Note for Swedish readers: This is the English translation. You can also find the original Swedish version called Parklek 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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Mike leaned back in his desk chair. Finally! He was excited, tonight it would come true. He dreamed away in delightful fantasies of what would happen, what he would do.
He had spent many hours at his computer, and he had had many contacts that he had chatted with every night. He had built up their confidence, talked about things that interested them, been their best friend in an unsympathetic world. They had opened up for him, he had comforted and agreed with them. But when he had gently started talking about meeting him, they had all pulled out, and removed him from their friends lists.
All but Lisa. She was very pretty, smiled a radiant smile in the photos she had sent. He had presented himself with a friendly face he had found on a foreign chat site. He had been very cautious, had let the idea of meeting him mature over several weeks. Finally, he had been able to suggest a meeting place, a place along the bus route she traveled with daily to and from school.
Mike waited in the shadows at the monument at the edge of the small park, near the bus stop where Lisa would step off. The bus had just continued after letting passengers off, and soon Lisa would walk by on the way to the fast food restaurant that could be glimpsed further down the street. Mike was full of anticipation and excitement. Now! He stepped forward and greeted the girl.
“Hi, Lisa.”
Lisa stopped, looked frightened. Mike smiled at her.
“We have met online, I'm Bill. You have told me so much about yourself.”
Lisa stared anxiously at Mike.
“You would probably not want me to tell your classmates about what you’ve said about Peter.”
No, Lisa would not want that, she shook her head a little.
“If you come with me, I won’t tell them anything.”
Mike indicated into the bushes at the monument with a small gesture. Lisa turned her eyes there, looked up at Mike again, her eyes were wet, then she looked back towards the bushes.
“That’s good, walk in there, then nobody will know.” Mike spoke softly, but he kept his voice in a bright tone. Dark voices could be scary for children, he had read.
Lisa took a cautious step, threw another glance at Mike, then she went into the bushes behind the monument. She was crying now, Mike saw, she was scared. He had taken control, his power made him excited.
“Good, walk on a little further, you have to go a bit further, then I will not tell.”
Lisa had started to sob, her narrow shoulders twitched a bit, but she continued to walk into the bushes, went down into the depression behind the monument. This was the place Mike had checked out, it was hidden from the street and the noise from the traffic up there would drown all sound. But there would be none, he would not allow it. He went up to Lisa, gently put his hand on her head, and looked at her.
“You must keep quiet. If you make any sound I’ll tell.”
The girl was crying, but she nodded that she had understood. He let his hand rest on her head for a while, let the moment fill himself, then he stroke gently, caressing, down the side of her head.
“Now you will help me with something, then you can go home again. You do want to go home soon, don’t you?”
The girl nodded, she wanted to go home.
“Kneel in front of me here, so you can help me.”
The girl hesitated, sobbed, then she went down on her knees. Mike's arousal was pounding. He was so close, wanted to slow down, it should last long. He looked down towards the girl, readied his pants.
“Now you will...”
Mike jerked his hips back, got his hands on the girl's forehead. She pressed forward, her mouth wide open, teeth bared. Mike's heart threatened to burst out through his chest, his intestines rebelled. Her teeth! She snapped at him, Mike heard her jaws click. With a desperate effort he pushed the girl away, she fell backwards and hit the ground. He whirled around and rushed away from her, away, he must get away! He threw himself through the bushes, they scratched his face and his hands. The girl had come to her feet and was following him, Mike heard her footsteps behind him. He saw the lights up at the street, headed in that direction, towards safety. He must reach the street, where there would be cars with people, where he would be able to...
Someone stood on the sidewalk. A child, NO! Then he saw that it was another child, he saw his rescue. It was a boy, he was smiling. A wolf grin. Mike collapsed, he stumbled to the ground and crumpled into a whimpering heap. His intestines cramped and emptied their contents. His consciousness knit itself into a quivering point, and he lost contact with his senses.
The boy and the girl came up to Mike and looked at him for a moment. Then they left.
“You weren’t really about to bite...”
“Yuk, no. How gross!”
“But he probably won't return to the chat sites for children, or what do you think?”
“No, he won’t.” Eli laughed. “Did you notice the smell? He did it in his pants!”
“Yes. Phew what a stench.”
They continued their walk through the night, laughing and joking. As they used to do.