Pulses of blue light across the bedroom ceiling.
Oskar is lying in bed with his hands behind his head.
Under his bed there are two cardboard boxes. There is money in one, masses of bills and two bottles of T-red, the other is filled with puzzles.
The box of clothes was left behind.
In order to conceal the boxes Oskar has placed his hockey game at an angle in front of them. Tomorrow he’ll carry them down into the basement, if he has the energy. His mum is watching TV, shouting out something about how their building is on the screen. But he only has to get up and go to the window to see the same thing, from another angle.
He threw the boxes from Eli’s balcony over to his own while it was still light, while Eli was washing himself. When he came out of the bathroom the wounds on his back had healed and he was slightly intoxicated from the alcohol in the blood.
They lay in bed together, held each other. Oskar told him what had happened in the subway.
‘I’m sorry,’ Eli said. ‘About starting this.’
‘No, it’s all right.’
Silence. For a long time. Then Eli asked, hesitantly, ‘Would you want to…become like me?’
‘No. I would like to be with you, but…’
‘No, of course you don’t. I understand.’
In the evening they finally stood up, put their clothes on. They were standing with their arms around each other in the living room when they heard the saw. The lock was being removed.
They ran to the balcony, jumped over the railing, landing fairly softly in the bushes below.
From inside the apartment they heard someone say, ‘What in the world…’
They curled up under the balcony. There was no time.
Eli turned his face to Oskar’s, said, ‘I…’
Closed his mouth. Then pressed a kiss on Oskar’s lips.
For a few seconds Oskar saw through Eli’s eyes. And what he saw was…himself. Only much better, more handsome, stronger than what he thought of himself. Seen with love.
For a few seconds.
Voices in the apartment next door.
The last thing Eli had done before they got up was remove the piece of paper with the Morse code. Now strange feet are clomping around in the room where Eli once lay and tapped on the wall to him.
Oskar holds his hand up against the wall.
‘Eli…’