the conversation in my head trying to analyze every word and expression as I rode the B train from Rockefeller Center to Cathedral Parkway. Ultimately, I realized I had no idea what to make of it. Thatâs why I was headed uptown.
It took a while to figure out the coded message. I knew that âC Parkâ probably stood for Central Park. But I had to do an Internet search to find B House. The Blockhouse is an old fort. Itâs located in the northwest corner of the park right on the border of Harlem.
I read about it online as I rode the subway. Itâs officially known as Blockhouse #1, and two facts about it instantly caught my attention.
First of all, it was built during the Revolutionary War, interesting because the zombie we killed in the boathouse was reading a book about defending Manhattan during the Revolutionary War. If Natalie was investigating something for Omega, that might have been the reason she went there.
Secondly, not only was the fort made mostly out of Manhattan schist, but it was also built on a giant mound of schist. Schist is the rock formation that gives the undead their power. That meant for a zombie, going inside the fort would be an energy boost.
My relationship with Natalie wasnât the only thing that had me conflicted. My mother had been firm when she told me not to do anything Omega unless she got word to me. This was a close call. If Iâd had to go underground, I wouldnât have done it. But the Blockhouse was not in Dead City. It was just in Central Park; that made it okay.
At least thatâs what I told myself.
Even though the fort is close to the Cathedral Parkway station, it took me about fifteen minutes to find it because itâs hidden in a wooded area. My guess is that hundreds of thousands of people walk by it every day with no idea that a piece of history is right there.
In addition to being hidden, the fort is also pretty boring. Itâs about the size of a small house and has four square walls about twelve feet high that make it look like a gray stone cube.
I wasnât sure what I was looking for, just that it had something to do with Natalie and Omega. I hoped that it would be obvious and I would be able to figure out what it was when I saw it.
I walked up a small flight of stairs to a gate in the wall. There was a chain on the gate, but when I got up close I realized that it wasnât actually locked. The chain was draped to make it look like it was, but all you had to do was reach through the bars and slide a latch to open it.
The gate made a loud creaking noise as I entered. It should have signaled something creepy, but the inside of the Blockhouse was just as boring as the out. There was a small square area surrounded by thick walls of Manhattan schist. Each wall had a pair of holes that Revolutionary soldiers could use to stick their rifles through and shoot out during an attack. There was also a flagpole right in the middle.
âUnderwhelming,â I muttered to myself as I tried to figure out what might have brought Natalie here.
I began to wonder if I was just wrong about the clue. Maybe âB house C Parkâ referred to something completely different. Maybe (hopefully) I was wrong about everything. That was when I noticed a piece of paper that had blown into the far corner.
I walked over and knelt down to check it out. It was blank on the side facing me, but when I turned it over I saw that it was a poem.
âThe Hollow Menâ by T. S. Eliot.
I slumped as I realized what this meant. This was where Natalie lost the poem. That meant she had come here because an Omega (Liberty) had told her to. I folded up the poem and slid it into my pocket. As I stood up, I heard the creaking of the gate closing behind me.
My first thought was that it was Natalie. I figured she had seen me digging around her backpack and followed me here to confront me about it.
âListen, Iâm sorry that I . . .â
Thatâs
It took a while to figure out the coded message. I knew that âC Parkâ probably stood for Central Park. But I had to do an Internet search to find B House. The Blockhouse is an old fort. Itâs located in the northwest corner of the park right on the border of Harlem.
I read about it online as I rode the subway. Itâs officially known as Blockhouse #1, and two facts about it instantly caught my attention.
First of all, it was built during the Revolutionary War, interesting because the zombie we killed in the boathouse was reading a book about defending Manhattan during the Revolutionary War. If Natalie was investigating something for Omega, that might have been the reason she went there.
Secondly, not only was the fort made mostly out of Manhattan schist, but it was also built on a giant mound of schist. Schist is the rock formation that gives the undead their power. That meant for a zombie, going inside the fort would be an energy boost.
My relationship with Natalie wasnât the only thing that had me conflicted. My mother had been firm when she told me not to do anything Omega unless she got word to me. This was a close call. If Iâd had to go underground, I wouldnât have done it. But the Blockhouse was not in Dead City. It was just in Central Park; that made it okay.
At least thatâs what I told myself.
Even though the fort is close to the Cathedral Parkway station, it took me about fifteen minutes to find it because itâs hidden in a wooded area. My guess is that hundreds of thousands of people walk by it every day with no idea that a piece of history is right there.
In addition to being hidden, the fort is also pretty boring. Itâs about the size of a small house and has four square walls about twelve feet high that make it look like a gray stone cube.
I wasnât sure what I was looking for, just that it had something to do with Natalie and Omega. I hoped that it would be obvious and I would be able to figure out what it was when I saw it.
I walked up a small flight of stairs to a gate in the wall. There was a chain on the gate, but when I got up close I realized that it wasnât actually locked. The chain was draped to make it look like it was, but all you had to do was reach through the bars and slide a latch to open it.
The gate made a loud creaking noise as I entered. It should have signaled something creepy, but the inside of the Blockhouse was just as boring as the out. There was a small square area surrounded by thick walls of Manhattan schist. Each wall had a pair of holes that Revolutionary soldiers could use to stick their rifles through and shoot out during an attack. There was also a flagpole right in the middle.
âUnderwhelming,â I muttered to myself as I tried to figure out what might have brought Natalie here.
I began to wonder if I was just wrong about the clue. Maybe âB house C Parkâ referred to something completely different. Maybe (hopefully) I was wrong about everything. That was when I noticed a piece of paper that had blown into the far corner.
I walked over and knelt down to check it out. It was blank on the side facing me, but when I turned it over I saw that it was a poem.
âThe Hollow Menâ by T. S. Eliot.
I slumped as I realized what this meant. This was where Natalie lost the poem. That meant she had come here because an Omega (Liberty) had told her to. I folded up the poem and slid it into my pocket. As I stood up, I heard the creaking of the gate closing behind me.
My first thought was that it was Natalie. I figured she had seen me digging around her backpack and followed me here to confront me about it.
âListen, Iâm sorry that I . . .â
Thatâs
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