As she grows, the contact becomes more conscious and voluntary, and her shining grows stronger than his. One night, Abra psychically witnesses the ritual torture and murder of a boy by the True Knot, a group of quasi-immortals, many of which possess their own "shine" abilities, who wander across the United States and periodically feed on "steam," a psychic essence produced when the people who possess the shining die in pain. The True Knot's leader, Rose the Hat, becomes aware of Abra's existence and formulates a plan to kidnap Abra and keep her alive, so she can produce a limitless supply of steam.