Letters

Smeerensburg

I hope today is wonderful for you all. ❤

...

Third Person P.O.V

Jesper approaches the man sleeping inside the shack, looking around his kicked up feet at the man.

The man wore a worn out coat and a cap, and had bushy black sideburns and a stubble along his face, his nose slightly red from the cold.

He huffs with a roll of his eyes, obnoxiously clearing his throat to gain his attention.

"You go back to the intersection, and make a left at the dead tree," Mogens boredly directs, not looking up. "You're welcome."

"What? No," Jesper holds up his hand in aggravation, shaking his head before setting both hands on his hips. "I'm not lost."

"Trust me, you are," Mogens replies in a monotone before shifting to get comfortable.

Jesper forces a laugh, "funny. Say, nice boat," he tightly smiles, gesturing to the ship. "Any chance you might actually get on it today?"

Mogens raises his cap, peering up at Jesper. "What was that?"

"New postman," Jesper speaks like he was talking to a small child, gesturing to himself. "Smeerensburg," he points to the land. "Which is on an island. Which is surrounded by water. Which I need a boat to get to, which you have. Are we starting to connect the dots?"

He forces another wide grin, clasping his fingers together. Mogens looks up at him in disbelief for a moment before smirking and chuckling.

...

The dark grey waters crash against the sides of the ship as they sail along, Mogens whistling a tune while Jesper shivered violently.

"I-Is the weather a-always like t-this?" he shivers out, his teeth clattering.

"Eh, we're having a bit of a heat wave," Mogens muses, shrugging.

Jesper rolls his eyes before pausing, rising slowly and looking ahead at the fog.

"Huh?" he softly breathes out, his eyes widening as the skeleton of a large whale comes into view, hanging over him.

Jesper stares at it as they pass it, his face pale with fear as he slowly looks back ahead.

"There she is. Smeerensburg," Mogens smirks, leaning out and looking up at the island. "Charming, huh?"

The town seemed lifeless, not a single light lit up and a thick layer of snow covering most of it.

"Why, you should see it in the spring!" Mogens continues, amusement lacing his words at Jesper's face. "That's when those greys really pop."

...

After they dock, they set up Jesper's carriage and pony and sit side by side as the pony walks along.

Mogens whistles another tune as Jesper looks around the destroyed town, weapons sticking out of almost every wall.

"What... Happened here?"

"Oh," Mogens lifts his cap, "uh, colorful local traditions. Quirky folklore. That kind of thing," he replies in a light tone. "All part of this quaint town's vibrant culture."

Mogens relaxes once more as Jesper notices a group of kids approaching an old man sleeping in his rocking chair.

They giggle darkly as they start to drag his chair, waking him up as he gasps.

"No, no! Why you--"

He screams as they push him off his deck, his chair sliding down the snow hill.

"You rotten vermin!"