Day 1,352 of My Captivity
Contains spoilersOverview
Marcellus stages a risky escape to retrieve Cameron’s forgotten driver’s license and hides it where only Tova will look. He forgoes food and pushes against his failing strength to engineer their connection. This act positions Tova to discover Cameron’s identity and moves the truth toward revelation.
Summary
Marcellus reflects on challenging “the boy” for his own good and declares his wish for happy endings for Cameron and Tova. Fixated on paperwork as a key to human memory, he decides to act. Despite a rope on his tank, he easily frees himself, determined to set a plan in motion.
Ignoring the tempting mollusks en route, and noting his poor appetite and worsening Consequences, Marcellus reaches Terry’s office. He locates the target: a driver’s license that reveals a full name and date of birth.
Growing weak as time passes, Marcellus carries the license down the hallway and tucks it beneath the tail of the sea lion statue. The return crawl is agonizing, and he contemplates death and what he would miss, yet concludes the errand would be worth the cost.
Tova does not come that night, but Marcellus trusts she will. Knowing she alone cleans under the sea lion’s tail, he is certain she will find the hidden license and understand its meaning—bringing her closer to the truth about Cameron.
Who Appears
- Marcellus
Octopus narrator; escapes confinement, retrieves Cameron’s license, and hides it under the sea lion statue to prompt Tova’s realization.
- Tova Sullivan
Night cleaner absent; the intended finder of the hidden license, whose discovery should reveal Cameron’s identity.
- Cameron
Aquarium worker; left his driver’s license behind, becoming the focus of Marcellus’s scheme to connect him to Tova.
- Terry
Aquarium manager; his office holds the license Marcellus retrieves during the risky crawl.