The Unlocked: The Charley Hartley Series, #1

By J.D. Stonebridge

A childless couple, Sarah and Carl Hartley, become witnesses to a car accident along Pilgrims Highway. As the baby girl who they pulled out from the burning car grows up, they learn that little Charlene 'Charlie' Hartley is more special than they expected. From a very young age, Charlie developed a surprising ability to move items without touch. 

Seventeen years later, Charlie was already on her way to Harvard when she encounters an incident forcing her to use her hidden telekinetic powers. A new world of possibilities opens for Charlie as she is invited to become part of a special team of operatives composed of superhuman young adults like her. When the truth of her parentage is revealed, and the discovery that a young girl who resembled her is part of the institute for superhumans known as A.N.D.R.E.I., Charlie is tempted with the chance to be reunited with her biological sister. 

But within the secure walls of A.N.D.R.E.I, things aren’t all what they seem. And while she struggles to control her talent, a series of events lead Charlie to suspect the true motives of the government institution. The more she searches for her sister, the more dangerous it becomes. Can she uncover the mystery behind A.N.D.R.E.I., before it’s too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.D. Stonebridge
• Release date: Sep 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516325504

Book preview

Prologue

John, that black sedan’s been tailing us since we left Plymouth Plantation at dusk, a worried Catherine alerted her husband, who was at the wheel as they drove along MA-3 N.

Her husband’s grim face indicated he already knew. He glanced at the image in the rear view mirror. The driver was unrecognizable behind the tinted windows of the car.

Tighten your seatbelt, Catherine. Stepping on the gas, John went far beyond the speed limit. The sedan picked up speed as well. He gained a good distance from their pursuers as they merged onto MA-3 S on the ramp to Plymouth/Cape Cod.

The young mother turned to the back seat to calm down one of their twin daughters, who was screaming as if in pain. As she comforted, John announced, Something’s wrong with the engine.

Simultaneously, the street lamps flickered as they flew past them in the little car. Catherine soon realized the lights flickered more intensely as the baby screamed louder and louder. Smoke billowed from the car hood and they were still moving at high speed. Was the baby causing the street lamps and car to malfunction? She turned to tell her husband, but his face warned her of the danger they were in. As he steered the car around the bend, Catherine’s eyes widened in terror.

The engine exploded with a tremendous boom, causing the speeding car to swerve and turn turtle.

Trailing some fifty feet away, Carl Hartley, who was with his wife Sarah, screeched the car brakes and came to an abrupt stop. They watched in horror as the vehicle flipped over before crashing into the metal railing. The couple ran to the wreck, hoping to be of some help. Carl bent and peered through the windows. Airbags covered in blood held the seemingly lifeless front seat passengers in place. He broke the back side window when he noted two car seats, but he saw only one pitifully dangling baby girl screaming in terror. He pulled her out of the wreckage carefully so as not to injure her.

Carl called to his wife, Sarah, take the baby to the car and call 911! He dropped to his knees in an attempt to retrieve its occupants.

But Sarah’s nostrils detected gasoline fumes. Carl, gasoline’s leaking! Quick, let’s get out of here!  Carl led Sarah and the baby away quickly, just as the overturned car erupted in flames.

Minutes after, Carl and Sarah remained at the scene, watching the burning car, waiting for help. No cars passed, no sirens blared the arrival of emergency vehicles. After still more time passed, the couple grew more and more nervous. They exchanged an uneasy look, knowing they were thinking the same thing. They climbed into the car, and Carl quickly drove away with the unscathed child in Sarah’s arms.

They named her Charlene Charlie Hartley.

Chapter 1: Charlene Charlie Hartley

Mixed feelings of joy and sadness wrapped Charlie’s heart as her classmates gathered at the school grounds for Joseph Foran High School’s commencement exercises. She stood proudly watching her parents take front seats, a privilege accorded to parents whose children were award recipients. Being the recipient of Best in Writing, she knew her parents were thrilled to be congratulated on their daughter’s achievement. It was the first time in school history that Joseph Foran High School had won a national award, thanks to Charlie.

Charlie wondered how these four years could have gone by so swiftly. Her senior class boasted a fun group of people and she loved them all. I will miss high school but I’m definitely looking forward to attending Harvard. I’m going to make waves on the global scene as an exemplary journalist and make my country proud, the young girl promised herself.

Her Gang of Five posed together for a posterity shot. Come here Charlie Girl, Joan called out. Stand beside me.  When you’re rich and famous, I’ll sell our photos to Time Magazine.

Charlie’s other best friend, Liz, Missy, and Ginger, howled with laughter at Joan’s remark. First they posed as the serious graduates they should be.

Ok, now for the wacky pose, girls, ordered Joan. On cue, the five of them crossed their eyes, stuck out their tongues, and puckered their lips as they waved their red graduation caps and showed off shapely legs.

We better get to our seats, Liz commented as the other graduates began to settle down. The girls slowly parted and moved to their proper alphabetical places.

Time was running out and the graduates knew it. Goodbye was such a small word, but it carried a lot of sadness when uttered. Emotions ran high and before the day ended, they expected to cry buckets of tears while hugging each other tightly.

Blue summer skies and the school’s manicured lawn complemented the outdoor graduation venue for the two hundred fifty graduates in their red and blue gowns. Archibald Grappe left the podium after his valedictory address amidst the audience’s thundering applause. The graduates were proud of him and of each other. Their senior year started out roughly with losses in girls’ volleyball and boy’s football. But as the months progressed, luck became theirs when Charlie brought home the Norman Mailer Creative Non-Fiction Writing Award. Connecticut bested all other states, resulting in Joseph Foran High School and Milford garnering more Internet search hits than at any other time.

After the speeches, the administration rose to distribute the diplomas and awards. Music played softly as the graduates were called one by one. Hartley, Charlene. Her name echoed through the outdoor loudspeakers.  Woo...hoo! Woo...hoo! they chanted in succession with easy laughter and rounds of applause. Then the entire graduating class stood to honor Charlie as she ascended the stage to receive her diploma, awards and certificates of recognition. Sarah and Carl also got up to applaud their daughter for a job well done.

On top of graduating in the top ten percent of her class, Charlie had completed Advanced Placement courses in Literature and Composition, American History and Biology. She’d also participated in several extra-curricular activities and had been Vice President of Natural Helpers, contributing over two hundred hours of tutoring middle school students in composition writing. Most notable in the young girl’s academic performance was receiving the National Press Club’s Richard Zimmerman Scholarship, one of the most prestigious scholarships, available to only one student nationwide each year.

After the last graduate left the stage, the young men and women chanted the school motto: Strive and Thrive, Joseph Foran High School Grads! Incredibly excited and extraordinarily happy, Charlie, together with all the graduates, flung her cap as high as she could into the air. Phone video cameras captured the once-in-a-lifetime scene as beaming parents watched with big grins.

Like all the others, Charlie’s eyes were looking up, her hands in the air to catch her cap, but the caps remained suspended in mid-air.

Look! Look! a group of juniors shouted from the sidelines, pointing at the caps frozen twelve to fifteen feet in the air above the graduates. While all the other caps had gone down, twelve hung in the sky for the whole of Milford to see. Five seconds seemed like eternity! A few were quick to notice and took photos with their mobile phones, but for most, their astonishment kept them frozen as well.

Only Carl and Sarah knew the explanation. They squeezed each other’s hands as they watched Charlie’s reaction, glad the phenomenon happened too fast for anyone to make a big deal out of it.

Early seven o’clock the next day, Carl opened the front door of their home at Claremont Circle to pick up the local paper. The headlines stared at him. Foran High School Graduates’ Caps Suspended In Midair. He stepped back into the kitchen, the smell of coffee rising to his nostrils. He sat across the table from Sarah after making a cup and filling hers to read the news. He looked over the paper at his wife, who grinned at him after seeing the headline about the strange occurrence at graduation the night before.

This is by far the most daring she’s done, Sarah commented. Carl nodded his head, knowing his wife needed no reply. She stood and headed upstairs to Charlie’s room.

Wake up, Princess. You’ve got some explaining to do. Charlie stirred and smiled at her mom Sarah, a lovely svelte woman she was, and in her mid-forties, too.

Good morning, Mom. It’s not like you to wake me up on my first vacation day. What’s up?

Well, jump in the shower then join me and your dad for homemade macadamia cookies and some fresh milk.

My favorite!

See you in half an hour, Princess.

Hair still damp from her shower, Charlie joined her parents for breakfast. Morning, Dad.

Carl looked up to greet his daughter as she planted a kiss on his forehead. She poured herself a glass of milk and looked over his shoulder. What the... Oh my...

She stared at the headline photo and read the caption. Sarah noted the same expression when as three-year-old preschooler, Charlie’s pencil rolled to her of its own accord as she crawled under the dining room table to get it.

Charlie looked at her mother and flashed a guilty grin. Whew...the caption says it’s a clever optical illusion.

Carl was thoughtful. It sure looked like a good trick. You pulled that one off well, Princess. Plus points for Foran High grabbing the headlines, but young lady, you are beginning to worry your mom and me.

Sarah used her serious tone when she spoke. Charlie, I hope you don’t mind, but your dad and I would like to discuss options the family can consider in handling your special powers. We know you haven’t done anything to harm yourself or others, but it may one day get out of control. Sarah paused to measure her words, knowing how her daughter could get touchy when she felt underestimated. You know, better safe than sorry.

Oh Mom, you’re overreacting. I appreciate your concern, but really, what I have is nothing. It’s not strong enough to wage a war or harm a community.

Carl chuckled at his daughter, who often underestimated herself. You’re absolutely right, Princess. Guess what, I did some sleuthing on my own – I went online and looked up Telekinesis, which is the closest thing I can find to explain what you do. Apparently, there are opposing ideas about whether or not it exists, but we all know yours is real.

Though Charlie was curious about what she could do, she did not pay much attention to her powers, regarding them simply as neat little tricks for her personal fun. It’s not like I’m some kind of Jean Grey in X-Men. I promise to be more aware of what’s going on so I can anticipate things before they happen. I’m pretty much in control of making small objects move. I just need to increase my awareness of intense feelings that seem to trigger more power that manifests itself in some unexpected way. Now I realize the degree of excitement and joy on graduation day sparked an event. She went on, For now, let’s just put this behind us and have fun before I leave for college.

Oh Princess, exclaimed Sarah. You make me feel ancient! We are going to miss you so much.

I promise to phone you all the time, Mom. And Dad, I promise to call you for extra pocket money every week. Deal?

Carl bellowed out his Santa Claus laugh, Ho Ho Ho! We’ll see about that, Princess!

Excusing herself to her room, Charlie dialed Liz’s number on her mobile phone. What’s up, girl? a sleepy sounding voice answered.

Wake up, sleepy head. We made Milford Mirror’s front page! Charlie wanted feedback from her school buddy, who was known for not mincing words.

I already know. My mom shoved the paper in my face when I was still snoring.

What do you think about it? Did you even notice anything yesterday? Charlie tried to sound casual.

Liz replied in a bored monotone, I was occupied with all the hugging and picture posing. I had no idea there was a commotion at all. Did you see it happen?

Charlie replied, No. I was too happy to notice anything. I guess that makes me a poor journalist, huh? I’ll let you go so you can go back to dreamland.

The conversation sent a wave of relief through Charlie. No big deal, she told herself. She turned to her laptop to do a little research of her own. Oh my goodness, there’s almost a million results on telekinesis! Why did I never even consider reading about this before? 

Charlie continued her research about her special talent. Telekinesis, also known as Psychokinesis, was the ability to physically influence something without any physical contact, using only the power of the mind. Many articles claimed such ability was fictional, practiced with strings attached and camera tricks. But others claimed the talent to be the evolution of the human mind. Charlie listed few notable films and novels that tackled the idea of telekinesis, one of which was Stephen King's Carrie.

Well, that's one way to motivate me to learn how to control my powers. Charlie thought grimly, seeing the synopsis of the novel-to-film adaptation.

She put away her laptop after about an hour of reading, looked around, and selected some light objects to spread on the left side of her desk. Alrighty, let’s see. A paper clip, an eraser, a pencil, a rubber band. Charlie Hartley, make these things move to the opposite end.  She stared at the four objects one by one. The eraser didn’t budge at all but rubber band moved with little effort.

Come on pencil, you can do it. Roll for me like you did when I was three years old.  The pencil did as she willed it. Charlie got excited and blurted, Cool! Now, paperclip, at my command, jump off the table! Toink! An invisible force hurled the clip against the wall before it landed on the floor. Whoa! an amazed Charlie cried out.

Encouraged, she chose heavier objects - a shoe, a hardback book and a bar of soap - and lined them at her feet. Focus, Charlie Girl, and visualize these objects moving like a choo-choo train across the wooden floor.  Five minutes went by. No movement.  Concentrate, she told herself. Twenty minutes later, still nothing but mounting frustration. She wondered if she should concentrate longer, but her impatient nature won.

Oh well, there goes the limit of my powers. Disappointed but somehow relieved, Charlie concluded that her telekinetic abilities worked only on light objects. It was not powerful enough for Mom and Dad to worry about her.

But Charlie, she said to herself, what if you could hone your powers and make them work for you when you want them to? She let out a chuckle, Oh I know, I can write about telekinesis one day. Maybe I should dabble in fiction writing and become the next J.K. Rowling.

She remembered how Carl had been her biggest influence in her affinity with fiction novels.  Like a daily ritual, her father would wind down his day getting lost in a book for an hour or two before retiring to bed, and she wondered how ecstatic he’d be to read a novel she wrote.

At his bedside reading his book while Sarah lay with her eyes closed, Carl noticed the slumber he anticipated did not arrive. How come you aren’t dosing like you usually do at this time?

Hon, I can’t. Something tells me we should be more cautious with Charlie and her powers. My guts tell me they will manifest more frequently as she gets older and may get stronger.

Sarah sat up and they talked about that fateful night in 1996. Remember how shocked we were watching that car turn turtle almost in front of us? I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with my pulse racing like crazy – the same feeling I had that night.

Carl mulled over an idea, I wonder if the accident had anything to do with Charlie’s powers? But then, Charlie’s powers aren’t so strong as to pose any danger to herself or anyone. She’s almost eighteen. So far, what we’ve seen from her are entertaining acts that make us smile. In fact, it makes me proud my daughter taps a part of her brain most people, us included, can’t. Unfortunately, I can’t boast about it.

Sarah pinched Carl. Oh Hon, that is absurd! You would never do that, would you?

He turned to kiss and assure her, Of course not, my love. You and Charlie are so precious to me. I wouldn’t do anything to cause harm to either of you. You know that.

Sarah asked him if they should even tell Charlie the truth. I haven’t thought about that in a while. Why do you ask?

Nothing in particular. I always wondered if she would sense it. She’s never asked.

Remember when she first exhibited her power a couple of weeks after we got her? Carl began.  She was in her crib reaching for the milk bottle by her feet. I saw her motion the bottle to come to her. And roll it did! Oh my God, it scared me to death!

Sarah smiled at the memory. Yes, it’s still so fresh in my mind. When the bottle reached her hand, she just broke into a big angelic smile, looked at you and called you Dada for the first time. Sarah went on. Her rattle moved towards her, remember? She was in her playpen, holding on to its sides and walking around it. Then she pointed to the rattle that was on the high chair. Would have been nice if we had phone videos then. I bet people would still be amazed seeing a baby point to a rattle that jumps off the high chair, lands on the floor, and rolls toward the playpen.

Carl acknowledged and added, And what about the time we found Charlie giggling in her high chair, making her plastic spoon dance by twirling her index finger above it? Sarah eagerly finished the story. Yes, I was so awed by that, but when Charlie realized I was staring at her, she burst into a fit and threw the spoon at me. The two laughed in glee at recounting those special moments.

Both agreed Charlie’s arrival in their life was the best thing that ever happened to them. Sarah reminisced how she used to be unfamiliar with cooking. But when Charlie arrived, she became the mother who loved to experiment with recipes to satisfy her daughter’s tummy. I think I’ll try something new for tomorrow’s dinner, she whispered to Carl.

On most nights, the family would spend their evenings getting together for dinner with Sarah doing most of the cooking.  To her surprise, cooking became a passion, and like a mad scientist with pans instead of beakers, she enjoyed trying out new dishes with Carl and Charlie as her eager guinea pigs.

Carl and Charlie then cleaned up the dishes; with Sarah’s supervision, of course. Often, the family would spend their evenings after dinner watching a movie or playing cards.  Other nights, they would each go their own way to enjoy solitude.

Tonight, though, was their traditional family baseball night. The Hartleys sat around their 52-inch flat screen to watch the Boston Red Sox play against the Toronto Blue Jays. Over Sarah’s mouthwatering Philly Cheese Steaks, they watched the Blue Jays fall behind 7-0 in the second inning.

Lester jammed his right hip, reported Carl as Sarah came back from the kitchen with her slices of strawberry cheesecake.

Tazawa is a good player too, commented Sarah upon learning he’d replaced the injured player.

Mmmm... this is so yummy, Mom, Charlie said in between mouthfuls, her eyes not leaving the screen.

The Red Sox jumped all over Chien-Ming Wang, tagging him for seven runs. As expected, the Red Sox won 7-4. The Hartleys cheered together, elated that their favorite team had won after having lost twice to the Detroit Tigers.

After saying good night to her parents, Charlie lay in bed, looking at the shadows the full moon made on her floor. Although she wouldn’t leave for college for quite some time, the worries already gnawed at her mind. 

I’ll surely miss Mom and Dad in the fall. Living in a dorm won’t be like home at all.  Charlie winced at the thought of arguing with her college roommate on whose turn it was to clean the bathroom or vacuum the carpet. I wonder what it’s like to be at Harvard. I imagine the pressure to excel will be intense. Will there be enough time to forge friendships and socialize? Will it be even half the fun high school afforded me? Charlie tossed and turned, feeling pangs of nostalgia about leaving home, her friends, Foran High School, and Milford.

Writing was always close to Charlie’s heart. She dabbled in poetry as a child and contributed feature articles in the school paper. She had a good share of subscribers on her online blog and had won a number of online essay and vignette writing contests. Becoming a journalist was something else, though. Will I be a Barbara Walters, a Katie Couric or a Gloria Steinem? It sure would be cool to be an investigative journalist like Eileen Welsome and win the Pulitzer Prize for reporting on human radiation experiments done on people during the Cold War. She imagined her life as it could be, smiling.

Her thoughts strayed to high school. She recalled the Halloween when she and Liz transformed the Hartley basement into a horror room for the Gang of Five. The memory brought a smile to her face and a twinkle in her eyes. They’d absolutely had no idea what they were in for. The two girls created a scary haunted house, causing Missy to freak out when her blindfold was taken off and she was confronted by a cold metal casket that was the Hartley’s old freezer with a half-bodied mannequin corpse sporting a stitched cheek and garbed in a ketchup-stained dress.

Charlie’s thoughts drifted further to the bats and roaches scurrying all around the room, chasing the girls. Joan panicked and went into hysterics when a bat kept landing on her nape. Ginger’s paranoia escalated after her encounter with the roach that repeatedly ran up and down her legs. Joan, Missy, and Ginger berated them for planting live creatures, but what Charlie didn’t admit was that she was the prankster behind the silicon toys that petrified Joan and Ginger, secretly using her powers for fun at their expense.

These wonderful memories stayed with Charlie as she slipped into sleep. Her dreams were of screams, laughter, and bats.

She awoke the next day still filled with the adrenaline rush from the previous night’s victory of her beloved Red Sox. Charlie decided to take on a physical activity in the morning and took her bicycle for a ride.

She pedaled her way to Audubon Center to follow the twelve-mile trail, pedaling the flat and hilly terrain with vigor. The center has over five hundred acres of woodlands and meadows, and exploring nature in abundance was a treat for her. Today, the scenery was breathtaking, bikers were few, and the weather was perfect. Charlie biked for over an hour, exhilarated and invigorated.

She stopped in a secluded and shaded spot where the stream ran.  Kicking off her shoes and dipping her feet in the water, Charlie took pleasure at the fluid’s movement between her toes.  A nearby old red oak with a large trunk served as a convenient back rest. This is the life, Charlie told herself. She made a mental note to remind her there was an abundance of free things in life much more rewarding than any expensive gadget young people her age seemed to prefer.  She took out her book and chewed on an apple