ELLEN

8.10 P.M.

The heat was still palpable, even though it was evening. Ellen only had to run a few hundred metres before the sweat broke out all over her body. Through her earphones, she was playing the hit list at the loudest volume, right on the verge of making her ears hurt. She was trying to focus on the song lyrics so her thoughts wouldn’t rush off. Sometimes, she sang along with them. Loudly. No one would hear her anyway on these deserted roads.

It had been a long day. She needed to clear her head. Internet had called back and confirmed that the emails were sent from Culturum. The library. Could it have been that girl she’d run into there? But why would she have sent them? The word choice made it seem more likely that they had been written by an adult. She couldn’t make it all fit.

Ellen ran towards the gravel pit, alongside which there was a little beach. It was a long time since she’d been there. They used to bicycle there when they were little, even though they knew the gravel pit was a dangerous place to play. It could suddenly turn into a death trap if they fell and large quantities of gravel slid down and buried them.

She increased her pace and tried to wave off the flies and other insects that were hitting her face. Ran past the pigsty and the Scepter fuel tanks and marvelled at how she’d gotten used to the stench. Not a soul as far as the eye could see. The evening feeding was done. The farmhands that took care of the pigs had probably already gone to bed because they got up so early.

She left the settlement and ran onto the gravel road, past fields, and into the forest. Breathed in the air of dry forest and freshly mown hay.

A snake slithered across the road right in front of her. She was about to step on it and let out a yell. A little viper, the most poisonous kind. She tried stamping on the ground so that it would wriggle away. It was sluggish and seemed to be affected by the heat. It felt like it was staring at her. She waited until the viper had slithered away before she continued.

Now she was running even faster, but trying to keep track of the ground so as not to tread on anything, and wondering why it was that small snakes were the most dangerous.

Suddenly, she heard something. She slowed down and pulled her earphones out. Stopped and turned quickly around.

She let her eyes wander along the road and inspected the forest on either side. Ants were crawling up her leg, and she tried to brush them off and moved her feet.

Maybe it had just been a bird? Ellen got irritated with herself and felt silly to be jumping at the slightest little sound or movement. It was much too long since she’d been out in nature.

But then she heard something again. In the forest. It sounded like a branch breaking. It must have been a deer or a moose, Ellen thought, putting on the earphones again, but she’d only taken a few more steps when she heard something that sounded like a car. She slowed down and turned off the music, but left the earphones in. Looked around several times.

Then it happened quickly.

They were all bicycling around her, screaming and striking sticks on the ground. Their movements were fast and jerky.

Ellen tried to run away, but it was pointless; they chased her and soon caught up. Finally, she stopped and caught her breath, trying to think of how she could get them to calm down. She spun around. It was impossible to make out what they were screaming. They were egging each other on. Someone shoved her.

‘What are you doing? Stop that!’

They were everywhere. Children of all ages. Some she recognised from the churchyard. They cycled around her, screaming. It was still impossible to figure out what they were saying. They were incoherent sounds. It was as if they were governed by a rush of adrenaline, as she’d seen happen with demonstrators and soccer hooligans, not least in the news reports the last few days.

Panic was starting to grow. They were children, but with that many together, she wouldn’t have a chance. She tried to get out of the circle, but it didn’t work. And where would she go?

What were they capable of?

She got a shove on the back, or was kicked, and she fell down on the gravel, scraping her knee. ‘What the hell are you doing?’ She tried to conceal the terror in her voice and took out her phone. ‘I’m calling the police.’ It was a threat that she knew wouldn’t save her. It would take at least half an hour for the police to make their way there. In the best case.

They laughed and kept on screaming. They struck their sticks, on the ground and on the bikes, waved them in the air.

Ellen felt dizzy. Tried to stand, but couldn’t get up. Instead she felt yet another whack on her back.

It hurt so much. She wanted to cry, but resisted it. Bit her lip so hard she tasted blood.

Then she heard rumbling and saw two tuned-up mopeds come over the crest of the hill.

Straight towards her.

The other children moved and opened the circle. Yet again she tried to stand up.

‘No, stop!’ she screamed and reached out her hand.

But they accelerated and came closer. The screams got louder and louder around her.

Ellen closed her eyes.