The woman, who Jon now knew was his mother, led him away. Jon wondered, was she just unhinged all along? Did the wish for something interesting make her unhinged? Was he going to be immortal but never able to leave high school?
She led him to his room. He walked in. It looked like he or maybe the original Jon had left it 23 years ago--that Jon must have collapsed of a heart attack 23 years ago and his mother left everything untouched. There wasn't any dust and a few things did seem off upon close inspection; his mother had put a new calendar on the wall and it had been cleaned up somewhat. Certainly nobody would leave dirty clothes on the floor for 23 years.
As he walked in the room he heard a lock click behind him. He turned and grasped the doorknob but it wouldn't turn. There was still a little bit of gel on his skin which made the knob slippery but that wasn't why it didn't turn--he had been locked in. Whether he was stuck at age 16 or not he had to get out of here. He could still have some kind of life elsewhere. Maybe he could still find his relatives or Karyn. Except he was locked in the room, and he doubted his mother would leave him with a computer or cell phone that could call out of the room.
He had to look for the rock. If he was lucky nobody had ever found it. But he was carrying the rock when he made the wish for something interesting. If he had died at that exact moment, the rock would have fallen to the ground. Would his mother have put it somewhere where he coukl find it along with the rest of his possessions?
He had to search.
