The Catcher's Dreams (FEATURED)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - just like in the movies

Drake went in through the front doors. Tommy. He had to find Tommy. But he needn't have worried, for Tommy was on his way to find him.

"Drake!" he shouted. He was standing at the far end of the lobby, in between two of the farthest cardboard displays boasting of kindergarten art and the After School Activities schedule. Drake ran over, weaving past the other cardboard displays and some disapproving adults. "Tommy, we have to talk."

Tommy was smiling, his golden nugget of hair gleaming under artificial light. "Why yes, Drake. We have to talk."

"Listen," Drake said. His backpack complained on his shoulder. "You don't have a glow, Tommy. You've never had a glow."

Tommy stood there, freckles clustered around his nose. Smiling. He had dimples, too. Both dimples. One hand slid through his perfect hair casually.

"And, if I'm correct, I've never had a glow either," Drake said. "Yet, we are not exactly glowless." He was talking too fast. His fingers touched his temples in an effort to get the words out. "The glowless are brain-dead, but you and me – we can...think, th-think and do stuff on our own. And we – we, we can see versions of the glows. Which, which means –"

Tommy's smile waited.

"Which means you...you, you are like me," Drake said. "Whatever is wrong with me, it's wrong with you too."

"I am not like you," Tommy insisted. He let go of a laugh edged with needles. "Silly Drake. I may see the shines, but you take them away. You're inhuman. You make ordinary people into slaves."

Drake was quiet.

"And," Tommy said, "it's brilliant."

"Excuse me?" Drake asked.

"Why would I bother to be so close to you anyway? When you don't bother to talk to me half the time? It wasn't just Mr. Palmer and Zachary, Drake. I knew."

"You knew all along," Drake said. The kindergarten art scowled at him. "Why are you standing all alone here, anyway? The main staircase is on the other side of the lobby. There's nothing here but the other staircase."

"The one no one uses," Tommy finished.

"Exactly," Drake said.

"Take him," Tommy said.

"Take him?" Drake echoed.

Two shapes jumped out from behind the cardboard displays and Drake's vision was impaired by a green tie. Students really shouldn't be required to wear those ties.

#

They laughed to cover up Drake's protesting. It's all a joke, these laughs promised. An immature nine-year-old boy joke. A late April Fools thing, don't they understand? And then they shoved the other tie into his mouth. So funny, so deserving of these out-loud laughs. Such a good prank.

Drake was being dragged. The laughs died away, and the lighting changed. His vision became even darker.

"Brace yourself," Tommy said. "Here come the stairs."

No! Not stairs! "Mmh! Mm mmh!" The tie tasted disgusting as Drake shouted into it. I can't see where I'm going! "Mrmmmrph mmh hmm!"

"I'm sorry?" Tommy said. "I can't hear you."

The stairs came. Drake's stomach screamed as he missed a step, but whoever was flanking him pulled at his arms so he didn't go spiraling down. Everything lurched with every step missed, every misplaced foot, every whisper of his mind.

"It's dark down here," Tommy said. "Creepy, with no lights. They couldn't bother to fix automatic lighting in this daft service staircase? Oh, wait, you can't see." His laugh bounded off the walls and hit Drake in the knees. He buckled.

"Hold him steady there, Cody," Tommy ordered.

Cody? "Mmrf?"

"What's that, Drake?" Tommy asked. "Sure. End of the staircase. Let's go this way. Oh look, a cafeteria trolley. Still no lights? Pity."

Drake was turned. His feet stopped momentarily, but someone kicked at his ankles.

"Walk," Tommy ordered. Something lit up, and Drake could see the green of his blindfold again.

"Oh, how quaint. And dusty. Stop right here, please. What a nice empty corridor." A door was opened. "And look! A cafeteria table! I never knew they propped up like that. Oh, and some chairs. These should do nicely. Have a seat, friend."

Something shoved Drake's stomach, and he was forced to sit down. The chair was large but unyielding; ruled by the triumvirate of metal, cold, and uncomfortable. The hands previously holding Drake in place left, but before Drake could do anything, something tight circled around his wrists again, making them hug the arms of the chair.

"Doing the tape, Wang? And the ropes? Oh, this is fantastic. Don't forget his feet. Just like the movies."

Drake heard Tommy whoop.

"You've been bad, Drake Hirsch," Tommy mocked. "Stealing all those people's shines. Time for a time-out, don't you think so?"

Something unpleasantly sticky was taped onto his forehead, pressing his head down. There was a kick and he and his chair spun around, almost falling. Another sticky something was taped onto his lips, securing the tie in place. The other tie was taken away from his eyes.

He blinked. He was facing a wall.

"Welcome to your new home, you soul-sucking creature," Tommy said from behind him. Drake tried to shuffle around in the chair, but the latter was too heavy to budge. "We'll be back in a jiffy."