Kim had stayed with me for a few days, and it was much harder than I’d anticipated to deal with her. While the armlet’s influence had turned her dad angry and greedy, Kim was affected in a very different way. She was emotional and frightened by everything.

She was terrified that I was going to send her away, or that I was annoyed with her and that I wasn't going to be her friend anymore. I’d never known her to be so insecure.

It was hard to reassure her when ...