The next morning, Iris is awoken to her alarm clock. Reaching her arm over to her night stand, she fumbles blindly with the clock before it finally goes silent. Lying on her back, she slowly opens her eyes until they focus on the ceiling above, but her eyes grow heavy again and she starts to fade back into a sleep.
"Iris! Iris Mae! I heard your alarm! Get up!" Iris' Mother, Rita, yells from the bottom of the stairs. She groans loudly, but she knows that if she wasn't up and moving soon her Mother would not be so kind with her next warning. She pulls her legs to the side of her bed and sits up. Her brown hair, a tangled mess, falls in her face as she looks down at her feet. After a few moments of contemplation, she rises from her bed.
"Iris! Breakfast!" her Mother calls out. Iris pulls over her cardigan to finish her outfit and rushes down the stairs. As she rounds the corner the aroma of coffee and bacon fill her nose. "Smells good." Iris remarks. "Yes it does. Smelled better when it was finished ten minutes ago." Rita scolds. Iris shrugs her shoulders and sneaks a piece of bacon. Her grandfather, Arnold, has already made himself comfortable at the table. Newspaper in one hand and coffee in the other. His glasses balanced on the tip of his nose. "Good Morning, Pop. Those glasses would serve you better if you wore them correctly." Iris jested. Arnold lets a smile out from behind his mustache, "I told you, my dear. I don't wear them cause I'm old." He lowers his deep voice to almost a whisper "I wear 'em cause they make me look smarter then I really am.". Iris giggles at her Grandfather and sips from her cup.
Iris' Mother joins them at the table. "Iris, that nice young man, Benjamin, called for you again last night." Iris and Arnold catch each others eyes at Rita's remark. Arnold subtly shakes his head and buries his face back in his newspaper. "Mama, I told him to stop calling me a dozen times." Iris scolds. "Iris I really don't understand what the dilemma is. He's a nice boy. Gentle and kind. Comes from a good family. Holds steady work..." Iris interrupts her Mother before she can continue on "Mama, he's dull! Plain and dull!" Arnold chokes on his coffee trying to remain neutral. Rita shoots a hateful glare at her Father before returning that same stare to Iris. "Iris, you are 24 years old. You finished college six months ago and the only thing you seem to desire is to put me in my grave early." Rita remarks sternly.
Iris leaves her Mother's gaze, "Mama, I tried to tell you want I wanted to do but you..." Rita raises her hand and Iris goes silent. Knowing that was her Mother's signal that she had enough of Iris' and her reasoning. Arnold, looks up over his paper, sensing the tension between them. He folds his paper and glances at his pocket watch. Clearing his throat to cut threw the silence between them, he grumbles " Mae, looks to be time for you to leave. Careful on your way dear." Iris looked up from her plate into her Grandfather's loving bluish grey eyes. "Thank's Pop" she murmurs, scooting away from the table and grabbing her bag. Rita sits, head down, rolling her fingers with frustration. "Bye, Mama." Iris says weakly. She makes it just to the front porch step before hearing her Mother call out for her. Iris spins around to see her Mother walking out the screen door, throwing her arms around her. Tears gather in Rita's eyes and Iris hugs her Mother tightly. Rita pulls from the embrace and looks into her daughter's eye's, "I love you, Mae Flower. I want you to know that. I love you so very much." Iris' cheeks turn a shade blush. Her heart fluttering hearing her Mother call her by her kid-name. "I love you too, Mama." They share a smile before Iris turns to walk away.
She reaches the first stop sign that was just a few minutes away from Sarah's house. Stopping at the curb, she glances down at her watch to check the time. "8:01 a.m., Sarah's probably losing her mind.". Sarah was always prompt about being on time and she expected Iris at her house every work day at 8 a.m. sharp. As she looks up from her watch- a black, polished, Rambler slowly pulls up to the stop sign. The car stops in front of her. Iris from the safety of the curb, glances quickly into the car. The man driving is well dressed. Dark suit with a white shirt and a fedora to match. But after a few seconds, the car doesn't move. "Be Alert, Iris." the voice inside her whispered. Calmly, Iris tucks her hand into her bag. Grasping her Father's knife she always kept on her at Mother's request. The man inside the vehicle turns his face to Iris. They hold each other's gaze for seems like hours. The unspoken interaction is broken up when a car behind him lays on the horn. Iris startled, jolts her hand out of her bag and drops her Father's knife on the ground. The man looks down at the knife, then back at Iris, and pulls away. She quickly picks up the knife and rushes to Sarah's house.
"Iris! It's 8:05 a.m.! Where have you been?" Sarah shouts. "Listen, I'm sorry. Something really weird just happened. Can we just go please." Iris begged. She takes off walking with Sarah on her heels, still griping about her tardiness. They finally meet of the with rest of their small entourage. Iris is still freaked out by the encounter. "What the heck happened back there? Why was he just staring at me?" She kept asking herself. The ladies reach their work place and each head to their work areas. Iris sits in her seat, and brushes her hands across her face, letting out a small sigh.
She manages to get through the first part of her day and nearly forgets the whole event. Sarah comes to Iris' desk, beaming her bright smile like usual. "Ready for lunch? There's a great new deli just a block down that opened!" Sarah asked excitedly. Iris returns the smile, "Will 'dirty myrtie' be joining us today? Or will Allen be keeping her occupied by helping her check lining under her skirt?" Sarah rolls her eyes at her. "O, Iris, come on! It will be my treat. Get your things and meet us outside." Sarah says quickly turning away. Just as Iris beings to leave her desk, her phone rings. She lets out an annoyed breath before answering, "Tanner & Associates. This is Iris, how may I direct your call?". A male voice responds with an heavy accent "Miss..Iris Crawsen." Iris, confused at the response, "Yes..May I help you?". The call ends. She pulls the phone from her ear and hangs up. Sarah and the girls round the corner, " Ready to go?" Sarah says bubbly. Iris looking up from the phone, "Y-yeah."
As the girls all chatter over their turkey and rye's, Iris sit's quietly. Pondering the bizarre encounters she has had today. First, the weirdo in the black car, "Why was he just staring at me?" she asks herself. Then the phone call. "Why did they ask my name if they were going to hang up on me?" she thinks silently. The girls finish their lunch and make their way back to the office. As they stop at a crosswalk, Iris notices a figure. Standing on top of one of the buildings. She can't make out any features, other than a figure just standing there, looking down at her. Iris asks the girls, "What is that?" but as the girls turn their attention to the top of the building, the figure is gone. Iris is dumb struck. "There..There was someone up there. It looked like they were looking right down at us. I swear." The girls all look at one another then back at Iris. "Probably a repair man, taking advantage of the view point to look a few girls." Beth says with a chuckle. But that didn't settle with Iris.
The work day draws to an end. Sarah all but skips to Iris' desk, "Us girls are gonna catch a movie tonight. Wanna come? I may have heard Benjamin will be there too." Iris looked up at Sarah, "I think I'll head home, Sarah." she concedes. Sarah frowns at her, "Well, alright then. I'll see you tomorrow morning. BE ON TIME!" Sarah demanded. Iris rolled her eyes at Sarah, "Yes, Mother Dearest.".
Iris starts her walk home, losing herself in thought. She replays the scenes over and over again in her head. "You're just being paranoid, Iris." she tells herself. As she nears her home, she looks up from the ground. She notices the same black Rambler from that morning, parked along the street a few houses down from her's. Iris squints to see if anyone is sitting in the car, but there is no one. She quickens her pace and runs up the porch stairs.
"Anyone home?" she calls out. "In here, Iris." she hears her Grandfather shout from his parlor room. She opens the door to see him reclining in his chair with a book in his hands. She lets out a sigh of relief. "How was your day, Mae?" her grandfather asked. Just hearing his voice soothes her tension. She walks into the room and sits in the chair next to him. "Crazy, I guess is the best way to describe it Pop." Arnold looks away from his book, raising his brows. "How so, Mae?". Iris wants to tell him about everything. The man at the stop sign, the phone call, the figure she saw on the top of the building. But she doesn't. Reducing the events from the day to a mere coincidence, "Just..weird Pop. I'm just happy to be home." Iris softly replies. She leans back into the chair, twirling her locket between her fingers. Arnold looks at Iris, reading her face better then his morning paper. He sets his book down, and leans forward in his chair, "Mae.." he pauses waiting for Iris to look at him "Did your Mother ever tell you what she was like as a child?" Iris nods her head no to his question. Arnold gazes off, reminiscing a life long before her time. Arnold smiles, "You are a strong woman. Just like your Mother. And My Mother, rest her soul. Your mother was just like you at your age. Strong willed and wild at heart. Determined to turn myself and your grandmother grey. Which is why I can not help but to laugh when she grows so frustrated when you are her made over again." Iris smiled at her grandfather.
Arnold pushes himself out of the chair, and walks to one of his many bookshelves. He pulls down a wooden box. The box has some weight to it but he manages to place it on his desk. "There's something I want to show you, Mae." Arnold says. Iris gets out of her chair and joins her Grandfather standing at the desk. The box itself is oak wood with beautiful Nordic carvings along the edges. In the center of the lid, an odd shaped triangle that weaved into itself. Arnold traces the designs with the tips of his fingers. "This symbol here.." tracing the Norse design in the center, "Was given to your great, great, great, grandfather a long time ago by none other than Odin himself." Iris looks at him, ready to call his bluff. "Or so the legend has been told." Her Grandfather adds with a smile. "But the box is not the treasure to behold..." Her Grandfather careful raises the lid "..it's what the box carries." Peering into the box, Iris sees a round medallion that looked to be forged from iron. The medallion is engraved with intricate Norse designs and the center holds the same triangle marking.
"The story has been told to me as boy many times by my Mother." Her Grandfather says softly. "Almost a 1000 years ago, your many times over Great, Grandfather fought along side Thor on the battlefield during a great war. A war his brother instigated, of course, between man and giants. Legend says that Thor was bewildered at the might of your grandfather being only mortal and wielding such strength. While your grandfather was fighting alongside Thor, your great Grandmother watched over the village and it's people. During the battle, an enemy clan tried to raid the village. But your great Grandmother led the defense with twenty other women and slaughtered them. When your Grandfather and Thor returned to the village, they were greeted with the raiding enemies heads on pikes, lined along the village as a warning to others. Thor sent for Odin, who descended upon the village. After hearing Thor's account of your Grandfather's and Grandmother's bravery- Odin took medallion from Thor's armor, and spoke into "I speak an oath to the bloodline that descends from Farmir and Moria . For their Valor, Bravery, and Strength on the battlefield, I bless them and their descendants. For they and their descendants are worthy of Valhalla. From this day until the end of days."
"Farmir knelt before Odin and was gracious for his blessing, "Praise you mighty Odin. Your blessing means much to me and my wife." Farmir spoke. "But, my wife, Moria...She is barren and I'm afraid your blessing will end with us." Odin looked at Moria and she wept. "Bring me a cup forged from gold." Odin commanded. Farmir lifted from his knee and brought Odin a golden cup. "Muninn!" Odin shouted and a black raven flew threw the tent and perched upon Odin's shoulder. Odin took from the raven it's darkest feather and with the dagger, pricked the tip of his finger and into the cup he placed the feather and dripped a single drop of his own blood. "Take this and add wine. Your wife and your wife alone is drink from this cup. Then, she will bear you a heir to your lineage and the oath promised between us will pass from you to your descendants." Odin commanded. Farmir took the cup and Odin and Thor ascended from Earth. Moria drank from the cup and by the next full moon, she was with child." Arnold takes the Medallion in his hands, "This Medallion has been handed down from generation to generation. I don't know if the legends passed do to me are true, but You, Your Mother, and myself carry that strength in us, Mae. This is your heritage and those are ancestors. Never forget that." Iris didn't believe in the legend of Thor and Odin her Grandfather spun, but she did believe in her heritage.
Night had come, and Iris was more then ready for bed. But rest did not find her. Iris tossed and turned in her bed. Trapped within a nightmare that she couldn't awake from. A man towers before her in the dream. Bearded and battle worn. A large helmet rests upon his head and spear in his hand. Beside him, a woman, with long icy blonde hair and a sword on her side and shield in her grasp. The man casts his fierce eyes down on Iris. Voices fill her head, but she can't sense of them. Scenes of a great battle play before her. Men screaming, giant's falling, lighting striking the earth. Iris tries to cover her ears from the sounds of war and the voices crying out to her, but it's no use. The tower of a man raises his spear and drives it's end into the ground. Cracking the foundation of the floor they stood on. Iris finally wakes covered in a cold sweat. Rising from her bed and running to her mirror, she touches her face. Reassurance that she had escaped the dream. She sits at her vanity. Slowly bringing herself together. "It was just a dream..It was just a dream." she whispers to herself. A wind finds it way through her open window and Iris shivers. She covers herself and walks to close it. As she pulls back the curtains, there, across the street. A figure- dressed in black. She leans closer as the figure stands just at the edge between the darkness and light. The glow of the orange street light allows Iris to see something distinctive about the figure. A metallic, almost polished shine refracts off the figure where an arm would be. Iris quickly closes her window, but as she looks up from the lock, the figure is gone.
Iris searches the darkness from her window, but nothing is there. She returns to her bed, unable to fall back to sleep. Her mind is racing. "Stalker...I have a Stalker. I have a stalker and I'm losing my sanity" Iris thinks to herself. She tries to think of anyone who would wish to scare her so badly, but none come to mind. Benjamin was to timid to shoo a fly away, and Allen was to arrogant. She tries to use reason but is unable to bring any justice to the things she had seen or dreamed. Daylight finally comes, and Iris is grateful to see it creep through her curtains. Finding courage in the light, she leaves her bed and peaks out the drapes to where she had she someone standing a few hours ago. But nothing is there.
Iris puts herself together and heads downstairs. Eager to be in the presence of her Mother and Grandfather. Iris' Mother is standing at the stove and turns just enough to glimpse at Iris making her way in. "You're up early this morning." Rita remarks "Didn't even hear you make war with your alarm clock." Iris looks at her Mother who keeps her attention to the stove, to tired to even reply to her quip. Arnold, as always, is setting at the table. Paper in hand and coffee in the other. Iris is comforted at the site. "Morning, Pop." Iris mumbles. Arnold looks up from his paper and sees Iris who is almost pale, "Morning, Mae. You feeling alright? You don't look well." Iris realizes she has brought alarm to him and quickly perks herself up, "Yeah, Pop. Didn't sleep very well is all." Arnold returns to his paper and Iris pours herself some coffee. She loses herself in thought again, replaying the dream and the figure standing in the dark. The image of the spear driven in rock is burned into her mind, the sounds of war waged long ago, and a stalker in the night.
"Iris...Iris Mae.." Rita calls. Iris looks up to her Mother, breaking away from her thoughts. "Iris, it's 7:45 a.m. Best be on your way before Sarah has a fit." Iris looks down at her watch and confirms her Mother's report. "Shoot..." she says grabbing her things, rushing out the dining room and to the front door. She quickly paces her strides, but after a few minutes, something behind her catches her attention. She glances just over her shoulder. A black Rambler slowly creeping behind her. Iris turns her face back to the sidewalk in front of her. She starts to panic. Someone is following her. She approaches the stop sign where just the day prior she had seen the same black car. She stops at the curb, and the car stops with her. Iris is fuming now and refuses to cower any longer. She quickly whips herself around, drawing out her Father's knife. She marches to the car and brandishes the knife, "Listen, creep! Leave me alone! Do you hear me? Stay away from me! If I see you again, I'm calling the police!" The man in the car is unfazed by her threats.
Iris spins back around to walk away, only to run smack into someone. The man doesn't budge, but Iris bounces backwards. She looks up, but the sun blinds her from seeing his face. Iris knows she is danger, and grabs her Father's knife. She is quick to her knees, trying to stab the figure in the leg, as an attempt to crippling them-giving her a chance to run. But the figure kicks the knife out of her hand. Iris' finger snaps back, popping hard. Iris lets out a scream. It feels like fire burning from her finger down to her wrist. The man clutches Iris by her throat and she struggles to breath. He lifts her from the ground like a lifeless doll. Iris tries to fight back, but it's useless. She tries to claw at her attackers arm, but it's not an arm. It's metal, and it's metallic grip grasps tighter around her throat. Gasping for breath she starts to fade and the fight begins to leave her.
The man throws her over his shoulder and carries her to the car that had followed her. She hears the driver speaking to her attacker, but she couldn't understand them. "Keep fighting,Iris. Resist!" the voice inside her screams. The attacker flings her into the trunk of the Rambler. Iris regains a small amount strength. She looks at the man to see his brown hair hang over his face that is hidden by a black mask. Iris, unwilling to give up, lunges at him. But his metal arm slams her back into the trunk , while the driver covers her face with a cloth. The rag smells bitter sweet and Iris tries to fight. Kicking, screaming, and clawing at the men trying to subdue her. She manages to pull the mask off of her first attacker, and stares in to his blue eyes. Their nearly lifeless. The man's robotic arm makes a whurring hum while restraining her. Her fight is no match against the both of them, and Iris slowly succumbs to blacking out. Just before she slips into an unconscious abyss, Iris hears the trunk slam shut.
"Mama..Pop..I didn't..Say..Goodbye."