The following day parapsychologists began investigating the site where we had our séance which was carpeted with a large boulders. There was nothing unusual about the stones they turned out to be ordinary granite.
The remaining survivors from Ewan High made a full recovery. After we were all well enough one by one we were discharged from hospital to continue our own lives.
The events of the last few weeks had a major impact on the whole town. What was once the gymnasium of Ewan High School was now nothing but a large blast crater. The explosion had caused such significant damage that the whole building was later declared a total loss by the insurers. It was never rebuilt and I heard that even 10 years later it was left were it stood abandoned and neglected. The surviving students of Ewan High continued their education and then graduated at Motton Academy. On our first day we received a warm welcome by Principal Henry Grayle*1 and his deepest sympathies.
A blue ribbon enquiry was convened to investigate the explosion that occurred at Ewan High but at the end of the day, it only left more questions than answers. During its course experts demonstrated that there was no possibility of the boiler exploding lest a device such as a manufactured explosive was attached to the boiler. However at the scene of the explosion no material common in an explosive device manufactured or home made was uncovered. Engineers and maintenance workers had found no fault with the boiler at school during maintenance, the model was that of a common type with a reliable service history record. There has never been an incident equal to this scale with this particular model. While it was possible to reach the conclusion that the tragedy was caused due to a boiler explosion the enquiry was never able to establish why did it occur.
Mass funerals for the deceased were held on July 1st and 2nd, Chamberlain would never be the same again and for a brief period of time it earned the undesirable title of "the Hamelin of Maine". In the years that would come the town of Chamberlain began to experience severe economic downturn. Ultimately the mill, textiles and weaving industry went into terminal decline and have never recovered since. The same fate which hit many American mill towns throughout the 1970s.
One thing that baffled me the most in this climate was how Carrie White was always intended to be part of deaths design. Ultimately I came up with only two possible conclusions.
Possibility 1:- Perhaps there are limits to telekinesis perhaps she would have originally set the whole gymnasium on fire with her telekinetic abilities only to discover that while she has locked everyone in. She herself cannot get out and thus would perish along with the rest of us.
Possibility 2:- If she could also use her powers to escape, likely she would have made her way home crying and looking for comfort from her mom. Knowing that Mrs White was a religious zealot and considering that she had tried to kill Carrie in Westover hospital, with a surgical instrument. Enough to prove that she was insane as well. It was entirely plausible that she would have tried to do the same had prom night proceeded to its original course. In the confrontation that would have ensued bothmother and daughter would have probably ended up killing each other.
I cannot be sure of what would have happened if the events I had seen in my original pre-cognitive experience of prom night had been allowed to transpire without interference. Whereas here Carrie White died as just another forgotten casualty in another time, another place she would have been vilified.
For as long I lived I would not forget her and her sacrifice. She would be my personal hero. Had she lived I would have owed her big time. She never received anything from anyone, not even the little important things in life like love, affection, tolerance and acceptance yet she willingly sacrificed herself so that several people targeted by death would have a chance to live. Half of them would not even know what she had done. She died all alone as she had lived.
*1 In the Novel Principal Henry Grayle is the Headmaster of Ewan High with Morton being assistant principle. However in all the film Morton is the Headmaster of Ewan/Bates High.