Hidden

M-mom?

Are you awake?

Mom?

ZoZo, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP?

It's still early.

Go back to sleep.

I can't. Olive is scared.

Mom?

Down here.

ZoZo, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UNDER HERE?

Mom, I told you --

I don't like that stupid baby name anymore.

My name's zoe.

And i'm under here because i'm hiding.

Olive said we had to hide.

She dreamed they found us.

Who did?

The Breathers.

Hey. What did we just talk about?

Our new rule, remember? Rule number four.

We're not allowed to talk about them anymore.

I didn't. Olive did.

Well, you can tell olive that no one found us.

Dad's been keeping watch all night, just like always.

We're safe here.

You hear that, olive?

MY SMILE IS STUCK.

Her smile's stuck.

That means she doesn't want to be smiling anymore.

That means she's still scared.

Would it make olive feel better

if we went and checked with dad?

It's okay.

All right.

Come on.

It's okay.

Mom, look.

That's just dad.

It doesn't look like dad.

Uh-oh, someone had another nightmare, huh?

Oh, d-dad.

Hey, hey.

I thought we told those silly nightmares to go away.

We did.

Well, then why are you so scared?

Better ask olive about that.

Oh, was it olive this time, huh?

How does she even sleep with her eyes open all the time?

Dad, don't be mean.

i'm just wondering.

She wants a report.

Well, then I better consult my notes.

Hmm.

My glasses, please.

Thank you.

So...

My watch started at 10:00.

At, uh, 2:00, I played seven games of solitaire.

Won four, lost three.

Lost four, won three.

Miss zoe, you see right through me.

At 5:00, a couple of deer ran overhead.

And at 6:00 in the morning,

I heard little footsteps.

Possibly belonging to my rascal of a daughter!

Hmm?

But other than that, nothing.

Not a creature was stirring, not even a --

a breather?

ZoZo.

No.

Not even a -- you know.

And the locks?

They still hold fast?

Do you wanna check?

Can I? No.

Ray, I told you I don't want her going up there anymore.

What? This little monkey?

She can handle it.

Yeah, i can handle it, mom.

I know the rules.

One, never be loud.

I know you know the rules.

Two, never lose control.

Three, never open the door.

Four, never talk about the breathers.

CAREFUL, ZoZo, YOUR SHOE.

Got it, mom.

Hold fast?

Hold fast.

Can't I just go barefoot?

No, that wouldn't be right.

Why not?

Because we're not animals, zoe.

I need you to remember that.

But it's not like i'm going outside or anything.

Well, who needs to go outside when we brought the sun with us?

Another beautiful day, huh?

Mm-hmm.

Do you wanna make it official?

Not too hard, okay? I don't want you to slip and cut your hand.

I got it, mom.

Okay.

How many days is that now?

Well, if you don't remember, just count them.

They're lined up in rows of 25,

and there are how many rows?

One, two, three, eight, nine...

12.

So 25 times 12 makes?

300 plus the one just I marked, so 301.

That's it.

See? Those math lessons are really paying off.

GIVE ME A KISS.

That means she's hungry.

Let's see here.

We've got hominy...

Corn...

Potatoes...

Beans...

And peaches --

peaches. Definitely peaches.

You know, we had peaches yesterday.

We can have them again tomorrow.

But I was thinking today,

maybe we should try something with a little protein.

Maybe beans, for once.

Ew, beans are the worst.

Dad? Yeah?

Beans or peaches?

Uh, I don't know.

Peaches.

Peaches sound pretty good to me.

Ray.

Uh, how about we take a vote? Ray.

All those in favor of beans, please raise your hand.

One vote for beans.

Now, all those in favor

of deliciously sweet and juicy peaches,

please raise your hand.

Sorry, hon.

Two against one.

Three.

Is darlene acting up again?

Oh, she's a tough gal.

She just needs a little encouragement, that's all.

Hm.

There we go. Told you she was tough.

Mom, dad! The peaches are gone!

NOT FUNNY, ZoZo.

i'm serious! Someone stole them!

God, that's 12. That's 12 cans.

That's almost two weeks of rations.

There are no more peaches?

Uh, no. No more peaches.

Something must've been drawn to the sugar.

Something with teeth.

What has teeth like that?

A rat, probably.

But a rat couldn't get in here.

I checked the door, it's hold fast.

The door is not the only way in.

Can the breathers get in there too?

ZoZo.

Can they?

No, they're too big to fit in there.

But a rat could.

If it's a rat, it's still in here somewhere.

We have to keep an eye out.

We have to find it before it steals any more food.

In the meantime, we'll have to cut down on our rations.

Dad, they're already so small.

i'm sorry, zoe.

I really am.

i'm not gonna ask you again. Eat.

Mom, I told you i don't want stupid beans.

HEY, ZoZo, REMEMBER RULE NUMBER TWO.

Never lose control.

Never let anger take over.

RULE NUMBER FIVE, NEVER CALL ME ZoZo.

I just wanted some peaches.

Well, a thief stole them,

and now we're all gonna have to give some things up.

I already have nothing.

i'm stuck in here. I can't even go outside.

I don't have any friends...

Except olive, and she can only say five things.

What about us? What?

Well, you said you don't have any friends.

What about us?

Mom and i aren't your friends?

You know what I mean. No, actually, I don't.

I think it's real silly to say you don't have anything

WHEN YOU REALLY HAVE EVERYTHING.

Yeah, right. Yeah, right.

Look at that.

How many days did you say that was?

301.

301.

Now, we shouldn't have been around