Chapter Text
The last messages Henry received from Vigrid (or Vivi as Henry calls her) before her disappearance were absurdly normal. They were so mundane you would have never thought Vivi would disappear into thin air not even an hour later:
[Vivi]
When are you getting back home?
[Me]
Prolly around 14. Want me to get you something?
[Vivi]
Thanks, but I’m good. I just wanted to know <3
[Me]
I’ll see you in a few hours then!
Except she didn’t. Vivi wasn’t home when she returned. Some of her things were missing, like her jacket and iPad. They still are, to this day. The only clue as to what happened to her was the hysterical phone call the police got not long after their text conversation, from a girl crying about sparkly air particles and Vivi disappearing right in front of her eyes.
Henry is, just like Vivi, deep into escapism. She loves the thought of magic and supernatural creatures roaming the world, of a fantastical other world far better than the reality she lives in. That doesn’t mean she believes there is one. Because there isn’t. But for the sake of her sanity, she likes to believe that what the girl saw was true, that Vivi was spirited away to another world, another place, that she’s stuck there but is doing her damndest to get back, if only to tell Henry and the others that she’s all right.
In reality, Vivi was probably taking a walk, or rather, was on her way somewhere since she brought her iPad, and was abducted. The girl probably witnessed the attack, though Henry can’t for the life of her figure out why she would so blatantly lie about the whole ordeal. Maybe she was traumatised and her brain came up with an alternate, somehow more believable story?
Either way, the girl was of no help, and the only other person that saw something, a fourteen-year-old boy who was looking out the window at that moment, said the exact same thing, so the police had literally no leads. And it has stayed that way ever since.
Over a year has passed since that fateful day, and Henry has been forced to celebrate New Year’s Eve without her twice. It’s March of 2027 now, but a part of Henry never left that November day in 2025. And neither did Vivi, who is probably long since dead. Maybe she didn’t survive the end of that day. Henry would like to think that she did, but at this point, that might be worse. What kind of hell would Vivi live in if she was still alive? No, she’s probably better off dead, at least for her own sake.
Henry walks through the snowy cemetery. She doesn’t have any dead relatives resting here, being from Sankt Anna and all, but she has taken to visit Västra griftegården to reminisce about Vivi and her life. Vivi’s maternal family lies here, at the corner of Västra griftegården and at the corner of Gamla griftegården.
It feels appropriate to check up on their graves since Vivi can’t do so herself any more. Her immediate family and grandparents are still alive of course, but they’re going for themselves. Vivi doesn’t have anyone else to go in her stead.
She is currently on her way to Västra griftegården’s corner. Across it on the other side of a sidewalk is Johannesborgsparken. It’s a circular apartment building, as well as the home of Restaurang Jord. Neither Henry nor Vivi have ever been there, but according to Vivi’s paternal aunt, the food is great.
The name is a little macabre though. Jord means ground, earth and dirt, and considering the restaurant neighbours a cemetery, Henry is certain the name refers to it.
As she said, morbid. Or someone just has really dark humour.
Henry reaches Vivi’s maternal grandfather’s grave. Apparently the cemetery staff hasn’t gotten around to dig out the graves from the snow, because the gravestone is covered in it. Henry does it for them, only remembering the grave’s placement because Vivi sent a picture of it once. It was summer, then.
Henry puts down the flowers she brought and crouches in front of the gravestone. “I know you’re not actually Vivi, but I’m borrowing yours since she doesn’t have one,” she apologises to the grandfather. “You see, they still haven’t found her. I… think she’s dead. The police do too. They’re considering closing the case since there aren’t any new leads or even a piece of evidence. I don’t know what I think about it. I know Vilma and Gwen are raging mad about it. They say the police are giving up and leaving Vivi for dead. They’re not wrong, but I’m not really mad. Just… tired.
“The cats are fine, by the way. If she really is with you, in whatever afterlife you reside in – if any – could you please tell her that? Her mum took Casper and her dad took Salem, so they’re no longer together, but they’re healthy. Casper even lost some weight!”
A sob lodges itself in her throat and she falls silent. Takes a deep breath, then a few more.
Ignores the tears gathering in her eyes.
She tries again: “I miss you. I, uh, couldn’t keep the flat, not with that kind of rent, but I found another one. It’s smaller, two rooms and a kitchen, but it’s close to our old flat. It’s pretty. You’d like it, I think. It’s more dark academia this time. Because, you know, I wanted that for my room in, um, in our flat.”
Henry takes a shuddering breath and forces several sobs down her throat. She’s not going to cry today. She’s done enough of that.
“So, uh, that’s kind of all I had to say today,” she mumbles. “I hope you’re still alive, and I hope to God that you’re happy, wherever you are. Please be okay. Please let transmigration be real.” Her voice breaks. “Please, Vivi. Where did you go?”
