Unlearning

By Kerrigan Gladeon

Johnny found Bruce's suggestion of a simple relaxation excersise very helpful.

He was able to simply let the day go. He had found his abilities working far better

than before. Bruce and Walt were talking nearby." That rock he has is a royal gift?"

The Sheriff asked. "Yeah, Lemurian crystals are very rare. There's only one place in the world

you can find them, Then there's the way they form." twins are more rare than these singles."

Bruce and Walt began thinking about this. Who was the person who gave Johnny this gift?

Why had they given it to him? Johnny was on the beach that Rebecca had taught him to go to.

enjoying the warm sun and sand as he just let the terrible images fade away. He was actually able to

release all the emotions of those images as well. Walt watched him as he thought about the woman who he had seen near Johnny's house. Lean tall dark haired. He wondered what She had been doing there. It had taken a great deal of reserve to just pass on by As long as she wasn't trying to harass the psychic there was no reason for Walt to question her presence. The Woman had simply been there resting after a long walk. He had followed her back to that new age comminuty Faith Heritage was trying to get rid of. The numerous residents of The tiny village of Alder Grove it had been a thorn in the Reverend's side for

years but the people there were kinder than many of Bangor's locals And he'd only been called out there twice to remove over zealous indiviuals who actually had tried to force the villagers out. It wasn't until last year when the Reverend found out about the organic food farms the Villager's were running and the clean up of the Brady mill stream area. The new agers had been peacefully showing their love for their land. They weren't unchristian, or devil worshipers. Walt found them very cooperative. He had no reason to dislike these people, but now he was worried this community might be after his friend. So he went out to find the woman he'd seen outside Johnny's house.

Sharece was at home and more than happy to let Walt into the apartment. He found nothing that looked abnormal to what he was used to. It was a common place apartment. Sharece listened to his concerns and then smiled at him. "Ms Goliad, what do you want from Johnny Smith?" The Sheriff asked her.

"I'm not after him for any reason." Sharece replied. "He has been in pain for some time Sheriff."

Walt looked at her in surprise. "I've seen what he has seen it's that weight that was killing him.

There's one burden He can't share, of everything he has seen, this one vision has become so

heavy on his heart. Walt looked at her. "What is it?" Walt asked. Suddenly he began reassessing his reason for being there. He had thought he had come there with a fear for his friend in part that was true but he had always known there was something about Stillson and now one image from the bulletin boards in Johnny's basement stuck in his head. The picture of a firey mushroom cloud,

from a neuclear detonation! Suddenly he found himself aware of what was happening to his friend.

Walt now knew that he had really come here seeking other answers.

The one thing Johnny couldn't tell him, What he had seen when he touched Greg Stillson!

It didn't take him long to figure out the rest. He looked at Sharece. He found himself asking her one question."Are you like John?" He asked.

"I was, but I've grown far more than he has, there's much he needs to unlearn ." Sharece answered .

"Your friend is having trouble accepting himself. He's caught in a battle between what he

has been raised believe and he has discovered." She told the Sheriff. Walt was only beginning to understand what Sharece was saying. His mind going over everything, that had happened over the years. Johnny had always said he'd never wanted this. "There's still hope for your friend." She said

"But to find that hope, Johnny Smith, needs to question his version of reality. Which I've been trying to get him to do." She finished. The sheriff, nodded and after a few minutes actually left. He now had a crime that was actually in the progress of being committed. If Sharece was to be believed then what Johnny was seeing from Stillson was something far more terrible than just the killing of one person.

He left the apartment feeling a huge ball of ice in his chest. The Knowledge was terrifying, yet at the same time he understood that this woman was was here not for what she was looking for but for what

his friend sought. a calm in the storm of the fear and heart ache, Johnny Smith experienced every time he saw the senseless destruction of a life.

Johnny was sitting one night looking at the sky above him. He held the crystal in his hand

finally he let go of the need to find a reason. He knew that he had always tried to find a reason for this curse being laid upon him. He wasn't a perfect person, His so called perfect life, of before wasn't what he had tried to believe that it was . There were dark times, and there were moments that were incredibly bright. But he had never really faced the truth before. That his life, had been a constant struggle, with this power within him. That it had always been there, quietly waiting for him to stop being afraid of the way other people would see him.

This fear had caused him to fight this unending battle within, himself based on his. He found that He wasn't happy growing up. The accident and coma he had been through wasn't

the end of what had been a perfect life. He had made up a fortress like lie and made choices about his life ever since based on his fear anger and pain. He blamed God for what had happened to his father and this power within him. Purdy was God's representative and Johnny realised that is why he

begruged the faith heritage alliance his Mother's time and money. Strangely he was aware now of so many negative emotions.

But as he began to examine these things he thought about the Sharece and why she had given him

the crystal. He had begun taking time to be quiet and to release the fear, anger and pain built up over the years, not just from his life now but from before his abilities were less painful for him.

Introspectively he had never truly been able to see things the way he was now. Then he felt a familiar warmth envelope him. It had been a while since he had felt it and he found himself smiling, Sharece was outside. He went out and she was smiling at him. "Have you found an answer yet?" she asked him. Johnny smiled as he sat down talking with her. " I'm not who I thought I was." He replied. His eyes seemed clearer than before. "Who are you then?" She asked him. "I'm not sure yet." He replied.

" But you know now that you aren't who you thought you were, That's a start." She replied.

Johnny nodded. There was a very long silence.

Three weeks later:

Johnny met with Rebecca, and he thought about the way his future self, had been angry with her. The thought made him shiver slightly. "So I got a new job." She said. Johnny nodded, as she told him about the group she now worked for. " They help get people out of such terrible situations then I help them find their way back to living again." Rebecca told him Johnny was glad that she had found something that made her happy."So how are you doing?" She asked him. Johnny lowered hishead. "I really don't know, what to tell you I've been doing what I was when you found me I guess." He said. "Rebecca there's this woman, I met just once but she gave me this rock , Bruce called it a lemurian crystal. Johnny showed her the crysral and she smiled. "OOO, anice one too." Rebecca told him. "Oneof my kidshad one, It'snot often you see such a noble gift. Sheadded. Johnny looked at the crystal. "Yeah I've had this one fora couple of Months. Didthis kid give you any idea what they used it for?" He asked.Rebecca smiled It's all in the way the crystal isshaped. I think yours is achanneling crystal, maybe a golden healer. I have to study this stuff keeping up with the new age stuff isn't easy but Lemurian crystals are expensive and very, very unusual. I've been considering getting one myself. You'd be surprised how some people are put at ease by the sight of a crystal in a psycologists office. I bought a simple selenite point a few years ago that I've kept in my office, and there's some people who just seem to respond well to them others don't even seen to notice and then there are the ones whoare undecided one way or the other." She said.

Johnny nodded. He began to understand use of this crystal was a personal preference. "Well I've been just carrying it around a good luck charm kind of thing I guess, but I've neverreally known exactly what to do with it." He told her. "It's still a nice one." She responded . They had dinner and Johnny told her about his most recent adventures.When they returned to the inn and Rebecca said good night, Johnny smiled at her. "Goodnight Rebecca." He said.then he walked away No closer to the reason his future self, had been so angry with her.