The Unlocked (Charlie Hartley Series Book 1)

by Stonebridge, J. D.

  “Good. We can both retire early for the night.”

  Charlie dropped Hilary in her room first before heading to her own. She didn’t realize how exhausted she was from the long ride and from her first day at ANDREI so far. Within a few minutes, Charlie was sound asleep.

  Three hours later, Charlie woke up, facing a white wall an inch away from her face.

  Her first thought was her bed was not beside any wall. It was safely positioned in the middle of the room, so she couldn’t possibly be facing either side. The second thought was that a bright light was emanating from her left side. Then she saw it: a light bulb.

  Charlie was right next to a light bulb.

  She peeked over her left shoulder and her room came into view. Charlie was floating right below her ceiling. In her panicked state, she didn’t notice a familiar blonde girl standing at the side of her room, trying to contain her laughter. Charlie tried to focus but couldn’t bring herself down. She looked stupid flailing her arms around like she were drowning. Then she heard boisterous laughter.

  It was Madison, bent over, finding the scene hilarious.

  “Put me down, Madison. Please,” Charlie pleaded. She kept trying to put herself down, concentrating as hard as she could to no avail.

  “Oh my God, I can’t believe you look even more stupid than you usually do,” Madison said, tears pooling in her eyes because of the laughter.

  “Madison, please.” Charlie saw Madison laugh even harder. With renewed courage, she said firmly: “Put me down.”

  Madison raised her eyebrow. “What if I don’t want to? What are you going to do about it?”

  Charlie didn’t know. She closed her eyes to focus, and within seconds she heard a loud crashing sound. Charlie fell on her bed and saw Madison with her mouth hanging open. Charlie turned to look and was mortified.

  There were three glass panels that made up her room’s window. Now only two remained; the third lay shattered in tiny little pieces on Charlie’s bedroom floor.

  CHAPTER 6: Heart Over Matter

  Lost in the new life the institute offered her, it did not help Charlie to see the looks some students gave her. It was bad enough to be the late comer, but the incident with Madison and the glass window compounded her situation from worse to worst. It was a task just to walk down the school hallway and sense the doubts her fellow students cast on her. But the stares and whispers were the least of her worries. Not only did the Queen Bitch, as the students had nicknamed Madison, place a target on her back for the colony to attack, she damaged school property and worried whether it would affect her school standing. Repairs had already commenced, but she had yet to hear what the headmaster thought of her mishap. With a lump in her throat, Charlie resolved to move past the incident and carry on with her schedule.

  Releasing her breath, Charlie reached the training room where the guidance counsellor,

  Natalia Worthington, awaited her. She had no prior expectations, but as her eyes met the woman who sat in the center of the room, Charlie felt half vindicated.

  “Hello, Charlie,” greeted Natalia with a warm and soothing voice. She stood to extend her hand to the younger one, who accepted shyly. Natalia could not be more than a few years older than Charlie. She had hazel eyes and dark brown hair twisted in a bun. She wore little make up, her flawless skin and natural beauty negating the need for cosmetics.

  “Hello,” Charlie said. Natalia seemed different from the counsellor she met in high school. She wasn’t condescending or intimidating.

  “Please follow me,” offered Natalia. The spacious training room seemed larger with its high ceiling. Two heavily armed guards flanked the door. Charlie likened them to the Queen’s Guards in London, standing rigid like statues until ordered to move. Her conjured images of students running amok and being contained by these burly men brought chills down her spine. She tried to push the negative thoughts away. Natalia lead her to a set of stairs near the door and they entered the mezzanine overlooking the training floor. A protective glass partition separated it from the room. The area had three rows of chairs and a table in the corner.

  Heart thumping loudly in her chest, Charlie lowered herself into the chair beside Natalia. Charlie inhaled deeply, willing herself to relax, and waited for instructions. But Natalia only smiled with her chin resting on her palm and a glint of interest in her eyes. If she’s waiting for me to be comfortable, her extended silence isn’t bringing her desired outcome, Charlie thought.

  “Don’t be scared, Charlie. For now, we’re just going to talk.” Natalia finally broke the ice. Charlie looked up to her with curious eyes.

  “Talk?” she repeated, and the older woman nodded.

  “Yes, Charlie. It’s my policy to get to know my students first before proceeding to the program. My job is to prepare your mind for the next training phase; therefore, I need to know how it works so I can design your personal exercises.”

  This made sense to Charlie, although the task seemed daunting. She wondered if Natalia simply enjoyed her profession of patiently listening to the woes of a bunch of teenagers. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling uneasy under the curious scrutiny of her instructor. “Well, what do you want to talk about?” Charlie asked.

  Natalia leaned back on her seat, taking a moment to answer Charlie. “Tell me, how do you like the institute so far?”

  Charlie didn’t expect the question to be asked so soon. Charlie fiddled with her fingers under the table, thinking how best to answer the woman. “I’m still getting used to it.”

  Her answer prodded Natalia to sit straighter, then bend towards her. “And you’re finding it difficult?”

  Charlie shrugged. “Why is that?” Natalia’s brows furrowed, but before Charlie could answer, she changed the subject. “I heard what happened between you and Madison. What do you think encouraged her to attack you?”

  Charlie had no answer to the question. She knew how Madison disliked Jeanne and how she obviously reminded Madison of her, but she didn’t want to disclose this to someone she just met. Sensing Charlie’s discomfort with the girl, Natalia decided to divert to another subject again. “Tell me how your family is, Charlie.”

  It was one topic Charlie knew would come up when talking to a therapist and it was the one topic she prayed to avoid. She already missed her parents terribly. The thought made her eyes sting, so she shook her head.

  Natalia was quick to assure her. “Charlie, it’s okay. Doctor-patient confidentiality applies here.” She smiled at Charlie, but the student turned around to see the guards standing by the doors below them. “They won’t be able to hear you from here, Charlie.” Natalia told her.

  “My mom is a teacher while my dad is a manager at a retail grocery store. They’re great,” Charlie answered.

  “Okay,” Natalia nodded. “Let’s move on then. Follow me.”

  They went back down the stairs and headed for the table and chairs at the center of the training floor. Charlie sat across from Natalia; between them was a polished aluminum table that reflected her nervous expression. A small nondescript box and an odd looking laptop sat on top. Natalia pulled out three items from the box: a Bluetooth earphone, a weird-looking headband, and wooden cube with multi-colored sides. Charlie stared at the items, curiosity eating her up.

  Natalia handed her the earphones. “Put them on, Charlie.” The girl complied as Natalia stood to position the headband on Charlie. She adjusted the band around the student’s skull, its branches sticking out. Natalia opened the laptop and explained the exercise. “My task is teaching you to control your capabilities in spite of strong emotions. The headgear you’re wearing right now is a portable electroencephalogram, or EEG. Do you know what it does?” Charlie shook her head. “This device will scan your brainwaves and I will be able to see the results from my computer here. Right now, I want to do a controlled test.” She pointed to the cube and instructed her to turn it over using her mind.

  Charlie directed and focused her eyes on the wooden cube in
front of her. Thumb rubbing her index finger, Charlie visualized the cube between her fingers, making the motion to turn it over. The dice moved a bit. Charlie tried again, concentrating more intensely this time, and the cube turned over, from its green to yellow side. Charlie grinned and looked at Natalia.

  “Very good,” commended Natalia. “Now, to continue, do you know how sound affects our mind, Charlie? I’m going to introduce you to Binaural Music Therapy.”

  Charlie cocked her head to the side, “What’s that?”

  The keyboard clicked a few times before Natalia said, “I’ll explain the concept behind it later.”

  Low odd sounds entered Charlie’s ears. At first, it sounded like vibrations growing louder and louder. The hum reverberated around Charlie's skull and down her neck while Natalia watched her. “Is this some kind of hypnosis?” Charlie asked.

  The woman laughed at her comment, “No, Charlie. It’s not. Now, I want you to close your eyes and listen.”

  Charlie was skeptical but did as she was told. In the stillness in her mind, she began to imagine the hum coming from a large machine in front of her with its dim light beating over her head. The constant sound made her head feel heavy, her muscles tingly.

  "Charlie." She heard Natalia and opened her eyes. Between them, the wooden cube floated. Delight was in Natalia's eyes as they watched the multi-colored cube turn over and over slowly in mid-air and ascended until it reached eye level.

  "Can you bring it back down, Charlie?" Natalia requested. Gently, Charlie lowered her eyes and the cube followed suit. It gradually descended until it hit the table with a clunk. Charlie exhaled loudly, unaware she had been holding her breath.

  "Very good, Charlie," Natalia said. She faced the laptop and typed in some notes. Charlie was surprised when the vibrating sound ceased, more so because she had become unaware of it while manipulating the cube. Now that her earphones were silent, Charlie felt strange.

  "How was it?" Natalia asked her.

  "Strange." Charlie answered, earning another smile from the woman.

  "Indeed it is. Have you heard of Binaural Beats?" Charlie shook her head.

  Natalia explained, "Binaural beats are sound waves that can stimulate the brain. It has many uses and forms, including the theta waves which I exposed you to. Theta waves help you relax and meditate. And in your relaxed state, I see that the control of your power is more fluid. Other forms of sound waves have other effects, such as Beta waves, which are a higher frequency and stimulate excitement or anxiety."

  "Anxiety?" Charlie repeated the word, concerned it would trigger the emotion in her.

  "Yes, but don't worry, Charlie. It isn't hypnosis. It’s merely meant to stimulate your brain but not force you how or what to think." Natalia assurance didn’t completely convince Charlie. "Would you like to try it again?" Natalia offered, but Charlie interjected.

  "What will it be this time?"

  The older woman shook her head, "Where's the surprise in that, Charlie? Besides, it's better not to be aware so your mind won't anticipate and be biased." She clicked on the buttons of her keyboard. Then, Natalia rested her palms on the table and leaned towards Charlie.

  No sound came from the earphones this time. Charlie waited, thinking the sound too low to distinctly hear. Moments passed before Natalia finally asked her, "Now, can you tell me how you like your schoolmates?"

  Charlie fumbled with the device on her ear. "I thought I was supposed to listen to something? I don't hear anything from this right now," she pointed out.

  "It's okay; I decided we'll just talk more before we proceed." Natalia laced her fingers and rested her chin on them once more. "So, you were going to tell me about your schoolmates?"

  Locking her own hands together under the table, Charlie answered. "Some are nice, but some aren’t," she admitted.

  "Why is that?" Natalia asked.

  Charlie hesitated, her eyes scanning every corner of the training room before returning her focus on Natalia. "I don’t think they like the idea of me being here," confided Charlie, prodding Natalia to further probe. "Why do you think that?"

  “Why?” Charlie asked herself. She hadn't done anything in particular to deserve such treatment, at least in her own perspective. Perhaps it was because she was new and considered an outsider. "I don't know," Charlie mumbled.

  "Charlie, whatever you tell me won't reach anyone else's ears. You were thinking about something, please tell me."

  "I said I don't know," Charlie said once more. There was a hollow pit in her chest and a sting in her eyes. Her gaze dropped down to her hands and she noticed them shaking. Charlie squeezed her eyes shut and tried to force them to stop, but they wouldn’t.

  Thoughts swirled around Charlie's mind. The newness of being at the institute was unsettling. Her powers, the sister she had yet to meet, and the longing for both her adoptive and biological family gnawed at her, adding to her unhappiness. The chain of events was too overwhelming for the new student. Charlie opened her eyes and her vision blurred, triggering the new fear of blindness.

  She heard Natalia's voice from afar saying, "Charlie. Charlie, focus." Charlie bit her lip and shut her eyes once more.

  “I can’t focus,” Charlie confessed. Natalia said something, but the therapist’s words were meaningless in Charlie’s state of mind. Images of previous events fleeted in and out of her head: the students' distasteful looks at her; Madison laughing at her expense; the bullet that could have killed Hilary; the recurring dream. "What should I do? Can we stop this, please?” Charlie pleaded.

  She heard shuffling sounds behind her. Charlie snapped her eyes open to see the guards moving towards her.

  "No, don't!" Natalia's voice was clearer now, but no one seemed to hear her.

  "Don't come closer!" Charlie shouted and the guard to her right was hurled against a wall. He remained glued to the metal wall, unable to remove himself. The other guard pulled something from his belt.

  He's gonna kill me, Charlie thought upon seeing his weapon. The image of the bullet meant for Hilary was still fresh in her mind. She tried to run to the opposite end of the room but Natalia caught her, locking her arms around the panicking girl. "Let me go! Let me go!" Charlie screamed and pushed.

  "Charlie, calm down. You have to calm down!" Natalia ordered her. She felt Natalia’s hand graze her hair for a second. The instructor then held Charlie by the shoulders and positioned her in front of the table, facing the guards.

  Charlie’s eyes first lay on the cube now rotating rapidly in midair. The box and laptop also defied gravity and floated alongside each other.

  "Put your weapon down!" Natalia yelled to the guard whose gun was aimed at Charlie, ready to fire at her. Charlie backed away, pushing Natalia and causing her to nearly lose her balance. Loud thuds broke out from the mezzanine. They both looked up to see empty chairs banging against the protective glass.

  "Calm down, Charlie. It's okay. No one will hurt you." Natalia tried to soothe the poor girl. Charlie's body shook; warm tears flowed down her cheeks. The loud banging distracted her. Panic ruled her.

  "Charlie. Listen to my voice," Natalia firmly commanded her. "Close your eyes, and breathe deeply as I count." Charlie did as she was told.

  With eyes tightly shut, Charlie listened to Natalia count. "1, 2, 3..." Charlie complied. 1... 2... 3... 4... The banging slowly weakened. 5... 6... The banging stopped 7... 8... 9... Charlie's breath began to steady. 10... 11... 12... 13... 14... The shaking of her body began to lessen. She opened her eyes again and saw that the chairs from the upper deck had stopped moving. The guard pushed to the wall regained control of himself and walked toward her slowly.

  "Keep counting, Charlie," Natalia advised.

  “15, 16, 17," Charlie mouthed the numbers as she focused on the three items floating above the table. She willed them to fall. "18, 19, 20." With three soft thuds, they landed on the table.

  "Stand down." Natalia's voice was authoritative. Charlie watched the guard who had pulled a gun on her r
eturn his firearm to his holster. Charlie realized she’d overreacted. The weapon was a Taser, not a gun.

  "What just happened?" She turned to her instructor, wiping off her tear-stained face.

  "I'm sorry, it's my fault." Natalia apologized. She held out the earphones Charlie had worn moments ago. Charlie didn't even remember Natalia pulling them off her.

  "I don't understand. I thought you didn't play anything?"

  "I lied," confessed Natalia. She reached up and removed the headgear strapped to her student. "Charlie, please sit down and let me explain." Charlie moved back to her seat. Her hands and knees were still shaking from the episode, but somehow she managed to get to the table without dropping.

  "Charlie, you were listening to something earlier. I played to you what we call an infrasound. It's a sound like the binaural beat that also affects the brain. But an infrasound is very low frequency, undetectable to your ears. Your brain registers it nonetheless."

  Charlie gave an awkward smile. "So it's a ghost sound."

  Natalia laughed, "You can say that."

  Weary and beaten, Charlie slumped against the back of her chair. She took a few minutes to calm her nerves as Natalia went on to explain how the infrasound induced fear in Charlie's brain, making her react the way she did. Charlie resented being unknowingly led like that, although she understood it was a test and she failed.

  "I think that's all for today. Would you like me to walk you to your dorm?" Natalia offered. Charlie had second thoughts about it, but in her frayed condition, she yielded.

  Walking out of the main building, Natalia suggested they take the longer path to clear Charlie's mind. Charlie didn't feel like going around the garden, but it was the better alternative than to let the other students see her in her vulnerable state. She still couldn't shake off the effects of their last experiment. Charlie wondered how all the others handled this first stage of training.