The First Three Rules Read Online Free PDF Page A

stuck one in the VCR.
    He loved it loud but Ellis didn’t. He liked it loud even less when he was trying to sleep. So Rudy made sure to keep the volume as low as he could.
    Rudy pushed a few buttons on the remote, but the snowy screen didn’t go away.
    If he couldn’t watch a movie, what did he do to pass the time? There were coloring books in his room.
    Rudy was extra quiet as he climbed the stairs.
    His room was all the way at the end of the hall. The middle room had been their parents. Their bed was still in there, clothes, books, papers, and old pictures of mom and dad.
    In his room, the coloring books were on the shelf next to the drafting table. Rudy always tried to put things back in their place. It kept his room nice and neat and that made Ellis happy. The feeling inside Rudy made it clear that in order for Ellis to always be happy it was very important for Rudy to find Jon. And because Rudy was good at finding things, he knew right where to look.
    Why wasn’t finding the cookies as easy as finding the oatmeal or Jon? Rudy looked and looked all the time. He would think hard, but he never knew where they were.
    The coloring books were arranged by size. Rudy was proud that he’d put them that way all on his own.
    Rudy used his fingers to count off all the things he could do by himself. There weren’t many but he was really good at making his bed. The comforter was crumpled near the footboard. He put the coloring book back.
    Rudy smoothed out the blankets, measured the sheets on each side, folded everything down and fluffed up the pillows.
    A sweet scent wafted through the air. Was Ellis making waffles?
    Ellis made the best waffles.
    ********
    The electronic scream preceded the acrid smell of burning plastic.
    Ellis threw himself out of bed.
    “Rudy!” Black smoke rolled out of the kitchen. He raced to his brother’s room. Rudy lay curled on the floor hands over his ears. “We’ve got to get out!” Ellis yanked on Rudy’s arm.
    “Make it stop! Make it stop!”
    “I will Rudy, I promise but we gotta get out of the house.” When Rudy wouldn’t budge, Ellis grabbed the comforter off Rudy’s bed.
    Smoke burned his eyes and made him cough as headed down stairs. Gray-black plumes billowed from the back of the microwave. The panels were warped so bad that the digital numbers on the front were unreadable.
    Ellis yanked open the door and blobs of charred oatmeal spilled out.
    “Goddamn it, Rudy.” Ellis staggered into the dining room, opened the windows and then the back door. A breeze drew out the smoke, but the oily smell lingered.
    Back in the kitchen, the microwave continued to puke up piles onto the counter.
    What if Rudy had used the stove and really caught something on fire? What if the smoke alarm hadn’t gone off? What if…there were just too many possibilities and all of them could have gotten Rudy hurt or killed.
    “Ellis?” Rudy stood in the doorway with his fists clutched to his chest.
    “Take your comforter back to your room.”
    He didn’t move.
    “Now, Rudy.”
    He picked it up. “But it has oatmeal on it.”
    “Then take it to the laundry room. I’ll get you another one in a little bit.”
    “I can get it.”
    “No.”
    Rudy flinched.
    Ellis took a breath. “No. I’ll do it. Just take that one to the laundry room, then go sit on the couch and watch TV.”
    “But the thingy won’t work.”
    “Then color or look at your baseball cards.” Rudy stayed where he was. “Please, just do as I say. I’m not in a good mood right now.”
    “I had to make you breakfast. You didn’t eat oatmeal yesterday and I wanted to make oatmeal. I spilled it, but I cleaned it up. I put it in the yellow bowl because you like yellow.”
    “Rudy.” He flinched again and Ellis cursed at himself. “Please. You can tell me about breakfast later. Go sit on the couch.” Rudy carried the comforter into the living room.
    Cleaning up after Rudy had no end. One mess after another. Every day. Trying to keep