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Oskar's love for Eli overcomes his horror of her murderous streak and he says, "You can come in!" Her bleeding stops, but she and her clothes are spotted with blood. He asks her who she is and she says that she is just like him. To illustrate this claim, she imitates his tirade directed at the tree in the courtyard and concludes by saying that those were the first words she heard him say.

"But I don't kill people," he protests.

"But you'd like to - for revenge. I only do it because I have to. Be me a little," she pleads. "Please, Oskar, be me a little!" Oskar doesn't understand her; so he says nothing.

Eli takes a shower to wash off the blood and comes out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe. Oskar offers her one of his mother's dresses so that she won't have to wear her blood-soaked clothes, and she goes into his mother's room to change.

Oskar has never seen female genitalia before, and his curiosity impels him to sneak a peek. He is in for a surprise: she has none, except for a little slit for peeing. He now understands why she hesitated to become his girlfriend until he had assured her that they wouldn't have to do "anything special": in her condition, she is incapable of it.

If you want Oskar to continue to be Eli's boyfriend, turn to page 22.

Otherwise, turn to page 21.