V11 The Lindqvist Chronicles Story One: The Icelandic Sheep Farm

"Nisse, I just want to talk!" You yell after it, but it's already rounded the corner of the barn. You hear your car start and begin to drive. Rounding the corner of the barn, you see Bridget driving the car backward, trying to squish the nisse. "Bridget, no!" You yell. "It's something bad, I can feel it!" She yells back. As the car hits the figure, the back bumper crunches around it. The figure, unharmed, hops out the gate and away into the Icelandic countryside. "I told you, stop using the car to hit supernatural creatures." You give Bridget a disapproving look. "You do it all the time!" She replies, manifesting on the back bumper. "That's because I have you helping me!" You yell, "If you're not repairing the car, it can't take it." "You're too slow; you didn't get back in time to drive it!" She yells back "I had to do something!" "Can you fix it?" You ask. "With some metal, time, and a milkshake, yes." She pauses. "And an apology." "An apology for what!?" You throw your hands up in exasperation. "For being too slow and making me hurt the car." She folds her arms together. "Oh, so now it's my fault?" You sigh. "I'm sorry for being slow and making you damage the car." [[The next day with a damaged car]]

You run after it, grabbing iron nails from loops inside your bomber jacket. "Bridget, intercept them for me, will you?" You pull the gear shift for your car out of your belt and throw it, sharpened end first, towards the red figure. The red figure jumps out of the way; Bridget manifests on the gear shift, grabs at the red figure, and misses, only managing to snag one of the thermos' it was holding. "Sorry man, they were too fast," Bridget says, perched on the gear shift. "It's fine; you got a thermos it was carrying. Maybe our hosts will know something about it." [[The next day with a thermos]]

You walk over to the other horse. It appears normal, no braids, just an ordinary horse. As you begin to check for other supernatural signs, you catch a glimpse of something red scurrying out of the stables. Walking outside and looking around, you cannot find any sign of the red thing you saw, not even tracks in the snow. What do you want to do next? (if: $Tree is false) [[Investigate the Tree]] (if:$Barn is false) [[Investigate Dymitr]] [[Check Mother's Notebook]] (if:$Barn and $Tree and $Horse is true) [[You are invited to dinner]]

(if: $Barn is false) [[Investigate Dymitr]] (if:$Horse is false) [[Investigate the Horse]] (if: $Tree is false) [[Investigate the Tree]] (if:$Barn and $Tree and $Horse is true) [[You are invited to dinner]]

The inside of the house is just as charming as the outside: white wallpaper with yellow flowers covers the kitchen/dining room. In contrast, the appliances are sleek and modern but don't clash with the aesthetic. "We inherited it when our parents died. We moved here to tend the farm," Gunnar says. "We renovated it a few months ago," Auður shudders. "That's when the problems got really bad." "Could you describe the problems?" You ask. You have a vague idea from the email, but it's always better to hear from the client in person. "First, it was sheep going missing and weird tracks appearing," Auður replies. "Then the ewes didn't have milk, and the sheep were always stressed." "Then all the sheep started getting sick after we renovated," Gunnar adds. "The other stuff was before we renovated." "We asked our neighbors; many say they have the same problems." Auður chimes in. "At this point, we're going to be forced to sell the farm soon," Gunnar sighs. "We already don't have as many sheep as most," Auður says. "Due to the sickness." "This may be a strange question, but what weird things did your parents do that you don't," You ask. This is the common linchpin in cases involving inherited goods or property. "Why is that relevant?" Auður asks, "We still put an iron horseshoe on the door and hang a pair of shears above the entrance to the barn." "Our sheep are all earmarked," Gunnar chimes in. "Gagnbitað mark, it looks like an arrowhead." "Although that's normal here in Iceland," Auður unhelpfully explains. You have already done your research before this case. "You hired me to solve your problem," You respond. "I need to consider every option. Just because you are safe from some spirits doesn't mean others can't cause problems." "But it has to be some kind of wright or powerful elf or something." Gunnar says, "Our tomte was nothing but helpful while our parents were here; now it feels like he abandoned us." "You have a tomte?" You check your mother's paranormal investigator notebook. "I thought they were only in Sweden?" "Our mother was from Sweden; she moved from her family's farm in Västergötland," Auður replies. "That's why." "Mine was from Sweden too," You chime in. "Ours was weird," Gunnar says. "She liked to leave porridge on the doorstep for the sheep at night." "Her and dad used to get into arguments about it," Auður says. "You don't leave porridge out, I assume?" you ask. "Of course not; it's a waste of good food, and it's bad for the sheep," Gunnar exclaims. "Dagur didn't do that, and his sheep are doing great," Auður says "Nei, honum gengur ekki eins vel núna. Ég hef heyrt að þeir séu flestir látnir," Gunnar says to Auður. From what little you know of Icelandic, he said something about someone's dead sheep. "One last question, do you have any farmhands?" You ask "Yes, Dymitr, he is so good with the horses. His family recently immigrated from Poland," Auður responds. "Thank you very much for your time, but it is getting late, and I need to be well-rested for tomorrow." You say and head back to your cold station wagon to sleep. [[The next morning]]

The next day, you and Dymitr drive to Dagur's farm. The drive is longer than expected, taking you along an icy mountain road. After an hour of careful driving, the cliffs open up to reveal a beautiful blue fjord and, in the distance, a sheep farm. Despite the stunning scenery, the air is filled with gloom and dread. It takes a tense twenty minutes to get to the farm. You pull into the drive and park, taking care to not hit any sheep. "Bridget, I need you to protect the car. We don't know if Dagur is secretly a changeling or something." You say. "Who are you talking to?" Dymitr asks, glancing around for the person you could be talking to. "Bridget…" You pause, realizing he doesn't have the sight like you do. "Oh, you can't see her." "Are you ok?" he asks as you reach into your bag and pull out a jar of ointment. "Close your eyes," you say as you put some ointment on your fingers. He closes his eyes, and you smear the ointment on both his eyes. "You can open your eyes now," you say. He screams as Bridget waves at him. "What is that!" he opens the door and scrambles out. "Did you drug me?" "She's Bridget. She's not going to hurt you," You say. "And no, I did not drug you." Eventually, you manage to explain to him hidden people and supernatural entities and how the ointment has let him see them. You can't tell if he believes you or not. You and Dymitr walk up to Dagur's front door and knock. The house is a cheerful red, but right now, it looks like it's bleeding. After a few minutes, a tall, barrel-chested man with short blond hair opens the door. "Oh, Dymitr, it's so nice to see you again!" Dagur smiles wide and goes in for a hug. Dymitr uncomfortably accepts but soon pushes away. Dagur gestures for the two of you to come inside. "Come in, I have coffee brewing." You and Dymitr walk inside and come face to face with a stack of books. "Sorry, my house is a bit of a mess right now," Dagur says from somewhere behind the books. What you assume is the entryway (and maybe the dining room, too) is currently a labyrinth of books. Thankfully, like a labyrinth, it only has one path. When you arrive at the kitchen Dagur has two mugs of hot coffee for you and Dymitr, sitting on the kitchen counter. "Again, I'm sorry for the mess. Would it be ok to sit in the living room?" Dagur asks. "Of course," Dymitr responds. He picks up the mug of coffee with some kind of milk or creamer and walks into the living room. You pick up the remaining mug and follow. The living room walls are also a cheery red color. "Dymitr, how are your parents doing?" Dagur asks after everyone gets settled in. "Good," He replies. "They are living at Leif's farm." "Wonderful," he looks at you. "And have you told them about your boyfriend?" You look at Dagur, you look at the black ring on your finger and you look at Dymitr. "He's not my boyfriend." Dymitr blushes furiously. "He's quite older than me." "Respectfully, sir. Dymitr's a great guy, but he's not my type." You don't mention that nobody's your type, but that's irrelevant to the conversation. "I'm just teasing him," Dagur says. "He just turned eighteen recently, and his parents are pushing him to find someone." "So, why are you here?" He asks you. "My name is Markus Lindqvist, I found a thermos at the Angarson farm, and Dymitr said it was yours, so I wanted to return it." You walk over to him and hold out the thermos. You notice Dagur's expression change from happy to nervous as he takes the thermos. "Thank you..." He says. "I must have dropped it while visiting." "I'm so sorry you caught me at a bad time." Dagur suddenly stands up. "I must go tend the sheep." You and Dymitr share a worried look and begin to leave through the labyrinth of books. Before you reach the door, a book catches your eye: Icelandic Witchcraft: A Practical Guide. Looking around, a good number of the books are also on the same topic. When you get outside, you ask, "Was Dagur always into witchcraft?" "No," Dymitr says. "Why do you ask?" "He had a lot of books about it..." You say. "Look out!" Dymitr interrupts you. You spin around and barely dodge the shovel swinging at your head. "Dagur, what are you doing!" Dymitr yells. "He knows too much." He swings at you again. "If this gets out, I'll lose the farm." "Dagur, listen to me," You dodge the swing. "I've seen this type of thing before." You expand your wrench and knock the shovel out of his hands. "A farmer has a bad year, or their livestock dies, or some other tragedy occurs." "Some tragedy!" Dagur yells, "My farm is ruined! All of my ewes are dead!" "In desperation, you turn to witchcraft," You motion for Dymitr to pick up the shovel. "I didn't have a choice!" Dagur begins to cry, "The milk hare is the only thing keeping this farm alive!" "It's not too late. How many ewes do you need to start again?" You ask. "Why does it matter?" he replies. "Just tell me." You say. "About twenty," he replies. "I have many of my rams." "Dymitr, how many sheep farms are in this area?" You ask. "About five that I know of, including this one and the Angarson farm," Dymitr says. "Dagur, have you tried asking your neighbors to help you?" You ask. "No," he replies. "My wife was closer with them than I was." "How does this sound: we go ask your neighbors for some help, don't tell them it was you, and you call off the milk hare," You say. "Please, think about what Ásdis... mom would do," Dymitr says. "You... Never called her that..." Dagur looks at Dymitr. "You two were my parents for two years. Not just a couple that gave me a place to live," Dymitr says. "I wasn't able to admit that until now." "I'll do it. For her," Dagur says. You do just that. Dagur's neighbors, including the Angarson siblings, are more than happy to help. You and Dymitr watch Dagur destroy the milk hare and return to the Angarson farm to tell them the good news. The farmers come together and throw a party at Dagur's place. The food is excellent, Dagur is visibly happier, and the farms aren't under threat of bankruptcy. You get the feeling this has brought everyone closer together. If something like this happens again, it will be easier for them to deal with it on their own. After the party, the Angarson siblings both give you a hug, Gunnar gives you some toffee he made, and Arður gives you a tub of homemade skyr. Unfortunately your payment is reduced due to the Angarsons having to give up two sheep. You drive away towards Reykjavik to catch a ferry to Canada. "Do we have to take the ferry again?" Bridget whines. "Yes, we're going to Canada; Elm is having some problems with their house, so we're going to check it out." You say. "What happened to going back home to the States!" Bridget yelled, "The milkshakes in Canada are shit." "They emailed me yesterday, and they're a close friend," you respond. "Why the fuck don't I know them?" Bridget asks. "We've been out of contact since high school, but I knew them since elementary." You say. You park your car on the ferry and sail away to your next case. The End. [[Return to Beginning->Title Page]]

You reach out to touch the braids when a strong slap on your hand stops you. Looking around, you don't see anyone. You go back to your car to double-check for curses and broken bones. You don't find any broken bones or curses, but your hand will have a nasty bruise. What do you want to do next? (if: $Tree is false) [[Investigate the Tree]] (if:$Barn is false) [[Investigate Dymitr]] [[Check Mother's Notebook]] (if:$Barn and $Tree and $Horse is true) [[You are invited to dinner]]

You wait for Dymitr to leave and crouch down to look at the spot where he dumped the water. You notice that some rabbit tracks in the snow are being melted away by the water. Bringing up your phone to cross-reference them, you find that the tracks don't match any rabbits from Iceland. The snow slowly fills in the track. Noticing this, you search for other tracks but only manage to trace them to the front gate. What do you want to do next? (if: $Tree is false) [[Investigate the Tree]] (if:$Horse is false) [[Investigate the Horse]] [[Check Mother's Notebook]] (if:$Barn and $Tree and $Horse is true) [[You are invited to dinner]]

(set: $Barn to true) “This kid reminds me of the farmhand from my first case back on the goat farm in Wisconsin,” You mutter; farmhands tend to have helpful information or be the people who angered the spirit. You follow him behind the stone barn and notice him pouring dirty water into the snow. What do you do? [[Question Dymitr]] [[Inspect the ground by the barn]]

(set: $Horse to true) You walk over to the stable to take a look at the horse's braids. The first thing you notice is that the horses' body heat keeps the stable warmer. The second thing you notice is that the braids seem very intricate and beautiful. You cross reference the braids with your mom's sketches in her notebook. They are nothing alike. However, that might mean nothing, considering that the sketches are of Swedish nisse braids. What do you do? [[Inspect the braids]] [[Check the other horse]]

(set: $Tree to true) Walking over to the tree, you notice smoke rising from a small chimney nestled in the roots. You see a mouse scurry into a hole near the tree. "So it's one of those places," You mutter, squatting down to inspect the hole. Suddenly, you feel a sharp pain on your nose. "Don't be so nosey," a voice from inside the hole says. "Mind your own business." What do you do? [[Mind your own business]] [[Keep investigating]]

"I'm sorry," you say, "I didn't mean to disturb you." "They always say that," the voice says "Could you answer a few questions for me?" You ask "In exchange for what?" the voice asks "How does some chocolate sound?" You propose "Deal." A small mouse-like person in green Medieval farming clothes with a thick woolcloak walks out of the hole. "You may ask me three questions." "First question: are you or your family milking the sheep?" "No" "Second question: do you know who or what is milking the sheep?" "Yes" "Third question: Who or what is milking the sheep?" "It is small, red, and very strong; it carries multiple thermoses to carry the milk in and makes multiple trips every night. That's all I know. I'm too scared to get any closer." You hand the person a chocolate bar and leave, not wanting to frustrate them further. What do you want to do next? (if: $Barn is false) [[Investigate Dymitr]] (if:$Horse is false) [[Investigate the Horse]] [[Check Mother's Notebook]] (if:$Barn and $Tree and $Horse is true) [[You are invited to dinner]]

Heeding their warning, you walk away, deciding to investigate something else. You have seen too many people with horrible curses or illnesses caused by annoying something like that. What do you want to do next? (if: $Barn is false) [[Investigate Dymitr]] (if:$Horse is false) [[Investigate the Horse]] [[Check Mother's Notebook]] (if:$Barn and $Tree and $Horse is true) [[You are invited to dinner]]

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You tap Dymitr on the shoulder. "Excuse me." He yelps and drops the pot, spilling the water on his feet. "I'm so sorry." You pick up the pot, "I didn't mean to frighten you." "Is ok…" He pauses. "Who are you? I not seen you on farm before." "My name is Markus Lindqvist, I'm here to help with the problems on the farm." You say “My name is Dymitr Brzezicki.” They respond, "Are you a… How do you say this in English… Weterynarz?" "I'm sorry, I don't understand." You reply. "Animal doctor?" He says questioningly. "Oh, no, I am not a veterinarian." You say, "Auður and Gunnar think something supernatural is going on; that's what I'm here to solve." "I see…" He looks around nervously. "Can I show you something?" You follow him into the mountains behind the farm. You and Dymitr walk up switchbacks and small icy trails for about thirty minutes until you get to a small cave. Inside is a pile of dead sheep. Looking closer, the sheep are earmarked with a quarter cut out of their ears. "Do you have any idea who did this?" you ask. "No," he replies, "I found this cave when looking for sheep who wandered off." "I remember the earmark," he says. "I used to work at the farm the sheep belong to." You and Dymitr return to the barn. What do you want to do next? (if: $Tree is false) [[Investigate the Tree]] (if:$Horse is false) [[Investigate the Horse]] [[Check Mother's Notebook]] (if:$Barn and $Tree and $Horse is true) [[You are invited to dinner]]

The engine grumbles as you coax your blue 1994 Volvo wagon up the steep, winding driveway of the sheep farm. Your mother's worn notebook shakes on the dashboard as your car hits a bump. Volcanic mountains frame the snowy pasture like a grey wall. You can barely see the farmhouse ahead, its white walls and snow-covered turf roof blending into the pasture. <img src="https://3176dbcfad29f82f3b1a-6aa797022dbacf950c264d1bf3e68f1e.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/Bridget-200.png" alt="Bridget character illustration" style="float: left; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px;">A small hunchbacked figure covered in oil crawls out from beneath the dashboard and pukes up the remains of a steamed bun out the window. "Feeling any better, Bridget?" You ask. "Remind me why we decided to take this boring ass milk theft case." She replies, slumping into the passenger seat. "It's probably just a normal guy." <img src="https://3176dbcfad29f82f3b1a-6aa797022dbacf950c264d1bf3e68f1e.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/Markus-Lindqvist-200.png" alt="Markus character illustration" style="float: left; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px;">"You said the exact same thing in Germany, and we ended up being chased by the wild hunt," You say, checking the iron nails on the inside of your bomber jacket. "We drove to Germany; we didn't take a week-long ferry ride." She groans. You would think she'd have gotten used to boats by now, but nope, she still gets pissy when she's seasick. "We were in Denmark before Germany and New York before this case." You explain. "So?" Bridget asks. She has never been good at geography. "We can't drive across water, dumbass." You punch her in the shoulder playfully. "I'll buy you a chocolate milkshake next time we get to a town. How does that sound?" You park the car, open the door, and step out into the cold, the snow crunching under your boots. "And another one when we get back to the States," Bridget replies, crawling through the car to come out under the hood. "Deal." You both spit in your hand and shake on it. "And you can't complain until after we get back." "I don't understand how she can enjoy milkshakes when it's below freezing," you mutter to yourself, grabbing your mom's notebook and putting it in your mom's leather bag. [[Walk to the farmhouse]]

You finish your meal and go back to your car for the night. It is hard to sleep. You check your email just to do something. Your old friend Elm emailed you about something weird going on at their house. You try to sleep again, but you feel something more is happening on this farm. More than a misunderstanding or accidental offense, something malicious and intentional. You toss and turn for hours until you decide to just stay up. Getting out of the car, you go behind the barn to pee when you spot something red out of the corner of your eye, holding what appears to be two thermoses. What do you do? [[Chase it]] [[Call out to it]]

After driving into town to get Bridget her two milkshakes (one for the boat ride and one to fix the car), you inspect the damage in the daylight. You notice some red wool caught in the twisted metal of the bumper. "It's wearing wool," you mutter. "Red wool." "And it was carrying thermoses." you begin to pace. "I wonder what was in those." "You have a webcam in the car." Bridget says while working on the bumper, "You've used it before during the fighter jet museum case." "I'm going to have to use the extension cord, though, and where would I put my laptop?" You ask. "NotABot27 could help," she suggests. "I thought we agreed to call them Nora," You groan. "That name is so annoying." Bridget smirks. "I just said it to get on your nerves." You get in the back of your car and begin the summoning ritual. First, you uninstall your antivirus program. Next you type their true name three times each into three different search engines. Finally, you offer them nine of your most valuable cookies. A small humanoid figure with large pitch-black eyes and elongated arms and fingers appears. They are wearing a purple hoodie and grey sweatpants. "Hello, Nora" You sigh. Nora pulls a cookie out of their hoodie." Whachya want Marky?" "I need your help making a wireless connection between my computer and webcam." You say. "Canchya already do that." They do a little dance on the keyboard and pull up an article about wireless webcams. "I have an older one," You grumble. "It's not wireless." "Ok, boomer." They stick their forked tongue out at you. "One: I'm a Millennial. Two: you aren't even using that phrase right." You sigh. "So? You're the loser with the old wired webcam." They say. "Are you going to help or not?" You ask. "Sure. If you give me your juiciest cookie." They lean in playfully. "The most scandalous site you've been to. I know you didn't give me it when you summoned me." "If I tell you the site, could you find the cookie?" You ask "Yeah, but it's a pain in the ass." They sigh. "I guess I can work with that." "I went to PornHub once." You say. "What!" Nora shouts, "That's it?!" "It's true." You say, "I went there and just didn't get it." "You're lying," They say. "I watched a video and everything. It was bland, no story, just sex." You say "He's lying." They say to Bridget, "Right?" "Nope, I was there, laughing my ass off at his reaction," she replies. "I guess that's it." They say incredulously, "A deal's a deal." You set up your webcam in the barn and turn it on. Then you plug your laptop into a battery and let Nora do their thing: making a Bluetooth connection where there shouldn't be. The following day, you check the footage on your computer. Around 10 pm, a red blur shoots into the barn and starts milking a ewe. After a short while it has filled the two thermoses it came with and leaves. The blur comes back again and again until all ten ewes are milked. "Nora, can you slow down the footage?" You ask. "Nope, not in my area of expertise," they reply. "Anyway, I'll be off; you know how to summon me." they walk behind your laptop and vanish. You pause the footage and go frame by frame. When the red blur slows down to milk the ewes, you can get a glimpse of it. It is roughly rabbit-shaped, with a slightly bigger head than a rabbit. [[The trap]]

After breakfast, you go outside and open the thermos. Inside is still warm sheep's milk. "It was the thing stealing the milk." You muse. "Do you know what it is?" Bridget asks. "Couldn't get a good look at it; it was too dark outside." You reply, "But if we can figure out whose thermos this is, it might give us a clue." You go to the farmhouse to talk to the farmers, but they are in the barn caring for the sheep. So you decide it's better not to bother them. "Have you tried looking for initials or a name?" Bridget asks "There are none, just an almond shape with a quarter missing etched into the bottom," You reply. <img src="https://3176dbcfad29f82f3b1a-6aa797022dbacf950c264d1bf3e68f1e.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/ear-tag-2-b.png" alt="1994 Volvo wagon" style="float: right; margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; width: 150px;">"Like an earmark?" Bridget asks. "YES!" You exclaim, "Exactly like that!" "So, should we drive around looking for sheep with that earmark?" Bridget suggests. "No, the sheep could be anywhere, and I don't think I can reliably distinguish earmarks unless I'm right in the sheep's face." You say. "So we wait for the siblings to finish their work?" She asks. "I guess." you shrug. [[The siblings finish work]]

(set: $Tree to false) (set: $Horse to false) (set: $Barn to false) You wake up the next day and eat a granola bar for breakfast. You grab your mom's notebook and climb out of your station wagon. Shivering, you decide to check the farm's earmark so you can identify the sheep. The earmark is a notch cut into both sides of the ear, like an arrowhead. <img src="https://3176dbcfad29f82f3b1a-6aa797022dbacf950c264d1bf3e68f1e.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/ear-tag-b.png" alt="1994 Volvo wagon" style="float: right; margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; width: 150px;">Looking around, you see that Dymitr is carrying a pot to the back of the small stone barn; there is a large tree in the middle of the pasture, and you notice that a horse with a braided mane is in the stable. Which do you want to investigate first? [[Investigate Dymitr]] [[Investigate the Tree]] [[Investigate the Horse]]

You research earmarks and prepare dinner while waiting for the siblings to finish their work. Around seven, they come into the house. "I prepared dinner for you." You say "Swedish meatballs, like my dad used to make." "Aww, you didn't have to do this," Gunnar says. "Well, you two have been great hosts, and I wanted to repay you." You begin to plate the food. You, Gunnar, and Auður sit down to eat along with Dymitr, who arrives soon after. Luckily, you made extra food. After a delicious meal and some fun conversation, the four of you retire to the living room. "Do any of you recognize this earmark?" You ask. "That's Dagur's mark." Gunnar realizes that name means nothing to you. "The farmer in the valley over, his sheep aren't doing too well." "I found it lying around, and I wanted to return it to its rightful owner," you say. "I'll come with you," Dymitr says. "He gave me a home while my parents were saving enough to come here." "I didn't know you had such a close connection," You reply. "You never asked," he replies. You and Dymitr get to talking. He tells you how Dagur and Ásdis cared for him for two years. They were more supportive than his birth parents. He always wanted to be a farmer, but his parents pushed him towards being an engineer. He liked men, but his parents wanted him to get a wife. Dagur and Ásdis just wanted him to be happy. He tells you that he cried for hours after Ásdis died. The conversation then moves on to the best ways to shear sheep. "We leave first thing in the morning," you say, standing up to put everyone's dishes in the sink. Soon, Dymitr leaves to go home, and you go to your car to sleep. [[Go to Dagur's farm]]

You decide to lay a trap for the creature. You go into the barn and sit on some exposed cobble floor. The sheep don't seem to mind your presence, but the stone is freezing cold. After a few hours, you awaken to the door creaking open and a chill seeping into your bones. The red figure creeps into the barn. It moves slowly, almost like it knows you are there. You recognize it. Rabbit-shaped, stealing milk, made of household objects; It's a milk hare. You see its legs tensing up as it notices you. You feel the cold steel of your wrench in your pocket. It pounces; you swing, miss, pain. In a flash, you unsheathe and throw your gear shift. You hear its screech as its ear is pinned. "Now," you yell, Bridget leaps out of the gear shift. You hear the tearing of fabric, and your chest explodes in pain. "Didn't get it!" Bridget yells. You fall to the ground, gasping for air. "Home run," you wheeze, using your wrench to stand. You see Bridget nod as she tackles the hare. You take a breath, your heartbeat slows, you ready your wrench, Bridget throws the hare… Crack, your wrench hits. Thud, the hare hits your car. Bridget grabs it from behind, already on the vehicle. "Think, Markus, what can kill a milk hare," Bridget screams as the hare breaks her arm. "Bridget!" You barely parry the hare with your wrench. Again, again, the hare pounces. Bridget disappears into the car. Your arms are getting weak. Every blow carries the weight of a sledgehammer. Pain explodes across your head. The world goes wobbly. You manage to catch a glimpse of a bloody thermos in the snow. Crunch, scream. You can't breathe. Then, air rushes into your lungs. Shards of pain flare in your chest. Through the haze, you can see the hare limping away. You notice Bridget on top of the car "It's wabbit season". A gunshot shatters the air. "Stay with me, Markus, I killed it." Bridget's face looms over you. "Silver," You whisper. "Yeah, a silver bullet," Bridget says. "Fairly reliable. Bet you're glad you brought the old WW2 revolver this time." "Your arm…" You mumble. "I'm gonna be fine," She pats your arm. "I'm not as weak as you." A sleepy-looking Gunnar opens the door. "Is everything alright? I heard a gunshot." "I took care of your milk hare problem," You mumble. "What?" Gunnar yawns and looks down at your chest. "Markus, you're hurt; we need to get you to a hospital immediately." Gunnar refuses to listen to your objections. He picks you up and puts you gently into his car. You explain what happened on the hour-long drive to Reykjavik. Thankfully, no major blood vessels or organs were punctured, so you make it to the hospital without significant complications. Unfortunately, you have to get surgery to repair the ribs. It takes multiple weeks before you can even leave the hospital. You leave the hospital with barely any money in your bank account, and you can barely move your left arm. "Do we have to take the ferry again?" Bridget whines as Gunnar drives the two of you to the ferry. "Yes, we're going to Canada; Elm is having some problems with their house, so we're going to check it out." You say. "What happened to going back home to the States!" Bridget yelled, "The milkshakes in Canada are shit." "They emailed me yesterday, and they're a close friend," you respond. "Why the fuck don't I know them?" Bridget asks. "We've been out of contact since high school, but I knew them since elementary." You say, "They're offering good money for this job; I can't afford not to take it." You check that Gunnar parked your car on the ferry correctly. Gunnar and Arður give you a basket of homemade sweets, cheese, bread, and skyr. You thank them and wave goodbye as you take your seat to sail away to your next job. The End. [[Return to Beginning->Title Page]]

<div style="position: fixed; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100vh; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center;"> [[<img src="https://3176dbcfad29f82f3b1a-6aa797022dbacf950c264d1bf3e68f1e.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/cover-horizontal-800.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; max-height: 100vh; height: auto;">->Start]] </div>

You walk up to the farmhouse. It is a simple white house set into the ground with yellow window trim and a turf roof. As you approach, the door opens, and a heavyset blond woman in a white knit sweater opens the door. "Hej hej," You wave. "Markus Lindqvist?" She asks in a thick Icelandic accent. <img src="https://3176dbcfad29f82f3b1a-6aa797022dbacf950c264d1bf3e68f1e.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/car.png" alt=<"1994 Volvo wagon" style="float: right; margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; width: 300px;"> “Ja, I assume you are Auður Agnarsdottir?” You stick out your hand for her to shake but quickly retract it, realizing it has oil and gremlin spit on it. "Sorry, I had to fix my car on the way up." You lie. "It is a rental já?" She looks around you at the car. "Very old." "Actually, it's my car, not a rental." You say proudly, "I took a ferry to get it here." "All that work for a car." She looks at you like you're crazy. "Auður hver er við dyrnar?" a voice yells from out of view. She turns to yell at someone out of view, "Gunnar, komdu hingað gestur okkar er hér." A tall, muscular man with long, wavy brown hair and a short beard walks to the door. "Halló," he says, glowering at you. "Hej hej," you reply, clutching your mother's leather bag tightly. "Well, come in; we don't want you getting a cold out there." he gestures for you to come in, as a smile lights up his face. You breathe a sigh of relief and walk inside. [[Go inside]]

Around 8pm, the siblings ask if you would like to have dinner with them. You accept and go into the farmhouse. The meal is a simple but delicious lamb stew. A bit into the meal, Auður asks you how the stew is. "It's wonderful, thank you so much." You reply " It turns out one of the people renovating the house was sick, which spread to the sheep." Gunnar says, "We weren't able to treat it because we didn't know what it was. Now we do; we should be able to find something to cure them." "That's good," you say. "At least you know that it's not something supernatural." "We would still like your help with the milk, though," Auður says "I've heard from Leif that their farm is close to shutting down," Gunnar mentions. "They can't make enough milk to sell anymore." [[That night...]]