The Circle (Hammer) - By Elfgren, Sara B.,Strandberg, Mats Page 0,41

Rebecka.

She’s said that a number of times over the past few weeks. Minoo drops the last brick into the box. Rebecka has tried to get everyone to meet at the fairground, but the only one who has shown any interest is Minoo. ‘They’ll probably understand eventually,’ she says.

‘What’ll make them understand?’ Rebecka asks, sounding almost angry. ‘Does someone else have to die? Wasn’t Elias’s death enough?’

Minoo wishes Rebecka hadn’t said his name. It conjures up the image she’s been trying hard to forget: the pale face, the slashed arm, the blood all over the floor and tiles. ‘But what can we do?’ she asks, trying to shake off the memory. ‘Out of nowhere we’re told we’re supposed to fight against evil and the destruction of the world. And then – nothing. We should at least have been given a task.’

‘But that’s the whole point,’ says Rebecka. ‘This is our task. What we’re doing now. We have to get to know each other. And we have to practise our skills. That’s what Ida said. When she wasn’t Ida, I mean.’

‘We know Anna-Karin’s “practising”,’ says Minoo.

‘I have to make her understand how dangerous it is. I’m going to talk to her again,’ Rebecka says, and rubs her forehead.

‘Are you all right?’ Minoo asks.

‘I’m fine. I can do it for a lot longer now. In the beginning it was only a few minutes before I’d have a headache. I recover much quicker, too.’

Minoo pulls her jacket more tightly around herself. The air is raw and damp, and the cold penetrates deep beneath her skin.

‘Something else has happened,’ says Rebecka. She takes out one of the bricks again and lays it on the floor between them. ‘Although I’m not sure if I can do it now,’ she says.

Rebecka’s eyes narrow from the strain. Minoo looks at the brick and wonders what’s going to happen. It doesn’t budge – Rebecka must be very tired. Then she sees it. The wisp of smoke is so thin that a soft breeze disperses it. But then more smoke billows up and a corner of the brick catches fire.

Rebecka looks up at her. For a second Minoo worries that she’ll accidentally set fire to her too. She has to resist the temptation to cover her face with her hands.

‘Freaky, right?’ Rebecka says quietly.

Minoo can only agree. At first the little flame is edged with blue, but it soon turns solid yellow. Now it’s spreading along two sides of the brick. Rebecka bends forward and blows it out.

‘When did this start?’ Minoo asks.

‘Yesterday. There was a lit candle on the table and I got it into my head that I’d try to put it out. It wasn’t hard. It was like … pinching the flame with your fingers. So then I tried lighting it. I had an awful headache afterwards. Gustaf was really worried.’

‘He didn’t see, did he?’

‘No, of course not,’ Rebecka answers. Her gaze is distant. She pulls her hands inside the sleeves of her jacket. ‘It’s becoming almost impossible not to say anything to him. This is so huge.’

‘You can’t tell him!’ Minoo’s voice sounds shrill. She didn’t mean to shout. But she feels panicked by Rebecka’s admission. Doesn’t she remember? Trust no one … Not even the love of your life.

‘I know,’ Rebecka says. She’s quiet for a long moment. ‘It’s just that there’s so much else we don’t talk about.’

Minoo realises that this is one of those defining moments when two people may be on the verge of becoming really close friends.

‘There have been rumours about me,’ Rebecka continues.

Minoo hesitates, unsure whether she should admit she’s heard rumours about Rebecka throughout secondary school. She was one of the girls everyone said had an eating disorder. ‘Was it true?’ she says.

‘Yeah. I suppose it still is. I know it can come back. But it’s been better since last spring. Though I do still think about it. Often.’

‘What does Gustaf say?’

‘We’ve never talked about it, but he probably knows.’ Rebecka meets Minoo’s gaze. ‘I’m just afraid that if he finds out he won’t want to be with me any more. You’re the first person I’ve ever told.’

Minoo wants to say something clever. She wants to show she’s worthy of such trust, wants to help Rebecka with lots of good advice and promise her that everything’s going to be fine. But she realises at once that it’s better to stay quiet. Let Rebecka say whatever she needs to.

‘When I think back to how I was before I got together