In the morning, I get to have whatever I want for breakfast, Ma said. But I still choose 100 cereal, then maybe Macaroni for later. Ma has her hair tied up for when she was cleaning Bed Sheets in Tub. She watches me eat when we're both sitting at Table, but she doesn't have something to eat.

"Do you.. remember the story, The Count of Monte Cristo?" Ma asks at me.

"He was locked up in a dungeoun on an island."

"Yeah but rememeber how he got out? He pulls his dead friend out of the bag, and hides him. Then he gets in the bag. And the gaurds threw him into the sea, but he didn't drown. He wriggled out and swam away."

"Remind me more."

"The rest doesn't matter." Ma shakes her head. "The point is, James, that's what you're gonna do."

I'm confused.

"I'm gonna get thrown in the sea?"

"No, James. You're gonna escape like the Count." Ma crosses her arms over her chest. "Do you see how that's even tricksier.. than pretending to be sick. Because you're ... gonna pretend to be... dead."

Ma moves some of the hair that fell out of her ponytail behind her ears. "When He comes back tonight... I'm going to tell him that you died."

I stare at her.

"But I'm not dead."

"No. You'll be disguised as dead, like the Count." Ma's voice sounds cranky.

"But we don't have a bag."

"Aha, we're going to use Rug."

I look down at Rug, and then at the dark spot from when I got born.

"Why?"

"Because, I guess you got so sick and dehydrated your body didn't have water. And the really high fever stopped your heart."

"No, why in Rug?"

"That's a smart question. Because when you're dead, you're really cold, and stiff. The opposite of floppy. And you're not supposed to breathe. If He catches you breathe once, who knows what he'll do. When we roll you up in Rug, then he can't feel you or see you breathe. Voila! A disguise." She does a kind of smile.

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard and also scariest.

"You're not gonna make a sound. And I'm gonna be there talking to you in your head." Ma breathes in and out really long. "He's gonna take you, and put you in a truck... and he's gonna.. set you down somewhere."

"No." I look at Ma but her face doesn't move.

"It'll be okay though. Because you're gonna wiggle out.. and you're gonna run away."

I think the wetness is back, my eyes tingle.

"Believe me, if there was anything else I thought had a chance in hell."

I don't know what a chance in hell is. Ma gets up from Table.

"Okay, I'm gonna tell you how its gonna go."


DEAD. TRUCK. WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. POLICE. SAVE MA.

Ma puts Table and Chairs on Bed to make more space. But this time not for Strecth or Track. This time, to practice being dead.

I lie down on the end of Rug and Ma wraps her over me. She pushed me on my front, then my back, then two more times of each until I'm rolled up tight. Rug smells funny. A different smell then when I'm just laying on her. She itches my nose but I can't scratch.

Ma picks me up, I'm super squished and can't breathe. Ma says He's gonna lift me up and then put me down to close Door. She sets me down, my head side first.

"OW."

"But you can't talk okay?"

"Sorry." I say.

Ma lifts me up again, then says He's gonna drop me into His truck. She puts me down again, thump. I bite my mouth to not shout this time.

"And you have to stay stiff James, like a robot! Okay? If He sees you move or make a sound He won't think you're dead. He'll be so mad, He'll-" Ma stops.

"What?" I ask. "What He'll do?"

"Nothing, cause you're not gonna move."

I feel Ma grab the sides of Rug, but instead of pulling me up, she shakes it side to side.

"You're gonna feel the truck shaking. This is how you know He's driving."

"Where?" I ask. My breath is hot in Rug.

"Out of the city probably. Where no one can see when he sets you down." I can feel her shake Rug again. "When you feel this, that means that He's busy, and that's your time to roll. Roll out James. C'mon roll!"

I try and try and feel myself go from my back to my front. Then again. I hear Ma yelling to roll.

"Okay James, now wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. Wiggle out!"

"I can't!" I'm stuck and can't breathe. "Ma! Getmeout! I can't!" I scream for Ma.

"C'mon James!"

"MA! I CAN'T"

I feel her grab Rug and pull me out. I breathe lots of air.

DEAD. TRUCK. WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. POLICE. SAVE MA.

I have to try again. I lie at the end of Rug again.

"We'll try shortening the rug. There was too many turns that time, and try putting your arms folded over your chest to make more space."

Ma rolls me over again, this time with my arms folded up.

"Try wiggling out now."

I try but I still can't move.

"I can't!" I don't know how the Count did this without drowning. "It's too tight!" Rug is wet on my face.

"Okay then roll. Roll James!"

I try rolling. With my arms folded it's easier and harder. I feel myself going on my back and front again. Ma keeps shouting to roll. I don't want to anymore, but I keep going cause I want to get out.

"Go, go! Now wiggle! Yes!"

I make it out of Rug.

"I HATE YOU!" I scream at Ma, and breathe in and out fast.

Ma sits down on Floor and sits me in her lap

"Okay, I know. It's alright." She whispers. How it's alright if I hate her?

She rocks her body back and forth and lays her head in my hair. I don't care. The wet on my face keeps coming down.

"You've got to keep practicing so you get the hang of getting out." She says softly but I still hear.

"No. I won't do it."

"James, please."

"I'm too scared."

Ma breathes in really deep, I can feel it cause it moves my body up and down. She puts her hands over my tummy.

"I brought you into Room... I didn't mean to, but I did. And I've never once been sorry." She says, her voice sounds different. I don't say anything, I just stare at Wardrobe.

"I brought you here, and tonight... I'm gonna get you out." I look at Watch on her wrist. 3:46.

"Okay." I say softly, but she still hears. I pull away to look at her. "And then you, with a blowtorch. One at time, but both."

She does a smile but not really. Like just pretend.

"But you for sure. All that matters is just you." Ma says.

I shake my head side to side because there's no just me. We look at each other not smiling.

"Ready to try again?" Ma asks.

"I can't-"

"Sure you can."

I don't know why, but I say okay. I lie down at the end of Rug again.

"Now tell me what's the plan." Ma says.

"Dead. Truck. Wiggle out. Jump-"

"You're gonna jump at the first stop. The truck is gonna... roll to a stop and that's when you'll jump." Ma moves my hair that came out of my ponytail away from my face. "Then you're going to shout when you see somebody. You'll say 'My Ma, is Sam Manson'."

"Who's somebody?"

"Anybody, the first person that you see."

"An actual real life somebody?" Ma nods. "What if He unwraps me?"

"He won't. Do you have Bad Tooth?"

I rub my tongue on the side of my cheeck to feel if he's still there.

"He's right here so I don't lose him." I point at my cheek. Ma sniffles and I see water in her eyes. She does a small laugh.

"You're amazing James." She kisses the top of my head and moves my hair again, even though it's already out of my face. "You're gonna love it."

"What?"

"The world! The house with the hammock. And grandpa and grandma and great grandma."

"And you?" I ask. Ma's face changes.

"Yeah..."

She doesn't look at me.


After we practice a few more times, Ma says we can rest. I don't know if I'm getting better. But I hate being squished up most of all. I lie and the end of Rug and Ma lays down next to me. She puts one arm under her head like a pillow and the other over my chest so she can feel my heart, ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump. Beating fast.

"You're going to have to be brave for the both of us." I can feel her breath on my ear.

"I'm scared."

"You can be scaredy brave."

"Scave." I do a word-sandwhich.

"Nice one." Ma does a small laugh. "Let me tell you another story. About someone I knew, who was 'scave'. Every day... he would fight ghosts."

"Ghosts aren't real, dumbo Ma."

"They are. I've seen them. He's a ghost too, but a nice one. He can fly and shoot rays from his hands."

"Like a superhero?"

"Exactly. He would use his powers to fight the bad evil ghosts and protect the town. Even when he was scared, he still went to fight the bad guys and save the day."

"Why?" How a ghost can save the day?

"Cause it was the right thing to do. Maybe you'll get to meet him when you do your Great Escape."

I didn't say anything. Just thinking about an actual real superhero. I can be one too, and save Ma with my own powers instead, and then kick Vlad in the butt so He'll never ever hurt Ma again!

We hear a noise from the Outside. Ma sits up quick. My tummy gets a weird scary feeling again. It's not even 9:00 yet. Why He's coming early?

Ma grabs my arms to put them over my chest and starts to wrap Rug around me.

I go on my front, then my back.

"I'm sorry James. I love you."

Front, then back again.

"Stay stiff, don't move, stay stiff. You can do this, okay?" She whispers. Front, and back on more time.

I can do this. I need to be the superhero to save Ma.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. SWOOSH. Cold air comes in.

I go still. I'm a corpse. I'm the Count, no, I'm his friend, even deader.

"Here, antibiotics." That's his voice. Can a voice be cold too? "What are you doing?"

Something is pressing on me. I hear Ma do a loud sniffle, from right above me.

"He got worse in the night." She breathes in and out loudly. "He didn't wake up."

I hear a deeper breath.

"Oh. Poor girl." His heavy footsteps move. "I guess it was pretty seriou-"

"You killed my baby!"

"Okay calm down, let me have a loo-"

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" I hear a slap sound again.

"Okay alright." He says. Maybe it was Ma who slapped him. Ma keeps breathing loud.

"Are you sure?" He asks.

"AM I SURE?! Oh my God." Ma's voice goes high.

"Well, he can't stay here you know." He says.

"Where are you gonna take him?"

"I-I- well- um-"

"Somewhere nice. It can't be here, I'll feel him. Somewhere with trees." Ma sniffles again. "It's the least you can do Vlad. Get a truck, drive him far away. Please!"

"Trees, okay got it." He breathes out.

"I need you to swear to me that you won't lay your filthy eyes on him! SWEAR TO ME YOU WON'T LOOK AT HIM!"

"I swear." He says.

I wonder if he's really not lying. I hear Bed squeak. Maybe he sat on it because I can still hear Ma crying above me and the pressure.

"It's about an hour until dark-"

"NO! I can't bear it! Please! It hurts.." Ma screams even more now.

"Fine. I'll get a truck over here."

"Take him far away. If you do it in the backyard I'll hear him screaming. And I'll never be quiet. I'll keep screaming. I'll tear this place apart. You'll have to kill me to get me to shut up, I don't care anymore!"

"Okay! Alright!"

Why Ma's telling Him to kill her? I hear heavy footsteps, then I feel myself being lifted up. Just like Ma said. I hear her in my head and her in real life screaming.

TRUCK. WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA.

"James! Don't please!" Ma's crying like I was dead for real. I need to stay stiff, stiff, stiff. Scave. If I look with my eyes all the way out from the hole of Rug I can see bits of Room.

"I got him! Let go!" He yells.

"James, no!" For one second, I see Ma's face. Her black hair everywhere, purple eyes wet, and her face also wet and red.

"Step back!" He yells again. "Face the wall."

Ma's crying is further away now. I hear the BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Of Door, then SWOOSH. I can't breathe. I'm squished. I can't hear Ma for real anymore. I just feel Bad Tooth in my cheek. A bit of Ma. The air is different. If I pick my nose up a little I can breathe the air of- Outside? Am I really?

He puts me down, ouch. I don't make a noise I think. I hear the shut of Door. Then his footsteps move away, crunch, crunch. Is he gonna leave me here? After he swore to Ma? I say the plan again in my head. I already did the Dead bit.

TRUCK. WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA.

A loud noise comes closer. Maybe it's Truck! I feel up again, then down hard on my face, ow, ow, ow. I taste something funny in my mouth. I hear a slam by my feet, then a bit after a slam from somewhere else, and everything starts to shake. Like Ma said but a million times worse! I'm in Truck! I got to!

I'm not in Room anymore. Am I still me?

Ma! I shout in my head. 'I did two of seven!' Now that's left is WIGGLE OUT. JUMP. RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA. I breathe in and out hard, but Rug makes it hot.

I'm zooming along in Truck. Oh, yeah I have to wiggle out. I'm forgetting even if I know all the steps.

I try to wiggle.

No use.

Rug's gotten tighter, I don't know how. MA! MA! HELP! I can't move, I failed even though we practiced and practiced. He's going to take me and bury me alive. I feel the wet on my face.

I feel no moving under me. Truck's stopped. I'm meant to Jump now. But I can't even wiggle out. How can I get to four if I'm stuck on three? I can't get to five, six, seven, because I'm stuck on three! I'm getting buried deep deep in hole.

'No. Find a corner.' Maybe that's Ma in my head, or me thinking.

Truck is moving again. I push with my hands down so I can move up. Still no use. I kick hard, nothing. I reach up around Rug to find a corner, I can't find it. Then I find it and help me pull.

I turn on my back, but it's even tighter now and the corner is gone.

No moving again. Truck stopped twice. I'm still not out. I pull, pull, pull, on Rug and I see a huge sparkling bright. Then it's gone.

Truck is moving again. I think that was Outside. But it was so so bright, more than Lamp.

I have to start being more brave than scave. I'm the ghost with superpowers. I'm the Count!

I roll and roll, Rug's looser now, she's letting me breathe!

I roll one more time and I can move my legs! I can wiggle! One leg gets out, then two. Then my face. I breathe in lots and lots of air! My eyes are open but they want to shut. It's so bright, but I see blue, like from Skylight. I try to keep my eyes wide open as possible. I see green of leaves. I'm in Outside! I did it! I wish Dora was here to sing "We did it! Lo Hicimos!"

Things are zooming by fast, I can't see them all. But the sky is huge. And in the corner has some orange and purple. The sky can be more than one color?

I sit up, I'm in Truck bed. My hair goes in my face. I guess it came out of my ponytail. I look to the part of truck to the front. I can't see Him through the black glass. I reach over to the side of Truck.

I see Trees, Fences, Houses. All real like Ma said. Oh, the plan! I did step three!

JUMP. RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA. Only a little steps left.

Truck starts slowing down. I look to the side and see a big sign in red, "Stop." It says. Now's the time for Jump. I try to get to the side, but Truck starts moving again and turns. My whole body rolls the other way and I tumble, hit my head, owwww. But I get up again.

Truck stops. But I don't. I hear Vlad. He sounds angrier than I've ever heard him. Oh, no.

I jump off, crash. OUCH, the ground hurts my knee, but I have to keep going. What's next? RUN. SOMEBODY. SAVE MA.

I try to run, I'm the best at running in Room. My feet are on green. I fall, knee hurts so bad, but get up. Find Somebody. I hear Vlad behind me. He's gonna tear me limb from limb and kill me dead.

I try to shout help, help, but hair is in my mouth. My eyes aren't working right I can't see. I can't find a somebody -

A bear?

A baby wolf.

A dog! Can a dog be somebody?

I can't think and my breath is used up. Ma! I shout in my head. Then something hits me hard, I fall again. OUCH! I can't get back up. A funny taste in my mouth. I hear barking really loud.

"Rover! Calm down! Heel!" A new voice. A somebody. I can't breathe. Someone grabs my arm and lifts me up. Vlad. I'm caught.

"I'm sorry man, she came out of nowhere." I hear. The dog is still barking. So loud. "Hey! You're Mr. Masters! I'm so sorry. I didn't know you had a daughter. Is she okay?"

Why he's calling me a she?

"It's under control." Vlad says, he drags my arm up, ow. I try wiggling out, but he's too strong.

"Is she hurt? Would you like me to call someone?"

I yell for help, but my voice is so soft. I try again.

"I'll handle it." His voice is so scary, He's pulling at my hair. Ouch.

I reach for Note in my pocket and pull it out.

"What's that you got there honey? Is that for me?"

Vlad grabs my hand hard and Note disappears. Magic trick? I keep yelling for help.

"Mr. Masters what are you doing?"

"Why don't you just mind your own damn business!"

"MA! MA! HELP ME!" My voice makes sound again.

"This doesn't look right, I'm calling the cops."

Vlad throws me on the ground hard. I can't breathe, or see. I hear a loud squealing noise. I think He's gone. I roll into a ball, like an armadillo. My whole body hurts. Ma! My eyes are wet. I'm more scared then brave now.

The somebody is talking to me. I can't hear. Just bells in my ears. Not Ma's voice. I start to feel wet on my face, but not water from my eyes. The wet hits my cheek, and my nose.

"It's starting to rain." The Somebody says. He puts something over my head and the wet disappears. It smells different. "Don't worry honey, the police will be here shortly."

Police. Then save Ma. Just one more step. I hope Vlad doesn't get to her.

I'm in green. Grass. For real. And there's something in it. I reach out to grab it, wet tickles my hand.

A leaf, but brown. Dead.


I hear loud wailing sounds, WEEEEEWOOOOO. It keeps getting louder, then stops. I hear voices but not what they're saying. Footsteps come closer to me. A lady in dark blue.

"Hi, I'm Deputy Parker, want to tell me your name?" Her face is in my eyes. Her voice different than Ma's but sounds nice, and face darker than Ma's. I whisper my name to her. I think my voice is all gone out.

"Want to say that a little louder?" I don't feel like talking again. I need to get to Ma.

Deputy Parker carried me to the police car. Like from TV. I'm cold. I jump when she starts talking to me again. I didn't know she was sitting right next to me.

"James?"

I thought I heard Ma for a bit. But it wasn't.

"Can.. you tell me how old you are?"

Easy answer. "I'm five." I whisper but louder.

"Five, that's great. Can you tell me where you live?"

I hear another slam. A policeman gets in the front of the car. My eyes go up at him, then back down to the floor.

"Do you have a mom James?"

"Ma." I move my head for 'Yes'.

"Okay, good. Does she have.. another name?" Oh no. I forgot the plan. I look at the policewoman.

"I can't... remember."

"That's okay, where's Ma right now?"

"Room."

"What room James? Where's this room?"

I feel the bit of Ma, Bad Tooth, in my cheek. Her Strong. I pull it out.

"That man from the truck, Vlad Masters. Is that your dad? Is he your Ma's boyfriend? What's that James?"

"A bit of Ma." I roll Bad Tooth in my fingers. The policewoman tries to grab it, but I pull it closer to me.

"That's okay. You're doing good." She turns to the policeman. "Let's circle around the block, maybe he'll see something that will jog his memory, poor thing."

I want to say I'm not a thing, I'm a real person. But I don't. The police car starts moving.


Outside is dark now, but not really. There's Street Lamps and red lights that also turn yellow and green. It doesn't feel right to be without Ma. The rain, that's what the guy with the dog said it was, makes it hard to see out of the police car.

"So James, anything you recognize?" Deputy Parker keeps asking questions at me. I don't feel like answering. I don't know all the answers like Ma knows everything.

"What about your room James? What's outside your room?" Her voice sounds cranky like Ma's sometimes does.

"Outer Space." Wait, Ma said that was a lie. Space is farther. "No, the world."

"You think the kid's on something?" The policeman driving the police car says.

"Okay listen. When you step out the door-"

I shake my head for 'No'. "We don't know how to open the door."

"My money is on some kind of cult. The pale skin, and the long hair.."

"Is there daylight in your room James?"

I move my head for 'Yes'.

"Okay, how many windows?"

"Zero."

"Well then how does the light get in?"

"Through skylight."

"A skylight? Excellent. So you live in a house with a skylight?"

"Room's not a house it's a..." I can't remember.

"A what?"

"You'd get more out of him after he's had some sleep."

"Ryan give it a second!"

Then I remember, maybe Ma really is talking to me in my head.

"It's a.. a shed."

"A shed? James a shed?"

I move my head for 'Yes' again.

"It's a needle in the haystack with this one." The policeman says.

"Okay, James what made you jump out of the truck?"

"Ma said in my head."

"What exactly did she say?"

"Jump when it slows down. But I couldn't"

"Alright so what did you do?"

"The third time I got banged and tumbled over."

"The third time of what?"

"Third slow." I look at Deputy Parker. She's writing on a paper. "Everything went sideways, and then stopped."

Deputy Parker stopped writing and looked up.

"Then I jumped into-"

"I got it buddy, I got it." I watch her grab something on her shoulder and start talking into it. That doesn't make any sense.

"This is Unit 1035 calling in, Dispatch listen closely. We have a rough location."

Deputy Parker talks into the black thing, and after she's done it talks back. Maybe it's the aliens? How does she know who's she's talking to for sure?

"Search the area for a garden shed with a skylight-" She keeps talking but I don't listen anymore, until she says Bingo. I don't think she's talking about the Farmer's Dog - Bingo was his name-o.

A sound comes on and lights start flashing. Blue and Red. The policecar turns another way and goes again. Only one thing left from the plan.

SAVE MA.


The policecar slows and stops. There are more police persons and flashing red and blue lights. They hurt my eyes so I look down at Bad Tooth.

"Everything is gonna be okay James, we're going to get your Ma." Deputy Parker says and she gets out of policecar.

"Me too." I start to get up but she stops me.

"No, James stay here."

"NO!" I yell but she closes the door.

"It'll be alright James, settle in." The policeman says.

I don't know what to settle in. I sit by the window but the flashing lights make it hard to see. There's persons talking and talking on the machine in the policecar. Numbers and words all smushed together making no sense. Not like word sandwiches me and Ma do.

All the police persons are at this big house, standing at the door; and standing by a long fence. It takes forever and ever for them to go in. I want to see Ma. I see in my head- Ma in Room and Vlad looking madder than ever and he-

"Ma." I cry for her. I can't hear her talking in my head anymore. I wish I was four. I'd rather be in Room with Ma. My eyes feel tingly and I feel the wet on my face.

"Open the door!" I bang on the window. I don't know the code for this door either. I want to help find Ma. "OPEN!" My hair that's in my face gets wet too.

I keep banging on the window when I see police persons come out of the fence. Then someone running and the police persons running after them.

"James! Where is he?!"

Ma's black hair. She's running. Looking for me!

"Ma!" I scream. Hope she can hear me. I scream louder. "I'm over here MA!" I move closer and hit my head on the window a little.

She sees me! She runs to the policecar. Her black hair is crazy, and her purple eyes are lighted up with the red lights.

"James!" She's screaming at the window to open to doors. Deputy Parker runs next to Ma and the doors open.

"MA!"

Ma grabs my arms and picks me up out of the policecar. Her face is all wet and she pushes my head into her neck. She smells like Room.

Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, - she's real for real. Not dead. 100 percent alive.

She's crying in my ears. "James, my baby! We did it... no you did it! James!" She gives me tons and tons of kisses. They tickle but I don't laugh.

Deputy Parker pushes me and Ma into policecar and shuts the door. I'm so sleepy I think my head is gonna fall off. Ma tells me in my ear that we still have to talk to more police. My eyes shut.

"Can we go to Bed."

Ma picks her head up from mine and pushes my hair out of my face.

"Yeah, they'll take us somewhere to sleep soon." She wipes away the wetness on her face and from her nose.

"No but Bed. In Room." I've seen the world, now I want to go back. Ma's purple eyes look into mine.

"Oh James... we're free. We're never going back." She shakes her head.

The policecar starts moving. I cry and cry so hard that I can't stop.


Bright, bright lights.

Loud everywhere.

I go bump, bump, up and down.

Ma's hair is in my nose.

Talking.

"Unbeliveable... She's alive."

Dark again.


[A/N: took longer than I thought to get this chapter out. Don't really know how this is going anymore, but I'll still try to get it all finished :) Only thing I will say is that Vlad was still mayor of Amity Park and served a four year term until he got bored and more invested in this plan with Sam, and didn't run for the next term. He doesn't have her in his mansion in Wisconsin, too easy for Danny to have found her. But a medium sized home he got in Arlington Heights, Illinois is where he was keeping them. ]