The Centerpoint Trilogy Read Free Page B

back to him. “It’s time for the world to explode.
    Anna woke up. She let out a tiny cry and then rolled over on the couch. She needed to stop dreaming about that man. If he wanted the world to explode then he needed to explode it. He needed to stop invading the dreams of people who had the misfortune of being kidnapped as children. It was pathetic.
     
    Chapter Four
     
                  Taking night classes had seemed like a good idea at the time. Ethan worked all day and it was the only way he could get credits towards a Master’s Degree. Online classes were also an option, but they did not command his focus in the same way. So, here Ethan was. He was a brand new teacher who was also in school in the evenings. It was absolutely, utterly exhausting, but still he tried his best. Ethan yawned and closed his eyes briefly. He was in a room of twenty-five others, awaiting his professor’s arrival. Most of them were teachers, or other education professionals like he was. He watched as people began to shift in their seats. Everyone glanced at their phones, or up at the clock on the wall. He heard muttering other students talking about getting out of there. There was intense frustration and it was obvious. Nobody had any idea where Professor Binns was. All the tired and irate group knew was that he was late.
    Five minutes later, Professor Binns finally arrived. An older man with greying hair and a thick beard, he staggered into the room. He had strange, thick spectacles. His face was pale and his eyes were so wide.  His eyes wideness helped Ethan instantly sense that he was disturbed by something. He kept opening his mouth and closing it again, but at last, he spoke. “I must inform you that there’s been an explosion on South Street,” he declared grimly. “It’s so close by that I fear some of you might be affected. I took so long getting here because the whole area is a madhouse.”
    “What?” a girl near the front of the classroom asked.
    The chatter began, one of those commotions that was hard to quell. People spoke to those next to them in hushed whispers. What had happened? How could it happen? He did not speak to anyone, but just pulled back, mentally and watched as everyone else went on and on. The news had obviously stirred up a reaction.
    “What caused it?” someone else asked, a man near the back of the room.
    “I didn’t hear,” Professor Binns said. “I just know that it’s really bad…”
    Ethan’s heart pounded. The word explosion weighed heavily on his mind. He could not handle that word. How many nights had he dreamed of explosion? How many nights had he dreamed of the threat that the world would explode? His stomach twisted and although nobody he knew lived near South Street, he knew he had to go. He was compelled to go to the scene and see if it had anything to do with his horrible dreams. He had to go.
    He stood. “I’m sorry,” he said, even though he was sure that nobody was listening to him. Ethan then left the classroom, and headed to the parking structure, running as he made his way there. He moved fast. At first he was going to take his car, but then he decided that it was useless and turned on his heel, going the other way. South Street was only two blocks away. Ethan ran. He could not stop running. He had to find out what was behind the explosion. It could be completely unrelated, but he was a man who trusted instinct and instinct was telling him that something was very wrong. The words were still in his head: “the world will explode.”
    Chaos greeted him on South Street. The entire block was lined with firetrucks. He counted six immediately. Sirens blared on some and yet others stood silent. They had been opened, all of their tools removed. People were held back behind caution tape, but still they stood and stared in absolute horror. Police were standing in front of them, using poles and caution tape to try and hold the people back. Several of the men wore annoyed