John Lindqvist - Little Star

They ran, and the people allowed them to pass. A young voice yelled, ‘She’s the one who was singing!’ but that was all they knew. Theres and Teresa ran side by side until they reached the enclosure.

Before the show began, when everyone was gathered in Solliden, Teresa had used the bolt cutters to make a hole about the size of a door in the fence, so that their grey sisters and brothers would have the opportunity to join in.

None of them had taken that opportunity, but as if the wolves had sensed the atmosphere of the hunt that pervaded the area, several of them had emerged from their lairs and hiding places and were now warily circling the area near the breach, baring their teeth and growling. Teresa looked at them and shook her head.

‘They didn’t come to us.’

Theres stood with her neck extended, watching the shaggy figures that were watching her. Then it happened. At first Teresa couldn’t work out what was tickling the back of her hand. When she looked down she saw that it was Theres’ fingers, fumbling for hers. She grabbed Theres’ hand and held it tightly. They stood for a long time, side by side in front of the door, squeezing each other’s hands.

Then Theres said, ‘In that case, we will go to them.’

‘Thank You for the Music’

Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus

Printed by permission of Universal/Union Songs Musikforlag AB,

Stockholm, Sweden.

With special thanks to ABBA, for inspiration.

JOHN AJVIDE LINDQVIST lives in Sweden and has worked as a conjurer and stand-up comedian. His first novel, Let the Right One In, was published in eleven countries and adapted into two feature films: one by Swedish director Tomas Alfredson, and an English-language version, Let Me In.

MARLAINE DELARGY is based in the UK. She has translated novels by Swedish writers including Åsa Larsson, Ninni Holmqvist and Johan Theorin-with whom she won the CWA International Dagger 2010 for The Darkest Room.