over a ball of cotton. She swabbed several places on Kaitlyn's head, forehead, and temples.
"Don't move your head." She dabbed some of the toothpaste on Kaitlyn's temple, then dabbed more on an electrode. Kaitlyn watched out of the corner of her eye as the wicked-looking little thing was stuck to her.
It didn't hurt. It tickled slightly. Kait shut her eyes and relaxed until Marisol finished wiring her up.
"Now, Medusa," Joyce said. "As I said, we're going to monitor your brain waves while you're doing your stuff. Brain wave levels change depending on what you're doing: Beta waves show you're attending to something, theta waves show you're drowsy. We're looking for alpha waves-the ones usually associated with psychic activity."
She saw Kaitlyn's expression and added, "Just try to ignore all this equipment, right? You'll be doing exactly the same thing as yesterday."
Kaitlyn looked sideways without moving her head, and saw Marisol bringing two strangers into the lab.
New volunteers. Kaitlyn felt a sudden sharp twinge.
"Joyce, is one of those volunteers ... for Gabriel?"
"I don't know where Gabriel is-although I'd like to," Joyce said grimly, handing Kait a pencil and clipboard. "Now relax, kiddo. No blindfold or earphones this time."
Kaitlyn shut her eyes again. She could hear some activity on the other side of the folding screen-Joyce giving a photo to the volunteer.
"Right," Joyce said. "The subject is concentrating, Kait. You try and receive her thought."
It was only then that Kait discovered how anxious she was. Yesterday she hadn't known what to expect.
Today she did know, and she was uneasy. Worried that she wouldn't be able to perform-and worried that she would.
She didn't feel like sliding down that mental chute into nothingness again. And if she did succeed ... what if she drew something as grotesque as yesterday's picture?
Don't think about it. Take it easy. This is what you're here for, remember?
Don't you want to learn to control your power?
Kaitlyn gritted her teeth, then made a supreme effort to relax, to tune the world out. She could hear muted voices.
"Still beta waves on the EEG." That was Marisol.
"Give her time." That was Joyce.
Be calm, Kaitlyn thought. Ignore them. The chair's comfortable. You didn't get much sleep last night.
Slowly, gradually, she felt herself sink into drowsiness.
"Theta waves."
Blackness, falling . . .
"Alpha waves."
"Good!"
Kaitlyn's hand began to cramp and itch. But as she lifted the pencil, eyes shut, she suddenly remembered yesterday's picture. Anxiety twisted in her stomach.
"Back to beta waves," Marisol said, as if announcing a death in the family.
Joyce peered around the screen. "Kaitlyn, what's wrong?"
"I don't know." Now Kait felt guilty as well as anxious. "I just can't focus."
"Hmm." Joyce seemed to hesitate, then she said, "Right, wait a sec," and disappeared.
She was back again quickly. "Shut your eyes, Kait."
Kaitlyn obeyed automatically. She felt a quick dab and then the touch of something cold on her forehead.
Very cold.
"Now try again," Joyce said, and Kait heard her go.
Again Kait tried to relax. This time she felt the darkness swirl around her immediately. Then she had an odd sensation, a feeling of pressure in her head. Like an explosion building. And then-
-pictures. Images rushing in, almost with more force than Kaitlyn could stand.
"Alpha waves like crazy," a faraway voice said. Kaitlyn scarcely heard it.
Nothing like this had ever happened to her before-but she was too startled to be afraid. The pictures were kaleidoscopic, each passing in a flash almost before she could recognize it.
Gabriel. Something purple. Joyce-or someone like her. Something purple and irregular. A doorway with someone standing in it. A bunch of purple round things. Something tall and white-a tower? A bunch of purple . .. grapes.
She could feel her hand moving, drawing small circles over and over on the paper. She couldn't help opening her eyes-and the
"Don't move your head." She dabbed some of the toothpaste on Kaitlyn's temple, then dabbed more on an electrode. Kaitlyn watched out of the corner of her eye as the wicked-looking little thing was stuck to her.
It didn't hurt. It tickled slightly. Kait shut her eyes and relaxed until Marisol finished wiring her up.
"Now, Medusa," Joyce said. "As I said, we're going to monitor your brain waves while you're doing your stuff. Brain wave levels change depending on what you're doing: Beta waves show you're attending to something, theta waves show you're drowsy. We're looking for alpha waves-the ones usually associated with psychic activity."
She saw Kaitlyn's expression and added, "Just try to ignore all this equipment, right? You'll be doing exactly the same thing as yesterday."
Kaitlyn looked sideways without moving her head, and saw Marisol bringing two strangers into the lab.
New volunteers. Kaitlyn felt a sudden sharp twinge.
"Joyce, is one of those volunteers ... for Gabriel?"
"I don't know where Gabriel is-although I'd like to," Joyce said grimly, handing Kait a pencil and clipboard. "Now relax, kiddo. No blindfold or earphones this time."
Kaitlyn shut her eyes again. She could hear some activity on the other side of the folding screen-Joyce giving a photo to the volunteer.
"Right," Joyce said. "The subject is concentrating, Kait. You try and receive her thought."
It was only then that Kait discovered how anxious she was. Yesterday she hadn't known what to expect.
Today she did know, and she was uneasy. Worried that she wouldn't be able to perform-and worried that she would.
She didn't feel like sliding down that mental chute into nothingness again. And if she did succeed ... what if she drew something as grotesque as yesterday's picture?
Don't think about it. Take it easy. This is what you're here for, remember?
Don't you want to learn to control your power?
Kaitlyn gritted her teeth, then made a supreme effort to relax, to tune the world out. She could hear muted voices.
"Still beta waves on the EEG." That was Marisol.
"Give her time." That was Joyce.
Be calm, Kaitlyn thought. Ignore them. The chair's comfortable. You didn't get much sleep last night.
Slowly, gradually, she felt herself sink into drowsiness.
"Theta waves."
Blackness, falling . . .
"Alpha waves."
"Good!"
Kaitlyn's hand began to cramp and itch. But as she lifted the pencil, eyes shut, she suddenly remembered yesterday's picture. Anxiety twisted in her stomach.
"Back to beta waves," Marisol said, as if announcing a death in the family.
Joyce peered around the screen. "Kaitlyn, what's wrong?"
"I don't know." Now Kait felt guilty as well as anxious. "I just can't focus."
"Hmm." Joyce seemed to hesitate, then she said, "Right, wait a sec," and disappeared.
She was back again quickly. "Shut your eyes, Kait."
Kaitlyn obeyed automatically. She felt a quick dab and then the touch of something cold on her forehead.
Very cold.
"Now try again," Joyce said, and Kait heard her go.
Again Kait tried to relax. This time she felt the darkness swirl around her immediately. Then she had an odd sensation, a feeling of pressure in her head. Like an explosion building. And then-
-pictures. Images rushing in, almost with more force than Kaitlyn could stand.
"Alpha waves like crazy," a faraway voice said. Kaitlyn scarcely heard it.
Nothing like this had ever happened to her before-but she was too startled to be afraid. The pictures were kaleidoscopic, each passing in a flash almost before she could recognize it.
Gabriel. Something purple. Joyce-or someone like her. Something purple and irregular. A doorway with someone standing in it. A bunch of purple round things. Something tall and white-a tower? A bunch of purple . .. grapes.
She could feel her hand moving, drawing small circles over and over on the paper. She couldn't help opening her eyes-and the
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