Amanda was using Jeanne for her own ends. Amanda's power ruled Jeanne’s mind and Charlie wanted to stop it now before more damage could be done to her sister. She wanted to save them all, but she had to admit she couldn't do it right now. At the very least, she wanted to take away Jeanne, Amanda's greatest weapon, as she called her sister. With Jeanne on their side, it would be easier to take over ANDREI and free the rest of the students.
"She's getting up. We have to go, come on!" Madison charged at Charlie and grabbed her wrist. But Charlie pried it out of her grasp and looked Madison in the eye. "I'll face Jeanne now."
CHAPTER 19: The Sword of Light
Fearful eyes met Charlie's as her words registered with Madison and Hilary. "No!" Hilary was first to break the silence. "You can't fight her, Charlie. You saw what she can do, she'll kill you!" Tears brimmed at the corner of Hilary's eyes, but Charlie had made her choice. She knew the risk, but it was one she was willing to take.
"She's my sister. And Ms. Pitt told me we were her best weapons in school. That could mean my powers are equal to my sister's."
"Don't be stupid!" Madison exclaimed. "Jeanne is better trained than you and she's a mindless killing machine right now with that woman controlling her brain."
The tree branches above their heads exploded. The girls ducked for cover as leaves, branches, twigs and wood splinters rained on them. Charlie turned to see Jeanne facing their direction. She led the two deeper in the woods to avoid more attacks. "I can fight her," Charlie argued. "You guys go on ahead. Hilary, you can do something about the wire mesh Ms. Worthington spoke of. Go and follow the directions she gave us. I'll catch up when I can."
"No, Charlie!" Hilary begged, but Charlie had already turned on her heels and run back to the field.
Charlie stepped out from the woods and Jeanne sprinted towards her. Charlie created a shield for Jeanne to crash against, sending her to the ground. Quick to rise, Jeanne blasted electricity in Charlie's direction. Sparks and smoke spread in front of Charlie as the impact of the blasts to her shield sent her backing down a few steps. When the smoke cleared, Jeanne directed her fist at Charlie. It landed on her shield with such great force that Charlie felt the reverberation in her skull. Charlie jumped out of the way as Jeanne swung another. She circled Jeanne and wrapped an arm around her neck.
"Jeanne, you have to wake up! We're getting out of here now!" Charlie whispered in her sister's ear. Jeanne's head lowered and slammed back into Charlie's face. Dazed, Charlie didn't notice the hands reaching for her shirt. Jeanne bent forward and threw Charlie off her. Charlie rolled against the dirt and hit her stomach against a tree. Leaves rained down on her as she stood. Jeanne marched towards her and Charlie lifted the leaves with her power and sent them flying towards her. The leaves circled around Jeanne's head, blocking her view while Charlie charged towards her and tackled her to the ground.
The girl screamed and hit Charlie on the face. Heat emanated from her skin, but Charlie did not release her. She straddled her sister, pinning her by the shoulders as she shouted. "Jeanne, stop! It's me! You have to wake up!" She pleaded desperately, hoping to get through. With Charlie’s guard down, Jeanne's hand pulled her hair, and she screamed in pain as Jeanne used her hair to slam back to the ground.
Charlie was on all fours, and before she could create her shield, Jeanne's foot kicked her in the stomach. She flew off the ground several feet away, hitting her wounded shoulder as she landed hard on the ground. She grunted, grimaced in pain, and pulled herself up.
Jeanne stood still in front of her, gritting her teeth. "Jeanne," Charlie spoke the name again, but softer. The fire burned in her sister's eyes and for a moment, Charlie saw the screaming and panicking girl in the surveillance video. “My sister is in there, I know it,” Charlie concluded.
Rage descended into Jeanne’s core. She stomped her foot on the ground, creating a fissure on the ground that reached Charlie. Like a landmine, the ground exploded in front of Charlie, her shield merely dulling the force. She rolled sideways and planted her foot on the ground to keep herself from falling again. Charlie retaliated, gathering dirt and letting it explode in front of her sister. Jeanne covered her face and stepped forward to attack Charlie, but her twin was already in front of her, landing a punch to her jaw.
Pain shot up Charlie's arm as her fist connected with her sister's face. Jeanne stumbled backwards and Charlie grabbed her arm. She twisted it behind Jeanne's back and grabbed the other like a cop handcuffing a criminal. Jeanne kicked and struggled, trying to escape Charlie's grasp, but Charlie didn't relent. She pulled Jeanne away from the field, dragging her back to the woods when bright lights from ANDREI and GEN Laboratories lit up the field. The light glared brighter than normal, blinding Charlie and forcing her to release her sister and shield her eyes. Jeanne kicked Charlie in the knee, driving her down and screaming in extreme pain.
Charlie scrambled to her knees before all the lights went off and a blast of energy came speeding towards her. She dodged it, letting it hit the trees, causing fire to erupt in the forest. Charlie thought of Madison and Hilary, and prayed they had escaped. Another blast came towards her, but her shield deflected it. Jeanne was at her again, her punches slower now, allowing Charlie to dodge them all successfully. She sidestepped a punch and turned. Charlie first bound Jeanne's leg together, causing her sister to stumble forward. But before she could do the same for her arms, Jeanne created light that blinded Charlie while another explosion threw her off.
"Stop!" Amanda commanded the rest when they reached the garden overlooking the field. The school windows cracked over their heads, but unshaken, her eyes remained glued to the scene beyond them. The battle between the sisters was perfect for the scientist to learn more. Jeanne had proven herself to be the more powerful and skilled weapon, but Charlie, who’d only started training only a few months ago, dealt with her sister very well. Charlie’s shield protected her from Jeanne's energy, but each impact it deflected caused Charlie’s strength to diminish.
"Miss Pitt, we should stop them," a concerned guard walked up to her.
Amanda looked at the man scornfully, "No, we should enjoy the show."
He gave her an incredulous look but stepped back. Amanda returned her attention to the battle. Charlie may be able to save herself from Jeanne's attacks, but Amanda would not risk the rest of her students to be subjected to Jeanne’s wrath. She turned her head to the students standing behind her. "Watch and learn, little soldiers."
Charlie rolled back to her feet as Jeanne gathered energy and directed it at her once more. She evaded and bound Jeanne again with her telekinesis. She forced herself to concentrate and not let Jeanne fight back using her power, though her head throbbed intensely. She watched Jeanne struggle against the invisible ropes and remembered how Hilary had been the same when they’d fought in Jeanne's room.
Charlie recalled how she’d freed Hilary from Amanda's hive mind. She closed her eyes and felt Jeanne's power against hers. She ignored the struggle and focused on the image of her sister in Hilary's photo. She didn't know Jeanne. She didn't know how she talked or how she laughed. The smile on Jeanne's face in Hilary's photo was the only pull she had to bring back the real one.
Jeanne. She called her in her thoughts. Please, Jeanne. Let me reach you. Charlie visualized the shield in her mind like a silk cover on her head. She imagined the same fabric being woven over Jeanne's head. The now familiar sensation ran down her spine and into her arms. She extended her arm to Jeanne and heard her scream.
Jeanne's breath grew hoarse, her screams reduced to gasps. Charlie felt her sister’s struggles weaken. She opened her eyes to see Jeanne's face was that of a confused child, her eyes watering and her lips pursed down. Charlie felt a sliver of hope opening for her sister. She smiled. "Jeanne?" The name came as a breath. Her sister's brown eyes met hers. They had Catherine Richards' eyes. Jeanne stared at her face for a moment as if searching for something. Charlie was tempted to walk near her, but she was uncertain. And scared.
"Who- Who are you?" It was the first time Charlie had heard Jeanne’s voice soft and calm. It was similar to hers, only a little deeper. Charlie felt the years of separation melt between them. "Jeanne, I'm Charlie," she introduced herself. "I'm your--"
"Aghh!!" Jeanne doubled over. She fell to her knees and Charlie rushed to her side. Charlie reached out but electricity arched through her fingers, forcing her to pull away.
"Jeanne, what's wrong?" She called to her sister, but she did not seem to hear her. "Jeanne!" Charlie pushed on, ignoring the pain in her hands as the electricity created a force around Jeanne and spread across her body. The ground beneath them exploded, and Charlie flew high above, hitting tree branch after tree branch until she landed on her back in the dirt.
"Jeanne." Amanda pursed her lips, her hand balled into fists. She could feel it, she was losing her connection to Jeanne. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on the rampaging girl.
How is she doing this? Amanda asked herself. The thought of Charlie now brought a stab to her confidence. She’d miscalculated, underestimated the power of the young teen. Amanda shook her head. "I will not lose Jeanne to you," she muttered.
Jeanne's scream reverberated across ANDREI’s premises, the ground shaking beneath her. Charlie staggered as she tried to stand. Hilary and Madison’s hands reached for her from behind, their eyes filled with concern and fear. They’d never left, as Charlie had thought.
"Come on, let's go!" Madison begged, tears in the corner of her eyes. Charlie let them pull her, but her eyes were still glued to Jeanne, who she released from her binds. Her throat closed at the sight. Charlie could almost imagine it was her in the middle of the field. On her knees, head looking up with screams directed to the night sky.
Wind circled around the figure, dirt and leaves spun around like a tornado with Jeanne as its eye. Both Madison and Hilary stopped to regain their balance from the vacuum the tornado was creating. Hair blown in all directions, Charlie struggled to see what was happening inside the tornado. Jeanne had her face low and her hands gripped her hair. A pang of guilt hit her chest.
“I did this to her,” Charlie thought remorsefully. Then, an idea came to her. I did this to her! I'm freeing her!
She pulled away from Hilary and told her, "It's working! I created the shield in her mind and she's struggling with it, but it's working!" She headed back to the field. Exasperated, Madison and Hilary failed to stop her.
The bright lights shone again, burning white against Charlie's eyes. She held onto a tree trunk with its splinters being pulled by the force and stabbing her skin. Charlie peered at the building looming over the field and saw every window cracked and shattered by the force of Jeanne’s tornado. A deep hum reverberated through her teeth and skull as she all the lights darkened.
"Ow!" Charlie exclaimed when electricity prickled her arm. And then another one. Charlie backed away as she saw sparks of electricity covering the tornado of dust and leaves. The wind swirled faster and faster that the mere touch of it sliced her skin.
"Jeanne!" Charlie shouted over the tornado. "Jeanne, listen to me! You have to calm down!" The only response she got was the wind whistling and the electricity crackling. Charlie bit the inside of her cheek and gathered all the courage and strength she had left.
I'm not leaving without you.
Charlie closed her eyes and imagined her shield enveloping her. An invisible blanket wrapped around her body protectively as she stepped forward into the chaos.
"Charlie!" Hilary's voice came from beyond the woods, but Charlie kept her eyes closed, focusing every ounce of her energy on her shield. Setting one foot in front of the other, her hair and clothes flew in all direction, but Charlie remained on the ground.
Jeanne, where are you?
A force broke her focus. A fist hit her shield and the impact reverberated in her skull. The throbbing pain in her brain caused Charlie’s shield to falter. The same fist drove itself forward, breaking her shield and hitting her cheek. Charlie spun around and fell to the ground. With her shield broken, the wind sliced and burned her skin. She screamed in pain as hands grabbed her shirt and pulled her up.
Jeanne's eyes were bloodshot, her face enraged like a wild animal. She swung her fist at Charlie once more, tearing her lip.
"Stop it!!" Jeanne shouted at her. "Stop it!!!!"
Charlie took another punch and slipped from Jeanne's grasp. "Make it stop!" She heard Jeanne begging, but the girl had stumbled back and fell to the ground, covering her ears with her palms. Charlie looked up from and saw the girl sobbing. "Stop it, stop doing this..." She repeated over and over and tears spilled on Charlie's cheeks for her sister.
"It's okay, Jeanne," Charlie said weakly. She crawled on her belly, making her way towards her sister. "It's going to be okay. Just, don't fight it. Please."
Charlie turned her head to see the cyclone above her head. A mixture of green and brown and sparks circled over their heads. Her skin had numbed from the prolonged exposure to the electric current surrounding the place. At any given moment, either Charlie's body would give in or something would crush her. But she gave up creating her own shield in favor of the one she’d created in Jeanne's mind. Charlie crawled further until she reached her weeping sister. Charlie painfully forced herself up and took her sister's hand.
Breathtaking and incredible. Those were the words Amanda Pitt used to describe the scene unfolding before her. She didn't care about the damage being done to her beloved institute. Jeanne's power had grown beyond her expectations. With delight in her eyes, she took it all in. The field became a storm of wind and electricity that reached high into the heavens. Storm clouds hung above their heads. Lightning struck and thunder clapped. It was like a scene from the Apocalypse and it was all Jeanne's doing. Amanda’s weapon proved herself worthy of every cent she’d invested.
But within the chaos was the double-edged sword that threatened to derail all of the headmaster’s plans. Charlie also proved that she too was beyond any expectations, but not in a manner Amanda wanted. Her link to Jeanne's mind was still being interrupted by Charlie's influence, and it enraged the headmaster of the school. Amanda wanted both sisters to lead her army, but it appeared Charlie would be a difficult addition to her near perfect team. She would have to do without the second sister, so she gave the order to her most effective weapon.
As if a switch was flipped, Jeanne’s body sprang up to her feet. Charlie staggered back and lifted herself as she watched her sister body radiate light. Without a moment's hesitation, Charlie wrapped Jeanne in a tight embrace. Her twin sister tried to wriggle out of her grasp, but Charlie was determined never to let her go.
"If this is the last time we ever see each other, I’d like us to remember it this way," Charlie told her Jeanne. "I'm sorry I can't save you," she continued, tears pooling in her eyelids.
Jeanne glowed brighter as she struggled, the lights from the laboratory fading out one by one. Amanda and the other students watched from afar, while Madison and Hilary hid behind the bushes.
"I never got to know you but I love you, Jeanne. You were the piece of me that was missing."
With that, Jeanne exploded. There was a large burst of light and the onlookers, from a safe distance, shielded their eyes from the blinding sight. The impact caused both twins to lose consciousness. They fell on the grass, Jeanne still flickering with the remainder of energy she’d absorbed. In that brief moment, reality shifted into a dream for both sisters.
CHAPTER 20: A Promise
"She's the devil baby! The one who survived the car explosion! She's probably the one who lit it up." A woman Charlie didn't recognize blurted out. The man accompanying the woman narrowed his eyes and escorted the woman away to look at the other children.
She felt someone take her hand. "Don't listen to them, Jeanne. None of what they're saying is true." The girl turned to reveal the face of a much younger Hilary.
The lobby morphed into a room with twin beds. Hilary stood at the feet of her
bed.
"Do you believe in magic?" Hilary asked.
"People like us don't have the luxury to believe in fantasy. There is no magic, only illusion," she replied.
"But how about love? Don't you think love is magical?"
"How should I know? I've never been loved before."
The scene faded and she was in a grassy field. Children, ages of five to twelve, surrounded her, playing ball and chasing after each other. To her right was a red brick building with large Victorian windows. The air was filled with laughter and joy, the grass between her toes were still wet from the just concluded rain shower. She soaked in the softness of the ground and the scent of the air.
"Hey, you!" A boy's voice shouted behind. She meant to turn, but a force pushed her to her knees, nearly plunging her face into the small puddle she’d been about to step over. Charlie saw her face as a child in the reflection. But she couldn't remember a time when she had her hair cut so short like a boy's. It was something Sarah wouldn't have approved.
"That's not Snow White's mirror, you know! It won't talk to you!" The boy who had pushed her laughed along with his friends. She turned back and saw the gang of boys surrounding the rotund red-headed boy.
"It was the queen who had a mirror, not Snow White," she spoke and the boy's face twisted in anger. "Oh, you're so smart, aren't you? Demon kid!"
"Jimmy!" The horrified voice of the lady made them all turn. It was a lean and tall woman in her forties who came rushing to Charlie and pulled her up. She turned to the boy and scolded him. "Say sorry to her or you will not be allowed in the playground for a week."
The Unlocked (Charlie Hartley Series Book 1) Page 24
