Touch

Background

Theo is able to perceive feelings from people and impressions from objects when she touches them with bare hands. During their childhood in the house, Luke once begs her to let him ride in the dumbwaiter up to the top floor. When Theo presses the up button, the dumbwaiter instead goes down and Luke encounters a ghost that attacks him and is upset that the adults do not believe him. Theo investigates for him and finds a hidden trapdoor leading to a basement that is not in the plans of the house.

Olivia reveals to her that her grandmother was "sensitive" just like her and gives Theo a pair of gloves to protect her hands. At her job, adult Theo comes across a child that she cannot "read", who claims to be tormented by "Mr. Smiley", a monster. Theo goes to the girl's house and discovers the truth: the girl's foster dad is molesting her and Mr. Smiley is a manifestation of the abuse. Theo gets the foster dad arrested. She then goes to the morgue and touches Nell's forehead before collapsing and screaming.