I'm still sticking with my time researching the Atlantic wall because it's easier to continue now that you guys know what I did there. I can't quite remember if this was before or after our encounter with creepy camouflage man, but that's not really important for the story.
As I explained in the previous chapter, the Atlantic wall stretched all the way to Scandinavia. Those countries were also a part of our research, but because of budgetary reasons, we couldn't afford to go with the entire team to Oslo to inspect the bunkers.
Because of that, I had managed to contact the Norwegian minister of defence at that time; a lady who was responsible for maintaining the forts and bunkers. All of them, including every single one of the Atlantic Wall. Miss minister was very kind and helpful, but advised me it would be better if we could take a look at the bunkers ourselves because they were so different from the rest of the Atlantic wall. So, I planned with her to exchange most of our information through an interview and with her expertise pick out three prominent bunkers and forts to inspect and add them to the joined map.
Well, it just so happened that my best friend, Lisa, was on an exchange program in Oslo for her Nursing school. I contacted her and asked if I could stay with her for a couple of days.
She was ecstatic that I came over and even took a couple of days off so she could show me around.
So, without the cost of a hotel and with the approval of Miss minister, I presented my boss with my plan, and he agreed to pay for my flight to Oslo. I paid Lisa compensation for the extra amount of food she had to buy for my stay and treated her to dinner as a thank you for her hospitality on my first day in Oslo.
The next day we explored the city until the time of the interview came, and Lisa was about to drop me off at Akershus Fortress, a castle and fortress in Oslo, when Miss Minister insisted that she joined the interview as well. We would get free access to the entire fort, even the closed off posts, and she had made traditional pastries for us. (Who can say no to free food?)
This is Akershus Fortress
For a little background, Akershus Fortress was built as a castle somewhere at the end of the 13th century, in response to the attack of a Norwegian Earl. Akershus has survived all sieges and attacks over the centuries, but during World War II when Norway surrendered to Nazi Germany in 1940, it was used by the German occupiers as a place where people were executed. Add to that that a section of Akershus was also used as a prison centuries earlier, known to the locals as the Slaveriet, meaning The Slavery, and you get a very large imposing building that holds a very layered history within its walls.
Now, Lisa and I entered Akerhus in the late afternoon, and it was still booming with tourists in the main courtyard and around the outer walls. The King's Guard was being photographed, the two museums in the castle walls were bussing with visitors, but as soon as we followed Miss Minister to the eastern part of the fortress, away from the general public, it was surprisingly quiet.
Miss Minister was incredibly nice and helpful during the entire interview. We talked for hours, exchanging information and knowledge on this shared heritage. Lisa had joined us, but I could see her zoning out of the conversation quickly, not understanding our jargon, and just munching on the warm pastries.
So, when the interview ended, and we said goodbye to Miss Minister, I promised Lisa, I would make it up to her by buying her a few drinks. We joked about trying those Norwegian beers as we descended the stairs when we realised the sun had already set. Akershus was suddenly so much more eerie, with its looming shadows, and pressing silence overtaking the entire castle.
This sudden change of atmosphere also didn't help as we were trying to find our way back to the main courtyard.
The castle is overlooking the harbour, but no matter which staircase we took, we kept seeing only the seaside and not the city side we were looking for.
After roaming around in what felt like a deserted castle for some time, we finally managed to get to the Royal Banquette Hall, from where we could get to the terraces surrounding Akershus. I joked to Lisa about how we would have to spend the night here when I realised how pale she had become. Her hands were shaking, and her pupils were so big, I could hardly see her blue eyes. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Footsteps, someone is walking around here."
"It's probably from one of the other floors, there are still people present in the castle," I tried to reason, although we hadn't seen anyone since we left Miss minister.
I calmed Lisa down as best I could, saying everything is going to be fine and we'll be out of here in no time. She clung onto my jacket as we walked into the garden. I can't really explain why, but although Lisa is a scaredy-cat by nature, this time I somehow knew she had a legit reason to be scared. And the worst of all, that made me jumpy too.
So, when we were walking around the terrace to get to the entrance, and we heard a dog bark, we both screamed bloody murder. After the initial fright wore off and I realised it was only a dog I called out the animal, "come here, boy."
I whistled and kept calling him over, but the dog didn't come. I could hear him whimper and bark joyfully, but he never came from the shadows. "I'm going to look, maybe he's stuck somewhere," I assured Lisa, who was now shaking all over and refused to let go of my jacket.
We followed the sound for a bit, looking behind the bushes and even over the edge of the terrace, but no matter where we went the barking didn't get any louder or softer. As soon as I realised that, I got chill's down my spine, and started to walk to the entrance, with Lisa clinging to my jacket for her life.
At the entrance were greeted with some other tourists who exited Akershus, and to my surprise, none of them had a dog. Lisa speed walked away from Akershus as soon as she saw the exit, but I stayed behind for a moment to let one of the King's guards guarding the entrance know that I heard a dog on the terrace. The poor creature might be trapped somewhere because we couldn't find him. I convinced myself, that the strange sound, was probably just my imagination and that there must be a stray trapped somewhere.
The guard looked at me like I had just lost my mind, for suggesting they should find the animal. "That's Malcanisen, miss. I hope you didn't see it, but I certainly won't go looking for it."
His comment confused me, but I wasn't allowed to go back into the fortress so I was forced to follow Lisa.
I didn't talk about this strange comment to Lisa until about an hour later when we were drinking a beer, and I googled the name 'Malcanisen'. Turns out it's the spirit of a dog buried near the entrance in hopes of protecting Akershus. His name means 'The Vicious Dog', and they say he brings misfortunes to anyone who looks him in the eyes.
Although I can't vouge for the last claim, I can say both Lisa, and I definitely heard a dog barking there. But somehow I doubt this 'ghost' is genuinely vicious because his barks and whimpering sounded more pleading to me than downright malicious.
Regardless, Akershus has changed my belief in the paranormal forever. I didn't use to believe in ghost, because I'm always surrounded by ancient objects, have lived in houses that are several hundreds' of years old and up till Akershus I had never experienced anything paranormal.
I thought it was just the figments of peoples imagination or a wrong interpretation of something completely logical.
But that night at Akershus we both heard a dog. The guard wasn't even surprised when I mentioned the barking. We tried to follow the sound several times, and it never became louder, but it responded to my calls. I just can't explain it in any logical way.
The whole experience has made me a lot more open to the possibility that there might be more between heaven and earth, although it will never stop me from entering a supposedly haunted place. I have a job to do damn it, and no amount of ghosts can keep me from doing it.
I still stand by the belief that ghosts won't harm you, even after I've heard the entire story of Malcanisen; I firmly believe that dog had no intention of harming us that night, he just made himself known.
A/N: thanks for reading, I'd love to hear what you think about this story?
-next chapter I'll go back to a more pleasant story about that time I found 400-year-old wine.-