Chapter 9

"In order to evade suspicion we should talk through telepathy all of the time," Rick said as if he didn't notice that John was baffled that he looked like a lawyer. "We'll talk about this with the mind, it's too conspicuous here." John was still opened mouthed at the fact that Rick looked like this so when Rick tried to turn him around with a hand on the shoulder, all John did was continue to stare. "Let's sit," Rick said. John finally gave in because he knew it was pointless to ask how Rick had achieved this.

Well you are obviously surprised at my appearance but that is one question I will never answer, Rick said with seriousness in his voice. We are here to teach you telepathy so you can contact Lenrog and attempt the impossible at saving the world. John was offended that Rick wasn't taking him seriously but knew that it was for the best not to argue. In order to start, you must clear your mind of everything that is stressful. For you it might be difficult because you’re so caught up on a pointless attempt.

John concentrated hard but the more he tried to forget something, the more he thought about it. He thought this would happen because in every book he had ever read, the character had easily done it, but if you thought about not thinking about it, you think about it, it's just common sense.

Exactly!

You just cut off my concentration, John complained.

Yes but that concentration was what I was trying to teach you. Instead of a head on approach, you need to look at it from the side, that's how you'll need to talk to Lenrog in order to convince him. Now, what calms you down? Music, I read that in your mind FYI, so think of music and nothing else. Possibly your favorite song or a slow meaningful song. Then you will be calm and relaxed.

John tried and to his astonishment, it worked, he was completely calm.

The next step is to, in a sense, enter your own mind, feel like it is your own body. Just a heads up, this is the hardest step so if you can't we can try again later.

Are you kidding? The world has like a week before no one can speak, I need to learn now!

If you’re so determined, then why don't you try and enter your own mind instead of complaining to me about one misplaced word?

Fine. John closed his eyes and closed his mind, and opened his mind at the same time. Nothing was around him, yet he could sense everything. He was just the same floating figure as before, in a world of black but with hundreds of different thoughts and options that others were thinking. Turning his dreamed up head, John saw his mind in a bubble, it was almost all empty except for a giant section of curiosity. Pushing through the weightlessness of the black, John "swam" until he floated through his own brain. He was at peace, nothing was there to attack him, all his troubles were gone. But something puzzled John; there was a fuzzy cloud inside his brain, like another person's mind besides his own. Rick?

Terrific, now that you have accessed your mind, you can direct it entirely on one thing.

So I can contact Lenrog?

No, and before you protest, I'll explain. If you open up your mind to Lenrog before you can protect yourself, the whole thing would be pointless. You would be destroyed if he was in the mood to.

Well how can I protect myself, John said in a snotty tone.

To start you should stay relaxed because if you take a look at your mind there are thousands of emotions, which Lenrog won't be able to stand. In order to protect yourself, you need to be aware. I will attack your mind and you must fight off my attack.

John calmed down and his mind's invisible boundaries were all that was there except for Rick's mind of course. All seemed calm, wasn't Rick supposed to attack him? All of a sudden, a gigantic wave of pain was cast over his entire being. John's body tightened to evade the pain. John's "eyes" squinted as he looked at the fuzzy figure of Rick. Pushing as hard as he could, John drifted toward Rick while the pain rapidly increased. John barley noticed but the closer he moved to Rick, his body seemed to separate and disintegrate in the area behind him. Closer and closer, the pain intensifying, and his body disappearing, John pulled back his "fist", leaned back, and punched as hard as possible. Rick's "figure" moved slightly until the extreme unimaginable pain disappeared. For the first time in what seemed like forever, John took a "breath".

But when Rick came back up, John was so scared that Rick would inflict the pain again, that he punched Rick again. He started to move back up and WHAM! John hit him again and again until an echoing voice protested.

"Stop, stop! That is enough! Stop!" John had just realized the power of what he had done. He had attacked Rick's being over and over, which, as John found out, is very difficult to deal with. Immediately John ceased his constant beating on the fragile figure. His mind drifted away from the black sea and he saw Rick next to him clutching his head and rocking back and forth.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-- I'm sorry," John panicked since Rick hadn't answered, asked for anything, or stopped holding his head.

"Stop yelling and apologizing," Rick yelled while panting, "You did exactly what you were supposed to. This happened because I took the risk." His eyes were still closed, he was still panting, but it did seem to slow down. After a minute or so, Rick sat straight up, and by John's surprise, congratulated him.

"That was fantastic, I don't think anyone has ever learned that fast, especially someone who is mentally challenged," he said with enthusiasm and a smile on his face. "That's enough for today, we'll continue tomorrow."

"No!" John yelled.

"But you must be tired from all of that?"

"Yes, but if the world is about to become toast, I need to learn as fast as possible."

"I've heard the drill. Well, if you won't stop, then we will continue with the last step, entering someone else's mind." To begin with this, you need to be in the calm state again. John did as he was told and once again, he was in his own little safe bubble along with Rick. What you need to do is exit your mind into the endless sea. Follow me. Rick's figure passed through the membrane and John followed. We will enter my mind; I will automatically be allowed to enter. But you need to concentrate on one thing, that you mean no harm. Just think it over and over again. See you on the inside.

John approached the barrier and thought that he meant no harm, but he thought it was mostly hype and supernatural stuff so he didn't actually think that hard. He floated closer to the barrier and was about to glide through the transparent wall when his hand touched it. An even more enormous amount of pain than Ricks attack engulfed John. It was as if lightning bolts were sent in, out, and around his body. Now he was just begging for mercy. I don't want to hurt you! John screamed. I mean no harm! I mean no harm! And just like when John punched Rick, the pain went away. He drifted through almost like an entire electric storm hadn't engulfed him seconds before. John was on the brink of the fetal position from his fear. What if some other hazarded came and attacked him?

Don't worry, you're safe now. But I need to say. . .what were you thinking? Really, what were you thinking? Because it obviously wasn't that you meant no harm, if that were true then you wouldn't have almost died! Rick screamed so loud that it bounced off the walls of his mind. At least I can say, congratulations, you now know telepathy. But before you contact Lenrog, you should know that dragon minds are much harder to penetrate than human minds. I wouldn't approve of it till tomorrow.

I'm still going to try though. He can't destroy me, and even if I can't get into his mind, I still can get his attention.

Fine, but I will just tell you it won't work.

Whatever. John disconnected and stood up. "Thank you," he said with so much appreciation, that it almost made him cry. They weren't all going to die. John could save them. He turned to walk away and after he was on the same path that used to be a disappointment, he calmed his mind and floated around the black sea looking for a mind bubble that looked like it might belong to a dragon. He spotted one that was pure green just like Lenrog. This one might be it. As he drifted toward it there was something he didn't notice before, a label. John looked intently at it and saw the letters LENROG engraved on a white plate of crystal. His heart was racing all he needed to do was enter. I mean no harm. I mean no harm. I mean no harm. Which was true and he drifted through. He had done the impossible, but celebration was for later, now he needed to call for Lenrog. Lenrog, he said, are you there?

What, who is it? said a voice that seemed awfully similar to John. Another figure appeared inside the mind bubble that was exactly the same as the one he had seen multiple times before. John, I thought I told you not to do this.

Rick?

I shouldn't have said that.