Marilyn Kaye: Speak No Evil

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. .

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.’