Club Valhalla
Chapter 3
Being the same height as these walls, the building was undoubtedly an entrance. An older guy in a Viking costume came towards them.
“You must be Sheer-sha and Ee-fa. Welcome to Club Valhalla.” He pronounced their names right, and that was a bonus point in Aoife’s book.
“Thank you.”
“I must compliment you on your costumes; you clearly nailed the bridal theme.”
“Thank you.”
The Viking smiled at their obvious display of nerves. “Please come on through. I think you need to freshen up a bit after a long drive. I believe the cook is just about finishing his preparations, so we might start with a good home-cooked meal before we start the festivities. Does that sound like a good idea?”
They both said, “Yes, sir,” at the same time and disappeared into the ladies’ room. Tasteful decorations, such as a cauldron instead of a sink, a broomstick hanging above the mirrors, and two pointy hats on the clothes hooks, adorned it. Saoirse screamed after she looked in the mirror and then started a nervous giggle.
“Come and see,” she urged, her voice filled with excitement. Curious, Aoife looked over her shoulder. A few seconds passed, and Saoirse’s beautiful face changed, aging into that of a woman much older. This was most assuredly Saoirse, along with an impressive AI trick. Aoife was beside her, but there was no change. They watched Saoirse’s teeth fall out, one at a time. The girls shrugged. Cool trick.
The lights went out while they were using the restroom, leaving the toilet area in complete darkness.
The situation grew truly frightening as Saoirse searched for her phone. She initially felt a chill on her back, and then a chilling voice spoke directly behind her: “ ... You didn’t think you could leave without paying, did you?” An eerie laugh followed.
“Aoife!!” Saoirse screamed.
“Let’s get out of here!” she heard Aoife shout in the stall next to her.
With the phone lights illuminating them, the women turned on the water to wash their hands, only to find at least twenty teeth that strongly resembled human teeth in the sink.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.” Saoirse mumbled while unconsciously feeling her teeth. Once they opened the door to the hall, the lights turned back on.
A shared look led them to choose laughter as a way to cast aside their childish fears.
“There you are. Would you mind if I joined you for dinner? We can use the time to explain the Valhalla experience to you.”
“We are curious, of course. I would like to hear all about it,” Saoirse said.
“Very well, please sit down. Many people ask us about the name ‘Valhalla’. Valhalla comes from Norse mythology and is like a grand hall in the afterlife. The Vikings believed that warriors who died bravely in battle would go to Valhalla. There, they would feast, drink, and fight for eternity under the god Odin’s watch. It’s basically the Vikings’ idea of a glorious paradise for heroes. Vikings were once here on the Beara Peninsula. Locals swear they buried their loot at this very spot after their raids. We dug it up and used the proceeds to build Valhalla.” He looked at our faces. “No, you’re right, but it’s still a beautiful story.”
The girls smiled politely. The waiter served a dark purple, almost blood-red, beetroot soup in a black cauldron-style bowl. A swirl of sour cream drawn into a spiderweb pattern, with a black olive “spider” perched on top. The Viking continued his explanation.
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