by Marilyn Kaye
‘No,’ Jenna replied. ‘She looked like she wasn’t paying much attention, so I was curious to know what she was thinking about.’
‘In other words,’ Madame said, ‘you read her mind intentionally. Which, of course, is wrong, because Amanda’s thoughts are her own and none of your business. But you did provide an example of what I’m talking about. You have control of your gift. You can decide whether or not to read someone’s mind.’
Jenna nodded. ‘Yeah, I can pretty much do it whenever I want. Unless someone knows how to block me. And remembers to do it,’ she added, with a wicked glance at Amanda. Amanda ignored her.
‘I suspect,’ Madame said, ‘that all of you are capable of calling upon your gifts when you want them to appear. But some of you haven’t yet achieved that level of control.’
This is so not interesting for me,’ Amanda thought. She kept the thought in the back of her mind so Jenna couldn’t read it, but Madame was getting very good at reading her students’ expressions.
‘Amanda, do you really think this discussion is a waste of time?’
Amanda now had to admit to herself that there was another decent aspect of the gifted class. You could say what you really thought and not get into trouble.
‘For me, it’s a waste of time,’ she declared honestly. ‘I know how to control my gift. As long as I don’t feel sorry for someone, I won’t take over that person’s body. And I’d never want to do it, so I don’t need to learn how to bring it out.’
Emily gazed at her curiously. ‘Really? You’re never tempted to live someone else’s life for a while?’
‘Like whose?’ Amanda asked.
‘I don’t know . . .’ Emily considered this. ‘OK, Lady Gaga. I bet she’s got a pretty fabulous life.’
Amanda sniffed. ‘I’d rather make my own life fabulous.’
Madame’s eyes swept the room and settled on another student. ‘Sarah, do you think this discussion is a waste of time?’
Amanda was actually curious to hear the girl’s response. Of all the classmates, Sarah talked the least about her gift.
The girl with the curly dark hair and the heart-shaped face spoke softly. ‘I think it’s dangerous, Madame.’
‘How do you mean?’ Madame asked.
‘If we have total control of our gifts, if we could use them whenever we wanted to, we could end up doing bad things.’
Madame gazed at her thoughtfully. ‘Can you give us an example?’
Everyone turned to look at Sarah, and there was real curiosity in their expressions. Amanda knew why. Supposedly, Sarah had the most powerful gift of all – she could make people do whatever she wanted them to do. None of them had seen much evidence of this remarkable gift, but they knew she had it.
But Sarah didn’t use herself as an example. ‘Well, take Martin, for example. If he could call on his power whenever he wanted to . . .’ Her voice trailed off.
‘Go on, Sarah,’ Madame encouraged her.
With clear reluctance, the girl continued. ‘Maybe . . . maybe Martin doesn’t like someone. So he . . . he makes something fall on that person’s head and kills him.’
‘I wouldn’t do that,’ Martin said indignantly.
‘Are you sure about that?’ Sarah asked. ‘I mean, what if someone was really, truly getting on your nerves?’
‘You’re not talking about Martin,’ Jenna said suddenly. ‘You’re worried about yourself.’
‘Jenna!’ Madame snapped.
Jenna sank back in her seat. ‘Sorry.’
Tracey looked confused as she turned towards Sarah. ‘Are you afraid Martin is going to drop something on your head?’
‘No,’ Sarah said. She looked at her watch and fidgeted, which struck Amanda as very unusual. Sarah was famous for being the perfect student, who never behaved inappropriately in any classroom.
Madame glanced at the clock on the wall. ‘We only have a few more minutes. For tomorrow’s class, I want you all to think about this : if you had complete control over your gifts, how could you use them in positive ways? How could you help people, maybe even use your gifts to benefit mankind?’ She gave them a moment to jot down the assignment.
‘Now, does anyone have anything to say before the bell rings?’
Emily raised her hand. ‘Do you know how Carter is doing at Harmony House?’
Amanda was mildly curious about that too. Their former classmate had been sent to the institution for troubled teenagers over a week ago.
Madame nodded. ‘I’ve been talking to Doctor Paley regularly. Carter hasn’t spoken, but he’s cooperating. Doctor Paley believes that eventually he’ll be able to make a real connection with him. Oh, and I should tell you, he’s not allowed any visitors yet.’
Jenna snorted. ‘Who’d want to visit him? The guy was spying on us! He was consorting with the enemy. As far as I’m concerned, he can spend the rest of his life at Harmony House in solitary confinement.’
‘Try to keep an open mind about Carter,’ Madame urged her. ‘We don’t know what his real intentions were.’
The bell rang and Madame dismissed them. Amanda took her time gathering up her things, but all the while she kept an eye on Ken. He had already got up and was on his way to the door. The big question was – would he be waiting for her outside the class?
He’d been there yesterday when she emerged, and he’d walked her to her locker. If he did this today, she was going to ask him if he wanted to come home with her for a snack.
He was there! And as soon as she arrived, he began walking by her side.
‘Do you think Carter knew what he was doing when he was reporting on the class to Serena?’ he asked as they strolled down the hall.
Amanda shrugged. ‘Who knows?’
Ken finished the comment for her. ‘And who cares? You know, this class is really starting to annoy me.’
‘No kidding,’ Amanda said with feeling. ‘I mean, what are we really getting out of it?’
Ken nodded. ‘I’m no better at stopping the voices than I was before. And I sure don’t want to invite any more dead people to talk to me.’
‘And I don’t want to be Lady Gaga,’ Amanda declared. ‘Personally, I think she looks kind of sleazy.’
‘And what Madame said about doing something good with our gifts – OK, maybe for some of the others that could work. But the only good thing that ever came out of my gift was helping that kid find the lottery ticket his father had hidden before he died. And that was just a fluke – it’s not going to happen again.’
‘We don’t belong in that class, Ken,’ Amanda said.
‘I know,’ Ken said. ‘But how are we going to get out of it?’
This was the perfect opportunity to invite him over to her place to discuss the matter. But they were approaching her locker now, and Amanda’s heart sank when she saw Nina standing there, obviously waiting for her.
It was a funny thing about Nina. She’d been part of Amanda’s clique since forever, but she wasn’t exactly a friend. What was that word she’d heard on Gossip Girl? Frenemy. That’s what Nina was. They hung out together, but Amanda didn’t trust her.
Still, she forced a thin smile to greet the girl. ‘Hi, what’s up?’
‘My mom’s picking me up to go to the mall. Want to come?’
Amanda groaned inwardly. If she said ‘yes’, she couldn’t invite Ken over. If she said ‘no’, she’d have to give Nina an excuse, that she already had plans – which meant she couldn’t invite Ken over.
‘Yeah, OK,’ she said without much enthusiasm. She opened her locker.
‘How ya doing, Ken?’ Nina asked.
‘OK,’ Ken said.
‘I was just thinking about you,’ Nina went on.
‘Yeah? Why?’
Nina shook her head sadly. ‘Meadowbrook’s soccer team is so pitiful this season. They’d be doing so much better if you were still playing.’
Ken gave her a modest smile. ‘I don’t know about that. I wish I could play, but I can’t get the
medical clearance. Because of my ankle.’
‘Ken was in a bad accident in September,’ Amanda told Nina.
‘I know, I remember,’ Nina said, glancing at her briefly. Then she turned her full attention back to Ken. ‘I was so worried about you.’
Ken seemed surprised. ‘Yeah?’
Amanda was more than surprised. Nina had never said one word about Ken’s accident. She eyed Nina suspiciously. Was she flirting? And what was that flush spreading across Ken’s face? Was he enjoying this? She slammed her locker door shut.
‘I’m ready,’ she said shortly. ‘Let’s go. See ya, Ken.’
‘Bye, Ken,’ Nina said. She linked her arm through Amanda’s arm. Amanda turned her head to give Ken a private, parting smile, but he’d already turned in the opposite direction. What was he thinking after that little encounter? she wondered.
She could certainly see where Jenna’s gift could come in handy . . .
CHAPTER THREE
ON TUESDAY MORNING, CARTER woke up. He got out of bed, he went to the basin, he filled the cup and watered the plant. He brushed his teeth, he got dressed, and he went to the dining room. He ate his breakfast, he watched the clock, and when the time was right, he went to Dr Paley’s office.
‘Good morning, Carter.’ The doctor’s back was to the boy as he adjusted the video camera. ‘I want to try something new with you today.’ He turned to face Carter. ‘There is a procedure in which a sleep-like condition is induced in the subject. In this condition, the subject is highly susceptible to the suggestions of the doctor. This condition is called hypnosis.’
Carter stiffened. He knew that word. That word could make bad things happen. Dr Paley’s eyebrows went up.
Ah, I see that word disturbs you, and I think I know why. Serena Hancock used hypnosis to make you talk. But it’s possible that what Serena used was a counter-hypnosis process. Let me explain my theory.’
He pulled out the chair that he normally sat on from behind the desk and placed it in the centre of the room. Then he turned the chair that Carter always sat in to face it, and he motioned for Carter to sit down.
Carter didn’t move. His entire body seemed to be on alert.
‘Sit down, Carter,’ Dr Paley said firmly.
He had to obey. He had no choice. Carter sat down.
‘This is my theory,’ Dr Paley said. ‘You may believe that Serena hypnotized you, but I believe that you are currently functioning in a state of trauma, and she was able to bring you out of that state. That’s why you were able to communicate with her.’
He leaned back in his chair and studied Carter thoughtfully. ‘I don’t know how she was able to do this. I have tried to locate her, but she seems to have disappeared or changed her name. So what I would like to do is try my own form of hypnosis on you, with the hope that I can somehow cause your current state of hypnosis to end. I know this all sounds very confusing, but you must trust me. Carter? Carter, what are you looking at?’
Carter had been distracted by a sudden movement. It came from the far corner of the office where a filing cabinet stood. Dr Paley followed the direction of Carter’s eyes.
‘Oh, no,’ the doctor snapped. He got up, grabbed a book from his desk and tossed it in that direction. A very small mouse retreated behind the cabinet.
‘Mice,’ the doctor murmured. ‘They’re all over the building. I’ve complained, but it’s an old structure and there are bound to be holes in the walls . . . Now, where were we? Ah, yes, I was about to attempt hypnotic therapy.’ He returned to his seat facing Carter.
‘Let’s begin.’ From his shirt pocket he withdrew what looked like a pen, but when he clicked it, a small white light appeared. ‘I want you to look at this light.’
Carter looked at the light.
‘The subject is looking at the light,’ Dr Paley said quietly. Carter knew he was speaking for the recording device. Dr Paley recorded or videotaped all the sessions.
Then, in a normal voice, Dr Paley continued. ‘Now, don’t take your eyes from the light, but listen to my voice very carefully. I want you to empty your mind. Your mind is like a room full of furniture. The pieces of furniture are your thoughts. I want you to pack your thoughts in boxes, one by one, and take them out of the room.’
Carter didn’t feel comfortable. Boxes . . . The image bothered him. A sensation began to creep over him. It wasn’t hunger, it wasn’t cold . . . but something else, something just as disturbing. He knew this sensation but he couldn’t put a name to it.
But he did as he was told. He took a thought: Harmony House. He put it in a plain brown box. He carried the thought out of his mind. Then he did the same with the gifted class, the Granger home, the house where he had met Serena and the other people.
‘I’m going to count back from ten,’ Dr Paley said. ‘Close your eyes. You will feel yourself getting sleepy. When I reach the number one, you will be in a deep sleep, but you will continue to hear my voice. Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . seven . . .’
Carter searched his mind. It was empty – every thought had been packed up and taken out. There hadn’t been that much there in the first place. But was he getting sleepy? He didn’t think so.
‘. . . three . . . two . . . one. You are now in a deep sleep and you will do as I say.’
Carter knew he wasn’t asleep, but it was easy to follow Dr Paley’s commands.
‘Raise your right hand. Put your right hand down. Raise your left hand. Put your left hand down. Very good. The subject appears to be in a trance. Now, Carter, let’s bring up a memory.’
This wouldn’t be so easy. Memories were thoughts, and all his thoughts had been removed. But he continued to listen.
‘Let’s go back to the day you were discovered, on Carter Street. It’s night, and you’re huddled in a doorway. A policeman finds you. He asks you questions. You don’t answer him. You’re feeling something, Carter. What are you feeling? Maybe you’re lonely. Maybe you’re sad.’
Lonely . . . sad . . . He couldn’t connect to those words.
‘Cold . . .’ Dr Paley suggested.
Yes . . . yes! He knew that sensation. The chill of the night crept over him, and he was very uncomfortable.
‘The subject appears to be shivering,’ Dr Paley murmured. ‘Carter . . . perhaps you haven’t eaten in a while. So you are hungry. Are you hungry, Carter?’ After a moment, he said, ‘The subject is licking his lips.’
Cold, hungry, cold, hungry . . . This was bad. Carter didn’t want to be there.
‘And something else too, Carter. You’re feeling something else. Are you afraid?’
Afraid, afraid, afraid . . . The words rang in his ears, and suddenly all those thoughts he’d pushed out of his head came rushing back in, and more, more thoughts, thoughts he didn’t know he had, horrible thoughts . . . Yes, that was the sensation he couldn’t remember. He was afraid, and it was horrible, terrible, he had to shut it out, turn it off, go away, go far, far away, to a place where he wouldn’t be cold or hungry or frightened . . .
Images, sounds, they flashed across his mind so rapidly he couldn’t identify anything . . . Lights and noises, lights and noises, they went on and on and on, louder and brighter, and the sensation grew stronger . . . Hunger, cold, fear – he had to make them stop! But he couldn’t make them stop, so he had to escape. There was a way, he did it before, he could do it again . . .
‘Carter. Carter! I’m going to count to ten, and when I reach ten, you will wake up. One, two, three . . .’
With the doctor’s voice, the lights and the noises began to change. Colours faded, and the sounds were softer. Slowly, all became silent and grey again. Safe.
Carter opened his eyes. He didn’t understand what had just happened to him, and he looked at Dr Paley in bewilderment.
Dr Paley was looking at him with an odd expression too. As if he’d just seen something he’d never seen before.
‘Carter. How do you feel?’
Pain . . . There was pain . . . Carter put his hand
s to his head in an effort to squeeze out the pain.
‘You’d better go back to your room and lie down for a while,’ Dr Paley said.
Carter rose and went to the door.
‘But I want to see you again later today,’ Dr Paley told him. ‘After I’ve had a chance to study the videotape and talk to some colleagues. This is very important, Carter. Do you understand me?’
Carter turned his head and looked back at the doctor. Dr Paley smiled.
‘You see, Carter . . . You too have a gift.’
CHAPTER FOUR
AS AMANDA APPROACHED ROOM 209, she spotted Nina lingering just outside the door of the class.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked her ‘frenemy’.
Nina fluttered a thin strip of paper in the air. ‘You left this in my mother’s car yesterday. It must have fallen out of your bag.’
Amanda took the paper and examined it. It was the receipt for a pair of shoes she’d bought at the mall the day before.
‘You need this if you want to return the shoes,’ Nina pointed out.
‘I love those sandals, I’m not going to take them back,’ Amanda replied. Then she frowned. ‘Why are you giving me this now? Why didn’t you give it to me at lunch today?’
Nina smiled sweetly. ‘I forgot.’
Amanda doubted that. Nina knew that Ken was in this class with Amanda. She was just looking for an excuse to hang out in front of the room and ‘accidentally’ run into him.
‘Thanks,’ she said, tossing the receipt in her bag. ‘Bye.’
But just as she suspected, Nina remained by the door. From her seat in class, Amanda could see Ken arrive and Nina stopping him. They weren’t able to talk long – the bell was about to ring – but Amanda fumed anyway.
She knew she shouldn’t be surprised. Ken was a highly desirable guy, popular and good-looking. And Nina had always competed with Amanda for everything from leadership of their clique to being the first with the current ‘It’ handbag, so why not with boys? It was only natural that Nina would go after the same one Amanda wanted.
