THE NEW SIXTH SENSE

THE NEW SIXTH SENSE While Doctor Johnathan Rhoades would graduate medical school, with good enough grades, to earn his medical degree, the problem would be his approach, to psychiatric medicine. While most doctors, working psychiatric wards, spend most of their time just dispensing pills, under the belief that altering brain chemistry, using drugs, was the solution, to ALL mental conditions, Doctor Johnathan Rhoades would take a different approach. On occassions, when Doctor Rhoades had patients, who could describe scenario's, as if looking at a picture, or a movie, Doctor Rhoades would investigate the descriptions. On more than a few occassions, when the doctor found locations, which matched descriptions, almost exactly, Doctor Rhoades would ask patients, during sessions, WHAT was so important about the locations. It was not until Doctor Rhoades would ask orderlies to assist his work, in returning patients to the places they feared, that hospital staff asked orderlies to submit reports, on Johnathan Rhoades activities. While the orderlies agreed to assist, the men were not about to report what they, actually, saw. In one case, where a patient was so terrified, of fire, that they had holed up, in the basement, of a bank, until confined to the psych ward, when Doctor Rhoades drove the patient, to the location, which the patient, continually, saw in their nightmares, the orderlies stood by as Doctor Rhoades took the patient on a trip, back in time. A mental trip, in which the patient was returned to a time, maybe 150 years past, when someone had burned to death, in a fire. While Doctor Rhoades calmed the patient, whispering "Remember, you are only seeing it as a memory. A vision, of the past, or a movie. No harm can come to you." When the patient would say "I understand." Doctor Rhoades would ask "What do you see?" The patient spooked the orderlies when the patient would say "I see a house. A sod house. A prairie house. I see that an eldest daughter is being instructed to care, for her younger siblings, while parents are away, overnight." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "Does something happen?" The patient would say "A storm gathers. There is lightning. I want to get my brothers and sisters out of the house, and into the celler." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "What is preventing you from doing this?" The patient would say "Just as we are preparing to run, lightning stikes nearby tree's. My siblings are afraid to move. I want to run, for the celler, but I CANT leave them behind. I promised my parents." While the orderlies KNEW the patients file, and knew that the MAN had only one sibling, a sister, who placed him into care, when she could not cope with his fear of fire, the orderlies wondered what family the man was talking about. When Doctor Rhoades asked the patient "What is happening, now?" The patient would cry out "Lightning strikes the HOUSE! The place catches fire. We cannot get out, not with the lightning, and the rain. I have FAILED my parents. They trusted me!" When the patient would add "I wanted my momma to be so proud of me, for taking charge, and protecting my my brothers and sisters. I have FAILED! HOW can they forgive me?!" When the man broke down, weeping, like a school girl, the orderlies had no idea what to do, next. They had no training, in such cases. Doctor Rhoades would calm the patient, saying "It was not your fault. You had no control of the weather. Now, it is time to forgive yourself. Leave the past in the past. Return to the present, as calmly as if swimming in a river. Let the tides, of time, carressess your body. Let peace flow over you." When the man awoke, asking "Doc, did that really happen?" Doctor Rhoades would say "Long ago, a young woman died, trying to protect her siblings." As the orderlies looked on, in disbelief, Doctor Rhoades, and the patient, would watch, as the spirits, of the deceased family members, would come forth, from the mist of time, with the mother, holding out a hand, towards the patient. It was as the patient looked at the doctor, as if asking "What do I do?" all four, present, would watch, in complete dis-belief, when the girls tortured spirit would eminate, from the mans body, and embrace her mother. With what Doctor Rhoades would take as a smile, of "Thanks", from the spirits, the family would vanish, back into the mist of time. What no doctor, at the hospital, could explain was how, seemingly overnight, the patient had lost his terror, of fire. All that the orderlies would report was that the doctor had used hypnosis, asking the patient "What do you see?" It was only AFTER the event, that the orderlies asked the doctor HOW he knew the patient was being honest. The doctor would produce an old journal (or, atleast a copy), which stated that a farm house had burned to the ground, at that location. By the time the parents returned home, all that was left were ashes. While the mother wrote that her daughter should feel no guilt, about the storm, it seems that the daughters spirit had retained its guilt, until freed, by the doctor. While Doctor Johnathan Rhoades would "cure" five, additional, patients, using regression, to understand how the PAIN, of the past, could live on, through the centuries, as guilt, until the patient was regrressed, and allowed to heal, by letting the pain be released, back through time, This would earn the doctor a reputation as "un-conventional". While Doctor Johnathan Rhoades had cured six people, of disabling phobia's, while practicing regular medicine, to graduate medical school, the problem was that clinics, and hospitals, did not want such a "maverick", in their midst. This is why Johnathan Rhoades would go into private practice. While trained, as a medical doctor, the man would find himself consulting on cases which normal medicine could not fathom. Cases, such as his first, since graduating medical school. A case, where a man was being diagnosed, as "Paranoid Delusional", since he claimed that a vampire was entering his home, while claiming, not via words, but via thoughts, that "You WILL be mine. I will have my revenge. You cannot escape me. We are bound, as one." When Doctor Rhoades agreed to examine the man, the doctor came to wonder WHY the man was being listed as "delusional". This because, during the mens conversations, the doctor noted that the man was accurate, lucid, answered questions, without hesitation, and even described an attacker. When the patient had said "Sometimes, I see him, bending over bodies, like the vampires, from the movies." When the doctor would ask "How much blood does the vampire spill, during each case?" The patient would say "Thats what is so odd, about the visions. Even though I SEE him attacking his victims, there is, NEVER, any blood. Not on his teeth, his clothes. Not even on his victims." When Doctor Rhoades would ask the patient "About how often, or how regularly, does the vampire appear?" This is when the patient would move, to a pile, of books, lifting some, then whispering "ONLY YOU and I, know where I keep this journal, now." When the doctor looked at the journal, he noticed that the patient was keeping very accurate records, of each appearrance. When the doctor asked "WHY?" The patient would say "In case someone, like you, came alone. I wanted there to be an accurate record, even if I was dead." When Doctor Rhoades heard these words, from the patient, the doctor realized that the man was neither delusional, nor paranoid. To Doctor Rhoades, it was obvious that the man had not said these words, with suicidal intent (as had been suspected). The patient just wanted a record, of his experiences, to survive, even if he, himself, did not survive. After visiting the patient, Doctor Rhoades would visit the local library, for information, on the general area. If this town had been a more metropolitan city, the doctor MIGHT have been suspicious of the fact that the librarian KNEW what the doctor would seek, even as Doctor Rhoades entered the library. Since this was a small town, however, the doctor knew there were no secrets. Everyone knew everyone, and no one passed through, without the town knowing about it. Doctor Rhoades would notice that local history must have been re-written, by the Christians, since there was no mention, in all of the records, about two events, which Doctor Rhoades had studied, in medical school. Doctor Rhoades recalled studying a case, in psychology class, regarding "Public Paranoia". A condition, which, a teacher had said, had lead to a woman being burned alive, on a cross, after refusing to admit having used "satanic" verses, to cause plant growth. The teacher had emphasized "While there remains no record, of the womans actual words, I remain suspicious, of the conviction, due to the following fact: I remember my own mother, and grand-mother, talking to, and even singing, to plants, as though the plants were listening. Since no official records were kept, in the day, we will, never, know if the woman was conjuring evil, or just encouraging plant growth." When then-intern Rhoades had asked the teacher "HOW are we to know that a person is conjuring evil, if we dont know which words they used?" The teacher would, only, say "MR. Rhoades, there is no more answer, to THAT question than there is, to the question of "HOW do we know when a person is practicing Christianity." Now, in the library, Doctor Rhoades knew that his next stop would be to find an internet cafe, which was OUT-side of this town. Something, which locals could not trace. Twenty miles from town, Doctor Rhoades found what he sought. To avoid voice-tracing, the doctor sent only e-mails, asking for the information, which he wanted. When Doctor Rhoades returned to his patient, he wanted to be armed with FACTS, not possibilities. This, especially after patient had informed doctor "Vampires are for horror movies, and Halloween. I doubt anyone has, ever, seen a real vampire." That evening, while Doctor Rhoades saw what he THOUGHT MIGHT have been a caped figure. This, on the road, leading into town. The ONLY reason why he reorted it, to the police, was because, as Doctor Rhoades had said "The fool ran right in front of my car. I could have killed him." All the police had asked was "DID you hit them?" Doctor Rhoades would say "Dont be a fool. If I had injured them, I would have called for an ambulance, on the spot." When the police asked, AGAIN "What is it you THINK that you saw?" Doctor Rhoades would say "A dark figure, which emerged, as if leaping, from a bush, or a hedge, alongside the road. The figures collar was turned up, and the bottom, of its coat, fluttered, in the wind. It had remarkable agility." When the police asked "Was it an animal?" Doctor Rhoades would say "Even I know the difference between an animal, and a man. This person was human." While Doctor Rhoades conversation, with the police, had been an annoyance, his conversation, with his patient, was no less annoying. Especially when the patient was confronted with facts. When the patient would ask Doctor Rhoades "Do you expect me to believe this nonsense?" Doctor Rhoades would, only, say "I am only presenting the facts." When the patient would say "Nonsense. Whoever heard of being descended, from a vampire? I was told you were a trained doctor, not some charlatan, looking for payment." Doctor Rhoades would, again, explain "I never said you were descended, from a vampire. I said that one of your ancestors was ACCUSED of BEING a vampire." When the patient would say "What rubbish. Vampires have, never, existed. Even Hollywood movies are based on nothing more than fictional stories." Realizing that he was getting nowhere, with the patient, Doctor Rhoades would ask "Tell me, has anything happened, to you, in the time, since the visions started?" When the patient would ask "What do you mean?" Doctor Rhoades would ask "Did anything unusual happen. Did you go someplace, or do something, you dont, normally, do?" When the patient would say "I am NOT the kind of man who runs off, on "wild gooose chases", if that is what you mean?" When Doctor Rhoades would ask "Have you bought, or received, anything, recently?" When the patient would say "If you mean things like sacrificial altars, totems, or goats-head masks, the answer is NO. While I TRY not to judge others, I do not have anything to DO with such people." It was at this point that the mans care-giver would enter the room, and the discussion, informing Doctor Rhoades "All that the man has received is a package." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "What KIND of package?" The patient would say "Who knows. Something from a relative I have not seen, or spoken with, for decades." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "May I ask what was in the package?" The care-giver would say "The patient asked me to just place it aside. It has not been opened." When Doctor Rhoades would ask the patient "Why didn't you open the package?" The patient would say "I TOLD you. I haven't seen, or spoken, with them, in YEARS. Why should I care what they sent me?" Doctor Rhoades would ask "Could it be a peace offering?" The patient would say "I DOUBT that." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "WHY?" The patient would say "Haven't you been listening? I told you. We haven't spoken, in decades." Doctor Rhoades would say "Yes, you have told me this. What you have not told me is the reason WHY." When the patient would say "I dont want to talk about it." Doctor Rhoades would ask "May **I** see the package?" The patient would tell his care-giver "If the good doctor wants to see the package, GIVE it to him." When the care-giver woulld say "Very well, sir, if you will follow me." With that, the doctor would find himself lead to what appeared to be a storage room. While Doctor Rhoades noticed that his guide seemed un-affected, by entering the room, Doctor Rhoades, himself, felt a powerful vision. A vision, of a man, dressed in the Hollywood-style of the vampire. It was not, however, until the care-giver produced the package, handing it to the doctor, that Johnathan Rhoades had a powerful, and clear, vision, of the distant past. A vision, of colonial times. A time when, to prove that one was "honest", and "truthful", all that a colonist had to say was "I am a gospel man/woman". In the vision, the doctor saw a man, being tried, as a servant of evil. When the local judge/minister would ask the accused "Do thy denounce the evil one?" and "Are thy willing to prove that thy is gospel, in the name of the Lord?" When the victim would, first, ask "How does thee want thyself to prove that thine denounces evil?" When the judge/minister would produce a well-known volume, which was, reportedly, written in German, not English, saying "Thy will prove thy innocence, by reading from this gospel." When the victim would say "I am aware of the volume thyself handles. I am also aware that the volume is not writ in the language of my homeland. How doth thy expect myself to read, from a foreign tongue?" All the judge/minister would say was "The accused has failed the first test. On to the second test." The second test, ofcourse, was the famous trial-by-fire. The minister/judge would inform the assembly "If this man be innocent of the crimes he be charged, then let the Lord, himself, extinguish the flames, which we are about to light." The minister/judge would, then, add "If this man be in league with evil, let his body be burned, and turned over to the eternal darkness, of Hades." While Doctor Rhoades watched, the scene was one of pilgrims, stacking wood, as though to build a bon-fire. This, while the accused stood, silent. Changed to the post. Once the wood was stacked, and doused with something like kerosene, the minister/judge would offer the accused a final chance to escape the fires of damnation. "Admit to thy vampirism, and you shall be spared the fire." Doctor Rhoades realized that the man thought he saw a way out of being burned to death. What the man did NOT count upon was the radical nature, of colonial Christianity. When the man admitted to his vampirism, he might have thought his only punishment would be to be banished, from the settlement, for life. (Boy, did he think WRONG) While the man avoided being burned, alive, what he did not count upon was the sentence, for admitting vampirism. The sentence, of being tied, with rope, lain in a coffin, then having stake after stake struck into his body, by the executioner. With his dying breath, and before a stake was driven into his mouth, the man would say "One day, my name will avenge itself upon my murderers! I shall have my revenge! My accusers will PAY!" It was not until the care-giver shook the doctor, asking "Are you alright, doctor?" That Doctor Rhoades would look about himself, and realize he was back, in the present. This is when Doctor Rhoades would take the package, and return to the patient, asking "Sir, did you have an ancester, who might have been staked to death?" The patient would say "Sir, such stories exist in ALL families. That is why everyone has what they call "Skeletons-in-the-closet." When Doctor Rhoades would ask the patient "Where was your ancester killed, and buried?" The patient would say "I have no idea. I never went in, for such stories." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "Did your family happen to keep any records?" The patient would laugh as he said "Of people, being burned at the stake, or being stabbed, and buried?" This is when the care-giver would suggest "Have you tried our local, historical, society? They have many of our past records." Doctor Rhoades would say "Thank you." then, just before departing, would ask the patient "Sir, just for my records, how long have you lived here." When the patient would say "Less than a year. WHY?" When Doctor Rhoades would ask "Just wondering. WHY did you come to THIS place?" The patient would say "I really have no idea. I just felt like a change of scenery." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "When did the visions start?" The patient would say "Dont try that stuff, about location, on me. I began having the visions three months before moving here." Doctor Rhoades would say "Interresting." before departing. While the director, of the historical society, seemed hesitant, to allow anyone to SEE, let alone touch, historical records, when Doctor Rhoades would inform the director of what information, which the doctor sought, the director would say "So, you want to see the records, from one of the darkest times, of our history." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "WHY is that?" The director would say "I, probably, should not say a word, but our history is not all that pleasant. Nowadays, we are a nice, quiet community. A great place, to raise families. Not so, during the pilgrims time, I am afraid." Doctor Rhoades, soon, learned why. IF history was, at all, accurate, it would seem that, during the time, known, "nationally", as the "Salem Witch Hunts", it seems that, for a brief time, the Christians went "insane", executing anyone who was "different". A person could be executed for being ill, or for forgetting which day was sunday. Anyone, not attending church, as defined by the Holy Scriptures, was declared a servant of evil. The sheer numbers, of those, murdered, for not being "gospel", left Doctor Rhoades in total dis-belief. It would seem that stake-burning, stake-driving, and even pressing-to-death, were as common, in colonial times, as prime-time television is, now. The problem, which Doctor Rhoades ran into was the fact that, in colonial times, those, who were considered "not gospel" had no grave markers. This, colonials believed, would prrevent the dead from rising, and force the dead to travel to Hades. Even with the aid, and assistance, of the historical society director, it would take Doctor Rhoades three days to find the un-marked grave-yard. The very place where 75% of a Christian colony was buried, after being "convicted" of supernatural crimes. Doctor Rhoades even found the exact grave when, as he walked over the grave, he "saw" both the ancestor, and the current man, seemingly doing battle. When Doctor Rhoades brought the patient, and the care-giver, to this location, that the doctor promised "It will, all, be over, soon." Over the grave, of the patients ancestor, Doctor Rhoades took the trio back in time, to the days, of the witch-hunts. Back, back, further and further, through the veil, of time and space. Over the years, then centuries. Every step of the way, the doctor reminding the two, softly "We are only here to observe. NO harm can come to us. We are safe, in time and space." While the trio watched the pire being built, then the mans false confession, Doctor Rhoades would shield, and comfort, the care-giver, as the victim was staked in every opening, of his body. It was not until the patient would ask "What is the meaning, of all of this? My ancestor was no vampire." This is when a forth person would the trio, saying "Such is true, my son." When the man would say "I am NOT your son. I am from the West." The spirit would say "While that is true, now, there was a time, when your ancesters were part of my own family. A family, which was all but wiped out, in the "madness." When the patient would ask the spirit "WHY have you appearred, to me? Why not to someone who believes?" The soul would say "I have appearred, many times, across the years, to many, of our relatives. Most insisted that I was either a bad dream, or worse. I have come to you, since I knew you were aware of this doctors work, with the mind." When Doctor Rhoades would say "I am flattered. But, HOW did you know?" The spirit would say "You think you mortals control ALL of the universes knowledge? Let me tell you, sir. I WATCHED you cure people, of fear of fire, and other ailments." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "Why wait until now, to show yourself?" The spirit would say "While I DID try to contact you, some time ago, I learned that contact is only possible, via relatives. Blood is the most potent connection." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "What is it that you want us to do?" The spirit would say "I only ask that you clear my name, of evil. Wipe that nonsense, of vampirism, from my history." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "WHY were you accused of vampirism, in the first place?" The spirit would say "A "friend" "convinced" the community that I was seen, dressed as a vampire." Doctor Rhoades would say "In YOUR day, such reports were the closest thing, to actual evidence." The spirit would say "Once my record is cleared, I can rest in peace." Doctor Rhoades would say "I will do what I can." With that, the mortals would return, to the present day, and Doctor Rhoades would focus, mentally, on projecting the thought "Across time, and space, let the truth be known. Let the pain, of the past, return to the past. Let the dead rest in peace." While Doctor Rhoades would have expected nothing more than to feel at peace, in the forgotten grave-yard, what neither he, nor the others, expected, was for the landscape to change, before their very eyes. As if by Hollywood special effects, the weeds, and undergrowth, would retract, from the graveyard, even as tomb-stones began rising, from the ground. Soon, a decorative fence would be erected, by invisible hands, and benches would appear. Somehow, in a way, which even Doctor Johnathan Rhoades had never expected, history had re-written itself. It was not until the historical society director would join the group, saying "I am sorry I did not greet you, at the gate. I did not see you enter." When the patient would ask "Whats going on?" The director semed puzzled, as she said "Just people, visiting, and paying tribute, to their ancestors." In his final notes, on the case, all that Doctor Rhoades could verify was that, in the time, since the "trip", the mans nightmares had ended. The patient was not certain of WHAT his next move would be but he was greatful to be free, of the past. Doctor Rhoades would write "Full recovery expected, in the coming months." Even as the doctor was packing, to depart, he could have sworn that, in the middle distance, he saw the figures, of those, who had been slain, in colonial days. The innocents, killed by the un-enlightened. When the souls noticed that they had the doctors attention, the men gave a deep bow, while the women did a deep curtsey. With that, all dissolved, leaving the doctor smiling, while whispering "Your welcome."