Read an Excerpt
EYES OF THE INSANE
TROLL
By Eric Vik
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2011 Eric Vik
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4670-2523-2
Chapter One
The wolf exploration
Animals and animal rights, that is what these friends had together. It all started when they began planning a trip to the deepest part of the Norwegian forest to study the Scandinavian wolves. The group of people that got together for this voyage were from Sweden, America and Norway. Two Swedish, four Americans and two Norwegians. The Americans and Swedish planned the trip down to every last detail, where they were going, what they needed and the two Norwegians they needed to guide them.
The four friends from the states were all 25 years of age and extreme animal rights lovers. Their names were Charlie Reagen, Shawn Lords, Jessica Odell and Lauryn Johnsen. Charlie and Lauryn met at an animal rights march in Sweden many years ago. They fell for each other and got married only a month after meeting. Charlie had kind of a "live life to the fullest" look on things, he was a well built, tall, dark and handsome type of a guy. He jumped around between jobs, loved to have fun and could find a way to joke around about anything. He always had something to say, no matter what had happen he could make someone smile. He had a tattoo on his right arm that really told everyone what kind of guy they were dealing with. "Kill em all, Let God sort them out" is what it said. Never looking back, he just took life one day at a time. When he met Lauryn he just gave his heart away and would do anything for that girl. He knew she was the one that would complete his crazy life. One thing you had to love about Charlie was that you always knew where you had him, honest and spoke straight from the heart.
Lauryn was a secretary at a law firm, a shy little blond girl that just followed everyone else. The kind of girl that always had something on her mind but didn't say anything. She was actually the exact opposite of Charlie. Like they say, opposites attract. She had a little tattoo too, a devil the size of a match book on the top of her left breast. Maybe she wasn't that shy anyway. She was very pretty and that she knew, always looking in a mirror or fixing her hair. Charlie didn't mind, but others thought she was a little too attached to herself. She had Charlie wrapped around her finger, that's for sure. But still, she was a great friend to have around. Always smiling and happy, that was her best feature.
Shawn Lords was Charlie's left hand man, best friends since grade school. He worked at a factory that made furniture. He was in a long term relationship with Jessica. They had been together forever, they became a couple in ninth grade and have been united since. Shawn and Charlie were like to peas in a pod, always had been. Fun in the sun is all they were about. Shawn was a little bitter with Lauryn for stealing Charlie's attention and putting the brakes on the party scene. Shawn had a mind of his own, but when he and Charlie got together there was no telling what would happen. He liked taking chances, being impulsive and he loved to rock the boat. There was only one thing he took seriously and that was Jessica. No matter what, he took her side.
Charlie and Shawn started standing up for animal rights when they were about sixteen, and never stopped. This, of course gave them a reason to travel around the world and meet people. The girls were always with them, and they always had a blast. Matches made in heaven, you might say. They went everywhere they could if there was an animal rights march going on. They stood up for the animals but it was more of a reason to get together with people and party.
Jessica was a party person too, mainly because she grew up with Shawn and Charlie. She was a salesperson, loved having a good time and was always the center of attention. Girls didn't really like her that much, she stole the attention of boys at parties, and that caused conflicts. She was a real tomboy and didn't need any help when it came to a fight. Not the kind of girl you want to piss off. There wasn't a party ever that someone didn't try kick Jessica's ass. That never happen, she always ended up on top. She wasn't the one who started fights, but she finished them. It was a price she paid for being an interesting person.
After many thrill seeking trips to Sweden they all became good friends with Gustav Svensen and Pernille Godson. It was during one of these trips that they started talking about the Scandinavian wolf and the lifestyle it had. Gustav had many Norwegian friends and knew of a place in Norway that was almost untouched and unknown to most people. It was a scary place deep in the darkest of all Norwegian forests, high up on a mountain side. He knew of this place because a Norwegian by the name of Erik Erichsen told him stories about it. Gustav was a twenty seven year old construction worker. He also fought for animal rights and attended all the marches he could. He was a mystical person who loved to bend the truth a little so others would wonder if he meant what he said, or if it was possible at all. Always being the center of attention, he would tell jokes and stories that had people laughing until they cried. There was never a dull moment with this guy in the room. He always had just a little facial hair, like a three o'clock shadow kind of a beard. Never used a razor, he probably thought he looked macho that way. He was a very cool and laid back guy.
Pernille was a nurse and had the same attitude as Gustav. She was a sweet girl that just relaxed and couldn't care less about the past or future. Swedish people are like that, they have a good life in Sweden. Good economy, cheap food and a safe environment. Gustav and Pernille were always bickering and nagging each other but you could tell they were totally in love. It was because they were so alike that they got on each other's nerves all the time. You had to laugh when you heard them fighting, they could start yelling for the most stupid reasons. But in the end they walked off hand in hand.
At this animal rights gathering they all sat around a campfire outside their tents talking and drinking beer. Charlie and Shawn loved Swedish beer and they had bought three cases of it for that evening. Feeling good and talking a load of crap, Gustav stood up and started telling the tales he had heard from his Norwegian companion about the wolves and mountains in Norway. He did all he could to scare the others so the trip would be more intense. The woods are so dark, wet and cold that you walk around with goose-bumps, looking over your shoulder at all times. Even during the day the trees wouldn't let the sun break through. The trees are so high and full of branches that they strangle the life out of plants. The vegetation was minimal so there were no smaller animals around for the wolves to feed on. That was another question to be answered, why do the wolves stay in this area when there is so little prey for them to feed on? Everyone knew Gustav was joking around and stretching the truth but he did get everyone thinking. The girls thought it was scary enough just thinking about running into a wolf head on. They all made a pact and swore to make this excursion happen. Gustav would make the call to Norway and get Erik interested in the idea. He knew that would be easy, Erik and his girlfriend were always looking for something unpredictable to do. They were guides in Norway so they knew the landscape and that would make it a lot easier.
Not your everyday kind of guides, these two. They were kind of extremists, the ones that always took the hard way around things. They loved adventure and exploring the unknown. They would be the perfect guides for this gang of irregular thugs. Erik Erichsen was a thirty year old butcher, very young at heart. He was the quiet type and never really talked much about himself. But when it came to doing something outrageous he was the man for the job. He could be kind of scary too, he said some strange things sometimes that got you wondering if he was a nutcase.
His girlfriend was a beautiful Norwegian girl by the name of Anne Andersen. She was not the mirror reflection of Erik, she talked a lot and told everyone what she was thinking. She was thirty one years old and looked like a model. Long, dark hair and a perfect body, Erik was lucky to have her. She worked at a hospital in Norway's capital, Oslo. They were Norway's most outgoing extremists. They would guide anyone, anywhere! They had climbed every mountain there was in Norway and base jumped back down. They would do just about anything for an adrenaline kick. That's why they agreed to guide this exploration, they knew it would be a challenge and maybe some vicious encounters with the wolves. No one really knows much about the wolves in that area, except that they are bigger yet thinner than regular wolves. They look really mangy and sick. These wolves are mean and strong, they would have no problem taking down a human being within seconds. But they seem scared of people or the fact that we walk on two feet. If you have ever seen a documentary movie about wolves then you know the evil look they have in their eyes and the way they crouch down, stare at you with their teeth showing and saliva dripping out of their mouth. Not an animal you would like to meet in a dark forest, not in the day light either.
Erik and Anne had been a couple for about three years, he was out of his head in love with her. Nothing came between them and he would make sure of that. Gustav only knew Erik after meeting him at parties and talking. They got along great and had some of the same interests. Gustav made the call to Erik and told him of their plans and that they needed them to take them through the rugged terrain Norway had to offer. There was no doubt in Erik's mind as he looked over to his love. He explained the trip to Anne and she just gave him a sexy blink of the eye. "We're in!" is what Erik replied. They had never met the four Americans, but Gustav had told some funny stories. This would be exciting, scary and a party or two would be fun too. Just the kind of trip they loved to go on. Anne liked to party, but she knew when the breaks had to be put on. That was a good thing because Erik didn't stop ever, if it wasn't for Anne he would party for days on end. That was one of the things Erik loved about her, she kept him out of trouble. She saw the fun in having fun, but when it got to wild she thought of the consequences. That's a good way of thinking out in the wild, she always kept her head cool. When Erik said something stupid like, "We can make that jump!" She would answer "We're walking around or you're sleeping alone tonight!" He never put up much of a fight, he knew she was right. You can't take chances when you're in the middle of nowhere.
Gustav planned for him and Pernille to meet the Americans at Gardermoen, Norway's international airport. After that they would take a train to where they would meet up with Erik and Anne before making their way to the mountain area. That was all Anne needed to hear before making a change in Gustav's plan. The next stop after Gardermoen would be their house so they could get together and talk things trough. You can't just make things up as you go along up in the mountains, you got to have a battle plan. Again she was right and everyone knew it. Safety first, no one could complain about that.
The third of July and the clock struck twelve in the afternoon, the first plane out of Kennedy airport in New York arrives in Norway carrying with it four excited Americans that had already tasted the Norwegian beer on the flight. Charlie and Shawn were having a blast the whole flight and the girls thought it was amazing that they didn't get thrown off the plane before landing at Gardermoen. Leaving the aircraft Shawn looked over to the flight attendant and said "sorry, we were just having fun" and she replied "Next time you guys won't be so lucky!" The girls were embarrassed but everything happened in a kind of funny way so they chose to overlook the guys this time.
Flying in from Sweden didn't take long being Norway's neighboring country. The flight from Arlanda airport in Stockholm took about an hour. That was enough time for Gustav to kick back some cold ones and start arguing with Pernille about everything and nothing at all. He didn't really like to fly but you couldn't get him to admit that. Everything calmed down when they landed and he had something else to think about. Meeting his American friends again was something he looked forward to and he wouldn't have to bicker with Pernille because they would have other people to talk to besides each other. The train to Hamar didn't leave until three so that gave them plenty of time to get there bags and find the train station. The train took a little over an hour but there were some delays so the guys decided to sleep off some of the alcohol and the girls chitchatted, catching up on what was new. They had so many amazing memories together and they couldn't wait to make some new ones in Norway.
Arriving at the station in Hamar the guys started opening their eyes again, looking out the train window to see if they could see Erik and Anne. There was no one waiting for them and as usual Gustav was kidding around about how he must have mixed up the dates and that Erik and Anne weren't coming. They got off the train, found a bench to sit on outside the station and lite up some cigarettes. Gustav told them to take it easy and that they would be picked up. They used the time to talk about what it would be like sleeping out in the woods with wolves around. About ten minutes went by when a minivan sneaked up behind them and blew its horn so loud that they nearly shit themselves.
Anne jumped out of the van and ran over to Pernille and Gustav giving them the biggest hug you can imagine. Anne met those two at a concert in Denmark five years ago. It was more of a music festival where you pitch up a tent and party for a week listening to bands. Anne and Pernille hit it off right away and became the best of friends. Erik was introduced to them about two years ago at a party he and Anne went to in Sweden. Erik always thought Gustav was full of shit but liked him because he was so honest and didn't speak around the topic, he got right to the point. The bullshit was just Gustav's way of making people laugh and wonder. This friendship was pretty special. They didn't see each other very often, living in different countries and all. But there was never a week that went by without some kind of contact between them. They didn't let their friendship fade just because they lived so far away from each other.
Charlie, Shawn, Jessica and Lauryn introduced themselves and they all bonded pretty fast. It seemed like everyone got along very well and they stood there kidding around for a while. They packed up the minivan with their bags and jumped in. Erik and Anne lived only a half an hour away and they were going to stop at the local store and buy some brews before they drove home. The conversation went on about the area they were going to hike to. Erik drove and Anne laid down the law. "The most frightening thing about this area isn't the wolves" she said looking them deep into their eyes. "In the deepest, darkest spot in the forest when there is no turning back you will meet with your biggest fear ever! Your cell phones don't work!" Laughing their asses off they turned up the road that led to the little farm where Anne and Erik hung their hats. Erik said "welcome to our home" smiling, Anne adds "make sure to make all your phone calls from here, it will be to late tomorrow."
There was no need to pack out all their things from the van, just some private articles and of course the beers the guys bought at the store. Anne made some coffee and then showed off the house to their visitors from the states. Gustav and Pernille had been there before so they went and sat down in the living room with Erik. He put on some music in the back ground and got eight beers out of the refrigerator. Anne came back with the rest of the group and they all sat together and talked. Putting their bottles together in the air they all said "cheers" and took a swig of Norway's finest beer. Anne went to the kitchen to get the coffee and Erik stood up to make a toast. He said "I hope this trip brings new friendships and old friends even closer." Anne came back with the coffee and took over. She was much better at planning trips and explaining them. Erik just took the fastest but not easiest way when he planned trips, he took way to many chances if you asked Anne. After many beers and a bottle of moonshine that Erik had, Anne was finished telling them what they needed to know about the mountain and some safety rules. The girls listened closely and the guys joked around as usual. Looking at her watch, Anne said that everyone should call it a night so they could get off to an early start in the morning. Before any one could say goodnight Erik stood up again. This time he looked a little more serious. He said "we have one more thing to add before this night ends!" He got their attention and they all listened up.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from EYES OF THE INSANE by Eric Vik Copyright © 2011 by Eric Vik. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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