were stuffed into the basement, lit by buzzing overhead lighting, and perpetually smelled like the burnt coffee from the staff room. The basement felt as Alexandre's brother declared, like a prison.

From a strategic point, the lower level was a decent place to hide away from the end of the world. From a personal point of view, it was depressing to think that the school might be the last place they ever saw.

Getting the children into the basement in the dark even tried Will's patience. They refused to go down into the "haunted basement," as the elementary rumour mill claimed. Not even bribing them did anything. Not even Charlie wanted to go down there, limiting her role as a helper. They would rather risk a wolf tearing down the school than venturing into the depths of the unknown.

In the end, Loki managed to get the kindergarten class into the basement. Tired and impatient, the trickster stormed downstairs, cursing in tandem with each step. After a moment, the children squared their shoulders and followed him.

Hands white-knuckling the edge of the sink, Will stared at his dripping reflection in the graffitied mirror. Chestnut hair hung limp, gray eyes glossy and vacant. Without his glasses, he seemed older. The bags under his eyes were more prominent. Ben liked to tease that Will had found the fountain of youth in genetics. He was in his thirties, yet he could easily pass as a twenty-year-old. Ben sported more and more silver hair with each passing day. Will had yet to find one.

Mirror Will frowned, and an ache bloomed in Real Will's chest. The last thing he had said to Ben was an accusation. He'd called Ben a coward for not wanting to get married. Ben was worried it would impact his work. Will, who had dreamed of having a family, threw that concern back at him.

With Ragnarok on their heels and with no way of reaching out, Will wasn't sure if he'd ever get the chance to apologize. That regret was like a rock bruising his ribs. He wondered if Ben was okay and if he was safe. Was he wondering the same for Will? Was he still alive? Would Will live long enough to see him again?

In the sickly lighting, Will's skin was pale, exaggerating the red and black bruising around his neck. Will touched the bruise, a flash of Loki's hand around his neck startling him. The vicious smirk craving Will's demise mixed with the spicy scent that surrounded Loki.

Will splashed more cold water on his face, desperate to freeze his mind before buttoning his shirt up to hide the worst of the bruising.

The staff room had plenty of snacks in the cupboards and fridge. The power had gone out with the arrival of the storm, so Will helped himself to the yogurts, vitamin waters and other snacks he could carry. He had no idea what they would do if forced out of the school or how they would navigate the world. Twenty kids, one teacher and an insufferable trickster. Their predicament sounded like the setup for a bad joke.

One thing he did know—everyone was hungry. Everything else had stopped working, but the analog clocks still ticked away, unphased by the crash of technology. Since it was well past pick-up time, Will had to assume no one was coming for them. Short of venturing out of the school, the staff room was the next best option.