Vikings' Possession

Secret of the Runes

"Where am I?" Sophia looked around her surroundings. It was slightly cloudy, and the air felt cool. Sophia's eyesight was somewhat blurry, and she couldn't make out her surroundings. Eventually, her eyesight improved, and she saw that stones surrounded her. The stones looked different from the ones she was used to. The stones almost looked like misshapen tombstones. She slowly walked by them and looked at them.

Many of the stones had different shapes, and runes were carved onto them. Sophia stopped momentarily, knelt, and looked at one of the runes. Her eyes widened. "This has my name. Wait, I can read this?" She felt confused since she never knew how to read runes or knew little about them. 

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps was coming behind her. She immediately stood and was afraid to see what was behind her. The young woman gathered her courage and immediately turned. "Th-There's no way! Y-You're me!?" Behind her was a replica of herself. The replica of herself wore clothing that almost looked medieval with many handmade jewelry and belts. The replica's appearance had some differences. Instead of her warm olive skin tone, the replica had porcelain skin. The replica had light hazel eyes instead of light brown eyes and long dark brown hair with red lower tips instead of raven hair. The being smiled as she pointed to Sophia and then to one of the stones.

"AAHH!" Sophia sat up from her bed, breathing heavily, looking around, and realizing she was in her rented room. "These dreams are getting out of hand. They feel so real." She looked at her phone, and it was seven in the morning. "Might as well get a head start for the day."

The young woman got out of bed, took a warm shower, dressed, and dressed herself in warm clothing. She looked at her phone, which was supposed to be 58F; she got everything she needed. "Well, let's be off!" She decided to go to the Rune Cemetery, which wasn't far from the hotel. The historic heroes lay in the Rune Cemetery, a popular tourist attraction, and Sophia wanted to go early to avoid lines.

A taxi arrived by the owner's order; the driver was an older man in his early fifties. "Good morning, young lady. Where to?"

"To the Rune Cemetery, please."

The taxi driver nodded as Sophia entered; he drove off to the destination. "I see you are not from here, young lady."

"No, I am from the United States. I am here for an adventure."

"Oh, ho! Good for you! The Rune Cemetery is a strange way to start." He made a left, and they were getting closer to their destination. "You know, the runes also have other secrets."

Sophia looked at the driver, intrigued. "Really?"

"Quite so. The cemetery is the resting place of heroes and the home of stories and songs." He then stopped the taxi. "We are at your destination."

Sophia looked out at the window and saw stones from afar. "Thank you for the ride, sir, here." She took some cash out.

The man took it. "Thank you, Miss. Once you are finished, there is a small village near the runes, and you can call a taxi to take you back. Enjoy your adventure."

Sophia got out, and the driver drove off. A beautiful white fence surrounded the cemetery, and grass and flowers gave it a serene feeling. She then got her headphones and turned on the music from her phone, which played Therion's song, Secret of the Runes. The young woman walked toward the entry, where she had to pay for a ticket. Once the ticket was paid, she was allowed to enter.

Once inside the cemetery, there were many stones; some were in rows, while others were spread out. "Strange, they feel familiar." Sophia noticed a couple of tourists, but they were at the farthest part of the area. She looked down and took pictures of the stones and runes. The more she walked, the more a headache began to make way. "I should've taken medicine." Sophia took off her headphones and put them in her backpack. As she kept on walking and taking pictures, there was a particular rune that caught her interest.

While looking at the rune carefully, her eyes widened. She noticed that the stone had more space on top, and some runes were carved into it but faded over time. "Th-This says my name." Her heartbeat became rapid; her headache became painful. "It's just like my dream. What the hell is going on here!? I can read this!"  Suddenly, Sophia began to feel dizzy and tried standing, but her entire body became so weak that she fell to the ground next to the rune. Events and images of people she had never seen before flowed into her mind, confusing and frightening her. Everything was becoming so much for her that she lost consciousness.