Content Warning: This section contains depictions of rape, violence, suicide, child endangerment, abuse through neglect, stillbirth, and imprisonment.

“No, no, he was put in jail by mistake, I mean it was some bad police who put him there. Anyway, he prayed and prayed to get out, and you know what? An angel flew down and smashed the door open.”

Ma explains to Jack that Saint Peter is not a bad guy, and that sometimes good people get put in jail or locked up too. This is an example of how Ma primes Jack for the eventual revelation of their situation. If Jack knows good people can get locked up, it will make it easier for him to accept that they are also prisoners. Ma also uses this to strategically give Jack hope for rescue, even if he does not know he needs to hope for that yet.

“When Old Nick creaks Bed, I listen and count fives on my fingers, tonight it’s 217 creaks. I always have to count till he makes that gaspy sound and stops. I don’t know what would happen if I didn’t count, because I always do.”

This quote, which contains Jack’s interpretation of what’s happening when Old Nick sexually abuses Ma, shows how Jack counts things in times of stress. Jack does not understand why he counts things, but he is compelled to do so in case something happens. This is an example of one of Jack’s self-soothing habits, and his counting of things, especially his teeth, becomes much more common once he is faced with the stress of the outside world.