Howard shakes his head and looks away when Daniel offers that explanation. He's heard it before, from other people whenever Howard posits his theory of abandonment, but the problem is that Howard wants to believe they were left behind. He'd rather assume the absolute worst of his parents than grapple with the idea that when they vanished, he lost something worth losing. He hunches up his shoulders and brings his knees tighter to his chest, a nonverbal cue that he's done talking about it and done listening to Daniel try and lighten it.

Knowing Eneesh and her creepy alien crew is about to arrive, Howard finds himself with a hand in his pocket, running his thumb over the folded-up pocketknife he keeps there. It's silly, he knows - Eneesh is there to help and he has no reason to doubt her intentions, and a knife isn't much protection against something bigger than you, in a group that outnumbers you - but it brings him a little bit of comfort.

He looks back at the closed door behind them and thinks about the mummy in there. He wonders if they were scared when they died. The way the body had fallen doesn't look like a heroic sacrifice or a peaceful death. He wonders if they sat in wait, listening to people outside figuring out the puzzle door, deciding between trying to escape, fight back, or surrender.

He runs his free hand over the goosebumps on his forearm and sucks on the tip of the pencil, waiting quietly.