Akureyri Gateway by Chris Berkness

Author:Chris Berkness [Berkness, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-30T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

September 4th, 2017

Stephan walks down the stairs of his childhood home, his hand light on the old, familiar railing. He and Kristin used to race to the top of the stairs and then jump on this railing, sliding down with thighs clenched tight around the polished wood. As he reaches the bottom three steps and glances into the living room, he sees his parents on the couch, whispering to each other. At the sound of his feet on the bottom step, they grow silent.

Stephan twists his lips into a smile and says, “I’m leaving now. I should be back by Wednesday.”

Olafur stands up as Stephan draws closer. He puts his hand on Stephan’s shoulder and says, “Your mother and I would like to talk with you before you leave.”

Stephan takes a seat on the couch next to his mom, worried it may be a conversation about her health. “Is everything okay?”

Hanna glances at her husband and then gives Stephan a tight smile. “Yes… your father and I are… concerned about you. Ever since Erik passed away—.”

Stephan’s hand shoots up like a traffic conductor. “No!” He checks himself, taking a long breath, and then lowers his voice. “Erik is not dead. He’s… missing. I need to keep looking for him.”

Olafur and Hanna share another glance, and Stephan is transported back to his teen years when he asked for a motorcycle instead of a car. They’d sat him down in the kitchen and given their refusal speech in between glances just like that.

“It has been more than two weeks since he… disappeared,” says Olafur. “The Akureyri police haven’t found any signs of him in that cave, or in the surrounding wilderness.”

Stephan puts a hand to his face with a sigh, leaning his elbow on his thigh as he discreetly wipes away the tear forming in the corner of his eye. “That’s exactly why I have to keep looking. If I have to… I’ll fly out there every single day until he is found.”

Olafur shakes his head. “He didn’t take his backpack. It was still in his tent. He left everything behind, and he didn’t say good-bye. That is not a man who wants to be found.”

“I don’t care. I need to keep looking for him.”

“You might not like what you find,” Hanna says in a low voice. Her statement sucks the air from the cozy room. Stephan gasps like he’s been stabbed in the side. After a beat, Hanna puts her hand on her son’s knee. “Stephan, we love you more than you could ever know. We want you to move on with your life. You have a wonderful career back in the US.”

Stephan stares at the ceiling, hands dangling dejectedly between his legs as he tries to blink back the tears. But the pain is too strong, and they stream down his cheeks. He tucks his chin to his chest, leans into hands, and covers his face. “I miss them all… so much,” he chokes out, back shuddering with the force of his sobs.

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