Read Let the right one in for Free Online Page B

watch. Don't call for me." Oskar put on his jacket, his hat. He paused as he was putting his boot on. Went quietly back to his room and took out the knife, tucked it inside his jacket. Laced up the boots. He heard his mom's voice again from the living room.
    "It's cold out there."
    "I've got my hat."
    "On your head?"
    "No, on my feet."
    "This is no joking matter, Oskar, you know how it is. . . ."
    "See you in a while."
    ". .. your ears."
    He walked out, looked down at his watch. A quarter past seven. Fortyfive minutes until the program started. Tommy and the others were probably down in their basement headquarters but he didn't dare go down there. Tommy was alright, but the others ... They could get strange ideas, especially if they had been sniffing.
    So he went down to the playground in the middle of the yard. Two big trees, sometimes used as a soccer goal, a play structure with a slide, a sandbox, and a swing set consisting of three tire-swings suspended from chains. He sat down in one of the tire-swings and rocked gently to and fro.
    He liked this place at night. Hundreds of lighted windows all around him on four sides, himself sitting in the dark. Safe and alone at the same time. He pulled the knife out of the holster. The blade was so shiny he could see windows reflected in it. The moon.
    A bloody moon ...
    Oskar got up, snuck over to one of the trees, talked to it.
    "What are you looking at, you fucking idiot? Do you want to die?" The tree didn't answer and Oskar carefully drove the knife into it. Didn't want to damage the fine smooth edge.
    "That's what happens if you so much as look at me." He turned the knife so a small wedge of wood popped out of the trunk. A piece of flesh. He whispered, "Go on, squeal like a pig." He stopped, thought he heard a sound. He looked around, holding the knife by his hip. Lifted the blade to his eyes, checked it. The point was as smooth as before. He used the blade as a mirror, and turned it so it reflected the jungle gym. Someone was standing there, someone who had not been there a moment before. A blurry contour against the clean steel. He lowered the knife and looked directly at the jungle gym. Yes. But it wasn't the Vallingby killer. It was a child.
    There was enough light for him to determine that it was a girl he had never seen before. Oskar took a step toward the jungle gym. The girl didn't move, just stood there looking at him.
    He took another step and suddenly he grew scared. Of what? Of himself. He was on his way toward the girl with his hand tightly closed around the knife, on his way to stab her with it. No, that wasn't true. But that was how he had felt, for a moment. Wasn't she scared?
    He stopped, pushed the knife back in its holder, and put it back inside his jacket.
    "Hi."
    The girl didn't answer. Oskar was so close now that he could see she had dark hair, a small face, big eyes. Eyes wide open, calmly looking at him. Her white hands were resting on the railing.
    "I said hi."
    "I heard you."
    "Why didn't you answer?"
    The girl shrugged. Her voice was not as high as he would have expected. Sounded like someone his own age.
    There was something strange about her. Shoulder-length black hair. Round face, small nose. Like one of those paper dolls in Hemmets Journal. Very... pretty. But there was something else. She had no hat, and no jacket. Only a thin pink sweater even though it was cold. The girl nodded her head in the direction of the tree that Oskar had cut.
    "What are you doing?"
    Oskar blushed, but she probably couldn't tell in the dark.
    "Practicing."
    "For what?"
    "For if the murderer comes along."
    "What murderer?"
    "The one in Vallingby. The one who killed that guy." The girl sighed, looked up at the moon. Then she leaned forward again.
    "Are you scared?"
    "No, but a murderer, that's like ... it's good if you can—defend yourself. Do you live here?"
    "Yes."
    "Where?"
    "Over there," the girl gestured to the front door next to Oskar's. "Next door to you."
    "How do