The Unlocked (Charlie Hartley Series Book 1) Read Online Free

born normal like you. But I don’t want to talk to any stranger and answer
his questions because he sees me as a live specimen to test his theories on.
Excuse me.” Charlie turned around quickly and went to her room. She locked the
door and isolated herself for the rest of the afternoon.
    After watching her daughter walk out angrily, Sarah said,
“I’m sorry, Hun,” she said, “I shouldn’t have pushed you to find answers
elsewhere.”
    Carl reached for Sarah’s hand and held it. “It’s not your
fault. Charlie is a sensible kid. She always had been. Just give her time.”
     “I hope so. Well, I’ll make us some Baby Back Ribs for
dinner and keep my fingers crossed.” She announced, hoping Charlie would cheer
up after they gathered around the dining table. Sarah sighed as she walked to
the kitchen.
    As was usually the case, the dinner came out as delicious
and after the fulfilling meal . Charlie did
bounce back, as she always did. Theirs was such a close-knit family that minor
conflicts were easily resolved over Sarah’s culinary skills.
    “Thanks for making my favorite dish, Mom.” A smiling Charlie
hugged Sarah. Carl flashed a thumbs-up sign to his wife. All was well in the
Hartley household.
    The next morning, Charlie jumped into the shower as soon as
she got up. “Nothing wakes me up the way cold water does,” she thought. She
lathered her washcloth and started rubbing her left forearm. When she shifted
to her right arm, she let out a shriek, “What in heaven’s name is this?”
    On her right forearm was a three-inch gash. The laceration
looked like it had already begun to heal and therefore wasn’t something she’d
sustained while in the shower. Examining it more closely, it seemed like the
incision was caused by a shard of glass, deep enough to leave a scar but not
enough to require stitching.
    After her shower, Charlie dressed and went straight to
Sarah, who was mixing a fresh batch of no-bake oat bars.  “Hey Mom, take a
look at my forearm,” Charlie raised her right arm for Sarah to see.  “I’m
sure I didn’t have this yesterday or last night when I bathed… Thoughts?”
    Sarah took a closer look. “Hmmm…that’s strange. Could you
have walked in your sleep last night and hurt yourself?”
    Charlie raised her brow and pouted. “Mom, what do you mean?”
    But Sarah was already on the phone leaving a message for Dr.
Wipperman to see if he could drop by the house on his way home.
    That afternoon, the doorbell rang and Sarah got up to
welcome their long time family doctor. “Thanks for taking the time, Ray.”
    The balding gentleman brushed her off. “No problem, Sarah.
Where’s good old Charlie?”
    “Hi Doc!” Charlie’s face lit up when she saw the affable
doctor. She’d known him since she could remember, and, save for her special
power, he knew every major illness she’d had, including a badly bruised thigh
from a bike fall when she was seven.
    “Charlie doesn’t even flinch when I apply pressure on it,
though a gash like this should still sting.” Doc Wipperman advised her to apply
the usual antibacterial cream and allow nature to heal it.
     “Now, it’s time for the old man’s treat. The real
reason I’m here is for your mom’s yummy oat bars.” The three of them laughed
and sat down to partake of Sarah’s special health bars.
    Charlie enjoyed the rest of the day, although still
concerned about the strange injury that had suddenly appeared.
    Could it have a connection with the dreams I've been
having? Charlie thought. She looked back at the string of strange images
she’d had since she was young, where she would see herself in unfamiliar
places. By late afternoon, Charlie found herself researching recurring dreams.
Most articles she found suggested that dreaming about another self was a sign
of an identity crisis, which confused the young girl. She tossed and turned in
bed that evening, trying to understand what her dreams meant. When sleep
finally reached