Witherwood Reform School

  Tobias looked around. “That was it?”

  “Best one yet,” Archie said as he sucked on his Life Saver. “I can’t wait until the next.”

  “I agree,” Charlotte said.

  Students began to pick up their chairs to carry inside as teachers ordered some of the more enthusiastic kids to stop waving. Charlotte complained about still being hungry, so Tobias tore the remainder of his sandwich in half and gave part to her. The smell from the ripped sandwich was strong. Ever since his brain had cleared, Tobias could smell better than ever. He breathed in, trying to pinpoint what the mysterious ingredient was as Charlotte ate.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  Charlotte smiled. “So do you think they’ll finally give us pillows tonight?”

  Tobias shook his head and shoved the rest of his sandwich in his mouth. He stared at Archie as he stood up and grabbed his chair.

  “So what else do you know about the Catchers?”

  “What?” Archie asked, confused.

  Tobias didn’t have the energy to keep going round. The parade was over, and Archie was done talking.

  After school, Tobias and Charlotte worked four hours in the kitchen and then Ms. Gulp took them to their room. Charlotte walked straight to her pillowless cot and went to bed.

  Tobias did not. Student Morale Day had been a disappointment, and he was hoping tonight would be different.

  CHAPTER 17

  LIBRARIES ARE NOT STORAGE LOCKERS

  Tobias Eggers was becoming much more than just a scared boy trapped in an unusual school. Now he was more like a brave boy temporarily detained in a place he was secretly mapping and slowly figuring out. He really wanted to see what they were hiding on the third floor. He couldn’t remember exactly what he had seen through that third-story window, but he knew it had made him uneasy.

  Tobias focused on what he wanted to accomplish tonight. He had a goal. He was going to visit the library he had found and see if it held any answers to Witherwood’s secrets. He was also going to be on the lookout for anything that mentioned the word Catchers.

  Ever since talking to Archie, there had been little else Tobias could think of. He knew there was something important about the Catchers and their relationship to Witherwood.

  As Charlotte lay there sleeping, Tobias couldn’t help but notice how much older she seemed. It had been just over a week, yet it felt like a lifetime had passed and that his sister was no longer the kid she had been when they stood at the iron gate and wondered what would happen next.

  Tobias got up from his cot and walked to the corner where the loose floorboard was. He pulled it back and took out his paper and pen. He drew the parts of the gardens he had seen today. He drew Professor Himzakity and wrote small notes about him around the edge. Things that he might want to remember if he was ever a victim of Marvin’s voice again. He wrote down some of the odd things that the professor had them repeat: “Once a person lets go of something, it’s no longer theirs” and “Youth belongs to those who have fortune.”

  After Tobias had written and drawn what he needed, he put the papers back and placed the board over them. He then slid beneath his cot and wrote a couple of notes to himself on the underside. He had been carefully placing clues all over that would help him remember things if he ever had his brain messed with again. If he lost his mind, he at least wanted a fighting chance to get it back.

  Tobias scooted out from under the cot and stood up. Brushing his hands together, he walked to the door and took out his key. He slid it into the old keyhole, and the lock tumbled open. He listened for voices, but there was no sound of singing.

  Carefully, he made his way through Weary Hall and over to Severe Hall with the help of tiny yellow lights lining the walls. Witherwood felt warm, like an oven that had retained its heat after baking a large meal. He wasn’t wearing his school sweater, but he rolled up his shirtsleeves in an effort to cool down.

  Near the middle of Severe Hall, there were doors that opened onto a spacious foyer lit only by a single lamp on the far wall. On the other side of the foyer, there was an archway with wide wood doors that were locked. A gold plaque to the side of the arch read LIBRARY.

  The air in the foyer was quiet and filled with the smell of dirt. Tobias’s nose let him know that someone had left an apple in the bottom of a small trash bin beneath a stone table.

  While exploring last night, Tobias had discovered that his key worked for the library. He unlocked it and pushed the right-side door open just slightly. He slipped in and relocked the door. A dozen square windows on both sides of the building let in enough moonlight for Tobias to see. The library was enormous, with tall ceilings that were easily as high as the third floor. Bookshelves filled the walls, and every shelf was stuffed with books. Rows of wooden desks littered the floor, and the round table in the middle of the room looked like a gaping mouth. There were chairs all over and tables with boxes stacked on top of them. The boxes made the library look more like a storage room than a place of learning.

  Tobias didn’t know where to start. He wanted to find answers, but he wasn’t even sure what questions he had. He wished Charlotte were with him so they could split the work. But Charlotte was sleeping, and he was all he had at the moment. So he wandered the rows of books and climbed the rolling ladders to high shelves, looking for anything that might appear to be an answer. Dust and feathery cobwebs were everywhere; no one had used the library in a while.

  Tobias looked under W for Witherwood. There was nothing. A book titled Hyrum Withers: Man of Science and the Supernatural caught his attention, but it was long, and the words were little, and it would have taken him two months to read it. So he flipped to the index in the back and looked up Catchers. There was just one reference, page 452. Tobias read the one line that mentioned them: “The Catchers are essential to our prosperity. They are the silent hands of Witherwood.”

  There was nothing else.

  “What is this place?” he whispered to himself. “What school needs silent hands?”

  Tobias shut the book and shelved it. He looked for books on Catchers, but there weren’t any in the C section. He even tried looking in the T section for the Catchers, but that was pretty much a pointless endeavor from the start. As he was looking in the K section in case someone had accidentally spelled Catcher with a K, he heard what sounded like a key slide into the lock. Tobias slipped behind the shelf and held his breath. The library door opened, and overhead lights snapped on. There was the sound of footsteps and now the smell of old person was in the air.

  Over the books and through the bookshelves, he could see Orrin and Professor Himzakity.

  “We are on schedule as always,” Himzakity said. “The Gothiks will be stocked, and the demand is higher than ever.”

  “Good news indeed,” Orrin replied. “This will be a profitable spring for Witherwood.”

  Tobias turned his right ear to better hear.

  “This library is a cemetery,” Professor Himzakity said. “A storage room with books. We could use this space for so much more.”

  “Be careful what you say about libraries,” Orrin scolded. “There’s much to fear and favor about books.”

  “And much to forget,” Professor Himzakity snipped.

  “Let’s not have words,” Orrin said. “It’s a pleasant night, and tomorrow we begin this semester’s extractions.”

  The word extractions made Tobias lose his breath. He shifted uncomfortably behind the shelf. The dust in the library was making his nose drip wildly, so he held one of his fingers up to his nose to keep from sneezing. As he lifted his arm, his elbow knocked the shelf, causing an almost inaudible thump.

  “Wait,” Orrin said. “Did you hear something?”

  Tobias held his breath.

  “Stay here,” Orrin whispered.

  Through the books, Tobias could see Orrin coming closer. Moving like a crab, he scurried backward until he met up with the far library wall, near the books about earth science. He couldn’t see Orrin any
longer, but he could hear his uneven footsteps getting closer. Tobias looked around frantically. He reached for a thick book on the bottom shelf where he was crouching. His plan was to defend himself with the volume, but when he pulled it out, he saw a knob on the wall behind where the book had been. Tobias reached back into the shelf and pushed the knob. The three bottom bookshelves slid quietly to the right, exposing a small opening into a long, dark space.

  Orrin was getting closer.

  Having no other option, Tobias crawled into the opening and hit the knob again. The shelves slid back into place, leaving him in the dark and behind the wall. He stood up and held his breath. A tiny sliver of light shone through the crack at the bottom of the moving shelves. He could hear Orrin as he slowly passed the shelf. Orrin stopped and scratched his arms.

  “Come on,” Professor Himzakity called. “Get your book. We need to prepare.”

  “I’m coming. I think my ears need a cleaning.”

  Orrin’s footsteps faded, and a few moments later the sliver of light flicked off. Tobias was alone, in the dark, behind the wall.

  “What now?” he whispered to himself.

  Instead of going back out into the library, he decided to turn and travel farther into the unknown passageway. It was black, but the possibility of where it might lead was too tempting to ignore.

  “It has to lead out,” he said, trying to psych himself up.

  Tobias stood and walked cautiously behind the walls.

  CHAPTER 18

  A SMALL MENTION OF SOMETHING IMPORTANT

  It was dark by the time Ralph Eggers and his taxi driver, Sam, found 2527 Battered Cactus Road. It was located in the center of nowhere on a section of dirt in the middle of vast fields of cattle and crops. Ralph rang the doorbell and stood on the doorstep with Sam.

  A squatty woman in jeans and a pink blouse opened the door. She had suspicious eyes and a tight smile.

  “Yes?” she asked.

  “Hello,” Ralph said, looking at the slip of paper in his hand. “Is Donald Tilt in?”

  “He’s out on the far edge of the ranch.”

  “Can we wait?” Ralph asked. “I’m the person he found walking around last week. I was hoping I could ask him a few questions.”

  “It’s nice to see you’re okay,” the woman said. “Well, you’re welcome to come in and wait, but it could be some time before Mr. Tilt returns.”

  Ralph looked at Sam. “Can we wait?”

  “I suppose,” Sam said.

  The woman ushered them into a large room with vaulted ceilings and a mammoth fireplace in the middle. The walls were covered with mounted animal heads, and the floor displayed animal skins. Most of the dead animals were familiar, but a few had the look of being strange and exotic. The ceiling was made of thick wood beams, and there was a full-sized stuffed bear standing in the center of the room. The smell of burning wood filled the air.

  “I don’t like this room,” Sam whispered.

  The woman brought them a couple of drinks and a tray full of cheese and meat.

  “I guess it could grow on me,” Sam added as he sat down and did his best to empty the tray.

  It was a good while before Donald Tilt finally returned. He was a tall man with wide shoulders and a long waist. His hands were as big as mitts, and he had a short beard that covered most of his thin face. He introduced himself and then ran off to wash up. Half an hour later, he emerged from his bedroom wearing a worn blue sports coat, dark jeans, and boots that had a large D and a large T burnt into the side of them. Donald poured himself a cup of coffee and then took a seat on one of the leather couches.

  “I see you’ve met some of my friends,” Donald said, motioning to the animals on the walls.

  “You shoot your friends?” Sam asked with concern.

  “Shoot ’em and eat ’em,” Donald answered in a friendly tone. “Hunting is a big part of my life.”

  “I just think—” Sam started to protest, but Ralph stopped him by holding his right palm up.

  “What Sam is trying to say is thanks for taking the time to talk to me.”

  “My pleasure,” Donald said, unfazed by Sam’s protest. “I must say, you look a lot different than when I last saw you. For one thing, you’re dressed.”

  Ralph’s face reddened. “About that, I was hoping you might know more as to why I was out there.”

  “I wish I did, but I’m sorry to say there’s not much more I can tell you. I told the doctors everything. I was out checking on the herd in the far part of my property, there by the interstate. I had just gotten out of my truck and was walking over to the new fences when you came up. You kinda spooked me ’cause you weren’t wearing much, and your body was covered with dust so you sort of blended into the dirt. In fact, you might think I’m crazy, but for a split second when I first saw you, I thought you were a ghost.”

  “Probably the ghost of one of these animals you shot,” Sam said.

  “Who are you?” Donald asked Sam nicely.

  “I’m his taxi driver,” Sam answered. “And I’m not too crazy about hunters.”

  “Well, Sam,” Donald said kindly, “I figure there’re a number of critters that would love to come back and haunt me. But it wasn’t one of them. It was him.” Donald pointed at Ralph and smiled.

  “What happened then?” Ralph asked.

  “Like I told the doc, you were babbling and sort of tearing at your skin as if you were hot. It was a terribly warm day, and you drank about a gallon of water. I asked you your name, and all you said was Martha.”

  “Martha?” Ralph asked, surprised. “Nobody told me that.”

  “Well, whether someone told you or not, it’s true,” Donald said. “You said Martha and then just went on babbling. I asked you if you’d like a ride into town, and you climbed in my car without saying another word. I drove you straight to the hospital, dropped you off, and then had a meal in the hospital’s cafeteria. I wouldn’t recommend the meat loaf.”

  “Thanks,” Ralph said. “So did I say anything as you were driving?”

  “Not really,” Donald replied. “You kept turning on the radio because you thought it was the heater. And you rolled your window down once.”

  Ralph was silent in thought.

  “I wish I could tell you more,” Donald said sympathetically. “I truly do, but that’s all that happened.”

  “Can you think of any reason I’d be out there?”

  “Not really,” Donald answered, stroking his beard with his hand. “It’s pretty desolate. I wondered if you might be some sort of nature freak wanting to be one with the world.”

  “I don’t think that’s it.”

  “No, I don’t think so either,” Donald agreed. “But there’s nothing out there aside from empty land and a hundred head of cattle.”

  “Nothing else?” Ralph said.

  “Well, there’s the river near the old highway and the abandoned rest stop, but nobody travels down that road any longer. The only thing that way is Witherwood.” Donald shivered.

  “Who’s Witherwood?” Sam questioned.

  “Not a who, but a what,” Donald said uneasily. “It’s some sort of school on top of the mesa. It’s been there forever. I grew up with my parents telling me ghost stories about it. It scared the muck out of me then and still gives me the chills. It’s not a good place.”

  “Witherwood,” Ralph said slowly. “Maybe I wandered off from there.”

  “Does it ring a bell?” Sam asked.

  “No,” Ralph replied. “So how do we get there?”

  “You go back to the interstate and head south,” Donald explained. “Get off at the ranch road exit, stay to the left, and travel down the old highway. Eventually there will be a road on your right. I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s the only road. If you pass the abandoned rest stop, you’ve gone too far. Take that road up to the school. It’s a steep drive to the top of the mesa, but eventually you’ll reach Witherwood. It’s not a place you want to visit at night.”


  “It can’t be that bad,” Ralph said.

  “It is or it isn’t,” Donald replied. “I’ve heard people say it’s a place of great scientific learning, and it’s only for the most gifted kids, but there are also some nuts who think it’s haunted.”

  “Really?” Ralph asked. “And you believe that?”

  “Whether I do or don’t, I’d still stay away from that road at night.”

  “So we’ll come back in the morning,” Sam said. “I’m not driving around here at night, especially when there are people who might shoot me.”

  “I can’t afford to pay you to drive me back tomorrow,” Ralph said anxiously. “Maybe we should just go tonight.”

  “I’ve got news for you—you can’t afford to even pay me for all of today,” Sam replied. “But that’s okay, I wanna see what happens. Of course I prefer to see what happens in the daytime.”

  “I’ll tell you boys what,” Donald said, standing up. “I know it’s late, but I haven’t eaten. So if you wanna join me, I’ll have my staff cook us some steaks and you can sleep in one of our guest rooms.”

  “Really?” Ralph asked, surprised by Donald’s generosity.

  “I won’t take no for an answer.”

  “What do you say, Sam?” Ralph asked.

  “I’ve got nothing to drive home to,” Sam replied. “But are the guest rooms filled with more of these animals? Because I’m not sure I could sleep.”

  “You’re one heck of a taxi driver,” Donald said, laughing.

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Sam agreed.

  Donald laughed, then picked up a bell sitting on a table and rang it.

  CHAPTER 19

  WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

  We all have things to do. Most of us need to take out the trash, or empty the dishwasher, or brush our teeth. Some of us need to get to work; a few of us probably have homework; and there are some out there who simply need to get a move on, whatever that means. Our lives are filled with tasks and projects. Today might be the day you need to fix that gate. Or maybe there’s a puzzle that has been put away and needs to be pieced together. Now might be a good time to get that puzzle out, put it together, and discover that the finished picture is actually a map that will lead you to great riches—riches so extraordinary that from this point on, you can lie in a hammock and do nothing for the rest of your days.