The Other Side

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The colours and sounds faded and the room came back into view. Tom let go of the ball and looked up. The headmaster was holding another round object in his hand. But this time he knew what it was – a globe.

"Look here." The headmaster pointed at a spot to the left of Cornwall. "What do you see?"

There was nothing there but water, and he said as much. The old man gave a wave of his hand and land began to appear. Starting from Plymouth, it curved around the Isles of Scilly and up all the way to Ireland before extending westward.

"Atlantis," the headmaster said.

It was huge, and so close to home, some of it straddling across the sea borders of England and France. How had they managed to hide it from the rest of the world? How had no one even accidently stumbled across it?

"The Wanderers... they have ships, planes, submarines-"

"Magic," the headmaster said simply. "There's only one way in and out of Atlantis my boy, and it's on that wooden boat."

There was a loud thundering knock on the door just then that startled both of them. "Caretaker Byrne, here for the boy," a voice boomed.

"Is that the time already?" the headmaster peered at his wrist. "Well, what do you know, it is," he chuckled. "He's here to show you to your room."

Tom didn't want to go, not now, not yet. He had questions to ask. He thought he understood what Wanderers were. They were the people on the Other Side, the... normal people. And wizards, were they a different species? It seemed like they were, which raised the question, how was it possible for him to be a wizard?

The headmaster watched him carefully. "You're a wizard Thomas, and that's all that matters."

"But how do you know, sir? How can you be so sure?"

"Because I can see," the headmaster said gently. "Ah, this is all new to you but you can see too, my boy. There is something about wizards. They seem-" he paused, looking for the right word. "Familiar."

The door opened and Tom almost shrieked at what he saw. He thought it was a headless person. But it wasn't. They were just so tall that from where he sat the person was visible only up to its neck.

The headmaster gave a little bow. Tom took that as his cue to leave. He stood up and hastily did his best to mimic the bow before he grabbed his luggage and walked out through the door.

Caretaker Byrne was indeed a tall man, by far the tallest he had ever seen. He knew it was rude to stare at people, more so if they were different somehow. But Tom did exactly that as he trailed behind the caretaker. He couldn't help it. He was in awe.

"You find my height fascinating?"

Tom quickly averted his eyes to the ground. "No sir," he lied.

"I am considered short for my kind."

He wondered if Caretaker Byrne was one of those giants Cindy had mentioned.

"Your kind...?"

"Yes."

He had hoped for a bit more than that, but Caretaker Byrne didn't seem like a man of many words. Tom decided he was a giant. He had to be. He was much too tall to be anything else.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Caretaker Byrne led him down the corridor and out into a courtyard, through another corridor and then out again, into the open.

The school was on a hill. They had walked through it and come out on the other side. A stone path led down the hill, surrounded by a forest on both sides. The further they went, the closer the trees grew to the path.

At the bottom of the hill, just before the forest began, was a single white tree. Set against the backdrop of rich greenery, the tree seemed to almost glow. But it wasn't the tree or the scenery that had Tom staring with his mouth half-open as he walked. It was what was on the tree.

The trunk of the tree was large and round and it rose up straight for a few metres, and perched on it, with the branches spreading out on all sides, was what looked like a small cottage.

It was a tree house...

"You will be staying here," Caretaker Byrne said in that deep booming voice of his. "Supper is served between six and eight in the main hall," he added and he turned and walked off.

Tom watched him go, his mouth still half-open. He was going to come back. Caretaker Byrne was going to come back, he was sure of it. This had to be a joke. They weren't going to leave him here all alone.

Caretaker Byrne disappeared over the hill.

Tom waited for him to reappear.

He didn't.

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