Mind Games

“She could hear those thoughts if she tried hard enough, and when she had to visit Grandmother, she couldn’t seem to help it. She thought so loud.”

Thea reflects on the intensity of her psychic gift, thematically highlighting The Power and Burden of Family Legacies. Her gift, passed down through generations, connects her to her family but also overwhelms her. Her inability to block out her paternal grandmother’s “loud” thoughts emphasizes how emotionally intrusive the gift can be, especially when visiting someone she feels conflicted about. In addition, Thea’s words suggest a lack of boundaries between her inner life and others’, reinforcing the novel’s message about how inherited abilities can be both intimate and exhausting. The “burden” lies not only in what Thea hears but also in how deeply she feels what others think.

“As she did almost every night, Thea closed her eyes and began to build the dream.”

Thea’s dreams not only reflect her psychic gift but also provide a creative and emotional sanctuary, thematically developing The Transformative Power of Love and Understanding. By “building the dream,” Thea exerts control over a part of her life that intrusive visions and trauma often disrupt. Her dreams become a space for healing, imagination, and eventually resistance, which she uses to design the Endon game series and confront Riggs in the psychic realm. In shaping her dreams, Thea reclaims power over her mind and identity.