by JH Terry
IV: Assembly and Delusions
Andrew pulled his car into the mini-circle in front of Sudbury High for Boys. The traffic around the small circle was tight as many were trying to drop off their children at the last moment. After being able to make a stop close enough for Tom and Peter to safely walk onto the school’s grounds, Andrew said, “All right, boys. Remember to be and do good.”
“We will, Dad,” said Tom.
Andrew smiled knowing that what he had said before was in vain, but said, “Enjoy yourselves.”
“That was lucky,” said Peter.
“Yes, but…” said Tom as he looked at his watch, “Peter, it is already four minutes to eight. We have four minutes to get ready for assembly.”
Very concerned, Peter said, “Tom, we had better hurry if we don’t want Baldeye to catch us and risk getting detention.”
“Who is Baldeye?” asked Tom.
“The head of the school whom is called Principal Baldeye, but we call him Mr. Baldeye,” said Peter. “Let’s check the Announcement Board for any information. It is best to check it in the morning, that is where they have any late issued information.”
Tom and Peter hurried through the school’s formidable thick metal front gates. Looking to the gates, Tom saw that they were four yards high and in the centre of each there was the letter S, which looked more like a snake ready to pounce upon its prey.
“I did not know it would be such a large school,” said Tom truthfully as he looked to Sudbury High.
“Yeah,” said Peter, “it is impressive. It should be since we pay so much money just to be here, but as mother says, ‘reputation, reputation.’”
The school was eighteen feet tall and encompassed an area of one square mile. It was colored in the various hues of grey, with some obvious spots of white. Along the walls, ivy grew in great abundance and trees, bushes, and shrubs littered the landscape. It seemed like a gothic castle with its architecture breaking in the sky against the modern architecture of outside its gates, but still existing in its own personal world. On top of each pillar on the walled parts of its gates there were statues of dragons with mouths open as if spewing fire colored in light grey, as to resemble the symbol of the school’s crest.
Tom and Peter walked through the courtyard to the Announcement Board to the left of the front gate, which was littered with paper stuck onto it by staples, pins, and desperate attempts to use glue throughout the years. Already there were three grade twelve boys: Ric Hampton, Sean Williams, and Harold Miller. They were noted for their harmful help towards other people and others’ items. Seeing Peter and Tom together they began to laugh.
“Look guys,” said Ric, “It is Peter with his new girlfriend.”
“Hey Peter, who is your new playmate?” said Harold.
“Who are they?” asked Tom of Peter.
“Nobody, just some Senior bullies,” replied Peter. “They live on the other side of town.”
“What do you mean?” asked Tom concerned by the way Peter said ‘the other side of town.’
“Yeah, your friend looks real pretty,” said Sean, “I might even mistake him for my sister.”
“If your sister looks like a boy, then no wonder what your mom looks like,” said Ric.
Suddenly, Ric and Harold burst out laughing. Angered and embarrassed, Sean, wanting to hurt someone else rather than his ‘friends’, thrust himself out at Peter. However, Tom pulled Peter away quickly enough to surpass Sean, causing Sean to land upon the grass face down.
“Bloody hell,” said Sean, “I think I lost all the senses in my face.”
“Well, we always knew you lost those senses in your mind,” said Ric, “at least you are complete now!”
Ric and Harold began to holler out loud, even crying at the joke. Angry, Sean began to beat up on them on the grass as Tom and Peter checked the board:
SUDBURY HIGH FOR BOYS “Honor Before All Else”
26 August 2014
Attention: All Grade 9s-12s
Please get your locker number from the main office. After this, transport your bags to your lockers, making sure to keep them locked. It is not our responsibility if your valuables are lost if you do not do this, forcing us to be unable to restore to you your lost items, as deemed in Section 23, Paragraph 52 of your disclaimer with the school. After this, get into you grade lines for assembly in the hall by 7:58. Assembly in the hall will start at 8:05. If you are not present at assembly your name will be forwarded to Principal Baldeye.
Tom and Peter looked at each other, unsure of what was to befall them in times ahead.
“Let’s hurry up,” said Tom.
After getting their locker numbers from a shrewd old woman with a look of disdain due to their tardiness, and securing their bags, Tom and Peter lined up where the Juniors were to be, but saw no one there.
“Where is everyone?” asked Peter.
“I don’t know,” said Tom. Checking his watch, Tom exclaimed, “Peter, it’s four minutes past eight! We had better go to the hall.”
“Agreed,” said Peter.
Upon reaching the hall, they saw that everyone was already seated, save for a prefect outside with a badge of a green leprechaun on his blazer. Also on his blazer was a name badge that read ‘Nicolas Jickle’.
“Late Wilson?” asked Jickle.
“Traffic,” said Peter.
“Have someone new this year?” asked Jickle as he looked to Tom.
“Yes, he is a neighbor. The reason for the lateness of both of us.”
“Well, I’ll mark you down on time this time Wilson, since you are, you know. Also your friend here, Thomas Reed,” said Jickle as he looked to Tom’s name badge. “Remember, this time you were lucky. Hurry inside.”
Quickly Tom and Peter entered the hall. It was vast in size and quite dark and gloomy with its cherry benches and azure blue curtains covering windows up high near the ceiling. They tiptoed into the hall silently as the teachers began to enter the hall from one side of the wooden stage in the front of the hall. They took seats at the back of the enormous hall.
Soon, the principal, Mr. Baldeye, came into the hall from the side of the stage, once all of the teachers were at their seats, causing all of the students to then rise. Mr. Jacob Baldeye was about sixty years old, with grey hair on his head, slightly fat in his stomach area, and tall in stature, more like 7 foot in height. His hair line was receding, so much so that it looked as if he had a ‘C’ drawn all around his head with the top part brightly shining in the school’s lights, and dimly in dim light. He was not a very vain man, but he was very stern and did not tolerate any nonsense.
At this time, Tom and Peter moved into another row, unnoticed, and maintained better seats next to other Juniors. All of the teachers were standing on the stage, with each looking very knowledgeable, if not about the workings of life, then about their fields of study at the least. Altogether there were twenty-two of them.
“Tom,” said Peter, “the nine teachers in the first row, starting from the right are Mr. Renout, for Chemistry, Mr. Gemrod, for Mathematics, Mrs. Yearly, for Biology, Mr. Bakersmith, for Earth Sciences, Mr. Popperbridge, for History, Mrs. Berry, for Business Economics, Miss Renout, Mr. Renout’s daughter, for Computer Science, Mr. Yearly, Mrs. Yearly’s husband, for French, Italian, Portuguese, Greek or Spanish, our choice of up to two, and Mrs. Bakersmith, Mr. Bakersmith’s wife, for English, German, Dutch or Russian, our choice of up to two, but we must take English. We shall have them as teachers this year. Believe me we have some hard work ahead of us.”
“You may be seated,” said the stern voice of Mr. Baldeye. All of the students immediately sat down. “I would like to welcome you all to the one hundred and fortieth year that this school has been in existence. Founded in the years just before the Civil War by Mr. Reilly A. Pete, Sudbury High for Boys has stood the test of time to provide some of the best education in New York. This is shown by our hallway of fame littered with hundreds of awards from various
competitions with other schools across the country. Our athletics are the top of the line, having one of our students compete at the junior Olympics two years ago. However, Sudbury is not only about athletics, but predominately academics. I will reiterate this to you fully. I do not care if you are the best golfer in the world. If you do not maintain your academics you shall be expelled. Academics are a very serious matter here.
“For those of you who do not know me, I am your principal, Mr. Baldeye. I shall have the pleasure of acquainting myself with you by your grades each term. However, if I do happen to meet you personally, it shall be an experience you shall forever regret.
“This year, we have two new teachers. They are Mrs. Carchy,” Mr. Baldeye gestured towards a plump, middle-aged woman with hips that barely passed through a regular door, “as your health and fitness professor, and Miss Fairdy,” Mr. Baldeye gestured to a thin, five foot 6 inches tall, thirty-year old woman with dark brown hair and eyes, “who comes all the way from the England, but is studying in the United States, shall be your new fencing instructor. Here she is to tell you a little bit about it. Miss Fairdy.”
Mr. Baldeye sat down in his deluxe principal’s chair, as Miss Fairdy walked to the podium with along wooden case by her side. She placed the case down near the podium. She was small compared to the six foot five inch tall Mr. Baldeye that she had to pull the microphone down a bit. She soon heard murmurs and giggles. However, in a moment and a look from Mr. Baldeye, the students were silenced.
“Good morning gentlemen, I come to you from the England a well-trained fencing instructor. I shall tell you today about an art, which originated as early back as the Ancient Egyptians who ruled over the northeastern part of Africa. The Ancient Egyptians used swords to gain territory from their neighbors like the Persians. However, modern fencing is quite different from that used by the Ancient Egyptians. Fencing today comes largely from the duels and sword fighting that originated in Renaissance Europe during the sixteenth century. Since then, there have been created three types of swords used in fencing. They are the foil, epee, and saber. Each differs in where they must hit the opponent and how. The face-mask of wire netting idolized in fencing originated in the nineteenth century. The epee is a sword with a thin blade and a balloon-shaped end, while the foil is similar, but without the balloon end. The foil can be seen in most swashbuckling movies from the past, but it is not seen as often now.” However, Miss Fairdy began to notice that the boys and teachers were losing attention as murmurs were uttered amongst both groups, whereas papers were being tossed and passed amongst the former. Sensing the waning audience, Miss Fairdy began, “ As a show I have brought with me my favorite sword of fencing, a saber, to show you just how it is used. I need a volunteer however. Who, amongst you students, will be so willing as to go against me?” Silence filled the hall however as the boys were not too certain how safe they were against Miss Fairdy. “Do I have the occasion to have no man in here willing to fight a girl because he is too scared?”
Suddenly from the back a boy stood up. Soon the room was in an uproar as about half of the school praised the boy who just stood up. “I will fight you,” said the boy, who had lanky black hair, piercing blue-green eyes, a hooked nose and a tall, thin frame. “For no woman will tarnish our school’s pride.” To this the half of the school again roared with praise.
“Those disgusting Black Snakes and Silver Dragons, they will never change,” said Peter in a sneer.
Tom looked to Peter and said, “He is rather prejudiced against women. Who is he?”
“Oh, that is Jeremy Blang, he is in the Black Snakes house. He is a well-known fencer though, perhaps Miss Fairdy went a bit too far.”
“How well known?”
“He was the one who went to the Junior Olympics.”
Soon Jeremy was on stage facing Miss Fairdy.He stood slightly bigger than her, but still his mere presence made her seem dwarfish and entirely vulnerable. However, Miss Fairdy stood her ground.
“What is your name?”
“The one, the only, Jeremy Blang, in Grade 11, of the Black Snakes, of Sudbury High for Boys, the greatest school in the world.”
Roars went up amongst the one half of the school again. Miss Fairdy smiled sweetly as she said, “Yes, the one, the only, the egoistical Mr. Blang.” Laughing was heard by the other side of the school in acceptance of this notion. “I am glad that you stood up. Now, I have all the more reason to make this into a memorable match. You know the rules of using sabers Mr. Lanky?”
Again laughter was resonated from the other half of the school as Blang said in a cold tone, “Yes, I am a champion of the game, Miss Fairdy. What are you the champion of, I wonder?”
“I am the champion of champions,” said Miss Fairdy to roars of praise and shouts of ‘ooo’.
“We’ll see about that. Yes, I know the rules. Only hitting the body above the saddle line, so that includes the head, arms, and torso.”
“Very good,” said Miss Fairdy as she kicked up one saber from the floor up into the air, catching it into her hand. She then threw the saber to Blang, who caught it. With several strokes he cut its blade into the air, as Miss Fairdy picked up from the floor the other saber, also feeling it out.
Suddenly Blang paused, looking to Fairdy he asked, “What about protective wear?”
“You’re a man Blang, you don’t need it if I don’t. Are you ready?”
Blang looked to her slightly uncertain, but then his courage increased as he said, “I’m ready.”
Both Blang and Miss Fairdy took the on-guard position as the boys sat on the edge of their chairs, some cheering for Blang, and some for Fairdy.
“I wonder who is going to win?” asked Peter in anticipation. “Blang deserves it though, if he loses of course.”
Tom looked on, but not on the edge of his chair. For some reason the fight seemed to not have the same effect on him as it did to the others. For some reason he did not care.
Clang went the sabers, the fight had begun. The clouds of outside suddenly dispersed as sunlight filled the hall, resulting in the blades flashing light here and there as it danced about the hall and the two fighters also danced about. The teachers on stage were also interested, especially Mr. Baldeye, who seemed to have a particular need to know who would win. Lunge, lunge, parry, parry, riposte, riposte, oh how scary! Remising, beat-attacks and stop-thrusts were mounting as bouts were becoming more and more. For the unknowing reader, bouts are the score. Once they have been taken into account, as well as additional rules, then there is a winner, and a loser. Blang was cold and calculating, but Fairdy was quick and spontaneous. Ouch was heard at several intervals, but no one really noticed who gave the shout, for they noticed only the swords and the wounds that were inflicted were not visible in the least. After a while, and what no one really wanted, save for Tom, Baldeye yelled out, “Stop, it’s been ten minutes.”
With a sweeping through the air, Miss Fairdy placed the saber by her side. With profuse sweating from his forehead, Blang let his saber fall onto the ground. Strangely enough, Miss Fairdy was not sweating at all, though she had used up more energy than Blang. This struck Tom as being very awkward. Something else was awkward though - Blang had cuts upon his blazer, with a deep one that cut along his school crest, right through his silver dragon. Whispers resounded through the hall as teachers tried to shh the students and Baldeye calculated the score.
In a few minutes Baldeye raised his head showing that he was ready to give the final score. The hall stood silent as proclaimed aloud, “Miss Fairdy is the winner.”
Riotous roars were raised as half the school, along with Peter, stood up and clapped, whereas the other half had looks of anger, as well as booing here and there. “Quiet!” roared Baldeye, as the students remembered their places and quietly sat down and assumed the formal positioning.
“Thank you,” said Miss Fairdy in a kind voice. “You may sit down now, Blang.” Angry a
nd slightly embarrassed, Blang sat down back in his chair. Fairdy continued, “I hope that all of you understand the basics of such a game and the thrill it evokes in the one who holds the sword…”
Right, thought Tom. What a thrill to try to kill someone or inflict pain on them.
“I hope that all of you will one day come to practice fencing. If you are good enough at it you can compete at the Olympics for it is an Olympic sport. However, if you just want to have a fulfilling experience, I believe that for most fencing would be that sport. Thank you.”
With that, Miss Fairdy sat down in her metallic chair. Mr. Baldeye returned to the podium and raised the microphone to its original position. “Now, it is time for the Annual Initiation for New Students at Sudbury by singing the Sudbury Student Song. Mr. and Mrs. Bertz, the music teachers, have volunteered the most help to them. Will all new students from grades nine through twelve please come and stand upon the stage right now. After them we shall have the grade eights do the initiation.”
“Peter, what is the initiation?” asked Tom bewildered.
Truthfully Peter said, “That is why I came early to your house this morning. I wanted to tell you, but forgot about it. It is just a stupid song that makes fun of you that is all. Do not worry Tom, it is not all that bad. At least it was not for me.”
“But Peter, you were in grade eight that year, no one could even see you on that stage.”
“I was lucky,” said Peter.
“I guess I have no choice,” said Tom.
“Good luck, Tom.”
“Thanks, Peter.”
Tom stood up and walked along the hall floor to and upon the stage. The teachers moved their chairs and placed them along the side of the stage as they ventured off of the stage to sit on empty chairs below. Tom stood in the left corner of the stage along with twenty others. Mrs. Bertz sat at the piano at the right as Mr. Bertz walked up to the podium. Another man was next to Mrs. Bertz with a fiddle in his hands checking his instrument to see if it was in tune. Mr. Bertz’s face was painted with various colors and he was wearing a clown costume. Many boys in the audience were giggling, but as Mr. Bertz began to talk they were quiet.
“Today we shall play this tune passed down through the school by our founder and first principal, for the short time of two months, Captain Reilly A. Pete. Captain Pete is noted to have been a wealthy textile business owner. He built this school for his wife, since they could have no children; especially the son Reilly wanted so much. Upon the introduction of the Civil War from 1861 until 1865, our nation was divided into the slave-owning South, forming the Confederate Government, and the industrial North, forming the Union Government. In this war there were great battles that ensued that made it the bloodiest ever recorded to exist until that time. Reilly, a southerner by birth, decided to dedicate himself to the Confederacy by enlisting in it and fighting for its side in 1864. However, captured at the Battle of the Wilderness, where legendary Confederate general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was fatally shot by his own men in the thick fog of the battle, Reilly died in a Union prison camp from scarlet fever. Before he died, though, he is reported as saying on the night he made his fatal decision to fight for the South to have kept his ‘honor before all else.’ This was the motto of our school selected by Mrs. Pete. Therefore, the school initiated by Captain Pete as a dedication to his wife became in the end a dedication to Reilly by his wife.
“A song created by Mrs. Pete was later written for this school. In reference to its lyrics, the word Dixie appears several times. Dixie was a word used by the people of the day as a nickname for the Confederacy. The Confederacy consisted of South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana. Now, these new boys shall sing this song to show their honor and loyalty to the school.”
Turning to the boys, Mr. Bertz said, “Now, first Mrs. Bertz and Mr. Laerton will play the tune and I, along with others, will sing its hymn. Then, we will give you sheets with the words, and you will have to sing as well as do some physical movements in the second playing. In the third playing, we will all sing and do some movements together, all right? Let’s begin.”
Mr. Bertz and five other male teachers dressed in various comical costumes filled up the stage. Some were in dresses of various elaborate colors, others in clown suits, but all had their faces painted. Then, Mrs. Bertz began to play the tune. In sharp, ghastly feminine tones, Mr. Bertz and the others began to sing, dance, and provide comical scenes, along with various intervals of laughter from the audience:
Oh, when I was just a lad,
And Dixie was still young,
My mother told me sternly… (four foot taps by each man on the stage)
To keep me honor before all else,
Yes, me honor before all else. (two fast claps of their hands)
Then I would go to school,
Singing this lovely tune,
And everyone would sing along, knowing…
(four foot taps by each man on the stage)
To keep their honor before all else,
Yes, their honor before all else. (two fast claps of their hands)
And in the school we went,
All us boys as clever gents,
And we’d sing along this very song…
(four foot taps by each man on the stage)
Puzzling the teachers to what was wrong,
Yes, puzzling them to what was wrong. (two fast claps of their hands)
Then there would come Principal Pete,
Not the greatest person to meet.
He asked us all what was wrong,
And we would sing in a throng,
This very, merry song:
Oh, when we were just young lads,
And Dixie was still young,
Our mothers told us sternly… (four foot taps by each man on the stage)
To keep our honor before all else,
Yes, our honor before all else. (two fast claps of their hands)
And to our great surprise,
We’ve kept that spirit strong,
And we can say truthfully,
That Sudbury High is number one!
When they were finished, Mr. Bertz said to the grade nines through twelves on stage, “Now I want you to each sort yourselves into four lines, two lines with six, and two lines with four.” They all did so, with Tom in the front line consisting of four people. As Mrs. Bertz began to play the tune, Tom felt an urge to look toward the back of the hall. Looking at the hall’s dark right corner, Tom could distinguish two red dots hovering in the air. Soon enough, light was let upon the figure to show the black creature he had seen in his dream that very morning.
As the experience flashed into his mind again, it was time to sing. However, he was still looking at the creature, standing erect while the others danced about and sang and the creature returned back into its corner.
“Excuse me,” said Mr. Bertz to Tom with a flapping of his hand, “but you are suppose to be singing and dancing.”
Tom turned his gaze from the black creature to Mr. Bertz, but he did not see Mr. Bertz at all, but the man in his dream with the auburn mustache and chestnut hair. Soon the man’s eyes became red, and Tom’s head began to have a pain upon its right temple. He closed his eyes and put his hand upon his right temple to relieve the pain, but it got steadily worse. It felt as if any longer his head would burst from the throbbing, as if a bomb were lodged in his brain and he was helpless to diffuse it. Then, there was a miracle.
The music stopped playing, the students stopped dancing, Mr. Bertz stopped complaining, and everyone stood still with the passing time. It seemed as if ten minutes had passed in those twenty seconds of utter silence. No confusion, no emotion, no gestures were ascertained in that eerie silence where everyone stood watching not as individual others but a mould simply growing and existing without knowing what they were growing or existing for, but just watching life pass for that is all a mould can do.
; A tender hand touched Tom at his temple, causing the pain to diminish and finally go away. Upon opening his eyes, Tom saw it was Miss Fairdy before him, lowering her hands from his head. She moved to the side as Tom saw what was before him – a dream-like sequence. Everyone stood around, awestruck with what had occurred. Mr. Baldeye’s stern face seemed rigid and motionless with time. Peter mouth was open with surprise. Everyone around them was motionless despite the rhythmical breathing and other non-voluntary activities that occurred within their life forms without them even thinking or knowing about it. Looking to the back of the hall, Tom could see that the black creature was already gone.
“What is your name?” asked Miss Fairdy in a compassionate tone.
“Tom Reed,” said Tom.
“Well then, Tom Reed, let’s go to the infirmary and help you with your head problem.”
Miss Fairdy then escorted Tom from the hall to a corridor on their way to the infirmary. In the distance, the tune could be heard being played again by Mrs. Bertz and Mr. Laerton with the juvenile voices of the new students chirping at various intervals, accompanied by the laughter of the other students by their charade.
As they walked down the empty corridor, Miss Fairdy asked Tom, “Do you feel all right?”
“Yes, much better,” said Tom.
“You seemed very strained by your head,” said Miss Fairdy in a tone of curiosity. “How long has it bothered you?”
“This is only the first time.”
“Hmm…” said Miss Fairdy. Tom started to feel uncomfortable with her around. “What did you see at the back of the hall?”
Shocked, Tom said, “I do not know what you mean.”
“I mean you looked to the back of the hall, stood there staring for a few moments, and suddenly your head began to pulsate. By the laws of induction, then logically an answer can be given that something from back there must have caused your little headache, if I am not mistaken.”
There was an awkward pause between the two. Tom felt uneasy with Miss Fairdy’s curiosity and Miss Fairdy felt assured that Tom did see something, but was unwilling to tell her.
Suddenly, remembering the relief of his headache, Tom said, “What happened? You just touched my head and….”
“Oh, that, why in my family woman have been noted for being able to solve various ailments. It is just a natural gift.”
“Oh, that is intriguing.”
“You would be amazed.” They walked up the stairs to the second floor and took a left turn to a narrower hallway. Tom knew that she was lying, but said nothing. After a long period of silence, Miss Fairdy broke the sedateness by asking Tom, “Where do you live?”
“At 15 Herald Lane.”
At that moment Miss Fairdy looked a little puzzled, but was soon composed by saying, “Mr. Reilly A. Pete, this school’s founder, had his house in that same lot before it was torn down. I remember it because I saw it as it was being torn down.”
“But, I thought you were from England,” stated Tom bewildered.
“I am, but people do travel around Mr. Reed. At least you listen well; in the end it shall benefit you immensely. Now, here’s the infirmary.
Miss Fairdy pointed out a room where a woman with blond hair of 50 years old was sitting on a chair, listening to a radio, which was playing oldie music.
Knocking upon the door, Miss Fairdy attracted the nurse’s attention.
“Why, hello Miss Fairdy,” said the woman in a heavily Scottish voice.
“Hello, I am glad that you know my name, but I do not know yours. Please forgive my ignorance.”
“Oh, it is Mrs. Purplinick. It is all right; I am new, just come today. What is the trouble?”
“This student,” said Miss Fairdy as she pointed to Tom, “felt quite ill in assembly this morning. I thought it would be best to have him checked up with you.”
“That is good, very good. Let me just get out my journal to the appropriate page,” said Mrs. Purplinick as she thrust upon the desk a book that was at least fifty years old by its deteriorating pages and two thousand pages thick. Mrs. Purplinick blew off the summer dust from its top and began to page through it.
“Do you need anything else from me?” asked Miss Fairdy of Tom.
“Oh no, thank you very much.”
“My pleasure, enjoy the rest of your day, Tom.”
“You as well, Miss Fairdy.”
Then, in a flash, Miss Fairdy was gone from the room. Tom was just about to ask her something about fencing, when, upon looking back into the corridor to find her; he saw that she was already gone. Puzzled, Tom looked back upon Mrs. Purplinick, who was smiling at him.
“Your first day too?” asked Mrs. Purplinick.
Unsure of the smile, Tom said, “Yeah, it is my first day as well.”
“I’ve always liked first days,” said Mrs. Purplinick as she walked into the medicine cabinet and retrieved some pink pills for Tom. “They are the start of new beginnings, and sometimes of endings.”
She gave Tom two pink pills. Tom drank them down with some water and left the room.
Once he had left, Mrs. Purplinick’s eyes turned red and she had a slight smile on her lips. Turning to her book, she looked down at what she had already written before, under a list of several other names with ink not as fresh:
G.J. Pieter4 November 1992 - 4 December 2009
P. Groons17 May 1994 - 17 June 2011
M.P. Carter24 March 1996 - 24 April 2013
T.A. Reed26 July 1997 - 2 September 2014
With a snap of confirmation, Mrs. Purplinick shut closed her book, with its title now in view, which read, “House of U. U.”
When down the corridor, far enough from the infirmary to feel safe to do so, Tom placed the pills given to him by Mrs. Purplinick, cleverly hidden in his right hand to delude the woman, into his blazer pocket.
“I think I might just wait before I trust her sense of medical care,” said Tom to himself. He continued to walk down the corridor back to the hall.