The storm
Saturday evening came faster than Elsa imagined. She had hoped during the week for dinner to be cancelled. She hadn't wished for anything bad to happen, just a simple reason that could postpone dinner for a couple of weeks. Enough weeks to give her time to heal and go back to the North mountain. However, Elsa knew it was ridiculous to hope for something like that to happen. She still had three weeks to go before her appointment with the doctor; and she was not even sure it was going to be the last one.
In the end, her wishes didn't come true and Elsa found herself standing in the middle of Kristof's living room, watching Kristoff arranging things before they left.
Kristoff put on his leather jacket and walked towards the door, making sure he had his keys. "Ready to go?" he asked when he noticed she hadn't moved.
"No." The answer was short and sincere. Elsa knew it was silly to be so apprehensive about dinner, but she couldn't help the way she felt. She had always felt uncomfortable around people, and it didn't help she was the 'guest of honour', as Anna had put it a few days before.
"Stop being silly. Let's go," said Kristoff opening the door and expecting her to move.
She knew the answer to the question before she asked it, but she felt like trying one last time, "Do I have to go?"
Letting a tired sigh escape his lips, Kristoff gave his sister the same answer he had given her all week, "they want to thank you. I think it's necessary for you to be there." Noticing Elsa was truly uncomfortable about the idea of having dinner with his in-laws, he tried to reassure her, "everything will be alright. I promise."
"They'll be your family in the future and I know you love them. I want to give the right impression."
"You are my family. They'll only be my in-laws," he said walking towards Elsa. She was still standing in the middle of the room, and Kristoff knew she needed a little push to start moving. "It's simpler than you think," he stood in front of her and grabbed her shoulders to make sure she listened to him, "just go there, talk, eat, talk some more, eat dessert and you're done."
Her eyes stayed fixed on the floor, "you say talk as if it's easy."
Once again, Elsa's insecurities forced her to believe she was not someone who could participate in social gatherings. Through the years, he had come to accept that side of Elsa. Kristoff knew it was something she was still working on, and he knew being in front of people Elsa didn't know made things more difficult; but for once he wished she could let herself enjoy something as simple as a family dinner. "Idunn and Agdar will do all the talking, just nod and you'll be fine. That's all I did the first time and it worked."
Elsa let Kristoff guide her towards the door. His suggestion didn't sound so bad - at least it was something she knew she could do - but her anxious mind didn't give her much time to enjoy the idea before coming up with another question, "What if I need to go outside?"
Kristoff couldn't help himself from chuckling, "you're not a dog, Elsa. If you are uncomfortable just excuse yourself and go to the bathroom." He knew what she meant though, she was probably thinking about what to do if she felt her powers tickling under her skin. "Deep breaths, remember? That's what mum taught you."
He saw her take a deep breath right at that moment and suddenly noticed how nervous she actually was. "Why are you so nervous? You've been doing great lately. Even in the hospital you were able to control your powers…"
"I was drugged while I was in the hospital, Kristoff. My powers were tamed."
"Still, you've been around Anna and living in the building for over a month and everything's been great. Please stop worrying."
"I really don't want to mess things up," she confessed.
Messing her hair up a little, Kristoff rested his hand on top of her head. "It's all in here," he said. "Inside your head. Fight that fear."
"But-"
"I trust you more than anyone." He picked the new winter jacket Anna had gifted her, and handed it to Elsa, "you should start doing the same."
Lost for words, Elsa took the garment in one hand as she tried to keep her balance. She thought it was ridiculous to keep fighting, her brother wanted her to be part of his world too. And she felt she owned it to him. She tried to keep her balance as she put on the coat. Once she was ready, she said with resolution, "Let's go."
Her resolution began to shake when Kristoff parked the car in front of an extraordinarily beautiful two-story house. White walls and blue tile roofs let the house became part of the winter scenery. It had a magnificent front garden, everything was covered with snow, but she was able to see the defined lines of flower beds decorating the place. She spent some time admiring the Arendelle's residence before she noticed Kristoff had not only stopped the truck, but had also stepped out of the vehicle. He had stopped moving just to make sure she was okay.
"Are you coming?" he said nearing her door.
"Yes," she said suddenly, coming back from the trance she had been in. She had always admired the fine details of houses just like the one she was seeing. It was weird for her to think she was going to be able to see such an amazing place from the inside. Truth be told, she felt out of place just by standing outside.
"Need help?" he asked.
"No, it's okay." Elsa struggled to get out of the truck by herself, but she couldn't stand relying on her brother for every single thing she needed to do.
Once she was standing on the sidewalk, they began walking towards the main door.
Kristoff began telling an anecdote about the first time he had visited Anna's house, but interrupted his story when he noticed Elsa was nowhere near him. Afraid that something had happened to her, he turned around and saw her struggling to keep up with his pace. The paved entrance was covered by fresh snow, just like the rest of the front garden.
"Elsa?"
"Right behind you," she said as she approached him. "Have you got any idea how hard it's to use crutches in the snow?
"I think it's the first time I hear you complain about snow," said Kristoff chuckling. The unamused expression on Elsa's face only made him laugh harder. "Don't look at me like that, I'm trying to lighten the mood. Come on, I'll help you the rest of the way."
Kristoff was helping his sister walk when the door opened in a sudden movement. Anna waved at them from the door, "You guys are here!" she said. "I saw you park the truck!" Happiness was evident in her voice. "Come in! It's freezing outside."
"We are coming," answered Kristoff, waving to his girlfriend.
Anna moved out of the way to let them into the house. Once they stepped into the the living room, Kristoff let go of Elsa's arm, allowing her to walk at her own pace again.
Elsa entered the room and was mesmerised by what she saw. Polished wooden floors and wooden furniture decorated the place. It was evident kristoff's in-laws were quite well-off. For sure Anna's parents were important people. And she felt her anxiety return at the idea of not having anything in common to talk about with them.
Anna distracted Elsa from her thoughts when she announced she was going to tell her parents, who were on the kitchen, they had arrived. She watched Anna disappear through a double door, leaving them both on the living room.
Getting closer to Kristoff, Elsa whispered, "you didn't tell me they were rich."
"Well, they are not exactly rich. But Agdar has got a successful business. I think it was his father's."
"Anna doesn't act like they rich people I give ski lessons to. They always make sure to remind me I'm of a lesser level than them," commented Elsa with disgust.
"Her parents are amazing. The first time I met them, I was afraid they were going to think I was not good enough for Anna. But they welcomed me into their family as if I was the best guy out there."
"Compared to the guys I've taught to ski, you are the best guy out there. Trust me," said Elsa before seeing the doors open once again. A tall man whose hair was the same colour as Anna's walked into the room followed by Anna.
"Kristoff!" said the man eagerly. "It's nice to see you, son."
'Son?' thought Elsa. She knew Kristoff was really close to Anna's family, but she hadn't imagined they treated him like a son. She was happy for her brother, but something in her chest hurt at the idea of Kristoff leaving her behind. She knew it was irrational and stupid, but she couldn't control her mind sometimes.
"Nice to see you too, sir," said Kristoff respectfully while he shaked his hand.
"Papa, this is Elsa," said Anna pointing to her. "Elsa, my dad Agdar."
Elsa had felt relatively calm until that moment, but everything changed when Agdar payed attention to her. She knew she was the reason dinner was taking place, however she couldn't stand being the centre of attention. And she felt uncomfortable when Agdar gave her a careful look, as if he was analysing her. She felt the same unease she had when she met Idunn, and all of a sudden she considered she was not good enough to be there. She felt as if Agdar was going to realise something was off with her, and she hated it. It didn't help her nerves the fact that he hesitated before extending his hand to greet her.
Her powers had been tickling under her skin since early afternoon and she was sure her hand was freezing. The cold weather helped her hide it, but still, she didn't feel comfortable extending her hand. Sadly, she didn't have much choice. It was best to act as normal as possible and not give Anna's parents the wrong idea; after all, the man was patiently waiting for her to take his hand. 'Don't screw this up,' she thought before extending her own hand.
If Agdar noticed how incredibly cold her hand was, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he smiled, "Elsa, it's a pleasure to meet you. My wife and I have been waiting for the right opportunity to thank you for what you did." Grabbing her hand in both of his, he said, "Thank you for saving my daughter."
'Bad idea. Let go of my hand,' thought Elsa while she made an effort not to make her hands colder than they were. "It's my pleasure. And there's no need to thank me. I was doing my job." She gave a gentle pull, to ask for her hand back.
Agdar understood her silent request and let her hand go in an instant. Thinking she wanted her hand back to hold her crutch, he turned his attention to her cast, "How's the leg?"
"I can't complain."
Before Agdar could ask any other question, Idunn entered the room. In an instant, she was by their side greeting them, distracting Agdar from his inquiries. Elsa was not sure if it was because she had already met her, but her presence helped her relax somehow. Her energy, which was similar to Anna's, allowed Anna and kristoff join in the conversation. She thanked her and asked a few questions about her leg too, but she was not as intimidating as Agdar in Elsa's opinion. Anna's father seemed like a good person, but he was a lot more analytical than Anna or Idunn. He kept glancing at her from time to time, studying her while they talked.
After some minutes talking in the living room, Idunn commented dinner was almost ready. She told them to go to the dining room and asked Anna to help her carry some things to the table. Both women disappeared through the double doors once again, and Agdar guided Kristoff and Elsa to the dining room where the table was already set. Idunn had made sure everything was perfect for their dinner. Elsa was truly flattered they had taken the trouble just for her, but she guessed they felt it was necessary.
Once she sat down, she realised she was seated opposite to Anna's family, and that allowed her to relax a bit. Her powers were not threatening to escape, but she knew her body temperature was not exactly normal. So, she was thankful the only one sitting close to her was Kristoff.
Anna and Idunn entered the room with their food, and the amazing smell let Elsa forget for a while about her worries. Kristoff had mentioned Idunn was a great cook and so far the smell proved that to be true. Anna had mentioned the previous day her mother was cooking one of her special dishes, and truth be told, Elsa couldn't wait to try it.
Dinner progressed in the best possible way. The food was indeed delicious and conversation had been about simple topics Elsa was able to follow. She stayed silent most of the time, but she was grateful she understood what they were talking about, allowing her to participate when Agdar or Idunn asked for her opinion. Conversation remained neutral and no personal questions were asked. She didn't know if Anna had mentioned to them she was not a social person, but they made sure she felt comfortable throughout dinner.
After everyone had finished, Kristoff excused himself to the bathroom while Idunn and Anna went into the kitchen for dessert. Elsa was distracted looking at the falling snow out of the window, and didn't notice she was alone with Agdar who soon took the opportunity to learn more about her. "Tell me, Elsa," he said calling her attention. "Is your job a good business?"
Caughting her completely unaware, Elsa had to apologise and ask for him to repeat the question.
"I know the North mountain certainly is a great tourist attraction, but is it good enough to provide for the different resorts?"
Finally knowing what he was talking about, she answered, "It's hard sometimes, but it's good enough for people like me to make a living. I can't tell you about the resorts to be honest."
"Why not? Aren't you working in one of them?"
"Oh, no. I- I work independently," she felt like an idiot for stuttering, but she couldn't really control her nerves.
"Isn't it harder that way?"
"A little…"
"Then why not join a resort? I've heard from Anna you are an excellent instructor."
She noticed Agdar was being truly respectful and it was just his business side asking the question. She felt it was better to give an honest answer, "I- I'm currently trying to do that."
"Getting your credentials in order?"
"Uhm…" Elsa felt ashamed all of a sudden. She didn't know what to answer. She was not trying to impress him, but she felt awkward telling Anna's father she was only beginning to study. Not to mention getting into that topic could lead to multiple questions she'd rather avoid.
Elsa hesitated for a few seconds but was interrupted by Anna, who had entered the room by the time Agdar asked the question, "I told you I'm helping her study, papa. The ski resorts won't hire her until she earns a diploma."
"Oh, you did say something about that when I picked you up the other day, Anna," commented Idunn who was just behind her daughter.
Agdar seemed lost for a moment, not really knowing what Anna was referring to, "When you say diploma, you mean-"
"High school diploma," interrupted Kristoff who had returned as well.
Elsa was thankful her brother was back in the room. He was going to help her explain her situation better. She didn't feel comfortable talking about it, but at least she was not going to be alone answering the questions.
"Elsa didn't have the chance to finish her studies before. And now she is working hard to earn her diploma," he explained.
"How is that possible?" cut Idunn in while she handed Kristoff his plate. "You said Gerda and Kai made sure you finished studying, Kristoff. Right?"
Kristoff nodded. He remembered telling Idunn how his parents' main rule was for him to study and how they had helped him in everything he needed throughout high school. Before he got the chance to explain himself better, he heard Idunn say, "I thought they'd do the same for their own daughter."
"They- They made sure I study too," said Elsa, not wanting Anna's parents to think her parents hadn't been there for her too. "But my situation was…" For lack of better words Elsa used the only word that could describe her without saying anything more, "different than Kristoff's." She hated where the conversation was going, but she had been more or less prepared. She knew it was a matter of time until Agdar or Idunn asked some questions.
"Elsa didn't have the same opportunity to study in the orphanage as I did." Once again Kristoff intervened in time to help her. She waited for him to look at her and she smiled in gratitude.
For a moment, Idunn and Agdar's silence gave Elsa the idea they were going to stop asking questions. But soon after, Idunn looked at her and asked, "Wait, you are not Kai and Gerda's biological daughter?"
"No, I'm not."
She seemed to contemplate the answer for a few seconds, "how is it possible the orphanage provided education to Kristoff but not you?"
"It was not the same institution." She took a deep breath to calm herself down before explaining, "we did live in the same orphanage at some point, but I spent most of my childhood in another place."
Wanting to divert the conversation, Kristoff said, "Mine wasn't good either, but at least they made sure I studied."
"I thought there was only one orphanage in town…" said Idunn.
"It's not in Trollheim. It's in a city near the southern coast," clarified Elsa.
Idunn took a deep breath and asked, "Romsdal?"
Elsa nodded but kept silent. Memories of that place were something she wished she could forget. But she knew there was no point in lying about the name of the city. After all, there was no way they could know what had happened in her orphanage before she was adopted. She thought mentioning was safe ground, but soon realised she had been mistaken.
Agdar who had remained silent during the conversation suddenly hit the table, surprising everyone, and said, "That's not possible. You are wrong."
"What?" asked Elsa. She didn't know what she had said to make Agdar angry.
"There is only one orphanage in Romsdal and a great doctor was in charge of it. That cannot be the place."
"Well, It- it is," said Elsa with hesitation. She was sure she was not mistaken, but she didn't know how to react to Agdar's insistence. "I know the name of the city."
"No," he countered, shaking his head. "You must be mistaken."
"Papa, I think Elsa must know what she is talking about," Anna tried her best to stop her father before he made Elsa uncomfortable. She didn't know what had triggered her father so much, but she considered it was not important at the moment.
The man turned to his daughter and clarified, "I've heard about that place. The doctor was renowned for his work helping kids. It's not possible it's the same place."
"Why is it so important if it is the same place or not? I know Elsa remembers the name, there's no need to argue about that." It was the first time Kristoff openly contradicted his father-in-law, but he felt it was necessary to end the conversation.
Hitting the table repeatedly with his index finger, Agdar said, "It's important because getting the facts right prevents misleading information, son."
"What are you talking about?" Anna seemed as puzzled as the siblings by her father's reaction; and she was not willing to let him behave that way in front of Kristoff and Elsa. She also knew how delicate the subject was. "Elsa is telling us about her personal experience in that place, dad. It could easily be the same orphanage. People lie all the time about the good deeds they do."
"The only orphanage in Romsdal is a trusted institution. She must be mistaken."
"I'm not mistaken," said Elsa all of sudden, surprising herself. She never felt comfortable arguing with people, not even her brother. But she had been feeling her powers pulsating under her skin since the conversation turned into an argument, and she couldn't focus on what she was saying. She wanted everyone to stop talking about Romsdal and to stop fighting. Her memories of that city were the worst she had, and the sole mention of such place made her feel uncomfortable.
"Then, if you are not, would you mind telling us what happened there? Are you sure it's not just your childhood memories playing tricks?" Agdar hadn't raised his voice, but it was a clear command.
Elsa knew the man was not going to let the matter slip so easily. She wanted to stop the conversation, but everything she said made it worse. She knew she couldn't answer that question, she couldn't talk about the things she had lived there without expose her powers. Not knowing what to do she said, "I would really like to change the topic of conversation." Elsa hoped she could get the situation under control. Her hands were colder than they had been in a long time, and she was not sure she was going to be able to control her emotions if the argument continued.
"Look, kid," said Agdar calling Elsa's attention. "You can't go around trashing good people's names like that. If you are mistaken, you are-"
Kristoff had the deepest respect for Anna's father, but he felt interrupting him was in order, he was not at all pleased by the way he was speaking to his sister. "Elsa knows what she is talking about. There's no mistake. Now it would be best to-"
Agdar interrupted him back, "Doctor Weselton is a good person. He-" but was cut by the sound of Elsa's chair scraping against the floor.
At the mention of Weselton's name, Elsa felt her emotions spike. There was not much she could do but leave the place before she did something she'd regret. "I need to go outside," she said as she tried to find her crutches and get up.
Kristoff heard Elsa's chair and knew what his sister was about to do, he knew she wasn't feeling okay with the argument and being the reason it started, but he couldn't let her go just like that. It was going to be harder to explain if she suddenly went outside. He grabbed her left arm before she got the chance to pick her crutches and forced her to remain seated, "Elsa, please stay." He then turned to his father-in-law, "Agdar, I'm sorry, but Elsa knows first hand about this. Doctor Weselton is not a good person."
Elsa couldn't focus on what kristoff was saying, she could only see he was preventing her from leaving. She pulled, trying to free her arm in vain, "Let go of my arm, Kristoff!"
"There's no need for you to leave the table, Elsa," said Anna who until that moment had stayed silent watching how everything turned from bad to worse without reason. "Please stay."
"No, I won't believe that's true," a stubborn Agdar replied. "I know wha-"
"You don't know what you are talking about," said Elsa. She was losing control and she couldn't stand to hear Agdar defend the man who had ruined her childhood. "No one knows. Now, please, Kristoff, let go of my arm," her voice cracking towards the end of her sentence.
"No." Kristoff tighten his grip on her wrist. He needed Elsa to calm down so everyone could talk and apologise, but he was running out of things to say to convince Agdar and Elsa.
"Kristoff. I'm serious I-"
Not realising the damage he was causing, Agdar continued to defend what he believed was right, "how could you know I'm mistaken. All I'm saying is-"
"Papa, please drop the subject!" Anna didn't know what had gotten into her father, but he was behaving in the strangest way possible. Not only he was not aware how uncomfortable Elsa was, but he kept talking as if someone else besides himself cared. What was even more strange, was her mother's silence. She had been talking and participating until Elsa mentioned where she had grown up and then she had just stopped.
"Kristoff let go!" Tired and feeling her powers slip from her control, Elsa stood up fast enough to force her hand out of Kristoff's grip. But the rapid movement and the stress of the situation caused her to lose her concentration, letting her powers free for a few seconds. It was enough for a blast of ice to escape her hand, freezing the table and nearly missing Idunn's head in the process.
Everyone in the room stayed where they were in complete silence. Anna was the first to move her head from Elsa's hand to the frozen cupboard situated behind her mother. She followed the frost and rime that covered the table and tried to comprehend what had happened.
Elsa was the second one to react. Unlike Anna, she didn't need time to understand what had occured, to her dismay she was completely aware of the damage her mistake had almost caused. She looked at the frozen piece of furniture and realised how close the blast had been from hitting Anna's mother. She couldn't stop herself from remembering the last day she had stayed in Romsdal's orphanage when she was fourteen. Several memories she had tried her best to suppress returned in an instant, forcing her body to react on its own. She grabbed the crutches from the floor and ran out the room.
Kristoff remained on his chair, unable to move or talk for a few seconds. What had happened before his eyes was everything his family had been trying to avoid since the day Elsa moved in with them. All the hard work Elsa had done to be able to enjoy a normal life disappeared the moment the blast of ice left her hand. And it was in the worst place possible. Not only it was in his in-law's house, but there wasn't any plausible excuse the two of them could give to pretend it had never happened.
He tried to find his voice to say something, to find a solution, but there was nothing he could say to ease the fear in Anna and her family's eyes. Before he or anyone on the table could do anything, he heard Elsa's chair move and he saw her ran by his side. The sound of the front door closing made him aware he needed to go after her before she did something she could regret. He stood up and ran after her, not bothering to explain anything to the rest.
Stepping out of the house, he noticed the sky had turned darker than it had been that day. He was not surprised to see the wind had picked up and he also noticed the previous snowfall was turning into a blizzard. He knew he needed to do something before people in the neighbourhood realised it was not at all normal. Thankfully, it was easy for him to spot Elsa. She had trouble moving fast in the snow and she hadn't been able to get farther than the sidewalk by the time he run out of the house.
When he spotted her, he wasted no time in calling her name. "Elsa!" he said. "Wait!"
She turned her head to look at him, but soon after continued moving in the opposite direction. She wanted to escape before Anna or her family came after her.
"Damn it," he muttered to himself. He knew it was not going to be easy to calm her down, but he didn't expect her to run away from him too. "Elsa!" he called her name once again. He run in her direction hoping to reach her before she got hurt. The sky kept getting darker and the snowstorm was becoming more aggressive. Clear evidence that his sister was suffering an anxiety attack.
"Elsa!" he tried again. "Elsa, please. Calm down."
She turned to him and raised her hand, begging him to stop, "I need to get out of here."
"Elsa, please. Listen to me. We can talk about this."
"I've ruined it. I- I have got to go," she tried to move once again. But the snow on the sidewalk didn't let her move her crutches, causing her to fall over her right side. "Damn it!" she said in pain.
In an instant Kristoff was kneeling by her side. He feared she had hurt her leg on the fall and he knew he needed to talk some sense into her. "Elsa, are you all right? Let me help you."
Elsa slapped his hand away from her and yelled, "stay away from me. Stay away."
"Elsa, listen to me. Listen to me," he repeated grabbing her by her shoulders. Kristoff forced her to look at him in the eyes. "You're okay. I've got you. You're having an anxiety attack, you need to calm down!"
"I- I can't Kristoff," it was getting harder for her to breath. "Stay away. I'm dangerous."
Not listening to her, he shaked her by the shoulders. "We can talk about this. They will listen to us. They will understand," he promised. Deep down he knew it was a lie. He didn't know if they were going to be willing to listen, but he needed Elsa to believe in his words.
Elsa lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," she said over and over again.
His heart broke seeing her like that. It had been over six years since the last time she had broken down, and he didn't know what to do. Hugging her tight, he whispered, "It's not your fault."
Her sobs were muttered by Kristoff's chest, who kept hugging her tight while she weeped. The two of them stayed were they were, Kristoff patiently waiting for Elsa to calm down.
After a minute, when he thought the hug was finally working, both of them heard the worried voice of Anna yell from the distance, "Kristoff!"
Elsa, who had been taking some shuddering breaths to regain her composure, froze when she noticed Anna was close to them. She pushed Kristoff away and tried to run away, but the snow and her cast didn't allow her to get up from the icy floor.
He watched her struggle to get up and fall again, and realised Elsa was going to hurt herself before coming back to her senses. Fear was written on her face, and she was not listening to reason. Kristoff knew at that moment what he had to do, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do.
He got up and ran towards his truck, which was parked a few meters away from them. He knew there was a strong sedative in the glove compartment. He hated knocking Elsa out, but it was the only solution he had. Elsa's anxiety was too much to control on his own; and he couldn't risk her, or anyone else, getting hurt. He was opening the first aid kit when he heard Anna's worried voice once again. She had followed him to the vehicle. "Kristoff! What's going on?!"
"Get inside," he said preparing the syringe he needed.
"Not before you-"
"Get inside now, Anna!"
He didn't wait for her to answer, he just ran back to Elsa. The blizzard was getting stronger and he knew things could get out of hand if he didn't act fast. He kneeled by his sister and said, "I need you to calm down, please. I don't want to knock you out but I don't know what else to do. I'm sorry."
She began struggling to free her arm before Kristoff injected the sedative, "No, don't.. Kristoff don't!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry…" he repeated. "We are going home. You'll be alright. I promise." He injected the drug and hugged her tight while he waited for it to kick in.
"Kristoff…" said Elsa as her body went limp in his arms.
The blizzard stopped the moment Elsa fall into the effect of the drug. Snow kept falling, but it was the natural snowfall from before. The sky still looked darker than normal, but something told Kristoff it would remain like that for some time.
After the storm stopped, Anna approached her boyfriend. Before she could say anything, Kristoff picked Elsa in his arms and said, "Elsa needs help.I need to take her home."
"Kristoff, wh-"
"I'll explain everything, I swear. Just, please, don't call the police," he begged.
Not understanding his request, she asked, "What?"
"Elsa…" He adjusted Elsa better in his arms before explaining, "she is not a dangerous person. Please, you've got to trust me."
Anna watched him carry his sister back to the truck and make sure she was safe in the passenger's seat. After he picked her crutches and throw them on the back, ready to leave, Anna found the courage to say, "Kristoff, I don't understand…"
"I'll explain this, I swear. Tell your parents I'm sorry." Soon after, he got inside the vehicle and left. Anna stayed were she was baffled.
Anna didn't know how long she stood there, in the cold winter evening, watching the empty street. So many things had happened in such a short time. Her sister-in-law had almost struck her mother with an ice blast. If someone ever told her she was going to witness something like that, she would have laughed in their face. And there she was trying to understand how it all could be real.
She began feeling the cold temperature after a while, she had run out of the house not even thinking about grabbing a coat on the process. She began walking back inside, when she realised her parents hadn't come out, probably afraid of what Elsa almost did. She thought of Kristoff's request too. He had promised to explain everything on the condition they didn't call the police or tell anyone about what they had witnessed. She trusted his word, but she had to make sure her parents didn't do anything. Suddenly, afraid of the possibility they were calling someone, she ran into the house.
Anna began talking before she entered the dining room, "I don't know what just happened, like, I have literally no idea what just happened. But Kristoff told me to trust him. And even if this doesn't make sense, I do… I do trust him so, please let's not call-" She stopped when she noticed both of her parents were still sitting at the table. Her mother was silently crying and Agdar rested his head in his hands. "Are you guys okay?" she asked with worry. Maybe the blast had struck them. She didn't know.
Idunn took a shuddering breath and tried to dry her tears when she heard Anna's question, but it was impossible for her to hide the sorrow she felt.
"I knew it. When she said she was adopted. I knew it was Elsa," murmured Agdar.
"What? What's going on?" asked Anna, looking at her father.
"Anna…" said Agdar raising his head when he finally noticed she was in the room with them. "I- Nothing. Don't- don't worry. What happened with-"
"No," said Anna. "You just said something about Elsa. Do you know Elsa?"
"Anna, I said it's nothing."
Idunn took another breath and dared say, "Agdar, she deserves to know."
"But Idunn…" he had no good reason to contradict his wife. He knew it was only his inner fear and shame that prevented him from telling the truth to Anna.
"We can't keep running from this, Agdar," said Idunn, grabbing one of his hands. She looked at Anna, and said, "Dear, we've got something to tell you."
This is the main scene that triggered this story. Some parts of the dialogue in this chapter were the first lines I wrote of Søsken - months ago -, and I'm excited to finally let them see the light.
As always, please let me know what you think of the story and this chapter in particular. It helps me keep writing and improving.
I can't thank you enough for your nice comments and excitement so far.
