Draugr Read Online Free

hears a lot,” Angie said when we were a safe distance from the house. “Doesn’t he know old people are supposed to be deaf?”
    â€œHe can probably hear you right now,” I said.
    â€œNo. He couldn’t . . . could he?” Angie looked back. The cabin was quite far behind us.
    â€œWell, the way you shout everything he could.” Michael was grinning.
    â€œI don’t shout. I speak calmly and clearly.”
    â€œAnd loudly,” I added.
    Angie fumed. I knew she was searching for a perfect comeback, but her moment had passed. “You’re both just jealous,” she mumbled. We all chuckled for a second and continued onwards.
    It took around forty-five minutes to walk into Gimli, past houses, cabins, trees, and more trees. Finally, we came over a small rise and there was the town itself laid out before us. It was really quite small compared to most towns in the U.S. And from this distance it appeared there wasn’t very much going on.
    But Michael and I had learned the previous year that looks could be deceiving. We’d found more than enough things to keep us entertained through our whole vacation.
    The sun was warm and we strolled up and down the streets, looking in store windows and getting a feel for the place. A few people stared at us like we were escapees from an asylum. One old woman even looked up, saw us, then hobbled across to the other side of the street.
    â€œSarah,” Michael said, “take a look at my forehead.”
    â€œWhy?” I asked.
    â€œBecause I think there’s a sign that says
Danger: American kids approaching.
”
    We giggled and guffawed so hard we had to stop walking. This made a few more people stare at us. We noticed and started laughing some more. Then we headed down the street, holding our sides.
    Already the events of the morning seemed far behind us, maybe even a daydream. We scouted around for an arcade or a park, but didn’t have any luck, and I discovered I couldn’t remember where anything was . . . almost as if the whole town had changed since last summer.
    â€œWhat kind of place is this?” Angie asked. “It’s as dull as math class. Is it against the law to have fun in Canada? And what kind of name is Gimli anyway?”
    â€œWell . . .” I said, giving a long, dramatic pause, “. . . I happen to know the answer to that. Grandpa told me this town is named after a gigantic hall where the old Viking gods would stay after the world ended. Kind of like a hotel for the big shots.”
    â€œWell, how come everyone’s staring at us?” she asked.
    â€œâ€™Cause they’re Icelandic . . . just like us,” I answered. “They like to stare and they like to tell long stories. Grandpa warned us about that last summer.”
    â€œSo whatdaya think people from Gimli call themselves?” Michael asked.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Angie responded.
    â€œWell, are they Gimli-ers and Gimli-ettes, or just plain Gimli-ites?”
    â€œMichael, you’re just plain stupid,” I said.
    â€œJust curious, that’s all. Just using the scientific part of my mind.”
    â€œWhat mind?” Angie teased.
    Michael rolled his eyes. “Just trying to teach you two how to think.”
    â€œHey, look,” I said. “Books.”
    We had come to a plain-looking bookstore at the end of an unremarkable street. The sign on the front said:
Odin’s Eye Books
.
    â€œI have a feeling I’m going to like this place,” Michael said. We followed him inside.
    The store was small, hot, cramped, and smelled like books. I loved it right away. The old woman at the till, who was half hidden in shadows, smiled at us and I felt instantly welcome. We rummaged around for a while, pulling out novels, reading the back covers, then putting them back. Angie went straight to the romance section. I discovered a fantasy work I had been looking for