Everyone's been telling him to be careful and be happy. James thinks that it's pretty hard to get the both of those things together. If you're careful, if you're really careful, then that means that you're also scared, and James can't remember the last time he's been happy and scared at the same time. Not really scared, anyway. Not the kind of scared that has him waking up at night and crying, wishing that his mama would be at his side. He used to think that things like hide and seek were scary enough, but it's really nothing compared to this. But when he really thinks about it, it's not James who should be scared, and it's not him who's scared for himself. He's just worried about other people.

People who actually have something to lose.

"Mr. Sawyer won't come after me," he explains quietly. "I don't got no money, and I don't love him none. He... he pretends to be a hero, like he wants to make your life better. But I know he ain't gonna make mine any better. I don't think he can hurt me, then."