At half past 5 in the morning, the alarm clock rang in the middle of the basement. Sampo and Toivo woke up grumpy, not being used to waking up this early on most mornings. Elias in his hungover state suffered from the noise.
"Shut your mouth! Ahh!" Elias whimpered.
Sampo got up from his bunk and smacked the alarm clock.
"Right, Toivo. Time to get to work. I'll go get the boat. You have the keys?" Sampo said to Toivo who was getting up as well.
Toivo tossed the keys to Sampo and got dressed. They both climbed the stairs out of the basement and went to put their winter clothes on in the lobby.
"We got the boat pretty late last night. You probably didn't get a chance to load our merchandise in it yet." Toivo said.
"I didn't. I'll go load the fuel cans onto the boat and you'll break the ice if there is any. Is Three coming?" Sampo replied and asked.
"I don't think she is. She sounded pretty sure yesterday." Toivo said back.
"Well, that's her loss. Let's get started." Sampo said and opened the front door.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdYqqlDvID
Outside was dark and windy. Sampo retrieved the wheelbarrow from behind the house and the two of them made their way to the boat that was docked by the neighbours' house. Some of the ice on the shore had frozen and Toivo started breaking it as Sampo started carrying the fuel cans into the boat.
"You know, Toivo boy. I didn't realise it in this cold, but I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything since coming home yesterday." Sampo said while doing his work.
"Why did you have to mention that? Now I noticed that I'm starving too." Toivo said back.
"Can you somehow telepathically tell your sister to bring some of that bottled poison here?" Sampo asked jokingly.
"I don't really have that kind of ability." Toivo said back.
"You don't need such an ability. You always forget to eat and I've learned that." 32A shouted from behind the two, and threw a backpack into the boat.
"Wait up!" Ella's voice could be heard coming from another direction.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqnalKDadF
Toivo stopped breaking the ice immediately.
"Why are you up so early?" Sampo asked while already standing in back of the boat.
"I remembered something and I needed to give it you before you go, so I made sure to wake up early too." Ella said and got closer.
She took a hunting shotgun from her back and handed it to Toivo.
"You think we'll need this out there?" Toivo asked.
"Dad always brings it on his trips there and he always comes back in one piece. So yes, you might need it." Ella said back.
"Some extra protection is never a bad thing. Though I don't think Toivo is the one who needs it the most." Sampo said.
"Because he's stronger than you, as we saw yesterday?" Ella asked Sampo with some jest.
"Uhh. Yeah. That's why. So I might need it more." Sampo said.
Ella just tossed the shotgun to Sampo who barely caught it.
"Careful with these things!" Sampo shouted firmly to Ella.
"Sorry." Ella just said quietly and felt stupid.
"I'm sure nothing too bad would have happened." 32A said, having confidence in her ability to heal and repair.
"What did I say yesterday about confidence being dangerous?" Ella asked 32A.
"Confidence is the reason I've made it this far in life. But the clock is getting near 6 so we should get this boat started. Anyone who wants a cut, get in now!" Sampo said.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gZFkHqmaa
32A and Toivo climbed in the boat.
"So you're coming after all?" Toivo asked 32A.
"I don't have faith in you. You might need my help." 32A answered.
"And what about you, Ella? Last chance." Toivo asked Ella who was still on the dock.
"I can't. I'm needed here, like I said." Ella said back.
"I can share my cut with you then." Toivo said.
"That's nice but you don't have to. I'll see you in the evening." Ella said back to him.
Sampo started the boat and got it moving. 32A sat in the cockpit where it was warmer. Toivo stayed in the back of the boat to wave at Ella who stayed standing in the shore waving back.
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After the shore was no longer visible, Toivo joined the others inside the cockpit.
"A little nicer than the first time we crossed this gulf. It's nice when the wind doesn't blow right in your face." Sampo said.
"I wonder if our land of birth has gotten any nicer since then." 32A said.
"Well at least the coastal people seem to behave well, since our neighbours never return with any new holes in their bodies. And you told us that the New Tower was collapsing, so that's good." Toivo answered.
"I may have had a part in causing that." Sampo added, remembering the peace day parade.
"Yes, you've told us. Many many times." 32A said to Sampo.
"It's worth repeating." Sampo said smugly.
"But even if the New Tower isn't around anymore, that doesn't mean that bad people aren't around." 32A said, remembering the slave traders.
"Trust me, I know that too. We don't know if the rotten state in the northern part of the land is still standing." Sampo said.
"You think that all states are rotten." Toivo replied.
"Can you disagree? We've lived in the Swedish member state of United Nation for ten years now and every time I go to a civilized town, I want to return to the seashore instantly to escape the horror. The authorities want to send us into a camp, and they've done that already to many people who fled the so called "no-contact zone" so I think my views are pretty warranted." Sampo explained.
"I've never been in the town so I can't say." Toivo answered.
"I'll send you for a town run at some point so you'll see." Sampo said.
"I've been asking to go for a town run for a couple of years now but Aino always tells me that I shouldn't." 32A added.
"That's because she's done them too and almost got caught. She doesn't have much faith in you two." Sampo replied.
"After today she might have." Toivo added.
"I'm not worried for your safety at all. On a town run Toivo can just destroy anyone who tries to stop him." Sampo said and chuckled.
"But I wouldn't do it." Toivo said back.
"That would just start an investigation that eventually leads them to us." 32A added.
"That is true." Sampo said.
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After hours on the waters, land finally became visible and everybody had already woken up properly and gotten bored on the boat and ready to touch land already.
"Looks like we're there." Sampo said.
"Finally! But are you sure if this is even the right place?" 32A asked.
"Well the coordinates that I see on the screen seem to be close to the coordinates of our destination. Just a little north of here and we're there." Sampo said back.
And so the boat headed to the correct coordinates where there was an army colored cargo truck waiting on a snowy shore with thick forest behind the truck. The sight of it was not pleasant for anyone.
"Ugh. Are we dealing with soldiers? Have our neighbors been enriching this army this whole time?" Sampo said while slowing down the boat.
He stopped the boat and told Toivo to break some of the ice by the shore so the boat could dock closer to land, so that's what Toivo did and the boat was docked right by the shore where everybody jumped down from the boat and hit the ground.
"Anybody there?" Sampo hollered to the truck where nobody was on the wheel.
"No!" A voice shouted from behind the truck.
"Okay. Later then!" Sampo shouted back.
"Wait!" The voice replied as a skinny and frail looking bald man in a padded jacket came from behind the truck, closing the zipper of his jeans.
"Are you the customer?" Sampo shouted at the man.
"Well, I am today. So what do you have?" The man asked.
"I think I have something that you might like. Especially being a vehicle man. Get the cans, you two!" Sampo said to the customer and then commanded the twins, who did as told.
"How did you know I have a vehicle?" The customer asked and Sampo looked at him a little oddly.
"Is that truck yours?" Sampo asked back.
"Of course it's mine."
"And do you have your goods in there?"
"Where else would they be?"
"Well, can I see them?"
"I'm not sure if you see them from over there."
"Well, can I come look?"
"You can."
"Thank you." Sampo said and started walking towards the truck.
Both the twins caught up with him, each carrying four cans of fuel and struggling greatly. The three of them followed the buyer to the back of the truck and saw what was inside.
"What the Hell?" Sampo shouted when he saw the tied up people in the cargo space, and then pulled the shotgun from his back and pointed the shotgun at the customer.
"Are you the regular customer of the Nyman boys?" Sampo asked, referring to his neighbors.
"Who? Are you any of my regular customers?" The customer asked back.
32A dropped everything she was carrying and grabbed the customer by the collar.
"Do you trade humans? Do you have a customer who has a large brown beard and a fur hat?" 32A questioned the customer furiously.
"I know that guy. This is the first time I'm trading in these parts. You want any? I could give you two slaves for each can that you have." The customer replied with wide eyes.
"Who is he? Where does he live?" 32A asked angrily.
"We do our deals pretty far from here. You're not seeing him. He's my customer."
"We'll give you all these cans if you take me to him." 32A said seriously.
"Well, hey now! Don't make deals on my behalf, girl. Who did you get these people from, ball head?" Sampo intercepted and asked the customer.
"I found them." The customer answered.
"And what does your favourite customer give you for these people?"
"Things that can't be found in these lands. Coffee and cigarettes and other things. He buys those things from people who come from the sea." The customer answered.
"Does he ever buy here?" 32A asked.
"I've never seen him in these parts." The customer answered.
"So our neighbors aren't fueling slave trade. That's good at least." Toivo added.
"We could just kill you and let your prisoners go." Sampo said.
"Then you'd never find your man." The customer argued.
"We can't let this guy keep doing what he's doing. Let's just kill him." Sampo said.
"Only he knows the location of who I came here to look for." 32A said back.
"Sampo, you have a pretty good persuasion device in your hands." Toivo pointed out.
"That's right. You tell us the location of your customer or your head will become a jigsaw puzzle." 32A threatened.
"You wouldn't do it. Didn't I just say that you'd never find your man? The only way you'll find him, is if you give me what I want." The customer said back.
Toivo focused on the rope that was around the arms of one of the prisoners and destroyed the rope. The prisoner looked shocked for a few moments but after looking at the situation that was happening, the freed prisoner decided to run away.
"Hey, what the Hell?" The customer shouted.
"Your merchandise will keep escaping until you tell us where your customer is." Toivo threatened.
"Yeah, right!" The customer said and struck 32A in the forehead with his own forehead.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19QAoiP8pc
32A let go of him and the customer grabbed her in a choke hold and used her as a human shield.
"Do anything stupid and her neck will snap like a twig. She's my merchandise now. You two will get on your boat and you will leave your fuel cans here and then you'll go back where you came from and never return." The customer said maniacally.
"Well, that's not happening." Sampo said back.
"Oh, yes it is. If you don't do exactly what I just told, your girl is dead." The customer said and sounded like he meant it.
32A looked at Toivo as to signal what has to be done. Toivo didn't feel too conflicted. This was a situation where using his ability to harm someone was the only option. The customer's bald skull was the only part that Toivo could see well, and Toivo didn't want to risk waiting for another part to come visible. He blew a hole in the customer's skull, and the customer let go of 32A and fell down on the ground dead. Both Toivo and Sampo immediately got close to 32A.
"Did that bastard hurt you?" Sampo asked.
"He threatened to kill me. I knew I shouldn't have come here." 32A simply said back while being visibly shook by what happened.
"I think this is our last trip here. If it's like this here, we have no business here." Sampo said.
Toivo didn't say anything, as he was processing him knowingly ending someone's life.
"Toivo, you look shook." Sampo said to Toivo.
"I killed a person." Toivo said to himself.
"That guy was filth. The world is a better place without him." Sampo said back.
"I know. But if it's that easy to just kill someone, it doesn't feel right to use that ability, no matter who it's on." Toivo said back.
Both 32A and Sampo knew that they couldn't know what that's like, so neither argued.
"Well. We won't find this guy's customer now. Let's at least free his prisoners." 32A said disappointedly after getting her head together.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AltqGZXfM
She climbed into the cargo where the prisoners are and untied the first prisoner who didn't even notice being free until the rope was off.
"Huh. What? Who?" The prisoner asked.
"You're free now." 32A said to the prisoner.
"Where even am I and where do I go? Can I come with you?" The prisoner asked.
32A looked at Sampo.
"If we took all of you, we would go over the boat's weight limit." Sampo said back.
"Then can we at least give these people something?" 32A asked.
"What can we give?" Sampo asked back.
"Well. They can have this truck. And maybe if we feel generous, we can let them have some fuel." 32A suggested.
Sampo pondered for a second.
"Sure. Let them have it all. I don't want to come back here if this is what it's like here. I have no use for that fuel then." Sampo said and searched the pocket of the slave trader on the ground and found some keys.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1A9TDRaDb
He tossed the keys into the cargo space and then put the fuel cans in the cargo space as well.
"I'll free you all, and then you'll take this truck and go far away from these dangerous parts. And I beg you, stick together." 32A said to the freed prisoner and then untied the other ones too.
Sampo took the dead slave trader's jacket, to get at least something from this trip.
"Even if it's not valuable, somebody could use it. Who knows?" Sampo said and made his way back to the boat and the twins followed.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmeHToraH5
Both were worried about the other for what they just experienced.
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At the ride back home the mood in the boat's cockpit was sour due to the unfruitful trade trip.
"That was a bit of a wasted trip, but at least those people got their freedom, so I can't be angry." Sampo stated while holding the wheel.
"And now we know that the bastard who took Ilona from me is somewhere out there." 32A added.
"And that means that Ilona might be there too." Toivo added as well.
"And I'd go there to find her if I had any kind of a clue about her location." 32A replied.
"That's a problem for another day but now we have to tell our neighbors some bad news when we get home. They're not getting their cut and we'll have to explain that somehow." Sampo said.
"We'll just tell them that the cans fell in the sea." 32A suggested.
"That's a good explanation. Also explains why we came back so quickly." Sampo replied and focused on controlling the boat for the rest of the trip.
The boat trip went without trouble and after some hours they arrived back at the home dock where they tied the boat to the dock and went to knock on their neighbors' door empty handed. Ella was on the roof of the house getting the snow down from there when she saw and heard the others coming.
"You came sooner than I expected!" She shouted from the roof.
"We had to. Our merchandise fell in the water and sank." Sampo shouted back.
"Oh no. That was supposed to be your big payday." Ella replied.
"Eh. More will come. We'll go back there some day." 32A said.
"By "We" you mean you and Toivo? I'm done with that place." Sampo said.
"I'll go there alone if he doesn't want to come. Even if it gets painful." 32A replied.
"What are you talking about again?" Ella shouted at them, not understanding them.
"Just thinking what we'll say to your dad. He won't be happy." 32A shouted back.
Sampo knocked at the front door and they all prepared to have an awkward talk. Ella's father opened the door and saw them standing there empty handed.
"So what did you bring home and how much is my cut?" He asked.
"Haha, yeah. All of the merchandise fell in the sea so you're not getting a cut. Sorry." Sampo explained with an awkward grin.
"So I let you use my boat and waste my boat's fuel for nothing? Do you know how hard it was to get that fuel? You'll have to get some back so we're even." The big man said angrily.
"We can do that. We'll go go steal from the town." 32A said with no hesitation.
"What?" Toivo asked.
"We wanted to go for a town run. Here's a chance." 32A said straightly.
"I guess we'll have to then." Toivo said back.
"And I should probably come with you because I know the place better than you. It's getting dark already. It'll take one hour for us to walk there. By the time we get there, most people will be home from work and that's when the police come to the streets with their cars. You two distract the cops in the car and I empty their tank." Sampo said to the twins.
"Is that how you did it with Elias with the buses?" Toivo asked.
"No, but that's how I did it as a kid with my friends." Sampo answered.
"Well, let's go then!" Toivo said and was ready to go.
"But first. We didn't come back entirely empty handed, Mister Nyman. We have this jacket." Sampo said to the big man of the neighbor and took the slave trader's jacket from his backpack and handed it over.
"You think this is enough? Where did you even get this?" Mister Nyman asked.
"We saw it floating in the water." 32A said without hesitation.
Mister Nyman shook the jacket and threw it in the ground.
"Rude." 32A commented.
"I don't want it." Mister Nyman said.
"Fine. But wait, what's that?" 32A said when she noticed some writing on the interior of the jacket.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3r9rh5fVa
She took the jacket from the ground and mumbled something, finishing with the words: "Between two rocks by the shore of the lake."
She then put the jacket down and looked at Toivo with wide eyes.
"What is it?" Toivo asked.
"It's directions to that fur hat bastard's house." 32A answered.
"Don't tell me." Toivo said back.
"We need that fuel. Let's go!" 32A said and started making her way out of the neighborhood area and into the main road, not even looking behind her to see if the others were following.
32A, Toivo and Sampo walked along the main road leading to the town under the black sky. 32A was still holding the jacket in her hands and reading the directions while walking. The main road had little traffic in this remote part of the country, so they only saw one car on their way there.
"So if those really are the directions to the man we want to find, we have another trip over the gulf in the future." Toivo said.
"I know these are the right directions. I remember perfectly that the man has a beachside house." 32A said with hope in her voice.
"He can't be the only one who has one." Sampo argued.
"We can't know if we don't go and see!" 32A said with desperation.
"So should we take some fuel for a new trip as well?" Toivo asked.
"If I have to, I'll take Nyman's boat without permission and apologize later. I'll swim over the gulf if I have to!" 32A said with conviction.
"Before we think about that, let's think about how we'll do this thing. You two can do things that I can't. And you're also faster and more nimble than me, so it has to be you who distract the cops. Don't use your powers unless you can make it look like an accident."
"So we distract them, then run away somewhere, and then find you. What if they catch us?" Toivo asked.
"Then you just break your handcuffs and maybe a couple of shin bones and run away. Let's hope you won't have to do that. As much as they deserve to have their shins broken, they shouldn't learn about your power." Sampo answered.
After walking for a little while longer, they saw the lights of the nearby small town and knew that they were there.
"Getting in requires a passport and you need to register so they can know how many people are in the town at all times. That's why we won't go through the main road. I have a hole in one of the fences that I use when we come here. Even some of the registered Swedish citizens in our community use it because entering the town so frequently without working there or buying anything would raise suspicion. Follow me." Sampo said and went astray from the main road leading into the town.
They walked in the knee deep snow towards the town for a while until they saw the fence made of thick vertical steel bars. Once at the fence, the hole was easy to find. There was a spot where three bars were missing, and where a person could fit through. They all went through the hole and were now in the town. The hole was in an area of small houses. They went to the main street of the neighborhood that was illuminated by street lights under the black winter sky.
"I always find the hole. Then I just go right in." Sampo said proudly.
"Which way from here?" Toivo asked Sampo who had been here before.
"Just follow me and we'll get there quickly." Sampo said back and got moving along the streets.
This was the first time that the twins had seen working street lights in their life, so the simple thing seemed strange to them. They followed Sampo anyway and they indeed got to the small town's center quickly. At the center of the town there was not much happening. The town's police station was on one end of the square and the supermarket was at the opposite end. Some young people were there in small groups loitering around the shops and bars and a police van was there keeping an eye on the groups.
"Okay. Here's how we do it. You smash that shop's window, the cops will chase you and I'll empty the tank." Sampo said to the twins.
"Where do we run to?" Toivo asked.
"You'll have to figure that out yourself." Sampo said and took a tiny hose and three empty bottles from his backpack, the same backpack that 32A threw in the boat in the morning.
"Let's do this then." 32A said and walked to the nearest shop window.
Toivo hit the window with his elbow. The window did not even crack and he just hurt his elbow. The two police officers in the van noticed this and straightened their backs. Toivo then decided to spare himself the pain and pretended to smash the window with his elbow when he broke it with his ability. The officers sprung out of the car and the twins rushed out. They ran past one group of young people that suddenly held onto the twins causing them to fall. The officers caught them and pressed their faces against the asphalt. Toivo tried to get a look at any part of the officer's body but couldn't even turn his head.
"What the Hell? When I was a kid, the youth were rebels. I can't stop now, I'm almost done." Sampo thought to himself while filling his bottle with fuel and then pulled the hose out of the fuel tank and then walked away as if he had done nothing.
The officers took the twins to the van and threw them in the back of the van. Sampo was looking from a distance and waited for the officers to get back in the van. He then came to the doors at the back of the van to get a look at the twins who were locked in there.
"What now?" Toivo asked Sampo and tried to keep his voice down.
Sampo knew that he couldn't say anything back or the officers would hear him. He wrote with his finger on the dusty window: "Break the doors and let's run." but he wrote it the right way round for him so for the twins the message was backwards. It took a few seconds for them to read it, and after that, both nodded. 32A glued her back to the back wall and Toivo focused on the hinges of the doors. The hinges fell and the doors fell on the asphalt. The twins sprung out of the van and ran with Sampo whose full backpack was swinging left to right as he ran. The officer on the passenger's seat looked at the side mirror and saw the three of them running away.
"They're escaping! Get them! Start the car!" One officer said to the other, who then started the car.
Starting the engine used up the remaining fuel in the car and the car didn't start. The driving officer cursed a little and then the other officer saw the fuel lid open. They figured out what had happened and sprung out of the car. They started chasing the fuel thieves on foot and were easily faster than them. The officers caught up worryingly quickly. Toivo knew that they couldn't outrun the officers. He focused on the streetlights above and broke them. This startled the officers for a second but then they got chasing them again. Toivo then broke and entire row of steetlights to make the entire street dark. The street was only illuminated by lights from surrounding buildings, but the officers could still see them.
"Toivo! We have no other options! Hurt them!" 32A said to Toivo, who without hesitation turned around and focused on the shins of both officers and broke them.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyyKKXkLLP
The officers landed nose first on the asphalt and couldn't stand up.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsSSh5Y5rD
After running for some time, the fuel thieves returned to the suburban neighborhood where it was quiet. The three of them stopped and breathed heavily.
"Right then. Where was the hole again?" Toivo asked.
"Finding the hole isn't always easy." Sampo said back.
"Did they hear what language we spoke when you told me to hurt them?" Toivo asked 32A with great worry.
32A didn't get to answer when they started hearing sirens coming from where they came from.
"Should have broken their radios." Sampo said.
"No time for that! Hide!" Toivo said and ran between two houses, with the others following.
They went into the back yard of some house, leaving footprints on the snow. The back yard had a stairway leading down to a cellar door. Toivo broke the lock of the door without hesitation and all three of them got in. The cellar was dark and the air was dry. There were cardboard boxes in all corners of the cold cellar where they all did their best to remain absolutely silent.
After waiting in the quiet cellar for a few minutes, they heard footsteps from the outside. The footsteps got louder and closer, and then they heard words.
"Somebody busted this door open. We know the fugitive can do that." The voice said.
"Who's in there?" Another voice came from the other side of the cellar and an old and wide woman came into the cellar from a different room.
"I believe someone who we're looking for may have come here. The footprints lead here and the cellar door is busted open." The voice of a new officer said.
The lady looked around the cellar and as she was turning her head and moving her eyes across the room, the three fuel thieves all tenced their muscles and were ready to spring up from their hiding place and run. They felt increasingly nervous and hoped desperately that she wouldn't notice them. That hope however was for nothing, as eventually the lady saw the three fuel thieves hiding behind a tower of boxes. They noticed that she saw them and all looked like they were feeling an axe on their neck.
"They were my footprints. And it was me who busted the door because I forgot my keys inside." The lady said to the officer.
"Are you absolutely sure?" The officer asked.
"I'm pretty damn sure because it just happened!" The lady answered with conviction.
The fuel thieves hiding behind the boxes were still too tense to even process what they just heard. The officer was quiet for a moment and looked around himself.
"Sorry for bothering you. Have a good evening and be careful when you go out." The officer said to the lady and walked out of the cellar through the busted door.
After the officer was firmly out of there and the car could be heard driving away, the lady looked straight at the fugitives hiding in her cellar.
"Who are you and why are you here?" The lady asked.
"We're hiding from the police." Toivo answered.
"I figured that out but why are you hiding from the police?"
"Wrongfully convicted." Sampo said, having said the same thing many times in the past in similar circumstances.
"Your accent. Where are you from?" The lady asked.
"From... Denmark." Sampo answered, struggling to remember the Swedish name of Denmark.
"You didn't remember your own country's name?"
"Not in this language."
"The name of Denmark is the same in Danish and Swedish. You're not being honest with me. I can call that officer back." The lady said.
"We're hiding from the cops because were stealing their fuel and they saw us! That's the truth!" Toivo admitted.
"I can understand that. Not everybody can get a licence to buy fuel." The lady said.
"Why did you let us hide here? Why did you not tell the officer about us?" 32A asked confusedly.
"The last time someone used my cellar to hide, I turned him in. I regretted that."
"Can I ask what happened?" Toivo asked.
"It was somebody coming from the no-contact zone. He used my cellar to hide from the police who were looking for him. I found him and told the police about him and I have no idea what happened to him. Later I heard that people from the no-contact zone are put in a special quarantine facility where they basically live in cells. I don't like these authorities after that. Simple as that."
"Do you feel sympathetic to the people who come from the no-contact zone?" 32A asked.
"I do and I don't. I understand that they're people too but I don't want them to bring their disease here." The lady answered.
"I understand completely." 32A said and chose not to educate the lady.
"How far away do you live? I assume pretty far if you're willing to take the risk to steal fuel from cops." The lady asked them.
"Why are you asking?" Sampo asked back.
"It's dark outside and the police are looking for you. You might need to stay here for the night." The lady answered.
"Would you be willing to let us? Can we trust you?" 32A asked.
"I could have told the police about you, but I didn't. Does that prove that you can trust me?" The lady asked.
"Do we trust her?" 32A asked Toivo and Sampo.
"Even if she didn't snitch on us, she might have her own sick plans for us. You never know with people." Sampo said.
"Look at her. Does she look like a sick serial killer or something?" Toivo asked back.
"As I said, you never know with people." Sampo answered.
"If I tried to sneak up on you, you'd hear it from far away." The lady said and chuckled.
"That's true. I guess we can feel safe here for one night." Sampo said back.
"Good. But you won't come into my house. You'll stay in this cellar." The lady said.
"That works. We're used to it." Toivo said back and nobody argued.
"But as payback, you'll have to fix that door that you busted." The lady said.
"I can do that easily." 32A said.
"Good. Don't run away before then or I'll call the cops." The lady said and left the cellar.
"What a day." Toivo said while standing on the cellar floor.
"It won't get easier tomorrow. Aino is probably worried about you two and she'll kill me for taking you on this trip." Sampo said.
"We'll tell her that it all went well." 32A said and laughed a little.
"She'll still kill me for making her go through it all." Sampo said back.
"Well that sounds like your problem then." Toivo said and also laughed.
"Well, I'm not looking forward to that then. But now I'm tired. We woke up early today and it's been a hell of a day. If I can sleep on this floor in the middle of these boxes, I'll see you tomorrow." Sampo said and leaned on a tower of boxes.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmimUc6Wbhe
Toivo and 32A stayed awake for a little while longer.
"So you want to go back to the Deadland?" Toivo asked.
"I do. And I intend to, because I have to." 32A answered.
"Then I'll come too. I also want to find Ilona."
"Then we'll go. Preferably soon. She's waited for me for ten years. Every day may count." 32A said.
"But we need be careful when we leave this cellar tomorrow so we should be fresh. Best to get some good sleep while we can." Toivo said.
"Yeah. But it's cold in here because of that broken door. Let me fix it first." 32A said and got up.
She walked to the busted door and put it in its place. She used her ability to get the door in the shape it was before. The cold didn't escape the cellar right away, and when 32A sat back down, the two others were already snoring. She then leaned on another tower of boxes and closed her eyes. She didn't have any drawings to look at before going to sleep and it made her uneasy. Before she had Toivo's drawings, she saw nightmares every night, and ever since getting the first one, she had looked at them every night and hadn't gotten nightmares since.
"Toivo." She whispered across the room, but heard no response.
"I don't want to fall asleep." She continued while feeling scared as if she was a child again.53Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡId8Ofizlja
She once again heard no response. She then remained quiet and closed her eyes, hoping that the night would be good.
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