Little Black Holes
A Dark Time Novel
Iris Sweetwater
Copyright © 2018 by Raven Heidrich
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Hydra Productions
Salt Lake City, UT
http://hydraproductionsonline.com/
Cover by Sunnyside Up Graphics LLC
Formatting Image Created by Alvaro_cabrera - Freepik.com
Acknowledgments
So, this is the second book in this series, and I don’t think I have ever been more excited to continue a series. Doing so is hard, especially when the first one goes so well because then you are constantly struggling with the concept of making it as good if not better than that first. But I feel like this series has the potential to keep getting better all of the time, and I am so happy to be writing and pouring all I have into these books. Thank you to those readers of mine, the few that are avid fans that have shown me your appreciation by asking all the questions I cannot answer lest I give everything away. You motivate me. And thank you to my family for continually letting me do this thing I love.
Part 1:
Carlie & Nick
Chapter 1
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. ~ William Shakespeare
NICK Osborne patted at the sweat that covered his face with a rag, trying to look somewhat put together as he got dressed for the day. it was the best he could do to block out the fact that his life was a living hell. Well, all about his life except for the fact that he had discovered he was different. So different that he could manipulate things.
If he told anyone, he knew they would think he was crazy. They would have him locked up in an instant; put away for life and labeled as another misfit, another tragedy in his community. That was the sort of thing that happened. The cops were just dying to get rid of another poor sap.
At 16, he really shouldn't have been so bitter. He shouldn't have understood his place in society quite as harshly as he did but growing up with three siblings in a biased neighborhood just across the water from those who had the money and the power, made it so clear from the day he was born, exactly where everyone believed he belonged.
So, this is what he did to hide the anger and the pain to get through it. He knew that his family would need him to bear the burden of making money soon. That school supplies, clothes, and food got more expensive the older he and his siblings got. The check his oldest sister sent them every once in a while was too measly to help. With the youngest being school aged now, they didn't receive the check from the capital anymore, so something had to give.
But it wasn't fair. He should be worried about school, about college, about friends, and girlfriends. And when he could, he pretended that was all that was on his plate, but in truth, they were barely on the radar. He had to find another way, and as he placed his signature fedora atop his head, he smiled down at his hands, knowing that they would be the way out. No matter the consequences.
He came out of the bathroom into the living room where his two younger siblings were sharing the last of a box of stale cereal in front of the television; one with only 10 channels that they had gotten through less than honest means, while his mother was looking for her keys. She would be headed to start her daily routine; church to pray for a better life for her children, then to the jewelry store that she ran as an attempt to make some side money on her days off. It was all hand made by her, Nick's sister, or ladies from the church donated to try and help them out. That was the one thing about this community. No one had enough, but they all found a way to help one another. If there was any hope to have in humanity, it was because of that.
He kissed each of his family members on the forehead, knowing that it could mean goodbye for the last time, depending how his plan played out. Then, he strolled out with his poker face on, ready to do what he had to.
At the corner where his street met another and led to a convenience store, one most everyone frequented, James, the only other person that knew about his powers, was waiting for him.
The boys fell in step with each other. "Are you sure you want to do this?' James asked, though Nick knew from his tone there was no hope Nick would ever be changing his mind. It was set in stone, and it would be up to James to make sure his family was cared for now.
"You know I have to," was all he said, and James nodded knowingly as they approached the store.
"You remember what you have to do?" Nick asked, looking at the store with guilt in his eyes, instead of at his friend.
"Take what you give me and run as fast as I can to take the back way to your house. Bury the money at the back of the trailer where we can dig it up later."
Nick blinked and nodded, knowing that he would not have involved him, but likely would one of his siblings. They would think the previous owner put it there, that they had found a treasure. They would ignore or have forgotten about the fact that some crazy teen with demonic powers stole it. Surely, the cops here had worse things to worry about.
Nick walked in, a sneer on his face as he approached the checkout counter. He refused to glance around to see if there were any other patrons in the joint. He didn't want to know or to get involved with them. He just wanted to put on the show he had been preparing for and save his family.
His eyes landed on the cash register as the old man behind the counter turned to look at him. "Can I help you?" he asked, looking a little shaken as if he knew, by the looks of this boy standing at the counter with nothing to buy, what was about to happen.
"Why, yes, I believe you can," he said, trying to sound smooth and sinister, regardless of the fact that his knees were trying to buckle underneath him. He waved his hand to open the cash register, the man jumping up in fright. "I want you to put all of that money into plastic bags as quickly as you can and give it to me. Don't say a word, don't press a silent alarm. Just give me the money, and I will go."
The man stood there stunned, so Nick had no choice. He knew there had to be a gun behind that counter. No business owner in this area would dare to run a store without one. So, he located it with his mind and pulled it up, cocking it and pointing it midair, at the man. "Now," he added, and the man got to work, frantically stuffing the money in bags while sweating profusely. Nick just hoped the stress wouldn't give the poor man a heart attack. He didn't exactly want murder on his conscience. This was bad enough.
It felt like forever when he finally scooped up all the bags and left, the gun crashing to the ground hard and going off in his wake as he ran out the door. It was like a bad relay race as he sprinted to James and told him to go before he heard the sirens.
Never mind the fact that he would have nothing on him to prove he stole anything, the cops would come for him anyway. First, it would be because of his skin color, and then because he would make them come. They would call for backup before they got a hold of him today, and they would never go towards his family’s home. He knew this town like the back of his hand, and he would do nothing but lead them away.
He waited until they would find him, see him, and then he ran, making them chase him on foot. He needed them to see, to be curious, to be frightened, and they couldn't do that behind the wheels of their nice cars, the kind of car, no one that ever lived on this side of town would ever have.
He ran down alleyways as fast as he could, banking on the fact these cops wouldn’t be able to catch up with him. They were in better shape than he expected, and more had shown up, trying to corner him. This was the moment of truth.
Nick stopped in the middle of the alleyw
ay, and he smiled at the cops as they approached. "Nick Osborne, you are under arrest for the robbery of..." The officer that had started to speak trailed off as the dumpster to his left had begun to move of its own volition. This was the big show, and he moved it towards the stunned officers. The dumpster picked up speed. Suddenly, the dumpster picking up the pace, came barreling full speed, sending the cops running back in the direction from whence they came, with haunted screams.
That was when, out of nowhere, someone came barreling into him and broke his concentration. She had knocked Nick into the wall, and he was shocked to see a beautiful girl his age, one he had never met before; black curls bouncing on her head and these otherworldly blue eyes.
“Well, hi there,” he said with a wink.
She slapped him in the face. “I am not flirting with you, and I am not dealing with your antics right now. I know your name is Nick, and I know you have powers. I have powers too, and there is a reason. There are more of us, and if you don’t come with me, the world is going to end.” Wow, not only did she have some spunk, but she was like him? He didn't think it was possible. He was the only one.
He pushed her off of him, though gently, and brushed himself off. “Woah, what mental asylum did you escape from? Not that I am complaining because I have always heard crazy chicks are the best.” He couldn't help it. He had been putting on this facade for so long, and she was pretty. Prettier than any girl he’d ever seen.
“I am serious. How can you think I am the crazy one when you’re throwing inanimate objects at cops?” she asked him. “I am being entirely serious. You have to believe me. I knew to be here because I can astral project. I saw this happening just a few minutes ago, and I came straight here. We have been looking for others like us.”
“Who is this us, because Nick likes to work alone,” he said, strutting around her.
“It’s me and two others. Teenagers; peers just like you. I would love to explain everything to you right now, but I don’t like being split up from my friends. I think we should get back. There are some things about to go down, and it’s going to be up to us to make sure we save everyone. I don’t think we can do that if we aren’t all together.”
Nick shook his head and laughed.
This was insanity, and yet something in his mind, something about her, told him he should listen to her. "So, it's up to a bunch of teenagers to save the world?" His eyebrow raised in disbelief. "I guess we need to prepare for what happens if the world falls apart."
They were interrupted by the clouds above that were darkening. Only, it wasn't clouds at all as Nick looked up. Soaring above them was a pack of angels. It was like some biblical scene, and Nick now found it much easier to believe this beautiful enigma in front of him. He knew this was no dream or hallucination. It wasn't something he could have made up, and what an ironic time for her to show up. He felt certain they must be there to take them straight to Hell.
Some came low, right for them, and Nick looked for anything, any way to use his powers, picking up pieces of trash and flinging them in the air right in their flight path. Deep down, he knew it was useless. If the reckoning was coming, then it would come regardless.
“Nick, what are you doing?” the girl screeched as she tried to break his concentration again, but the pure adrenaline of fighting for his life was too much to be stopped. He couldn’t be interrupted. His power was just taking over.
“Let them take you,” she ordered, looking up to the sky and lifting her arms up in offering. Geez, this chick really was a complete nutcase. Why should he listen to this stranger, even if she seemed to know something about him and his power?
He kept fighting, even as the hands of those above grabbed him and swooped both of them into the stratosphere. He wasn’t going down silently, that was for sure.
For a fleeting moment, as they passed over his neighborhood, he thought about James and his family and whether or not they would all make it without him. This wasn’t the way he expected to be leaving, but at least he got his goodbyes out. At least he was prepared.
“Stop fighting, or they will drop you, and you will be dead. We will figure this out when we get where we are going, but for now, you will have to just trust we are on the right path.”
Nick glowered at her incredulously, but then he met those eyes again and decided to go with the flow. This had to be better than jail, right?
They rose even higher into the sky, and he relaxed and let the air surround him and the world he knew melt away. It was exhilarating, and he let out a scream of joy.
He looked over to the girl that had found him with a snide smile. “So, mysterious girl with powers like mine, what’s your name?”
She didn't answer, and he noticed that she looked like she was going to be sick, her eyes tightly closed so hard that he thought it might actually hurt. “Don’t tell me you're afraid of this. Open your eyes, it feels great!” he announced with a jovial laugh.
“No thank you,” she said weakly, her eyes still wired shut. “I am not good with heights. You’re crazy. And my name is Carlie.”
“This from the girl who came and slammed me into a wall in the middle of being chased by the cops. The same person who told me you had superpowers like me.” He shook his head at her and laughed again. If this was the last day of his life, he was going to enjoy it. He turned back to look down and around him, the clouds hanging below; they were so high. He reached out with his arms to fly as a bird and touch them all, waiting for whatever judgement might come next.
Chapter 2
Only the unknown frightens men. But once a man has faced the unknown, that terror becomes the known. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
CARLIE found herself in between sleep and waking as she tossed and turned feverishly, her mind trying to make sense of the events over the past few days. Not that she could call it that considering time had entirely stopped. But it dragged on for her and her friends while they tried to figure out what was happening and how they could stop it.
Her mind went instantly to the split from her friends which led to her being literally picked up by a group of angels she knew to be the Revenant. It is what they had learned from Amon and Oryx. She still didn't know what to make of them, and the feeling of flying scared her. It all scared her, but she knew that if she was to panic, then Tanner would panic, assuming she would see Tanner again.
Her tossing became more violent, and the feeling a flying soon turned to falling, as her half sleeping body rolled out onto a flat surface, with a thud.
Waking up instantly, Carlie found herself on a white floor, a white blanket wrapped around her and tangled up. She got onto her hands and knees and looked around with her blue eyes in alarm, trying to figure out where she was.
Carlie knew she was no longer in the arms of angels flying higher than planes would go, thank goodness, but was she alive or dead? Was she even on her home planet anymore? In the world? She had no idea.
She grabbed onto the edge of the big, fluffy bed she had fallen from and pulled herself up to her knees to peek over the edge. There she saw, a shock of strawberry blonde hair, maybe a little more brilliantly red than usual. She would have known her anywhere.
As Alexandra began to stir, Carlie felt infinitely better to know she wasn't alone wherever she was, and if she was there then Tanner must have been.
Carlie pulled herself to a standing position as Alexandra looked around, probably thinking about the same thing Carlie had been. Carlie noticed that both Nick and Tanner were present. Tanner was in the corner slumped in a large chair, and a cot that was against the one window in the room held Nick who was on his stomach, an arm swinging off onto the floor. How all of them had gotten there safely and asleep without knowing or remembering the landing she couldn't be sure, nor could she be sure where they were, other than in a very white room. It seemed quite stereotypical, and for all she knew they were in Heaven with the angels and would never set foot on terra firma again.
"Where are we?" Alex groaned, and Carli
e practically leaped at her, wrapping her hands around her neck.
"I am so glad you're here and alive...I guess."
"I feel too human to be dead right now," Alex commented as Carlie pulled away.
"Wow, I thought I was the comic relief here; not bad, Alex."
Alex shook her head as she started trying to smooth her hair back as if she wasn’t already as perfect as usual. “So, should we wake these two lugs up and find out what’s going on?” Carlie asked, pointing her thumbs in opposite directions towards Tanner and Nick.
“I guess, but can we even trust that one?’ Alex asked, jutting her chin out towards Nick.
“I don’t think we have a choice. He is one of us. Saw it with my own eyes. He can move objects without touching them, even something as big as a dumpster. He’s a bit of a flirt, though, so watch out,” Carlie warned, causing Alex to scoff. Carlie realized it was a bit insensitive considering Alex had left behind some angel boyfriend that was dying.
“Who’s a flirt?” It came out of Nick's mouth, Carlie was certain. She turned to see that he was looking up at them with a devious grin. Carlie rolled her eyes at him.
“You, now get up you big flirt! We have things to discuss, like where in the world we are.”
“I am pretty sure we aren’t in our world at all,” he commented. He tried to sit up, in a huff, wobbling as if he was still tired.
Carlie patted the large bed she had been sharing with Alex so that Nick would come closer. There was plenty of room for all of them, but she was sure the angels had put them in the most appropriate places they could, based on gender.
She got up as he sat down and went over to Tanner, sitting down gently in his lap before tickling him just under his nose. He began to twitch, and then he heaved forward in a sneeze causing Carlie to cover herself from the onslaught of spittle released by his nose and mouth.
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