“there is no use trying,” said alice; “one can’t believe impossible things.” “i dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the queen. “when i was your age, i always did it for half an hour a day. why, sometimes i’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” lewis carroll ppenelope spence had seen and heard many strange and unbelievable things in her life, but this one topped the cake. “you mean to tell me that you and i are going to walk out of possibly the most secure prison in america, and no one is going to try and stop us?” “yes.” “with you in handcuffs and dressed in a bright orange outfi t with ‘prisoner’ written on the back.” “yes.” “are you going to take me hostage?” “of course not.” “will my life or health be at risk in any way?” “no.” “will i be considered an accomplice or charged with helping you escape?” “i don’t see how. but someone may threaten you later to try to make you talk.” 67 the fourth awakening spence leaned back in her chair, folded her arms across her chest and blinked at walker a few times. this was easily the most outrageous thing she had ever heard in her life. every neuron in her brain was shouting for her to stand up and walk out of the room in the off chance that whatever mental deficiency michael walker suffered from might be airborne and contagious. she decided to try a diff erent tack. “if you can walk out anytime you want, why are you still here?” “i needed to meet you, remember?” “me?” “yes. i already told you that.” “but you were caught…” “i wasn’t caught. i let them catch me. big diff erence.” “so, you’re telling me…” penelope struggled for the exact words she needed. “you allowed yourself to be captured because you knew they would bring you to charleston and i would stop in to see you?” “we’ve already discussed this previously. the only problem was they kept taking me to the wrong prison. i had to get arrested three times before they finally got it right. i think at some level smith was on to me and was trying to make this as diffi cult as possible.” “what do you mean, smith was ‘on to you’?” “as i said, very few people can be around me for any length of time without starting to show signs of advancing toward enlightenment. somehow, robert has been able to do it. i would love to know how.” “enlightenment,” penelope muttered, holding her forehead with both hands as if trying to keep her cranium from exploding. she was getting hit from so many directions with so many unbelievable concepts; her brain was swimming in a morass of irrationality. instead of trying to sort out all of this at once, penelope did what she normally did when confronted with multiple problems: prioritize. “you’re telling me, you’ve allowed yourself to be captured three times, and you’ve escaped three times, so you can meet me?” “you keep asking the same questions.” “i’m a reporter. it’s what we do.” “why?” “to see if the answer has changed since the last time we asked.” “i see. three and two, actually.” “three and two what?” 68 rod pennington & jeffery a. martin “i’ve been captured three times but i’ve only escaped twice, so far.” “okay. let’s try this. you can escape at anytime you want?” “yes.” “do i have to say or do anything for you to escape?” “no, quite the opposite.” “what does that mean?” “since you know i’m leaving, it is important that you don’t say or do anything to give the guards a heads up. in fact, i need you to put it completely out of your mind.” “what? why?” “because you’re the only one who could stop me from escaping.” “what? what!” for once in her life, penelope spence was unable to form any words with more than four letters that didn’t begin with “w”. “while your mind is raw and you’re just learning how to use the power of thought, you are quite a formidable presence. if you’re thinking about me escaping, it might cause the others in the area, particularly robert, to pick up on it and stop me.” “you are moon-barking mad! people can’t just walk out of prisons without being seen.” “sure they can. a physical prison is easy to leave, once you’ve allowed yourself to leave the mental prison.” “mental prison? it sounds to me like you should be in a mental hospital!” “once you have mastered the power of thought many seemingly impossible options become effortless. in fact, some of the people who have already become aware of the awakening are exploiting it for their personal benefi t.” “what are you talking about?” “there are books and weekend seminars on how to get everything you want just by controlling your thoughts.” penelope’s mind flashed back to the book on her nightstand. “th e power of positive thinking has been around forever. what’s wrong with that?” “we’re not talking norman vincent peale, but something much more significant. mankind is moving toward the fourth awakening, which will cause an upheaval with far-reaching implications.” walker shook his head. “what?” penelope asked. “i would have hoped more people, upon discovering this secret, would 69 the fourth awakening aspire to enlightenment instead of a nice vacation, cash, or,” walker locked his eyes on hers, “a better parking place.” penelope flushed slightly. was it possible that this odd man could actually read her thoughts? were her thoughts really being projected out into some unseen universe where voyeurs and mental peeping toms were lurking? no. that simply wasn’t possible. “it really is time to go. after all, we’ve been talking for over an hour.” penelope checked her watch, which was just about to tick past the 15 minute mark. this guy really is crazy, she thought to herself. on the other hand, she had to admit that the conversation had seemed much longer than 14 minutes. “here’s the deal. all you need to do is stand up and ask to leave, and i’ll meet you at your prius. if we get separated, meet me tomorrow at noon at the east bay street end of the old city market.” “how did you know i drove a…never mind. okay. show me what you’ve got.” “one other thing.” “here we go,” thought penelope. she had been expecting some quibbling, or a potential excuse to be used later. “if i do exactly what i say i’m going to, will you believe me on some of the other stuff ?” like so many things involving michael walker, this was unexpected. the only answer that seemed to make any sense blurted out of her mouth. “sure. why not?” just then, the door flew open. smith strode into the room and indicated that penelope’s 15 minutes were up. “ready?” walker asked. “i’m definitely ready,” penelope spence said as she pushed her chair away from the table and stood up. walker didn’t move. . aas i rise to my feet i feel a slight dizziness and hear a faint buzzing noise like a conversation heard through the wall of another room. it is as if i stood up too quickly and all of the blood had rushed away fr om my brain. walker is still seated and smiling at me. the sensation is like the one i felt earlier in the day at the bank. it wasn’t unpleasant, just different. i turn off the electronic jammer, look at the video camera closest to me and head for 70 rod pennington & jeffery a. martin the door. a burly guard holds the door open for me. as i walk around smith i catch a glimpse of michael walker in the corridor ahead of me. turning my head, i see him still in exactly the same place he had been during the interview. he smiles and waves to me again. but i know i just saw him in the hallway. somehow he is in two places at the same time. i feel my knees wobble, but i don’t go down. assistant director robert smith begins to walk me out. i feel as if the world is moving in slow motion and an irrepressibly deep inner-peace settles over me. i feel detached from the concerns of my body and daily life; almost like a spectator watching events unfold below fr om the vantage point of a hot air balloon or while perched on a cloud. i still sense my worries and they seem to matter, just not nearly as much. reaching my car i discover a man, in an orange jump suit, kneeling next to the wheel well of my right rear tire. it is michael walker. . tthe sight of walker jarred penelope out of her peaceful haze and caused her heart to race. he had done exactly what he said he was going to do. how was that possible? the only logical answer; it wasn’t possible. walker pulled a small electronic box off penelope’s car and stuck it on the car in the next parking space. “tracking device.” he said. “i’ve found three others on your car. someone is serious.” “i don’t understand.” “no time to explain now. let’s go.” penelope got behind the wheel but her hands were shaking so badly that she had difficulty inserting the key in the ignition. penelope’s breath was coming in gulps and her mouth was watering. she could taste bitter bile building in the back of her throat, usually a precursor to throwing up. walker, from the passenger seat, reached over and helped her get the key in the slot. his hand on hers stopped the trembling. “we really need to get going,” walker said. “why?” “because in about two minutes, they will notice that i’m gone.” penelope turned the key and headed toward the front gate. “how are we going to get past the guards?” “let me worry about that,” walker answered. 71 the fourth awakening as they approached the guard station, on the inbound side a car rear-ended a pickup truck that had been slow to pull away from the check-in. both drivers got out of their vehicles and began yelling at each other. th e guards manning the gate stepped out of their small building to intervene before any fists could be thrown. walker ducked down as penelope’s car moved under the video cameras. “just keep driving slowly but don’t stop,” he said. the only remaining guard at the outbound gate, distracted by the fender bender in the other lane, waved them through without checking the interior of the car. as they cleared the gate walker let out a sigh. they were only a few hundred yards further when a loud horn and siren began wailing behind them. in the rearview mirror penelope could see the guards lowering the front gate and a large military vehicle moving in front of the entrance, blocking the path of the black suburban with heavily tinted windows that had been behind them in the exit queue. “apparently, they’ve noticed i’m gone.” walker closed his eyes and his breathing became rhythmic. . ssomehow penelope and walker ended up in west ashley park. she had driven all the way to the rear area. there was a little used parking lot with a bridge leading across a creek to a small rectangular island, created when they dug the canals for the adjoining neighborhood. when the car stopped, walker’s eyes opened for the first time since they left the brig. “well done,” he said patting her on the knee. what she might normally perceive as an insincere or patronizing gesture instead fi lled penelope with a pride and zest for life she hadn’t felt in, well, ever. “that was the most amazing thing i’ve seen in my life. i mean, i saw you in two places at once. i saw you. you did exactly what you said you were going to do. i mean, i saw it myself. if someone had told me this was going to happen, i would have laughed at them.” penelope shook her head and laughed. “come to think of it, someone did tell me it was going to happen and i did laugh at them. i mean you. i didn’t laugh in your face, but boy, i sure was tempted.” she paused for a moment and shook her head again. “how did you do that?” walker let her ramble uninterrupted; the rest and meditation had 72 rod pennington & jeffery a. martin restored the twinkle in his eye. “it’s really not that diffi cult.” “what do you mean? what you did wasn’t some magician’s trick. you actually got yourself out of jail. how did you do it?” “i used the power of thought. i let my conscious mind, subconscious mind and super conscious mind know that getting out of prison was what i wanted… then i released it.” “th at’s it?” “it’s pretty much that simple. let the universe know what will make you happy and it will provide it.” “when did you develop this power?” penelope could tell from walker’s pained expression that she had, once again, missed his point. “i didn’t develop any special powers. i simply released all of the preconceived notions that had been restricting my personal growth, and allowed my mind to surrender.” “surrender?” “you can do exactly the same thing anytime you want.” “what?” “if you can convince the different elements of your mind to agree that being somewhere else is what you truly want, the power of thought will take you there. it’s just that simple.” “right.” the euphoria of the escape was starting to wear off and the cynical skeptic that kept her conscious mind on the straight and narrow began to reassert herself. “just that simple.” “anyone can do it if they just allow themselves.” “including me?” “especially you.” “what makes me special?’ “you’ve already shown flashes of mastering the power of thought. when your unconscious mind is convinced something is impossible, then it is impossible. this is why you’re having so much trouble getting your arms around all of this. your intellect and natural skepticism are holding you back.” walker shook his head. “once you get past that…” his voice drift ed off and a heavy silence settled over the pair as he looked deeply into her eyes. penelope was torn. was it possible that everything she had ever been taught was fundamentally flawed? did she have the ability to do what walker had done, or was she falling under the spell of a charming conman? 73 the fourth awakening “if i wanted to be in a different place how would i convince my mind to take me there?” “don’t think about all of the possibilities and obstacles. simply tell your mind to take over. it will do what needs to be done.” “th at’s it?” “that’s it, but you really have to be sincere. you can’t lie to yourself.” after a brief pause to allow his recent bombshell to sink in, he asked, “where are my clothes?” “what? i don’t have any clothes…” her eyes flew open. “th e goodwill bag i threw in the trunk a few days ago with some of bill’s old stuff .” penelope’s face crinkled into a frown as she popped the trunk and they headed to the back of the car. how closely had he been watching her if he knew exactly what she had in the trunk of her car? without a hint of modesty walker stripped down to his birthday suit. his body was rippled with lean muscle and near zero fat; penelope felt tingles in places she’d assumed had relocated during the menopause remodeling and not left a forwarding address. ripping open the plastic garbage bag he rummaged around until he found a pair of sweat pants and a golf shirt. on the floor of the car’s trunk was an old pair of battered tennis shoes. in his new wardrobe he could pass for anyone they might meet in the park. walker tied the orange jumpsuit around a softball ball-sized rock that was conveniently next to the car and tossed it into the creek. “the money.” walker held out his hand. “what money?” then she remembered the visit to her bank. as she reached for her purse she also remembered the strange sensations she felt in the bank. her eyes shot up and met his with a look of astonishment. he shrugged as he reached out to take the envelope that was still fi lled with 30 one hundred dollar bills. “i suppose you’re good for it.” again his smile wrapped her in warmth that made her feel safe and comfortable. “wait a minute,” penelope said as she pulled the envelope back. “with all your money, and if you knew you were coming to charleston, why didn’t you plan this better?” “i thought it was well planned and brilliantly executed.” “what do you mean?” “we created a diversion at the guard station and timed it so all the 74 rod pennington & jeffery a. martin people trying to follow you would be stuck inside when they sealed the gate. i thought it went off fl awlessly.” “you staged the accident at the guard station?” “of course,” walker answered as he adjusted the collar on the borrowed shirt. a puzzled expression covered penelope’s face. “let’s say for a minute i believe you masterminded this entire escape and timed it down to the last second. you could have cash and a getaway car stashed just outside the brig.” “you’re right, i could have. but it wasn’t worth the risk.” “what risk?” “that someone might have sensed what we were doing and thrown obstacles in our path.” “you mean there are others like you?” “yes and you as well. as the awakening builds momentum, there will be more and more of us. ” “god help us all. was that you i sensed at the bank?” walker laughed and shrugged. “if you ever get that feeling again, don’t try to rationalize it, just follow where it leads. i’ll explain more the next time we meet.” “what?” there was that word again. “you’re leaving? why?” “we have to establish an alibi that proves you had nothing to do with my escape. i’ll meet you tomorrow at noon. you remember where?” “east bay street end of the old city market.” “look,” walker said soft ly. “what you’ve seen so far today is a lot to absorb, but you have to shake it off and be on your ‘a’ game. the next few hours are going to be a bit rough for you. fortunately, there should be enough media coverage to protect you.” “protect me? protect me from what?” walker smiled but didn’t answer. “just remember, you didn’t have anything to do with my escape. when they ask where you went, tell them the truth. since i may not have gotten all of the tracking devices, they may know where you are already. tell them you came here to think.” walker looked her up and down. “be careful. some doors in your mind have already opened today, and you don’t realize it yet. right now you are very vulnerable but at the same time very powerful. i wish i could stay to 75 the fourth awakening get you over this hump, but that is not what’s best. do you have someone to stay with tonight?” “my friend joey.” “excellent. you really shouldn’t be alone.” he grabbed both of her arms and stared deeply into her eyes. “you must control your emotions and try to be completely positive. it is important that you are not alone tonight. do you understand?” he felt her starting to tremble and she broke eye contact. “yes. i think so.” “you’ve been amazing.” he kissed her gently on the forehead, causing a jolt like a mild electrical shock that started between her eyebrows then traveled down her body, exiting through her feet. before she could ask any more questions, walker began to jog away. looking back over his shoulder he shouted, “call the best lawyer you know and have him meet you at your house. you’re going to need him!” he vanished around a bend in the road. picking up her cell phone she had over 20 voice mails, 15 of them from senator horn. she dialed the private number the senator had given her and he answered it personally on the first ring. “penelope, is that you?” “yes, senator.” “are you okay?” “yes, why? “michael walker has escaped. he got out right after he spoke to you.” “really? i had forgotten to turn my cell phone back on.” “what did that maniac say to you?” ”most of it sounded like gibberish to me, senator.” “it will all be clearer tomorrow.” “why tomorrow?” “watch the sunday morning political talk shows and you’ll fi nd out. i’m going to tell the entire world about the hermes project.” th e line went dead.