Ernest Wittebane

**Ernest Wittebane** is a one-time character in *The Heart Commandos*, making his physical debut in the special, though he was mentioned prior. He was the founder and first mayor of what will become Nowhere.

## Story

Ernest Walters Wittebane was born on Gravesfield, Connecticut in 1774, being the descendant of both Caleb and Philip Wittebane, two brothers who were witch-hunters prior to their dissapearance. After graduating at the Gravesfield Univerisity in 1796, Ernest earned the job as a writer for the publishing studio McHopens House, where he wrote The Walking Husker, which was a moderate success, but received mixed reviews from critics. 4 years later, however, he was let go as McHopens went bankrupt, forcing him to become a miner for most of his life.

In 1818, now married with 2 children, Ernest got fed up with the then-mayor of Gravesfield's vague comments about harvesting nature to make more buildings, leading him to convince most of the citizens to come with him and grow their own town where they can preserve nature much better than them. After 2 years of long travels between states, they finally arrived to Texas, more spefically, Xajihuota, a land belonging to the Wakinaskgitch tribe. After 2 days of convincing, the chief accepts Ernest's request to settle there, but in the exchange, he want their knowledge and study of Gravesfieldians. With this, Ernest changes Xajihuota's name to Middle of Nowhere, which he came up with as the tribe lived in the middle of a deserted land, later becoming the first mayor of the town.

In 1835, at the midst of the Texas Revolution, Cariana was mudered by a citizen named Nathan, causing a gross misunderstanding to her lover Clyde that the Mexicans did it. As a result, Ernest made a statement to his citizens and that he believes that someone must have done it out of revenge rather than them, but the people were so racist against them that they don't believe on what their mayor had said, some even accusing him of siding with the Mexicans. Despite the controversy, Ernest moved on and request a memorial for Cariana to be made in her honor alongside Clyde, who died heroically while fighting against his enemies.

In 1840, Ernest's friend invented the Nowhere Celebration Festival to celebrate the town's 20th anniversary of its founding. A month later, the first black people (who were fugitive slaves) arrived the town to live there, which Ernest welcomes them with kind and generosity. The citizens were mixed about their arrival, but nevertheless accept them. This was before slavery was abolished in 1865, so he was pretty much ahead of his time. During a walkout with his wife in 1842, Ernest was shot in the legs by a robber, confinding him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. On May 7th, 1855, Ernest's health began to decline at a rapid pace, forcing him to confine on his bed. Four days later, his condition became worse, and on his dying breath, Ernest regrets the decision of not putting more security to his citizens before Cariana was murdered

According to his doctor, Ernest died of a brain disease between 5pm and 6pm. His last words were "Thanks for my generosity". A private funeral was held 4 days later, where he was buried at the Nowhere Graveyard.

Since his death, the citizens, sans the sceriff, decided that without him, there's no point to live Nowhere, and made their decision to split and move to other towns and cities to continue with their normal lives. Nowhere became a semi-ghost town as a result, abandoned and forgotten by pretty much everyone, including the Wittebane family, but his legacy did not, as it will take 67 years for two certain brothers to reopen the town back to its former glory.

## Personality

From numerous accounts and according to friends and family, Ernest was a kind and calm man who is very passion about his job both as a writer and mayor. He only had one anger issue, that being his grudge with the mayor of Gravesfield.

## Trivia

* Like the rest of the Gravesfield citizens, Ernest was not aware that his ancestors ended up at the Demon Realm by an actual witch.