Chapter 1: The Anderson family divided
Chapter Text
Saga is still packing boxes in the old home and sorting out belongings from her and Logan, separating them from David’s.
It takes her whole body and mind to not scream in frustration right now. They still have two months before the house gets sold but wanting to be fully prepared to move out as soon as possible, she had started to pack already.
David is at work and her daughter is at school, leaving Saga alone in the gradually emptier house.
Her eye lands on the hearth’s mantel were multiple framed pictures are placed.
Most pictures are of Logan. As a baby, as a toddler, a child, a graduation from elementary and a family portrait taken two years ago.
Saga’s fingers hover over the frame before gently tracing the wooden border.
She takes a deep breath and when she exhales, she tries to blow away the memories of a happier time together.
She turns around and looks at the scattered boxes around the living. She idly fiddles with her silver pendant necklace.
“You can do this. You’ve faced worse,” Saga tries to motivate herself in the face of adversity.
Just as she is starting to store some cushions away, the home phone rings.
Alerted, she runs to the hallway and picks up.
The school’s principal voice is heard on the other side of the line. Her daughter is in trouble.
“Bit the other student?!” Saga exclaims in utter disbelief.
Logan wouldn’t do something like that.
“I know it’s hard to believe, Miss Anderson, but I need you to come and collect her.”
The phone call ends quickly and Saga grabs her red raincoat, the keys and locks the flat apartment behind her.
She hurries down the staircase and enters the parking lot. When she sits behind her steering wheel, she clenches her fists around it and cries out.
“What is going on with her?”
Fifteen minutes later, Saga is in the principal’s office while her daughter has to wait outside the room. As if she is still a kid and not 15 soon to be 16 years old.
What is being said, is only listened to with half an ear. Most words coming from the principal’s mouth are heard through a blur.
This isn’t real, Saga thinks. She nods and sheepishly smiles as the man in front of her accuses her daughter of having done terrible things.
Once she’s in the empty hallway, it really dawns on her: Logan is suspended for two weeks.
The girl is leaning against the wall, arms impatiently crossed, loudly chewing bubble gum.
“Please, tell me that isn’t true,” Saga huffs.
“It’s true. I bit the fucker,” Logan retorts, pride staining her voice.
“Language!” Saga says.
It’s met with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders and a bubble pop. Logan grits her teeth and Saga can see some blood on them. Clearly not from accidentally biting one’s inner lip or something.
Only when they’re in the locked car, does Saga face her daughter with visible anger.
“What has gotten into you lately!? Since when is it okay to bite other people?!”
“Jeffrey was really mean! He’s been bothering me for weeks!” Logan defends her action.
Anger shifts to worry. “Did he… touch you inappropriately?”
“If we would, I would’ve bitten his dick off,” Logan huffs with a smirk. “But no. He didn’t. He was very persistent in pursuing me though. But once he finally got the message, he began calling me names. I was done with it.”
Saga rests her palms on the wheel and stares out of the window. She takes a few deep breaths.
Violence isn’t the answer, she thinks, but as a woman who has to put up with a lot of shit from men in her life, she can no longer fully blame Logan.
Besides, the poor girl hasn’t had it easy the past few weeks, months. Maybe even longer.
Saga tries to recollect herself while her daughter is idly shifting in the passenger’s seat, unsure of what to say or do.
Her mom pinches the bridge of her nose before saying something.
“I’m sorry, Logan.”
“What?” Logan raises a questioning eyebrow.
“I’m sorry,” Saga repeats. “I think you are right for telling Jeffrey to fuck off.”
Logan’s surprised face turns into a smile at her mom suddenly cursing like that.
“But really, why biting him? I just wanna know the why.”
Saga starts the car and slowly drives off the school’s parking. Silence follows as her daughter looks out of the window instead of providing an answer.
When they’re back at the flat and Saga is about to step out of the car, Logan speaks up.
“It just happened. I just got so… so damn fed up with him, with Jeffrey and everything… you and dad… the divorce… grandma. So I snapped.”
Tears well at the edges of Logan’s dark eyes and Saga has to resist the urge to cry too. Instead, she gets back in her seat, leans over and embraces her daughter.
“I know… I know, sweety. And I’m sorry. It’s not easy being you right now, hm?”
“I’m fine now… I’m-, mom, you’re holding me too tight,” Logan grunts, trying to push Saga off her.
“I’m sorry,” Saga apologizes again.
In the apartment, Logan retreats to her room and Saga tries to refocus on storing items in boxes, labelling them and taping them shut.
The apartment isn’t big to begin with, still it’s a daunting and intimidating task. It makes the divorce and everything just feel more final and real.
Eventually, she finds the courage to take down the pictures on the mantel. She divides the photos evenly in a box for her and a box for David.
The family picture remains in her hands. Teardrops fall onto the glass.
“Mom?” Logan’s sudden voice startles her.
Saga quickly wipes her face with the sleeve of her sweater and turns around.
Logan stands among the various piles and cardboard boxes. Her right hand wrapped around her left upper arm. Uneasy.
“Is it bad?”
“What’s bad?”
“Bad that I really wanted it. To bite him,” Logan mutters, barely audible.
Saga puts the framed photo down. She knits her eyebrows together and tries to think, try to place herself in her daughter’s shoes. Something she should do more often.
“Well… If a boy would act like Jeffrey, I think at one point I’d scold and shove him too.”
“But bite?” Logan exclaims.
Saga tries to form words but she can’t. Her rational and logical mind tells her that it’s certainly not the first reflex that would come to her. Yet, deep, way down inside her, something stirs in her guts and tells her that it isn’t that odd. Wanting to bite someone.
However, her silence is deafening and Logan stiffens. Her breathing becomes ragged.
“It felt… right. It felt… natural. I-, I’m… I’m scared, mom,” Logan snivels.
Saga gets up from the floor and makes quick work of covering the distance between them.
“Oh baby, it’s okay… everything will be okay,” Saga whispers as she holds her daughter in her loving arms.
The hug is strong and warm and she hopes she can transfer all her love through this one hug.
Eventually, Logan’s posture relaxes a little. No new tears wet Saga’s shirt.
Quietly and soothingly, she brushes her fingers through Logan’s curly hair that she had been growing out the last few months.
“I’ve got you,” Saga repeatedly whispers.
Eventually, she gives her daughter some room.
“You know what? Now that you don’t have school for a while, how about we do something fun? Just the two of us?” Saga tries to rekindle their spirits.
Logan, however, is less swayed by the temptation and doubtfully looks at the mess of the living room.
“Really, now? I think it’s better if I just help you pack things up.”
Saga meekly smiles but nods. Somewhat distraught. “You’re right. We still have a lot to do.”
That same evening, when David returns from home, the two exchange a few words and during dinner, it’s mainly silent.
Saga had told Logan it would be better not to mention the school incident. However, Logan being the angsty teenager she is, eventually brings it up.
“I got suspended,” she blurts out much to David’s surprise and Saga’s shock.
David immediately looks at Saga who grips her fork and knife tighter.
“Anyone care to explain why?”
“I… got into a fight with another kid,” Logan confesses.
“He kinda deserved it,” Saga mutters.
David does his best not to get angry but fails to suppress it. “Great, now we are promoting violence in this household! At least you’ll be able to help out with the household chores.”
“I’ve always tried to help! But lately, I’ve got a lot of things on my plate!” Logan snaps.
David tries to counter but his daughter is quicker.
“Like you and mom’s divorce. And now this whole place looks like shit. How am I supposed to focus on school while you two barely talk anymore?! You barely talk to me!”
“That’s enough, Logan!” Saga says it before she can stop herself.
Logan angrily pushes her chair away from the table.
“Logan,” David warns but their moody teenager already gets up and stomps to her room and slams the door shut.
It leaves the ex-couple in an awkward and tense silence.
In a semi concerned tone, David whispers: “You think you’ll be able to handle her on your own?”
“You’re always at work. Of course I can,” Saga curtly says.
“To provide for us. Do you really think I don’t want to spend time with our own daughter?”
Saga opens her mouth but decides to quit before she says more things she regrets.
“We should try to keep the peace for the two months we’re still together,” she mutters.
“For Logan,” David understands.
“For Logan.”
With that, everything they could’ve said, is said. They finish their meal and David offers to do the dishes which Saga happily accepts.
She retreats to their bedroom where their two beds have been parted. Each now standing against one wall.
In the adjacent room of her daughter, loud music plays. Saga groans and rubs her temple, trying to drown out the noise on the other side and the one inside her head. With her other hand, she clutches her pendant.
It’s the necklace her mother had given her on her 16th birthday. It was supposed to keep ‘evil spirits’ at bay.
While Saga didn’t believe in ghosts or evil possessions, she did like to think of it as a protective pendant nonetheless, so she barely ever takes it off. A lucky charm perhaps. A little piece of her mother to watch over her despite their rocky relationship.
And ever since Freya had passed away, she holds onto the necklace even more. Its weight, comfortable yet imposing in her hand. A very subtle burning sensation, only enhanced by her grief.
She opens her laptop to distract herself and look for a new apartment for her and Logan to live.
Due to the current events, she hadn’t always had the time or mental space to browse. David helps but it remains a difficult task.
Some untracked minutes later, there’s a gentle knock on the door.
“Come in,” Saga says.
David opens the door and stands in its doorway, leaning against the post.
“Hey,” he mutters.
“Hey.”
“I’m sorry about dinner earlier. I know Logan is going through a difficult time right now. With her grandmother, us and now school.”
“You should apologize to her instead,” Saga grunts. Then she quickly adds: “But yeah… She doesn’t have the easiest parents, huh.”
A weak grin flashes past David’s features before he nods and goes to his daughter’s room.
-
The month that follows isn’t easy for the fractured family. David concentrates harder on his job than ever before while also looking for new homes for himself and Saga and Logan.
Saga tries to keep them all together as much as it’s possible but it often feels like everyone’s walking on eggshells.
Logan sometimes is harder to handle than usual. Saga wonders if it’s mere puberty and if all parents have to eventually deal with rowdy teenagers like that.
Her appetite has significantly increased and even changed. For quite some time, Logan was a vegetarian, only keeping a pescatarian diet but suddenly she craves more red meat and chicken.
David doesn’t seem to mind since he is always happy when Saga puts beef on the menu.
Saga watches as her daughter chows done on the steak in front of her like a starved dog and asks if there’s a second piece.
“You can have some of mine,” Saga suggests.
She’s not an average meat lover but because David is, they still often eat meat based meals.
“Ffanks, mom,” Logan exclaims with her mouthful.
“Hey, what did your mother tell you about speaking with food in your mouth?” David points out.
Logan mutters something intelligible and continues focusing on her steak.
Her parents give each other a puzzled look.
David tries to ease the tension by joking: “Looks like our peaceful little vegetarian is becoming an adult.”
Saga chuckles a bit but doesn’t know what else to add.
Logan licks her lips clean and stares at her dad. “What? I thought I should finally give it a try. As a kid, I uses to eat more meat, right?”
Saga nods. As a child, Logan would eat almost anything they’d prepare for her. In her early teens, she had made the conscious choice to become vegetarian. A cruel documentary about animal harm, Saga assumed.
“It’s alright. People’s taste buds can change over the years,” she smiles at her daughter.
Chapter 2: A non scratchable itch
Chapter Text
In the middle of the first month before they have to move out, Logan sits at her desk, trying to make her homework despite her suspension.
She’s not sure why she is still even trying. There’s a big chance they move out of this city and she’ll have to go to another school anyways.
Still, it gives her something to do and keeps her mind off the dire state of her current life.
But right now, she cannot concentrate. The clothes have become itchy.
Logan scratches at her back and reaches for the neck tag. But it’s no longer there. She had cut it off after her mom had washed her newly bought clothes two years ago.
“Ugh, stupid top,” Logan groans.
With little finesse, she tugs the tank top with thin arm straps off her body. It’s a shame. It’s one of her favourite tops. She used to wear it all the time, to the point of Saga asking her if she shouldn’t buy a new one.
Logan gets up from her chair and rummages through her closet. Her day to day clothes are still in it while the rest are neatly boxed away.
She tries on another top but that one feels stuffy somehow. Another one is also scratchy against her skin. She curses when none of the tops she likes, seem to fit right.
Eventually, she settles down on an oversized band T-shirt. It’s from the band BON. Gifted to her by her dad who couldn’t go to the concert with them.
It’s old and worn but very much loved. The colours used to be bold but are now faded and washed out.
Logan pulls it over her head and plops her arms out of the short sleeves. For a moment she stops to look at her arms.
They’re reddened from all the scratching she’d done when trying out other clothes.
She can’t help but notice that the hairs on her arms seem to have darkened. She scratches her skin, wondering if it’s just dirt from the day but it isn’t.
Maybe it’s the lighting. It’s already late in the afternoon and the sun no longer shines on her window room.
Tired, she thuds down in her chair and closes her study and note book.
She deeply frowns at herself. She is changing. From an early age, Saga and David had taken her to the side to talk about the birds and the bees.
Saga had told her about puberty and all the changes it would bring.
She looks at her arms again and tries to pluck at the hairs. Is it normal for a girl to have arm hair like that?
The closer she gets to her time of the month, the more irritated she becomes. It doesn’t help that she can’t really go outside much either.
Not going to school and not being allowed to bring friends over now that their household is in their final stages of moving out, leaves her quite isolated.
At least, she can still reach them online and through her mobile phone. There had been one time where she could meet up with Becky, June and Li outside the local library.
But other than that, it’s just Logan all by herself in a house that’s falling apart from the inside out.
She is somewhat glad to go live with her mom, but there are moments where David is much chiller than her. Yet now, she feels like she no longer knows her own father.
He is tired and sad. Clearly, he wanted this relationship, this family to work. He cannot face his own daughter which makes Logan sad but mainly angry.
The same goes for her mom. Saga can be a great mom. But right now? She’s not so sure of that. Just like her dad, she gets evasive. Tiptoeing around the issues. And of course, she doesn’t mention Freya much. Logan’s grandmother.
Logan sees, feels how much Saga misses her but she cannot speak of her. Not in Logan’s presence.
The teen wishes she could help. Wishes she could actually mourn properly about a woman she barely knows other than by name.
Simply put, Logan is angry about many things.
So she puts on her music. Turns the volume up. She jams along, using her markers as makeshift drumsticks, her desk turning into a drumkit.
The lyrics are punchy, the melody dramatic and the beat just right.
Logan throws her head back and forth, let her curly hair whip along. She sings her lungs out until the door gets bursts open.
Her father stands in the door opening. Eyes wide with shock, frustration and… fear?
“Turn that music down!” he shouts.
Logan gawks at him before quietly pausing the music altogether. She suddenly feels something wet at her lip.
A droplet of drool drips down it. Slightly embarrassed, she wipes it away with the back of her hand.
Her chest rises and falls rapidly, she tries to catch her breath.
For a few blissful seconds, she had lost herself completely in her music, fusing with it.
Chapter Text
As the Anderson family enter their final month together, the house is almost empty, save for all the boxes piled up in the living, bedrooms and bathroom.
Saga is almost at her end’s wit what she is going to do once they’re on the street. Out of habit, she goes down to collect any mail that’s left.
She opens the box and finds the usual: the final electricity bill, useless ads, some goodbye cards and… a letter addressed to her.
Alert, she looks around her but there is no one else in the entrance hall of the flat. Outside, an elderly couple walks past. A man is walking his dog. Nothing out of the ordinary.
She piles the post together and goes to the elevator.
Only once she is back inside the kitchen does she dare to look at the letter. Her name and the address are written in old school ink.
Somehow, the handwriting seems familiar. Saga turns the envelope around to see who the mysterious sender is.
The address is Watery, Washington. That’s the town adjacent to Bright Falls, the place where her mother is from.
Saga takes a few deep breaths before ripping open the envelope and reading its content.
Dear Saga,
This letter must come as a surprise to you but fright not.
My name is Tor Anderson and I am your grandfather.
I write to you after I have been informed about the passing of my daughter, your mother Freya.
So firstly, my condolences to you and your family for your loss.
Secondly, I know that Freya didn’t want me to contact you but here I am doing it anyway.
Especially now, I think it is important for us to finally meet each other.
Your mother may not have spoken to me much, but she did tell me you have a daughter.
I would love to meet her.
She must soon be 16 years old, right?
An exciting age for anyone, but more so for an Anderson! (you probably understand why)
That is why I am inviting you to come visit me and your granduncle, Odin in Watery.
Importantly, you must come a few days before Logan’s 16th birthday!
In the envelope, you also find some money to cover the trip.
I hope it will suffice.
Best regards and see you soon,
Your grandfather, Tor Anderson
Saga idly fidgets with her necklace as she reads the words over and over again.
A painful pang in her chest erupts and tears fill her eyes. Her mysterious, suppressed past, the fresh wound of Freya’s passing and this sudden resurgence of one of her estranged family members are all too much.
But a part of her, truly longs to meet this long lost member of the Anderson family tree.
Maybe then, things will be revealed about Freya. Maybe this is Saga’s way to find closure.
She abruptly pulls away from the kitchen table and goes to her laptop where she looks up the address.
“America’s little Finland,” she reads out loud.
There aren’t many pictures of the town and most of them are old, dating from the early 00s.
It doesn’t look much but it looks quiet. Completely different than the tumultuous life Saga and David lead in the city.
“Huh… Maybe not that bad a place to live,” she mutters to herself.
Watery looks calm enough to retreat, take a break from everything hectic and maybe reconnect to some of her family.
Maybe it could also be the right getaway for her daughter.
Speaking of, she looks at the letter of Tor Anderson. He spoke of her 16th birthday. The invitation almost felt like a command too.
Why would it be so important for them to meet her grand-grandfather before she turns?
What does Tor Anderson mean with those words between parentheses? What does all of it mean? Is there some kind of family tradition she is missing out on?
Then again, Freya tried to tell her as little as possible about her life in Bright Falls.
The pendant around her neck suddenly weighs heavily. Does she pass it on to Logan, as Freya did to her?
The letter leaves only extra questions. All the more reason to visit her grandfather in person as soon as possible.
During dinner, Logan is noticeably more agitated than usual. But Saga and David have decided to ignore her as much as possible, even if their daughter seems to want them to fight and argue.
Saga gives David a look when they’re alone at the table.
“Puberty, I guess,” he half heartedly jokes.
Saga manages to out a chuckle too. “I don’t remember mine being that wild.”
David points to his ex-wife’s collarbone.
“You got it on your sixteenth birthday, right?” he asks.
The woman’s eyes turn down to the necklace and nods. “Yes. As protection, a lucky charm of sorts.”
David quietly nods along.
“Maybe you can give to Logan. Although I’m not sure if she would want that now.”
He looks to the direction of the hallway where Logan had stormed off to her room.
“Yeah, we’ll see.. David…”
“Hm?”
“I’m thinking of moving to Washington with Logan.”
“What?” David seems surprised.
Saga nods. “I got a letter. From my grandfather. He wanted to see us. Well, me and Logan specifically.”
David frowns and stares at his half empty plate. “Of course. He doesn’t know yet.”
“Yeah… But-, if you would want to visit Logan for her birthday, I’ll send you the exact address.”
There’s a silence between the adults.
“Okay,” David says. “I can’t promise anything but I’ll make sure to send her something. And text her.”
Saga smiles approvingly. David had always texted Logan when he was at work during her birthday. She hopes contact with her father won’t water down like hers with Freya did. She shouldn’t make the same mistakes as her mom.
The somewhat cooled down dinner table is thrown in disarray when suddenly loud banging noises are coming from Logan’s room.
Intuitively, Saga and David still lock eyes before running to their daughter’s room.
Saga tries to open the door but something seems to be blocking the way. With fearful eyes, she looks at David who then uses his strength to try force the door open.
“Logan! Logan, can you hear us?” Saga exclaims.
“It’s us. Logan, please, open the door!” David shouts but there’s little anger to be found in his tone.
The music is being turned on and then the parents hear Logan move something heavy out of the way.
When Saga opens the door, the room is a mess. Some of the earlier packed boxes, have been thrown upside down. The chair, kicked into a corner, the bed sheets dangle off the mattress and Logan’s pillow lies on the floor.
The trash bin is also kicked over. Some menstrual pad wraps, empty soda cans and candy wrappers are scattered around it.
Amidst the chaos is their daughter in her oversized BON T-shirt. Her arms have scratch marks on them. Some of the scratches have drawn blood.
“Logan!” Saga flies toward her daughter but Logan angrily pushes Saga away.
“We only want to help,” David exclaims. He looks around the room. “What’s going on, Logan dear?”
His voice sounds desperate. Saga can only say her daughter’s name.
Then Logan breaks down crying. “I don’t know… I just… I’m just so angry… At-, at everything…”
She hurls herself up on the floor, knees pushed against her chest, arms wrapped around her legs.
Outside, a storm breaks loose, scaring the entire family when a loud lightning bang is heard, lighting up the girl’s room for one, intense second.
“Hey… baby, let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll make you something warm, okay?”
“I don’t know,” Logan leaves her curly hair hang in front of her snotty face so she doesn’t have to look at her parents.
“Let’s go together. I think we still have some cake too.”
Saga looks at her ex who nods in understanding.
He chimes in. “Let’s go with your mother, dear. I will clean up here. Don’t you worry about it.”
Saga prepares some tea and slices off a thick piece of the chocolate cake which one of her colleagues had gifted two days ago because of her leaving work.
Logan has wiped away the tears and snot from her nose and cheeks with a paper tissue and awkwardly joins her mom at the kitchen table.
Through Saga’s mind run hundreds of questions but she asks none. Right now, she thinks it’s better to give her daughter some space.
Outside, the rain goes on but here they are warm and safe, at least.
“I just… I just don’t feel myself,” Logan eventually mutters, her lips still very much pressed against her mug.
Saga lowers her eyes and looks at the table. “Being a teenager… sucks. It’s true.”
Logan looks up, a hint of a smirk on her mouth because Saga uses ‘bad language’ again.
Saga smiles.
“What? Sometimes your mom can be cool,” Saga jokes.
For a moment, mom and daughter sit in comfortable silence. In the background, they can hear David clean up the room.
“Hey,” Saga subtly prods Logan’s hand with hers. When she looks up, she says: “Everything will be alright. We’ll get through this, together. I have plans, have been researching stuff.”
“Oh? Like a place to live?” Logan seems to perk up.
Clearly, she no longer wants to stay in this apartment that’s getting colder with the day. Stripped of its Anderson personality.
Saga nods. “We might move to somewhere more reclusive. More in nature.”
Logan pricks her fork into the remaining cake crumbs on her plate. Pensive.
“It might not be forever. But just… to get out of this place.”
“What about my friends?” Logan asks.
“They can come visit if they want.”
The conversation is cut short when David returns.
“Your room is back to its original look,” he smiles without judgement at his daughter.
“Thanks, dad. I think-, I think I’ll be trying to get some sleep then. I need it.”
Her parents leave her to it. David watches some show on his computer while Saga picks up a book.
A few hours later, the couple has gone to bed as well but Saga awakes in the middle of the night when another loud lightning bang rips her out of her sleep.
Sweat drops have formed on her forehead. The hair on her arms and neck have risen. Her heart is beating wildly in her chest. Somehow, she feels like something’s wrong. Logan!
As soon as her eyes are used to the dark, which they are surprisingly quickly, she tries to wake David up but he is fast asleep.
She rushes out of the bedroom and sees Logan’s door ajar. The lights are out but even in the darkness, she can see that Logan’s bed is empty. The sheets thrown aside.
The window is open, clashing loudly due to the storm outside. That’s unlike Logan to keep her window open like that, let alone during the middle of a thunderstorm.
Saga runs to the living and kitchen but there’s no sign of her daughter there either. She goes back to her and David’s bedroom to wake him up.
“David! David! Wake up!”
“W-what’s going on?” he mutters, his voice drowsy and tired.
“Logan, she’s… she’s gone!” Saga’s on the verge of tears.
Those words are enough to make David sit up in bed. His eyes wide.
“Gone?!”
Saga nods and then David jumps up, he goes to the hallway and grabs his raincoat. He fumbles with his shoes until they’re on his feet.
His ex-wife follows suite. She grabs the apartment keys and an umbrella and then the couple hurry outside.
Notes:
I'm sorry to put poor Logan through all of this 🥺
Things will get better for her and Saga though 👀
Chapter 4: Winds of change
Notes:
The tension continues!
I hope you are enjoying this journey unfold, slowly :P
Also, i'm back to work so it might take longer to update and write new stuff 😓 But! I'm happy to have my writing motivation back and write on this :D
It's fun figuring out Saga's relationship to her daughter and to her ex-partner.
Chapter Text
Logan returns to her room after she had a small conversation with her mom, ate some cake and drank some tea.
Her dad had lovingly yet also frantically cleaned up her room. She feels ashamed for the breakdown she had.
Her nails dig into her skin. What she told Saga is true: she doesn’t feel like herself anymore.
Being on her period had always made her moodier and sad, but this is… extreme, isn’t it?
Logan would often talk with June, Becky and Li about their menstruation and what they would do to feel better and normal again.
But none of their past advice had helped. She couldn’t go for a walk right now, although the cake was delicious, her cravings for understanding couldn’t be met, she couldn’t focus on school or a book or anything.
When she texted them, Becky was already asleep, June was still doing homework and Li was at a birthday sleepover with her younger sister she had to look after.
Logan had wanted to crawl out of her skin. The itches had come back. Her head had felt like exploding but even turning her room upside down and throwing stuff around had not helped calm her down.
Now, at least she is exhausted. In the other room, she can hear the dimmed sound of her dad watching something on his PC.
She closes her eyes and tries to listen to her heartbeat. It’s slower than before. It feels big. Her arms still ache from where she had scratched herself.
Logan hopes that when she wakes up tomorrow morning, everything is different and she is back her former self.
Maybe, she finally wakes up from this nightmare and everything is alright. Her parents are still happily married, she won’t have to move out of this apartment and say goodbye to her friends.
However, when Logan awakens, it’s not morning yet. Outside, the storm is raging on.
Loud rain clatters against her window.
When she opens her eyes, she can see perfectly in the dark. No seconds needed to adjust her vision. The ceiling fan is dusty. It slightly creaks. Did it always creak that loudly?
Outside, the wind is howling and somehow, Logan feels the need to go listen.
What is the wind saying? What’s hidden behind the dark grey clouds? When lightning strikes and lights up her room, it feels like an invitation.
The teenager kicks her bedsheet off her and gets up. Calmly and determined, she walks over to her desk and pulls away the curtains.
A black, wet void greets her. Logan. It seems to talk to her but she can’t fully hear what’s said so she opens the windows.
At full blast, the wind gushes inside together with the night rain. Logan stirs awake by the cold, wet drops hitting her face. She gawks at the dark, stormy sky.
Behind all those thick, impenetrable clouds is the moon. It wants to reveal itself to the girl.
Logan. Logan. Logan!
“What do you want from me?” Logan whispers back.
Come outside, so I can tell you, the moon chuckles mysteriously.
“Okay,” the girl mutters.
Now fully conscious and awake and calmer than she had been just a few hours ago, Logan steps away from the window and slowly makes her way to the front door.
Quietly, she opens it and lets the door fall shut behind her. She tiptoes down the staircase on bare feet.
The outside world is still begging her to reveal herself to it. Logan does not question it.
It’s natural for her body to follow. Just as it felt so damn natural to bite Jeffrey Willis in his ear when he didn’t stop bothering her.
Logan puts her entire weight against the front door of the flat building. It’s heavy but tonight, she feels more determined and strong.
As soon as she steps outside in the rain, her pyjamas and hair gets soaked but it doesn’t bother her.
Logan carefully steps onto the asphalt road. She looks up at the sky where turmoil reigns.
She closes her eyes and let’s the cold from the rain seep into her clothes, into her skin and into her bones. It cools her down for sure.
Logan, a voice calls.
When she opens her eyes, the moon has peeked out from behind those stormy clouds. A bright, silver moon.
“Home,” Logan mutters as she stretches her hand out, trying to capture the celestial body.
In its light, she can see that her finger nails have become quite long. She should cut them next time she takes a shower.
Logan, come closer.
“I can’t,” Logan replies.
Logan, Logan, Logan…
“Logan!” a female voice screams. Her mother’s voice.
Time seems to slow down. Logan turns around to look for her mother but is first met with the headlights of a late night car rushing toward her.
Brutally aware of her current position, Logan closes her eyes and hopes the pain will fade soon. She freezes. What she doesn’t see or feel, is a flash of dark red shoving her off the street and onto the sidewalk.
The car honks aggressively.
When Logan opens her eyes, she is held in her mother’s strong embrace. She can hear and feel Saga’s heartbeat inside her chest.
The scent of anxious sweat and rain fills her nostrils.
“M-Mom?” she whispers.
“I’ve got you, baby… I’ve got you,” Saga jaggedly breathes.
“Logan!” her dad joins them and wraps his arms around them.
“Saga! Are you okay?” David gasps.
The family slowly detaches and get back on their feet. The rude car driver had already raced off into the night.
Saga evaluates her damage. “I was just in time. Might got some scratches but I can walk.”
She then immediately turns to Logan.
“What were you doing outside?”
Logan looks at the sky. The moon had disappeared behind the clouds again.
Confused, she mutters: “I don’t know… I just… wanted to go outside?”
“Outside? In a storm?” David exclaims in disbelief. “Come on, girls. We should get inside.”
The trio goes back to their apartment. Saga urges Logan to take off her wet clothes and instead wraps her up in three thick towels.
“Don’t ever do that again, Logan. That car almost hit you,” Saga grunts as she dabs her daughter’s hair clean.
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” Logan mutters back.
She doubts she can fully explain the strange urge she had to leave the house. By all means, it was, it is not normal for a person to want to go outside while a storm rolls over town.
“I’m tired,” Logan whispers.
She pulls her mom off her and goes to her room, gets dressed in fresh clothes and closes her window and curtains.
“Stupid moon,” she huffs.
That night, Saga insists Logan sleeps in her parents’ bed. Although Logan feels she’s too old to still sleep with them, she complies.
And with that strange sleepwalking, it might be for the best.
Tomorrow, everything will be normal, Logan wishes.
Chapter 5: Moving on
Notes:
Finally had some time, energy and motivation to reread this chapter and post it!
I really hope I can continue this work but life is getting in the way T_T Life be hectic and work is exhausting 😥😥But I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a bit shorter but we are slowly moving out of the city and into watery territory >:)
Chapter Text
The turmoil of the night still hangs in the air the next morning. Saga wakes up more exhausted than yesterday.
She turns her head and exhales in relief when she finds Logan lumped against her, her left leg swung over her mother’s abdomen.
The girl seems to be sleeping safe and sound. Serene, almost. A state which Saga had seen Logan in little the past few weeks.
Saga first snakes herself out from underneath her daughter and goes to the bathroom. She evaluates herself. Her hair is messy and uncombed. She carefully rolls up her sleeves. In her successful attempt to save Logan, she had crashed herself into the concrete sidewalk, breaking Logan’s fall and damaging herself in the process.
Yet, she no longer sees any scratches or bruises. Like it never happened. Despite her tiredness, sleep must’ve still done its job in healing other parts of her body.
David is already at the kitchen table by the time Saga clomps into the room.
“Slept alright?” he asks.
The dark bags under her eyes say enough.
“I’m spent. But seems our girl is having a better sleep.”
David chuckles and takes a sip from his coffee. “At least. She needed it.”
For a few minutes, there’s a heavy silence. Saga prepares herself some coffee and breakfast and when she joins David at the table, he asks.
“What the hell happened yesterday night?! Don’t tell me that’s girl puberty too.”
Saga knits her eyebrows together as her hands wrap around her cereal bowl.
“No, it’s definitely not a ‘girls’ thing. I-, I don’t know… David.”
“Should we stay up tonight?”
“What? No, I hope not. Maybe letting her sleep a bit longer than usual will help.”
David eventually gets up and readies himself for work. They say their neutral goodbyes to each other. Saga stays at home. For once, glad she had already quit her job even if she will miss hear colleagues.
When she’s back in the bedroom to dress for the day, Logan is still sleeping, snoring even.
Saga smiles at the sight but in the back of her head, she thinks about her grandfather’s letter.
They are getting closer to Logan’s birthday and Saga still doesn’t know what Tor had meant with that urgency of time.
Some sort of change? A rite of passage happening? She only knows a few cultures and people celebrate certain milestones, like those Mexican quinceañeras when a girl turns 15.
But she can’t think of anything that’s a staple in their household. Then again, Freya had not shared much of her Swedish heritage with her, except those handknit sweaters but nothing else. Not in her childhood, teenage years or even in adult life.
She wonders if Tor Anderson is more of a traditionalist or would like to share his knowledge later on.
Once it’s noon, Logan finally comes out of her parents’ bedroom.
She looks fresh and vivid. Nothing of the wild girl Saga had witnessed at night is visible on Logan’s face, highlighted by the warm sun streaming into their apartment. She looks fuzzy in a good way.
“Look who’s out and about,” Saga smiles. “Slept well, sweety?”
Logan nods and sits down at the kitchen.
“Some sunny side ups??”
“Great,” Logan smiles. “With extra bacon. I could eat an entire horse!”
Saga raises a questioning eyebrow but doesn’t comment on it.
“I’ll see if we have any in the fridge. Maybe your dad ate all of it last time.”
“Else I’ll go to the grocery store,” Logan suggests but much to Saga’s relief, they have enough bacon left.
Soon, the kitchen is filled with a bit of smoke and the tasty scent of bacon sweating in the pan.
With finesse, Saga cracks five eggs into the skillet.
Meanwhile, Logan gets some slices of bread and puts them on their plates. She pours in a cup of orange juice for herself and some coffee for her mom.
“Great, I’m starving,” she murmurs as Saga puts the eggs and bacon on her bread.
“Me too,” Saga laughs.
“I’m already feeling a lot better,” Logan exclaims as she hastily piles some sliced bacon onto her bread and dips it into her runny yolk.
“Glad to hear. And… you’re not feeling cold or anything?” Saga quietly asks.
She had somehow expected her kid to get the flu or catch a cold after that nightly escapade into the rain while wearing only her PJs.
Logan shakes her head and takes a quick sip from her glass. “Nothing.”
Saga frowns but then smiles. Maybe she shouldn’t be so worried about Logan’s health. She’s a strong girl. Besides, after they got her back inside, she had made sure she was warm and got new clothes on immediately.
Logan offers to do the dishes so Saga can focus on finding a new home to live in Watery.
So while her daughter is busy cleaning the dirty plates and glasses, Saga gets behind her laptop and looks at her last internet search.
There’s not much for sale or for rent in that town nor in Bright Falls. However, there is a rather cheap trailer park that shows up ninth in a list of irrelevant locations.
Watery Lighthouse Trailer Park. Light, laughter and love will guide you home! That’s the slogan of the place.
She clicks on the website link. The site itself is reminiscent of mid 2010s web design with a fat, blocky custom font taking up most of the space.
On both sides of the main page are ads of which some look like they were put together in PowerPoint. There’s advertisement for sauna, a workshop, a coffee themed amusement park and local beer.
There’s a phone number and an e-mail listed on the header: 45 19-720-322 Ilmo Koskela
The name sounds foreign so she assumes it must be Finnish because Watery’s main selling point is that it’s ‘America’s little Finland’.
Saga decides to prepare an e-mail first. Much to her surprise, only three hours later she gets a reply back from the trailer park owner.
She reads over the e-mail. In the final statement it says that Ilmo Koskela is happy to welcome them one week before they have to move out of their apartment.
Already? Saga thinks. That’s… really quick. She looks around the kitchen and living room. Everything is stored in boxes. It’s not that much, so she should be able to move everything to a trailer. Most of the furniture had to be sold to be able to save up some money for all parties involved.
It’s fast, but at the same time she feels relieved. Maybe for once, being more impulsive and deciding something last-minute isn’t so bad in their current situation.
Chapter 6: Moving out
Summary:
The walls are getting emptier and more claustrophobic to Logan.
Notes:
The next chapter will be a bit longer so stay tuned and thank you for coming along on this journey!
Chapter Text
After her first breakout at night, Logan tries to sleep in her own bed again. When Saga tucks her, she feels like a scared kid again.
“It will be alright,” Saga promises.
Logan only nods. Her mom wonders if she should kiss her goodnight, but decides against it in the last second for which Logan is strangely grateful.
She tries to sleep but feels restless. Her mother had told her about the trailer park. She had shown her pictures. It didn’t look fancy nor as modern as their apartment. However, the nature surrounding it looked fun and even alluring.
Previously Logan had deemed herself a true city girl. She has grown up here. She has spend so many hours with her friends hanging out at the mall and the local library, shopping and going to cosy cafes.
Not once had she really thought about moving to a smalltown in a large forest area. The city’s park is the closest she’s got to nature around here.
But now, these cold and empty walls in the apartment have begun to feel like a prison.
Logan twists and turns for two hours until she finally passes out. Her dreams are vivid.
She is running through the corridor of their apartment. The hall goes on and on forever and suddenly her feet begin sinking.
Logan looks beneath her and sees water has filled the floor. It gets higher and higher.
Her clothes become heavy and she has to use her arms and legs to move forward to the main door that keeps being stretched out in front of her.
Water reaches her chin. She grunts and yells, trying to stay afloat but to no avail.
Drenched in sweat but not water, Logan stirs awake. She sits straight up in her bed, catching her breath and trying to get as much air in her lungs as possible.
Next, she grasps at her shirt, her PJ pants, touches her face. There’s no water in a distorted version of her home. No water is trying to drown her, no door out of sight.
She looks around her room. There are boxes all around her. Her desk had been uninstalled and its bare components propped up against one wall.
The walls are dark and naked. Her BON posters alongside some other prints have been put in cylinder containers and stored into one of the many boxes.
She stares at her window. The curtains and windows are safely closed. Carefully, she steps outside her bed and walks up to the curtains.
She takes a deep breath, before pulling them apart. Outside, the sky is peaceful. Serene. No storms or leftovers from yesterday.
A starry sky with just a few clouds fill the sky. The moon looks dimmed but still its glimmer reflect in the girl’s dark, brown eyes.
“What were you trying to tell me?” Logan mutters but as expected, she gets no answer.
The inexplicable pull she had yesterevening is gone but deep down inside her, she feels something is still simmering.
She tries to suppress it by abruptly closing the curtains shut and returning to her bed.
The following days, the restlessness at night remains. In the moments where she finally falls asleep, Logan eventually awakes again and looks out of the windows of their lonely apartment.
She is trying to unravel what the moon is saying and why it wants her to go outside.
Sometimes the magnetic power of the moon is stronger than Logan’s willpower to resist. Luckily, all these times David or Saga are there to stop her from recklessly running outside at night.
At one point, David had decided to hide the key from Logan.
The teenager finds it humiliating and childish but also understands her parents concerns.
That night, if it hadn’t been for her mom’s protective instincts, Logan could’ve been run over by that speeding car. She could’ve been heavily injured, or worse.
Logan doesn’t believe in God or anything, but that night something must’ve watched over her and her family.
With her changing behaviour and the need to be in nature, Saga had decided to visit the city park more often in the remaining time that they’re still here.
The walks do both mother and daughter some good but it doesn’t seem to be enough.
Logan continues to sleepwalk and be seduced by strange voices in her head.
Even her mom seems to be affected. Not just on motherly level and concern.
Her father is unsure what to do but tries to keep the family inside at night, keep them safe.
When it’s finally time for them to make the journey to Watery, Logan feels exhilarated, relieved even.
She could barely stand the empty walls of the apartment anymore. She might just have jumped out of her skin for real this time if she had to stay any longer in this building.
With more vigour than expected, her parents watch her help them move the boxes downstairs. Even the heavier ones that David insisted he should carry together.
“You’re growing up and getting stronger faster than I expected,” he smiles before patting his daughter on her shoulder.
Logan smiles back with a mischievous grin. “I can handle myself, dad.”
Her friends are also present when the Andersons load up the car with Logan and Saga’s belongings.
“Whoa, it all fits,” Li whispers.
“We have a big enough car,” Logan boasts.
“What about you, Mister Anderson? Or should I call you Mister Woods now?” June asks.
David looks at the teen girl and offers her an assuring smile. “You can call me David, you know.”
“Habit,” June tries to nonchalantly reply.
David chuckles. “I’ll be fine, June. I found a place not far from here. I can still use the bike to get to work and all.”
He and Saga exchanges meaningful looks. When Saga’s expression is subtly worried, David reiterates.
“I’ll be fine. What about you, girls?”
Becky, June and Li look at each other. In unison they say: “We’re going to miss you, Logan.”
“Keep in touch!” Becky exclaims, shaking her phone in her hand.
Logan grins. “I will… I’m sorry for not being that present the last couple of days… weeks.”
“It’s okay,” Becky reassures her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.
June does the same. “Yeah, we understand. It’s not easy being you, right now.”
Unsubtly, she eyes at Logan’s parents.
“But yeah, text us while on the road too!” Li says.
The four girls go in for one last group hug. David takes a picture of it and sends it to Logan.
After that, Logan turns to her dad.
“So… We’ll see each other later, hm?”
David nods, emotion slowly getting the better of him. Before the tears can roll down his cheeks, Logan closes their distance and firmly hugs him.
These last months had been heavy on them all and only now, does Logan realize that they’re really parting ways for longer than just one or two weeks. She is going to miss him.
“Bye, dad.”
“Have a safe journey, my dear. I’ll text you too. And Logan?”
Logan finally dares to look up. Both father and daughter now have teary eyes.
“Look after your mother, okay?”
“Will do, dad.”
Slowly, she detaches herself, almost afraid to let go of him before slipping inside the passenger’s seat while Saga takes her place behind the wheel.
David makes a final trip around the car to make sure everything is inside and locked secure.
Li then taps on Logan’s window. Logan rolls it down.
Her friend fishes something out of her hand bag and offers it.
“Here, a parting gift from us all.”
“Only open it once you’re on the road,” June presses.
“Why?” Logan asks.
“I don’t wanna cry in front of your parents,” June mutters, barely audible, ash she rubs one shoe against the other.
Logan chuckles. “We’re already crying, but I understand. Thank you. I’m really going to miss you all.”
Saga looks at her daughter. “Ready to hit the road then?”
Logan nods.
“Hit the road, Jack.”
“Have a safe trip,” David says to Saga explicitly.
“Thank you, David. And… thank you for the last days.”
“Don’t mention it,” he nods.
Then, Saga rolls up the windows and takes off. Logan’s friends and David wave them goodbye until the car disappears behind the corner of the street.
A new life is starting now and Logan looks out of the window, hopefully.
Something tells her that this is a good decision. Maybe those restless nights and strange dreams will finally stop once they’re in a new environment.
Chapter 7: Short road trip
Notes:
We're slowly getting there! Next chapter, they'll finally interact with more people, I promise 🥺
Chapter Text
Slowly but surely, the familiar roads make way for unfamiliar ones. The concrete and density of the city are gradually replaced by long, stretched out roads and forests.
“How you like the change of scenery?” Saga asks.
She quickly side glances her daughter who is looking out of the window. The present on her lap, untouched.
“Hey, dreamer,” Saga nudges.
Then, Logan looks up and looks at her mom with a slightly bedazzled face.
“What were you saying?”
“I guess from your distracted face, you like the landscape,” Saga chuckles.
Logan nods. “It’s so much greener than what we got at our home.”
Our old home, Saga thinks but she doesn’t say it out loud. There’s still some mourning and sombre thoughts in her head despite the beautiful environment they now find themselves in.
Every two hours, Saga makes sure to take a break so they can stretch their legs and have a bathroom break or refill their tank.
Despite the sad undertones, Saga also enjoys this time with her daughter on the road. A little trip for them after spending many months in a dense household.
At one gas station, she buys some snacks for them to enjoy: a bag of paprika chips, chocolate bars and fruity ice cream to enjoy why they’re still resting.
“We’re getting further away from society,” Logan remarks as she leans against the hood of the car.
Saga mirrors her and nods. “Seems like it, huh. Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll have enough WiFi connection.”
The latter is said with a wink, causing Logan to roll her eyes and focus on her popsicle instead.
The weather is nice. No rain was forecast and right now, the sun shines but some white clouds compensate with their coolness.
As they finally get ready to hit the road again, Saga inquires about the present.
“Oh, you’re right. I kind of dozed off,” Logan sheepishly laughs.
They get in the car and as Saga starts driving, Logan looks at the gift.
“So… What do you think it is?” Saga wonders.
“It’s not small. Kind of heavy. Rectangular…,” Logan shakes the gift. “Sturdy. I think it might be a book.”
“You’re keeping me on edge. Go on, open it!”
The rustling and ripping of the wrapping paper is heard and then Saga hears the teen gasp.
“It is a book. An illustration book about nature and the wildlife in the Pacific Northwest.”
For a moment, there’s some silence so Saga quietly pries.
“You like it?”
Logan nods. “Yes! My friends truly know me.”
Saga smiles. The girls are good people. Thanks to them, Logan had been able to get through some rough times in high school.
She feels bad she didn’t allow them to come over these last weeks but the apartment had been such a mess, and so was her relationship with her family, Saga couldn’t face other people like that.
Once they are settled in Watery, Saga should tell Logan that her friends can come over for a weekend or so.
“They also left a handwritten note inside the book,” Logan says with glee.
Hii bold she-wolf,
By the time you’re reading this, you’ll probably be miles away from us :(
But do not worry, we got you a little parting gift!
A guide for the local wildlife and nature that you’ll be living among soon!!!
It’s illustrated too so not too many boring words to read ;)
Please call or text us with updates! We’re suuper curious what you think of our little gift!
Yours forever,
xx LJB xx
PS: also tell us if there are cute boys or girls at your place <333
U r gonna rock their world! <3
Logan leaves out the PS note. Her mom doesn’t need to be a detective in her love life.
“She-Wolf?” Saga remarks, raising a curious eyebrow.
Logan turns a bit red. “Yeah… I gained a bit of a reputation after the whole Jeffrey thing.”
She looks at her mom. Saga’s face is focused on the road but also turning into a frown as she tries to come up with a lecture or something. However, she also seems to try and hide a chuckle by clenching her fists around the wheel extra hard.
“That’s not a bad nickname, is it?” Saga eventually says.
Logan shrugs her shoulders. “Could’ve been worse. And wolves are pretty cool. I think bears are also cool. There should be some in the area we’re going to live in as well.”
“Then you better stay alert, Logan.”
“Mom, we’re not even there yet!” Logan groans as she puts the book aside.
Saga sighs and nods. “You’re right… We should try to start over.”
She lifts her hand from the gear stick and opens it to her daughter who takes it. She softly squeezes her hand.
“To new beginnings then.”
“To new beginnings.”
-
The journey takes three long days and a half before they finally arrive at their destination.
They sleep at a motel but after the second one made Saga and Logan both feel uncomfortable, they decided to sleep in the car on the third night.
“I’m sorry we’re not staying at a fancy hotel or anything tonight,” Saga laments.
“It’s okay. I don’t wanna stay in a seedy motel like the previous one,” Logan snorts.
She shivers as she thinks back to the owner. A white man in his late 50s whose appearance just screamed sleazy and unsavoury.
She didn’t like how he asked them all kinds of personal questions and kept ogling her mom.
Saga always tries to teach her daughter not to judge a book by its cover, but in situations like these, she also trusts her gut and prioritizes her survival instincts.
Instincts that seem to have gotten sharper the past few days.
Saga had felt the pendant burn against her chest when they were talking to the motel guy. If she didn’t have any manners and wasn’t in a pretty white area, she would’ve dared to throw hands with the receptionist.
But she didn’t want to put her daughter in any shittier situation so she had sucked up the uncomfortable vibes.
She and Logan had partially laughed it off in their motel room but they also left as quickly as they could in the morning. 5 AM.
The backseats are packed with boxes but they can both dial their seats a little bit backward. It’s not ideal but it beats staying in an unsafe environment.
Saga gets some spare blankets out of the trunk of the car and gives one of them to Logan.
“Tomorrow, we’ll finally get to sleep in our new home,” she promises.
“I know, mom. Thanks for looking after me,” Logan murmurs, already drowsy, eyes fluttering open and shut.
“Good night.”
“G’night.”
Saga falls asleep earlier than expected. She dreams of the forest. She can hear wild wolves howl and there are flashes of their grey fur among the dark bark of the trees.
One of them stands out with its lighter grey, almost resembling a silver coat. Could he be the pack leader or something?
The moon is full and there’s a burning sensation in her chest. She looks around her and suddenly the forest is on fire.
Saga gasps awake and is greeted by the shy morning lighting. Her necklace feels specifically hot and heavy so she takes it off and puts it in the dashboard.
She then lets her environment come back into view. Logan is still sleeping, curled up in the passenger’s seat. Her blanket has fallen to the ground but the teenager seems unbothered.
Their car is safely parked off the road and the sun is peaking out from behind some soft clouds.
There is no fire and there are no wolves.
Saga sighs in relief. It was just a wild dream. Must be after their conversation about bears and wolves. She briefly gets out of the car to stretch her legs and arms before waking her daughter to do the same.
Then, they embark on the last miles of their journey.
Lucious, whirling roads lead them through the vivid green forests and mountains.
They take a final rest stop at Stucky’s Gas Station. Logan gets a fresh soda can from the fridge and Saga orders some coffee.
The owner, Mister Stucky, recommends mother and daughter to also stop by at the Oh Deer Diner if they want a fulfilling meal.
Logan’s stomach quickly reacts, making it an easy decision as where to go next. Saga thanks Mister Stucky and returns to the car.
“What do you think?” Saga asks Logan.
“I think Mister Stucky was okay. Not weird or anything. Just boring normal I guess.”
Saga laughs and agrees. “Let’s hope most of the town folk will be like that. Just regular people.”
They drive into Bright Falls. It’s not a big town and the Diner is easily found as it lies on the primary road. Its sign outside is weathered and old but light still buzzes through it, albeit dimmed.
Saga parks the car behind the Diner and before she gets out, she puts on her necklace again.
Through the large windows in the front, Saga can see that this Diner must’ve looked like that for decades.
But it feels somewhat charming.
Logan is less interested in the design choices or aesthetics of the Diner and more in what’s on the menu.
A friendly waitress welcomes the duo and gives them a nice seat at the front window.
“You must be from out of town,” the waitress deducts.
“Yes, we just arrived,” Saga nods.
The waitress is a young, white woman in her late 20s with her hair tied into a tight bun, hidden behind her waitress’ cap. She has a curious look in her eyes and for a brief moment, she seems to look at Saga’s jewellery.
“It’s a gift from my mother,” Saga promptly comments.
The girl blinks and gasps. “Oh, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to stare like that, my apologies! Anyways, that’s… lovely! Here’s the menu card. Me or a colleague will come over in a few minutes to take your orders! Enjoy your stay!”
Saga smiles and focuses back on their spot. Logan is already browsing through the menu.
“I know what I want,” the teenager quickly declares.
“Already?” Saga’s eyes quickly scan the card.
There are a few baked sweets, some hot drinks, breakfast and lunch items on the list.
“The Famous Tripple D Burger cos it sounds meaty enough,” Logan taps her finger on the card.
“Hmm… Sounds fitting yeah… I think I’ll go with Rose’s Soup & Salad.”
As promised, another waitress comes over to take the Andersons’ order. Today, it’s not that packed.
Probably a few locals are having some late lunch too. The music comes from an old school jukebox in the corner of the Diner.
Not much later, their food is served. Logan immediately digs into her hamburger with both hands. The juices of the patty drip out and some slices of pickle and tomato drop onto her plate.
The soup is served in a simple, white bowl that has the Oh Deer Diner logo on it. There’s a piece of toasted brown bread next to it and the salad is served on a plate.
Saga takes a careful sip from her soup and decides it’s not a bad meal.
When they’re finished, the waitress from earlier comes back to clean up. As she professionally begins to pile the plates onto her hands and arms, she asks.
“I’m a bit curious, but are you planning to stay longer or just on a holiday?”
“We’re actually moving to the area,” Saga decides it doesn’t hurt to get to know the local folk a bit better and warm up to them.
“Ooh! That’s great! We don’t get many new residents! I haven’t introduced myself yet, but as you can see on my tag,” the waitress nudges her chin to the name tag on the left side of her uniform, “My name is Rose Marigold. Pleased, to make your acquaintance at our charming little diner! The best and only one around and I hope your meal just spoke for itself!”
“Thank you, Rose. The food was great. I’m Saga and this is my daughter, Logan Anderson.”
Rose’s eyes seem to light up. “Anderson?! You’re not by chance related to the Anderson brothers?”
“The Anderson brothers?”
“You don’t know them? The Old Gods of Asgard? Well, they’re not really rockstars anymore, though they like to pretend they are,” Rose huffs with an air of shared familiarity but Saga doesn’t know much about her grandfather Tor.
Freya did mention he was in some kind of band, but she had stayed pretty vague about it.
“They are kind of a big deal around these parts. So… you’re not related?”
“Actually, I am. But my mom didn’t talk much about him,” Saga mutters, not fully expecting to be confronted with her family’s past issues this early.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Anyways, you’ll meet him soon enough. Usually, he and Odin are daily visitors but I guess today they’re busy with something else. Anyways, I’ll leave you be now. Have a great, great day!”
Saga thanks Rose for her service and welcome before paying at the counter. Now, they just have to drive to Watery. Their end destination.
Chapter 8: Light, laughter and love will guide you home
Notes:
Life's been hectic once more but here's a new chapter :D 3k so there's quite some stuff to read again ;'))
Hope you enjoy and thanks for tagging along!
Chapter Text
Watery is truly a small town. Even smaller than Bright Falls but that makes it also easier to find the way to the trailer park.
They drive over the main road. There’s a large, white – or it used to be bright white – painted building that has three signs hanging above the entrance: SUOMI HALL, KARAOKE and CAFÉ.
There are various fishing related buildings and in the distance looms a Ferris Wheel.
“Is that Coffee World?” Logan asks.
“Must be,” Saga nods.
Quickly, the amusement park comes closer into view. It looks abandoned but not forgotten at this time of the day.
Saga briefly stops the car to look. There’s a large welcome banner. The mascot is a large coffee pot. It makes Saga think of old cartoon shows. The park is surrounded by green, much like the rest of the environment.
The visible attractions are still, like large construction machines awaiting its workers to return.
“Pretty funny. Everything’s really coffee,” Logan states as she too looks at the park.
“Yeah. Maybe you should visit it with your friends,” Saga suggests.
Logan nods. “Let’s go to our new home now. I’m tired.”
Saga agrees. On the opposite side of Coffee World, there’s a small half paved road that leads to the trailer park.
A large fence is set up enclosing the park. Just outside, there’s a parking place for cars and motorcycles. Each spot has a license plate and it seems there’s already a spot reserved for Saga and Logan.
Saga parks the car in the designated spot. Logan follows her mom out of the car and they walk up to the gates of the fence.
Most people are still at work this late afternoon. An elderly woman is napping on her front porch in a typical rocking chair. Her small dog lies politely next to her feet, snoring away.
The trailer park is relatively quiet save for the sound of a few chirping birds and the breeze blowing through the leaves of the trees surrounding the park.
Behind the entrance of the gates, there’s a small rectangular building. Above the door hangs a wooden sign: RECEPTION/VASTAANOTTO
“Let’s go inside then?” Saga states.
Logan nods and takes her mom’s hand. Before the duo can go inside, the door swings open from the other side.
A middle aged man in a unique outfit steps forward. His clothes are a mix of different hobbies and jobs at once: green fishing waders, underneath it a red, plaided flannel. On top of it all, the man is wearing two leather jackets, one clearly being a motorcycle vest. A trucker cap with an animal logo that says “AHMA” underneath it, finishes his odd look.
He has a friendly face and when he smiles, the crowfeet around his eyes deepen. He has a scruffy beard, peppered with strands of silvery hairs that catch Saga’s eye in surprise. She feels like she had recently seen that colour before, but where?
Before she can give it any more thought, the older man speaks up in a beamy voice.
“Good afternoon, you two! You must be the new tenants I assume,” the man greets them.
This must be Mister Koskela.
He closes their distance and stretches out his hand. Saga takes it and they shake. Mister Koskela has a warm, firm handshake. The leather jacket gives him a distinct smell but there’s also something else on him that Saga can’t quite pinpoint. Something… wild?
Mister Koskela’s eyes are blue and they briefly focus on Saga’s necklace. It’s just a split second but it feels longer. There’s a micro muscle movement in his nose, making it curl in discomfort.
His grip subtly tightens around her but then he quickly loosens that grip to shift them both into an agreeable hug.
Again, the gesture is big and strong and Saga feels his nose subtly press against her shoulder.
However, it happens fast and before she knows it, they’re standing apart again like nothing weird happened.
She quickly glances at Logan who is now shaking Mister Koskela’s hand as well.
When the older man returns his look to Saga, a more genuine smile is plastered on his face.
“I’m very happy to welcome another Anderson to this lovely trailer park! Please, I haven’t properly introduced myself. Ilmo Koskela, one half of the proud Koskela brothers, owner of Coffee World, the best beer around and the Kalevala Knights motorcycle club. I’m its president.”
He proudly taps the name tags on his black vest.
“Nice to meet you, Mister Koskela.”
“Saga Anderson and Logan Anderson,” Mister Koskela nods acknowledging. He winks. “I remember names. And please, call me Ilmo. Here, everyone’s basically family!”
Ilmo’s way of speaking eases Saga into a sense of familiarity, safety even, which is unique considering she isn’t always immediately comfortable in a new surrounding.
His words and posture quickly make her forget the brief odd mannerisms he exuded mere seconds ago.
“Let’s get down to business then. I’ll show you to your new home! And if you need any help with unpacking, please let me know! Me and my brother are happy to help you out!”
Ilmo parades through the info desk to the park itself.
“Here we are. Number 2.”
The owner gives Saga the key. It has a metal ring where a spare key and a mailbox key are attached.
Saga looks at her daughter and smiles. “Our new home, Logan.”
“Go on, mom. Open it,” Logan huffs.
Ilmo sniggers. “It will be cozy.”
Saga takes a deep breath and then turns the key in the lock. The door opens smoothly.
Immediately upon entering, they are in the living room. Further to the right is a full kitchen with a table and a set of chairs.
Behind it, a washing machine and a dryer are installed with a cupboard on the wall above it and on the right a door leads to the bathroom. At the end of the right side of the trailer is a small bedroom reserved for Logan.
On the opposite side is Saga’s bedroom. The basic furniture is all there but the rest still needs some dressing and personalizing.
But Ilmo Koskela is correct. Despite its bare essences, the trailer feels cozy enough and with enough time, Saga can see herself living here comfortably with her teenage daughter.
“As said before, if you need help with moving stuff to the trailer, give me a call. This is the desk number and my personal number. If my brother is around, don’t be surprised you suddenly have an extra pair of hands helping you regardless!”
Ilmo swipes Saga a little business card. On one side, there’s a logo of a lighthouse, on the other side the contact information.
“Thank you, Ilmo.”
“Oh, before I go…,” Ilmo suddenly reaches into his jacket and gets out his wallet. From the looks of it, he keeps a whole bunch of cash in there.
He scoops out some paper money and a cheque, scribbling something on it.
“I forgot to give you a special discount,” Ilmo states as he puts the money on the kitchen table.
Saga stares at it in surprise. “A discount?”
There was nothing mentioned on the website nor in their e-mail correspondence.
Ilmo winks playfully. “It’s on the house, so to speak. We folks gotta look after one another, so don’t mention it.”
With that being said, their landlord leaves the trailer, leaving Saga quite baffled about the large surprise discount.
“He is… special,” Logan mutters.
Saga has to blink her eyes to ground herself back to reality. “He is… But I don’t feel bad vibes about him.”
Logan shrugs her shoulders. “Let’s go unpack.”
They go back outside and walk up to their car. Ilmo Koskela is already back in the reception office.
When they walk past with a bunch of bags and boxes, Saga can see the Finnish-American is talking on the phone. As their eyes briefly meet, Ilmo smiles wholeheartedly at her and even waves. Out of politeness, Saga nods and smiles back.
The Andersons are almost half way unpacking the car when suddenly two teenagers and an older man approach them at the car.
The man wears a dark beanie, scruffy looking hair peeks out underneath it and a very, full, thick beard covers most of his face. His hands are tucked away in his dark, brown leather jacket and though his posture is a bit closed off, he genuinely smiles at the newcomers.
The teens accompanying him seem to be about the same age as Logan. One a boy, the other a girl.
“Hello! You’re Logan and Saga, right?” the girl quickly steps forward and shakes hands.
She has straight, light brown hair reaching down to her shoulders. She is wearing a cap, similar to the one Ilmo Koskela was wearing. Besides that, her outfit consists of a zipped up hoodie and tight jeans with some old sneakers underneath.
The boy has a similar, casual outfit: an oversized T-shirt with a sleeveless plaid flannel atop and some cargo shorts with a camouflage pattern.
“I’m Charline Koskela. This here is my brother Charlie and that’s my dad, Jaakko. Uncle Ilmo told us to come over and ask if you needed any help carrying stuff to your new home,” the girl introduces her and the others.
“Yup. Welcome to our humble Watery Lighthouse Trailer Park,” Jaakko Koskela nods. His intonation is somewhat monotone, but genuine nonetheless.
“Eh, welcome, I guess,” the boy huffs, avoiding some eye contact with the new tenants.
Saga looks at Logan. “We could use some help, right?”
Logan nods and then points at the boxes still left in the car. “Be careful, some are quite heavy.”
Jaakko suddenly grins and walks up to the car. With ease, he lifts two narrow but heavier boxes and swoops them with both arms out of the trunk.
“Easy,” he says and begins walking.
“Dad can be such a show-off in his own way,” Charline sighs at Logan.
Logan sniggers in amusement. She finds it quite relatable. Her mom can also be boastful at inconvenient and awkward moments, especially when Logan’s hanging out with her friends.
“Thank you for helping,” Logan says to the girl as they go to the trailer.
“No problem! We love getting new people in town! Not many folk come here lately, so it got a bit boring,” Charline explains.
“Well, maybe that’s a good opportunity for you and your brother to show the new girl around?” Charline’s father suggests as they put the luggage inside the trailer.
Charline and Charlie give each other a disapproving look as if they’re saying with my sibling?
“Or just you girls,” Jaakko Koskela corrects himself.
“It’s fine either way,” Logan says, hoping it could ease some of the tension but honestly, she doesn’t hang out as much with boys as she’d like to.
Back in her class, most boys and girls stayed in separate groups.
“Once you’re settled and rested, I can show you all the cool spots in Watery,” Charline promises the new girl with a twinkle in her eye.
Logan smiles approvingly. She would love to explore this place with a connoisseur.
Charline possibly being the same age, also helps a lot now that Logan’s friends are all the way back in the city. Besides, the guide book would probably not suffice on its own.
A few minutes pass as the group walk back and forth from car to trailer but their combined effort makes the car empty in no-time.
As the Koskela family makes their leave, Jaakko Koskela faces Logan’s mom.
“Ehm.. If you’d like to, you’re welcome to join me and my family for dinner tonight. We figured you must be exhausted from such a long journey.”
“That’s a generous offer, we’ll consider it,” Saga replies.
Saga and Logan only empty some boxes with the basic necessities and decide to call it a day for the rest of their belongings.
While Saga takes a break on the couch with a book, Logan starts vlogging their new home to her friends.
“You already put all the boxes in your home?!” Li exclaims.
“Yes, we got some help from the owners of the trailer park.”
Becky chimes in: “Are they cool people?”
“I don’t know, Beck… I didn’t talk that much with them. But they seem chill. Especially Charline, she’s willing to show me around.”
“Oh, Charline, huh. Bet she’ll show you around,” June sniggers on the other side of the phone.
“Shh… Mom’s in the other room!” Logan hisses alerted as she’s standing in her new bedroom with the door open.
“Miss Anderson, the new home looks great!” June yells.
“What’s that?” Saga shouts from the living room.
“Nothing!” Logan shouts back with a reddened face.
“Great for you, Logan. Also, how did you like our gift?” Li inquires.
“I already put it on my shelf,” Logan turns around and shows the girls the empty shelf, save for their gift and a comic book she got from her dad for her previous birthday.
“This is going to be so exciting, Logan! A new place, a new life,” Becky says.
Logan sighs, her face turning to a frown. She thuds onto her new bed. The mattress feels different from her old one.
“Yeah… a new life.”
“It will be alright,” LI reassures her. “Might take some time, but I’m sure it will do you good.”
“Old school sucked anyways,” Logan lets out an uncertain chuckle.
Jeffrey had been sooo annoying. She’s still proud that she literally bit back because it has earned her quite the reputation at school and all the annoying boys had left her alone while some girls who hadn’t approached her before, suddenly wanted to be her friends and sit with her and the trio during lunch.
“You’re cool beans,” Becky reiterates. “You can handle it.”
“And hey, maybe the weird dreams and sleepwalking will also end now,” Li adds.
Logan had informed her friends about the strange changes. According to them, it had all to do with going through a rough period with her parents’ divorce, her mysterious grandmom’s passing and all. Although, Li was the one who considered mystical powers being involved which Logan had first brushed away as Li reading too many fantasy novels.
“I hope so too,” Logan quietly sighs.
“Alright. I gotta go. The Wifi has to be properly booted up tomorrow so I’m still running on 4G.”
“Oof, understandable. Talk to you later, Logan!” June waves.
“We miss you!” the girls say in unison before Logan has to hang up.
In the evening, the Andersons visit the Koskela family at Jaakko’s trailer.
Charlie opens the door. He is wearing a raggy flannel shirt with one hole in the left elbow. He throws mother and daughter an awkward smile before gesturing them to come inside. He leads the way, his hands in his pockets as he nonchalantly clomps to the kitchen.
Their trailer is slightly bigger but has a similar lay-out. Immediately, they are hit with the delicious smell of cooking.
Saga detects the distinct smell of salmon. She shouldn’t be surprised they’re preparing a fish dish, given all the fishery imagery in and around Watery.
In the kitchen, a large table is made for six people.
Charline is already seated. Her father is standing behind the oven, still wearing his work pants and blue plaid and a dark, green apron. Ilmo Koskela is standing next to him, preparing another part of the dish.
He turns around with a tray of glasses.
“Saga, Logan! Glad you made it. Just in time too, Jaakko is almost done with the lohikeitto! Please, have a seat!”
The family all join. Saga sits opposite of Logan. Next to her, sits Charlie Koskela while his sister sits next to her daughter. At each table end, sits one of the Koskela brothers.
“This is salmon based soup with potatoes, leek and carrots. Peppered with some simple spices and dill. I hope you like it,” Jaakko introduces the dish to them.
“Traditional Finnish recipe,” Ilmo adds with a proud smile.
“Yup. We like to keep our Finnish culture alive,” Jaakko nods.
Logan, at first, is a bit hesitant but she is hungry and she doesn’t want to be an ungrateful guest tonight. She is pleasantly surprised how the different textures and tastes come together as one.
Saga is also enjoying the soup.
Ilmo Koskela enthusiastically talks about the trailer park and the environment before his brother politely shuts him up so the guests can enjoy the main course.
As the dessert is being served, Ilmo speaks up again.
“If I might ask, Saga, what’s that necklace about?”
Jaakko Koskela gives him a subtle, prying look but the man in the cap seems to be unbothered by his grimace.
Saga wraps her fingers around the pendant, carefully tracing her thumb over the cool stone.
“It was my mother’s. A parting gift, meant to protect me.”
The whole Koskela family stares and Saga can’t help but feel their underlying disdain for it. She’s not sure why but it seems not to be a case of mere difference in taste. They almost seem to have a physical reaction to it. Appalled?
But it’s also not the same air as dealing with racist bigots either. She can’t pinpoint why this strange reaction though.
“Forgive my nosy brother. We don’t often come across people wearing pure silver,” the older Koskela brother speaks up.
Suddenly, his son chimes in too with an awkward smile. “Yeah… yeah, indeed. And, eh, we’re sorta allergic to it.”
The latter comment incites a physical reaction from Charline who seems to push him underneath the table with one of her feet.
“Ow!”
“Children!” Jaakko raises his voice.
For a few seconds, Logan and Saga tense up by the unexpected shift in atmosphere of the dinner.
“Oh, I-, I didn’t know… I’m sorry. Next time, I won’t be wearing it,” Saga then profusely apologises.
That clearly explains their odd behaviour toward the pendant.
“No, don’t. Please. It’s not that bad as my nephew claims it to be,” Ilmo begins to backtrack, gesturing with his hands and all.
To change the subject, the man tells Saga that she can meet her grandfather tomorrow.
They had been at the Cauldron Lake Lodge, the doctor’s office of one Emil Hartman.
Slowly, the more pleasant mood returns until Saga and Logan say their goodbyes to the Koskela family.
As soon as they’re back in their own trailer, Saga plops down on the couch. Logan joins her.
“How are you feeling, sweety?”
Logan leans against the couch and closes her eyes a little. “Tired. Full… The older brother really knows how to cook.”
Saga chuckles and agrees.
“And what do you think of them?”
“I dunno. Maybe it’s a bit too early to judge?”
“Clever girl,” Saga smiles.
“I’m going to bed,” Logan gets up.
“Good night, sweety. I’m following soon.”
While Logan is in the bathroom, prepping for bed, Saga remains on the couch.
Now, in her hand lies her necklace. She didn’t know people could be allergic to silver. Then again, it wasn’t too unheard of people’s bodies reacting poorly to certain materials found in jewellery.
She knits her eyebrows together and frowns. Thoughts are trying to be formed in her head but the entire journey to Watery, all the new people she met and the new impressions, cause her brain to short circuit.
Tomorrow, she might find more answers when she finally gets to meet her grandfather, Tor Anderson and his brother Odin Anderson.
Chapter 9: An unusual reunion
Chapter Text
Saga is up earlier than she had expected. During the night, it had been disorienting when she tried to find the bathroom but other than that, there had been no issues.
No missing daughter and even one night without vivid dreams. By the time she’s making herself some coffee, of course the little coffee machine had been unpacked as one of the essentials, she doesn’t even remember if she dreamt anything at all.
Today’s going to be a busy day, emptying more boxes and making this place feel a little bit more like home.
Still, she has to admit that sleeping in a two-person bed without partner, does feel foreign. Lonely even.
She sits down with her hot mug and turns on her phone. David had left a voice message for her.
“Hey Saga. David here, ehm… I hope you have finally arrived in Watery and I hope things are going okay for you so far.
I have moved into my new apartment. It’s a lot smaller, of course, but it has all I need for now. Life’s going on as usual. Then again, I didn’t have to switch jobs or places like you two.
How’s Logan taking it so far? Did she have any… sleepwalking anymore?
If you find some time, feel free to update me through text, or voice message. Bye.”
Saga smiles a bit as she wraps her fingers around the mug. It’s somewhat of a relief to hear that her ex-husband has settled down.
As much as they could not stand each other the last couple of weeks, months even, there still was this bit of care for one another as friends or distant acquaintances.
She presses her thumb on the recording button but then cancels it. Instead she begins typing.
Hey David
Logan and I arrived safely in Watery and got a warm welcome from our landlord and his family.
It’s quiet here. Logan is still sleeping.
She didn’t have any nightly escapade urges anymore.
Maybe being closer to nature really did help.
Still have to unpack a lot of things, but we’ll get there.
Later today, I’m finally going to meet my grandfather Tor Anderson.
Good to hear you’ve moved in already.
-Saga
Saga looks outside the window. It looks out on some of the other trailers and between them, there’s a glimpse to the trailer park’s playground.
In the morning light, the place looks serene and peaceful. However, inside her, turmoil rears its confusing head.
Tor Anderson, what kind of man is he? And while her mom might not have mentioned him a lot, why didn’t he try to reach out to Saga earlier? Was it the distance between them? Was he not internet savvy enough to communicate through a mobile device? Did Freya omit any addresses to him? Did she intercept any possible mail, perhaps?
So many questions and so little answers and that’s just the tip of the Anderson iceberg.
Saga is still keen on uncovering what Logan’s 16th birthday has to do with all these sudden changes.
Still, she is grateful that having a proper roof above her head is no longer a worry and that she can be done with this whole moving thing earlier than dreaded.
After some more scrolling on her phone, she eventually gets up to check on Logan.
Her daughter is still snuggled up in her blankets, not a care in the world and no visible distress on the teen’s face.
She could wake her up but she decides that Logan deserves some extra rest while she still can.
In a few weeks, she has to go to a new high school. That won’t be easy.
An hour later, Saga gets dressed to meet her long hidden family members. According to Ilmo Koskela, they should be back at the trailer park again.
Before she steps outside, she looks at herself in the bathroom mirror. She has her hair combed and donned in the usual ponytail, eyeliner and a subtle eye shadow, finished off with her favourite lipstick.
For this occasion, she decided to wear the last sweater Freya had knitted for her. Two years ago. It’s a red one with a white, Nordic pattern entwined. She also wears Freya’s necklace.
She checks on her daughter one last time before leaving. If Logan wakes up and checks her phone, she’ll see that her mom left her a text message entailing her whereabouts.
The walk to the other Anderson trailer is over quickly but standing in front of that door feels like an eternity.
Eventually, the door opens with a loud creaking noise and a tall, balding man with a remarkable eyepatch stands in the opening. He has a neutral sweater but wears a long, heavy leather coat over it with matching leather, fingerless gloves. The man doesn’t fit in this place and yet at the same time, it all makes sense.
“Is that you Saga Anderson?” the old man wants to know.
Slightly ajar, Saga nods, speechless.
“Brother! Come over, Saga’s here! Saga has finally arrived in Watery!” the old man exclaims.
Not long after, a smaller man walks to the door. He is bare chested save for a black vest, covered in different logos and patches.
He has a scruffy, silver almost white beard with two small braids at the end of his beard. The hair on his chest is as white as his facial hair.
He slightly tilts his head and squints his eyes as he observes the woman.
“In the flesh, it is Saga Anderson!” Tor mutters.
“So you are my grandfather?” Saga stammers back in disbelief.
Her grandfather and granduncle look nothing like she had imagined them to be as a kid. Clad in black leather, clearly not having let go of their old stage personas she assumes.
“Kära Saga, yes I am your morfar,” Tor says with a genuine smile, the accent thick.
His brother, Odin Anderson, spreads his arms and exclaims: “It’s so good to finally see you, Saga. All grown up now too.”
Saga smiles a bit awkwardly, wondering if she should shake hands or go further than that.
But the Anderson brothers decide that for her as Tor steps closer, arms spread as well to welcome Saga into their home.
They hug but then Tor brusquely pulls away. He grimaces as his eyes dart over Saga until they land on the necklace.
“What’s that?” he gasps.
Startled, Saga takes a step back too. “It’s… it was from my mom.”
“Freya…,” Tor huffs. “You have to take it off, Saga. Pure silver like that is not good for an Anderson.”
“I’m sorry, sweetie pie, but my brother is right for once,” Odin chimes in.
Bewildered but not wanting to ruin her first meeting with her family, she takes off the pendant and Odin opens his gloved hand to take it from her.
He hangs it on one of the coat hangers before the two old men calm themselves down.
Their reaction had been even more intense than that of the Koskela family. More allergies, then.
“Now that the cursed pendant is out of the way, come inside,” Tor swings his arm to invite her into their trailer.
Saga’s heart is still beating loudly in her chest by the time she sits down on one of the couches.
There are beer bottles scattered across the living room. Bottles without a brand name on them. A guitar is hung and displayed on one of the walls.
“I’m sorry for startling you like that… You-, you said that necklace was from Freya?” Tor wants to know, scratching his beard.
“Yes… I-, she gave it to me as a birthday gift, told me it had protective qualities… so I decided to wear everyday.”
Tor and Odin give each other meaningful looks that Saga can’t deduct what it means. They seem concerned.
Her grandfather scoffs. “Protective, hm…. I see… She was never proud of her heritage. But that’s beyond the point right now. I’ve also heard the news.”
He evades Saga’s eyes. He shakes his head in regret.
Odin also looks away and quietly nods. “Terrible news. Tor was devastated to hear that his little girl had passed away.”
The quick shift to Freya’s death, makes Saga distracted from Tor’s earlier confusing words with underlying messages she couldn’t decipher.
Instead, she is overcome with grief again for her mother whom she barely knew.
Despite being strangers, the familial cords connecting her to these old men, makes her feel shameless to cry. Tears turn her vision blurry. She is soon accompanied in tears and woeful lamenting.
She feels Tor Anderson thud down next to her and then a frail looking, yet powerful arm wraps around her like a comforting blanket.
“I’m sorry for your loss, kära Saga. I should’ve been there, at her funeral,” Tor snivels.
Subconsciously, her hand reaches for Tor’s.
“I-, I miss her… a lot,” Saga gasps through choky sobs.
“Me too… me too,” Tor mutters, his thumb caressing Saga’s hand.
For a few more minutes, the family sits there in the trailer, mourning and letting their tears speak for themselves.
Tor Anderson is the first to speak up again. His voice, still a bit shaky. “She was a wonderful woman. You must know that already.”
Saga stares at her lap where she rests her folded hands. “She was a mysterious woman. She didn’t… she didn’t always tell me much about you or her past.”
Tor frowns deeply. “I see… So, she really never told you anything about us? Or the Anderson bloodline?”
Saga wipes away her remaining tears and finally dares to look Tor in the eyes.
Sadness, regret, remorse… all at once.
“Not really. I know you two used to live on a farm and were in a band,” Saga recalls.
It’s almost astounding how much she doesn’t know about her family.
“B-but what is it about our lineage? And what about Logan’s upcoming birthday?” Saga blurts out in desperation for answers.
The two old men give each other another one of those telling looks.
“Oh boy, bro. Freya didn’t make it easy for us,” Tor huffs.
Odin shakes his head in agreement and rubs his unshaven chin.
“Has it… to do with my mother’s necklace?” Saga guesses. The pendant is still hanging on the coat hanger next to the entrance.
Tor nods. “Yes. See, Saga… how do we tell you this?”
Odin fills in for his brother. “Do you believe in mythological creatures or anything?”
The question seems to come out of nowhere and renders Saga speechless.
“Many people are blissfully unaware of the reality of some creatures. But here, in Watery and in Bright Falls, some myths turn to truths. Some tales, aren’t mere legends,” Odin continues.
Although Saga had been fond of some fairy tales and mythical creatures as a child, as she grew up she realized that kind of magic didn’t exist in the real world, much to her inner child’s disappointment.
“So you are saying that…,” she can’t fully grasp the generic pieces the Anderson brothers throw at her.
“We are real shapeshifters, Saga. We’re wolves,” Tor finishes her guessing.
“Like… like actual wolves?” the woman whispers.
“Like werewolves,” Odin specifies.
The strange truth hits her like a trainwreck: Freya’s necklace, the hidden family secrets, Logan’s recent odd behaviour, her strengthened survival instincts, the nature themed dreams and their calls to her…
It’s all connected through… lycanthropy?
Odin gets up from his seat and scratches the back of his head. “I think I’ll leave you two be. It’s a lot to take in. I need a drink anyway!”
Her granduncle hobbles over to the kitchen where he takes out another brandless bottle.
“So we are werewolves,” Saga mutters, barely able to get the words out and believe them.
“We are, Saga. You, me, and your daughter. That’s why I wanted you to come over and celebrate her 16th birthday here in Watery. In the safety of-”
“So you’re telling me Logan will turn into a ferocious beast?!” Saga cuts him off. “And-, and… And I also have something like that dormant inside me?” Saga has jumped up from the couch.
Her body is tense and her senses slowly blur out the outside world, leaving only her with Tor Anderson. His scent, suddenly stronger than before.
“Saga, I know it’s a lot of information but don’t worry about Logan. She’ll be fine,” Tor tries to calm her down but her protective instincts kick in.
“You know nothing about me or my daughter!” she snaps.
Her eyes burn like embers. She can smell her own anger and frustration seep out of her pores.
“It’s not a curse,” Odin re-enters her field of view.
“Apparently, my mom thought differently,” Saga bites back, now putting her hands on her hips as a disappointed mother who just found out her rebellious kid stole snacks from the cookie jar, except this is a real dire situation.
“This is ridiculous. Werewolves?! Really? That’s the best thing you can come up? I’m only here for what? An hour?”
Tor and Odin exchange uncomfortable glances, not sure how to deal with this.
“We only want to help, Saga,” Tor says.
“What am I supposed to tell Logan? That all the shit she’s experiencing, is because of her-, of some werewolf blood?”
Deep inside her, she knows that these weird, old men are telling the truth and that all the ‘symptoms’ of the last few weeks line up with her limited knowledge on werewolves.
She falls back onto the couch, her head in her hands, unable to look at the Anderson brothers.
Tor stands next to her, he wants to comfort her by laying a hand on her shoulder but decides it’s better to give his granddaughter some space.
Once Saga has regained a bit of her posture, she’s willing enough to listen to Tor Anderson again.
“My brother is right. There’s nothing wrong with being a werewolf. It’s not entirely like the horror stories or whatever you’ve picked up from other sources. Honestly, we truly enjoy being werewolves,” Tor trails off, taken over by some nostalgic, wild youth that has both him and Odin chuckle before he gets back on track.
“You don’t have to be scared. While it might… take some time to come to terms with, and grasp all of this, Logan can have a safe transformation here. That’s why I wrote my letter.”
“Couldn’t you tell me this earlier?” Saga grunts, accusatory.
More regret is visible on the bearded man’s face. “I should. I should’ve known Freya wouldn’t want to discuss this matter with you. Clearly, she did not like being a werewolf. To think she’d take it as far as…”
“The necklace… it stopped me from changing, huh,” Saga whispers.
The Anderson brothers confirm with a silent nod. Clever girl, they think.
Saga lets her fingers entwine and stares at her now trembling hands. All this time, she’s been a creature of the night, of those dark fairy tales she read as a child.
Such an integral part of her, actively hidden and suppressed by Freya. It all comes back to her: fragments of her past that she kind of brushed aside as just her being a quirky kid and teenager.
Things fall in place yet also get tossed up and scattered into more pieces of questions.
“I have to go home,” Saga nods, more to herself than to her granduncle and grandfather.
She gets up and walks over to the door. Hesitatingly, she grabs Freya’s necklace. The subtle heat from the pendant seeps into her and she shudders.
Not ‘just’ an allergic reaction, she now knows. Which makes her halt for a second, realizing that the Koskela family also had a physical repulsion toward silver. So, the Koskelas are werewolves too?
“If there’s anything we can do… help, explain, support… you know where to find us,” Tor says as Saga’s hand rests on the door knob.
She looks behind her and forces a meek smile.
“Thank you… I guess. I need to let it all sink.”
“We’ll be here for you when you’re ready,” Odin reassuringly smiles.
Saga nods and goes to her trailer. Her feet feel heavy. She has to tell Logan… but how?
She might think her mom has fully lost it since the divorce and the passing of her grandmother.
Saga takes a deep breath before entering their trailer.
“Logan? I’m back home. You’re awake yet?”
When she hears no reply, she advances to the kitchen where a small piece of paper lies.
Charline Koskela just came by to show me around Watery.
Will be back before dinner.
Logan :)
Notes:
Pheeew, that was a whole rollercoaster of emotions and newfound knowledge 😅😅
estelraca on Chapter 1 Mon 04 Aug 2025 04:48PM UTC
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FanFicReader01 on Chapter 1 Mon 04 Aug 2025 07:12PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 04 Aug 2025 07:13PM UTC
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Emma wilsom (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sat 30 Aug 2025 05:34PM UTC
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FanFicReader01 on Chapter 1 Sun 31 Aug 2025 08:40AM UTC
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Emma wilsom (Guest) on Chapter 1 Mon 01 Sep 2025 06:17PM UTC
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estelraca on Chapter 2 Mon 04 Aug 2025 04:53PM UTC
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FanFicReader01 on Chapter 2 Mon 04 Aug 2025 07:17PM UTC
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estelraca on Chapter 3 Mon 04 Aug 2025 05:05PM UTC
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FanFicReader01 on Chapter 3 Mon 04 Aug 2025 08:26PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 04 Aug 2025 08:26PM UTC
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estelraca on Chapter 4 Tue 05 Aug 2025 04:48PM UTC
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FanFicReader01 on Chapter 4 Wed 06 Aug 2025 06:27PM UTC
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estelraca on Chapter 5 Thu 21 Aug 2025 05:40PM UTC
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FanFicReader01 on Chapter 5 Fri 22 Aug 2025 02:57PM UTC
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FanFicReader01 on Chapter 6 Fri 22 Aug 2025 03:01PM UTC
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estelraca on Chapter 8 Thu 04 Sep 2025 05:31PM UTC
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FanFicReader01 on Chapter 8 Sat 06 Sep 2025 09:11AM UTC
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