Inversion Read online

  “Ma’am,” one of the nurses said. “I need you to stand back so that we can check and make sure that everything is ok.”

  Carson was poked and prodded from all directions. His muscles were stiff and sore from not being used. The tests were completed just as quickly as they had started. The doctor stepped to the back of the room and wrote on a clipboard. He motioned to Ellie that he was done.

  “How are you feeling,” Ellie asked. She carefully brushed her hand through his hair.

  “Everything hurts,” he choked. Ellie glanced back at the doctor.

  “We’re going to run some tests but he’s stable. He’s been through a lot and he’s going to need some time to recover. Being in a coma for as long as he was takes a large toll on not only the body but the mind as well. I will update you as soon as we get his results.”

  With that the doctor took his leave.

  Carson slowly pushed himself up so he could get a better look at his surroundings. The hospital room he was in was dull. The walls were painted a mute grey. There was only one window that allowed a small amount of sunlight in. He was on the only bed in the room which made it look bigger than it actually was. A television was attached to the wall across from him. He remembered hearing the reporter’s voice before drifting off.

  “Do you remember what happened,” Robert asked Carson.

  “Robert,” Ellie said sharply.

  “I just want to know the extent of his injuries, Ellie.”

  She reluctantly backed down.

  “What do you remember,” Robert asked again.

  “I remember your invention blowing up. Everyone was running and things kept exploding. There were so many explosions. I was standing with Jacob and---”

  Carson pushed himself up further against the back of the hospital bed. White hot pain tore through him but he didn’t care. He winced but managed to stay upright.

  “Where’s Abigail and Jacob?”

  “They’re already at home,'' Ellie said. She softly pushed on his shoulder to get him to lay back down. “They spent a couple of days here at the hospital but they were cleared to go.”

  “What about Nick?” He already knew the answer but he had to ask. Even if there was the slightest chance he could still be alive he still needed to ask.

  Ellie looked at Robert.

  “He’s one of the missing but at this point we’re just assuming that anyone who hasn’t already been found is dead.”

  “Robert,” Ellie snapped again.

  “He’s not a child. I’m not going to sugarcoat things for him.”

  Carson didn’t understand what his grandfather meant. “Missing? How is he missing?”

  Robert paced around the room.

  “We don’t exactly know how. All we know is that there are several people who seem to have just vanished without a trace. We spent the last three weeks sifting through every piece of the rubble.”

  Carson wasn’t sure he heard him right. He sat up in bed, more carefully this time.

  “Three weeks?”

  It was Ellie's turn to talk.

  “You’ve been in a coma for three weeks, hun.” Her smile and use of the nickname did little to comfort Carson.

  Robert stopped pacing and returned to his place at the window.

  Carson glared at him from across the room. He tried to push the anger down but didn’t have the strength.

  “You shouldn’t have made that thing. It’s all your fault that this happened.”

  Ellie blocked his view of his grandfather.

  “Carson, don’t.”

  “Move,” he said.

  Ellie did, more out of the surprise of Carson’s tone than obedience.

  “My friends could have died because of you. I could have died because of you.”

  Robert’s cheeks became flushed. He wasn’t used to being called out like that.

  “I-I don’t know what to say. I never intended for this to happen.”

  “I don’t care. You built it. You should have made sure that it was going to work,” Carson yelled.

  “It wasn’t really my intention for years of my work to just go up in flames.”

  For the first time in weeks Carson got out of bed. His bare feet found the cold tile beneath him. Ellie tried to stop him but he pushed her hands away. He grabbed at the tubes in his arms and ripped them out. Blood poured across his skin, splattering onto the floor. The pain was intense but Carson didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.

  “How dare you stand here and act like you’re the victim. You killed those people. You did.”

  Carson’s body itched like ants were crawling around underneath his skin. He suddenly felt lightheaded from all of the screaming. Ellie managed to catch him before he hit the ground. Nurses were already running into the room, brought in by the screaming alarms of the machines.

  “I think you should go,'' Ellie said to Robert.

  A group of nurses worked together to help get Carson back into bed. A few of them reattached the tubes to his arms while the others started on cleaning up the blood. Robert nodded. Before he left he grabbed Ellie’s hands. She tried to pull away but he held on.

  “The God Complex was my last chance to fix everything. There are people, powerful people, that aren’t taking its failure well. It just so happens that the Governor is one of those people.”

  Sadness filled Robert’s eyes. He felt like he was letting her down all over again.

  “I’m sorry, Ellie, but Maine is going to be implementing the Dark Hours protocol.”

  Uncertainty filled her eyes. She opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say.

  “When,” she finally asked.

  “Two weeks.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  |||||

  CARSON STAYED PERFECTLY STILL until the nurses finished putting everything back in its place. He felt guilty watching as they cleaned up his blood. He had offered several times to clean it up himself.

  “No,” one of them had said sternly, “You just lay there and rest.”

  “What are Dark Hours,” Carson asked his mother when the nurses finally left.

  The uncomfortable look in her eyes returned. “It’s something that the government has been testing out in the bigger cities on the West Coast. Basically after a certain time each night the only people allowed to use resources such as electricity or gas are essential people or businesses. Things such as the hospital or police.”

  “So it's basically a curfew? Like we can’t be at home and watch t.v. or anything?”

  “Exactly. Unless you’re using a personal generator you’re taken off the grid for the night.”

  Carson shook his head. “You’re just going to let them do that to us?”

  “I don’t have a choice,'' Ellie said.

  After being stuck in the hospital for a few more days, Carson was finally cleared to go home. The drive back to Bishop Bay was one of the longest he had ever had to do. He tried to sleep on the way but the excitement of going back home was too much for him to relax.

  “You should probably take a couple more days off of school,'' Ellie said.

  “Haven’t I missed enough already?”

  “You have but I want to make sure that everything is ok with you first. I can have your teachers email you everything that you missed.”

  “Luckily I’m graduating soon,'' Carson said. “There’s not much left that we have to do.”

  Ellie reached forward and lowered the volume of the radio. “Speaking of graduation, have you put any more thought into which school you’re going to?”

  Carson just stared at her. She couldn’t be serious.

  “I just almost died,” he said. “Can’t we put the lectures off for a while?”

  “I’m just saying. I think it's important that you—-”

  “Mom,” Carson snapped. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. Just, please. Let’s just get home first and then we can talk about it.” />
  The rest of the ride went by in silence until Ellie turned into the manor’s driveway. She carefully drove between rows of cars that were parked along the sides.

  “What’s all this,” Carson asked.

  “I don’t know,” she lied.

  Carson glared at his mom. She wasn’t as good at lying as she liked to think she was.

  “I really don’t want to be around anyone right now.”

  Ellie sighed. “It’s just a little welcome home party.”

  Carson threw his head back against the seat. “Now I really don’t want to see anyone.”

  “What is with you? You’ve had this bad attitude ever since we left. Even before that. You spent almost a month in the hospital. Seeing people will do you some good.”

  Carson groaned.

  “Besides,'' Ellie said, “Jacob and Abigail are here.”

  Carson was immediately bombarded as soon as he stepped foot into the house. Dozens of people stood in the foyer and spilled out into the surrounding rooms. Several of them were even on the stairs, sitting on the steps and watching everything below them. Carson pushed his way through the crowd. His only goal was finding Abigail and Jacob. People kept stopping him, greeting him and trying to start a conversation. Carson brushed them off, giving them one word answers and hoping that that would satisfy them. When he finally made it to his room he was relieved to see Abigail and Jacob lying on his bed. Abigail jumped up as soon as she saw him and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. Carson winced from the pain.

  “Thank God you’re ok,” she said. She let go of him.

  “I’m so glad you guys are ok,” Carson said.

  “We’re the lucky ones. Stacey didn’t make it.”

  “A lot of our friends didn’t,” Jacob said. He was right behind her, waiting to greet him. Carson let go of her and turned to him.

  “Be careful,” Carson warned him.

  Jacob listened for once, hugging him as softly as he could. When he let go Carson fell onto his bed and rubbed his hands over the soft sheets. He didn’t realize how uncomfortable the hospital bed really was until he was back on his own.

  “I was waiting for you guys to visit. Why didn’t you come?”

  Abigail and Jacob joined him on the bed, lying down on either side of him. The bad things that had happened before the accident seemed to be forgotten.

  “Your mom said that you weren’t allowed any visitors,” Jacob confessed.

  “Plus our parents didn’t want us going anywhere either,” Abigail chimed in. “Not after what happened.”

  “I’m just glad you guys are ok,'' Carson said.

  Abigail and Jacob looked at eachother curiously.

  Carson picked up on the look. “What?”

  “Nothing,” Abigail said. “I’m just glad that we’re all going to be ok.” She sounded optimistic.

  “So what about school,” Carson asked. “Is everything different?”

  Jacob answered solemnly. “No. It’s pretty much the same as it's always been. Although the teachers are acting like the accident never even happened. We get in trouble if we talk about it.”

  Carson sat up on his elbows. “What? Why?”

  Jacob shrugged. “We just do I guess. We asked for a memorial or something to be put up but they declined it.”

  “Did they say why?”

  Jacob shook his head.

  Carson fell back. “What is everyone's deal?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why does every adult in this town act like nothing bad happens. The school, my mom. Everyone acts like Bishop Bay is a perfect place but it's not. Bad things are happening all the time and all anyone’s doing is turning a blind eye towards it. It’s like they live to forget and then are shocked when it happens again.”

  Carson was nearly breathless. He started feeling lightheaded again like he had at the hospital. He scratched his arms. Once he started getting angry and letting the words fly out it was hard to stop. He placed the back of his hand on his forehead, searching for a fever.

  “Everything ok?” Jacob looked worried.

  “It’s fine,'' Carson said. “Just hungry.”

  Jacob sat up. “Want to go to my house? Get away from all the noise? We can get pizza or something.”

  Carson shook his head. “No. I’m sure there’s something here in the kitchen. Let’s just stay here.”

  Abigail offered to go get them all snacks.

  “Are you sure,” Carson asked.

  “I’m pretty hungry too,” she said. “You guys stay here and catch up.”

  Nearly half an hour passed before Carson noticed Abigail hadn’t returned.

  “What’s taking so long,” Carson asked. Jacob just shrugged his shoulders without looking up from the magazine he was flipping through.

  “I’m going to go see what she’s doing.” Carson opened the door. At the end of the hallway he could see another door open, light spilling out.

  Carson’s heart stopped. He ran as fast as he could, stopping in front of the room but not daring to go in.

  “What are you doing,” he yelled over the music.

  Abigail turned around to see him in the doorway.

  “Hey,” she said as if nothing was wrong.

  She turned in place, looking at the incredible room. Bookshelves covered every inch of the walls. Old books took up most of the shelf space while various items took up the rest. Most of the items were rocks and crystals. A desk sat at the front of the room. A thick layer of dust covered nearly everything in the room.

  “Who’s room is this,” she asked, pulling a faded book from one of the shelves.

  “Get out,” Carson said through clenched teeth.

  “What?”

  “Get. Out.”

  Abigail just stared at him. She didn’t understand why he was so angry with her.

  “I said get out,” Carson yelled.

  Abigail dropped the book onto the ground and pushed past him. Carson turned the lights off and carefully closed the door.

  He chased after Abigail back to his room. She threw the door open and grabbed her bag. Jacob jumped in surprise.

  “What’s going on?”

  Abigail threw the bag over her shoulders and left without saying anything. Jacob ran after her.

  “Dude, what did you do?”

  Abigail walked quickly, pushing through the guests. No one stopped her to ask her why she was crying. She was thankful for that. Jacob didn’t catch up with her until she was already at the end of the driveway.

  “What happened,” he asked breathlessly.

  Abigail ignored him and kept walking.

  “Abs, wait.” She stopped and crossed her arms.

  “He went off on me.”

  “Who? Carson?”

  She nodded.

  “Why would he do that?”

  “I have no idea. I was just looking at some books in the office and--.”

  “What room were you in,” Jacob asked abruptly.

  “I don’t know. The one at the end of the hallway.”

  “Oh,” Jacob said. “I know why he yelled at you.”

  Abigail waited for him to explain.

  “That’s his dad’s study. Well it was his dad’s study.”

  “What do you mean,” she asked.

  Jacob wrapped his arm around Abigail’s shoulders and pulled her in close.

  “Carson’s dad died in a car accident a few years ago.”

  “He didn’t have to yell at me though. He could have just told me.”

  Jacob shook his head. “He wouldn’t do that. He doesn’t even like acknowledging it himself. If anything, he blames himself for what happened.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  |||||

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING CARSON woke up drenched in a cold sweat. His room felt hot and humid, even though the window had been left open all night. He foolishly thought that being home would have rid him of the
terrible dream and it's never-ending street. He was wrong. Once awake Carson fought against the sudden urge to vomit. He choked it back down, grimacing at its acidic taste. He sat up, his feet finding the soft carpet below him. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his shaky hand. A sharp whine rang incessantly in both ears. He had no idea what was going on with him, only that it wasn’t normal. The urge to throw up returned with a vengeance. He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to push it back down. Carson jumped up and ran to the bathroom. The second he stood up vertigo overwhelmed him, bringing him back down to his knees. Carson rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. After the intense wave of nausea finally passed Carson pulled himself up and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. He slid his finger across the screen and frantically searched for his mother’s contact. As he tried to type the message he heard a scraping sound coming from behind him. Carson froze. He looked around his room, searching for whatever had made the noise. He couldn’t see anything that was out of place. Carson ignored it and turned back to his phone. Just as he started typing again the noise continued. Carson caught it this time, watching in awe as a large stone slid across his desk. Its sharp edges cut deep grooves into the wood as it crawled towards him.

  “Whoa,” Carson screamed, ducking at the last second. The stone soared over him and into the wall. A large hole was left where it had crashed.

  “What the hell was that,” Carson asked himself. He cautiously reached for the stone. A strange sensation formed in his fingertips. Just as he was about to touch the stone it moved backwards. Trapped against the wall and with nowhere else for it to go Carson picked it up to examine it. The strange feeling in his fingers quickly spread throughout his hand and traveled up his arm. An icy burning sensation flashed through his body. He dropped the rock back onto the floor with a thud. Carson inspected his hand. Carson grabbed the stone again. Another shock moved through him but this time he was ready for it. His muscles tensed up but he managed to push through it.

  “What. The. Hell,” he said again.

  He didn’t understand what was happening. It felt like he was holding a gyroscope rather than a piece of rock. It fought to escape his grasp. Carson looked over it and when he didn’t find anything out of the ordinary he looked over it again. It looked just like all of the other stones that his father had collected for him. This particular one had sat on Carson’s desk for years without anything weird happening. He carefully set the stone back down on his desk and sat across from it. He pressed his hand against his head, suddenly remembering his fever. As he brought his hand up the strange icy feeling returned. The stone slid towards him again. Carson put his hand down on his lap and pulled it back up over his shoulder over and over again. Each time he moved the rock would move closer and closer. Carson had the faint sensation of invisible strings that were wrapped tightly around his fingers.