Marilyn Kaye - Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

They still didn't look convinced, so Emily went over the vision again.

"Remember what I said? Tracey would disappear and follow a banker into the vault, where she'd see the combination to the safe. Martin would break down the door leading to the vault. Amanda would stop the security guards from interfering. And Clare would drive everyone away in an SUV."

"I remember what you said," Tracey told her. "But there was something you left out. Where are you when all this is going on?"

"I'm not absolutely sure," Emily said. "I wasn't in my own vision. Maybe I'm being held hostage. That could explain why the rest of you go along with the robbery-because they'll hurt me if you don't."

Amanda-Sarah looked skeptical. "But you're just guessing, aren't you? You didn't see yourself as a hostage in your vision."

"That's right," Tracey said. "Maybe you're not in the vision because you escaped."

Emily drew in her breath as a tiny bell rang in the back of her memory. "I forgot about that!" She sat down between the two girls. "I had another vision just before lunch. It was a vision of Martin throwing this sofa across the room with so much force that it broke the door down."

"And we escape through it?" Tracey asked excitedly.

Emily tried to remember. "That wasn't part of the vision. But somebody should be able to get out the door, shouldn't they?"

"There you are!" Tracey declared triumphantly.

"You escape, and you run for help. The rest of us go through with the robbery, but when Clare takes off in the SUV with us and the money, there's a roadblock and a dozen police cars to stop the car at the corner!"

Amanda-Sarah looked at her in surprise. "Are you having visions now, too?"

"No, I'm just being logical. This explains everything!" She turned to Emily. "What do you think?"

Emily could actually feel the dark cloud of depression begin to lift. "You're right. Madame said I had to learn how to interpret my visions instead of just taking them literally. This is a perfect example. I had a very clear vision of a successful bank robbery, with all of us playing our parts. But none of us wants to commit a bank robbery."

Amanda-Sarah glanced at Martin. "I'm not so sure about him."

Tracey disagreed. "I don't think Martin really wants to be a criminal. He just thinks it would be exciting, like a video game. In the real world, he'd be scared out of his mind."

"Anyway," Emily went on, "it's all starting to make sense now. But there's still something we have to figure out." Now she directed her attention toward Martin. "How are we going to get him to throw the sofa?"

The three of them studied the small, thin boy. Oblivious to their interest, Martin's eyes remained glued to the screen while his thumbs tapped rapidly on the controller. The girls considered various options quietly and came to an agreement.

Recalling what had happened in her vision, Emily rose from the sofa and stationed herself beside the door. Amanda-Sarah also got off the sofa and then went to the opposite end of the room, where she positioned herself just behind Martin.

Tracey, the only one remaining on the sofa, spoke. "Martin, aren't you ever going to stop playing video games?"

"I like video games," Martin said. "Maybe someone else would like to play that game," Tracey said.

"Too bad," Martin said.

Amanda-Sarah moved quickly. She leaned over Martin's shoulder and snatched the controller out of his hand.

"Hey!" Martin cried in outrage.

"Too bad for you, Martin," Amanda-Sarah sang.

Martin jumped up. Amanda-Sarah held the controller high over her head. Martin, who came up only as far as her shoulders, hopped up and down, trying to get it.

Amanda-Sarah laughed. "Give up, Martin. You'll never be tall enough to reach this.

"Give it back!" Martin yelled.

"Does itty-bitty Martin want his toy?" Amanda-Sarah said. "Maybe Emily will give it to you." She tossed the controller across the room, and Emily caught it.

It wasn't as easy for her to tease and ridicule Martin-she just didn't have Amanda's natural gift for meanness. But she did her best.

"Come and get it, Martin, if you can." She waved the controller in the air. "What's the matter? Are you scared of me?"

Martin ran over to her. When he was within a foot of reaching her, she threw the device back to Amanda-Sarah.

Once again, Amanda-Sarah taunted him by holding it too high. By now, Martin was shrieking, and his face was red.

"Here, Martin," Amanda-Sarah said, extending the controller in his direction. But as he reached out for it, she threw it to Tracey on the sofa.

Tracey held the controller. "Martin, I'm not moving. You can come right over here and take it out of my hand."

Martin raced over to the sofa. But just as he reached Tracey, she disappeared. And since she was holding the controller, it vanished along with her.

"Come back!" Martin screamed.

She did. He reached. She disappeared again.

Emily recalled her vision of Tracey blinking on and off like a Christmas tree light. And here it was, happening in real life-another accurate vision!

Martin's screams were louder now, and Emily wasn't surprised to see George and Clare run into the living room. She was a little worried though. Would she be able to get out the door before they came after her? Could Tracey and Amanda-Sarah block them to give her some extra time?

Martin was completely frustrated now. He'd been teased to his limit, and he responded just as the girls had assumed he would. In a rage, he grabbed one end of the sofa and lifted it. He raised the large piece of furniture in the air over his head and leaned back as if to give himself the momentum to throw it. Emily tensed up and prepared herself to move. And then. .

Martin let out a high-pitched squeal. So did Amanda-Sarah. And Emily saw why. A little gray mouse raced across the baseboard and disappeared into a little hole. It must have startled Martin so deeply that he forgot about being teased.

Which meant he lost his superstrength. The sofa dropped to the ground with a thud. There was no open door for Emily to run through. She'd screwed up the vision again.

At least Clare and George were impressed. "Martin, you are strong!" Claire exclaimed.

Once again the woman had changed her look. Now she looked like she could be a celebrity, a singer or an actress. Her hair was blond again, but this time it was long and big, all curls, very glamorous. Dangling gems hung from her ears and she wore a tight, sparkly red dress and stiletto heels. Amanda-Sarah gasped.

"Ooh, you look hot!" she exclaimed.

It was hard to read any expression in those transparent eyes, but Emily could have sworn the woman was pleased. "Do you think so?" she asked.

"Absolutely!" Amanda-Sarah said. "I love that dress. In my opinion, this is definitely your best look."

Emily and Tracey exchanged looks. This was so Amanda-Clare could be pure evil, and Amanda would still be impressed by her style.

Or maybe Amanda was faking her admiration, trying to buddy up with Clare so that Clare would trust her, and then she would use that trust to help her classmates. For the zillionth time, Emily wished Jenna was there. A mind reader would be so useful- much more useful than a second-rate fortuneteller like her.

"Red is your color," Amanda continued, but now Clare had turned her attention back to Martin.

"Was it easy for you to lift the sofa?"

Martin looked smug. "No sweat. It wasn't even heavy. I could have tossed it across the room."

George was clearly intrigued. "And you don't have to do anything to prepare yourself? Go into a trance or chant something?"

"No," Martin said nonchalantly. "I'm just your run-of-the-mill superhero."