Secondary Teacher Directory !!top!! Now

Every secondary school has a teacher directory—a dry, alphabetized list of names, subjects, and room numbers. At Westbrook High, the directory was printed each September and ignored by November. But one year, the directory became the most hunted document in the school.

Following the trail, they ended at Room 217—Ellison’s room. It had been locked since his disappearance. Maya picked the lock (don’t ask how). Inside, the desks were gone. Instead, the walls were covered in newspaper clippings, red string, and photos of former teachers. At the center: a current directory, circled in marker. Next to Ellison’s name, he had written: “They delete you from the directory, they delete you from memory. Don’t let them.” secondary teacher directory

Then, a student named Maya noticed something strange. She had an old directory from the previous year. Next to Ellison’s name, someone—maybe Ellison himself—had scribbled a tiny annotation: “See p. 47.” Every secondary school has a teacher directory—a dry,