"I don't remember them. Maybe it was the tone of voice that made them sound soothing.

Saying like, 'That's OK, don't be afraid.'"

"Did it sound like Annie's voice?"

"It was deeper. She has kind of a highish voice. [Long pause.] I get the feeling of ignorance being a kind of protection for me."

"Tell us what you're feeling now. Anne."

"I feel like I don't want to say anything. I don't know why that is. Usually I say a lot of things. [Long pause.]"

"I want you to say what you feel. Can I ask you another question?"

"Yes. If you ask a question, I might actually talk."

'In all of this, can you tell how Anne relates to all this?"

"I know my role, and it's rather a tiresome role, but — born with a certain personality.

you can't fight it. I'm the one who's not informed, except through Whitley. I'm the one who responds emotionally. I know if it feels right. Whitley doesn't have any talent for that at all.

Sometimes he can't feel the most obvious things."

"Do you feel your roles have been chosen? Did you choose these roles?"

"I feel they're inevitable roles."

"Because of the person you are?"

"Yes. I also feel that they're roles not only because of who you are but who you're with, and therefore you plan certain parts. according to who you're dealing with."

"I want you to take a few minutes and think over all of this, your role, your son's, Whitley's, the little white thing, Whitley's screaming... mull over these images and think, what is central, what is marginal, what does it mean?"

"A feeling that Whitley was vulnerable. That's a rather frightening feeling. I would rather not know about these things that make Whitley vulnerable."

"Anything else, Anne?"

"No."

She was then brought out of the trance.

"Whitley's supposed to go. They came for Whitley."

I listened to the recording of Anne's first hypnosis on March 17, 1986, the Monday after the "confirming" encounter in the country. I hadn't listened to it on the previous Friday because she told me she hadn't remembered anything much. And indeed, on careful questioning, that was her perception.

I asked her, "What do you mean, 'Whitley's supposed to go'?"

"Well, that's what I said."

"Do you see me go?"

"No. But I hear it. There's a lot of noise sometimes. I keep my eyes closed."

"But don't you worry?"

"No. You're always there in the morning."

Fortunately, by the time I did listen to the tape I had become so used to being shocked that I did not really react too badly. I didn't end up stalking the streets or sitting in my office staring into space.