Read Online Let the right one in by John Ajvide Lindqvist - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Gothic, Romance - Gothic, Media Tie-In - General, Media Tie-In, Horror, Occult fiction, Vampires, Occult & Supernatural, Fiction - Romance, Ghost, Horror Fiction, Horror - General, Sweden, Neighbors - Sweden, Swedish (Language) Contemporary Fiction
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throat and said, "Some cold weather we're having." Yes.
"Could snow soon."
"Mmm."
Then the whisky arrived and made further conversation unnecessary for the moment. Even Lacke got a double, and he felt the eyes of the gang burning in his back. After a few sips he raised the glass.
"Cheers. And thanks."
"Cheers."
"You live around here?"
The man stared out into space, as if this was something he had never thought about before. Lacke couldn't determine if the nodding of his head indicated an answer to the question or if it was part of an inner dialogue.
Lacke took another sip and decided that if the man didn't answer the next question then he wanted to be left alone, not talk to anyone. If that was the case, Lacke would take his drink and return to the others. He had done his duty. He hoped the man wouldn't answer.
"So, then. What do you do to make the time go by?"
The man furrowed his brow and the corners of his mouth were lifted spasmodically into a grin, then relaxed again.
"... I help out a little."
"I see. With what kind of thing?"
A spark of alertness flashed under the man's transparent cornea. The man looked straight at Lacke, who felt a shiver at the base of his spine, as if a black ant had bitten him just above the tailbone.
Then he rubbed his hand over his eyes and pulled a few hundred kro-nor bills out of his pocket, laid them on the table and stood up.
"Excuse me, I have to ..."
"OK. Thanks for the drink."
Lacke raised his glass to his host but he was already on his way over to the coat rack. He got his coat down with clumsy hands and walked out. Lacke stayed put with his back to the gang, looking at the heap of bills in front of him. Five one hundred kronor bills. A tumbler of whisky cost sixty kronor and this outing had consisted of a total of five, maybe six. Lacke looked surreptitiously to the side. The waiter was busy settling the bill of an older couple, the only dining customers. While Lacke stood up he crumpled one of the notes into a ball, slipped it into his pocket and walked back to his regular table.
Halfway there he turned back, emptied the remaining whisky from the man's glass into his own, and took it with him.
A successful evening all around.
+
“But Nutcrackers is on tonight!"
"Yeah, but I'll be back for it."
"It starts in . . . half an hour."
"I know."
"Where are you going?"
"Out."
"Well, you don't have to watch Nutcrackers, of course. I can watch it by myself. If you really have to go out."
"But... I'll be back for it."
"I see. I guess I'll wait on heating up the crepes."
"No, you can ... I'll be back later."
Oskar was torn. Nutcrackers was one of the highlights of their TV week. Mom had made crepes with shrimp filling to eat in front of the TV. He knew he was disappointing her by going out instead of sitting here . . . and sharing the anticipation with her.
But he had been standing by the window since it got dark and just now he had seen the girl come out of the building next door and walk down toward the playground. He had immediately pulled back from the window. He didn't want her to think that he . . .
Therefore he had waited five minutes before putting on his clothes and heading out. He didn't put on a hat.
+
He couldn't see her on the playground. She was probably sitting high up on the jungle gym somewhere, like yesterday. The blinds in her window were still drawn but there was light coming from the apartment. Except for the bathroom window, a dark square.
Oskar sat down on the sandbox ledge and waited. Like he was waiting for an animal to come out of its hole. He was simply planning to sit here for a while. And if the girl didn't come out he would go back in again, play it cool.
He got out his Rubik's Cube, started to twist it in order to have something to do. He had gotten tired of having that one corner piece to worry about and so he mixed up the cube completely so he could start over.
The creak from the Cube was amplified in the cold air; it
"Could snow soon."
"Mmm."
Then the whisky arrived and made further conversation unnecessary for the moment. Even Lacke got a double, and he felt the eyes of the gang burning in his back. After a few sips he raised the glass.
"Cheers. And thanks."
"Cheers."
"You live around here?"
The man stared out into space, as if this was something he had never thought about before. Lacke couldn't determine if the nodding of his head indicated an answer to the question or if it was part of an inner dialogue.
Lacke took another sip and decided that if the man didn't answer the next question then he wanted to be left alone, not talk to anyone. If that was the case, Lacke would take his drink and return to the others. He had done his duty. He hoped the man wouldn't answer.
"So, then. What do you do to make the time go by?"
The man furrowed his brow and the corners of his mouth were lifted spasmodically into a grin, then relaxed again.
"... I help out a little."
"I see. With what kind of thing?"
A spark of alertness flashed under the man's transparent cornea. The man looked straight at Lacke, who felt a shiver at the base of his spine, as if a black ant had bitten him just above the tailbone.
Then he rubbed his hand over his eyes and pulled a few hundred kro-nor bills out of his pocket, laid them on the table and stood up.
"Excuse me, I have to ..."
"OK. Thanks for the drink."
Lacke raised his glass to his host but he was already on his way over to the coat rack. He got his coat down with clumsy hands and walked out. Lacke stayed put with his back to the gang, looking at the heap of bills in front of him. Five one hundred kronor bills. A tumbler of whisky cost sixty kronor and this outing had consisted of a total of five, maybe six. Lacke looked surreptitiously to the side. The waiter was busy settling the bill of an older couple, the only dining customers. While Lacke stood up he crumpled one of the notes into a ball, slipped it into his pocket and walked back to his regular table.
Halfway there he turned back, emptied the remaining whisky from the man's glass into his own, and took it with him.
A successful evening all around.
+
“But Nutcrackers is on tonight!"
"Yeah, but I'll be back for it."
"It starts in . . . half an hour."
"I know."
"Where are you going?"
"Out."
"Well, you don't have to watch Nutcrackers, of course. I can watch it by myself. If you really have to go out."
"But... I'll be back for it."
"I see. I guess I'll wait on heating up the crepes."
"No, you can ... I'll be back later."
Oskar was torn. Nutcrackers was one of the highlights of their TV week. Mom had made crepes with shrimp filling to eat in front of the TV. He knew he was disappointing her by going out instead of sitting here . . . and sharing the anticipation with her.
But he had been standing by the window since it got dark and just now he had seen the girl come out of the building next door and walk down toward the playground. He had immediately pulled back from the window. He didn't want her to think that he . . .
Therefore he had waited five minutes before putting on his clothes and heading out. He didn't put on a hat.
+
He couldn't see her on the playground. She was probably sitting high up on the jungle gym somewhere, like yesterday. The blinds in her window were still drawn but there was light coming from the apartment. Except for the bathroom window, a dark square.
Oskar sat down on the sandbox ledge and waited. Like he was waiting for an animal to come out of its hole. He was simply planning to sit here for a while. And if the girl didn't come out he would go back in again, play it cool.
He got out his Rubik's Cube, started to twist it in order to have something to do. He had gotten tired of having that one corner piece to worry about and so he mixed up the cube completely so he could start over.
The creak from the Cube was amplified in the cold air; it
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