Chapter 24: The Feeling of Flying
The bell rang at the worst possible moment.
"Alright, alright, everyone in your seats!" Mr. Harrison, the history teacher, walked in carrying his lesson plans.
He was a middle-aged guy with a receding hairline, but always bursting with energy.
"Before we dive into the thrilling world of the Civil War, I've got some good news to share. This year's school summer camp location has been finalized, and we're heading to—Camp Crystal Lake!"
"Woohoo!"
A small cheer rippled through the classroom.
For these restless teenagers, summer camp meant bonfires, games, and raging hormones.
Edward's eyebrows, however, twitched slightly.
Crystal Lake?
Now that was an interesting choice.
If he remembered correctly, a certain hockey-masked, machete-wielding mama's boy with a love for extreme sports should call that place home.
Jason Voorhees.
This was way more exciting than any mirror demon.
"It's a week-long program, three hundred bucks per person, covering lodging, meals, and all activities," Mr. Harrison scrawled the registration details on the whiteboard.
"Spots are limited, so anyone interested can grab a permission slip from me after class."
Edward's hand shot up without hesitation.
Every head in the classroom swiveled toward him, including Mr. Harrison at the front.
"Connor, you sure about this?"
"Absolutely," Edward replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Mr. Harrison looked genuinely surprised. In his experience, a straight-A student like Edward should have zero interest in this kind of group activity—shouldn't he be spending his time buried in the library?
During lunch period, the burger place across from school was crammed with students.
Edward and his crew finally snagged a booth by the window.
"You're seriously going to that Crystal Lake place?" Jennifer asked around her straw, taking a loud slurp of her Coke.
She was rocking a tight crop top today that showed off her figure perfectly.
"Sounds like a good time, doesn't it?" Edward took a massive bite of his burger, savoring the juicy patty and melted cheese.
"A good time?" Frank adjusted his glasses, the lenses catching the fluorescent lights of the fast-food joint.
"I did some research. Camp Crystal Lake has had multiple brutal murders and accidental deaths over the past few decades. Locals call it 'Blood Camp.' The place was shut down for years—this is the first time it's reopening."
"Doesn't that make it even more exciting?" Edward looked pumped.
"Maybe we can even do some paranormal investigating."
"You're insane," Jennifer and Nettie said in unison.
"Are you two coming?" Edward looked at them expectantly.
Jennifer shook her head, disappointment flickering across her face. "Can't. My dad's got a medical conference in New York and he's dragging me along to 'expand my horizons.'" She made air quotes with her fingers.
Since Jennifer wasn't going, Nettie—as her loyal best friend—naturally wouldn't go either.
"Frank, what about you?"
"Gotta spend the summer at my mom's," Frank shrugged.
"You know how it is—divorced parents means every vacation gets divided up like a custody agreement."
Edward's gaze finally landed on Carrie, who was quietly munching on french fries.
The girl noticed him looking and glanced up, nervously squeezing the ketchup packet in her hand.
"Carrie, you wanna come?" Edward's voice softened a bit.
"I..." Carrie glanced at Jennifer and Nettie, then back at Edward, hesitating before giving a small nod. "I... I'd like to go."
Ever since Edward had saved her at the dance, Carrie's personality—while still shy—had developed a new spark of determination in her eyes.
She wanted to change, to break free from that shell of insecurity.
"Then it's settled," Edward snapped his fingers.
"The Crystal Lake Adventure Squad of two is officially formed."
Jennifer looked from Edward to the blushing Carrie, something unreadable flashing in her eyes...
On the walk home, students scattered in different directions, and Edward and Carrie ended up walking together.
The setting sun stretched their shadows out long behind them.
"How's your telekinesis been coming along lately?" Edward asked casually.
At the mention of this, Carrie's eyes lit up, losing some of their usual reservation.
"I don't lose control from emotional outbursts anymore. Right now I'm practicing moving heavier stuff, like... fire hydrants."
"Nice," Edward was genuinely impressed.
Fire hydrants might not look huge, but they weighed a ton.
Seemed like Carrie's natural talent was even stronger than he'd thought.
"And..." Carrie stopped walking, holding out her pale palm.
She hesitated, like she was making a big decision.
The next second, Carrie pulled out a lighter. A small orange-red flame sparked to life, then transferred to her palm, dancing quietly there.
Carrie shaped the flame into various tiny animals.
"Whoa, pyrokinesis?" Edward's interest spiked.
Telekinesis mainly dealt with moving physical objects around.
Precisely manipulating flames like this, forming different shapes—that required insane levels of control.
"Yeah, I figured it out on my own," Carrie looked at him like she was showing off a prized possession, her face flushed from either nerves or excitement.
"I feel like controlling these invisible little things is easier than moving big heavy stuff."
"You're a natural, Carrie," Edward praised genuinely.
Receiving his compliment, Carrie's smile grew even brighter, and the flame in her palm danced happily for a moment before quietly extinguishing.
Edward glanced around.
Few pedestrians, thick trees lining both sides of the street.
He suddenly grinned, showing off white teeth.
"Wanna try something even cooler?"
"Huh?" Carrie hadn't caught on yet.
Edward grabbed her wrist and, without warning, led her into the nearby grove of trees, stopping in a clearing.
"Hold on tight."
Before she could process what he meant, an invisible force lifted both their bodies off the ground.
Carrie felt her feet go light, her whole body floating upward beyond her control.
"Ah!" She instinctively cried out, squeezing her eyes shut, gripping Edward's arm with both hands.
"Open your eyes and look," Edward's voice reached her ear, accompanied by a reassuring smile.
Carrie trembled as she cracked one eye open slightly.
Immediately both eyes flew wide, reflecting something impossible.
They were rising. The trees below were getting smaller and smaller, like clusters of green broccoli.
The wind rushed past her ears, whipping her long hair around.
The distant houses, streets, and cars all shrunk to matchbox size.
The entire town sprawled out before her eyes for the first time with stunning clarity.
The fear brought on by weightlessness was quickly replaced by this unprecedented expansive view and sense of freedom.
"This... this is..." Carrie was too stunned to form words.
"Advanced application of telekinesis," Edward's voice came clearly. "Flight."
He wasn't using any complex techniques—just wrapped them both in pure telekinetic force, crudely countering gravity.
Carrie slowly released her death grip on Edward's hand, tentatively spreading her arms like a bird embracing the sky.
The wind flowed through her fingertips, bringing a touch of coolness, yet making her feel more real and free than she ever had.
The darkness that had weighed on her heart for so long—the cruel taunts from classmates, her mother's harsh words—in this moment seemed to shrink along with the landscape below, becoming insignificant.
She turned her head, looking at the boy beside her.
The golden rays of the setting sun outlined his profile, and his eyes, which always held a hint of mischief, now reflected the sky's rosy glow, sparkling like stars.
Her heart skipped a beat.
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