Years ago a group to teenagers volunteered to take part in the testing of a drug.  It was all very secret, and none received much information.  Some didn't survive, some didn't come out the same as they were before.  In fact, none came out the same, since the ones that did survive all had some kind of psychic powers, ranging from being able to move objects to the ability of entering other people's mind.

Andy and Vicky were two of those students.  They stayed in touch, and their relation turned into a marriage, and Charlie was their daughter.  They tried to forget the experiment, or at least pretend it never happened.  They too changed: Vicky could close doors from a distance, and Andy was able to dominate people mentally.  Their child seemed normal at first, but soon they found out their worst fears were true: she can start fires.  And the force of her ability is way beyond that of any of the former volunteers.

"The shop", the organizers of the experiment, have kept an eye on all of the volunteers.  Most didn't make it, they couldn't live with what they became.  And of course Andy and Vicky deserved their special attention, since now they could see what the genetic effect of their drug was.  Once it was clear that Charlie has a special ability, they want to test her.  But to do so they have to get her, and that is easier said than done...

The story itself is not very unusual, I bet there are heaps of spooky or horror stories about people with strange powers.  This one is a bit special though, since it doesn't really deal much with those powers, in stead it focuses on the people themselves.  And this is what makes it interesting, in my eyes.  How would you react if you understood you could force people to do something, and do it so they don't even see they are being mentally pushed?  Would you use it?  Oh yes, you would.  But how would you feel about it?  How do you deal with the guilt?  How do you explain to an eight year old girl that using a force that is a thousand times more powerful than yours, is bad unless you have to?  And how would you define "have to"?  How do you deal with the feelings of guilt your child has?  Or your feelings of guilt towards your child, for giving her this power?