The Institute

Luke Ellis's parents are calmly murdered in the middle of the night in a suburban Minneapolis home on a peaceful street by intruders, who then put Ellis into a black SUV. Less than two minutes pass during the procedure. At The Institute, Luke will awaken in a room that is identical to his own but without a window. Beyond his door lie additional doors that lead to the other children with telekinesis and telepathy, Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon, who arrived here in the same manner as Luke. Everybody is in Front Half. Others, like the roach motel, Kalisha explains, have advanced to the Back Half, Luke discovers. "You don't check out; you check in."

The director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her team at this most evil of establishments are merciless in their pursuit of drawing out of these kids the power of their extraordinary talents. Here, scruples are not present. You get tokens for the vending machines if you comply. The consequences are severe if you don't. Luke is more and more anxious to escape and seek assistance as every new victim vanishes into Back Half. However, no one has ever managed to leave the Institute.