Loki's Mark

Chapter One

"And they lived mischievously ever after. The End."

"Yeah, right. Who even ends a story with 'The end' anymore?" I snorted to myself, as I laid the book down on the end table next to me. With a sigh, I tilted my head back and rested it against the wall, smelling the lovely early summer breeze coming in through the window. After several moments, I turned and closed the window, with regret. Unfortunately, it didn't have a screen, so I couldn't leave it open overnight or I'd be fighting bugs for days. I'd learned that the hard way already.

I climbed down off of the bay window seat and stretched, picking up the book and walking over to my pack to slip it in, so I wouldn't forget to return it to the library as soon as possible. I don't know why I had let Susie recommend it to me, the book was schlock. Oh well, lesson learned - take her literary picks with a whole shaker full of salt. I smiled ruefully, then turned to look at the clock. 10:28pm. Wow, I hadn't heard the next door neighbors start up their nightly festivities yet. In fact, they were almost an hour late at this point.

Would I actually be able to meditate peacefully tonight? It would be very nice if I could. I was finding it very distracting, and hard, to start my spiritual practice and study, when my neighbors were constantly deciding that every night was fight night. It made me wish I had known about that before I had moved into this upstairs apartment two months ago. But, honestly? The layout of the place, the location, and the price probably would have still tempted me.

Maybe I could move all of this to the morning, I thought, as I carefully settled myself on the floor in front of the low table where I kept my candles and the few crystals and other things I had collected so far. Then again, they often kept me up late with their screaming, so that wasn't always an option either. With a deep breath, I started slowly and deliberately lighting each candle, handling them with care and respect as I placed them back down in their designated spots. Each move was part of the ritual, every action a part of the mindful, meditative state I was trying to submerge myself in. I smiled contentedly as I picked up the last candle, and struck the lighter again. Just as the flame was about to touch the wick, the screaming started next door.

"Oh, for the love of GOD!" I wailed in frustration, head slumping in defeat as the peaceful state I had started to slip into was shattered unceremoniously.

"Well, finally. I thought you'd never get around to it." an accented voice drawled from behind me and to the left. "You humans really are quite stubborn, you know?"

For about two seconds, fear paralyzed me, but then my head whipped around to make sure I wasn't imagining things. Nope, there was definitely a man sitting on my bay window seat, that hadn't been there a minute ago. I shrieked and dropped the candle, then scrambled backwards and up off the floor, grabbing the small knife off my makeshift altar as I went. "Who the hell are you?! How the hell did you get in here?!" I barked, holding the knife out in front of me like an idiot as I shook from the adrenaline coursing through my body.

He just laughed as he unfolded his long, slender body from the seat, tossing his red hair out of his face. I could now clearly see his vibrant green eyes dancing with merriment and laughter as he looked at my pitiful knife. "None of that matters right now, my pet. What does matter is that you're currently bleeding all over this lovely wooden floor. You probably should do something about that."

Startled, I looked down to see blood running down the inside of my thigh. I jerked my head to look over at the shattered candle on the floor nearby, and figured that I must have cut myself as I scrambled away from it. "Shit Biscuits!" I exclaimed, as I turned and stormed into the bathroom, fumbling through my cabinet and shelves to find something to clean up the wound and see how bad it was. I could hear his laughter behind me, then his footsteps approaching.