The Unlocked (Charlie Hartley Series Book 1) by J.D. Stonebridge Page B
Authors: J.D. Stonebridge
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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 return 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
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 return 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
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