Rebecka Lindahl-Martinsson

My name is Rebecka Lindahl-Martinsson. I write, all the time. This is a role play blog set in Ystad Sweden, being loosely tied to the Wallander fandom. This is a closed roleplay. The blog will sometimes be NSFW but I will strive to always put it under...

[jennyggggrrr]

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka looked at the officers, trying with all she had in her to shield all the things she didn't want to say.

If it had only been Magnus, if there had been time to explain to him alone, to get his opinion, to hear his perspective on the situation... because she trusted him, and she wasn't always trusting of police officers. There had been many she had dealings with that she most definitely didn't trust.

But she couldn't tell if these officers were that type, or the Magnus type.

If only she had been able to just tell Magnus alone.

Her eyes moved to him, the other officers noticed, and she hated that, but there was nothing to be done about it.

"I don't know," she started. "I am a journalist, from Stockholm, I've written a lot of things, about a lot of people. "

Rebecka held Magnus' gaze. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth.

She hoped it would be enough until she could confide in Magnus and figure things out on her own.

When she looked back at the officers, she made a half hearted, defeated shrug. "We are a long way from Stockholm," she said as lightly as she could. "Maybe it was just some kids."

She looked back at Magnus and then down to the ground.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," she said as Henry brushed against her legs and leaned into her, offering her some comfort in the moment. She smiled as she leaned down and pet the soggy dog.

The officers looked toward Magnus.

"We will do an extra patrol when we can, but we don't have the man power to leave someone here," they explained.

Rebecka didn't look up from the dog. She would be on her own, that's what they were saying. That is what they were telling Magnus.

"Thank you," Rebecka said quietly.

[detektivmartinsson]

"I'll be here," Magnus said, but he knew that there was something that Rebecka wasn't telling them.

Because she had been cautious, overly suspicious and anxious when she had thought she had seen someone. If it had just been kids then she wouldn't have cared as much, but it was almost as if she had been anticipating something much worse.

Rebecka Lindahl was certainly turning out to be a very mysterious figure.

But he couldn't protect her all the time.

He still had to go to work, still had his own obligations. It had been fine when the streets had flooded, there was no work to do, but now he had to catch up on everything that he had missed in the past few days.

And he couldn't do that in town.

"Maybe tomorrow," Magnus said. "I'm back to work, so a drive through might be a good option. The kids would be back at school as well so if it was anyone else."

The officers nodded, of course Magnus had always been a bit of a forward planner, he was very cautious. He had to be to have become a detektive at such a young age.

He turned to Rebecka.

"Is that okay with you?"

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka looked up at him from Henry. There were no words she could say that would adequately convey her gratitude to him. He had given her time and food and a distraction and now he was giving her an assurance that she mattered. Even if he didn't know the whole story, what she was going through mattered.

"Yes, tack," she said softly to him and then she looked to the other officers. "Tack," she said again this time to them.

The officers were looking at her and then back to Magnus, their heads completely still but only their eyes moving. There was something between these two. The officers could see it, they could feel it.

"Do you want us to walk you back to your house? We could do a final check..."

"No,"Rebecka snapped, her green eyes flashing wild for a split second. "No, I'll be fine. Tack."

The officers looked back to Magnus and nodded as they bowed out.

"I didn't know he had a girlfriend," one whispered as they got back to their car. "I didn't even know he dated."

They both shrugged and headed back to the station to fill out their report.

Rebecka closed the door behind them and turned to look at Magnus.

She opened her mouth to say something, but the words stuck in her throat. She swallowed and let out a deep sigh.

"Listen, you have been so wonderful, and I can't thank you enough and you deserve to know the truth but I can't..." she turned away from him, not able to look into his eyes when she had so much to say.

"I'm, I'm not, I'm not fine. I haven't been fine... and I don't think I could bear it if you..."

She inhaled a shaky breath.

"If you don't believe me."

She shook her head and walked into his kitchen. "I'm sorry, I need a glass of water or something..."

[celebswiki]

Amanda Seyfried

[rebeckalindahl]

spolisPlot Idea

Nowhere to Run

Magnus Martinsson has been living a double life for just a little bit too long.  He was the youngest detective on the force in Sweden and that caught the attention of the Swedish Secret Service.  For a few years he worked as both a detective and an agent, and then, duty called and he was forced to give up his day job and work solely for the Sakerhetspolisen.

After a particularly difficult mission, Martinsson was allowed to take a leave and go back to his home town for some much needed rest and relaxation.

While there, he meets and falls in love with a bright young author, Rebecka Lindahl, working on her next book in the idyllic countryside.

Three months later, Martinsson gets called back in, this time for a very important case, that could possibly be his last.

He and Rebecka break off their relationship, but they both promise to meet back up after his mission is over.  He can’t tell her anything about what he will be doing, for her own safety as well as his.  Magnus secretly wants to propose to her, but has to wait until he is finished with his mission and he can leave the secret service for good.

They break up publicly, but promise privately that they still belong to one another.

Magnus’ mission is scheduled to last 3-6 months, but it drags on, and in the 9th month of his mission, he is taken prisoner by one of the criminals he is trying to bring down.  The secret service can’t believe their luck and they instruct him to play along, to be the man the criminal think he is, Viktor Magnussson.

But the criminal is a smart man, and he knows there is something about Viktor Magnusson, something that he wants to find out what it is.

One day, after a particularly brutal ‘transaction’, the criminal visits Magnus in his recovery bed.

“I know about her… the blonde…spunky, beautiful… and I suspect, waiting for you somewhere…I wonder where?” he hissed.

Magnus pretends to sleep but all the while, inside, his worst fears are coming true.

“Still recovering, ah, I see… we’ll talk later…and then you can tell me all about…Rebecka Lindahl…”

The man pats Magnus chest just a little too hard and leaves.

As Magnus lays there, pretending to be asleep, his mind is racing.  He has to get word to Rebecka.   He finally lifts his head from the pillow.

 She has to run.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka looked at the officers, trying with all she had in her to shield all the things she didn't want to say.

If it had only been Magnus, if there had been time to explain to him alone, to get his opinion, to hear his perspective on the situation... because she trusted him, and she wasn't always trusting of police officers. There had been many she had dealings with that she most definitely didn't trust.

But she couldn't tell if these officers were that type, or the Magnus type.

If only she had been able to just tell Magnus alone.

Her eyes moved to him, the other officers noticed, and she hated that, but there was nothing to be done about it.

"I don't know," she started. "I am a journalist, from Stockholm, I've written a lot of things, about a lot of people. "

Rebecka held Magnus' gaze. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth.

She hoped it would be enough until she could confide in Magnus and figure things out on her own.

When she looked back at the officers, she made a half hearted, defeated shrug. "We are a long way from Stockholm," she said as lightly as she could. "Maybe it was just some kids."

She looked back at Magnus and then down to the ground.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," she said as Henry brushed against her legs and leaned into her, offering her some comfort in the moment. She smiled as she leaned down and pet the soggy dog.

The officers looked toward Magnus.

"We will do an extra patrol when we can, but we don't have the man power to leave someone here," they explained.

Rebecka didn't look up from the dog. She would be on her own, that's what they were saying. That is what they were telling Magnus.

"Thank you," Rebecka said quietly.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[detektivmartinsson]

Magnus didn't know what to make of what she was telling him. Didn't know what she meant when she told him these things, when she held onto him, when she worried about him.

"It's probably some kids," he said, but he knew that she was scared for a reason, and they weren't kids.

But he was a police detective, at least, he used to be, and a part of him still wanted to do something useful for someone, useful for her. Because she seemed different and maybe a little lost and a bit strange to be out here on her own, and yet the way she held him... it told more than she was probably willing to admit.

He locked the door behind him, made sure it was tightly shut before he made his way back over to her house.

He knew that if there had been someone in the house they would have seen him coming back, they would have seen him at the door, but if they were kids they would run off as soon as he headed over there, and if they weren't... they'd be watching him.

There was no point in being quiet, in acting like a police officer, it would be too suspicious, so Magnus began to whistle.

He played with his keys as he went over to the house, making his way around back, as it would be the best way to enter unnoticed if someone wanted to. His eyes took in the porch to see if there were any footsteps leading up. The ground was still relatively damp, still wet enough to create muddy footprints around if they got through the front door.

And if not, he would see them through the window, inside the house.

There was a slight glaze of footprints but Magnus didn't stop to look at them too closely, he headed straight for the back door, whistling as he-

BOOM

The door slammed open and Magnus was hit with the wooden frame as a person came rushing out. He lost his balance for a moment before he called out 'HEJ!' to the intruder and tried to chase after him.

The hit had hurt him more than he had thought and he lost sight of him as he ran between the houses and the woods.

But he'd seen him.

Magnus headed into the house and he grabbed the phone, making sure to call the police. Whoever they were they might think twice before coming back to the house, after all, they hadn't been expecting him, they'd been expecting...

Bec.

He headed back to the house and he locked the door behind him as he stepped inside, headed to the back room where he had told her to go with Henry.

He, of course, didn't really notice the smarting mark on the side of his face where the door had hit him, nor the mud that covered half of his side.

"Bec," he said, as he opened the door and he spotted her and the bubbly Henry, he let out a sigh of relief.

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka gasped and turned when she heard him, her soapy hands leaving Henry as she rushed to Magnus.

Her hands were mostly dry, wiped off on her pants, leaving hand shaped prints behind as she reached him.

Her hands moved up to his face and she held him as she looked at the mark forming.

"Oh god, are you..." she said as she pulled him in to hug her. It felt like her heart was beating out of her chest. She didn't care that the mud on his side was getting all over her clothes.

She pulled back from him, looking up at him. "You're okay, right... okay?"

Her cold hand touched near the red mark on his face.

"Are they gone?"

Henry hopped out of the tub and shook off near them, bubbles and wet dog smell flying through the air.

"Shit, shit," she said as she got Henry and put him back into the tub. "Let me rinse him off. I was... we were..."

She couldn't tell Magnus that she had been talking to Henry about Magnus, telling the dog how she didn't want anything to happen to him, holding back tears.

"Here," she said as she tried to clear her mind. "You dry Henry and I'll get a cold compress for you."

She threw the towel to Magnus and in a flash she was getting a wet cloth and coming back to Magnus, who was crouched down to dry Henry off. She lifted his chin to her and gently pressed the cloth to the red mark on his face.

"I'm so sorry Magnus," she said as she looked down at him.

[detektivmartinsson]

Magnus swallowed as he looked at her and then he cleared his throat and pulled away.

"It's okay, trust me, I've been through worse."

There was a sound of a police car coming down the road, sirens on. He knew that they only came in with the sirens because this was a small town and hardly anything exciting ever happened here. This would be the talk of the town, which would be good. They'd be able to get everyone more aware if there was a stranger.

But it would also reveal that Magnus and Rebecka - the new resident - were living together. He could lie, say that she was his sister coming down from Stockholm. He could say that they were lovers. He could say that she was just staying with him until she went back, or she had just been in the house for a small visit.

He didn't know.

He sighed and then he stood up to clean himself up as he looked at Rebecka.

"What do you want me to tell them?"

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka kept her eyes fixed on him even as he pulled away.

She had felt something, something she shouldn't have felt, something she didn't think she could feel.

The sound of the sirens in the distance brought her back and she turned and looked toward the window, toward the sound that was coming.

She wouldn't be hiding anymore.

Her eyes found his once again and she inhaled a deep breath.

"I..." she started, but the way he looked at her, the way he asked her the question made her pause. "I will talk to them. It's my... I'm the one..." she raised her hand to her forehead again. She could feel the fatigue from being sick underneath the adrenaline of the last hour.

It never crossed her mind how this might look, her being in his house, him helping her. It just seemed natural to her.

"Okay," she said as she turned and headed out of the bathroom and into the living room. She walked right to the door and opened it, waiting for the officers to make their way to her.

"Hej," she said as she forced a small smile. "Thank you for coming so quickly, please come in. There was someone in my house, Magnus went to check it out, but they ran away," she said as she stepped aside and let them into Magnus' house. When she turned she saw Magnus walk into the living room, Henry right behind him.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[detektivmartinsson]

Magnus didn't know what to make of what she was telling him. Didn't know what she meant when she told him these things, when she held onto him, when she worried about him.

"It's probably some kids," he said, but he knew that she was scared for a reason, and they weren't kids.

But he was a police detective, at least, he used to be, and a part of him still wanted to do something useful for someone, useful for her. Because she seemed different and maybe a little lost and a bit strange to be out here on her own, and yet the way she held him... it told more than she was probably willing to admit.

He locked the door behind him, made sure it was tightly shut before he made his way back over to her house.

He knew that if there had been someone in the house they would have seen him coming back, they would have seen him at the door, but if they were kids they would run off as soon as he headed over there, and if they weren't... they'd be watching him.

There was no point in being quiet, in acting like a police officer, it would be too suspicious, so Magnus began to whistle.

He played with his keys as he went over to the house, making his way around back, as it would be the best way to enter unnoticed if someone wanted to. His eyes took in the porch to see if there were any footsteps leading up. The ground was still relatively damp, still wet enough to create muddy footprints around if they got through the front door.

And if not, he would see them through the window, inside the house.

There was a slight glaze of footprints but Magnus didn't stop to look at them too closely, he headed straight for the back door, whistling as he-

BOOM

The door slammed open and Magnus was hit with the wooden frame as a person came rushing out. He lost his balance for a moment before he called out 'HEJ!' to the intruder and tried to chase after him.

The hit had hurt him more than he had thought and he lost sight of him as he ran between the houses and the woods.

But he'd seen him.

Magnus headed into the house and he grabbed the phone, making sure to call the police. Whoever they were they might think twice before coming back to the house, after all, they hadn't been expecting him, they'd been expecting...

Bec.

He headed back to the house and he locked the door behind him as he stepped inside, headed to the back room where he had told her to go with Henry.

He, of course, didn't really notice the smarting mark on the side of his face where the door had hit him, nor the mud that covered half of his side.

"Bec," he said, as he opened the door and he spotted her and the bubbly Henry, he let out a sigh of relief.

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka gasped and turned when she heard him, her soapy hands leaving Henry as she rushed to Magnus.

Her hands were mostly dry, wiped off on her pants, leaving hand shaped prints behind as she reached him.

Her hands moved up to his face and she held him as she looked at the mark forming.

"Oh god, are you..." she said as she pulled him in to hug her. It felt like her heart was beating out of her chest. She didn't care that the mud on his side was getting all over her clothes.

She pulled back from him, looking up at him. "You're okay, right... okay?"

Her cold hand touched near the red mark on his face.

"Are they gone?"

Henry hopped out of the tub and shook off near them, bubbles and wet dog smell flying through the air.

"Shit, shit," she said as she got Henry and put him back into the tub. "Let me rinse him off. I was... we were..."

She couldn't tell Magnus that she had been talking to Henry about Magnus, telling the dog how she didn't want anything to happen to him, holding back tears.

"Here," she said as she tried to clear her mind. "You dry Henry and I'll get a cold compress for you."

She threw the towel to Magnus and in a flash she was getting a wet cloth and coming back to Magnus, who was crouched down to dry Henry off. She lifted his chin to her and gently pressed the cloth to the red mark on his face.

"I'm so sorry Magnus," she said as she looked down at him.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[detektivmartinsson]

The ground was still damp but it was still morning and would dry as the day went on, still Magnus ran with caution, careful to not run over heavily mossy or wet patches lest he fall and hurt himself.

Henry would def need a wash.

The small dog's feet were now a muddy brown and his nose and ears too from where he had rolled his head in the mud to get a fly off. But he was happy running and trotting alongside Magnus as they made their way around the house and to a running track.

He'd already scouted the neighbourhood, seen the water lessen, checked his boat and was running back to the house with his breath hot in his chest, his throat taking in the cold air.

"Come on, nearly there," Magnus called out to Henry as the dog huffed and jumped up to the porch, breathing heavily as Magnus picked him up. "Well you will definitely need a bath little sir."

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka froze, unable to see anymore movement in the kitchen window.

She felt a cold dread as she held her breath and looked at the other windows in the small cabin.

Her body jolted when she heard Magnus on the porch calling to Henry. She whirled around and hurried to the porch, her green eyes wide with fear.

She opened the door and stammered as she saw him.

"Magnus... I...I... think there was someone in my house... I saw..." she whispered.

But had she? Or was she still feverish and sick?

She looked toward her house, her breath heavy in her lungs. Her hands moved to her mouth as she looked back at Magnus.

"I saw someone in the kitchen window. I'm sure I did..."

Her eyes pleaded with him to help her, to calm her, to tell her she wasn't in danger, because she very much felt like she was in danger.

[detektivmartinsson]

Magnus frowned instantly when he saw Rebecka.

He turned to the house where he could see it by the window and he frowned again. Rebecka was still sick, she could have been just feverish still, but Magnus was not the type to let idle things like this go.

"Okay," he said. "I'll go check it out but can you take Henry into the bathroom and set up the water for him?"

It was more of a distraction than an actual request. His police detective side rearing it's head as he thought to secure his own house before he didn't anything else.

"Bec?" he said as he handed Henry over to her. "Can you take care of him?"

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka looked down at the dog and for a moment she had the feeling that she should be the one to go over to the house. Magnus didn't know anything about what he might be getting in the middle of, and that wasn't fair. And it wasn't like Rebecka to allow that to happen.

Her hand reached out and she took the dogs lead, but she stepped closer to Magnus and put her other hand on Magnus' arm.

"They told me that no one would look for me. They told me I was safe and it wasn't my fault, but Magnus, these people... if they could do what I think they did... please, please..." she said as her voice softened and almost cracked.

Her eyes looked deeply into his.

"If it's a thief , they can have anything in that house, but if it's someone else..." and her voice trailed off. She stepped another step closer to him and tightened her grip on his arm. "Please be careful."

She wanted to tell him he didn't have to go, this wasn't his problem. She wanted to pull him back inside his house and hide and give Henry a bath and maybe have some soup.

But the look on Magnus' face told her he wasn't going to do any of that. She had seen that look on her grandfather's face.

He was a police detective. He was going to find out who was in that house, if there was someone in that house.

She pursed her lips and released his arm as she stepped back with the dog.

He was a police detective, he would be safe. He would know what to do. He was a police detective.

Henry pulled Rebecka inside and she closed the door behind her, getting Henry into the bathroom and getting him cleaned up.

She talked quietly to Henry, but all her thoughts were with Magnus.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[detektivmartinsson]

The ground was still damp but it was still morning and would dry as the day went on, still Magnus ran with caution, careful to not run over heavily mossy or wet patches lest he fall and hurt himself.

Henry would def need a wash.

The small dog's feet were now a muddy brown and his nose and ears too from where he had rolled his head in the mud to get a fly off. But he was happy running and trotting alongside Magnus as they made their way around the house and to a running track.

He'd already scouted the neighbourhood, seen the water lessen, checked his boat and was running back to the house with his breath hot in his chest, his throat taking in the cold air.

"Come on, nearly there," Magnus called out to Henry as the dog huffed and jumped up to the porch, breathing heavily as Magnus picked him up. "Well you will definitely need a bath little sir."

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka froze, unable to see anymore movement in the kitchen window.

She felt a cold dread as she held her breath and looked at the other windows in the small cabin.

Her body jolted when she heard Magnus on the porch calling to Henry. She whirled around and hurried to the porch, her green eyes wide with fear.

She opened the door and stammered as she saw him.

"Magnus... I...I... think there was someone in my house... I saw..." she whispered.

But had she? Or was she still feverish and sick?

She looked toward her house, her breath heavy in her lungs. Her hands moved to her mouth as she looked back at Magnus.

"I saw someone in the kitchen window. I'm sure I did..."

Her eyes pleaded with him to help her, to calm her, to tell her she wasn't in danger, because she very much felt like she was in danger.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka let his voice wash over her like the warmth from the fire, and to her surprise, she nodded in agreement with him. She would stay on the sofa, near the fire, near the warmth, near everything that she was missing but had right now, and maybe for just one more night.

Her eyes slid closed and the glass in her hand drifted down into the blanket, her hand disappearing with it inside the folds of the material. She didn't need water right now, just this.

His breathing next to her was smooth and rhythmic.

She opened her eyes and smiled weakly as she looked over at his beautiful profile in the golden light of the fire.

"I'm usually not this agreeable. Usually, if someone tells me to do something, I have this overwhelming urge to do exactly the opposite, and show them. I have been told I'm difficult."

She inhaled a deep breath and closed her eyes again.

"But with you..." she whispered and she drifted off to sleep again.

[detektivmartinsson]

He smiled as he looked at her, and then he watched her drift off to sleep again. It was nearly dawn and Magnus was going to be unable to get back to sleep but he didn't want to disturb her.

Placing a blanket on top of her he headed off to the bedroom to get dressed. The fire was warm and keeping the room comfortable and so he doubted that she would be waking up anytime soon.

"Henry," he whispered to his dog as he came up towards him.

Magnus was eager to have a run, as he hadn't in the last few days, and to see the remnants of the small flood. He knew that it would be rather chilly outside for a while yet but he was eager to see if he'd be returning to work soon.

He was not used to being held up in the house anymore.

Besides, he doubted Rebecka would want to stay for much longer here.

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka slept, only slightly aware of Magnus' movements. A few nights ago, any movement would have startled her awake, terror coursing through her body as she tried to breathe through it. But now, she could feel the weight of a blanket covering her, she could hear his soft footsteps, she heard him whisper to Henry and then head out the door. And she wasn't fully awake. She was able to cuddle back in even after the door closed and she was alone in his house.

She was safe.

She was warm.

He might not ever know what a gift he had given her.

Rebecka slept until she felt a beam of light bathing her. She slowly came around, realizing her throat was as dry as a bone.

She blinked a few times and sat up, listening to the silence of the house around her.

"Magnus?" she asked quietly.

But when there was no answer, she sat up and discarded the blankets next to her on the sofa. She found the glass that she had been holding when she came out of the bedroom and she shook her head. She had been so easily distracted by him, by the fire and by Henry.

Rebecka walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water as she looked out the window at the world filling up with light.

It was a beautiful morning, some clouds still in the sky, but everything bathed in a soft pastel haze.

She looked toward her own small cabin, smiling at how small it looked from here. It had seemed so large and empty a few days ago.

As she went to refill her glass, she caught a glimpse of movement at the kitchen window of her cabin. She blinked and looked back up quickly, her heart pounding in her ears.

The water quickly filled the glass and began to overflow as she stood frozen, looking for any sign of movement.

Had she imagined it?

Was it a trick of the early morning light?

Or was it that she still wasn't 100% well after being sick last night?

Rebecka held her breath as she watched the window, looking for any sign of movement.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka let his voice wash over her like the warmth from the fire, and to her surprise, she nodded in agreement with him. She would stay on the sofa, near the fire, near the warmth, near everything that she was missing but had right now, and maybe for just one more night.

Her eyes slid closed and the glass in her hand drifted down into the blanket, her hand disappearing with it inside the folds of the material. She didn't need water right now, just this.

His breathing next to her was smooth and rhythmic.

She opened her eyes and smiled weakly as she looked over at his beautiful profile in the golden light of the fire.

"I'm usually not this agreeable. Usually, if someone tells me to do something, I have this overwhelming urge to do exactly the opposite, and show them. I have been told I'm difficult."

She inhaled a deep breath and closed her eyes again.

"But with you..." she whispered and she drifted off to sleep again.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[detektivmartinsson]

Magnus knew better than to fall asleep in her room but he also felt uncomfortable asleep in his own bedroom. Henry was with her and that was comfort enough, for him to know that she was being taken cared of by her at least.

But Magnus had thought to set up camp in the living room, taking heed to the fact that Rebecka ran rather cold and had mentioned that to him. So he kept the fire going, making sure to set an alarm and get up when he needed to check on it.

However, it wasn't his alarm that woke him up.

"Bec?"

He stood up and looked around, his hand instinctively going to his waistband before he realized that he did not have a weapon on him, that the house didnt look disturbed or that Henry wasn't on alert.

But he was sure he had heard it.

Had she screamed?

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka sat up in the bed and heard his voice call out to her. She covered her eyes and took a deep breath before she responded.

"I'm okay, it's okay. I'm... sorry," she called out to him.

Henry had moved closer to her, watching her and then looking at the door toward Magnus.

"I'm sorry Henry," and she reached out her hand to touch the dogs soft fur.

Gentle tears slide down her cheeks as she tried to quiet her breathing.

"I'm not a very good house guest, am I?" she choked out as she tried to smile in the darkness at the dog.

She wondered if she would ever stop seeing it, seeing him, remembering him. He had smiled the last time she saw him, and it had startled her. He had never smiled at her before that moment. Why did her mind always have to...

She smeared the tears across her face and reached over to drink the rest of the water Magnus had brought for her. She was still thirsty. And the room was chilly but she could see the glow of the fire in the next room.

Had his voice come from there?

Rebecka slid her legs off the bed and wrapped the blanket around herself as she stood up and walked out into the living room with her glass.

She needed more water.

He was awake in front of the fire, looking over at her and Henry coming out of the room.

"I woke you, didn't I? I'm so sorry," she said quietly as she walked toward him.

[detektivmartinsson]

He looked up at her as she walked into the room and he smiled at her sleepily.

"Probably just as well," he said, his voice quiet. "Needed to add another log onto the fire."

Magnus reached over and he was poking the logs with a stick as the warmth of it spread once more. But he was looking over at her, seeing her wrapped up in the blanket.

"You seem better," he stated as he made his way back to the sofa. "That's good, by morning you'll be back to normal."

Magnus yawned as he sat there.

"Do you need anything?"

It was the warmth of the room that helped, that had him looking at her sleepily. She looked lovely, all warmed and tucked up into the blanket, as if she belonged in it, as if she belonged in his hallway.

[rebeckalindahl]

She shook her head no and walked to sit down next to him, even though she was carrying her empty water glass. She had forgotten, in seeing him, in feeling the warmth of the room, she had forgotten she needed water.

Rebecka scooted into the corner of the sofa, as far from him as possible. She didn't want to impose on him any more than she already was.

"I had a nightmare. Well," she said, feeling the confusion of having to explain something inside her head to someone who would have no idea what it was.

She furrowed her brow as she brought her legs up under the blanket and made herself a ball, the only things sticking out of the blanket being her head and her hand holding the empty glass.

"A nightmare that's a memory. You know, those things you can't unsee. And they always come back in the dark."

Her voice trailed off as she looked into the fire.

Her small hand holding the empty glass wobbled as she looked at the flames and she caught herself before she lost her grip on it.

"Henry helped though," she smiled sleepily over at Magnus.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[detektivmartinsson]

Magnus knew better than to fall asleep in her room but he also felt uncomfortable asleep in his own bedroom. Henry was with her and that was comfort enough, for him to know that she was being taken cared of by her at least.

But Magnus had thought to set up camp in the living room, taking heed to the fact that Rebecka ran rather cold and had mentioned that to him. So he kept the fire going, making sure to set an alarm and get up when he needed to check on it.

However, it wasn't his alarm that woke him up.

"Bec?"

He stood up and looked around, his hand instinctively going to his waistband before he realized that he did not have a weapon on him, that the house didnt look disturbed or that Henry wasn't on alert.

But he was sure he had heard it.

Had she screamed?

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka sat up in the bed and heard his voice call out to her. She covered her eyes and took a deep breath before she responded.

"I'm okay, it's okay. I'm... sorry," she called out to him.

Henry had moved closer to her, watching her and then looking at the door toward Magnus.

"I'm sorry Henry," and she reached out her hand to touch the dogs soft fur.

Gentle tears slide down her cheeks as she tried to quiet her breathing.

"I'm not a very good house guest, am I?" she choked out as she tried to smile in the darkness at the dog.

She wondered if she would ever stop seeing it, seeing him, remembering him. He had smiled the last time she saw him, and it had startled her. He had never smiled at her before that moment. Why did her mind always have to...

She smeared the tears across her face and reached over to drink the rest of the water Magnus had brought for her. She was still thirsty. And the room was chilly but she could see the glow of the fire in the next room.

Had his voice come from there?

Rebecka slid her legs off the bed and wrapped the blanket around herself as she stood up and walked out into the living room with her glass.

She needed more water.

He was awake in front of the fire, looking over at her and Henry coming out of the room.

"I woke you, didn't I? I'm so sorry," she said quietly as she walked toward him.

[everythingfox]

Bed on a bed

[moniquill]

"I know that I am supposed to sleep on this bed; I am a good dog. I will sleep on this bed. There are no rules that say I can't stack this bed on your bed, though, I checked the rule book."

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[detektivmartinsson]

"Not cursed," he said. "Just a headcold."

His voice was gentle as he looked at her, and he frowned as he reached over and put his hand on her head.

"I'll get you another warm towel for you to put on your forehead," he said. "And take two painkillers so you can sleep through the night. You just need to sleep this off."

But Magnus hesitated.

The way that he got better when he was sick was to take as much cold and flu medicine as he could muster and sweat it out as much as he could. but he did not think that would work with her. She was the complete opposite of him.

"Do you need anything?" he asked. "Do you need me to call anyone?"

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka felt like she was in a dream, in a daze as she closed her eyes at his hand on her forehead. Had it really been so long since she had felt the softness of someone caring for her?

She nodded to him as he moved his hand away and she reached for the pain meds and the water. It felt agonizing to move, to try to do anything, but she knew he was right about sleeping it off.

As she lay back down, he asked if there was anyone he could call and it felt like a needle piercing her skin.

He could call her parents, but what good would that do? They would rush her and worry and look at her with that unbearable sadness and she couldn't take that.

"No one. There is no one," she said quietly as she closed her eyes and pulled the blanket up around her.

She just wanted to sleep.

And she must have, because no sooner than she wrapped the blanket around her, she felt herself drift away.

It was much later, the room pitch black, that she screamed out his name and sat straight up.

Her head was still pounding as she tried to get the image in her brain to go away, to realize that she was in her neighbors house.

Her hand reached up and covered her face.

"Lars..." she said again, hoping she hadn't woken Magnus.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[detektivmartinsson]

He could not help but chuckle at her, the way she looked at him. She was completely out of it and he couldn't blame her for being a little loopy.

Magnus nodded as he pat her again, reaching over to pull the blankets over her and tuck her in tightly lest her hands go wandering again

He also didn't want her to think that he was thinking of taking advantage of her, especially with their moments before. Moments that Magnus could not remember having with anyone else for a really long time.

Maybe he was too lonely out here, seeing things where there was nothing.

"I'll be back."

Getting up he turned back to Henry who remained firm on Rebecka's bed and he made his way to the kitchen to get her water. He though to himself that he might need a holiday, a way to get out of town for a bit. He had thought the same when he had been in Ystad, when he had left, just some time away.

Perspective.

He headed back to her room and he smiled as he went to her bed.

"I have your water"

[rebeckalindahl]

Rebecka reached for him when he was gone. His presence was reassuring and she couldn't help but feel that as long as he was with her, she was safe, she would be cared for, she could relax.

But maybe that was just the fever.

Her hand reached out and she felt Henry's soft fur.

The dog lifted his head to look at her, carefully watching her as he listened to Magnus in the kitchen. He liked this new arrangement, this new person. Henry had always loved taking care of Magnus, but this new person seemed to need him in a different way. And he was happy have the new job.

"I love you, Henry," she whispered and she felt the fur of his tail against her leg as he wagged it once and move closer to her.

She opened her eyes and sat up when Magnus came back.

Her hand reached for the water and she caressed his hand as she took the glass.

"I love your dog. I always knew I would love a dog but we never had one."

She took a long drink of water, her eyes closed as she propped herself up next to Magnus. She blinked as she finished the glass and held it weakly. "I'm so sorry about this. We were having such a nice time... I think I'm cursed," she said quietly as she handed the glass back to him.

[rebeckalindahl]

The Neighbor

Part 1

The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.

He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.

She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.

So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.

Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.

Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.

And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.

Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.

"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.

He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.

Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.

"Shit," he whispered.

He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.

"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.

He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.

The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.

He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.

Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.

She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.

[detektivmartinsson]

Magnus was just sorting out a sort out a simple broth for Bec when Henry came in looking for him. Magnus instantly became worried before he rushed out and went to her room, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting his hand on her forehead.

"Bec?" he asked. "You feeling okay? Do you need anything?"

THe fever seemed to have gone down but he couldn't tell if it was just her or the warmth of the room.

"Are you cold?" he asked, as he pulled her to look at him. "Are you hungry? I made a broth. You can have it later. And I have some medicine, do you want to try and sit up to take some?"

Magnus hadn't really taken care of anyone before, usually when he got sick he'd drink some hard liquor, do a lot of running to sweat a fever out, sleep, drink water and repeat until the fever was out of him and he could go back to work - sniffles or not.

But he couldn't do that with Rebecka.

"Tell me what you need Bec.'

[rebeckalindahl]

Her head was pounding but when he placed his hand on her forehead she turned to him.

Her eyes were closed, but she could see him. She could see in her minds eye the way he furrowed his brow when he was thinking about something. She could see the way his mouth moved as he spoke, his lower lip slightly drooping to the left at certain vowels he spoke. She could see his perfect nose and how it complimented his whole face and it didn't let his beautiful eyes take over completely.

His eyes.

Soft. Strong. Sometimes a little sad.

His beautiful eyes.

"Blue, so beautiful and blue," she said as she reached out to him and her hand caught his arm.

She came back to herself at the touch of his skin against her hand and she opened her eyes as much as she could.

"Water, please. My head feels... big," she said as she cuddled next to him.