Porter Hall

Authors Note: This is my fall DWA which is a fiction story, I really tried to work on my organization.

 “You need to go, your behavior has been an issue and I think this will straighten you out.” Those were the words that had come out of his father’s mouth when Toby refused to leave. His parents had wanted an excuse for him to go for some time now. They were tired of the daily routine, in which they had to take care of their son. Toby wasn’t a bad kid, but his parents desperately desired for him to leave. His mother and father wanted to live a life of luxury, not parenting, so they decided it was time for him to get the boot.

A four year long boarding school. Meant for kids with behavioral issues. A naughty kid would go in, four years later they would exit as a mature adult. Nobody knew their methods, except for the people who worked there. Rumors say that the man who built Porter Hall, the name of this institution, eventually went insane a couple years before his death.

Toby was sitting on the cold benches inside the ferry. The school was on a small island. Almost as if it were a prison. He felt as if he was trapped, that Porter Hall would be his death. He was freezing.  A small windbreaker above a t-shirt was all he had on. The ferry ride was supposed to last three hours. It had only been forty-five minutes.

Toby was an interesting kid, very shy, and very quiet. Back in his hometown he had only two friends, they were probably the only thing keeping him sane. He went to a public school, kind of a dump, where every kid seemed to be in a gang. He had been picked on a lot and sometimes beaten up, yet every time he got blamed for it. His parents knew their kid well enough that he wouldn’t do it, but they never stood up for him. Most parents care for their kids and are there for them when they’re down, but not Toby’s. One of his friends, Greg, was small, a nerd, but he could never keep his mouth shut and that’s why Toby liked him. Greg always seemed to have another joke. Toby’s other friend Jamie would always protect him from bullies. He was a giant. Could’ve been a bully himself but instead always stood up for Toby.

Desperation was overwhelming Toby on the ferry.  The other kids looked alright, almost as if they were just normal kids, except they were going to an institute for behavior. The ferry suddenly came to a stop and the hatch above the room that Toby was located in opened. Him and the others hopped out and looked at the sight.

The rumors were wrong. Porter hall was beautiful, shining. Toby noticed a change in the temperature, for it was now warm. Not uncomfortably so. A glistening ray of sunlight shimmered over the island.  The island looked so perfect, a paradise. Toby could see kids playing a game of football in the courtyard. There was even wildlife on the island.

In his parents haste they must’ve had a mix up. Instead of sending Toby to Porter Hall they must’ve sent him someplace else. Toby didn’t know where, and he didn’t really care.

“This is not what it looked like in the brochures” said a kid behind Toby, he was medium height with dirty blonde hair.

“What is this place?” Toby asked

“Porter Hall, right?” The blonde said

“ISI. The name’s Nate, yours?” Answered a taller boy

“Toby”

“Brody” said the blonde “What does ISI stand for?”

“International Study Island. How could you not know?” said Nate

“My parents brushed me off to some dump called Porter Hall” Brody said

“Same!” Toby exclaimed. The ferry was slowly pulling them closer to the shore. When it finally docked a plank stretched out of the starboard side. The three boys walked out and onto the shore. A path stretched up to the higher parts of the island where a large building stood. As the boys neared they stared to hear many voices of kids eating food. Toby, Brody, and Nate all entered the building and were quickly ushered to another room. Thus started the best four years of Toby’s life where his best friends where Nate and Brody. After those year Toby emerged a man and hastily left his parents. The rest of his life he led a successful business man.