Summoned

A sample chapter from Isolation by Lucas Kitchen

Tabitha leaned over the paper-laden table, her wavy hair falling across her face as she studied The Overseer’s Handbook. Its rugged leather cover was cracked with age, and its pages were filled with meticulously handwritten notes and diagrams. She blew a lock out of her eyeline and thumbed through the yellowed pages. She skimmed through sheets of detailed schematics and maintenance protocols, amazed at the wealth of knowledge needed to keep the town of Isolation running.

She took in the magical smell of the books surrounding her and smiled. This was her happy place. She glanced around the little library as warm nostalgia washed over her. The room’s walls were lined with towering bookshelves, many of which she had spent fantastic hours exploring. Each shelf was filled to the brim with old volumes, their spines cracked and faded. The little library was jammed with years of wisdom, a trove of contentment and satisfaction. In the center of the room rose the table like an altar to the patron saint of stray papers; its surface was worn smooth and utterly blotted out by Tabitha’s research materials.

The door creaked. Tabitha glanced, and the spell was broken. It was Tobias, her twin brother, who everyone assumed was older because of his broadness, tallness, and manishness. He was coming at her like one of Mr. Johnson’s pigs at feeding time. His brow furrowed into a wad of forehead wrinkles. His height was only slightly diminished by his forward-charging posture. He’d ram that hard head through a bookshelf if he didn’t slow down. She rolled her eyes.

“There you are. We need to go now.”

Tabitha sighed, her eyes still fixed on the Overseer’s Handbook. She wondered if she could buy some time. A stolen glance told her Tobias had no time on sale. Suddenly, her world became focused, narrowed, and dangerous. The look on his face! Something was wrong.

“What is it?”

“The council called for us.”

“No!” she said; he nodded. “We in trouble? Are they moving us again? Are they mad? How did they say it? What’s it about?”

“Don’t know,” he said. “Come on.”

She stacked up papers, notes, and other research on top of the book, handling it all with a caution that Tobias had no interest in waiting upon. Her stomach felt tight, and her heart fluttered at the frightening thought. Appearing before the council. “Any hint what it’s about?”

“It’s about time, is what it is.” Tobias folded his arms across his chest. “You gonna collate them papers?” He nodded curtly toward the neat stack forming before her cautious attention. “Come on. They’ll be madder than a breached cow if we don’t show. You can get them papers later.”

Tabitha tried to hurry, but her nerves played havoc on her coordination. She scrambled for the stack of uncollated papers but knocked over a glass jar of pencils in her mismanaged haste, sending them across the floor’s bowed boards. The pencils exploded across the floor, looking like an omen of things to come.

“Why you being so clumsy?” Tobias said. “Hurry.”

“I’m trying,” she said. Tobias rushed like a one-ton bull to the table. As Tabitha knelt on the floor to gather the pencils, he scooped up the papers and notes, not bothering to keep them in any semblance of order. He crammed the wad of documents into her satchel like he was stuffing a turkey.

“Hey, careful with those!” Tabitha protested.

“Take them pencils too if you want,” Tobias said, grabbing the jar from her hand and dumping it into her bag.

“There ain’t no need to be such a dead donkey’s dad,” Tabitha said.

She stepped out of the library with her jam-packed bag, squinting against the glaring sunlight that bathed Isolation’s dusty street.What had they done? Why were they summoned? She couldn’t handle another relocation. They’d been moved to their third burrow this year and were running out of options. She hurried to catch up with Tobias, who was already striding ahead, his shoulders tense with urgency.

“Where you been since this morning?” Tabitha asked, trying to distract, hoping she could loosen up a notch.

“Was checking my snares out near the cisterns,” Tobias said.

“You catch a jackrabbit?” Tabitha said. “I’m hankering for some rabbit stew.”

“Nope,” Tobias said. “But I got a horny toad.”

“Rather stew up some old socks,” Tabitha said.

“So, what were you zonked out about back there?” Tobias asked, glancing sideways at Tabitha as they moved down the street of a town that looked frozen in time.

“I finally got permission to take a gander at the Overseer’s Handbook for my school project! Can you believe it?” She grinned, enthusiasm bubbling up like a cold winter brook. For a split second, she was flying; her mind soared through the pages of the incredible little book. She relived her afternoon, sitting among the books. “They gave me all these rules. ‘Don’t take it out the building. Return it by end a day.’ But still—I never thought they’d let me see it!” Tabitha’s smile stretched across her face, pride and excitement beaming clear and present. Then, her brother ruined the moment.

Tobias paused mid-step, his brow so furrowed you could plant corn in its rows. “They crazy? You serious?” He shook his head. He squeezed his eyes nearly shut, making tiny indentions around his temples. She felt her body tighten at his expression. As twins, they felt each other’s fears, worries, and anxiety. The weight of his look pressed against her. He put a finger out, clearly indicating that he was throwing the gearbox into lecture mode. “Tabitha, that’s a huge responsibility. Without the Overseer’s Handbook we’d be—well, it’s real important. You was careful, right?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I know, Bubba.”

“They shouldn’t a even let you near it,” Tobias said.

“You’re going to give me an ulcer.” She shoved his shoulder. “It’s sitting there safe and sound on the desk. Ain’t nobody getting at it in the library.” She tried to will herself to believe the words. Tobias squinted deeper.

“We should go back and make sure it’s safe.” He paused. “On second thought, we should go get it and return it to the clerk before…” he trailed off.

“We don’t have time. Remember?” She frowned at him. He looked stuck between a colt and a fence. If he got squeezed anymore, she was afraid his eyes might pop out, no matter how much he tried to keep ’em squinted in place. “We got to go find out what we did this time. Probably going to get a discipline for it, whatever it is.” She gulped down a knot that was determined to fight its way into her mouth.

“Right.” He turned and walked. Tabitha quickened her pace, falling into step. Tabitha’s nervousness began to bubble and spill over.