Club Valhalla
Chapter 4
“I guess you’ll stay tonight for the full experience. Good for you. Have you both come to a consensus about who will do the walking tonight?” Kerstin asked after she joined the girls after they finished their dessert in the same outfit as before.
“As a matter of fact, we have.” Aoife said. “Saoirse is going to be the Walker, and I guess that makes me the Guide.”
“I had not expected that; I thought your roles were quite the reverse.” Kerstin said.
“They are,” Saoirse confirmed quickly, “but because Aoife was brave enough to come here tonight, it was only fair that I showed some bravery as well.”
“That’s great. Saoirse, if you would like to go with my husband, I will take Aoife to the control room.” Kerstin said as she stood up.
“The first house has 10 rooms with ‘naughty’ acts in them, and 6 with ‘nice’ activities,” Kerstin started in a room full of monitors, buttons and beeps. “Before you, there are 16 cards. Each room in the house has a card with a challenge written on it that takes place in that room. Choose carefully; the one you pick should reveal something important about Saoirse and her trust in you.”
There were brutal things on that list, like ‘Undress yourself completely and throw your dress in the fire’ and ‘Tell us in minute detail about the time you cheated on your partner’ or ‘Take your panties off and stuff it into your mouth for the rest of the experience’. Aoife read all the cards. Kerstin knew from experience that the first one was the hardest for the contestants.
“Take your time to sort through the cards, remove any that seem too bold or too bland, until you’re left with a select few that truly resonate with you.” Kerstin said.
“All of these cards contain some sort of abuse, don’t they?” Aoife asked; the words, a mix of challenge and declaration, hung in the space between them.
“Of course.” Kerstin said without a trace of guilt.
“15. I choose room number 15,” Aoife decided abruptly, the words tumbling out in a rush.
Kerstin was on the phone with her husband. “Peter, Aoife picked room 15.”
“Got that, room 15. I will take Saoirse to that room.”
“Let’s go”, the Viking said. “Your Guide has made her first choice. I want you to enter this house and look for the room with the number 15 on it. Do not open any other door, just number 15. Open the door and follow the instructions. I must inform you of an alternative before you proceed into this house. You can quit the game and leave by taking the path on your left. Once you leave Valhalla, you can’t go back and reconsider; that door is permanently shut. You’re the first client of ours who hasn’t had to cough up 50,000 Euros to get out of this experience. So you are totally free either to continue the Valhalla experience or to stop; the choice is yours.”
“I will continue.” Saoirse said. She refused to give up before even attempting the initial challenge. She had not come here to fail. No matter what, she wanted to prove to Aoife that she could succeed in all four challenges.
“Very well. Good luck. Remember that once you have closed the door to room 15, the only way out is after you have finished the challenge.”
In the control room, Kerstin switched on a monitor. “You can watch your partner here on this screen.” She said. “Why did you choose this challenge for her?”
“Saoirse is very picky about what she eats and likes. There are few things she loves to eat. Pizza, pasta, fries, anything flavourless. If she really tries to taste several flavours blindly, it proves to me she will take a chance on a healthier diet.”
“I like that. Let’s see, she has found the kitchen, room number 15.”
A gasp escaped Saoirse’s lips as the door to room 15 slowly creaked open, revealing the Viking, bare-chested, standing silently in the centre of the kitchen.
“Welcome to hell’s kitchen, a place that assaults your senses with intense aromas and sizzling sounds. I have a plate in the fridge that holds seven different ingredients, each with its own distinct colour and texture. You will blindfold yourself and, using only your sense of smell and taste, correctly identify at least four of them. If you succeed, the next house is yours to explore. If not, you must rub the remaining ingredients into your hair and face until the plate is completely clean, its surface gleaming spotlessly.”
“Where is the blindfold?” Saoirse asked. The Viking shrugged. “Use your imagination. See what you can find in the kitchen. Should you come up empty-handed, I’m certain there’s a knife in here to cut off a piece of your lovely dress for use.”
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