Chapter 1
Contains spoilersOverview
Kalisha Benson escorts Luke Ellis to the Institute’s canteen/TV lounge and adjacent playground, warning him not to mention housekeeper Maureen Alvorson aloud. Luke meets fellow captives Iris Stanhope and George Iles, learns the basics of the Institute’s TP/TK classifications, and sees a glimpse of telekinesis in action.
The kids explain “pos” versus “pink” status, increased tests and shots for average abilities, and the ominous Back Half. The scene ends with a new voice interrupting, telling Luke that this beginning may also be the end.
Summary
On the way into the canteen/TV lounge, Kalisha Benson pulls Luke Ellis close and quietly warns him not to talk about Maureen Alvorson where they might be overheard, implying surveillance is intermittent but risky. They head to the fenced playground, which is equipped like a children’s recreation yard and surrounded by old-growth forest, reinforcing the facility’s isolation. Luke notes cameras in dusty corners and estimates the surrounding pines’ age, concluding they are in the middle of nowhere.
They meet Iris Stanhope on the trampoline, who introduces herself and trades quick banter with Luke about where they are from. George Iles, shooting baskets, theatrically narrates a pretend game before finally joining them. The three kids joke, but Luke presses for answers about the Institute.
Iris labels the place “Mrs. Sigsby’s Home for Wayward Psychic Children,” and George warns Luke not to sass Mrs. Sigsby. Iris asks if Luke is telepathic (TP) or telekinetic (TK). Luke admits to occasional, minor telekinetic incidents—objects moving or doors shutting—but nothing controlled. The kids explain the Institute’s internal labels: “TK-pos” or “TP-pos” for those who can perform on command, and “pinks” for average kids whose abilities are intermittent or triggered by strong emotion.
Iris says pinks get more tests and shots and mentions having been put in “the tank,” which she says “sucked,” though not terribly. George claims he is TK-positive and demonstrates by gusting the cloud of insects around his head without visible effort, though the effect fades quickly. Luke asks if George could force a basketball shot to go in; George admits he cannot.
Fatigued and upset, Iris wishes for a powerful TK to teleport them out. She shows multiple Band-Aids on her arms from injections. Luke describes his TK as sporadic and minor, confirming his parents also knew. Kalisha angrily says none of them are superheroes, highlighting how disproportionate the Institute’s response is to their limited abilities.
When Luke asks if they were kidnapped, George bluntly says yes. They trade barbs, and Iris mentions the dreaded Back Half, wishing out loud for George to be sent there before catching herself. Luke asks them to start from the beginning, but a new voice behind them cuts in, saying, “This is the beginning,” and ominously adds it’s probably the end, signaling a new arrival or authority figure intruding on the conversation.
Who Appears
- Luke Ellis
abducted TK boy; meets more kids; learns about “pos” vs “pink,” increased testing, and Back Half.
- Kalisha Benson
TP girl; warns Luke not to mention Maureen aloud; guides him through introductions and terminology.
- Iris Stanhope
TK girl; identifies herself as a “pink”; mentions extra tests, shots, and the tank; shows multiple Band-Aids; expresses fear and fatigue.
- George Iles
TK-positive boy; demonstrates pushing away bugs telekinetically; jokes about Mrs. Sigsby; warns not to sass her.
- Maureen Alvorson
housekeeper; not present in scene but discussed; Kalisha cautions not to mention her due to surveillance.
- Mrs. Sigsby
Institute administrator; not present but discussed as the harsh authority figure.
- Unidentified speaker
new voice at the end; interrupts to say the beginning is probably the end (new).