Until the Night Turns: Chapter 5

The Vision (Erlend)

Erlend was waiting to pay the cover at the door when he heard Edalyn start her first song. The pub was piping the sound from the back patio to the street to entice passersby to come in, and Erlend liked what he heard. When he reached the front of the line, he absentmindedly handed over his money before making his way through the crowded pub to the patio. All the tables were full, so he edged his way to the left to find a clear vantage point of the little stage. Just as he was about to settle in and lean against the wall, he noticed the mural. 

The portion at eye level showed a series of thick tree roots that sent a chill through his body, making his neck hairs stand on end. As he lifted his gaze, his heart hammered in his chest. He knew these tall trees with their knotted trunks, twisting their way up to the sky, because he walked amongst them every night. They weren’t from any place he’d physically visited before, but from vivid recurring dreams he’d had since he was a child. He wondered how they came to be painted on the wall of this pub.

Before Erlend could ponder the mural further, the music ended, and Edalyn introduced her next song. He turned his attention to finally observe Edalyn Vigfusson on stage. She exuded confidence, holding her guitar naturally and smiling at the crowd as if she’d been performing for years. Her attire was all black, except for a dark purple leather jacket and purple Converse sneakers to match. Her auburn hair was wavy and loose, resting just above her shoulders. It was hard to imagine her as Mistress Raveneye, even though he’d seen the pictures.

“All the songs I usually play are written by me,” Edalyn was telling the crowd, “but this next one is not. This one was written by my late father, and it’s called ‘The Fox and The Raven.’”

Any chatter on the patio stopped when Edalyn strummed the first chord, and Erlend understood right away that she was more than just a background act. These people didn’t come to a bar that happened to have live music. They came specifically to hear her. He watched as she sang and scanned the crowd until her gaze found him. When their eyes locked, the wall behind him began to creak. He felt something rough push past his arms, and to his horror, he realized it was the branches of a tree. It was as if the mural had sprung to life. At his feet, a mossy, dirt floor was swelling over the concrete. A glance downward revealed his black t-shirt and jeans had been replaced by green linen robes with silver stitching—the exact clothes he wore in his dreams. 

Erlend couldn’t tell if it was an illusion or whether anyone else could see what was happening. Edalyn clearly could because her wonder was written all over her face. The vision felt so real, he could even hear the sound of rushing water nearby, even if he couldn’t see it. He knew from his dreams that the water source was a stream which led to a small waterfall. 

The vision dissolved when Edalyn abruptly stopped singing. Erlend looked up at the stage just in time to see her collapse. Before he could take a step toward her, the wall behind him crumbled, sending a waterfall of dust and fine debris onto his head and shoulders. He threw his hands over his head and crouched, anticipating heavier debris to fall, but nothing more came.

Somewhere close by, there was a scream, and then the sound of chairs scraping on the concrete as people raced to leave. The emcee’s voice boomed over the speakers, directing everyone to evacuate slowly and calmly while repeating several times that the imminent danger had passed. He also cancelled the open mic. 

When Erlend was sure nothing more was falling on him, he looked around. There was a crowd of people trying to get through the exit, but a young man with a moustache and a gold hoop earring had rushed to his side.  

“You alright, mate?” He asked with concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Erlend rose to his feet, sending a small waterfall of dust from his shoulders to the floor. It appeared as though the entire facade had disintegrated into powder, rather than fall apart brick by brick. Erlend was grateful for that because a shower of bricks might have done some real damage to his body. But it was perplexing. Brick walls just don’t suddenly crumble.

The man with the moustache grimaced. “You don’t look fine. You look like you showered in volcanic ash. A bath might take care of that,” he gestured to his own hair and face, “but you might have to trash those clothes.”

Erlend glanced at his black t-shirt, finding it now a light grey from all the debris. The guy was probably right.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“I’m fine,” he said, cursing his luck. All hopes of making a subtle and natural introduction to Edalyn were gone, but that was the least of his concerns. He needed to make sure Edalyn was alright. She was no longer lying on the stage, but sitting in a chair nearby, talking to the emcee who was crouched in front of her. Erlend was about to walk toward them when a blonde woman came rushing to his side. She wore an apron and was carrying a first aid kit and a clipboard, which signalled she must be an employee.

“Gentlemen, are either of you hurt?” She asked with a look of concern for Erlend. 

The guy with the moustache shook his head. “I just stopped to help.”

“Stay right here. I still need your statement.” The woman turned to Erlend. “And you? Are you hurt?" 

“Does it really look that bad?” He asked.

When her expression turned to panic, he assured her that he was unharmed, just dusty.

“Thank heavens. I’ll find you a broom in a moment to see if we can clean you up a bit, but first, I need to know what happened.” 

The moustached man spoke first. He’d been captivated by the performance and hadn’t noticed anything unusual about the wall, but he did notice a moment where Edalyn had stopped playing and seemed to be hyper-focused on the wall, as if she might have seen something unusual. He recounted how the wall made a cracking sound, then there was chaos. Edalyn collapsed, and there was a loud roar as the wall fell apart. 

He didn’t mention trees coming alive or a connection between Erlend and Edalyn. That was good news, in Erlend’s opinion.

“If that’s all you need from me, I’ll be off.” The guy with the moustache looked hopeful. 

“I just need your name and number in case we need to follow up.” The server said.

“The name is Pierce,” he said before giving his number. Then he clapped Erlend on the shoulder and said, “See you around, mate,” before leaving the patio.

Erlend was glad he was gone. He didn’t want extra attention, not when he was determined to figure out what really happened between the mural and Edalyn.

“Do you know what happened?” He asked the server, pretending to be bewildered. Erlend had a pretty strong suspicion it was Edalyn’s doing, although he had no idea how she’d done it or whether it was on purpose. 

“I…I don’t know. I was bringing out an order when the wall behind you just… fell apart.” She was frowning as she spoke. “It was almost like an earthquake, but it couldn't be…nothing inside broke or even rattled.” 

“No, I don’t think it was an earthquake.” Erlend agreed with her. The woman was gazing at the rubble with a frown, and Erlend knew she had more thoughts on the incident.

“There was a mural on this wall, not sure if you noticed…” the woman’s voice broke off and she shook her head, as if trying to convince herself her thoughts were wrong. She clearly wasn’t comfortable sharing her thoughts with him. Was she protecting Edalyn?

“I did notice, it was captivating, for sure,” Erlend nodded, trying a different angle. “Do you know who painted it?”

“Yes, the singer’s mother did.” The woman glanced back at Edalyn, who was now staring at the destruction with a stunned expression.

“Really?” Erlend asked, intrigued. He wondered how Edalyn’s mother could have painted a world that lived only in his dreams.

“Strange how it was just the facade that held the picture that came tumbling down, not the entire wall,” the woman commented.

Erlend couldn’t resist a shallow sweep of her thoughts. He was surprised to discover this woman knew about Edalyn’s abilities, and she was also concerned that Edalyn had something to do with the destruction. She was worried rumours would spread, so he decided to help her out. 

“Look, I’m no engineer,” Erlend said, “but I have an interest in architecture. These brick facades are just for show, not structural integrity. It was probably weakening over time and an accident waiting to happen. It’s unfortunate that the bricks fell away tonight.”

That answer, no matter how fabricated it was, seemed to reassure the woman.

“That makes a lot of sense. Yes, that’s likely what happened. Are you sure you’re okay?” She asked again, making notes on her clipboard.

Erlend faked a smile as he impatiently repeated the words I’m fine for the third time. He was worried Edalyn might slip away before he could speak with her. 

“Look, I’ll bring you a broom to help get the dust off, but I just need a quick statement from you, along with your name and phone number. You might feel fine now, but tomorrow may be another story.”

Erlend knew the fastest way to get rid of the woman was to answer her questions, so he told her the same story Pierce did. He made no mention of the wall coming alive or how he had locked eyes with Edalyn the moment before it all happened. He even gave her his real name and phone number.

When she was satisfied by his information, the woman went over to check on Edalyn, who was now sitting alone. The emcee was on his phone, deep in conversation near the entrance to the building. Erlend knew he was talking to the owner of the pub; he didn’t have to read the man’s thoughts to figure that out.

Erlend looked back to the exposed bare wall. Bringing a flat picture to life was beyond anything he’d ever seen before. Maybe this was the power Vidar needed Edalyn for. Or maybe it was just one of many others. Erlend had many questions, but the one that mattered the most to him now was how Edalyn and her mother were connected to his recurring dreams. There were so many thoughts forming in his mind that the sound of the employee approaching once again annoyed him. He was about to tell her to leave him alone when he looked over and realized it was Edalyn standing beside him.

She was staring up at him with her arms crossed and a look of defiance. Her hostility surprised him. This was not how he envisioned meeting her.

“Who the hell are you?” She demanded with narrow eyes, scanning him suspiciously.

Erlend shrugged. “Just a guy who signed up for an open mic.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. He intended to tell her everything when it was clear they wouldn’t be interrupted.

“That’s bullshit. You destroyed my mother’s mural,” she hissed in a low voice so no one would overhear. 

Erlend was taken aback by her accusation.

“You think I did this?” 

Her eyes narrowed further.

“I play here every week, and I’ve never seen you before. Are you telling me it’s a coincidence that the first time you show up here, the mural falls? I know you saw what I saw. I could feel you in my mind.”

Her words surprised him. He hadn’t been reading her mind at all. In fact, she was the one who had pulled images from his memory. How else could she have given him those clothes?

“What do you mean you felt me in your mind?” He asked.

“It was like, I could feel your presence in my head. I could hear your heartbeat from the stage. Didn’t you sense it?” Her voice faltered momentarily, as if suddenly doubting her bold accusation. 

Erlend knew his next words mattered. If he pretended to be ignorant, he’d scare her off, but if he admitted too much too fast, it might have the same effect. He couldn’t afford to mess up now if he wanted to complete his mission, but he had to keep her curious.

“I did see the vision, but I’m not that powerful,” he told her. “I thought it was all you.”

Her eyes grew wide in surprise.

“I…I expected you to deny it,” she said in a hushed voice. “Who are you?”

“My name is Erlend,” he told her.

“And what are you, some kind of a mind reader?” She asked.

“Sure, you could call me that,” he said with another shrug. As if it were no big deal to admit you could read minds.

Edalyn looked like she was about to say more, but they were interrupted by the same staff member who had checked on Erlend earlier. This time, she handed him a small broom.

“Here you are. Hopefully this helps.” Then she turned to Edalyn. “Are you sure you’re okay, dear?”

“Thank you, Rhonda, but I’ll be okay, really,” Edalyn insisted. 

Erlend stifled a smirk. It seemed they both wanted to be rid of Rhonda as quickly as possible.

“If you say so, but don't stay out here in the rubble too long. The boss is on her way, and she’ll be full of questions if you’re still here. I’m keeping an eye on you just in case.” Rhonda’s watchful eyes turned to Erlend as if to say, you too, before she left them alone again.

As soon as Rhonda was out of earshot, Edalyn continued to ask questions.

“Okay, Erlend, why are you here? Be honest.” Edalyn asked, the edge in her tone softening slightly.

He wanted to tell her everything, but he knew he had to wait. Maybe if he could get her to another location they could talk without being overheard or interrupted. He decided to start with half the truth.

“Look, my friend Leah told me about this open mic and said I should sign up. She also told me to come early to hear you play. So, I did.”

Edalyn studied him carefully, as if doubting his word. He wondered if she could also read minds.

“Look, I think your friend is right. We should get out of here,” he told her.

Edalyn frowned. “But I have more questions,” she pleaded.

“I’ll answer all of your questions, just not here,” he promised.

She looked around the patio and back up at the bare wall again. “Want to go for a walk? We can leave our guitars in the store room.”

“Sure,” he said, trying to reach the back of his arm with the small broom Rhonda had given him. “Just let me try to clean up a bit more.”

“Here, let me help.” Edalyn took the broom from him and started dusting off his shoulders and back. 

After a few minutes of attempting to free him of dust, they determined it was as good as it could get. What Erlend really needed was to wash his clothes and take a hot shower, and he could do both later. It was more important to make a connection with Edalyn. He handed his guitar case to her and went to the bathroom to wash his face in the sink. He managed to clear his skin and most of his hair of the debris. A glance in the mirror told him he almost looked like himself again. 

When he was done, he found Edalyn waiting for him by the bar. Edalyn said goodbye to Rhonda, then ducked out of the busy pub. Erlend followed, overhearing tables sharing their stories of the destruction outside as he passed. The crowds could speculate all they wanted, but he knew that even their wildest fantasies wouldn't compare to what had really happened. 

The night hadn’t started at all like Erlend had planned, but now he had something better than a mere introduction to Edalyn. They had a shared experience neither could explain and that was the foundation of a bond neither could deny.