The message in the floorboard—“I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC” (46)—is central to the development of the story. When Mia discovers the message, she begins an investigation that triggers devastating consequences for the Hunter family and the village of Stewkbury. Without the message, the truth about the attic would never have been discovered. In addition to serving as the catalyst for the story’s primary conflict, the message is also integral to Debbie’s character development. Written by Debbie as a child, the message symbolizes the origins of Debbie’s obsession with “saving” children, the beginnings of her self-deception, and the moment she transitions from an innocent child to a murderer. As a child, Debbie recognized that her parents’ behavior is abnormal, and when she realizes the harm they do to innocent children, she wants to stop them. When she helps Precious escape from the attic, she takes her first step toward breaking her parents’ cycle of violence and becoming a better person, and she initially writes the message as a reminder of her commitment to helping others.

However, that message—and her pure intentions—later become distorted when she attempts to murder Precious in an act of self-preservation. As Debbie becomes entranced by the blood and violence of her attack on Precious, her

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