Causeandeffectrelationships

InthebookMidnightersthereareafewcauseandeffectrelationshipssomeofthem goodsomeofthembad. TherelationshipbetweenRexandMelissaiscomplicated,inthebookitmakesitlooklike RexandMelissaarealittlemorethenfriends,RexalwayscaresforMelissabecauseMelissa hasafewissueswithpeopleingeneral.ShesaMindcasterandeveryfeelingandthought everyonefeelsisopenforhear,see,feel,eventaste.Melissausuallywearslongclothing coveringallofherskin,evenalighttouchfromsomeonecansentbothofthemintoapsychic experienceofagonyandpain.ThismakesitreallydifficultforMelissaandRextohaveanormal relationshipthattheymaywant.DuringtheSecrethourwhentheyspendtimetogethertryingto connectwitheachotherbyholdinghandstheycouldputthemselvesindangerofdarklingsand slithers.Anditdoes,trappingtheminahousewithverylittletodefendthemselves. ThefriendshipthatJessicaandJonathanshareisimportantinthestory.Notonlydoes therelationshiptheysharekeepthembothsafeandintroduceJessicatothenewsecret13th hourbutitrepairstherelationshipbetweenJonathanandRex.Thisisimportantbecausewithout JhonatanandRextogethertherewouldbenohopeoffindingoutwhatJessicaspowerswere. Jonathanhastheabilitytojumpveryfarandsoarformiles,andimportanttoolforrunningfrom darklingsandslithers.AndRexisaSeer,someonewhocanreaddarklinglanguageandsee theirdoings,wheretheyhavebeen,withoutJhonathaninthegroupeveryonewouldhavebeen overrunbyDarklingsandSlithersandtheyallwouldhavedied,butJessicawasabletogetJohn totrusttheMidnightersagain,andhewasabletohelpthemdefeattheDarklings. TheRelationshipthatDesshaswiththegroupisnotstrong.Shebelievesthattheyare keepingthingsfromher,andMelissahasneverbeenfondofheratall.Dessisabitmorelikethe rebelinthegroup,findingnewmetalsandthinkingofnew13letterwordstoprotectthem.She likestomakeweaponsanduseherpolymathtokillslithers.Shewastheonewhohelped Jessicaandwasnicetoherduringhermove.Becauseoftherelationshipshehaswithmelissa andrexitmakesithardforthegrouptofunctionproperly,anditmakesitevenharderwhenthey needtofightagainstslithersanddarklings. BecauseoftheRelationshipshehaswithherparentsandwithJonathanaresostrong, itsreallyhardforhertopleasebothofthemwithoutmakinganotherdisappointed,sheendsup gettinggroundedafterbeingpickedupaftercurfewwithJonathanattheAerospacecompany, herparentswhoaresosurprisedthattheirdaughtercouldbeadelinquentdecidethatthebest thingtodoistogroundherforawholemonthonlygivingheronedayaweektostayafterschool orgooutwithfriendsonenight.Thismakesitdifficultforjessicatoworkwiththeother midnighterswithouthavingtomeetupwiththemintheBlueTime,whichisnowdangerous.

Midnighters
Atownsoforeignanddifferent,whiskedawayfromyourwindycity Aplacethatseemssonew yetneverforgettingthatmidnightblue Asitsweepsacrosstheplainsofdust everythingholdingasitmust Asyoustepfromwhereyoudwell diamondstwinkle,suspendedandheld Bywhat?youask nothingmorethanadream,nothingmorethanadream Mysteriousnewfriends thatwantnothingmorethantohelpyouuntiltheend Darklingsandslithers,mindcastersandpolymath seersandonesthatfly Yetshestilldoesntknowwhy, Shefeelsliketheonethatstrappedinside Snakepits,parties,andagiantbonfire Drawingherclosertoherheartsdesire Asthatmidnightbluesweepsoveronceagain Shemustfighttothedeathalongsideherfriends running,leaping,metalandsparksandweeping thedarklingsarestillcomingstillcreeping FireBringerthewordsburstfromtheair Theheirtomidnighterlore Aflashlightinhandbringingforthanexpanseoflight Itisnowthemwhohaswonthefight.

Midnighters:BehindtheTitle
ThereasonwhyMidnightersgotittitlewasbecauseofthestrangehappeningthatgoes oneverydayatmidnight.RightwhentheclockstrikesmidnighteverythingfreezesinBixby, Oklahoma,abluehazeiscastovereverythingtherelikeaspell.Nowyoumaythinkthatthisisa blessing,butstrangethingsliveinthissecrethour,the13thhour.TheyarecalledDarklingsand Slithers,theycreatedthesecrethourbecausethehumanstheyhuntedandkilledstartedfighting back,thehumanslearnedhowtocopewiththemandusedthingslikespearsandfiretoscare themaway. SoonthehumansbegantokilltheDarklingsandSlitherssoinafranticmovetopreserve theirracetheDarklingscreateda13thhourtothedaywhereonlytheslithersandDarklings couldroam.Everybodyelsebecomesfrozeninplacewithwhatevertheyweredoing,acceptfor afewspecialindividualsthatwerebornexactlyinthemomentofmidnight. Thesespecialpeoplecalledthemselvesthemidnighters,theystayedinmotionwhenthe secrethourhit,theysawthingsdifferentduringthedaylighthours,theyallhadtheirownspecial powerstogowith,nottomentiontheycouldusethingslikenewsteelandmetalthatwouldward offanydarklingsorslithersiftheyhappenedtocomenearthem.Anothermethodofprotecting themselvesisbyusingwordswith13lettersinthem.13happenstobealuckynumberduring thesecrethouritactsasgoodluckandisusedasaprotectant. Allofthebooksinthemidnightersserieshasanametogowithit,thefirstbookThe SecretHouriscalledthisbecauseJessicadoesn'tyetknowthattheseodddreamsshehas beenhaving.shroudedinabluefoggylightisreallythesecrethourandhowshediscoversthis throughnewpeoplethatshemeetsandbefriends.

GlossaryandTerms
AcrobatAnAcrobatisapowergiventoanymidnighter,itpossessesthepowertomakethe midnighterjumpashighasitneeds,releasingitfromtheusualtollofgravity. AerospaceAerospaceisthecompanythatJessicasmomworksat,itisthewholereasonwhy Jessicaendedupinbrixby,andevenendsupsavingJessicaandJonathanfromslithersand Darklingsbecauseofthemetalthebuildingismadeoutof. AlloysItisametalmadebycombiningtwoormoremetallicelements,thisislikepoisonto darklingsandslithers. BadlandsThebadlandsinbrixbyarebarren,deserted,andalsoaplacetoholdpartiesnextto thelegendarysnakepit,thebadlandsiswheretheDarklingsandSlithersconcentratetheir powerintryingtokilltheMidnighters. BlueTimeBlueTimeisthetermusedforthesecrethourbecauseofthebluetransparenthaze thatiscastovereverything. BrixbyBrixbyisthetownthatJessicamovesto,itisalsotheoneplacethatthemidnighters knowofthathasasecrethour. ComplexConceptsComplexConceptsareonofthemanythingsthatDarklingsandSlithers cannothandle,itjusttendstodrivethemcrazy. CurfewCurfewisanimportantthingtothemidnighters,anyoneoutafter11isusuallytakeninto custodyandtakenbacktotheirparentsandguardians,theMidnightershavetokeepthisinmind whenroamingoutsideduringthebluetimeortheymightjustgetcaught. DarklingAdarklingisapowerfulcreaturethatusedtohunthumansbeforemoderninventions, theyhavethepowertoturnintowhatevertheywantandyes,theyareonthetopofthefood chain.TheDarklingsarewhatcreatedtheSecretHourinthefirstplace,simplybecause humansstartedtoevolveandkillthedarklings. FirebringerFireBringerisatermusedtodescribethepowersofamidnighter,theycanuse moderntechnologyintheBlueTimeandtheyareabletousefireagainstthedarklings. InventionsInventionsareoneofthemanyreasonswhyDarklingsandSlitherscreatedthe13th hour,theyhatethem,anythingnewandfancywithafreshnew13letterworkispractically deadly. LoureTheloureiswhatthelastMidnightersleftbehind,stories,recordings,happenings, anythingimportanttotheirhistory,andonlyMidnighterswiththeseerpowercanreadthem.

MidnighterAMidnighterisapersonborninthemomentofMidnightthatcanaccesstheSecret hour. MindcasterMindcasterisapowerthataMidnightercanpossess,itgivesthemTelepathic powerswhichtheycanuseagainsttheDarklingsandSlithers. NewMetalNewmetalissomethingthatDalkingsandSlithersalsohate,ithadtodowiththeir fearofinventionsandAlloys. PollymathPollymathisalsoapowerthatcanbegiventoaMidnighter,theypossessthepower tocastspellsandareextremelyintelligentwhenitcomestomath. SecretHourThesecretHouristhe13thhourinthedaythatonlyMidnighters,Darklings,and Slitherscanenter. SecretHourGravitySecretHOurgravityislikeanyothergravity,butitdoesn'tseemtoaffect MidnighterswiththepowerofbeinganAcrobat. SeerAseeristhepowertoseetheLourthatothermidnightershaveleftbehind,theycanalso seethingsdarklingshavetouchedorwheredarklingshavebeen. SlitherAslitherisalowerlevelanimalthatinhabitsthesecrethour,theytendtobeannoying andusuallycomeintheshapeofasnakeorspiders. SnakePitSnakePitiswherealotoftheSlithersandDarklingsgather,locatedoutinthe badlandsthisiswhereJEssicafindsoutthatsheisaFireBringer. TechnologyTechnologyiswhatdrivestheDarklingsandSlitherscrazythemost,itswhat drovethemintothe13thhour. ThecatThecatiswhatluredJEssicaoutofherhouseduringthebluetime,shewasso convincedthatitwasadream.ThecatthenturnedintoaDarklingandtriedtokillher,butwas notsuccessful. Thenumber12Thenumber12isanunluckynumbertothosewhopossessthepowerof pollymath,itbringsbadluckandusuallyDarklingsandSlithers. Thenumber13Thenumber13isaveryusefulnumbertotheMidnighters,13letterwords cankeeptheDarklingsandslithersatbay,evenbetteranAlloywitha13letternamecan seriouslystunamidnightcreeper.