room // malum au [in progress]

january 9th, 2021: part one

calum didn't get any sleep that night. he couldn't bring himself to even close his eyes. he sat there the whole night with tucker asleep in his arms. it was around six in the morning when calum realized what he had to do. he didn't want to do it but he had to. he had to get them out.

calum gently placed tucker down on the bed and detangled himself from the sheets. he made him way over to small kitchen area and found himself on one of the fold up chairs. he pulled his knees to his chest and cried. he was unable to control his emotions. tears streaming down his face at a rapid pace and ugly yet quiet sobs emitting from his mouth. he know long he was like this but soon enough his eyes dried up and he became silent. then he just sat there. he sat there staring straight ahead at the wall. he didn't move an inch. he didn't even blink.

"daddy?" calum slowly turned his head and saw tucker sitting up in the bed rubbing his eyes. "why are you all the way over there?"

"c'mere tuck." calum mumbled in response to the little boy. tucker crawled of the bed and tottered over to his father. calum put his feet back on the ground and lifted tucker into his lap.

"what's the matter?" tucker whispered leaning back against calum's chest.

"we have to do something." calum said quietly. "something you aren't going to like."

"what?" tucker asked craning his neck to look up at calum.

"tuck. you remember that one movie with the dog? and the little boy taught the dogs some tricks?" tucker nodded.

"yeah i like that movie."

"do you remember the one trick where the little boy got the dog to play dead?"

"yeah!" tucker exclaimed. "the doggy didn't move. it was funny."

"tucker. i need you to do that for me."

"what do you mean daddy?" tucker asked turning around to face him.

"i need you to play dead." calum stated.

"like the dog?" calum nodded.

"yeah like the dog."

"why?"

"because tucker. if i roll you up in rug and we pretend your dead john will take you outside room. he would have to go bring you somewhere and that's how you can escape and get help."

"i don't understand."

"okay listen carefully." calum said. "i'm going to roll you up in rug and you're going to be really stiff. stiff like a board. john will take the rug with you inside and put you in the back of his truck. once the truck starts to move you have to wiggle. wiggle until you're out of the rug. and when the truck slows down you have to jump out. you jump out and find the closest person and tell them you need help. does the make sense?"

"i don't know how to wiggle out." tucker whined. "i don't know how to do any of that."

"we'll practice then okay?" calum replied. "we'll eat something and then practice all day so when john comes you can do it perfectly."

"i don't want to be dead." tucker cried.

"you aren't going to be dead. just pretending."

"i'm hungry." tucker retorted.

"okay fine we can eat something." calum sighed. he stood up and placed tucker on the chair. no one spoke until tucker had finished the piece of toast calum had made for him.

"okay let's play now!" tucker exclaimed. calum shook his head.

"no bud. we need to practice."