Note for Swedish readers: This is the English translation. You can also find the original Swedish version called En mobbarnas nemesis on this site.
This piece of fan fiction is based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel Låt den rätte komma in. Features that have been fetched from the novel are his work, however, he is in no way responsible for the work below.
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“What should we do about Dieter? Can we help him?”
Oskar and Eli lay on their backs on a pile of old rags in a cellar. They felt peaceful, human. The infection had got what it wanted and now had receded; they had hunted for a few nights and would now escape its craving for some time. Occasionally, when they like now were living among people, they tried to connect with peers, that is, roughly twelve years old children. And now they have joined with Dieter for a while. They had met him in a playground, he was sitting alone and rocking in a swing set. Oskar had recognised himself in Dieter, and they had learnt that Dieter had similar problems that Oscar once had. Dieter was bullied at school and the bullying has scared away other schoolmates.
“Well, we can always grin wickedly at the bullies. Though I don’t know how much that would help, really.”
“We will at least not advise him to fight back. It only gets worse, and ends horribly.”
Despite all the years that had passed, it happened that Eli was reminded of the event in the swimming pool in Blackeberg. Oskar only knew what was reported in the newspapers, and what he himself had been able to read between the lines. He had never wanted to ask Eli about it. But he knew that Eli was tormented by the memory, by the knowledge that it was Eli himself who did it, who had wanted to do it.
“You’re not a monster, it will never happen again.” Oskar held out his hand and stroked Eli’s cheek.
Eli remembered how Oskar had done the same on the playground in Blackeberg, and thereby saved his life. Oscar had given Eli something more valuable than food, he had given affection. Oskar had chased away the monster, that time. Eli felt calmer now, the curse of memory fell away.
“What can we do? Other than being dangerous and frightening?”
“Don’t know. That, in fact, we do pretty well, but it probably won’t help Dieter.”
“He doesn’t believe in himself.”
“No, he feels worthless.” Oscar thought about it, remembered himself. “But that's probably not true. He does not feel useless at all, but he believes that everyone else thinks he is.”
“Nobody’s telling him anything else.”
“No, that's right, no one says anything else.”
“Except us.”
“Do we?”
“No, but we could.”
“Yes, we could. Let’s hope it helps, a little at least.”