Clare McNally Hear the Children Calling (epub

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.They had been so excited about his ability to bring sound from an inanimate object that they had pushed him too far.They’d give him a few weeks to rest and then they’d try again.They’d been trying for three years now, but Tommy had never given in to them.Sure, he made things move and even had stuffed animals attack an occasional store mannequin.It scared him, but thoughts of snakes in the back room scared him even more.Tommy didn’t know why he was afraid of snakes, but the very thought of them made him break out in a cold sweat.The worst part was that he couldn’t talk to anyone about it.He’d seen the way Michael Colpan’s daddy hugged Michael all the time, and how even Jenny Segal’s mom—strict and mean-tempered as she was—sometimes had a kiss for her daughter.Maybe he had no right to be loved.His mind had cried out for caring.And somehow, a few days ago, someone had answered him.He’d heard her voice in his mind, and for the first time in years he felt comforted.The voice had spoken to him a long time, a nice lady telling him he didn’t belong here, that there were people outside the center who really did love him.Tommy wished he could know who they were.He tried to send thought messages to the woman again, but he couldn’t contact her.He sighed, finishing the sandwich.Maybe it was just his mind playing games.His brain did funny things like that sometimes, playing tricks on him.He was stuck here forever, with parents who didn’t love him, going to a place he hated to do things that terrified him.“I’m finished, Mom,” he said, carrying his plate to the sink.Her book closed with a thunk.She tucked it under her arm and stood up.“Then let’s be going,” she said, pulling on a sweater.There was a black name tag on it, with Helena Bivers engraved in white.They walked out to the car, an unnecessary luxury since the clinic was less than a mile away.Helena worked at the clinic, as did Tommy’s father, Martin.Many of the adults here worked at the clinic.Jenny Segal’s mother was one of the nurses and Bobby Hocson’s parents were both doctors.The closer they got to the clinic, the more nervous Tommy became.“You will do as you’re instructed today, won’t you?” his mother asked.“You won’t embarrass me like you embarrassed your father the other day? Because I won’t tolerate it, Tommy.This is nothing new, coming here for tests.You know it’s necessary.The only way you’ll ever be able to use your talents to the fullest is to test them out now, when you’re young.”“Uh-huh,” Tommy mumbled, fidgeting in his seat.Helena turned her eyes back to the road.“Tommy, Dr.Adams has so many wonderful plans for you children,” she said.“It’s so important that you listen to him and follow his orders.You’re too young to understand how important this all is, but you must trust us.”“I don’t like to hurt things,” Tommy said.“Someday you may have to use your powers to hurt,” Helena said, pulling into her, parking space.“If you ever need to defend yourself, you must learn now how to do it.”“But I—”Helena took hold of his shirt, twisting it in her fist.“You’ll do as you’re told, Tommy.Don’t forget about the snakes.” With that, she hurried ahead of him, into the building.Slowly, reluctantly, Tommy followed.Well, it would all be over in an hour.They’d wire him up and ask him to make something come to life and then they’d let him go.The wooden donkey was sitting next to the green chair.Tommy gasped, freezing in the doorway.His eyes went wide at the sight of the carved animal, something he hadn’t seen since the day the cat was killed.“Come in, Tommy,” Dr.Adams said.He was smiling, his light-blue eyes sparkling.The doctor had a perpetual sunburn that was a weird contrast to his snow-white thatch of hair.His teeth were just as white and he was always grinning.Most of the kids at school liked him.Some of the girls even had crushes on him.Tommy thought he was a creep, though he couldn’t explain why.Tommy stood his ground.“Come in, Tommy,” Helena urged, a hint of unspoken threats in her voice.“Don’t be afraid of the donkey,” Dr.Adams said.“You see, I had a long talk with your father.We think we know what the problem is.We think you’re suppressing your gifts because of that unfortunate accident with the cat.”It wasn’t an accident.Tommy didn’t dare speak the words aloud.He walked to the chair and sat quietly while the electrodes were fastened to his skin.“Now, Tommy,” Dr.Adams said, “we’re going to try something.We’re going to reenact the scene of that day three years ago.”Tommy gasped.“Oh, not with a real cat this time,” Dr.Adams reassured.“Only with a toy.But you’ll make both animals come to life.This time, the donkey will kick the cat, but it won’t hurt it.It can’t hurt something that isn’t alive, right?”Tommy nodded slowly.“Good,” Dr.Adams said.“Now, concentrate, Tommy.You know what you have to do.”Dr.Lincoln Adams stood back from his subject, his face a mask of cool, scientific detachment.But inside, he was churning with excitement, as he always did when he watched these children in action.He never grew tired of comparing them to the monstrosity that had been Lincoln Jr.Who could have known, back in the late 1960s, that his life would be dedicated to great work like this? Who would have thought the tragedy of his first child’s death would make him a man honored in all medical and scientific circles? It hadn’t happened yet, not in years of work, but one day it would.Provided none of these little guinea pigs screwed things up.He’d noticed some changes in the older ones, most notably Jenny Segal, Michael Colpan, and Tommy here.He’d keep a close watch on them.Nothing, not even the children he’d created, must stand in his way.He wondered what Tommy was thinking of right now.He imagined the thrill of studying one of those brains.But that would come later.Tommy was staring hard at the wooden donkey.Where had they been keeping it? he wondered.He had hoped it had been destroyed.That poor kitty.The monitors around him went crazy for a few seconds.“Concentrate, Tommy,” his mother said.Tommy pushed the memory of the cat from his mind, and the monitors calmed down.Within a few seconds, the donkey began to walk, stiff-legged, toward the cat.“Now, the cat, Tommy.”Tommy turned his eyes to the stuffed feline.Slowly, slowly, its back arched up and its tail went straight and puffy.Lips that should have been sewn shut curled back.Spit came from a mouth full of stuffing.One of the lab technicians was whispering in the background [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Pokrewne