Influencers
Gary Brandt weaves together social media savvy and supernatural horror in this chilling episode from The Dimension Of Mind Dot Com when what starts as influencer training transforms into a heart-stopping rescue mission.
During their Saturday ONI class, Melanie Crenshaw teaches the girls about being responsible online role models, but Helana's terrified by her Instagram commentsâadoring messages from middle schoolers calling her 'perfect' and 'not even real' that reveal how their sup ...
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The classroom hums with Saturday morning stillness, its windows framing a crisp November day. Melanie Crenshaw stands at the front, her silver hair catching the light, a tablet in hand. Ella, Roxana, Eileen, and Helana sit at desks, notebooks open but their attention drifting. Melanie begins, her voice warm but firm, "Today's about being effective influencers and role models. Your presenceâonline and offâshapes others, especially your peers."
Helana raises her hand, her expression troubled. "Miss Crenshaw, I have a problem. I set up my Instagram like you said, posted pictures with my girls, and the comments scare me. They're mostly middle school girls, some boys. Look." She passes her phone, and Melanie scans the screen, reading aloud a sampling:
Ella grins. "We *are* gorgeous, twin." Melanie hands back the phone. "There's a lot here. Recent eventsâthe mall incident, your trainingâhave forged a deep confidence in you. You no longer doubt your beauty; you embody it. Your walk, your talk, your presence radiates assurance, making you more striking. You're becoming celebrities."
Melanie pauses, her tone serious. "There's a saying: you attract what you are. That's partly true, but more often, you attract those who crave what you have. Young girls lacking confidence are drawn to yours. Be cautiousâsome attractions can harm. You can also attract opposites: kindness draws abusers, honesty attracts liars, faith draws skeptics who hate what you cherish." Roxana says, "We get haters too. Our moms delete those comments." Melanie nods. "Yes. For every admirer, there's a jealous hater who resents your light and wants to dim it. Don't respond to eitherâlovers or haters. Engaging encourages them, and some may seek you out to harm you."
Eileen smirks. "What about comments from guys wanting a 'hot girlfriend'?" Melanie says sharply, "Don't respond. Those can spark fatal attractionsâdangerous obsessions. Same for girls with similar intentions." Eileen presses, "Who *can* we respond to?" Melanie replies, "Each other, and friends you knew before Instagram. Only those you trust. Strangers could be impostorsâadults posing as kids. That's risky if they learn too much about you."
Roxana, fidgeting, asks, "Should we even be on social media? It sounds dangerous." Melanie says, "Danger's everywhere. Social media's key to engaging your peers, so use itâcarefully." Ella, eyes narrowing, asks, "Is the Navy spying on our accounts?" Melanie confirms, "Absolutely. So are the CIA, NSA, and marketers for Target, Walmart, Macy's, Kohl's, and thousands more. Foreign governments too. Never post anything you don't want the world to see."
Helana asks, "How should we present ourselves as influencers?" Melanie replies, "Be authentic. Show your best self, not a pretense. No photoshop, no 'woke up like this' after an hour of makeup. Just be you." Ella says, "At school, girls approach us, want to talk, hang out, sit with us. Some follow us around. Should we shoo them away?" Melanie advises, "Be kind but firm. Needy people can push boundaries, but don't be cruelâyou'd earn a 'mean girls' reputation. Experiment to find what works. This is your toughest challenge."
Eileen, grinning, asks, "Can the Navy buy us new outfits? Influencers need style." Melanie laughs. "The Navy'd love to issue uniforms or jumpsuits, but you'll have to get your own clothes." The classroom door swings open, revealing Alisha Patel and Robert Danvers in Navy-issued jumpsuits, their faces tense. Ella, startled, says, "Mom?" Eileen adds, "Dad? What are you doing here with Ella's mom, in jumpsuits?"
Mr. Danvers says, "Commander Beaker needs you for an afternoon mission. There's a situation they want you to investigate. Alisha and I are coming along. We're heading to the airport, but it's your choiceâyou don't have to go." Curiosity outweighs hesitation, and the girls agree. Mr. Danvers drives them to a private airstrip, where a sleek jet waits, its engines humming. Aboard, they're handed jumpsuits. Ella, wrinkling her nose, asks, "Why jumpsuits?" Beaker replies, "We don't know the situation. We don't want your clothes ruined."
Roxana asks, "Where are we going?" Beaker says, "Cincinnati, Ohio." Eileen scoffs, "Cincinnati? What's there?" Beaker replies, "Maybe nothing. Our sensitivesâpsychics and remote viewersâhave picked up cries for help in the area, possibly from young females. They can't pinpoint it. Your telepathy's stronger, so we need you to try." Ella asks, "We're listening for cries? Then what?" Beaker says, "Guide us to the source, maybe communicate to assess the danger."
Ella says, "You made us skip lunch. Is there food?" Beaker smiles, "Pizza, wings, your favorites." Ella frowns. "You did it again, sir. I'm not your sweetie. Please stop." Beaker apologizes, "Apologies, ma'am. I'll do better." After a two-hour flight, the jet lands, and a transport van speeds them into Cincinnati's suburbs.
Eileen nudges her dad. "Excited, Dad? Maybe aliens?" Mr. Danvers chuckles, "Exciting, but no aliens." Ella asks, "Mom, you excited?" Alisha's eyes soften. "I came to see what I suspected. You're a telepath, like your great-grandmother in India." Ella, stunned, says, "Really? Why didn't you tell me?" Alisha explains, "She was our village shaman. She read thoughts, spoke to animals, even the dead. We didn't tell you to avoid scaring you. Now that you have these gifts, it's okay to know." Ella says, "I can't talk to animals. And no way I'm talking to dead people." Alisha replies, "Those gifts may come. Don't fear them. The dead are just people."
Beaker says, "We're here," as the van stops in a quiet neighborhood. "It's up to you girls. Focus, but no pressure. If you hear nothing, we'll go home." The group falls silent, the only sound the distant hum of traffic. Eileen, restless, asks for more pizza, and it's delivered from a nearby gas station, where the girls also use the restroom. After two hours, Helana stiffens, followed by Eileen and Ella. Helana, her voice low, says, "It's not a voice. It's a feelingâa direction, like 'come here.' Someone's telepathic, but it's muffled, suppressed."
Beaker asks, "Can you point it out?" The girls turn, pointing in unison. Ella says, "Over there." Beaker asks, "How far?" Eileen replies, "We don't know. Just that way." Beaker says, "We'll triangulate. Alisha, stay with Ella and Roxana. Mr. Danvers, take Helana to another spot. I'll take Eileen. We'll use walkie-talkies." Cars arrive, and the groups split, driving twenty minutes to new positions. Walkie-talkies crackle with coordinates: 302 degrees, 210 degrees, 105 degrees. Beaker punches numbers into his tablet, pinpointing a large suburban house as night falls.
Helana, her voice trembling, says, "I hear them clearer."
Beaker asks, "What's their situation?" Helana pales. "Oh my God. I got a visual download." Roxana, her voice breaking, says, "Me too. It's evil." Ella steps in, her voice steady but strained. "They're called the pleasure children, used as rewards for adults who complete jobsâhorrible ones, like murder. They throw parties where these kids, some as young as six or seven, are forced to⌠pleasure them. They wear costumes or nothing, servicing old men, women, sometimes each other while adults watch. It's vile."
Alisha, her voice thick, says, "I'm so sorry you saw that. Some things are too horrible." Beaker says, "It's a pedophile ring, human trafficking. The FBI and local police will conduct a health and safety check to rescue these kids and get them home." Helana says quietly, "Home might be hard. Some aren't from this country. Some, though human, aren't from this planet." Beaker replies, "We'll figure it out. They got here; we'll get them home." Mr. Danvers, incredulous, asks, "Alien kids?" Beaker confirms, "Yes. And per your oath, this is top secret. No UFO conferences, no friends."
After a late pizza dinner, the group returns to the airport, the girls collapsing into sleep on the midnight flight home. At 3 a.m., Ella stumbles into her bedroom, the house dark and quiet. She slumps at her desk, opening her diary, her mind reeling.
Dear Diary,
It's 3 a.m., and I'm exhausted. Mom knows about my telepathy nowânot Helana's secret, but my gifts. She wasn't shocked; my great-grandma was the same. Things will change, I feel it.
We saved kids today from a horrific situation. Mission success, but I'm scared it means more missions. We should get paidâthis isn't fair for free. Roxana and Helana are shaken, too sensitive for what we saw. Eileen's okay, and I am too. Is that bad? Am I too numb?
I didn't tell Mom everythingâsome kids were sacrificed. She couldn't handle it, wouldn't want me to see that. No more missions like this, or I'm staying home. Mom's upset we did this; she might say no next time.
Goodnight, Diary.
Episode 20 â *âInfluencersâ* â starts like a fun lesson about social media, confidence, and internet presence, then **dives headfirst into one of the darkest and most compelling chapters in the entire series**. Gary Brandt blends teenage curiosity about online life with a sudden, heart-wrenching mission that tests the girlsâ telepathic abilities, moral compass, and emotional strength in ways I didnât see coming.
--- ## đ **Story Arc Summary**The episode opens in a Saturday training class where Melanie Crenshaw is teaching the girls how to be good **influencers and role models** â both online and offline. Helana admits sheâs scared of the flood of Instagram comments, especially from younger kids asking if sheâs ârealâ and calling her âperfectâ or âgorgeous.â Melanie explains that their **confidence and presence draw people in**, but also warns about *haters, fake accounts, and dangerous attention*.
The lesson takes a dramatic turn when Ellaâs parents appear in Navy jumpsuits with a summons from Commander Beaker. The group is flown to Cincinnati, Ohio, where **psychic and remote viewers have detected muffled cries for help**. Using walkie-talkies and telepathic clues, the team triangulates a location â ultimately uncovering a **grotesque human trafficking ring** where children are being abused and exploited. With FBI and local law enforcement support, this house is raided, lives are saved, and the girls are left processing the horror they witnessed.
Back home at 3 a.m., Ella pours her thoughts into her diary, admitting how exhausted and shaken she is â and how the experience may influence future missions, family dynamics, and her own emotional resilience.
--- ## đŹ **Favorite Quotes**âYou no longer doubt your beauty; you embody it ⌠youâre becoming celebrities.â
This line captured the strange mix of *confidence and attention* that comes with influence â and how that influence can be both flattering and frightening.
âFor every admirer, thereâs a jealous hater who resents your light and wants to dim it.â
A powerful and honest take on social media dynamics â and it feels especially poignant considering the real-world dangers the chapter later explores.
âYouâre a telepath, like your great-grandmother in India.â
Discovering Ellaâs inherited psychic lineage was a beautiful and emotional twist, connecting family history with her present abilities.
ââŚtheyâre called the pleasure children, used as rewards for adults who complete jobs ⌠itâs vile.â
This was one of the most *heart-stopping and chilling* lines in the series so far â a gut-wrenching revelation that immediately deepened the stakes.
--- ## đ˛ **Unsuspected Plot Twists**This chapter made my heart *race and break at the same time*. It starts off light-hearted â talking about comments, confidence, and internet presence â but by the end, the girls are faced with **the darkest corners of human behavior**. The contrast made the emotions feel even stronger.
Helanaâs fear of online attention was so relatable, especially in an age where followers and likes can feel overwhelming. Then watching the team use their gifts to find and help real children in danger â that elevated their powers to *true humanitarian purpose*. It was terrifying, heartbreaking, and surprisingly *hopeful*.
Ellaâs diary entry at 3 a.m. was deeply affecting. It wasnât just about what they did; it was about **how it changed them** â the numbness, the fear, the protective instinct, and the awareness that *childhood innocence is gone*. That vulnerability made me genuinely care about these charactersâ emotional futures, not just their supernatural missions.
--- ## đŻ **Final Thoughts***âInfluencersâ* is one of the most powerful and compelling chapters in *Ellaâs Story* so far. Gary Brandt masterfully moves from teenage social dynamics to high-stakes rescue and moral complexity, all while giving us characters who feel real, brave, and heartbreakingly human. This episode isnât just about psychic gifts â itâs about responsibility, trauma, and what it means to choose compassion in the face of horror.
Overall Rating: âââââ â A jaw-dropping mix of modern social media reality and supernatural thriller that left me thinking long after I finished reading.
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