After Thought Read online

  “How many others?”

  “No one knows for sure. Hundreds. Maybe thousands.”

  “Are these people born with special powers or something?”

  “No. It doesn’t take special powers. In fact, anyone can master it, given enough training.”

  “When you say ‘master it,’ what exactly do you mean?”

  “Ancient practitioners called it The Power Within. In pop culture, it’s been referred to as the Law of Attraction, The Power of Positive Thinking, New Thought, The Power, auto-suggestion, positive mental attitude, quantum mysticism, or magical thinking. The people who taught me and I call it Refined Transcendent Power, or RTP for short. Some people believe it’s a form of faith and there are references to the use of RTP in many religious texts. In a religious context, it has been described as the cosmic force of infinite intelligence, the universe, God, God within, Allah, Buddha, and others. The basic concept is that whatever you focus your thoughts on, you can attract into your life. Think it, believe it, and manifest it. Regardless of your personal, spiritual, or religious beliefs, the point is, it doesn’t matter how you label it, we all have the ability to do it.”

  Adam couldn’t fathom what he was hearing. He said, “If anyone can do this, then how come I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this before? I mean, I have heard of people having faith and thinking positively. But I have never seen anyone materialize things right out of thin air like you do.”

  “Believe it or not, most people use RTP in their daily lives, to a lesser degree, without even knowing that’s what they are doing. And many high profile people have mastered using RTP over the centuries, such as Rameses the Great, Moses, Beethoven, Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Andrew Carnegie, to name a few. I’ve heard that some modern-day celebrities and political figures have used it to achieve their successes. I don’t have first-hand knowledge of that but I do know that some people, like my ex-husband, Paul, use it for evil and illegal purposes and personal gain. They disregard the law and believe that knowledge of RTP should be kept a secret. They’ll do anything to keep the awareness of it from the general public.”

  Adam rubbed his face with both hands. “What do you mean ‘they will do anything to keep it a secret?’ ”

  “Many years ago, Paul formed a group called the ‘Keepers of Transcendent Power,’ known to us outsiders as ‘KTP.’ The KTP use Refined Transcendent Power for evil, such as revenge killing, illegal gambling, racketeering, and oppression. They have tried, and succeeded in many cases, in forcing peaceful practitioners of RTP to join their ranks. Anyone who refuses to join is put to death.”

  Adam’s eyes widened in horror. This was the most bizarre thing he had ever heard.

  “Those of us who are peaceful, and who do not want to join the KTP, have entered into a sort of self-imposed witness protection program. We have gone underground and changed our identities so that we cannot be located.”

  Adam felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was becoming painfully obvious that he knew way less about this woman than he thought. In fact, he knew absolutely nothing about her true identity.

  Did he even want to hear more? Maybe she was right—there was no turning back now. He took another gulp of beer, swallowed hard and said, “So your name’s not even Madeline Smith?”

  She looked at him sheepishly—like a kid who had been caught in a lie—and shook her head as she said, “My first name really is Madeline, but my true last name is Locke.”

  “Why didn’t you change your entire name?” he said.

  “Well, my name changes depending on where I am living at the time. Like now that I’m living in New York City, it is pretty safe to keep my original first name. Do you know how many Madeline Smiths there are here? Probably hundreds. It would take a long time for someone to figure out which one was me. Plus, I’m guessing they probably wouldn’t expect me to use my real first name, so that would throw them off. I’ve moved around so many times over the years that I’ve learned how to blend in well. I never stay in one place for very long. Because if I stay put for too long, eventually they will catch up with me.”

  Adam let her words sink in for a few moments before saying, “Are you saying Paul knows where you are now?”

  “I don’t think he knows where I am now because if he did, I think he would’ve already shown himself. I haven’t seen any physical signs of him or his followers. But my sources tell me that in recent times his ability has grown stronger. He has found a way to use RTP…remotely, if you will, to control the forces of nature. They are speculating that even though he doesn’t know my location, he can use negative thoughts about me to cause bad things to happen to me, such as the fire and the avalanche.”

  “So, you think Paul was the one who caused those things to happen?” Adam said incredulously.

  “I’m not sure,” she said. “It could be possible. But if he has learned to channel RTP in that way, then that is not good at all. He could use internet searches and news reports about the events to narrow down his targets’ locations. We should all be very afraid.”

  “But what does he want?”

  She sighed and said, “That’s the long part of the story. We’ll get there.”

  Chapter 21

  Adam and Maddie sat quietly for a few moments. His mind was racing, trying to process all of the incredible information. He had so many questions. She had indicated that it would take a long time to tell the entire story. But out of all the questions he had, one troublesome thought kept occurring to him.

  He broke the silence and said, “Earlier, when you were demonstrating your powers to me, you mentioned something about eternal youth. What exactly did you mean by that?”

  She studied his face as she spoke, as if gauging his reaction. “People only age because they think they are supposed to. We have been conditioned all of our lives that it is an indisputable fact that we all must grow old and eventually die. Some people summon it upon themselves by thinking and believing they must age. I don’t believe in aging, so I don’t.”

  Still not comprehending, Adam said, “What do you mean by that? You… don’t age? Exactly how old are you?”

  She smiled slyly and said, “If you’re asking me how old I feel, or how old I want to be, then I’m twenty-eight. That’s a good age, isn’t it?”

  Adam was puzzled. Had she said twenty-eight because that was his age too? He said, “Let me rephrase the question. How many years have you been alive?”

  She stared past him, her eyes fixed on some point across the room as if recalling a distant time and place and said, “I was born in 1833 in Manchester, England.”

  Adam couldn’t help it. He felt his eyes widen and his mouth drop open, but no words came. This was too much. How was he supposed to believe the woman he loved was over 150 years old?

  Impossible.

  She didn’t look a day older than him. But everything else he had learned about her defied all logic as well. This was just par for the course. He managed to close his mouth and regain his composure—somewhat.

  Observing his reaction, Maddie stood and went to the bookshelf. She removed what appeared to be a very old photo album and returned to her place beside him. Without saying a word, she opened the album to the first page.

  The pictures reminded him of his grandmother’s old photos from when she was a little girl, and also the pictures of his great grandparents that were proudly displayed in his parents’ house. They were black and white with the photo paper slightly yellowing with age. They looked like photos of the Old West that Adam had seen in museums and on TV. A group of people surrounded what looked like an old horse-drawn, covered wagon. The men wore wide-brimmed hats, boots, handlebar mustaches, and holsters with pistols proudly displayed. There was also a woman and a young girl. They wore long dresses with lacy cuffs on the sleeves, hair pulled back, wide-brimmed hats, and they too sported guns. There were even a few
people dressed in what appeared to be Native American attire. Everyone wore serious expressions. No smiles.

  Adam’s eyes kept going back to the woman and young girl. The woman looked a lot like Maddie, but he could tell that it wasn’t her. He figured it had to be a relative of hers. He looked closer at the girl, at her eyes, the lips, and the nose.

  Was it? No, it couldn’t be.

  Maddie pointed at the girl in the picture and said, “When I was a young girl, my parents—like many others during that time—immigrated to the United States with hopes of finding land, settling, and striking it rich during the great California Gold Rush. They believed in the American Dream, freedom, and the promise of prosperity.

  “When I was fifteen years old, we were traveling the Santa Fe Trail through New Mexico. The Mexican-American war had just ended in 1848, and New Mexico had officially been declared a part of the United States. There was still a lot of upheaval and unrest, and traveling in the area was dangerous.

  “One night we stopped near Fort Union to find shelter for the night. While we slept, a nearby tribe of Apache Indians raided the fort. The inn we were staying in caught on fire. I awoke coughing and barely able to breathe. Smoke was everywhere. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I was screaming for my parents, but I never heard a response over the loud crackling of the flames and the roaring fire. I crawled blindly across the floor, next to the wall, until I managed to find my way out. My parents never made it out.”

  Maddie looked up at Adam. Tears were streaming down her face again. He pulled her closer to him and wiped her tears with his hand.

  “It was never determined whether or not the fire was arson or accidental. No suspects were ever identified. Justice was never served.

  “Orphaned and alone at age fifteen, I had nowhere to go. A Spanish gentleman who had emigrated from South America and amassed a great fortune as a prominent cattle rancher took pity on me. Pablo de Alvarado, known as Paul by those closest to him, was well-known and well-respected in the town. He took me in as a hired hand at his ranch. I was the cook in the main house.

  “Paul was very kind. He employed a lot of people who were down and out on their luck. His staff included other immigrants, people who were freed after the war and needed work, and members of some of the friendly, local Pueblo Indian tribes. He believed in treating everyone with equality, which helped him to develop many loyal friendships and allies. But because tensions were still high following the war, he also had enemies.

  “Over the course of the year that followed, Paul and I fell in love. Almost exactly a year to the day that he took me in, we were married. I was sixteen and Paul was twenty-nine. Back in those days, official marriage licenses were not required. We had a small, elegant ceremony in the church with a few of our closest friends. We were very happy together for a while.”

  Adam’s eyebrows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. “You got married at sixteen?”

  “You have to realize that people married at younger ages back then. They also didn’t live as long as people do now.”

  Adam was not enjoying this part of the story at all, but his need to know kept his rapt attention.

  Chapter 22

  As if in a trance, Maddie stared blankly at the wall and continued her story. “I truly loved Paul. He was kindhearted and very handsome. In fact, I guess I have a type, because he looks a lot like you, except his eyes are so dark brown they are almost black. There was such warmth and depth in his eyes that I often found myself lost in his gaze—captivated. My love for Paul helped me to recover from my parents’ deaths. I had a very good life with him.”

  Adam didn’t like being compared to Paul, but he didn’t want to interrupt, so he didn’t say anything.

  “Shortly after we were married, some of the Mexican immigrants who worked on Paul’s ranch, and who had become some of our best friends, began teaching Paul and me about RTP. We’ll call them Mel and Sancha, and their family members were masters of RTP. They believed in freely sharing the knowledge with family and friends.

  “Over the next couple of years, we practiced what had been taught to us. Our teachers had warned us that it could take many years, even decades, to truly master RTP. And some people could never open their minds enough to learn it. But Paul and I both seemed to have a gift for it, and we learned very quickly. Eventually, we became masters of RTP. We made a vow with those who taught us, and with each other, that we would only use RTP for good, and never for evil or illegal activities.”

  She looked down at her hands and paused for a moment. Adam felt as if he was listening to a fairy tale, or a story made up by a crazy person, but he didn’t dare to ask her any questions. He was afraid that if he interrupted her train of thought, she would have second thoughts and he might never get to hear the entire story. He waited patiently.

  She sighed heavily and said, “I haven’t spoken aloud what I’m about to tell you in a very long time, Adam. This part is very hard for me.”

  He remained silent and held her hand for reassurance.

  “You have to understand that back in those times, seventeen was considered childbearing age. When I was seventeen, Paul and I were blessed with our first child, a beautiful son. A year later, we were blessed with our second son.”

  Adam swallowed hard. “Can I have another beer, please?”

  Maddie pointed to the table and a cold Shark Fin materialized. Adam grabbed it and took several swigs.

  So she expected him to believe she was married and had two sons over 150 years ago? The story was getting more unbelievable by the minute. He wanted to believe her—had to believe her. What other logical explanation was there? He had nothing. He rubbed his eyes and raked the fingers of both hands through his hair. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take.

  Her tears were flowing again and her voice was raw with emotion as she continued, “For the next ten years, we worked the ranch and prospered as we raised our sons and taught them to use RTP. Life was great, and I had never been happier.

  “It was around that same time when we also learned of the ability to use RTP to prevent aging. It truly was the fountain of youth. We didn’t have to age any more if we didn’t want to. And who would want to?”

  She laughed halfheartedly through her tears.

  “Paul and I made a pact to stay young together forever, and to teach our sons to do the same. We would be young and happy forever.

  “But as I said, Paul had made some bitter enemies during the war, and while fighting for territory and land over the years. He had been involved in battles where people were killed. Back in those days, there was often lawlessness and vigilante justice, and even Paul—who was good to the core—had been forced to kill during the war, and while defending his property and his family. Because of this, there were people who sought revenge on him.

  “When the boys were eleven and twelve years old, we decided to allow them to go with Paul and some of the ranch hands on a cattle drive to Texas. Children were given more responsibilities at an earlier age back then, and we felt like they were old enough to help out with the family business. Both boys were excellent riders and ropers, and they were anxious to travel and see other parts of the country.

  “They had only been gone for a few days when they were ambushed by a gang of ranch hands from a rival cattle company. A fight ensued.”

  Her words trailed off. Adam could hear her breathing rapidly, as if she might hyperventilate. Her face was contorted in a mask of anguish as her lips began to tremble. She barely managed to choke out the next words, “Our sons were killed.”

  An uncontrollable sob rose out of her throat as Maddie collapsed into him, pressed her face into his chest, and unloaded all of her grief and pain.

  He held her tightly, rocking her and stroking her hair, allowing her all the time she needed to release the pent-up grief. He thought of all of the tragedies Maddie had faced in h
er lifetime. First the death of her parents, and then her sons. How could one person be expected to handle so much loss? It was remarkable she hadn’t gone completely insane.

  Or maybe she had.

  If what she was saying was true, it was clear that she grieved for her sons as much now as she had back then. Adam felt as if he was on the verge of tears himself, and he fought to maintain his composure. This story was too much for him to comprehend. He was glad she couldn’t see his face. It probably would have only upset her more.

  After a while her sobs quieted and her breathing returned to a more normal rate. She pulled away from him and wiped her tears away with the backs of her hands.

  Adam handed her a tissue and said softly, “You don’t have to tell me any more.”

  She shook her head and said, “I have to do this. I have to finish what I started.”

  She paused as if weighing her words carefully, and then continued, “People who have never had children cannot understand what it feels like to lose a child. We were devastated.

  “Paul fought desperately to save our boys, and he barely made it out alive. He was badly injured. He blamed himself for their deaths because he had failed to save them. Later, he confided in me that he wished he had died that day, rather than trying to live with the loss.

  “I completely fell apart. It was the worst thing that I had ever gone through—and have gone through since. It felt as if my whole life had been taken from me, as if my soul had been ripped from my body. I became a lifeless shell. I sank into a deep depression, curled up on my bed for a month, unable to cope, unable to eat, and unable to talk to anyone. I refused any help that was offered.

  “I wasn’t capable of comforting Paul or helping him heal from his physical and emotional injuries. At first he mourned in the same way I did, removing himself from interaction with the world. But then the anger began to fester within him like an infected wound.

  “Of course, we both hated the people who had done this to our sons. It was a normal reaction to want to kill them to get revenge. I thought about that often, even going as far as developing a plan of how I would carry it out without getting caught. But I knew deep down that I never would have been able to go through with it.