Tragedy on Recruiting Day

 November 7th, 2001. Reine, Norway, 12:28 AM

Astrid stared wide-eyed at the scene in front of her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t look away from the lifeless body. His eyes were closed as if he were sleeping, a small trail of crimson flowing from his lips. The boy who had tormented her for as long as she could remember now laid limp on the floor of the frozen alleyway. She took in a breath, refusing to let herself cry. She took her eyes from the body, now focusing them on her brother, who stood just inches away from his victim. “Help me move the body.” he spoke, voice filled with apathy. Astrid gave no reply as she continued to stare. “Astrid!” he snapped, grabbing hold of the boy’s legs. “You promised..” Astrid whimpered, finally speaking. “You promised that you’d stop. August, you said-”

 “I said,” August interrupted, coldly. “That we’d only get rid of the bad people,” he dropped the body, stepping closer to his sister and pointing at it. “He was a bad person.” “He wasn’t-” Astrid retorted, but was cut off once again. “How many times have you gone home crying about something that he did?!” August shouted, face reddening. “Besides, you wanted him dead.” Astrid balled up her fists. “I did not!” The tears fell freely down her face. “He was only fourteen!” she wept. “He could have turned out good! He could have changed!” She tugged at her hair, watching strands fall and fly away in the wind. “You’re pathetic.” August stated, his voice once again showing no sign of emotion.

 

He walked over to the body, grabbing the legs just as he had done earlier. Astrid wiped her eyes with her sleeve, knowing she wasn’t going to win this fight. She walked over and bent down, grabbing hold of the boy’s arms and slowly lifted them up. The smell of fresh blood hit Astrid’s nostrils as she stared at the wounds. Three bullet holes were scattered across the pale boy’s body. One through his stomach, the other through the left shoulder, and the final one straight through his forehead. The guilt was eating at her. She tried to keep her focus away from the blood, and at his face. It was odd seeing his face like this, there was no evil smirk, no disgusted look. He looked peaceful. 

The two siblings eventually came closer to a small body of water. Astrid closed her eyes, knowing what was going to happen next. She had done this an innumerable amount of times by now. “On the count of three-” It was Astrid’s turn to interrupt. “I know.” she replied, opening her eyes and looking away from the water. August rolled his eyes at the tone and quietly began to count down. “One.” Astrid held her breath. “Two”. She felt her hands begin to shake. “Three.” Astrid let go, immediately looking away. She heard the splashing of water, feeling the frigid droplets splatter onto her legs. Her eyes fell on August, who had begun to laugh, his face glowing with twisted glee. Astrid turned around, watching the body slowly begin to sink under the dark blue water. This wasn't right. She didn’t understand. She felt her stomach turn as she stepped away from the water. She crouched down, emptying everything that had been in her stomach. August’s laughter stopped. 

He walked over to his younger sister, forcefully grabbing her arm. She felt his fingernails dig into her skin, breaking it. Astrid flinched, letting out an almost inaudible “ow.” August dug his fingernails deeper in response, leading her closer to the village. “Shut. up.” he growled, continuing to drag her along. “I don’t understand how you expect Mom and Dad to let you in the society if you can’t even complete one simple assignment.” he spoke. “I was 10  when I completed my first assignment. You haven't even completed one and you’re a teenager!” Astrid pulled her arm out of August’s grip. “Taking a human life isn’t an assignment!!” she screamed, feeling the tears build up again. 

“Why can’t you see that?! Our parents aren't normal! Them running a murder cult isn’t normal! Nothing about our family is normal!” Astrid paused, catching her breath. “You were what? 10? When mom and dad took you into their ‘society?’  A normal 10-year-old shouldn't have gone through that!” August opened his mouth in reply, but Astrid continued speaking. She passed him, not bothering to look back. “I’m going home.” She heard August stop. “There’s a meeting tonight, remember?” He yelled, making Astrid stop. Of course she had forgotten about the meeting. Why did there have to be new recruits tonight? She sighed before turning around, following her brother once more. 

The two of them walked down the many flights of stairs that lead to the underground facility. Astrid hated it down there. They walked down a dark hallway before entering the inside of the cathedral. A boy watched as the two siblings entered. He ran up to them, a wide grin stretched across his pale face. This kid was nothing to scoff at. He had completed his first assignment for the society at the age of seven. His name was Ari, and he also happened to be August’s friend since childhood. The two were inseparable, rarely ever seen apart. They were glued together wherever they went. They even took the same classes despite Ari being a year older. August always wanted to be like Ari, and that still hadn’t changed. He idolized him. Ari was also loved by most of the others, including August and Astrid’s parents. He was the youngest person ever to join the society after all.

You see, once you’ve completed your first assignment you are to bring the body, or the remains of it, back to the facility. A meeting is then held and you get to burn the body, keeping the ashes as a remembrance. There were no rules for the burning, so you could get as creative as you want. And Ari did just that. He had placed patches all over the corpse, each patch containing a certain chemical. Once the chemicals came in contact with the orange flames, the fire began to change color. Astrid still remembered watching the multicolored flames. She had been too stunned by the beauty to remember that someone was burning to death. It had been the most beautiful and horrific thing she had ever witnessed. And it had all been done by a seven-year-old. 

A woman appeared at the front, clapping her hands twice. The sound echoed throughout the room and everyone took a seat in the pews, growing silent.  August and Ari gave a small wave to each other as the siblings walked up front. Being the leader's children, they got the privilege of sitting in the first pew. Everyone's attention was focused on their leader. The woman who started to speak up front was none other than Astrid and August’s mother, Ada. Astrid tuned out her mother’s lecture, remembering that today a number would be picked. The society had a setup known as “The Number System.” Everyone in and around the village was secretly given a number and each number was written on a small piece of paper and put into a wooden box. Each number had a name and colored dot next to it. If it had a blue dot it meant you were a quote on quote “good person.” And if the paper had a red dot you were the opposite, a bad person. The goal of the society is to make it “perfect” meaning all the bad people must be killed. If your number was pulled and you were relatively a good person you had a slight chance of survival. You would get a chance to join the society, and most people did, but out of fear. There is a way you can die being part of society, and that's if you’re labeled as a mouse. Being a mouse means that you can’t be trusted and that someone suspects that you will or have told a nonmember about the society. There’s no room for a mouse in a colony of rats. 

After a number is drawn a member is randomly selected to search for the person. Of course, the person picked had been Ari. Astrid leaned her head on the railing of the pew, trying to stay awake. Her eyes felt heavy and she closed them, attempting to drift off to sleep. She listened to the voices conversing around her. Astrid suddenly shot up, hearing a familiar name being spoken throughout the small crowd. “Cathrine Larsson.” The name of one of her former classmates. Astrid got up looking around for her brother. He always helped Ari with a kill. From the corner of her eye she saw the two boys, who were just about to leave the cathedral. “August! Wait!” she shouted, sheepishly running towards them. “What?” August snarled, clearing wanting nothing to do with his younger sister. “I wanna go with you guys,” Astrid squeaked, keeping her gaze away from Ari. “I know who Cathrine is, she used to go to my school. She lives in Tromsø, her parents are very rich.”  August clenched his fists, glaring at her .He opened his mouth to object, but Ari placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, if the kid wants to go, then let her,” Ari reassured. “She can help us, she knows where this girl lives and they both know each other! She can help us lure her.” August sighed in defeat, knowing that the other boy was right. “...Alright, come on.” he murmured, refusing to make eye contact. Astrid exhaled, relieved that they actually let her go with. She knew she needed to put a stop to this once and for all. 

November 10th, 2001. Tromsø, Norway, 10:58 PM 

The streets of Tromsø were lifeless, no one was outside, no businesses were open, not a single sound was heard. Posters of people who had gone missing blew freely in the wind, being ripped from whatever they were pinned to. The whole sight was depressing. Astrid stayed close to the two boys in front of her, not wanting to stray into the darkness. Her thoughts raced, as she desperately tried to think of a plan. She hadn’t expected that she’d get this far. “Which house is her’s?” whispered Ari, bringing his attention to Astrid. She looked around, trying to focus on the houses. “I think it’s just down the street.” Astrid spoke, not wanting to continue the conversation with the sociopathic boy. Astrid walked the remainder of the journey in silence, but the duo in fr ont talked as if Astrid wasn’t even there. “I think she’s scared of me.” Ari whispered, amusement in his voice. “She’s scared of everything.” August responded, kicking a small patch of snow behind him. 

The trio stood next to the unlit house that towered over them. “Her bedroom is up there,” Astrid observed, pointing to a window in the wooden house. “I can climb up and-” Ari spoke over her. “We’ll be getting rid of her on the Tromsø bridge,” he explained, and looked at Astrid. “We need to come up with a reason for why you two want to go to the bridge.” August spoke up. “Most parents here are locking up their children in their houses in fear that they might get abducted. Some are even keeping their children out of school.” “That’s why people haven’t seen her at school.” Astrid blurted, not knowing this bit of information. Ari snapped his fingers, once again showing his terrifying smile. “That’s it! We’ll have Astrid tell her that their classmates decided to meet up since they have all been stuck in their houses.” Ari looked at August and then to Astrid. “You stay here and wait until me and August get to the bridge, then you’ll get Cathrine and bring her to the bottom of the bridge, got it?” Astrid nodded, noticing her hands beginning to sweat. She watched as the two boys walked away, one of them looking back at her. “Don’t mess anything up.” August hissed, looking back at her until he was out of sight. 

Astrid climbed up the small icey roof, trying her best not to slip. It took a bit of effort, but she eventually made it, her former classmate’s window standing in front of her. She knocked on it, watching as the brunette slowly got out of bed, noticing her. Cathrine walked closer, squinting her eyes in the darkness. Astrid pointed to the end of the window frantically, implying that Cathrine should open the window. The girl obeyed, lifting the window up. A gust of wind struck her, making her shiver. “What are you doing here?!” she spat, giving Astrid with a repulsive look. “Who even are you?” Astrid mentally facepalmed. Of course she doesn't remember. “Astrid Hansen..?” Astrid repiled, trying to see if the girl could recognize the name. Cathrine furrowed her brow, showing a puzzled look. “I used to be in your your class..” Astrid went on, seeing if that sparked some remembrance. “Oh,” Cathrine concluded. Her facial expression went from confusion back to disgust. “You’re the lesbian.” Astrid frowned at her tone. Great, she’d be saving the life of a homophobe. “Yeah..”

Astrid cleared her throat, reminding herself of the situation she was in. “Anyways, you need to come with me.” Cathrine shook her head. “No way! You’ll try to kiss me or something!” Astrid felt the anger rise, but she took a deep breath, calming herself down. “First off, I’m dating someone, and second off I wouldn’t because I know you’re straight.” Cathrine rolled her eyes in response. “You could cheat.” “But I wouldn’t!” Cathrine grabbed the top of her window. “Whatever. I’m going back-'' Astrid slammed her fists on the roof in frustration. “Damn it! I’m trying to save your life! You wanna know what’s really going on?!” Astrid growled. “There are two people down at the bridge who are a part of a cult and want to kill you! I’m trying to get you away from them! I don’t want you to get killed!” Astrid panted, trying to catch her breath. She looked up, noticing that once again Cathrine’s facial expression had changed. 

Astrid could see the fear in the other girl’s eyes. Cathrine removed her hands from the window, not daring to break eye contact. “How do I know you’re not lying?” she asked. “How can I know that you aren't going to kill me yourself.” Astrid sighed, extending her hand out. “You’re just going to have to trust me.” Cathrine hesitated, but grabbed Astrid’s hand, carefully stepping out of her window and onto the roof. The two girls ran, both of them having no idea where they were going. They just knew that they had to get as far away from the bridge as possible. Once Astrid decided that they were far enough to take a break, the two came to a stop, catching their breaths. “Where are we,” Cathrine asked in between breaths. “Planning to go?” Astrid looked at the ground, gasping for air. “I have no idea, I don’t really have a plan. I just knew that I had to get you out of here.” Cathrine’s eye twitched. “Are you kidding me?! You don’t have a plan?!” She shouted, making Astrid flinch at the sudden change of tone. “How stupid are you, Astrid!?” 

Those were the final words that Cathrien Larsson would ever speak. The bullet shot cleanly through the girl’s neck. Astrid barely had any time to register what had just happened as something lunged at her, putting their gloved hand over her mouth. “Astriiiiid,” Ari cooed, in a sickly sweet tone. “I thought I told you to meet us at the bridge, remember?” He pointed the gun, next to her ribcage. Astrid closed her tear filled eyes, preparing herself for the pain. ‘Where was August?’ she wondered, trying to look around for her brother. He wouldn't let Ari actually kill his little sister...right? Astrid yelped as the bullet was fired, she fell to the ground clutching her arm. Her breath quickened as she desperately tried to apply pressure to the wound. How could Ari of all people have missed his target? Her head began to spin, but she heard the faint sound of sirens in the distance. Ari cursed, grabbing Astrid’s body and throwing it to the other side of the road. Astrid did her best to keep quiet as she heard someone approach the boy. 

The figure spoke and Astrid let out a quiet gasp, recognizing the voice. What she assumed to be a police officer was actually… “August?” Ari questioned, letting out a little laugh. “I told you to stay at the bridge.” Astrid watched as August looked at the body. “You got her already?” he asked, his voice showing both confusion and relief. “No,” Ari spoke, giving August a smile. “You did!” August muttered something out of confusion and both siblings watched as Ari reached into his pocket, pulling out a phone. “Yes, this is Ari Andersen, the same person who called before,” Ari spoke, to the unknown number. His tone sounded like his life was in danger. “He’s no longer at the bridge he’s at,” he paused, looking at the street name and repeating it to the phone. “Please hurry!” Ari’s simile went from comforting to twisted. August tensed. “Who was that..?” Ari chuckled. “Who do you think called the police?” 

Ari tossed the gun at Cathrine’s body and removed his gloves, shoving them into his pockets. “I’m going to be the next leader of the society,” he laughed. “Since one of the leader’s kids will be rotting in prison, and the other one is dead, they’ll have no choice but to choose me to be the next leader.” August was fuming. “What do you mean dead?!” he shouted, voice cracking slightly. “What did you do to my sister?” Ari pointed calmly to the side of the road. “See for yourself.” August ran up to the heap on the ground, shaking the body desperately. Astrid looked at him, giving him a reassuring smile. “I’m ok,” she mouthed. Astrid slowly lifted her uninjured arm, making sure that Ari didn’t see. She held up a signal and August nodded, setting her gently back down. The sirens sounded closer, lights flashing in the distance. 

“They’re going to find your handprints on the gun, Auggie.” Ari whispered tauntingly, still showing that horrific grin. “There’s no proof that I was even here.” August lifted his head high, still demanding even the tiniest fraction of dignity. “I thought we- I thought we were friends.” Ari frowned, looking hurt. “We are! We’re best friends! That’s why I kept you alive. I’ll see you in however many years you get sentenced to.” Bright red and blue lights flashed, it wouldn’t be long until they arrived. Ari laughed in victory as he grabbed his keys, getting ready to make his escape. Getting up was extremely painful, but Astrid’s adrenalin raced, allowing her to get up. She slowly got her feet, limping after Ari, but was immediately knocked back down again. 

August crouched down beside his sister, making sure she stayed down. The sound of  sirens was getting louder and louder. He handed her his gun and knife, quickly helping her put them into the front pocket of her hoodie. He removed his shirt, wrapping it tightly around her wound. Flashes of red and blue appeared behind August as he mumbled something to her. The sirens were too loud, causing Astrid to not be able to make out what her brother had said. But she knew it wasn’t anything hurtful like he had said in the past. She had realized that after all these years her brother did actually love her. Astrid’s smile fell as she watched August stand in the middle of the road, putting his hands up. She watched as the officers approached him, and heard the sound of handcuffs being put on him. Both of the Hansen siblings gave one last look at each other as August was shoved into the back of one of the police cars. 

Once everything had gone quiet, Astrid slowly lifted herself up. She was terribly dizzy and her head was throbbing. Astrid looked around, letting out a laugh in disbelief. She couldn’t believe it. She had actually managed to be unseen during the whole ordeal. Her laughter didn’t last long, as it had slowly turned into soundless sobs. Astrid tiredly got up, stumbling as she walked. This was the worst pain she had ever experienced. She looked at the long road ahead of her, she had only one person she could trust left. Getting there would be another journey, but she was ready for it. 

November 11th, 2001. Hamnøy, Norway. 7:43 AM

Astrid stepped out of the taxicab, watching the dust fly around as it left. She examined her injury in the sunlight, for she had to keep the wound hidden while in the taxi cab. Astrid cursed, noticing that it had completely bled through the shirt. ‘That’s definitely going to make her worry.’ Astrid thought to herself as she walked closer to the familiar house. She knocked on the door, knowing that the girl’s parents were at work. It was one less thing to worry about. A taller girl opened the door, her blonde hair filled with tangles. It was obvious that she had just woken up. “Astrid?” The girl questioned, staring at her partner. “I didn’t know you were coming over t- Ohmygod what happened to your arm?!” she panicked, rushing Astrid inside and into the bathroom. Astrid sat at the side of the bathtub, watching as her girlfriend rummaged through a first aid kit. “You’re so lucky my mom’s a nurse.” she exclaimed, removing the bloody shirt and hoodie from Astrid. She snatched a bottle of an unidentifiable liquid and poured a generous amount of it onto a cloth. “Now,” she commented, placing the cloth onto the wound. Astrid tensed at the sudden stinging sensation, causing the girl to grab Astrid’s hand instinctively. “What happened?”

“It isn’t that bad, Eva,” Astrid reassured her, contemplating if she should tell Eva the truth or not. “Well?” Eva urged, inspecting the injury. “I kinda..I kinda got shot.” Astrid admitted, sounding more calmer than she felt. Eva lifted her head up. “You what?!” she shouted. “How did you get shot?! Was it-” she stopped as if she were trying to find the right words. “Was it a part of a society thing?” she finally asked, voice softening. Astrid nodded, relieved that she had already told Eva everything about the cult. Her telling Eva about the society did not make her a mouse, only because of one thing. Since Astrid hadn’t completed an assignment yet, she technically wasn’t a true member of the society, she hadn’t been scarred. Members get scarred after completing their first assignment, each member has the society’s insignia carved on their left calf. Well, everyone besides Astrid. Astrid nodded. “Sort of, that’s actually why I’m here.” 

Eva wrapped Astrid’s wound, explaining that the bullet hadn’t gone through the arm and it had just grazed the skin. “Do you still have the passports?” Astrid asked as the two girls walked out of the bathroom. “There in my bedroom.” Eva replied, nodding. “Do you think it’s time?” she questioned, leading Astrid to where the passports were located. “Yeah,” Astrid replied, watching as Eva retrieved the two booklets from the desk drawer. “I think it is.” Eva walked over to her bed, pulling out a small suitcase from under it. “Wait,” Eva spoke, making Astrid look up. “You don’t have a bag, and I’m guessing that you don’t want to stop at your house first.” Astrid frowned, brushing her fingers through her hair. “I guess I’ll just have to wear some of your clothes until we get there.” Astrid suggested, shrugging. “Well, it's the only option we have, so it’ll have to do.” Eva agreed, smiling slightly. She stood up grabbing a few more items and putting them into her suitcase. Astrid followed, sleepily getting to her feet. She had forgotten how tired she was. Eva noticed this, grabbing the car keys. “The nearest airport is about 50 minutes away, you’ll have some time to sleep in the car.” 

The two girls smiled as they walked into the airport. Astrid smiled the widest of all, she was finally going to be free. Astrid and Eva had both planned to run away together for years now, and it was finally going to actually happen. Astrid stomach turned as they boarded the plane. She had never felt so emotions at once. It was a mix of excitement, anxiousness, happiness and sadness all at once. She hadn’t even thought it would have been possible to feel all four of those emotions at one time. Astrid hummed as she watched the clouds through the window of the plane. She closed her eyes, immediately drifting off into a peaceful sleep. 

June 26th, 2015. Nova Scotia, Canada. 12:01 PM

“I have to go back!” Astrid shouted, packing up her belongings. She walked towards the door but was stopped by someone grabbing her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re ready?” Eva asked, voiced filled with concern. Astrid pulled her into a hug. “I’m sure, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Eva pulled away, giving Astrid a pleading look. “I promise I’ll be back as soon as possible,” Astrid reassured her, kissing her forehead. “I need to do this, I’ve already waited for far too long.” Eva let out a sigh of defeat, but nodded. “Please be safe.” Astrid gripped the doorknob, slowly opening the apartment door. “I will. I love you.” “Love you too,” Eva watched sadly as the wooden door closed, praying that Astrid would stay alive. 

June 27th, 2015. Reine, Norway, 9:15 PM 

Astrid drove down the street, watching as the airport slowly faded away from behind her. She had eventually made it to her childhood home, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over her. She reached in her pocket, gripping the end of the knife that her brother had given her all those years ago. Today she would finally be putting it to use. Astrid had arrived at her destination. It was time to finally put an end to the society. She walked down the concrete steps, trying to stop the flashbacks from playing in her head. Astrid fixed her hair, taking in a deep breath before walking through the hallway. The door opened, leading her into the cold, industrial cathedral. It was full of people. 

The audience continued to speak amongst themselves, not bothering to notice that someone had walked into the room. “Hello miss,” Astrid jumped, looking for the person who spoke. “Are you a new recruit?” Astrid looked down, realizing that it had been a child speaking to her. Astrid frowned at this, and bent down to get with the child’s level. “Are you,” Astrid started, confused. “Part of the society?” There was no way he was. This was a literal child. There was no way Ari would actually get children to be a part of this. The boy nodded enthusiastically, showing off the scar on his leg. Astrid let out a horrified gasp, staring at the young boy’s leg. This kid looked no more than 5, he couldn't have completed an assignment already. “I havne’t gotten to finish my first assignment yet,” the boy explained. “But Leader Ari makes us get scarred anyway.” he pouted. “It hurt really bad.” “I bet.” Astrid responded, feeling pity. “Um, do you know where,” she coughed on the words, not wanting to say them. “Leader… Ari is?” 

The boy nodded again, pointing to one of the other rooms in the cathedral. Astrid had been in all the rooms thanks to her parents, so she knew exactly what room he was pointing to. She made her way through the crowd, and entered the small room. She could hear people from the crowd shouting at her, but she paid no attention. She shut the door behind her, staring at the figure in front of her. “You are not allowed in here!” Ari yelled, stepping forward, staring at her. “Don’t you recognize me, Ari?” Astrid asked sweetly, mocking the tone Ari had used the day August got arrested. Ari didn’t respond as he continued to stare at Astrid. He let out a shaky breath, laughing slightly. “But… but.. It can’t be.” he laughed. “You’re- you’re dead!” 

Astrid let out a high pitched deranged laugh. “So you do remember me!” She stepped closer, making Ari step back. “Are you scared of me?” she asked, tauntingly. “This- this isn’t real.” Ari stuttered, avoiding eye contact. “I killed y-you.” Astrid let out another giggle. She hadn’t even done anything yet and he was already scared. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her brother’s knife. She walked closer to Ari, watching him back away into the wall. She held the knife close to his neck and he closed his eyes, just as Astrid had did when he pointed the gun at her. To his surprise Astrid hadn’t used the knife, but he still fell to the ground, having been kicked in a certain area. He was kicked once again in the ribs, Astrid forcing him to lay on his back, making sure the underside of his torso was exposed. Astrid aimed her foot, remembering exactly how August had taught her, and jabbed Ari right in the solar plexus. The wind was completely knocked out of him and laid unconscious on stone ground. 

Astrid stared at his body while walking towards the door. She wasn’t finished with him yet. Ari Anderson soon would be going through a lot more torment and torture then he could even imagine. But Astrid still needed one more person before she could destroy the person who ruined her life. Her brother. Astrid walked out of the room and into the front of the cathedral. She clapped twice, signalling that everyone needed to be quiet. Everyone’s attention was on her. She cleared her throat before speaking, trying to sound as professional as she possibly could. “Attention everyone,” she spoke. “I know you all may not remember me, but I am Astrid Hansen, daughter of Alexander and Ada Hansen, the former leaders of the society.” Gasps and murmurs came from the crowd and they all looked at her, some even bowing. “And, my subjects,” Astrid continued, hating calling these random people that. “You have been lied to, for my brother and I are still alive.” More gasps came from the audience. “And that is why as my first duty as your leader,” Astrid concluded, staring at the large group of people. “We will be making a prison break.” She lifted her hand, signalling that the audience was able to speak. The crowd roared, all on board with Astrid’s plan. Astrid smiled to herself, knowing that very soon her and her brother would be reunited once again. 

-Allitini