Hex

The day after Delarosas’ encounter with Katherine, Tyler returns home from community service. His father, Steve, confronts him about the prank, and the conversation escalates; while Steve does not approve of everything about the way Black Spring handles Katherine’s existence, he agrees that the unique threat Katherine poses justifies some authoritarian measures. Moreover, Steve warns him that the Town Council does not tolerate such behavior and describes the Doodletown Detention Center, a controlled space a few miles outside of town where those who break the code of silence are sent to experience the intense depression that separation from the town causes.

Undeterred, Tyler proposes revealing Katherine’s existence to the world via social media. Steve rejects the plan, warning that it would lead to a military quarantine. Tyler reveals that his motivation is to be honest with his girlfriend, Laurie, and accuses his parents of trapping him and Matt by having children in Black Spring. Steve forbids Tyler from saying anything, explaining that this would trap Laurie in town forever, too. He tells Tyler that once he is an adult, he can bring his ideas before the Town Council, but he also reminds Tyler of the execution of workers in 1932 who tried to expose the secret.