The Circle (Hammer) - By Elfgren, Sara B.,Strandberg, Mats Page 0,109

point in fighting against it. You appreciate logic and you’ve already worked that out, haven’t you? You can’t win.

She puts one foot into the bath. The water is hot, but not enough to scald her. She puts in her other foot. The legs of her pyjamas stick to her calves. She pleads with the intruding presence to let her go. Begs.

All of your suffering, Minoo, it’s just the beginning. Trust me. This is so much easier.

Minoo’s body is engulfed in water as she eases herself into the bath. Her pyjama top is full of air and swells like a balloon as she struggles to keep her head above the water.

For a moment she can see what is holding her – a haze of black smoke surrounds her. She concentrates all her willpower on dispersing it. The smoke dissipates slightly.

Minoo regains control of her hands. She grabs the rim of the bath, clings desperately to it. Her arms are shaking with the strain.

Let go, Minoo.

The strength drains from her fingertips as they are prised away from the bath. She sinks. The warm water closes above her face.

There’s no point in resisting.

If her mother has gone back to sleep, she or her father might not try the bathroom door again until tomorrow morning. Will it be unlocked by then? Or will they have to break it down? Will Minoo’s eyes be open under the water, staring blindly?

The black cloud drags her down into the water until her head hits the bottom of the bath.

Forgive me.

‘Come on. We’ll take you home,’ Linnéa says.

‘Forget it,’ Anna-Karin tells her.

The cigarette smoke hangs in the air like a bank of fog, mixed with other, sweeter smoke. Anna-Karin decides that a glass of water wouldn’t be a bad idea after all.

An elbow comes against her from behind, and she lurches unsteadily. For a moment she thinks she’s going to lose her balance and fall, but she flails her arms and manages to stay on her feet.

‘Shit! She can’t even stand,’ says Vanessa.

‘Somebody pushed me!’ Anna-Karin says. Anger flares and clears her head. She understands now. It must be tough for Vanessa not to be the centre of attention any more, that Jari wants Anna-Karin now, not her. ‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she says. ‘You can go home if you want to.’

‘You’ve had enough of an adventure for one night,’ Linnéa says.

‘I’m staying here all night,’ Anna-Karin says, ‘and Jari’s going to pop my cherry.’

Vanessa’s jaw literally drops. Anna-Karin has never actually seen that happen before.

‘You mean you’re going to rape him,’ Linnéa says.

‘You wish,’ Anna-Karin says.

‘If you have sex with him against his will it’s rape.’

‘You and I both know he’d never do it voluntarily,’ Vanessa adds.

‘Getting laid is all men ever want to do!’ Anna-Karin snaps. ‘Which guy would say no? Huh?’

‘Anna-Karin,’ Vanessa says firmly, ‘that’s not how it works. Jari is a human being, not someone you can just use. Would you think it was okay if a guy did that to a girl?’

‘It’s not the same thing. Anyway, Jari wants me for real, no matter what you think.’

‘You’re going too far now,’ Linnéa says.

‘Hypocrites!’ Anna-Karin shouts. ‘Everyone knows that Vanessa is a slut. And you’re a fucking junkie, the daughter of a drunk—’

A hard smack. Anna-Karin’s cheek stings. Linnéa has slapped her across the face and everyone turns. It’s noticeably quiet suddenly, apart from the music, which is hammering away throughout the house. Anna-Karin does all she can to hold back the tears that are stinging her eyes.

She sees Jari coming down the stairs and goes to meet him.

‘Is anything wrong?’ he asks anxiously.

‘I want to go home with you,’ she says.

The last few air bubbles escape from the corner of Minoo’s mouth and rise towards the surface of the water. Her chest cramps. She struggles against the black cloud, which wants to open her mouth and let her lungs draw in water.

There’s a buzzing in her ears, which rises and falls with her heartbeat. Water is trickling into her nose and down into her throat.

No!

Suddenly the iron grip on her body relaxes.

I can’t do it …

And the black cloud, which has been swirling around her, is gone.

I won’t do it. I won’t listen to you.

Minoo’s arms fly out of the water into the air. Adrenalin is surging through her, giving her the strength she needs. Her arms fling themselves over the edge of the bath and she heaves herself into a sitting position.

Water pours over the sides of the bath, spilling loudly on