The House of the Scorpion

That night, Jorge insists Matt confess to more and more crimes. Frustrated that Matt won’t listen, Jorge threatens to punish Fidelito because punishing Matt doesn’t correct his behavior. Matt insists that he will confess and take the punishment, but he soon realizes Jorge won’t let him save Fidelito this time. When Jorge turns to the closet, Matt attacks Jorge, and Chacho joins in. The rest of the boys shout and cheer as though they might join in when Matt drops his cane and pulls Chacho back. Matt exclaims that they can’t kill him. Chacho demands to know why they can’t but is brought to his senses.

Shortly afterwards, an army of 20 Keepers bursts into the hall with stun guns. They seize Matt and Chacho and tie them up. Carlos tells the boys they are to be locked down and that they will decide what to do with Matt the next day. When Carlos announces that they won’t tolerate mob behavior, one boy named Flaco interjects that Jorge tried to kill Fidelito. Though Carlos is startled, Jorge calls him a liar. Flaco confidently states that the 200 Lost Boys are witnesses. Matt realizes the threat implies that no matter how well armed the Keepers are, they can’t control that large a crowd. Carlos says they will talk about it tomorrow, but Flaco insists they talk now.

Jorge interjects, accusing Matt of corrupting them and leading the attack. He shares that Luna saw writing on Matt’s foot when he was in the infirmary, declaring that Matt either worked at the estate or is an escaped eejit. Jorge invites the boys to have a look. Flaco checks Matt’s foot and confirms the accusation. Slowly, the boys surrender and drift towards their bunks. Matt is surprised when Ton-Ton speaks up—he believes that anyone can get trapped in Dreamland and it doesn’t make Matt a bad person. Jorge tries to shut up Ton-Ton and tells him that he isn’t a strong thinker. Ton-Ton announces that he has been thinking that all their parents were turned into zombies when they tried to cross the border. Though they all reassure themselves that their parents made it to the United States, their parents are all unlucky just like Matt. The Keepers take Matt and Chacho into a closet and lock them inside.

The next morning, the Keepers drag Matt and Chacho out to a cart. Jorge drives them past the factory to the fence, where he plans to dump Matt and Chacho into the boneyard. When the Keepers start to untie them, Jorge orders them to leave them tied up. The Keepers object, saying that Carlos won’t like it. Jorge tells them to leave Carlos to him as they throw Matt and Chacho into the chasm. The boys tumble downward until they reach a plateau of skulls. Chacho asks Matt if he is okay as the two discuss escape plans. Matt saws back and forth until the bones shift and he slides deeper into the chasm. Chacho suddenly exclaims in a panic—there are bats in the pit. Matt consoles Chacho by telling him that Tam Lin says they are just mice with wings. Mortified, Chacho thinks they will never escape and will die. If they try to climb out, the bones will shift and bury them. Matt shares that Tam Lin taught him that animals consent to die when they are caught because they can’t understand hope, but humans can fight against death no matter how bad things seem and can win even when everything is against them.

The boys suffer from severe dehydration as they work to free themselves from the tape. After some time, they manage to cut through the tape. Chacho asks if Matt is actually an eejit and what they are like. Matt tells Chacho about the eejits on the estate but says that his parents, Celia and Tam Lin, are slaves. Chacho shares that his father was a musician and asks if there were any musicians in Opium. Matt thinks of Mr. Ortega but realizes he has been there too long. Chacho panics when he hears a breeze that sounds like the monster La Llorona. Lightning flashes and it starts to hail. When it starts to rain, Matt opens his mouth. Though the rain revives him, it isn’t as much water as he needs.

The storm comes to a stop after dark. Unable to find Chacho, Matt shouts to him. Chacho is panicking because he is covered in bats. Matt consoles him and says that the bats are frightened and cold. He tries his best to remain still so he doesn’t shift the bones again. Slowly but surely, he inches his way upward. He calls out to Chacho to follow the sound of his voice as he talks about his childhood. Matt finally pulls himself over the edge in the middle of the night and collapses. He hears Chacho snoring and realizes the boy fell asleep from exhaustion.

Matt wakes up at dawn. It is freezing cold, and his body is covered with scratches. He repeatedly calls out to Chacho but receives no answer. Matt knows that Chacho is out there, but he can’t find him. He wonders what to do and where to go. If he stays behind, Jorge will arrive to check up on them. However, he can’t leave without Chacho and continues encouraging him to follow his voice and rambles about his childhood and El Patrón. Matt believes that if Chacho can at least hear him, he won’t feel alone and might try to stay alive. When the sun rises, Matt can see a bit of Chacho’s uniform. He hears a clanking mechanical noise in the distance and waits helplessly for a Keeper to find him. To his joy and relief, he sees Ton-Ton riding the shrimp harvester with Fidelito. Upon seeing Matt, Fidelito jumps off and runs to him. Fidelito was worried all night and is happy that he is alive. Ton-Ton says he thought they might need help. Matt responds with a hysterical laugh before weeping about Chacho—he won’t talk, and Matt thinks he is dead. Ton-Ton uses the harvester to carefully lift the bones up to reveal Chacho, streaked with blood but still breathing. He gently lifts Chacho out of the boneyard and places him on the ground.

They give Chacho soda with electrolytes, which is good for dehydration. Chacho suddenly wakes up and croaks for more, but Ton-Ton forces him to take small sips so he doesn’t throw up. Ton-Ton announces that he is going to San Luis to find his grandmother, and that they will travel in the harvester. Upon arriving at the fence, Ton-Ton tells everyone to get out. Matt and Fidelito help Chacho out. Though Matt worries that the Keepers will find them, Fidelito reassures him that the boys helped them lock the Keepers into their compound. Ton-Ton starts to break the fence with the harvester.

Matt asks Chacho if he is okay. Chacho responds that the bones fell on him so hard that he is having trouble breathing. Deeply worried, Matt tells him not to talk and that they will find a doctor in San Luis. The boys climb back into the harvester as Ton-Ton drives the harvester through the fence and towards San Luis. Ton-Ton gives the boys more soda and the Keepers’ food. Matt continues to worry about the Keepers, but Ton-Ton reassures him that he drugged them all with laudanum. Flaco will wait for a supply hovercraft and fly to Keeper Headquarters to ask for help. However, Ton-Ton doesn’t trust Headquarters either.

Since the harvester is solar-powered, they stop for the night. Matt worries Chacho won’t survive until morning. Ton-Ton tells Matt and Fidelito to walk to San Luis and send for a doctor. He gives them supplies and warns them to avoid the dangerous Colorado River.