Read Off the Wagon (Users #2) for Free Online Page A

you in timeout a little bit longer?” Carter was sure they looked ridiculous, frozen in place like a couple of boxing trophies.
    “I will if he will,” Carter said.
    There was a moment of silence as Walt, who if he could have moved a muscle, would have appeared to have been mulling it over.
    “Fine,” Walt said at last.
    Evan dropped his arms to his sides and both Walt and Carter were immediately released. Carter straightened his clothes as if his personal space had just been violated.
    “Agh, I hate that,” Carter said.
    “Hey, its not as bad as being pushed into it. I could of had Bobby or Gwen come over and push you into thinking you two were lovers.”
    Walt’s face screwed up in disgust at the mere thought.
    “Don’t be such a homophobe,” Carter said.
    “It’s not the thought of another man, it’s the thought of you.” Walt took a well placed verbal jab at Carter, letting him know they were back on joking terms, but the mood was dire and no one, not even Walt, laughed.
    “All right, everyone back to what you were doing. The shows over,” Evan said and the crowd of Users immediately began to disperse. There were myriad chores to be done at the compound this time of year, and the Users got back to them. A layer of leaves covered the lawn, but they didn’t rake them up. Carter watched as Evan simply used his telekinesis like a leaf blower, blasting the leaves into a pile. Similar work was being done all across the compound with Users special powers being put to tasks that most suited their abilities.
    “Do you think he’s going to be okay?” Carter asked in all seriousness.
    “I’ve seen Doc repair worse, but the kid has lost a lot of blood.”
    “I’m not leaving until he’s better. As his sponsor I need to be by his side,” Carter said.
    “That’s fine. You should stay here for now. Your old cabin is still empty if you want to crash in there.” Walt motioned to the square cabin Carter had called home less than a week before. He envisioned his fancy new apartment sitting empty for at least a few weeks and sighed. There was nothing left to do, but wait. Wait and hope that Barber would be okay.

Prologue 2
     
    The days events took Carter into a deep sleep.
    He was out before his head even hit the pillow. There was a flood of images at first, before the picture became clear. He saw himself as a boy, many years younger than Barber was now. He sat in the living room of a one story rambler, rolling a toy truck back and forth across the cheap shag carpet. The walls were stained a faint beige from years of cigarette smoke. Cobwebs were strung between the walls and stretched up to the ceiling in the corner above his head.
    He could hear his mother watching her programs on a small table top television in the kitchen, but it had been hours since she had come to check on him. The only other sign that she was even still alive were the wafts of cigarette smoke that trailed from the kitchen, through the dining room, and into the living room where he now sat.
    “Braroom!” Carter made an engine noise with his mouth as he pushed the toy truck.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” A voice as deep as the devils said from over his shoulder.
    An ominous shadow fell over him from above as his father entered the room.
    “I’m playing,” Carter said.
    “You’re ruining the damn carpet is what you’re doing,” Carter’s father said in that gravelly voice that let him know his old man was drunk again. “You think this shit comes cheap?”
    Carter had been playing with his truck outside again and the wheels had tracked dirt all over the carpet.
    “N-no,” Carter stammered. He looked from side to side, not daring to look his father in the eye, looking for someplace to go to get away from him, but he was trapped between the walls and his father.
    “Then get that filthy truck up off the floor god damn it!” his father screamed, bent over, grabbed the truck, and threw it across the room. “Look at the