that person was invariably an adult the telepathic power is never connected with tricks , frightening people , or quarrels of any kind in 1966 , when rowan was eight , she used this telepathic ability of hers for the last time as far as we know during her fourth-grade term at a private school in pacific heights , she told the principal that another little girl was very sick and ought to see a doctor , but rowan did n't know how to tell anyone the little girl was going to die the principal was horrified she called rowan 's mother and insisted that rowan be taken to a psychiatrist only a deeply disturbed little girl would say 'something like that ' ellie promised to talk with rowan .