Dark Visions 2009 omnibus edition.
Dark Visions is a trilogy series written by the author L.J. Smith. The series was originally published as three books in 1994 (The Strange Power) and 1995 (The Possessed, The Passion), with an omnibus edition released in 2009.
Series Synopsis[]
The trilogy follows the protagonist, Kaitlyn Fairchild, a teenager with the ability to see the future, which she draws out as pictures. Her ability is deemed both a "gift" and a "curse", as she cannot control what visions come, and usually they speak of an impending tragedy.
However, Kaitlyn is soon offered the opportunity to attend the Zetes Institute, an organization for young people with psychic abilities such as herself. She accepts the offer, coming to live at the institute and meeting four others with gifts like herself: Anna, who can psychically communicate with animals, Lewis, a psychokinetic, Rob, a handsome and naive young man with the power to heal others, and Gabriel, a dark and mysterious youth with an initially unknown power, but one deemed very dangerous.
Despite the apparent ease in which she fits into the institute and her growing attraction to Rob, Kaitlyn and the others soon uncover a dark secret about the institute and its true purpose for wanting them.
The Strange Power[]
1994 cover of The Strange Power.
While in class one day, Kaitlyn Fairchild begins drawing a picture of eyes behind a spiderweb. Soon afterwards, a nearby car accident occurs, and Kaitlyn realizes that what she had drawn earlier had not been a spider web with eyes, but the shattered glass of a car windshield with a frightened child looking out.
Kaitlyn has the ability to foresee events before they happen, compelled to express her visions as drawings, although she cannot control what she will see, giving her much grief. However, she is soon approached by a man, Mr. Zetes, who has learned of Kaitlyn's power and offers her the chance to hone her skills at his institute for young psychics like her. Kaitlyn takes the opportunity, in the hopes of learning to strengthen and control her visions.
Moving into the Zetes Institute, Kaitlyn soon meets others, with differing abilities: Anna, Lewis, Rob, and Gabriel. She quickly falls in love with Rob, who heals her leg with his power when she is injured, but her hopes are dampened upon learning that Rob, from a past accident, cannot feel romantic emotions anymore. She is also disturbed by Gabriel, who has a rocky past with Rob and whose power is not revealed, although the devastating effects of it are made clear during a test issued by the institute.
However, the teenagers soon realize all is not what it seems; discovering Mr. Zetes's true motive for creating the institute, the group conspires to flee to safety, although the institute is determined to keep them where they are.
The Possessed[]
1995 cover for The Possessed.
Kaitlyn, Anna, Lewis, Rob and Gabriel are now on the run from the Zetes Institute, hoping to find asylum. Kaitlyn soon begins having visions of a specific house situated on a white cliff, deducing that it may help them against Mr. Zetes, although the group has no idea where the house and cliff might be located. However, things begin to darken for the five fugitive psychics as Mr. Zetes sends ethereal creatures - "dark psychics" to deal with his wayward students. Furthermore, Gabriel's dark abilites are finally revealed: he is a psychic vampire, and must regularly feed on human energy to survive. To protect Gabriel, Kaitlyn offers herself as a donor for him, but things become complicated when the two, in spite of Kaitlyn's love for Rob, becoming attracted to one another.
The Passion[]
1995 cover for The Passion.
Kaitlyn and the others manage to acquire a key artifact that may help them in their struggle against Mr. Zetes, who had nearly obliterated their chance of defeating him in the previous book. In a stunning betrayal of the fugitive psychics, in spite of his infatuation with Kaitlyn, Gabriel has abandoned them and sided with the Zetes Institute, joining his group of corresponding dark psychics. Disbelieving Gabriel's defection, Kaitlyn leaves Rob, Anna and Lewis, and infiltrates the institute, feigning loyalty to Zetes herself and telling Gabriel she is in love with him to smooth her entry back. However, Kaitlyn must work to convince Zetes, Gabriel and the other members of the institute of her loyalty. Ultimately, Kaitlyn is forced to come to a final decision of who she really loves, Rob or Gabriel, and find some way to permanently shut down the dreaded Zetes Institute.