THE NEW SIXTH SENSE # 20

THE NEW SIXTH SENSE # 20 Doctor Johnathan Rhoades, medical doctor, and licensed psychiatrist. A man who DARES to look PAST the obvious, and discover what is at the HEART, of patients conditions. The following is case-file number 20, of Doctor Rhoades highly unusual approach to treatment, of mental disorders. According to the file, which I have been granted access to, a group, of people, are insisting that Rapture is upon the Earth. Their rationale: It would seem as though "out of the blue", people have begun disappearring. Just because the police have found no clues, except for abandoned cars, local churches are suggesting that this is the beginning of Rapture. The concerned are even quoting the Bible, where it says "I shall come, like a thief in the night..." The police are asking for my assistance since some of the eldest residents, of the town, remember Jonestown Guyanna, as well as Waco, Texas. The police, main concern, is bringing an end to rampant speculation. Too many people are scared that the Lords return, to Earth is at hand. The police hope that a psychiatrist will be able to calm those, who remain, while the police search for the missing. While I, too, have Christian faith, I guess that I would be considered a "Sunday Christian". This because, weekdays, I spend working hours trying to dis-prove so many outlandish beliefs. Now, I was being summoned to work on the most bizzarre incident, of my career, to date. Upon arrival, at the police station, an officer would drive me to the scene of the "incident". Here, in a public, parking, area, maybe two dozen cars, of various makes and models, sat. What made the situation unusual was when the chief of police called me over, to the cars, having me make note that the keys were in the ignitions. Equally important was the fact that ignitions were in the "on" position. The chief of police also pointed out the abandoned hand bags, as well as the wallets. While officers searched the bags, phones began ringing, in various ring tones. An officer would say "Thats odd." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "Why is that?" The officer would say "Thats Chucks phone. The man goes nowhere, without that phone. Wont even leave it home, when he goes to mass." When another officer called out "Here is Miss Sadies phone." Another officer would suggest "Its as if they just were whisked away." The chief of police would say "Non-sense." Then the chief would ask Doctor Rhoades "Tell me this stuff, about people just vanishing, is just nonsense." Doctor Rhoades would say "So far, all we have is circumstancial evidence." When an officer would ask "Who, in their right mind, would leave wallets, purses, and phones, behind?" While Doctor Rhoades would decline to speculate, he doubted that this was Rapture. As the doctor set up his temporary office, in town, he heard of maybe five, to eight, people, just vanishing. It was not until the doctor spoke to each person that thing became clearer. Now, sure, in towns like this, people know one another, and only accidents, illness, or death, prevent people from attending appointments. The problem, that Doctor Rhoades was finding was that people spoke, early in the day, set appointments, then never showed up. It was when Doctor Rhoades would ask "Did they vanish, before your eyes?" Each person would say "No. They just walked away. That was the last I saw of them." When Doctor Rhoades would ask locals about the cars, asking "Did you SEE the driver vanish?" The reply was universal. The driver was seen, hours earlier, but the car was not found, until much later. This set Doctor Rhoades to thinking. Cars, with keys in ignitions, and motors running. All identification, including cell-phones, left with the cars. Was this, REALLY, a DIVINE incident, or was the answer much closer to home? People go missing, everyday. How can people KNOW that this is the Rapture? The scientist, inside Doctor Rhoades, refused to accept any conclusion, unless it was proven. By evening, both Doctor Rhoades, and the police, had their hands full, when the local minister called a special service, then began quoting Revelations. As the minister began quoting "And the Lord said, I will come, like a thief, in the night..." The minister would say "This is the word, and will, of God." Doctor Rhoades would ask "Pardon me, reverend, but is it not true that that book, you hold, and other, similar volumes, were written, NOT by the hand of God, but by the hand of man." The minister would say "The men, who wrote these volumes were Godly men. Priests, Prophets..." This is when Doctor Rhoades would interrupt, saying "But, men, anyway, right? The Gospel was neither mailed, faxed, nor e-mailled, from Heaven." The minister would hold the Holy Bible aloft, saying "This IS the will of God. His judgement IS upon us." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "HOW do you KNOW this? Arent the present incidents subject to interpretation?" When the minister would ask "What interpretations?" Doctor Rhoades would suggest "One, equally, plausable, theory, is that those, who seemed to "vanish" are being held captive. Maybe, the city should prepare for ransom demands." When the minister would ask "Sir! How could anyone, except the Lord, take on twenty-plus people, all at once?" When Doctor Rhoades would ask "How do you know that all of them were taken at the same time? Were they due at a meeting, and all of them missed attendance?" The chief of police would join the conversation, saying "Reverend, the answer, to that question, is NO. The missing were reported, days apart." When the minister asked "Then, HOW does your "science" explain the cars, grouped together, keys in ignitions, tanks run dry. Who can afford to run engines dry, at fuel prices?" Even Doctor Rhoades would admit "I have not, yet, had time to form a proper theory. Still, NO source should be given emphasis, when there are multiple possibilities." When the chief of police would say "The doctor is right. We just dont have enough evidence, yet, to make any conclusions." This is when the reverend would suggest "Chief of police, perhaps YOU should join this "doctor", in departing town. Once your sin is departed, the town will prepare to meet the coming of the Lord." Taking the threat seriously, both men, and the other police persons, loaded up and departed town. Just twenty miles beyond the city limits, however, the chief would stop the group, then ask "Doctor Rhoades, what do you make of that talk, about "preparations"?" Doctor Rhoades would say "It concerns me, since that term could mean anything from a Thanksgiving meal, to blood sacrifice." The chief would say "That is what concerns me, as well. I just wish there was some way to get the chidren away from there." Doctor Rhoades would agree "Yes, children are prime targets, for blood rituals." When an officer would say "I am going back." the chief would say "Not like this. If we go in, as police, we could cause more harm..." When the officer said "But, the children are innocent." The chief would ask "Dont you think I KNOW THAT?" When the chief saw the doctor thinking, and asked "Whats up, doc?" Doctor Rhoades would say "Maybe there is a way, both to save the children, AND find out who is behind the disappearances." After the doctor laid out his plan, more than a few clothes lines ended up with missing shirts and pants. As twilight drew near, and faces became less definitive, the police, and Doctor Rhoades, would wait until people, who passed them, mistook them, for other people. Then came Operation: Swap Starting with playgrounds, and local schools, the group began rounding up the city's children. Children, who had no reason to fear the sheriff. What proved trickier was when the group had to begin entering homes, to quiet children, them remove them, to safety. In fact, the ONLY children the operation had to leave behind were newborns. Still, when Doctor Rhoades, the chief, and a few deputies, found the "celebration", a deputy asked "Why are they draining the gas from the cars?" The chief would whisper "Just wait and see." Soon, torches, lit with gasoline, would light up the night. In the center, of the gathering, the watchers got their first view, of the fire platform. It was not, however, until the reverend called for the first sacrifice, that a farmer left the group. After waiting for awhile, the reverend asked "Where is he?" This is when the farmer would return, saying "I cant find any of them." When the reverend asked "What are you saying?" The farmer said "They are gone. All of them. The playground, the school, the houses." It was not until an infant cried out that the farmer added "Only the infants are left." When the reverend stood, saying "Is that so?" a young mother brought her child closer, while whispering "No, No, please not my baby." When the reverend said "Do not worry. You can make another." This is when the chief whispered, to the doctor "I thought I knew that man. Lived here all my life. Never thought..." Doctor Rhoades was more interested in what happened, next. If the ritual were for evil, certain spells would have to be spoken, to "sanctify" the sacrifice. Doctor Rhoades HAD to be SURE, before making any judgements. Quick judgements have lead to far too many, wrong, diagnosis. It was not until the incantations began that Doctor Rhoades realized that the "spell" was, almost word-for-word, from the Bible. Doctor Rhoades was about to ask "Why would Christians burn people, alive." then he remembered times like the Salem Witch Trials. It would be sun-rise, the next day, before the "caravan" would stop, in another town, for rest, food, and so on. Doctor Rhoades would set up an "office", near the campers, and review his findings. What Doctor Rhoades could not reconcile, about the "sacrifice" was the mixture, of religion. The doctor knew Latin, from medical school. The question was "Why were Latin words being used with voodoo gestures?" The doctor might have spent days, even weeks, trying to make sense of what he had observed. That is, until he overheard some teens speaking of their favorite spots. Places their parents had forgotten about, years ago. Only one girl objected, telling her friends "He's an adult. If we show him the spots, he will remind our parents." After a show of hands showed the girl in a clear minority, the group began the trek to some of the spots. What shocked the young people was when the Chief suggested "Better not take the road, or the path. Probably under surveillance." Closing on the mouth, of a cave (which even the teens did not know existed), the chief would whisper "I was young, once, as well." It was inside the cave, where some of the missing were found. All locked in some, very crude, form of cells. When the chief asked about the others, some of the captives admitted "They kept us down here, no food or water. Wanted us begging, and weak, when they took us out." When the police asked "WHO are they?" The prisoners could only say "They are the ones who have been kidnapping people." When Doctor Rhoades would ask "Did they ever say what for?" Another prisoner would say "I heard them talking, one day. Talking of selling the boys, and keeping the girls." When the chief asked "But, WHO are they?", suddenly the police heard some revolvers click, behind them, as a voice said "I guess you want to know." It was not until the thieves got the "drop", on the local cops, that the chief got a look, and asked "Who are you?" One, of the gun-men would smile as they said "The word of God." Now, Doctor Rhoades knew where the missing were, but this question was replaced with another. It was not until Doctor Rhoades sat in a corner, being bound, that he realized what had "bugged" him, about the ceremony. The infants were not dropped into the flames, the children wer TOSSED, THROUGH the flames (no doubt to someone who caught the child, on the other side of the flames.) No, that could not be right. Most of those the town were using, for "sacrifices" were school age. This would mean not one, but as many as three, hidden, forms, behind the flames. (But, HOW did they hide their actions?) The grief stricken mother had SEEMED realistic. Or, had she? Why mix Christian messages, with VooDoo practices? It would take the doctors "third eye" to sweep the area, and learn what was going on. In the vision, Doctor Rhoades saw teens, having been whipped, into submision, while adults were starved, into submission. The victims were loaded onto some sort of boats, then taken down river. At a coastal peer, the victims were loaded, along with other victims. If only the third eye could have shown the doctor the destination. The replacement craft was just like thousands of others. An old rust-bucket, of a freighter. The time, for the escape, arrived, when one of the criminals came for a bit of young woman. While the high schooler made herself as attractive as possible, the boys hid in the shadows. The girl was a very good actress. She had the man thinking that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. His mistake had been being an aroused male. The high school boys landed on the criminal, grabbed his keys, and let the prisoners free. After fleeing, back to camp, that people began to relax. It was as the doctor was trying to see the name, of the ship, that a young voice called "Doctor, do you want some dinner?" The doctor would try again, later. In that moment, he realized that he was very hungry. When the police chief joined the group, he would inform those, present "The town is TRYING to put out state-wide A.P.B.'s, on all you kids." When Doctor Rhoades seemed concerned, the chief would say "Relax, doc. Without the approval, of the chief of police, those notices aint goin nowhere." Just a few days later, the whole camp got a huge laugh off of an internet video called "Chief desperate for...", and an image, similar to the chief, supposedly having sex with a high school girl. It took a computer geek all of two minutes, to refine the video, and show what was what. The geek did applaud the video, which showed not the chief, and a girl, but a husband and wife. While most criminals HOPE that video will spread, world-wide, before it can be removed, more and more net-access ports give new posts the message of "Your content is awaiting moderation". This is how the F.B.I. had tracked a "child" molester, who had been brazen enough to post his activities. The man may have HOPED for world-wide fame, for eluding justice, but, because of "moderation", the videos were sent, instead, to the feds. The man had been convicted on enough counts that he would, never, be released, from prison. No child molestation convictions, however. This because it is known that those, convicted, of crimes, against "children" have a very SHORT life span, in prison. There was, however, another video. One which appearred to be an "outtake" from a chase movie. What caught the police chiefs eye was that the river, the bridge, and the car, all looked very familiar. It took the police chief all of five minutes to realize that the video was, supposedly, of HIM. This is how the criminals hoped to get around the police chief. Claim that the man was dead and the next highest officer would take over. While his late wife did think the man was paranoid, to have a secret code, for use with state officials, it was times, like this, that the code was designed. When "local law enforcement" tried to override the chief, what they did not expect was the challenge question. In order to protect the camp, the chief had one, of the high schoolers rig a relay. A chain of command, so complex that it would take MONTHS for any criminal to make any progress. When the chief answered the challenge question, the state asked if the man needed support. 24 hours later, mini-U.A.V.'s were cruising the skies, and streets, of the community. What they showed was not "pretty". The chiefs beloved community, had armed itself, with enough explosive to take out anything, within five miles. As for the WHO, of the plot, not even Doctor Rhoades could decypher that one. Not even when other psychologists joined the base camp. Every mind, in the camp, found it impossible that VooDoo would have ANY connection with Christianity. Even minds like James Jones, and David Koresh, were crossed off the list. Both of these men had CRAVED publicity. They LIVED for the video age. It was their "ultimate marketting tool". In the case Doctor Rhoades was investigating, the "leaders" were keeping quieter than church mice. These people let their "foot soldiers" do ALL of the work. When Doctor Rhoades did manage to make contact, within the city, he found that something had to be very wrong. While the doctor THOUGHT that he was locked on, to just one person, the problem was that this person was more like the classic film: Cybil. One person. Dozens of personalities. As for how this person kept both Christianity, and VooDoo, under control, this is what scared the doctor, most. This person had a will, so powerful, that they could have handled up to 100, seperate, personalities. This kind of mind, however, had a fatal flaw. This is how Doctor Rhoades knew how to defeat the person. The person was so focused, on local events, to keep control, that the persons "range", of telepathic ability, was limited to just the one city. Now, it even made sense, why the city never attacked base camp. If the mind sent people outside of the town, control effects would fizzle, within two miles. The persons own mind would awaken, and their mission, scrubbed. This is why Doctor Rhoades met both with the local high schoolers, and the evacuee's. If the plan worked, it would be a major achievement, in the field of psychiatry. Sure enough, once the chief of police called an old friend, at an army base, and arranged for a military lift helicopter, the plan went into effect. On the outer casing was a count down timer. This, when combined with the mental projections, of the chess, and computer, teams, caused the city to believe that the outside was ready to un-leash the most powerful neutron bomb, ever made. With the helicopter flown by remote control, there were no pilots minds to search. Add in the rampant fear, that Rapture was at hand, and the "source", of all of the fear, "ran away" from its potential destruction. And, just as Doctor Rhoades had expected, the victims, of the control, had no memory of events. It was like they had been asleep, for months. When the mayor looked at the box, asking "Just WHAT is this?" The teens, all, laughed as they said "Biggest trojan horse, to date". Yes, the box was just a supply container. Doctor Rhoades had suggested a lead based container, to prevent "peeking". The timer, was on-loan, from a demolition firm. Doctor Rhoades would stay on, for another two months. This, to aid people, who did not remember. As to what the "sources" plan had been, no human had a clue. The only thing which was certain was that the source had been very familiar, with the book of Revelations. In fact, the source had used Revelations, to instill FEAR in the people. FEAR, which gave the source even MORE power, over peoples worst fear. Of course, Doctor Rhoades knew it was impossible to "cure" people of the belief that Rapture was either at hand, or "coming soon". The doctor would do his best, to help people adjust to everyday life. Doctor Rhoades philosophy was "Let Heaven worry about Revelations. People should worry about daily lives. Not about "what if" scenarios." While many people still feared a possible return, Doctor Rhoades "prescription" would be "Just take it a day at a time."