...He's gone.

Plan B's working fine, as much as I got to see of it anyway. That sick son of a bitch has Jack, and he's taking him to his truck, and Jack's gonna be fine. We practiced. Just like we practiced...

That jerk's finally gonna get what he deserves! After all these years, we're gonna be free! Because Jack's being so brave right now, no...scave, is what we called it wasn't it? We're both being so scave right now. Except he's being more brave than scared right now. He's got all the work...

I gave him so much to remember will he remember it all? Oh god what have I done. Why did I do that? There must have been another way. Oh god how long has it been? It's been to long, no..my baby, he has my baby!

"Jack?"

I ran over to the door and pressed my ear hard against it. Nothing.

"Nick? Jack? Somebody answer me please! We were just doing a pretend, please he's not really dead just bring him back!"

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I hadn't heard quiet like this since the day Jack was born and it terrifies me.

"PLEASE, PLEASE BRING HIM BACK I'M SORRY WE'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN, I'LL NEVER ASK FOR ANYTHING STUPID AGAIN JUST PLEASE BRING ME BACK MY BABY!"

I collapse on the floor. "PLEASE, PLEASE…" I can't stop screaming, I need my baby. There's no way this plan would ever work, Nick wouldn't keep his promise! He's burying my baby in the backyard after he figured it out and killed him for real, and he's doing it right now, and he's gonna come after me next, at least we'll be together.

For who knows how long I'm just alternating between sobbing on the floor and screaming and banging on the door. I keep seeing Jack's face flashing in my mind, his birthday party, him sitting on the bed watching Dora, him asleep while I was drawing that picture hiding him in that damn wardrobe when that bastard came in here and...and…

I get up shaking hard, and sit down on the bed, curling up in the fetal position, and start speaking aloud.

"Jack, you're being so scave right now. And I know you're trying your best out there, and I'm so proud of you. Ma's too scared to be scave for you right now, so you've gotta be brave to make up for it. Wiggle out, find that cop, and come back to me sweetheart. Please just come back to me."

I chant under my breath "be brave" for what feels like hours. It's the only thing keeping me sane, I know it is. I'm thinking multiple scenarios of Jack getting out of that putrid truck and finding someone to bring him back to me. My mind's only supplying me with the good images, thank god. I keep praising Jack as if he's sitting right here with me, "Be brave, you're doing such a good job Jack, be brave."

Then it happens. I hear the beeping on the other side of the door.

FUCK, he's here! He found out and he killed my baby and now he's gonna kill me too.

"YOU BASTARD, I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH HIM EVER!" I was howling from my place at the bed.

But the beeping stopped, and the door still wasn't open. What the hell is going on? Why hasn't he opened the damn thing? I hear a muffled something on the other side, but before I'm able to ened think about getting up to hear better, there's a loud bang!

I screamed, shutting my eyes and scrabbling further away from the door as it was busted open.

Then it was silent. I didn't dare open my eyes. What, he's just going to shoot me now? Get it over with for God's sake, will you?

And yet nothing happened. But after another beat I heard a voice different to the two I'd been hearing since I was 19.

"Madam, are you alright?"

My eyes snapped open, and my head jerked up towards the sound. It wasn't him. I didn't know who the hell it was, but one thing was made immediately clear, and that was the large "POLICE" written across her chest.

Jack had done it. But where was he?

"I..oh my god!"

I didn't know when the sobs had started, but my entire person is wracked with them. The officer pulled a blanket from somewhere and is draping it over me.

"Can you walk?" She asks politely.

I can only nod, as I'm guided off the bed and out the door for the second (and hopefully last) time in my life.

But then I've suddenly remembered.

"How did you find me? Who led you here? Was it a boy? Did he-"

"I was just about to ask," she says, leading me back through that monster's house. "We've got a little boy who led us right to you."

"Jack? My little Jack, please I need to-"

"He's in the front, I'm taking you right to him."

We exit the house, and there's a cop car parked in front, with more pulling up. But I can see his face, peeking out from the window. He looks as scared as I am, scratching at the window like he doesn't know how to-

I open the door and pull him into my arms from the ground.

"We did it."