"So now I need to find another place to hide until dark. Can anything go right today?" Toivo thought to himself on the street where he was thrown.
"That was a waste of time. I was supposed to get something out of it. I had to hurt somebody again just to get away again. I didn't want to, but I had to. I made my list of crimes longer for no reason." He thought while walking the small town street.
"Where do I even find a place where I can hide? In a small town like this everybody probably knows that somebody is hiding from the police, so nobody would let me hide unless I think of a good reason." He thought.
"Hmm. One place where nobody would look for me is a place where we already went. The dog house." He thought and got an idea and then turned around to face the direction where the bike shop owner's house is.
While walking down the snowy street under the dimming sky, he kept his hands in his pockets to warm them just a little. After a calm evening walk in the town he eventually saw the familiar house with the dog house on the front yard.
"There's the place. How weren't there any police anywhere this time? Not that that's a bad thing. So. Now I'll just squeeze myself in this little stinky dog house until it's dark. Wonderful." He quietly said and then did as he intended to do.
"Ugh. Smells like dog hair in here. I've been squeezed into worse places so I shouldn't complain." He said.
In the dog house was a bowl of water that was completely frozen, which relieved him because he realised that he hadn't drank water in a while and in his thirst would have probably ended up drinking from the bowl. He leaned on a wall inside the cold dog house and kept his knees close to his chest.
"This is the stupidest thing. Why am I doing this? If Sampo hadn't stolen that bus, we would have never been found. Now I have to bust them all out and we'll all have to move and hide until Sampo does something stupid again and gets everybody found again. But I'll get them back as many times as I have to." He thought to himself.
"I hope they're all fine. Heh. Their cells at the jailhouse are probably more comfortable than this place." He thought.
"Agh, this foot is such a wreck. I think I have to put more of the miracle poison thing on it." He said when the wound on his shin started hurting again.
He revealed the bandage on his shin and then unwrapped it. For the first time he saw his wound himself and winced at the sight. Seeing it in all its glory made it hurt even worse. He took the tube from his pocket as that was one of the few things he managed to take with him, and he rolled the cork open.
"How much of this do I put on it? Ah, let's put a fair amount. Better not skimp on it." He said and wondered.
He poured a long line of the ointment on the wound and it burned just as much as the first time, but this time he had no reason to act tough as there was no one around. All kinds of sounds came out of the dog house for the minutes that it took to apply the ointment on the wound and to wrap a clean bandage on it from the roll that he also had in his pocket.
"I think that's how it's supposed to be taken care of. It feels even worse now. But it should get better like it did last time. I hate all of this. I guess I'll have to get used to this. Treating wounds the normal way instead of having Three heal them in a couple of seconds. I still hate it though." He thought.
"Sure was nice having her growing up with me as help and as a friend." He somberly thought alone in the dog house.
"I need to focus on what I still have. Sitting here with a hurt foot in a cold and stinky dog house, and hurting my back and ass in an uncomfortable position just to wait for the night so I can break into the police station and the jailhouse. The good life is over." He thought to himself.
After a while of sitting there, his tailbone started to get really sore and he didn't hide his pain. He was complaining and wincing until he heard footsteps outside and went quiet. He made sure to breathe quietly. He didn't move a muscle and held his breath when the footsteps got close. He heard the footsteps on the snow and it sounded like they were coming towards him. When it was clear that they were coming towards him, he looked at the ceiling of the dog house, ready to break it and climb out the moment that his privacy was infringed upon. The sound of the footsteps stopped right outside of the dog house.
"Did you really crawl in there? Out of all the places?" Ella's voice said from outside.
Toivo froze and moved his eyeballs to the sound of the voice.
"I know you're in there. What are you doing?" Ella continued.
Toivo crawled out of the dog house through the tight entrance and stood up.
"I was hiding. Is it safe here? Why are you here?" Toivo answered and asked.
"I came here looking for you because I was worried that you'd get yourself in trouble. Instead I found you here." Ella answered.
"Well, I'm not in trouble yet. Unless you get me into some."
"And what is your plan?"
"The same as it was before. Hide until dark and break in."
"Alone?"
"Preferably. I don'twant to get you in trouble."
"You don't want to get me in trouble?"
"Why would I?"
"But I don't want you to get into trouble."
"Why not?" Toivo asked.
"Why not? Are you serious?" Ella asked back.
"If I go alone and get caught, I'll be thrown in with the rest of them, but you won't."
"If you go alone, you will be caught."
"Well, you don't have much hope in me. You should. My first name literally means Hope in my language." Toivo said.
"Is it a bad thing to be worried about my best friend?" Ella asked.
"I didn't imply that."
"Right now I'm worried about how bad you smell and that wound of yours." Ella said.
"I took care of the wound myself."
"Wow. I'm proud of you." Ella said sarcastically.
"It hurts like death."
"How much did you use?" Ella asked.
Toivo pulled the tube from his pocket and it was half empty already.
"That much? You'll run out the next time you use it." Ella said.
"We'll get some more once this is done with."
"Once this is done with, you'll be on the run. We should get some more before your life becomes an endless sprint."
"So just march into a drug store like we're ordinary customers after we ran away from an officer and broke a cleaning store's window earlier today?"
"Yes. Nobody will think anything of it if just act like we belong there." Ella said confidently.
"And you think my plan would get me in trouble?"
"Fine. I'll just go get it myself and bring it here."
"But after the dog walk, you're a criminal now too! You'll get caught!"
"Oh no. Guess I'll just go get caught alone then." Ella said slightly jokingly.
"Are you really doing this now?"
"I think I might. Come help me then and make sure I don't get caught."
"Me being there just doubles your chances of being caught." Toivo argued.
"But if I get caught, I may need a bailout." Ella argued back confidently.
"So you really insist on this?"
"Well, you'll need your medicine. Your situation isn't going to be peaceful after you pull off your heist, so this is the best time to get it. How many times do I have to explain this?"
"Fine. I'll come along with you then. But if we have to run again, I'll... Glance at you disappointedly." Toivo threatened unconvincingly.
"I'll take that risk. But please don't hurt anyone. Please." Ella said seriously.
"I never wanted to hurt anyone. Sometimes the situation just calls for it. I'm able to do much worse than just hurt and in all situations I try to avoid that at least."
"I know. I just don't want people to get hurt just for doing their job."
"Nobody will get hurt tonight because we can pull this off, can't we?" Toivo said, trying to get Ella's morale up.
"That's right! Now let's go do this everyday ordinary mundane task like champions and make sure to not get arrested along the way!" Ella said and made her way out of the front yard with her back straight.
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCffoZWxwt
Once again the streets of the small town were quiet. An odd person here and there walked past the two of them but paid no mind to them.
"How did you know that I went to the dog house? How did you know to come there?" Toivo asked while walking next to Ella.
"There was only one set of footprints on the street once I came outside and I figured that they were yours, so I decided to follow them." Ella answered.
"And why did you come out to begin with? Did your dad let you go outside?"
"I stormed out after getting angry. He didn't even try to stop me."
"Oh. What did you get angry about?" Toivo asked worriedly.
"What did I get angry about? I was angry about how rudely the shop owner just threw you out after you did what you were asked to do! I told him to let you back in but he wouldn't listen." Ella answered.
"Oh. So you chose to come out here too for some reason."
"For some reason? Is it a bad thing that I care about you?"
"If it puts you at risk then yes."
"I'll put myself at risk if I want to."
"Well, it does feel nice knowing how much you care." Toivo said sincerely and a moment of silence followed until Ella laughed a little.
"I care so much that I'd walk into a store for you." Ella said and laughed again.
Toivo chuckled a little too, thinking about the situation.
"Speaking of. Do you even know where it is?"
"It's attached to the supermarket. So in the town square."
"So I already know where it is. Just turn right at the end of this street then." Toivo said.
The two of them made their way to the end of the street where they turned right to the town square.
"Looks like it's still open. Let's just get in then." Ella said and led the way.
After Ella opened the door and let Toivo in as well, the man at the counter gave a friendly nod and then paid no mind to the two.
"Let's just get what we came to get and get out. That was the plan." Toivo said nervously and quietly.
"Of course. But let me just find it first." Ella said back and looked at the shelves.
"Every single one of these packages has the same logo on them." Toivo noticed.
"That's just the logo of the manufacturer. That observation doesn't help us at all. Look at the names of the medicines themselves." Ella said.
"Right. Of course." Toivo said and looked at the tube in his pocket and the name on it.
"Looking for something?" The clerk hollered from behind the counter.
"We know what we're looking for, thank you." Toivo replied nervously, never having done business in a place of trade.
He looked at the lowest shelves just so the clerk wouldn't see his face.
"Ella, how do I act normal here?" Toivo whispered loudly towards Ella.
"You're looking for a specific thing. So just act like it." Ella whispered back loudly.
"Heh. Young people." The clerk quietly said after hearing.
"What does he mean by that?" Toivo asked Ella.
"Who cares? Just find the thing. Oh there it is!" Ella said and then found what they came looking for on a shelf.
She walked to the counter with the tube in her hand and with Toivo behind her.
"Is that all?" The clerk asked.
"Yes?" Toivo answered on Ella's behalf confusedly.
Ella paid in cash the amount that was on the screen and then walked out casually and normally. Toivo followed like he couldn't wait to get out.
"Why was that so difficult for you?" Ella asked outside.
"I've never bought anything! Do you expect me to know how to act like I belong when I've been kept in mostly one place for the past ten years?" Toivo asked back.
"I guess I shouldn't expect you to. Doesn't matter. You probably won't ever go back there again anyway."
"Yeah. But what time is it? The sun is already down." Toivo asked.
Ella looked at her wrist watch.
"Most places will close in an hour. I don't know when the police station closes its doors though." Ella said.
"Can't you just look from your phone?"
"I left it at home when we ran away."
"Of course."
"What? Are you blaming me?"
"No, that's not it. It's just that nothing goes right today. So where do we go for an hour?"
"You want some practise in acting normal?"
"No."
"I think you need it if you'll be running and hiding. Let's go to the supermarket to just pretend like we're buying things for the hour. We'd be already near the station by the time we have to leave."
"There's more people there than anywhere in this town! Somebody would recognize me for sure!"
"Not if you act normal." Ella said with faith in her friend.
"You're going to go alone if I don't follow you, aren't you?"
"Would you rather stand here right outside the station ready to be seen as soon as the rest of the people come out of there?"
"Well, no."
"Exactly. And we need to waste time anyway. So let's go." Ella said and made her way in through the sliding doors.
Right at the entrance was a security camera which Ella saw but ignored. Toivo walked past it looking visibly nervous.
"So is this where your dad always buys... Bought my family the garbage that we eat?" Toivo asked.
"Yep. And the food that we eat he buys from that bike shop." Ella answered.
"And that's the only place where you can get food that doesn't have this ugly logo?"
"Well, not the only place but the closest and cheapest place."
"I see. Ugh. They have an entire shelf of those drinkable breakfasts that have been bursting out of my ears for years now."
"Let's just pretend like we're looking for something and waste this hour that way before this place closes." Ella said and looked at a shelf.
"This is the coffee that dad always sells on the other side of the gulf. He sells them the worst quality stuff but tells them that it's the best stuff. He doesn't drink coffee himself but I do. I learned it from my mother, but dad never buys the good stuff just for me. For her he did. For me he buys this same stuff." Ella said.
"What a story." Toivo said sarcastically.
"Well, hey! Was that not interesting? I don't talk about my mother very often."
"I'm sorry. I like it when I get to know more about you."
"Apology accepted. I should buy the good coffee now that I can."
"How much money do you even have?"
"A lot. I took some from the bike shop's cash register after you were kicked out."
"When did you get the chance to do that?"
"The dog got out of hand again and the owner was distracted."
"I didn't know you had it in you. To just take from somebody like that."
"After he kicked you out, he deserved it."
"So that's how you see things."
"So now I'll get myself some good coffee with his money. And I'll share it with you just to make him pay back to you."
"How nice. Where would you even boil it?"
"Somewhere. Can't be hard to find a place to heat some water. You want anything?"
"Where would you even carry any of it?"
"We'll get a bag."
"Would it really be a good idea to be carrying bags in our situation?"
"We won't take much." Ella said.
"Shouldn't we save the money for something that could be needed later?" Toivo asked.
"Like what?" Ella asked back.
"Like bus tickets out of here once I've freed my family."
"That's actually a very good idea. So it really is like this? You're going away with your family?" Ella asked.
"What else can I do? But I can only do that if you pay for our tickets."
"Of course I'd do that. I don't know how much a ticket out of here costs, but I'll save all of this money for your tickets." Ella said sincerely.
"I'd appreciate that, and I'd never forget your help. I'd never forget all of the help that you've been over the years." Toivo said equally sincerely.
"But we shouldn't talk about that here. Let's just act normal." Ella said after noticing some tired cleaner mopping the floor.
The two of them walked along the aisle and pretended to look at the places until Toivo thought of a question.
"So what are you going to do? Are you going to turn yourself in and face your punishment and get it all over with. I'd suggest that." Toivo said to Ella.
"My dad was being accused of hiding "disease carriers" and I've been with you as you assault officers. If they got me, they wouldn't just let me go after a night in jail. They'd keep me there until they get some answers. I'll have to run away too now, thanks to all of this."
"Maybe you can come with us on a bus out of here if you can afford the ticket?"
"That'd be five tickets. There's no way this money is enough for that. I'll let you all go and then I'll figure it out myself. I at least know this little town somehow." Ella assured.
"Do we even know when the next bus out of the town leaves?"
"One leaves the town every morning and comes back in the evening. So we'll need to hide your family somewhere tonight."
"Hmm. When me and Three and Sampo went for that town run, somebody let us hide in a cellar. Maybe she'd let us stay there for one more night. We behaved well."
"Even Sampo?" Ella asked.
Toivo laughed a little and didn't answer.
"So I think we have a pretty good plan now. I'll bust them out tonight, then we'll hide the night, and in the morning we'll get in the bus and get out of here." Toivo said.
"That sounds like the best idea."
"So in the morning it's time to say Goodbye." Toivo said somberly.
"I guess it is."
"It's been nice."
"So it has." Ella said somberly.
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xhVBfyuzh
The two of them spent the rest of the hour walking around in the supermarket looking at shelves with no intention to buy anything while avoiding looking at cameras or other people. Once it was five minutes before closing time, they heard an announcement that said so.
"Time to go. The station better be empty and dark by now." Toivo said and started walking faster, but he didn't know where.
"Just follow me." Ella said and went to the cash registers and just walked past them without looking at anyone, and Toivo did likewise.
Outside the store the town square was quiet, aside from a group of middle aged men and women who were acting intoxicated. The lights on the police station were off.
"Yes. Now it's time to do it!" Toivo said right outside the store.
"Let's not waste time then."
"So you really want to help too?" Toivo asked.
"I'll give any help I can. Like I promised." Ella said.
"Well, let's go then." Toivo said with a little bit of fear in him.
They walked straight across the town square and made their way straight to the steps of the police station and climbed them up. Toivo tried to open the door and found that it was locked.
"It's all dark inside. The door is locked. Guess I'll just go in." Toivo said and looked back at Ella in case she had any ideas.
"So do you just break in?" Ella asked.
"I guess I have to."
"Are there alarms?"
"There were earlier. I don't know if the door has any."
"Do it then. Break the lock." Ella said.
Toivo looked at the lock of the door and focused on it. The lock shattered, but that didn't open the door.
"Huh. That works in the movies." Ella said a little surprised.
Toivo then shattered the hinges of the door quietly.
"Oh, I guess that works. Don't let the door fall. Place it down gently." Ella said.
The door almost fell on Toivo but Ella came to help and they placed the door down in a leaning position against a wall.
"That was easier than I expected. So. Let's just go in." Toivo said and stepped in.
There was a reception desk and some doors that were closed. At the very back was a jail cell but it only had some some lonely drunk inside.
"Did you come to get me out?" The drunk shouted.
"Why is it so cold here all of a sudden?" Somebody shouted from the other side of a closed wooden door and then came out of an office room.
The light of monitors shone from the office where this security guard came from and the security guard just looked at Toivo and Ella.
"Uhh. Hello, sir. We came here to ask something but the door was locked." Ella explained and acted polite.
"It was locked for a reason. Did you just remove it? You'll have to pay for that."
"We'll compensate for all the damages. But we also really need something." Ella said back.
"Ugh. I just wanted to sleep in my office and now I have to deal with this. What is it that you want? You simply being here is a crime, so this better be something urgent." The guard complained.
"Are there more people jailed here than just this gentleman here?" Ella asked.
"No. He's the only one jailed here."
"Oh. Because we would like to speak with some friends of ours who were arrested earlier."
"What are their names?" The guard asked and sighed.
"Actually, let me just ask another question. Where are detained refugees from the no-contact zone held?" Toivo added.
"What? Well, not here! The location of the detainment facility is not for me or anyone who works in this station to know. And especially not for you!"
"Well, who does know then?" Toivo asked.
"What am I talking about? There is no detainment facility or a refugee crisis." The guard said.
"Ella, can I scare him a little?"
"You can scare him but don't hurt him." Ella said and meant it.
Toivo focused on one of the wooden doors and made it snap in half from the middle.
"What was that? Who did that?" The security guard said and pulled out his pistol.
The pistol then shattered too. Another door was blown into pieces and splinters flew in all directions.
"Tell me. Where are they?" Toivo threatened.
"Who? I said that it's not for us to know!" The guard replied and was scared.
"Then who do I need to ask?" Toivo asked another angry question and made the guard's glasses shatter.
"How am I supposed to even know that? We don't deal with the disease carriers here. That whole operation is handled by the central police. We locals don't deal with that!"
"And how do I say Hello to the central police?"
"They don't just answer to anyone. They only talk with people who have that privilege. And if you think they'll tell you the location of anything, then keep hoping."
"Guess I'll have to go get it out of them one way or another. But where?" Toivo asked and made a ceiling lamp shatter.
"They're located all the way down in Stockholm." Ella answered on behalf of the guard who nodded.
"So that's where I'll go. And from there to wherever my family is held." Toivo said and turned around to leave.
"You're really just going to go to the central police thinking you can scare them into giving you answers? Even if you find out where your family is, you'll be stopped before you get anywhere near them!" Ella said to Toivo from behind and then caught up with him when they were both at the top of the steps outside the entrance of the police station.
"You think I'll just let them keep my family?" Toivo asked back.
"Well, I guess not."
"Exactly. So since you have enough for a bus ticket, are you still willing to use it?"
"I'm not sure anymore."
"You were earlier."
"That's because I assumed that it's only for running away. Now you're determined to basically fight the government and it's not going to end well for you."
"You know that if I can't get a ride there, I'll just walk there." Toivo said with determination and Ella felt conflicted.
The conversation was rudely interrupted by a shove from behind that sent Toivo and Ella falling down the steps. Upon first impact Toivo hit his teeth on a step and then rolled the rest of the way down on his sides. Ella was spared such an impact as she wasn't facing the steps when she was pushed. At the bottom of the steps Toivo was holding his mouth in pain and Ella was holding her ribs, both of them laying on the ground. The security guard ran down the stairs and put Toivo in handcuffs and positioned him on his stomach. Toivo was too disoriented to resist. The security guard then gave the same treatment to Ella too.
"Requesting some extra hands to the station. Attempted break in and lots of damage. Two people arrested. What? What do you mean you down't want to come?" The security guard said into his phone.
He kept his foot on Toivo, preventing him from flipping over. Toivo didn't see the guard while he was being pinned down on the ground. He could only raise his head and look ahead.
"I don't know what you just did back there but that's going to cost you a lot. You're under arrest for breaking and entering, destruction of government property and illegal threats." The guard said to the two on the ground.
"I guess it's over then." Ella said looking at Toivo.
"Not for me. Wherever they put me, I'll just break out." Toivo said back and spat out a tooth.
"Plotting an escape is a crime so I'll be adding that to your sheet as well." The guard stated.
He then turned his head to Ella when he heard her surprised gasp.
"Wise man!" Ella shouted and looked ahead of her.
She saw the scarred mastiff that she and Toivo walked earlier coming towards them. The guard was confused by this.
"Why is it coming towards me?" Toivo wondered out loud and got nervous when he saw that the dog was coming directly at him.
"Stop! Halt!" The guard yelled at the dog and put his hand up but the dog didn't care.
It got to Toivo on the ground and put its snot in Toivo pocket.
"Agh! What are you doing? Get this dog off me!" Toivo shouted with fear.
The dog started digging up the can of air spray that Toivo had put in his pocket earlier. The security guard got his foot off Toivo's back and started shooshing the dog away with his foot before it got the can. Toivo realised the opportunity and flipped over on his back. He focused on the phone that was still on the guard's hand and destroyed it. He then focused on the cuffs around Ella's wrists and shattered them too, breaking her free. When the guard noticed that Ella was getting up, he went to tackle her again. Toivo then focused on the remaining intact window of the station and made it shatter, triggering the alarm. The sound of the alarm distracted the guard while he was running towards Ella. Ella then shoved the guard to the side so that the guard accidentally kicked the mastiff. The mastiff then bit the guard's shin and made him scream in pain.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Ella said.
"Get in here, Ella! Get me up!" Toivo shouted at Ella who did as told and got Toivo up in a difficult manner.
"Let's get out of here!" Toivo said to Ella and was ready to run.
Ella saw the guard punch the dog in the face to make it let go of his shin. It made Ella hesitant to run. The guard then put his hands around the dog's neck and Ella had to intervene. She went to pry the guard's hands away from the dog's neck but the guard wouldn't let go.
"What are you doing, Ella?" Toivo shouted when he turned around to look at what Ella was doing.
"He's hurting the wise man! You have to help with this!" She shouted back.
"That's a little hard with these cuffs on!"
"Do what you can then!" Ella commanded.
Toivo figured he had no choice but to break the promise not to hurt anyone. He focused on the security guard's elbow and shattered the elbow joint, making the guard scream in pain and let go of the dog. Ella was freaked out by the sound of the elbow joint shattering, and then let go of the guard herself.
"Now let's go already!" Toivo shouted at Ella, who then ran along with Toivo out of the scene.
"Thank you, wise man!" Ella shouted behind her as she saw the dog running away after the guard let go of it.
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡph1tdM25AP
Ella made sure to stay running behind Toivo even if she didn't know where he was going. They had already gotten into the suburban street and were now running under the streetlights.
"Where are we running?" Ella asked exhaustedly.
"The place I mentioned earlier." Toivo replied and kept running.
"Hold on. No one is even pursuing us." Ella noticed.
"Or at least so we think." Toivo replied.
"What?" Ella asked and stopped.
"Huh. You're right. It's completely silent. So this would be a good time to get rid of these handcuffs." Toivo said and also stopped.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69EZfZZuBC
"Yes. Definitely. But how? Can you use your super power thing to get rid of them?" Ella asked.
"I'd have to look at them. But they're behind my back and I can't see them."
"That's bad. Maybe we need some kind of an object." Ella guessed.
"Well, do you have any sort of a useful object?"
"I don't. But hey, look! There's some rocks on that front yard around that flowerbed. Maybe I can smash the cuffs with one of them." Ella said and pointed to where she was looking.
She snuck into the front yard and Toivo followed.
"Okay. How do we do this? How do I smash the cuffs without hitting your hands?" Ella wondered.
"I don't know. Maybe like this." Toivo said and knelt down next to the flowerbed and laid his hands on a rock so that the chain of the handcuffs was on one of the rocks.
"Right. I'll try to aim well." Ella said and took a rock to use.
She raised the rock and got ready to smash the chain with it. She swung the rock down but stopped before it could connect with anything. Toivo closed his eyes, tensed his muscles and winced, expecting a rock to hit his hands, but when he felt nothing, he turned his head to Ella.
"Well?" He asked.
"I couldn't do it. I saw that I was about to hit your hand. Sorry. I'll try again." Ella said.
She then raised the rock again and swung it down again. She connected perfectly with the chain, crushing it between the two rocks. The chain was not damaged at all.
"I did it! Wait. No, I didn't." Ella said.
"Do it again."
"Okay. Here it comes." Ella said and smashed the rock into the cuffs again.
The cuffs were still completey fine.
"These cuffs are tough!" Ella said.
"This clearly won't work. Let's try something else." Toivo added.
"Hold on. Are we stupid? Toivo, how flexible are you?" Ella asked.
"Why is that relevant now?"
"Just stand up, crouch and lower your hands until you can look at the cuffs from between your legs." Ella suggested.
"Like this?" Toivo said and then did as told, managing to use his ability to break the cuffs that way.
"Yes! There you go! Now to that place you mentioned. Why do you look so worried?" Ella said with excitement that turned into worry when she saw Toivo's expression.
"You told me to hurt that man. Why?" Toivo asked Ella.
"Didn't you see? He was choking the wise man. I couldn't let him do that!"
"Why did that dog even show up? It tried to take this bottle out of my pocket but couldn't get it."
"You took that from the bike shop didn't you? I don't remember you having it before. It probably had the owner's smell on it."
"But how did the dog get out of the bike shop?"
"Well, the owner was pretty mad at the wise man. I hope he didn't kick him out, but he may have." Ella theorized.
"Well, I hope the wise man will be fine."
"He will be. He's survived worse. You can see it in his face." Ella stated.
"But anyway. I think the place where me and the others hid that one night is right here. Wait a moment. It's this exact house, I think! No way! I hope we'll be let in this time." Toivo said and went around the house and into the back yard where there was a familiar door.
The door had cracks near where Toivo broke the door the time he and 32A and Sampo broke into that cellar.
"This has to be the same one. But we shouldn't break in. The resident of the house was very kind when she let us hide. She may not be as kind if I forcefully break in again. Let's knock on the door. If this is the wrong house, we'll run." Toivo said to Ella behind him.
They went to the front yard where they both stood by the front door. Toivo took some heavy breaths and prepared to ring the doorbell.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
