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Misfortunes of Vagnar Larson

People are really going through unspeakable things, could it be consequences of our own actions or consequences of people with the power to make things right but failed to do so. I’m not trying to get political, it makes me irascible. But there’s this lingering question on our minds ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ I assure you, there’s really no answer to this question. Some people are just unlucky, others aren’t.

How do we avoid the misfortunes that come with bad luck? Or how do we avoid bad luck at all? Religious leaders would say have Faith, consecrate your ways for some sort of divine protection, watch and pray. I’m religious enough to say, that’s true. However, if we’re being realistic... the randomness of evil is no respecter of your religious beliefs. Sometimes, fear grips me on my bed at night as I’d imagine the last moments of people departed as I put myself in their shoes.

All I know is... tomorrow isn’t promised. We yet draw breath today because some form of higher power wills it so. My heart yet hurts for those that were hoping to see today but didn’t. Rest on... rest in peace.

The unprecedented damage that losing someone dear does to a person cannot be imagined, I mean... He/she was here a minute ago, and the next minute they’re gone for good. Memories of what was… drowns the mind, visions of what could have been becomes like a weight on the chest as the flood gates of tears open uncontrollably. At that point, nothing else makes sense… the human body and mind wasn’t designed to go through such emotional chaos. But yet, we face it, some overcome it and recover, others get used to the pain, and as always. Life goes on.

Truth is… bad things are always going to happen to good people because wicked and bad people are the orchestrators of unthinkable evil and horrors. And good people are always gonna be caught up in the crosshairs.

That or sometimes, a completely unexpected, unexplainable random and unfortunate incident catches up with them. At the end of it all, Death is what we all have in common regardless.

“Dad dad”, said Noelle as she ran into her parent’s room

“Hey princess, what’s the rush about?” said Vagnar to his 4 years old daughter

“I’m- I’m so done packing all my things for this trip”, said Noelle with a wide grin on her face

“No you haven’t”, interrupted Joel her 10 years old brother

“All she kept in her backpack was her bowl, cereal and milk”, Joel laughed

“Milk?” yelled Elizabeth their mom as she chuckled rushing to check the mess her daughter had done

“Honey, please try not to promise these kids a good time before they actually get to have that said good time. As you can see, their excitement is hard to deal with”, said Elizabeth as she returned into the room

“That’s the whole point”, giggled Vagnar

“Oh really, next time... you’d be cleaning up their mess. Noelle you soiled you backpack with milk”,

“No I didn’t mummy”, protested Noelle

“No she didn’t mummy”, teased Vagnar

“You’d spoil these kids rotten”, said Elizabeth sternly as she went into the bathroom

“Noelle, you’d ask mommy or daddy for help packing next time, okay?” said Vagnar as he hugged his daughter

“Yes dad”, said Noelle

“Okay, we’re leaving in 3 hours. Are you ready?” said Vagnar

“Of course they are”, said Elizabeth

“Are you sure you don’t want to tag along, we’ll be gone all week. It’ll be fun”, Said Joel

“No dear, y’all go have fun. Your dad obviously needs this more than I do”, said Elizabeth

“Now come here young lady, let’s get you ready”, said Elizabeth as she pulled Noelle into the bathroom.

Dark and bleak moments come with no warning; they mostly start with the best of experiences, no one ever see it coming.

A happy family with a bright and hopeful future, Vagnar was content... He was at peace with the affairs happening in his life. With his beautiful partner Elizabeth he was almost certain, that no matter what may come his way... With God and His wife, he’d overcome.


The police precinct at a small town called ‘Lakeside’ had a visitor at the early hours of the morning

“Oh, it’s you again? You look rough”, said the officer

“Where’s the detective?” asked the irritated Vagnar Larson

“Apparently he doesn’t sleep in the precinct... you’d need to hold on for her to get in”,

“Hold on? Hold on? This is the third day without— oh my babies”, sobbed Vagnar as he fell to his knees and wailed

“Hey, I can’t begin to imagine what you’re going through. Be strong”,

“Be strong?” lamented Vagnar as everything that had happened so far flashed before his eyes

Vagnar had gotten to the small town called lakeside where he had acquired a property in the woods. He had always wanted to go there with his kids when they got older, he had been there so many times with them when they were younger, but he doubt if they’d remember their adventures. This was the first time he went there without his Elizabeth.

“We’d have to get things for the house guys”, said Vagnar as he addressed his kids as they walked into the store

“But Dad... I’m tired. I wanna go home”, cried Noelle

“I understand honey, we won’t take long. Come here, from now on out... I’m gonna carry you”, said Vagnar as he kept Noelle in the trolley.

“She’s so lucky”, said Joel

“Come on guys we’re gonna have maximum fun guaranteed. I promise”,

“I know Dad”, Joel and Noelle both said

Vagnar got into the store with his kids as he brought his phone out to check his list, when Elizabeth called

“Hi, they’re fine. Tired but fine. We’re at the store to get stuff and then we’ll go home”, said Vagnar as he was carried away with his call, walked away a little from where his kids were.

As soon as he hung up, he walked back to his kids when he saw someone creepy talking to his daughter

“Little angel, what’s your name?” said the man as he paid a keen attention on Noelle

“Dad?” Joel and Noelle both cried out

“Excuse me, any problem?” said Vagnar as he walked in between the man and his children

“Oh no, not at all. She’s an angel isn’t she?” The creepy man asked with his beady eyes and dry lips and his collar that showed that he was a priest.

“Yes, yes she is. Thank you very much... Come on guys. Let’s go”, as he hurried off with his children

“Have a blessed day, you and yours”, said the priest.

With just a glance over his shoulder, he nodded.

“Creepy”, said Joel

“Took the word out my mouth”, said Vagnar

After a while, they picked up all they felt they needed. They queued in front of the cashier

“Dad, can I get some ice cream?” Noelle asked

“Sweetheart, come on. I asked if you wanted anything else, you said you were good”,

“Joel?”

“Yes dad”,

“You want ice cream also, yeah?” asked Vagnar as Joel responded with a shrug

“Alright, stay with your sister”, said Vagnar “Please, could you be on the lookout for my kids. I’ll be right back. One sec”, said Vagnar to the woman behind him on the line. As she nodded

Vagnar wasn’t gone for more than a second or so he thought, by the time he returned... his children weren’t where he left them.

“Please, excuse me. Where are... where are my children?” Vagnar asked the woman standing behind them.

“They went in to look for you”,

“What?”

“Yeah, that’s what they said”,

Vagnar ran back to check every isle, calling out their names frantically

“You let a couple of infants walk in this huge store by themselves. I can’t find them, where did they go?!” yelled Vagnar

At the exit he saw the priest, amongst many others walking out with their packages with no kids with them

The woman shamefully kept quiet...

Moments passed, he found himself wailing as he gave a recount of what happened to the detectives over and over again.


“You can’t possibly know what I’m going through right now. I can’t be strong. I can’t be anything. I’m lost without them”, lamented Vagnar

“You’re here, early and bright”, said Detective Bridges as she waltzed in

“Any leads yet?” asked Vagnar

“Will you just relax?”

“Excuse me ma’am but do you have kids? You wouldn’t exactly be relaxing if any of them got missing, will you?” yelled Vagnar as he walked back to the store.

Vagnar hadn’t spoken to Elizabeth since Noelle and Joel got missing, every time she called... he picks up and says absolutely nothing. Understandably so, I mean... what words could he possibly say? I’m trying so hard to put myself in his shoes so I can relate with Vagnar. But there are certain experiences the brain can’t replicate.

Vagnar somehow couldn’t get the face of that priest out his mind, he should have been a suspect but he saw him walk out the store with no one.

“But he’s a priest. Creepy but a priest”, pondered Vagnar

But His mind could stop thinking about how He has an interest in the divinity of Noelle

“I have a suspect”, said Vagnar as he barged into detective Bridges office

“It makes sense now; his appearance might have been a disguise. I know he has my kids”, said Vagnar

“Who?” asked Detective Bridges

“There was a priest at the store, he spoke to my kids”,

“There was a priest? The only ordained priest in this town is father Nathan”, said Detective Bridges as she pulled out a picture from a drawer

“Yes, that’s him. Why do you have a picture of him?”

“He was once arrested for beating up a woman suspected of demonic possession. It was a complicated case”,

“He has my kids, I’m sure of it. Please let’s go”,

“Alright then, but we need a warrant”,

“Come on... we’re running out of time”,

“It’s complicated, we can’t just go searching his property. That’s not how things are done”,

“Please. I’m sure of this. He kept saying my girl was an angel, he’s crazy. We need to go now”,

“Hold on outside while I make some phone calls. I’ll get the warrant in 3 hours tops”,

“3 hours?!”

“Mister Larson please step outside my office and let me do my job”,

“Okay ma’am”, said Vagnar as he went to seat in the waiting room outside her office

Moments passed, Detective Bridges came out her office to give Vagnar the sad news, the court couldn’t grant the warrant. The man of God supposedly couldn’t do something like that. Vagnar was nowhere to be found. She immediately ordered security officers to the priest’s residence.

Vagnar knew it was easier for him to be arrested for trespassing than to get the warrant against a priest. But in order for him to be caught, they’d have to come get him at the priest’s residence anyway.

As soon as Vagnar got into the priest’s house he immediately search or the attic or basement, he knew for sure that the priest was a psychopath. His heart imploded when he saw his daughter’s shoe at the entrance of the basement

“God please, please”, whispered Vagnar as his voice trembled

He then rushed down the dark basement but at the base of the staircase, he tripped and fell on something. He pulled out his phone to turn on the flash light. There it was, the beginning of Vagnar’s end, he found his son Joel. Joel was lifeless, Joel was decapitated. Vagnar went numb; I can’t possibly describe what Vagnar was going through at that instant.

Vagnar then heard laughter coming from the next room, it was the priest.

“Noelle”, gasped Vagnar as he ran into the room

Vagnar went on his knees immediately as his gaze went up to his daughter’s crucified body on a cross.

“No, my baby”, Vagnar trembled and wailed.

“Why do you cry? She’s an angel, she glowed, she’d come back and save us all”, said the priest as he laughed

Vagnar ran towards the priest and punched him so hard he felt the skin covering his knuckles tear. Vagnar sat on the priest and continued punching him repeatedly, he disregarded his sprained and hurting wrists, he kept punching as tears poured out his eyes. Vagnar was certain he was going to crush the Priest’s skull. He kept punching him until

“Freeze”, yelled the police as they got into the basement

Vagnar disregarded the order to freeze and kept punching the priest until one policeman tackled him to the ground and restrained him

“Let me go. Let me go”, yelled Vagnar as he watched them slap on handcuffs on the priest's hand

“She’s an angel, she’s an angel”, the priest kept yelling. Then again a murderer goes to jail to be judged, life sentence or death sentence... this wouldn’t bring back the lives of the departed. What form of justice satisfies the victim?

Vagnar punched the policeman, broke free and ran at the priest again but the policeman behind him tased Vagnar, as he collapsed... his gaze went to the lifeless body of his daughter. He hoped he'd never wake up again. But knowing his ill luck, he knew he’d live long to endure this pain forever.



THE END




26 июня 2021 г. 20:52 0 Отчет Добавить Подписаться
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