instant she did, the images in her head vanished.
She'd drawn a bunch of grapes. Made sense. That was the picture she'd gotten most frequently.
Recklessly, ignoring the wires, she stood up and looked around the screen.
"What happened?" she demanded of Joyce. "I saw pictures in my head-what did you do?"
Joyce stood up quickly. "Just put on another electrode."
Kaitlyn put a hand to her forehead. It felt as if there was something between the electrode and the skin.
"Over your third eye," Marisol added stonily.
Joyce glanced back at her. Marisol's olive-skinned face was expressionless.
Kaitlyn had frozen. Her drawing yesterday... "What's-what's a third eye?"
"According to legend, it's the seat of all psychic power," Joyce said lightly. "It's in the center of your forehead, where the pineal gland is."
"But-but why would an electrode-"
"God, she's still in alpha waves," Marisol interrupted.
"Time to get you unwired," Joyce said briskly. She began pulling electrodes off. Kaitlyn felt the forehead one go, but Joyce's hands moved so quickly, she didn't see what became of it.
"By the way, what did you get?" Joyce asked, taking the clipboard from her. "Oh, terrific," she cried.
"Oh, look at this, everybody!"
The warmth in her voice made Kaitlyn forget what she'd been upset about.
"I don't believe it-you got the target picture exactly, Kait! Exactly, down to the number of grapes on the bunch."
Anna and Lewis were crowding around. The volunteer, a tall girl with night-dark skin, showed Kait the photo she was holding. It was a bunch of grapes-and Kait's own drawing might have been traced directly from it.
"That's impressive," a warm, drawling voice said from behind Kaitlyn. She felt her heart pick up speed.
"I think it was an accident," she told Rob, turning.
"No accident," Joyce said. "Good concentration. And a good volunteer; we'll have to have you back."
Rob was looking at Kaitlyn's face, his golden eyes darkening. "Are you okay? You look kind of tired."
"Actually-this is so strange-I just got a headache." Kait put her fingers to the center of her forehead, where pain like an ice pick had suddenly begun jabbing. "Oh-I guess I didn't get enough sleep last night____"
"I think she needs a break," Rob said.
"Of course," Joyce said at once. "Why don't you go upstairs and lie down, Kait? We're done here."
Kait was wobbly on her feet.
"I'll help," Rob said. "Hold on to me."
It was the perfect opportunity; better than any plan or trick Kaitlyn could have thought up. And it was useless, because all at once her head hurt so badly that she only wanted to lie down and go to sleep.
The pain came in throbbing waves. Rob had to lead her into her bedroom because she couldn't see straight.
"Lie down," he said, and turned off the bedside lamp.
Kaitlyn eased down, then felt the mattress give under Rob's weight beside her. She didn't open her eyes.
She couldn't; even the diffuse afternoon light from the window hurt.
"It sounds like a migraine," Rob said. "Is the pain all on one side?"
"It's here. In the middle," Kaitlyn whispered, indicating the spot. Now she was feeling waves of nausea.
Oh, wonderful. How romantic.
"Here?" Rob said, sounding surprised. His fingers on her forehead were blessedly cool. Strange; they'd been warm last time.
"Yes," Kaitlyn whispered wretchedly. "I'll be all right. Just go away." And now, to top everything off, she'd told the boy she loved to get lost.
Rob ignored the suggestion. "Kait, I was wrong. It's not a migraine; it's not even an ordinary headache. I think you're sick from burning energy too fast-psychic energy. You've run yourself dry."
Kaitlyn managed a feeble "So?"
"So-I can help you. If you'll let me."
For some reason, that frightened Kaitlyn. But a stab of agony made up her mind. "All right..."
"Good. Now, relax, Kaitlyn." Rob's voice was soft but commanding. "It may feel strange at first, but don't fight it. I have to find an open transfer point____"
Cool, deft fingers
She'd drawn a bunch of grapes. Made sense. That was the picture she'd gotten most frequently.
Recklessly, ignoring the wires, she stood up and looked around the screen.
"What happened?" she demanded of Joyce. "I saw pictures in my head-what did you do?"
Joyce stood up quickly. "Just put on another electrode."
Kaitlyn put a hand to her forehead. It felt as if there was something between the electrode and the skin.
"Over your third eye," Marisol added stonily.
Joyce glanced back at her. Marisol's olive-skinned face was expressionless.
Kaitlyn had frozen. Her drawing yesterday... "What's-what's a third eye?"
"According to legend, it's the seat of all psychic power," Joyce said lightly. "It's in the center of your forehead, where the pineal gland is."
"But-but why would an electrode-"
"God, she's still in alpha waves," Marisol interrupted.
"Time to get you unwired," Joyce said briskly. She began pulling electrodes off. Kaitlyn felt the forehead one go, but Joyce's hands moved so quickly, she didn't see what became of it.
"By the way, what did you get?" Joyce asked, taking the clipboard from her. "Oh, terrific," she cried.
"Oh, look at this, everybody!"
The warmth in her voice made Kaitlyn forget what she'd been upset about.
"I don't believe it-you got the target picture exactly, Kait! Exactly, down to the number of grapes on the bunch."
Anna and Lewis were crowding around. The volunteer, a tall girl with night-dark skin, showed Kait the photo she was holding. It was a bunch of grapes-and Kait's own drawing might have been traced directly from it.
"That's impressive," a warm, drawling voice said from behind Kaitlyn. She felt her heart pick up speed.
"I think it was an accident," she told Rob, turning.
"No accident," Joyce said. "Good concentration. And a good volunteer; we'll have to have you back."
Rob was looking at Kaitlyn's face, his golden eyes darkening. "Are you okay? You look kind of tired."
"Actually-this is so strange-I just got a headache." Kait put her fingers to the center of her forehead, where pain like an ice pick had suddenly begun jabbing. "Oh-I guess I didn't get enough sleep last night____"
"I think she needs a break," Rob said.
"Of course," Joyce said at once. "Why don't you go upstairs and lie down, Kait? We're done here."
Kait was wobbly on her feet.
"I'll help," Rob said. "Hold on to me."
It was the perfect opportunity; better than any plan or trick Kaitlyn could have thought up. And it was useless, because all at once her head hurt so badly that she only wanted to lie down and go to sleep.
The pain came in throbbing waves. Rob had to lead her into her bedroom because she couldn't see straight.
"Lie down," he said, and turned off the bedside lamp.
Kaitlyn eased down, then felt the mattress give under Rob's weight beside her. She didn't open her eyes.
She couldn't; even the diffuse afternoon light from the window hurt.
"It sounds like a migraine," Rob said. "Is the pain all on one side?"
"It's here. In the middle," Kaitlyn whispered, indicating the spot. Now she was feeling waves of nausea.
Oh, wonderful. How romantic.
"Here?" Rob said, sounding surprised. His fingers on her forehead were blessedly cool. Strange; they'd been warm last time.
"Yes," Kaitlyn whispered wretchedly. "I'll be all right. Just go away." And now, to top everything off, she'd told the boy she loved to get lost.
Rob ignored the suggestion. "Kait, I was wrong. It's not a migraine; it's not even an ordinary headache. I think you're sick from burning energy too fast-psychic energy. You've run yourself dry."
Kaitlyn managed a feeble "So?"
"So-I can help you. If you'll let me."
For some reason, that frightened Kaitlyn. But a stab of agony made up her mind. "All right..."
"Good. Now, relax, Kaitlyn." Rob's voice was soft but commanding. "It may feel strange at first, but don't fight it. I have to find an open transfer point____"
Cool, deft fingers
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