Bjorgman is Misery

>It's the middle of the night and I'm once again locked out of my room because Elsa is having one of her episodes

>"You don't understand, Kristoff; Elsa spent her whole childhood locking herself away in fear of her powers."

>I never met my Father. My only sibling never made it past 4 Months. I watched my mother slowly wither away from illness when I was 3.

>"You're right, Anna; I'm sure what she's going through is very difficult. Can I help at all?"

>"I wish, but you really just can't really relate to what she's going through, you know?"

>I was forced into being an ice laborer as a toddler in order to avoid being left to the wolves

>"I mean, I can't either, but Elsa still wants to keep me around; sisterly bond, you know?"

>The only friends I've ever known are forced to turn to stone for most of the day, and keep themselves hidden from the rest of human civilization. My days were spent in isolation. I didn't converse with another human being until I was 12.

>"It's just hard to imagine what she must be going through, trying to deal with all this. She's getting better, but she spent her entire life fearing what people might do to her if they found out about her magic."

>From the moment I re-entered Human Civilization, I was a pariah. I had no money, no property, no social class, no distinction, nothing. People spat on me just because they could. I was keenly aware that carrying valuables would be a mistake, since I could be murdered without the slightest threat of legal recourse. I was 12.

>"Kristoff? Kristoff, you there?"

>"Hmm? Oh, sorry Anna; must have spaced off."

>"Look, I know you don't get it, but Elsa is having a really rough time right now? Can you PLEASE try to understand and be there for me."

>"....Yeah, I can try."

>I turn over in my empty bed and try to remind myself that I'm still loved and among friends as the memories of those long since passed nights come flooding back

 

Such is the Night of Bjorgman

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

>I'm 9, and it's early evening

>'As long as I stay up here, I'm okay'

>My family won't be waking up from their rock forms for another couple of hours

>'As long as I stay up here, I'm okay'

>I'm almost a mile away from them, but they'll come looking for me

>'As long as I stay up here, I'm okay'

>....it might just take a while

>'As long as I stay up here, I'm okay'

>I hug myself closer to the Evergreen Tree, my arms as tight around the trunk as my legs are around the branch I'm sitting on

>'As long as I stay up here, I'm okay'

>I take a deep breath and look down

>'As long as I stay up here, I'm okay'

>About fifty feet down, the same pack of wolves that have been there all afternoon continue to pace the base of the tree

>'As long as I stay up here, I'm okay'

>They're waiting for me to fall

>'As long as I stay up here, I'm okay'

>They're patient

>'As long as I stay up here, I'm okay'

>"Kristoff?"

>My wife looks at me with tired eyes from across the breakfast table

>"Did you say something, Anna?"

>She sighs, but explains without comment

>"You're going to have to stay in the guest chambers just a little while longer. Elsa's still holed up in ours. It's a defense mechanism from when we were kids; she just locks down and makes her room into her safe place, you know?"

>"Yeah, I think I can understand that."

>She smiles

 

Such is the Morning of Bjorgman.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

>'You look tired, Mama.'

>I might be a child, but I still know when somethings wrong

>'Don't worry baby; Mama's gonna be just fine.'

>And something is definitely wrong

>'Are you sure?'

>She hasn't left the bed for days now, and she's been getting weaker for months; the Doctors have finally just stopped coming

>'Of course I am Kristoff. Come here, let Mama hold you.'

>Her skin is so warm as I lay my head down on her chest

>'I'm scared.'

>There are tears in her eyes

>'Hush baby; you've got no reason to be.'

>We both know that's not true, but we let the lie linger anyway

>'I'm still here, baby.'

>I had to grow up without a father

>'I'm not going anyway.'

>By the end of the month, I had to learn how to grow up without a mother either

>'Mama loves you so much.'

>"Kristoff?"

>I drifted off again; it's been happening a lot since Elsa started having her episodes. Anna's noticed, but thankfully she hasn't said anything about it.

>"I'm sorry Anna; what's up?"

>"I was saying.....thank you."

>She's curled up next to me in front of the fireplace. Elsa's been feeling better lately, so it's a rare night when she's sound asleep and we can be together again

>"I know this must all be difficult for you, and I haven't been giving you much attention lately. But ever since Elsa had her relapse, she's been so scared and needy and..."

>She lets out a deep sigh and looks up at me with desperate eyes

>"It's just hard to be there for someone you care about and have no idea how to help them."

>I pull her closer to me and she rests herself on my shoulder

>"Yeah, I think I know what you mean."

 

Such is the Evening of Bjorgman.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

>I'm barely out of eyesight of the town when I realize that going out alone on this road was a very, very bad mistake.

>I mean the Sun's still up, but it's setting quickly. I really should have left more quickly.

>But being around people, even ones who look down at you, is......well, it's a rare enough occurrence.

>There's no one here now though; just an endless expanse of empty road waiting for me

>The shadows of the trees grow larger and larger in the light of the dying Sun.

>I should go back. Every natural instinct I have is screaming this is no place for a 12 year old to be alone

>Even if no one's willing to let the ice-worker orphan sleep indoors, I can still sneak into a stable or something for the night

>But I've got to get back to camp. I've got the company's earnings on me, and I don't want to think of what will happen if one of the other harvesters catch me looking like I'm trying to make off with their money.

>There's a rustle in the trees

>'Oh God, don't be a wolf'

>There's another one behind me

>'Oh God, don't be wolves'

>Something lurching out of the woods

>I'm suddenly keenly aware why going into town on payday is grunt work

>'Please, please, please don't be wolves"

>A shape emerges out of the shadows

>It's a man

>'Oh, thank G-'

>Another man walks out behind me

>Two more to the side

>Another behind

>They all start laughing when they see the panic in my eyes

>'Why couldn't it be wolves?'

>"Out for a stroll, junior?"

>My eyes flicker about, but I'm encircled and there's nowhere to run

>"There's a toll for this road, you know."

>My heart's about to beat out of my chest. I can't lose the money; I've got to escape! I've got to run! Maybe if I head for the trees, I can l-

>There's a hand on my shoulder. I don't bother looking around

>"Just hand it over, kid, and this'll all be a lot happier for everyone."

>That's a smart idea

>I'm not a smart kid

>I try to break out of his grasp, but he just roars and throws me to the ground

>A swift kick in the back tells me to stay down

>Someone holds me as another set of hands rips the wallet from around my neck

>"Pleasure doing business with you!" the first man laughs, punctuating his glee with a kick

>The other start to join in as they make their way out

>I curl my head in my arms and try to ignore the bleeding

>The last man walks up to me, smiles an-

>"Kristoff?"

>"....yeah?"

>"You...you got lost, for a minute. You sounded like you were hyperventilating. Are you alright?"

>Elsa looks at me with concern. Ignoring the old panic, some part of me is glad for it. She's made real progress bouncing back from her relapse over the past few nights. We're even all back to sharing a bed; Anna sleeps between the two of us. It's my shift to keep an eye on her sister.

>Admittedly, I'm not doing a great job of it.

>"Yeah, yeah, it's fine," I say, forcing a smile, "What were we talking about?"

>Elsa pauses. She gives me a look that remind me that she's not easily fooled, but continues

>"People," she said eventually, "And how they still overwhelm me sometimes"

>"Right, right, sorry. People," I reply, stumbling on my words as I rub my eyes, "People, people....they....people, well, they, uh..."

>I feel a reassuring hand on my shoulder

>"People can be cruel," Elsa finishes. Our eyes catch for a moment, and the silence provides more understanding than a thousand conversations ever could.

>"Yeah, they definitely can," I finally reply. A soft smile emerges on my face, though, when I look down at the red-head between us. I take a moment to brush her hair, careful not to accidentally wake her, "But sometimes, you only need one not to be."

>For the first time in over a week, Elsa smiles

 

Such is the Night of Bjorgman