“Are you ok,” Carson asked her.
“I’m fine,'' she said, preparing for another assault. “I thought I told you to get out of here.”
“I decided to stay and help.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Abigail said. “You already made your choice to run away. Stick with it so Jacob and I can focus.”
Jacob joined them, holding his side. “You should really listen to her. Whatever he’s doing hurts like hell. He’s not playing around. You don’t have control of your powers like we do.”
Nick recovered. He was already forming a ball of energy in his hands.
“You don’t have to do this,'' Carson shouted. “We can help you.”
“Don’t bother with that,” Jacob said.
Carson ignored him. “We learned how to control our powers. We can help you do the same.”
The light in Nick’s hand dulled. “You had your chance to save me and you chose not to. Don’t you remember?”
The light grew brighter. The pressure in the air rapidly fluctuated. Carson felt his ears plug and unplug.
Carson tried to explain. “There was so much happening that day. I had to choose between my best friend or you. I didn’t have time to think. I-It was just instinct.”
Carson swallowed hard. No matter how he phrased the words it still sounded horrible.
“Then you should be able to understand that I’m just acting on mine.”
Nick flicked his palm outward and launched another energy beam at Carson. Jacob pulled him out of the way just in time. Abigail ducked as well. The beam soared over their heads and slammed into the side of the school. Chunks of stone fell from where it hit.
“He’s trying to kill us,'' Carson said to Jacob.
“You think?! I told you to get out of here.”
Nick moved in for another attack, his arms still glowing. Gale force winds pushed against him. Trash and leaves blew across the field.
“Run,” Abigail screamed. They took off towards the woods, Jacob flying ahead of them. Bolts of light zipped past, narrowly missing their heads.
Carson shifted the earth behind them. Nick nearly lost his footing but was able to recover quickly.
Abigail skidded to a stop.
“What are you doing?”
“Saving our asses.” Lightning shot down from above, Abigail’s hands coxing it from the clouds. The bolt landed in her hands. The electricity pulsated between her palms. She unleashed the lightning towards Nick. Strings of white burst forward. He caught it all with a single outstretched hand.
Abigail was taken aback. “How?”
The white light was quickly overtaken by Nick’s own blue energy. Even from where he was Carson could see the spots on his arm growing, their rigid edges glowing a dark blue.
Carson threw more rocks towards Nick. He dodged them without blinking an eye.
“How the hell is he so good,” Carson asked. He was already starting to feel the strain on his body his powers were causing.
“We have to rush him,” Abigail suggested. “It’s the only way we’re going to get an upper hand.”
“I know how he operates now,'' Jacob said. “I can handle him myself.”
“Now is not the time to be a hero,” Abigail said. “We need to attack him all at once.”
“I got this, babe.” Jacob took off. Nick tried to get another shot off but was body slammed by Jacob. His body ragdolled through the air, only coming to a stop when he went through one of the windows in the back building of Bishop Bay High. Jacob flew in after him, disappearing from sight.
“He’s going to get himself killed,'' Abigail said.
If not for Nick, then walking into the darkened school would have been the scariest thing they had done that night. Reality felt like it was distorted in the empty building. Abigail ignited bands of electricity around her wrist. Shadows danced along the wall, following them while they ran. When they finally entered the right classroom they found Nick on the ground, unconscious. He lay entangled between several desks. Jacob stood in the corner of the room. Abigail shrieked in relief and ran to him. They hugged each other tightly, much to Carson’s dismay.
“Do you think he's dead,” Abigail asked.
“I think so. I just don’t want to touch him to find out,'' Jacob said. He then smiled and puffed out his chest.
“I told you I could do it myself. I just needed an opening.”
As if on cue Nick pulled himself out from the mess of desks. A blue orb was already forming as he stood.
“Time to try your plan, Abs,” Jacob shouted. The three rushed forward in unison. Nick threw his hands up and crushed the orb. The blast threw everyone back and nearly destroyed the room. Burned papers drifted around them. Cracks opened up in the walls, reaching up into the ceiling.
“I expected more from you,'' Nick said, standing over Carson. “I was planning on saving you for last. You were the one that let me die. Now I’m going to return the favor.”
“Wait,” Carson pleaded. “You don’t have to do this. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”
Nick crouched down. Carson grimaced at the inky black spots that he could see were snaking up his neck.
“Don’t you see? You didn’t have to mean it for it to happen. You had the chance to save me and you didn’t. All my life I’ve given you the chance to save me. Time and time again you’ve let me down. I’m done waiting for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
A flash of color passed in front of them. Nick disappeared in front of Carson’s eyes. Nick’s body reappeared a second later, crashing into the opposite wall of the room. Jacob slammed into him again while he was on the ground. Nick was barely able to lift his head to spit out the blood that filled his mouth.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,'' Jacob said.
“What about him,” Abigail asked.
“We can deal with him when we come up with an actual plan.”
As Jacob turned to leave Nick wrapped his hand around his bare ankle. His uneven fingernails dug into Jacob’s flesh. Sleepiness took over him. Nick stood up and grabbed the back of Jacob’s neck before letting go of his ankle. The wounds on his face started to disappear. Everything they had managed to do to him was quickly erased. Nick slammed Jacob into the ground. Abigail tried to conjure more electricity but Nick was already a step ahead of her. He sent a blast of blue energy surging into her stomach. She could feel it burn through the fabric of her clothes and into her skin. Carson swung around, already pulling pieces of the wall with him. Nick moved quickly, the blue light surrounding him like a dark aura. The chunks of stone were easily deflected. Nick balled up his fist and slammed it into the side of Carson’s head. The blow nearly knocked him unconscious. Nick aimed to strike again. Unsure of where to go Carson closed his eyes and waited for the blow. Instead he felt a tightness around his waist. He opened his eyes to see Jacob wrapping him in a bear hug. He pulled Carson out of Nick’s reach just in time, heading for the broken window.
“You can’t run,” Nick yelled, catching Jacob’s ankle as he passed by. His powers vanished, both of them falling. Even though Carson landed safely on the floor, Jacob kept going. His body tumbled out of the opening and onto the ground below. Nick walked to the window and jumped out. He winked at Abigail as he dove through.
Carson slowly regained consciousness. For a brief moment he forgot where he was until the pain returned. Every part of him hurt in ways he never thought was possible. His coughing echoed in the still silence.
“Carson,” Abigail cried, picking him up.
“I’m ok,” he said. “Where’s Jacob?”
She motioned to the window. They hobbled over to it and looked down at the field.
“You’ve already lost,” Nick called out. He held Jacob up by the back of the neck. His feet dangled in the air.
“Let him go,” Carson screamed. He looked at Abigail with wide eyes. She shook her head. She had about as much e
nergy as he did, not enough to continue fighting.
“There are certain things I can’t remember about my previous life but I do remember how much he means to you.”
He strengthened his grasp on Jacob’s neck. Blue light emerged from his neck and wrapped around Nick’s arm. Jacob cried out in agony. The light was shining brighter than ever before. Both of them were bathed in its icy glow. Nick’s pupils glew bright blue in the night. The dark spots on his body quickly disappeared back into his skin. Not a single speck of the darkness was left behind. Warmth filled him. The voices were gone. He could finally speak as himself.
“Why did he choose you,” he asked Jacob.
The only sound that came from Jacob’s mouth was more screams.
“No!” Carson’s scream rocked the air. He summoned whatever energy he had left and sent a shock wave traveling outward. The school around them shook violently. Dust rained down from the ceiling. The ground below them opened up. Pipes exploded, shooting water high into the air. Nick dropped Jacob in order to avoid the explosion. Carson and Abigail ran through the school to get to them. By the time they got to the field Nick had vanished, taking the God Complex with him.
Carson dropped onto his knees beside Jacob. He looked up at Carson with glassy eyes. Carson grabbed one hand and Abigail grabbed the other.
“It’s ok, Jacob. It’s ok,” Abigail said through her tears. She brushed his hair back softly. Carson looked over Jacob frantically. There had to be something he could do. He tried to move Jacob but all that did was make it worse.
“I’m going to get you some help.” Carson stood up. He wiped away the tears that were making it difficult to see.
“S-stay,” Jacob groaned. His breathing was ragged and uneven.
Carson fell back to his knees and grabbed his hand. He held on as tightly as he could.
“I’m sorry,” Carson sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”
Jacob tried to look at Abigail but couldn’t turn his head.
She cried into his shoulder, her words muffled. “Please don’t go.”
With one last gasp Jacob’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. The spasms slowed and eventually stopped.
Carson broke down. Time slowed. His sobs reverberated throughout his body. He held tightly onto Jacob’s hand. Carson could feel his control over his powers slipping. The ground around him split more than it already was. The school building closest to them shook like a flag in the wind. Cracks ran up along the wall. Stone clashed against stone, pieces of the building breaking off.
“We have to go,'' Abigail said. Her voice was drowned out in the rumbling. Carson rocked back and forth holding onto Jacob. Abigail looked up to see the building shaking on its foundation. There was no stopping it now. She ran as quickly as she could, using all of her strength to fight against the tremors. She pulled Carson with her.
“Let me go,” he screamed. Just seconds later the building gave out, collapsing into a heap of rubble. Brick and glass filled the hole in the ground, burying Jacob with it.
The tremors gradually stopped. In the distance they could hear sirens.
“We need to go before they get here,'' Abigail said.
“We can’t just leave him.”
“We will have our chance to say goodbye. I promise.”
Carson thought for a second and then finally nodded.
“Alright then.” Abigail arced her hand in front of them. A thick blanket of fog covered them as they escaped into the forest.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
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THE WAREHOUSE WAS COLD and damp but it was his only option. A large red CLOSED FOR SEASON sign hung in the dusty window. The crashing waves of the Atlantic just a few yards away was soothing to listen to. Nick placed the God Complex onto a metal table and put his hands on either side of it. He hoped that whatever he did in Augusta he would be able to do again. He closed his eyes in concentration. Nick felt the energy he took from Jacob coursing through his veins. He could feel the difference between Jacob’s energy and the others. It was on an entirely new level. The voices rang out in his head, guiding his movements.
Nick focused on the energy that was rushing through him. He was surprised that he could feel the two different flows. His felt dark and heavy.But Jacob’s was light and full of warmth. Nick was surprised to find that it didn’t make him feel happy to know that there was a difference. It made him jealous.
Nick pressed his hands against the complex. He separated his energy from Jacob’s and forced it out of his body. The Complex immediately came to life. The rings groaned as it spun around its body. Nick held on as tightly as he could. The rings moved faster and faster and started to emit the same blue light that Nick had become so familiar with.
Once the last of Jacob’s energy left his body the Complex quickly shut down. He could feel the energy it now held, moving around as if it were alive. Everything he had stolen from Jacob was safely contained within its metal walls. It had regained a lot of energy but it wasn’t enough to keep it running. Nick would have to get more if he was going to make it fully operational again. Luckily for him, he knew the two people who could help.
CHAPTER THIRTY
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CARSON TOSSED UNCOMFORTABLY IN bed. No matter how hard he tried he was unable to fall asleep. Instead he stared out into the darkness. Sleep had been scarce the past few days. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to sleep. What grotesque nightmares would be waiting for him if he did? Carson kept hoping that he would wake up from the hellish nightmare he already seemed to be trapped in. Ellie came into his room and leaned against the doorframe. She watched him for a few moments without saying anything. He could feel her eyes on him. She had done the same thing when she first came to tell Carson what had happened three days ago. The story was he was near the school when one of the buildings collapsed.
“Have you heard from Abigail?”
Carson shook his head.
She spoke to him softly. “Are you going to school today?”
“No,” Carson said. His throat felt rough and dry. He still had yet to recover from the fight.
“I think you should go. Graduation is just a few days away. The world hasn’t stopped moving out there.”
“It has for me.”
“I know it’s hard, but Jacob wouldn’t want you to be hiding,” Ellie said.
Carson started to cry at the mention of his friend's name.
“Sit up for a second,” Ellie said. She sat next to him on the bed. Carson reluctantly did as he was told.
“You’ve been through a lot lately. Not just with Jacob.” Her voice trailed off. Ellie searched for the right words. “One of the harsh truths of life is that everyone dies. You and I know that more than anyone and I hate to see it affecting you so much.”
“I feel like it's my fault,” Carson said. The guilt had been tearing him apart. Abigail ignoring him only made it worse.
“How so? It was a freak accident. You couldn’t have known that it was going to happen.”
Carson backpedaled. “I don’t know. Maybe I could have done something so that he wasn’t there when it happened.”
Ellie wrapped an arm around him. She could see how much pain he was in. He was worse than when his father had died. At least then he had Jacob to help him through it. Now he had no one.
“As much as I speak out against your grandfather, there is one thing that he told me when you’re father passed that I’ve always remembered.”
“What's that,” Carson asked.
“He told me that everyone has a purpose. That the point of our lives is to find out what our individual purpose is and fulfill it. He said that death is necessary. Otherwise no one would have the sense of urgency to find out what that purpose is.”
Ellie’s eyes fell to the floor. She fidgeted with the wedding ring she still wore.
“Robert told me that once we find and fulfill our purpose then that’s when we are called back home.”
; “Grandpa said that? I never thought of him as the religious type.”
“He’s not. I think he was talking about the universe more than some sort of god. Either way he does give some good advice from time to time.” She gave him a warm smile.
Carson thought over her words. If that was true then what had Jacob’s purpose been?
Carson shook his head. Jacob wouldn’t have even died if it wasn’t for Carson getting in the way.
“So what? Am I just supposed to move on and pretend I’m ok with what happened?”
“Not at all. But you can’t let it hold you back. Jacob died that night. Not you. Are you going to stop living your life just because he lost his?”
Her words were harsh but they made sense.
“I’ll make you a deal,” she said. “Go see Dr. Taylor today and I’ll let you go to school tomorrow.”
“I sort of fired her,” Carson admitted.
Ellie laughed. “She did say something about that but I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to see you. Go and you can stay here the rest of the day.”
***
Carson didn’t know why but he was hoping that Dr. Taylor would be able to ease his guilt. He hated the feeling it gave him.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Dr. Taylor said, starting the session. She reached across her side table and took a long drink from another glass of red tea. She sighed loudly.
Carson felt the lack of sincerity in her words.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?”
Carson shook his head. He didn’t need to relive Jacob’s death. He needed to know that it wasn’t his fault. But to do that he was going to have to reveal more to Dr. Taylor than he wanted.
“I’ve been having new dreams,” Carson said. He thought of a cover story as he spoke.
Inversion Page 14