The sun rose slowly beyond the horizon, reflecting itself in the half-frozen pond near the village Garpenberg’s church, located on a nearby hill. The golden crucifix at the top of the church’s belltower emitted a weak golden glow in the weak sunlight of early spring. On the path to the church’s heavy wooden doors were two figures walking at a steady pace. Two figures of what first appeared to a common onlooker, like two innocent children, one boy and one girl, each about twelve years old, two children on their way visiting the church to pay their respects to their god.

With no window and a closed door the chilly bathroom was the very definition of darkness. Oskar and Eli lay tightly packed in the tub, snuggled together under a thin, dark blanket which offered more protection from light than cold. Oskar remained fully dressed and they both shared his heavy coat for a pillow. Oskar was on his side with Eli pulled close, her back against his chest and his arms snaked around her. The morning sun would be arriving shortly.

"Eli?"

"Yes Oskar."

Elaine turned slowly around, looking with fresh eyes at the place that had been her home for more than 40 years. She shuddered as the memories came flooding back, vividly contrasted now with the promise of the future that the Doctor had offered her. She realized that emotional numbness was the only reason she had been able to remain there after her escape – that, and the fact that she really had no other place to go. Thus, she had continued with her art as an automaton while in an emotional daze, unable to come to terms with the reality of her dark past.

Eli . . .

Eelii . . .

Footsteps on the cold stone of the darkened hallway

Coming for me, coming in the whistling dark

Run and hide, hide where He won't find me My feet go pitter patter

The flames flutter in their iron flickering shadows they cast

Try one door then the next but they're all locked, pull and pull but they won't open

Growing louder getting closer I'm so afraid

(St. Michael the archangel defend us in battle . . .)

Dawson pulled his car up to the curb near the cemetery entrance and turned out the lights. They sat there quietly for a few minutes, then Eli nodded and they quietly walked across the street and moved quickly into the darkness. Soon they were standing once again in front of the Rose Door.

Eli could hear voices calling for her, familiar voices. She slowly opened her eyes and looked in a daze around the room. It appeared that she was laying on a simple straw bed, surrounded by undecorated and unpainted wooden walls in a small room. Three other equally simple beds were also present. Two people stood at the side of her bed, two women. The memory of their faces returned, after being lost for what felt like an eternity. ‘Mother, sister’

"Eli!...Eli!" Oskar shouted as he shook Eli to wake her.

Oskar and Eli sat across from each other at Eli’s table, looking at Elaine’s sculpture. Papa had agreed immediately that Eli should keep it in her room; where better to exhibit the work of a vampire than in the room of a soulmate, he had told her.

“It’s so beautiful, Oskar. I like to imagine that I’m climbing the vines with them. They all seem so happy."

“Eli, did you notice that there are six separate vines and every other one has girls on it and the rest have boys? I wonder what that means?”