The unseen by Alexandra Sokoloff

Author:Alexandra Sokoloff [Alexandra Sokoloff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SF
ISBN: 9780312384708
Published: 2009-05-26T20:22:27+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

There was always an odd feeling to Laurel about having just one or two students in a classroom, and it was even more odd to have two professors to two students; there was something almost illicitly intimate about it. Tyler slouched at his desk, openly checking Katrina out. Katrina sat straight in her chair, as if on another plane, pointedly ignoring him. No one was fooling anyone: There was an energy about these two that made the atmosphere fairly crackle. The sun slanted through the leaded windowpanes and flame trees were in full color just outside, blazing the red of a molten sunset and adding to the charge of the atmosphere.

Brendan clapped his hands together in a jolly, archaic gesture. “Well. First of all, thank you for the time you’re already put into this project. Your contributions have been very helpful.” He glanced at Laurel. “In fact, you were our high scorers.”

Laurel watched as the two students absorbed this. Katrina blinked rapidly. Tyler looked at Katrina, then at Laurel, speculatively. She had the feeling that he was assessing something about her, and trying to position himself to use it.

“So we’re psychic, that’s what you’re saying?” Tyler finally drawled.

Laurel answered evenly. “What we can say quantifiably is that you both scored significantly above chance in your forced-choice testing. That was the laboratory definition Rhine used for ESP abilities, and that’s the definition we’re using for the purposes of this study.”

Again, Brendan looked to Laurel. “There’s another project we have in mind that we’re interested in using you for, if you agree. It would be full-time for three weeks, full work-study pay—or credit for a full five units.”

That last clearly got Tyler’s attention. “A whole class credit for three weeks? What’s the catch?”

“The project involves moving into a house that has a history of psi activity.”

“You mean, it’s haunted?” Katrina asked, with her honeyed drawl.

She’s not as detached as she looks, Laurel realized.

“There have been various reports to that effect,” Brendan answered. “In 1965, a team of researchers conducted an investigation into a local house where there had been reported poltergeist activity. We’ve obtained a lease on the house and are planning our own investigation into it. We would be replicating the investigation that the parapsychology team conducted in 1965.”

“Just us?” Tyler suddenly asked. He looked at Laurel as he said it. Katrina was looking at Brendan.

“Your test scores show that you are uniquely qualified—”

“Uniquely qualified, huh? The two of us.” Tyler gave Katrina a sizzling look. The girl turned away, flipping her hair back in annoyance, but there were high spots of color in her cheeks. Tyler turned those eyes back to Laurel. “So we’re going to go ghost hunting for a full class credit?” He laughed, a rich, lazy sound. “Oh, I am so in.”

Brendan looked to the blond girl. “Katrina?” She looked up at him and her cornflower eyes were rather unfocused, as if she were in some kind of trance. “If you need some time to think

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