[This transcribed interview took place before the children of Crimson were driven off to be cured of their inability to fall asleep in the story titled Sleeping Through the Night]
Sass Bloom here again! Hello to my wonderful audience. Today, everyone, in my studio, we have with us Mrs. Engles from Sleeping Through the Night.
Sass Bloom: Mrs. Engles! I can’t tell you how very happy I am that you decided to come sit with me today for a bit. How are feeling?
Mrs. Engles: Hello, Sass. Thank you for having me on. Um, to be honest, I am a little tired.
Sass Bloom: A little tired? Mrs. Engles, we all know of your plight. Exactly how how long has it been now?
Mrs. Engles: Well, very close to a month.
Sass Bloom: A month? Oh my gosh, I can’t imagine. If I don’t go to bed every night before 10, I am a zombie the next day. How are guys able to function over there?
Mrs. Engles: It’s been pretty tough for my husband and me. Not being able to sleep, as you know, can take a toll on one’s mind, body, pretty much everything. We can hardly function. The girls, and every other child in Crimson, on the other hand, feel fine. Even though they are not able to sleep, for whatever reason, it’s not having an effect on them.
Sass Bloom: You see that’s the thing that amazes me the most, other than, of course, that a game caused this phenomena… Why aren’t they at least sleepy?
Mrs. Engles: No one can figure it out.
Sass Bloom: And your mayor has been back and forth to the city to try to get answers, right?
Mrs. Engles: Right. No answers to why this happened to our children, but, a possible solution to bring it all to a close.
Sass Bloom: The sister, brother duo, Sally and Sam.
Mrs. Engles: Yes, Sally and Sam. We met them a few days ago.
Sass Bloom: And they are going to fix it that your children are back to sleeping again?
Mrs. Engles: That is what they tell us, and we feel very optimistic about it.
Sass Bloom: You know, Mrs. Engles, there are some who criticize you, your husband, and the other parents in the town, for your decision to send your children away with Sally and Sam. How do you feel about that?
Mrs. Engles: Well first of all, we are not sending them away. It’s only one night. Also, I am sure these critics have never dealt with staying awake, without proper rest, for a month! We are parents. We take care of our children. We work. We have to be able to continue to do these things. Without sleep, it’s almost impossible!
Sass Bloom: In other words, unless they have walked in your shoes, they shouldn’t have much to say.
Mrs. Engles: Exactly! Listen, we have tried everything. The mayor, and his friends in the city, have tried to figure this all out. We, my husband and I, sat across from Sally and Sam for a good amount of time. They are great people who are trying to help us, and I believe they will.
Sass Bloom: And I hope they will, Mrs. Engles. I truly hope they will. I can tell that you love your children, and that you only want the best for them.
Mrs. Engles: [*Sniff*]
Sass Bloom: If I may continue, only for a bit more…
Mrs. Engles: I’m fine, you may continue, I understand.
Sass Bloom: How do your children feel about this? Are they ok with leaving you and your husband for a night?
Mrs. Engles: My youngest, Maddie, is super excited. She can’t wait to go on this “adventure,” and I have to tell you, it sounds pretty fun.
Sass Bloom: I know. When I heard about what the children will experience, I thought, “Oh wow, they’re going to have a great time.”
Mrs. Engles: I know. Sally and Sam put so much into this. It’s pretty spectacular, really.
Sass Bloom: And Sara?
Mrs. Engles: Welllllll, Sara is a little different.
Sass Bloom: How so?
Mrs. Engles: Sara is the type who always, pretty much, questions everything. [*smiles*] She always thinks that “something is going on,” or “something doesn’t sound right.” I blame it on the spooky shows she watches. Better yet, I blame it on myself for allowing her to watch them. I thought they were innocent enough, but I guess not.
Sass Bloom: So Sara doesn’t want to go?
Mrs. Engles: No. She thinks something is wrong with Sally and Sam, and that they are out to take all of the children away or something. She will be fine, and I will be removing those movies from her list of recordings.
Sass Bloom: Mrs. Engles, it has been great having you here with me. I am humbled by your experience and I pray that your family is back to normal very soon. I sincerely do. Who ever thought that a game could cause all of this hullabaloo???
Mrs. Engles: We didn’t. That’s for sure, and again, thank you for having me. I do hope that now people understand our story a bit better.
Sass Bloom: Please, try to come back after your children’s return. It will be my pleasure to sit with you again.
Mrs. Engles: I will honestly try. Thanks, Sass.
Sass Bloom: Thank you.
And there you have it. My interview with Mrs. Engles. She is truly a sweet mother, and cares deeply for both her children. If you are interested in how it went with Sally and Sam, and the children of Crimson, click on the book cover and own a copy of Sleeping Through the Night.
Sass Bloom signing out.
