gave him an inscrutable look and walked out, leaving him with the pony. He sat there a bit wondering what it was all about before she came back in with more stuffed animals, held awkwardly between her good and bad arm. He danced them around, amusing her as best he could figure out how to. Occasionally she would giggle at an animals particularly acrobatic antic. After a while his mom came looking for her and stood watching them with a hesitant expression for a few moments. Eventually she made up her mind and left them, calling them for breakfast a while later.
To Spencer’s surprise, he was not expelled from the house. He father gave him a dangerous look, as one gives a wild animal who is docile for the moment but might turn on you, but did not say anything.
Spencer was extremely relieved, but he didn’t think it was because of this change of fate. After some thought it seemed he was more relieved at Suzie’s state for some reason.
He wanted to do something for her, and thought about how her room was still completely un-secured. He figured that after breaking her arm, the least he could do was make sure they couldn’t get her in her sleep. He took the nightlight from under his bed and put it under hers, contenting himself with a little used lamp he’d found in one of the houses other rooms. As far as the large wardrobe in her room, he wasn’t even sure Smiling Jack could use them. The only reason he knew Jack could use the area under beds was because in the early days some of the other children had said that was where Mr. Buttons had come from. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. The cabinets of the house were all secured with plastic baby locks, and he used an extra one he found to lock the wardrobe. If he checked it at night to make sure it was secure, at least if they tried to come for her that way they would be blocked.
* * *
That day in the cave was a turning point for Spencer. Because finally there was something in the world he feared more than Smiling Jack. Somehow when he had only had one option, it had seemed worth doing anything to find another one. But now that he had two, he could consider the first one in a new light. Because after all, there was another way out.
The same way he had come in.
He had thought about the closet at the end of the long hall without really considering it ever since his first escape. But he’d always been too afraid to go near Jack’s mansion, knowing that if caught while inside there would be no escape. But even Jack’s lab wouldn’t be as bad as that cave. He was convinced that nothing was, either in the world or under it.
And he knew he couldn’t stay in the woods forever. He was getting sick in a way that, unlike a cold, wasn’t getting any better. He skin had sores on it that didn’t heal. His joints hurt when he walked and he was getting thinner and thinner. He’d even lost two teeth that had just fallen out while eating. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, but he thought it would go away if he could get back to the real world.
So he began to plan.
First he had to wait until Smiling Jack was occupied. Although it was an unknown whether Jack ate or slept, this was still the easiest part. All he had to do was wait until a child was taken for Jack’s lab. There was the smallest tinge of guilt at this, like he should do something for that child. Maybe even a year ago he would have seriously considered it. But so much of his humanity had worn away that the idea of another dead child didn’t even warrant a fully conscious thought.
The Hollow Men were easy, rarely maintaining much of a presence at the mansion. He thought about making a distraction somehow to draw them all to the south end of town, but couldn’t think of any way to do it without raising alarms he’d rather avoid. Nanny Gurdy stayed in her house, which left only Mr. Buttons. His tree house
To Spencer’s surprise, he was not expelled from the house. He father gave him a dangerous look, as one gives a wild animal who is docile for the moment but might turn on you, but did not say anything.
Spencer was extremely relieved, but he didn’t think it was because of this change of fate. After some thought it seemed he was more relieved at Suzie’s state for some reason.
He wanted to do something for her, and thought about how her room was still completely un-secured. He figured that after breaking her arm, the least he could do was make sure they couldn’t get her in her sleep. He took the nightlight from under his bed and put it under hers, contenting himself with a little used lamp he’d found in one of the houses other rooms. As far as the large wardrobe in her room, he wasn’t even sure Smiling Jack could use them. The only reason he knew Jack could use the area under beds was because in the early days some of the other children had said that was where Mr. Buttons had come from. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. The cabinets of the house were all secured with plastic baby locks, and he used an extra one he found to lock the wardrobe. If he checked it at night to make sure it was secure, at least if they tried to come for her that way they would be blocked.
* * *
That day in the cave was a turning point for Spencer. Because finally there was something in the world he feared more than Smiling Jack. Somehow when he had only had one option, it had seemed worth doing anything to find another one. But now that he had two, he could consider the first one in a new light. Because after all, there was another way out.
The same way he had come in.
He had thought about the closet at the end of the long hall without really considering it ever since his first escape. But he’d always been too afraid to go near Jack’s mansion, knowing that if caught while inside there would be no escape. But even Jack’s lab wouldn’t be as bad as that cave. He was convinced that nothing was, either in the world or under it.
And he knew he couldn’t stay in the woods forever. He was getting sick in a way that, unlike a cold, wasn’t getting any better. He skin had sores on it that didn’t heal. His joints hurt when he walked and he was getting thinner and thinner. He’d even lost two teeth that had just fallen out while eating. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, but he thought it would go away if he could get back to the real world.
So he began to plan.
First he had to wait until Smiling Jack was occupied. Although it was an unknown whether Jack ate or slept, this was still the easiest part. All he had to do was wait until a child was taken for Jack’s lab. There was the smallest tinge of guilt at this, like he should do something for that child. Maybe even a year ago he would have seriously considered it. But so much of his humanity had worn away that the idea of another dead child didn’t even warrant a fully conscious thought.
The Hollow Men were easy, rarely maintaining much of a presence at the mansion. He thought about making a distraction somehow to draw them all to the south end of town, but couldn’t think of any way to do it without raising alarms he’d rather avoid. Nanny Gurdy stayed in her house, which left only Mr. Buttons. His tree house
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