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37-420: Touching Darkness begins shortly after The Secret Hour ends. It starts with Jessica's meeting Jonathan in the secret hour. As they return home, Jonathan discovers a "stiff," a non-Midnighter, outside Jessica's house and takes multiple exposures of her window across midnight. Meanwhile, Dess has been having strange dreams, which have led to some theories about co-ordinates affecting the secret hour. She discovers

74-416: A GPS co-ordinate finder in her father's map drawer and begins to use it to map the secret hour. Investigating Jessica's stalker, Melissa overhears someone thinking about Jessica. She and Rex visit his house in the secret hour and discover people there using dominoes with lore symbols on them to communicate with the darklings at midnight, with the help of a "halfling," Anathea, a girl who has been merged with

111-566: A sod -growing center and a popular location for purchasing fresh vegetables. The per capita income of $ 36,257 is the highest in the Tulsa metropolitan area and is more than 50 percent higher than the state average. Alexander Posey , a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and his family settled in the area now known as Bixby in the late 1800s. He founded a community which was initially known as "Posey on Posey Creek." It included two saloons,

148-632: A blacksmith shop, and a general store. The town became a government townsite with a post office in 1895. Located in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Indian Territory , Bixby was named in honor of Tams Bixby, a chairman of the Dawes Commission . The original 80-acre (32 ha) townsite plat was approved by the Dawes Commission in 1902. Many settlers were attracted to the area by the rich, though sometimes swampy river bottom land. In 1904

185-708: A community located north of the original townsite but later annexed by Bixby, served the surrounding trade area when the only way to get across the Arkansas River was by way of the Shellenberger Ferry. Fry's post office operated from 1896 until 1909. The Bixby Bulletin , the town's first newspaper, began publication in February 1905. It continued publication until 2005. A second paper, the Bixby Journal existed only from 1907 until 1910. Bixby

222-536: A darkling. Melissa discovers that the halfling is sick, and that the darklings will soon try to take Rex, another Seer, to replace her. They steal some of the dominoes so that the darklings will not be able to communicate about the Midnighters to their human allies. They also find that the house belongs to Ernesto Grayfootm a cousin of Jessica's friend Constanza Grayfoot, who says that even though her grandfather used to live there, he left nearly fifty years ago, around

259-405: A gigabit connection over fiber optic cables to select neighborhoods. In addition to adding fiber optic support to existing neighborhoods, BTC Broadband is active in working with local developers to ensure select areas are pre-installed with fiber optic support. Bixby has been used as the setting for at least two popular works of fiction . The best-selling novel Tex (1979) by S.E. Hinton tells

296-405: A household in the city was $ 73,163 and the median income for a family was $ 85,000. The per capita income for the city was $ 37,368. About 5.5% of the total population were below the poverty line . Of the city's population over the age of 25, 37.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Bixby has a council/city manager form of government. As of 2022, the mayor is Brian Guthrie and the vice mayor

333-594: A population of 400 and an area of 160 acres (0.25 sq mi). The first mayor, recorder and five aldermen were elected in February 1907. In 1911, a two-story brick schoolhouse was built on Main Street. Bixby Central Elementary is near the original site. A traffic bridge was built over the Arkansas River in 1911; for a time it was said to be the longest bridge west of the Mississippi River . Fry,

370-504: A small percentage of Bixby residents now work in agriculture , but the town continues to celebrate its earthy roots annually in June with the " Green Corn Festival ." Another point of history commemorated by Bixby is a visit to the area in 1832 by the famous American writer Washington Irving . Irving accompanied a U.S. Army exploration party on an excursion from Fort Gibson which is in the northern part of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma , west onto

407-492: Is Paul Blair. Bixby Public Schools are in the Bixby School District. There are nine schools in the district including Bixby High School , Bixby 9th Grade Center, Bixby Middle School for 7th through 8th, Bixby North Intermediate, Bixby Central Intermediate, Bixby East Intermediate, Bixby East Elementary, Bixby North Elementary, Bixby Central Elementary and upcoming Bixby West Intermediate and Elementary. For

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444-482: Is a city in Tulsa and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma ; it is a suburb of Tulsa . Its population was 28,609 at the 2020 census and 20,884 in the 2010 census, an increase of 13.70 percent In 2010, Bixby became the 19th largest city in Oklahoma. It is nicknamed "The Garden Spot of Oklahoma" for its rich agrarian heritage. Although it is one of the fastest-growing communities in Oklahoma, it remains

481-404: Is employed at a high-tech aerospace company. Soon after the move, Jessica awakens to find time frozen and rain stopped in mid air. Although she thinks it is a dream, she is suspicious when she wakes to find her clothes wet. The next night, it happens again. Leaving her room, she finds that her family is frozen and the only other living thing is a cat, which leads her out of her house. Once outside,

518-407: Is kidnapped. Dess draws a map to where they will find him and suppresses the memories by using a trick that Madeline taught her so that Melissa will not learn about Madeline from her mind. However, Melissa suspects Dess is hiding something and touches her, which gives herself full access to Dess's memories. She learns about Madeline, and Dess begins to resent her for the intrusion on her privacy. When

555-541: Is land and 1 sq mi (2.6 km ) is water. The average elevation is 750 ft (230 m) above MSL. The town is bisected into north and south portions by the Arkansas River; the original town center is located south of the river. As of the 2010 census, there were 20,884 people, 7,658 households, and 5,295 families residing in the city. The population density was 889.3 inhabitants per square mile (343.4/km ). There were 8,187 housing units at an average density of 319.8 per square mile (123.5/km ). The racial makeup of

592-527: Is struggling to come to terms with his enhanced abilities. His time as a halfling has left him with the darkling's ability to sense human thoughts and emotions and a desire to hunt. The Secret Hour The Secret Hour is a science-fiction fantasy novel written by Scott Westerfeld . It was published by EOS Books , a now-defunct branch of HarperCollins , in 2004. It is the first book of The Midnighters Trilogy . The 15-year-old Jessica Day moves with her family to Bixby, Oklahoma , after her mother

629-588: The Midland Valley Railroad named for Midland, Arkansas , laid tracks and built a depot about 1/2 mile north of the original town of Bixby. The railroad created factions that briefly split Bixby into two towns. The new part of town was deliberately surveyed so that the new streets did not align with the existing ones. However, businesses in the original town soon moved to the new location and built permanent brick buildings there. Bixby incorporated as an independent, self-governing town in 1906, with

666-618: The 2011 school year, there were approximately 5,000 students. Bixby has one newspaper, the Bixby Bulletin . The paper is published every Thursday. It is owned by Community Publishers, a newspaper and Internet publisher and commercial printer which serves Oklahoma, Missouri , and Arkansas . Cox Communications Cable channel 24.3 is the Bixby Government-access television (GATV) cable TV municipal information channel. Among other things, it displays information about

703-639: The Bixby "Deutschesfest" in September. In 2009, CNN Money.com placed Bixby No. 67 on its list of 100 Best Places to Live. Bixby is located at 35°57′39″N 95°52′42″W  /  35.96083°N 95.87833°W  / 35.96083; -95.87833 (35.960898, −95.878258). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 25.1 sq mi (65 km ), of which 24 sq mi (62 km )

740-606: The Snake Pit, a place in the badlands, where she will be able to discover her power. Unfortunately, the badlands are also the home to the darklings. Dess sets up protection beforehand and the Midnighters plan to be inside it before the Secret Hour arrives. However, they are all late and rely on Jonathan to fly them inside the protection, which causes Rex to get jealous and Melissa to get disgusted and angry. The darklings are so desperate to attack Jessica that they suicidally attack

777-486: The cat transforms into a snake, which reveals that it is actually a slither. It, along with other slithers and a darkling in the form of a large cat, attacks her. Jessica is rescued by the "Midnighters:" Dess , Rex and Melissa , who chase away the animals by using 13-letter words and steel. The next day, they explain that in Bixby time freezes for an hour every midnight and that only Midnighters, people born at midnight, can enter it. Creatures known as darklings live in

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814-407: The city government, city council meeting, upcoming events, and general information about the city. The channel also features local sports and weather reports. Bixby Telephone Company, commonly known as BTC Broadband, is a well-known company in the Bixby community and has been providing internet services since 1993 and telephone services since 1914. It is one of the first companies in Oklahoma to offer

851-561: The city was 84.2% White , 1.6% African American , 5.9% Native American , 1.6% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 1.9% from other races , and 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population. There were 7,658 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who

888-580: The darkling flesh, making him (mostly) human again. They return to Anathea, who dies from the darkness after Jonathan grants her last wish to fly again. They leave her in front of the Grayfoots, along with a message spelled out in English: "You're next." Finally, Madeline introduces herself to all of the Midnighters. As soon as Melissa knew about her, the darklings could read it from her mind. She begins to teach Melissa how to mindcast properly. Meanwhile, Rex

925-412: The darklings, and got rich doing their bidding. The darklings used him to kill off the Midnighters and left only the new, younger generation, who were seen as harmless with no one older to teach them. They also made the halfling using a young girl, Anathea, to communicate with the darklings better. She also explains that her house is in a contortion in the secret hour which hides her, and that Dess must keep

962-457: The defenses, which weakens them considerably. Just before the defenses collapse, Rex discovers Jessica's power is Flamebringer, but none of the group know how they can make a fire. As the defenses are breached, Jessica realizes that her watch is still ticking, which implies that her ability allows her to use technology in the secret hour. She uses a flashlight to kill the darklings, and the Midnighters leave safely. Bixby, Oklahoma Bixby

999-507: The front facade of Irving's home, Sunnyside , in Tarrytown, New York , as well as gates near the park entrance which are replicas of ones at Irving's estate. A bronze statue of Washington Irving sits near the stage. Bixby Middle School drama students present a popular retelling of Irving's " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " in the park each October. The park is also the location of the heavily attended "Bixby BBQ & Music Festival" each May and

1036-444: The knowledge of it hidden from the others so that the darklings do not find it. After ransacking Constanza's house, the Midnighters learn that the darklings are trying to prevent a new runway being built outside Bixby. From Madeline, Dess learns that she needs to get Jessica's help in scouring the site of the runway with light. It is the only place that halflings can be made, and light will destroy it. However, before she manages it, Rex

1073-421: The midnighters) and Melissa is a mindcaster (meaning she has a variety of telepathic abilities). They do not know what Jessica's power is except that it different from any of theirs. The next midnight, Jonathan , a boy from Jessica's school, arrives outside her house and takes her flying with him. He is an Acrobat, and in the secret hour, gravity does not have a strong hold on him. He and Rex do not get along, and

1110-432: The other Midnighters avoid talking about him. After flying for most of the hour the pair are chased by a darkling and narrowly escape, only to be arrested by policemen enforcing Bixby's eleven o'clock curfew. Jessica is grounded for the rest of the month. Meanwhile, the Midnighters are becoming suspicious of why the darklings, who normally avoid Midnighters, are so intent on killing Jessica. Rex decides to take Jessica out to

1147-518: The prairie and the lands occupied by the Osage and Pawnee tribes. He described his adventure in his book A Tour on the Prairies (1835). He relates camping in a grove of large trees on the banks of the Arkansas River in what is present-day Bixby. The town has honored his visit by creating Washington Irving Park and Arboretum near the location. The park contains an amphitheatre stage patterned after

Touching Darkness - Misplaced Pages Continue

1184-429: The secret hour begins, Jonathan, Melissa, Jessicam and Dess are only a mile from the spot Rex has been taken, but Melissa is injured when she continues through the windshield when the car stops abruptly at the start of the secret hour. Jessica and Jonathan go ahead and find Anathea, freed from the darkling, who tells them that Rex is already a halfling. Luckily, they catch up with him, and Jessica uses her torch to burn away

1221-421: The secret hour in which they can hide from advances in human technology. Darklings hate people and fear new inventions, complex concepts and the number 13. It was the darklings who took one hour of each 25-hour-day and hid inside it so that people could not get to them. They also explain that each Midnighter has a special power - Dess is a polymath, Rex is a Seer (someone who can read the lore, the ancient history of

1258-491: The time the Midnighters seem to have disappeared from Bixby. Now, the rest of her family avoid the town at all costs, and her father was even cut off for moving there. Meanwhile, Dess discovers a house in which another Midnighter, Madeline, has lived hidden for nearly fifty years. Madeline explains that fifty years ago, when the town's population boomed suddenly, someone let out the secret of the Midnighters to an outsider, Constanza's grandfather, who learned how to communicate with

1295-445: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.12. In the city, the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males. The median income for

1332-431: Was christened with its nickname "The Garden Spot of Oklahoma," a designation still carried on the town seal and public vehicles. Cantaloupes , potatoes , radishes , squash , turnips , spinach , and sweet corn were shipped from Bixby to places across the U.S. In time the majority of the truck farms were converted to the production of sod , typically Bermuda grass , or developed for residential and other purposes. Only

1369-472: Was impacted and enriched by the discovery of nearby natural gas deposits in 1905-1906 and oil fields in 1913, but farming remained the backbone of the community well into the 20th Century. Early farmers focused on production of cotton , wheat and alfalfa in the rich river bottom. During the 1930s, truck farming of vegetables slowly replaced those crops. In 1941, the city became an important regional center for shipping produce by railroads. At that time Bixby

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