The Inner Silence

By John W. Gilmore

Time had passed. Sheila and I were in a small lab located in a dome in one of the many gardens, working on the cultivation of new plants that would produce more fruit and seeds. By that time I didn’t have to speak anymore, I could simply send telepathic messages. The amazing thing about that type of communication was that one could communicate with anyone from any distance. All that was needed was for them to have the ability to pick it up and hear it.

Anja, my telepathy coach, had explained that most people could pick up messages, but they often experienced them in dreams, or as deep feelings, but most didn’t have the ability to interpret them.

“When you can interpret them, or hear them, you can send them. It’s as if a part of your brain reconnects, giving you a natural ability that has been blocked,” she said. I nodded and went to work with her trying to understand my feelings, dreams, and deep subconscious perceptions as they came to me. It was hard at first. I couldn’t separate what my own mind was giving me and what was coming from an outside source. Once I was able to do that one thing I was on my way with my abilities increasing rapidly.

Sheila turned and looked at me. I could feel an inward smile from her. I looked at her. Pride. It was pride that I was feeling. She was proud that I was coming along so well. She quickly hid that.

“You are getting a little too perceptive. Let’s talk out loud,” she said. “I don’t trust you topsiders enough to let you into my thoughts.” She smiled as she said it. I couldn’t help but smile too. “You’re leaking,” she said more sternly.

“I can’t help myself. You make me leak.”

“Is that a good thing?” I shrugged and sent her a message.

“Out loud,” She instructed.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Soon I have to return to the surface. I don’t know how I’ll fit in and I’ll miss all the friends I’ve found here. Even you.” I grinned. She shook her head.

“You can talk to us anytime. That's what telepathy is.” She looked into a microscope for a moment while speaking. “But you are correct.” She turned to me. “Soon you’ll have to go topside. What you do up there depends on you. Do what you feel is important. We’ll still always be with you if you want us to be.”

“I don’t look forward to going back. This world is peaceful and quiet compared to what we have up there.”

“Well you haven’t been to the edges, or some of the border lines. We have all kinds of creatures living down here in different pockets. Some are not so friendly, and not so human looking. Great thing is though, that our universal language of telepathy allows us to communicate with each other no matter what the form. Plants, animals, people, extraterrestrials as you call them, any living being. So you have received an excellent gift. And I was the one who decided on your lesson plan and how we would do it.” She smiled again, as if she couldn’t help herself.

“Yes. Thank you.”

She sighed. “I'll miss your physical presence, but we might see each other sometimes in passing up there. Unfortunately, you won’t be allowed to come down here again. I’m sorry, but we have to do things that way. Don’t want that many topsiders coming and going. Soon they will be followed.”

“I’m sorry you have to do that too, but I completely understand.”

“It will all seem like a dream to you, but I assure you that it is very real. I hope you’ll remember that when you get home. You’ll have a lot of adjusting to do. You’ll be shocked when you arrive, but knowing you, maybe not. Your insurance will pay for most of it and what it doesn’t pay for we will arrange somehow so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“What insurance? What do you mean?”

“Your car insurance, of course. I don’t know how to break this to you, but you decided not to come down here. Early in the morning we came and you had already gone. We didn't catch up to you until late morning and then caused a car accident and brought you here. I’m sorry we had to do it that way.”

“I don’t remember any of that, but I’m glad you brought me here.”

“Good. Soon you'll be leaving us though, as quickly as you came. One of us will meet you and let you know that this hasn’t all been your imagination.”

I was perplexed. Why did she keep saying that? She looked at my face and could tell. “It’s a surprise,” she said. We continued our work. We had an early lunch. Solomon, Mark, Anja, Bob and Sheila were all there as usual...the same people I had seen in the dream before. We sat and talked about what was happening down below and up above on topside.

Nothing new topside. Same wars, violence, injustice, and overall political craziness that I had left behind four months before. The amazing stories about Earth were about governments interacting with extraterrestrials and Inner Earth beings and what was happening with them. I had never heard such a thing topside. It was a lot of fun hanging out with my friends below, but I had a very strong feeling I would be leaving soon.

Solomon looked at me and smiled. “I sense it’s time for you to go soon,” he said. Everyone around the table turned to me.

“It was a great experience,” Anja said.

“Same for all of us,” Mark added.

“I’ll probably be seeing you again topside as long as I’m on walkabout,” Bob added.

“Well I’ll see you in your dreams,” Sheila said. They held up their glasses. “To our latest ambassador,” Sheila said. “Make sure to find the others when you return.” I grinned. "You're waking up, Berrie," she said.

Something felt strange...very strange. I started to fade out. I looked up and saw the whole scene fading and bleeding into darkness. I opened my eyes and saw a plain white ceiling. There was a tube stuck in my throat. I was hooked to an oxygen machine. I could hear something beeping. It was hard to turn my head. I was really stiff.

Somehow I pulled the tube out of my throat. Some type of alarm went off and a woman came rushing in. I tried to speak and couldn’t.

“It’s all right, Mr. Bryant. You've been in a coma for more than 4 months. Everything will be alright.” She began to disconnect some of the tubes and straps connected to me. The doctor will be coming in soon.” She turned and left the room at a quick pace. I shook my head. Had I been in a coma and dreaming all of this or had they put me into a coma!? I remembered one of them telling me that I would have to come with them if I wanted to or not, and threatening to put me into a coma. It all seemed so real. Could I have been dreaming it all?

I lay there not really needing rest. After 4 months, who needs more rest? My body seemed more flexible than I thought it should be after lying there for 4 months, in fact I felt like I was just getting up from a night's sleep. I pushed down the side rail and slung my legs off the side of the bed. I stretched, yawned and was ready to go. I could actually feel the blood rushing through my body like a waterfall, and I felt fine. My throat had even become clear.

The nurse returned with the doctor. They came in and saw me sitting there.

“How you doing Doc?” I said. They looked at each other and then back at me. “That’s the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had.” He stood there aghast.

“What are you doing, Mr. Bryant? You shouldn’t be doing that. How is that possible?” He turned to the nurse. She just shrugged. He looked at me again, a question mark on his face.

“A magical journey Dr. That’s all it really was. So if I can have my clothes, I’ll be on my way.”

He just stood there.

“This is highly irregular,” he finally said.

“Everything about my life is highly irregular. Especially the last 4 months.”

“Your sister is on the way,” the nurse said. “She’s been here almost everyday for the last four months.”

“Good. She can let me know what’s been going on the last 4 months. I don’t remember anything about how I got into a coma or how I got in here or anything.”

“You were in a terrible car accident that sent you into a coma. Luckily you weren’t injured very much, or the vehicle which was rather strange, but we couldn’t revive you.”

“Hm. Interesting,” I said. “Well I’d like to get dressed and wait for her, please. And then I’ll be checking out. I stood up and walked over to the mirror hanging on the bathroom door. They looked on in unbelief. No beard. Wow. You folks really took care of me, eh?” I turned in their direction. They were both just standing there. “Clothing?”

“I’ll go get your things,” the nurse said.”

“I don’t think it will hurt for you to get dressed, but first, I’d like to give you a light physical. Please sit on the edge of the bed. I don't advise you to leave right away.” I took a seat. He listened to my heart, checked my blood pressure and reflexes. He looked at my eyes a few times with a very bright light and into my ears. “You seem to be in good shape. Too good shape,” He said. “This is really impossible.”

“Yeah. Well I am sort of a spiritual guy. Miracles always happen, or they can anyway. I’ll be glad to come back now and then to let you check me out.”

“You can be sure we’ll do that.” The nurse arrived with my clothes. “Thank you,” I said, taking them from her. I’ll wait in the lobby for my sister.”

“Sure. I’ll let her know,” the nurse said. I could see some of the other staff standing at the door looking in. When the doctor and nurse walked out they quickly followed. I got dressed in my old clothes, the same ones I had on when I left the camp ground that morning. I made my way through the hall. I could hear what people were thinking with just a little effort and had to block their thoughts out. They were marveling at my recovery and wondering how it was possible as they watched me walking down the hall.

How could this be? It had to have been real. I looked around. It just looked like a hospital. Was I in the real world now? I walked past the nurse station and out into the lobby where I took a seat. I was thirsty for some reason. A candy striper was walking past and stopped in front of me. She was very young, her skin the color of dark chocolate. She had a bright smile. She looked at me and smiled.

“I’ll get you something,” she said out of nowhere. You want a coke.” I nodded. She grinned. Thank God, another one, she sent without moving her mouth.

I grinned. “You’re one of them,” I said. She smiled and headed to the cafeteria.

There are many of us, but still a very small number. I’m glad I found you.

I sat and began to drink my coke. I looked around the lobby. It seemed almost foreign to me since I had been living in a totally different world. The lighting was different. The sun shining through the window was different, and even the sound of the heater running. It must have been winter. The front door to the lobby opened. Brandy, my sister was standing there breathing hard. It was winter, almost spring. She stood there in her heavy coat, eyes filled with tears of joy as she rushed toward me. I stood and we embraced.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again, Berry. I thought you wouldn’t make it.”

“It just seemed like a dream. But it was more, Brandy, it was a miracle. I was somewhere else.” The candy striper returned and handed me the coke. I sent, Thank you. She smiled, nodded, and continued with her chores.” I have to tell you what happened. You won’t believe it.”

“More of that spiritual stuff, Berry?” She grinned. “Well whatever it was, you’re fine.” She stepped back and looked me up and down. “How can you possibly just be up, and fine, and drinking a coke? It’s impossible. That stuff will kill you, you know?” She grinned.

“I’ll tell you on the way home.” I paused. I didn't know where my home was.

“You mean in that stupid van. It’s parked in my driveway. You’ll have to take an Uber home, or I guess I can drive you, if you have money to pay me for gas. It took almost an hour to get here.”

“I’ll drive back if you want.” She looked at me askance. I pulled a credit card out of my pocket. “And I do have this, if it still works.”

“It works. I’ve been taking care of all of your business. I know everything about all of your business now.”

Not everything, but you will soon, I sent. She paused and looked at me strangely. “Did you hear me?”

“You didn’t say anything.” She paused again. “Did you? Did you say something?”

Yes. I sent again instead of speaking. Her eyes narrowed.

“There’s something different about you. What are you doing? Let’s go to my place and we’ll talk. First I have to see if there’s any kind of paperwork or anything to do here.” She headed to the admission desk.

“It’s all been taken care of,” I said, as someone was sending me a message. I saw a quick flash of the candy striper's face.

“Oh. They’re really efficient, aren’t they?”

“Yes they are Brandy.” I put my arm around her. “Let’s go home. And don’t crash and get us put into a coma or something. I know how you drive.”

“Yeah. You should talk, Berry. You’re the only one I know who can wreck a van and put yourself in a coma without putting a scratch on it or you. I don’t want you driving me anywhere.”

The End (Part 4)

If you think the story is worthwhile tip the artist and make his day.