Page 38 of Playworld

“Sorry, kid, this isn’t your dad.”

“You have to help me, mister, please, I finally got out of the closet—”

“Is this some kind of joke?”

Oren began to cry, tears and everything. “Mister, please, he only gives me a bucket to pee in.”

“Look, kid, calm down, okay?”

“Please don’t hang up, I have to get out of this place.”

“I said calm down—”

“He hurts me. He hurts me real bad.”

“Who does?”

“The man. Who keeps me locked up. All the time, whenever he’s here.”

“Kid, listen, what’s your name?”

“Etan.”

“Ethan?”

“Will you please call my dad and tell him to come get me please?”

“Holy shit. Is this…Etan Patz?”

“Please, mister, I’ve been here forever.”

“TheEtan Patz.”

“Please hurry—”

“Holy fucking shit.”

“He never goes away for long.”

“Where are you? I can come get you.”

“I don’t know, it’s dark in this place.”

“Are you in an apartment?”

“Yes.”

“Can you get to a door?”

“He locks it from outside.”

“What about a window?”

“There’s a window, but there’s bars on it.”

“Look out and tell me what you see.”

“I see…an intersection. I see a subway.”