Novel Ideas 5

Sorry they are so few and far between. It seems I am having a hard time redefining myself as a writer first and an educator second.  The classroom still calls to me sometimes, but no more waiting the next installment is here. If you are enjoying this, please let me know with a quick comment.

“Hey, have some respect for the dead here,” Bobby moaned from his bunk as he turned over and covered his head with his pillow.

“Sorry,” Ward had awakened ready for the day.  He slid on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt.  He walked over to the door then stopped, “Hey, come join us.  I think this has helped with the meditation routines.”

“And smell that hippy dippy stuff so early in the morning,” and he snorted, “Not this man.”  Ward chuckled and left.  Bobby was becoming a friend, a good friend, even though their backgrounds were polar opposites.  Bobby’s family was normal, if there was such a thing, and they were higher up on the pay scale than most people.  He had volunteered for this unit once they approached him because of love of Country.  Ward had stumbled into this because he did alone, and he did it well.  Both signed up to do good though, and both were A-types that had to be the best in their field.

“Morning,” Ward said as he sat down.  He took a deep cleansing breath and exhaled.  For the next five minutes they sat in dead silence.  Ward was getting used to that with Jack and he was enjoying their talks.

“Today will test us,” were the first words Jack said.  Ward sat quietly, “People like us have a lot of baggage that will break free today and haunt us, test us.”

“Okay,” Ward didn’t open his eyes, he just kept breathing, “Why us more than others.”

“Our histories, our families.  Similar in some ways, both tainted by violence and pain,” at this Ward opened his eyes, “In any case people who don’t mind never seeing their past again.”

“What did you say you did before this?”  He knew he could trust Jack.  Knew he was a good man, a friend.  Maybe part of this training was also to build friends, connections, people you trusted, and people that were closer than family.

“CIA.  Done trainings like this before,” Jack took a deep breath, “Just remember that even though we don’t have many if any connections to our past, it can still hurt us.”  Ward didn’t know how good that advice was seven hours had past in the dark room.

“Damn it Ward!  I told you boy to clean that mess out there!” he felt himself flung across the room and knocked nearly unconscious.  Ward could remember that day like it was right now.  He had meditated so long that the craziness was now getting loose.  Being in this room and in the dark for so long was bringing up bad, no horrifying, memories as Jack had promised. The baseball bat repeatedly hit his father’s hand as he walked toward him.  The man’s face was pure evil and he looked happy to beat the crap out of him once again.  As the bat reached it’s apex Ward put his hands up and waited for the blow to hit.  When the blow never reached him he put his hands down understanding his hell that he had to go through before he would get out of here.

Novel Ideas - Part 4

It's been a bit long in the tooth here getting this out but hope you enjoy the next installment! 

“It’s similar to the meditation we will be learning this week, only there training will be more intense.  I thought that this might get me through it,” Jack hadn’t even looked at him yet, but had seemed to look through him.

“It’s been an amazing two weeks, I can’t imagine what it will be like in six more,” Ward wasn’t what else to say.

“I probably won’t make it all the way through,” and before Ward could say anymore Jack raised a hand, “That’s just fine, my ancestors believe I’m here for another reason,” and with that he was quiet.  Ward sat there for a few minutes.  He realized that the fire was less of a fire and more like incense.  Taking a deep breath he focused on the scents coming from the sticks. 

“Nice,” Ward couldn’t help it. He sighed as breathed out and relaxed. 

“It’s going to be a hard week for all of us, but for some of us,” and Ward knew instinctually who Jack was talking about, “we will see hell.”

“A little over the top don’t you think?”  Ward couldn’t help himself as he closed his eyes and took in the spicy sweet smell again.  It seemed to take away the stress, doubts, and draw out all of the fear and tension as if expelling puss from a wound.

“You’re welcome to join me in the mornings and then you can tell me if my statement was exaggerated on Friday,” and with that the conversation was over. 

By Thursday Ward was beginning to understand.  They had sat in class after class, hour after hour on how to meditate. Then they had been put in a room for increasing times each day.  He wished he could tell someone what the room looked like inside, but he had been blindfolded on the way in and then once the door was closed it was darker than the dark side of the moon inside.  Temperature was under someone else’s control, as well as the conditions inside the room like fresh air.  After a few minutes to assess what the situation was he came to the conclusion that this was some type of sensory deprivation room.  They were supposed to put what they learned to work inside the room.  He had tried to sense to see if anyone was near at first and found nothing and no one so he got busy meditating.  At first it was easy, then as the time in the dark room increased it got harder.  Today, tomorrow, and Saturday there were no more classes.  In fact, at eight this morning they would be locked in what he now called the dark room to six in the morning on Sunday.  Ward was beginning to think that this was also some sort of modified SERE military training.  It was no secret that if they were able to read minds as promised, then the types of training they would need would be endless.  Today’s activities were nothing more than separating those who could and those who couldn’t use the meditation skills to survive.  Better they do this now than to get create a bunch of mind readers they couldn’t use. 

Novel Ideas - Part 3

Sorry this has taken so long.  I have been busy doing 2 or 3 different jobs for the past couple of weeks.  I hope it has been worth the wait!

  Two weeks later Ward was pretty sure that all the promises his handler had made were possible.  His tent-mate and now his friend, Bobby, had been as driven as he was and they had taken their training into their own hands even during the their few precious hours of recoup time daily.  It wasn’t above-board but they had gotten good at reading each other’s emotions and predicting each other’s movements.  It was, if one would excuse the pun, mind blowing, what they had achieved.  If all this could be accomplished in two weeks then it was hard to imagine what the full two months would bring.  Ward had noticed though that not all the candidates were having the same success.  Most seemed to be progressing as expected, but there were a couple that he knew had been put on a watch list.  This new week was going to bring new challenges.  Not only were they honing their empathic reading skills they had been trained in, not something that would be hard for Ward as he hadn’t waited to do that, they were focusing on mediation techniques to rest and rebuild the mind.  

Ward woke at dawn already sweating as the heat had reached an uncomfortable temperature.  Throwing his pillow at Bobby he yelled for him to get up as Ward moved for the door and flung the flaps open.  There out on the edge of the camp sat one of the men he had rode in with, Jack.  They had spoken a few times and he was one of the men on the watch list.  He had his back to the camp and their seemed to be a small stream of smoke drifting off above him.  As smoking and drinking were taboo this made Ward even more curious.  As he walked toward him he tried to get a read on his feelings.  If they were going to train you to do this they had to expect you would use the skills.  Jack seemed at peace, calm in a way that Ward had never felt.  Ward was about to doubt his read when Jack spoke.

“Come and sit and join me, it will help you get through today.”  The idea that the people here knew you were there before they could see you was becoming more normal for Ward, so he sat.  He saw that the smoke emanated from a small fire pit Jack had made on the ground.  “Old prayer ritual to my ancestors, tribal beliefs that my mother taught me.  I keep this one up mostly because it focuses me on what is important.”  When Ward didn’t say anything he continued.

Novel Ideas - Part 2

I'd like to share the next part to the story that I found:

“Glad to see that you have arrived,” Ward turned to face the door just before his roommate entered.  He was still getting used to the idea that these ‘sixth-senses’ as he called them could be, and would be, developed further.  He still had is doubts about their motives he had spent most of his life suspicious what others had wanted or told him.  The research they had showed him had been impressive, but then again reality was always a downer.  The man that came in the door was about his age with his dark hair cut almost army close with that All-American look in contrast to Ward’s brown hair and simple cut.  He was also about two inches taller than Ward.  His clothes showed that he could and had afforded more than the three other men that had been with Ward in the van. 

“Nice to meet you,” and Ward trailed off as he extended his hand.  The other man’s grin widened.

“Careful, they’ll like that,” and he shook Ward’s hand, “Name’s Robert B. Malone, but most people call me Bobby.”

“Ward.”

“To answer your questions, I’ve only been here a couple of days and yes they can deliver what they promise I believe,” Bobby’s talents seemed to more advanced than Ward would have guessed.  “By the way, no trick there.  That’s what they brought us here to do right?  We are supposed to be able to learn how to read other’s minds and thoughts.  There most intimate feelings and yet not be able to be caught at it.  We aren’t going to be just normal spies, we will become super spies.”

“I take it you like to talk?”  Ward turned and started to store his gear.

“Not really, but it looks as if you could use a friend,” Bobby flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling gently move with the wind.  They didn’t have much more time as the speakers went off and they were off to orientation and training right away.

Happy New Year!

New Year is a time for putting everything in order and looking at what we have done and what we want to do.  Well as I was cleaning out my Google drive I found a bunch of unpublished work.  It was cool to read some of it and then...I had an idea.  Why don't I start putting some of it up here and let all of you have a peek at it. The Good. The Bad. And with any luck, not the ugly.

He threw his duffle on the cot to the right of the door.  When he had finally signed the papers with his government handler to be in this specialized unit he had had no idea he had signed up for summer camp.  In truth though, it looked more like a make shift army camp, well camouflaged, out in the middle of nowhere. Taking a closer look at his surroundings he noticed that the tents were permanent, something that surprised him.  Obviously they used this place more than it would first appear.  It would also be easy to move if discovered and considering what they were training to do it might be a high risk if they settled anywhere too long.  Welcome to training.  At least he would only have one tent-mate it looked like.  The other bunk looked like it had already been slept in and the duffle had been stored in the corner at the foot of the bed.  Nothing had really been unpacked from it; there was no place to unpack too.  Normally Ward liked camping and being away from people but this was proving to be very different.  He had just completed his medical training and was supposed to be starting his residency but that wasn’t what a couple of his instructors had planned.  Looking back, Ward saw that these men had started grooming him for this job two years ago.  It didn’t matter to him though, he had no one to answer too and no one he wanted to ever see again.  This government gig seemed to be the answer to his financial problems as well.  All of his college debts, and they were deep, had been forgiven.  In a way it was like being owned by the same government that had given him all the debt as well.