After Thought

by P. A. Crenshaw

  Adam considered it.

  “I think you manifested all of this, Maddie.”

  She shook her head.

  “I tried to leave you, remember?”

  “Um, yeah, that one’s not easy to forget.”

  “You brought me back. Your thoughts and feelings were so strong that you manifested me coming back.”

  “But I didn’t consciously think, ‘I’m manifesting Maddie back into my life.’”

  “Adam, our thoughts become things. What we focus intently on is what we manifest. Whether they are conscious or subconscious thoughts, they become what we experience. And you, my love, are a powerful manifestor.”

  Before he could answer, she pulled him closer to her and kissed him deeply. Her tongue explored his. His body responded to her immediately. He began to run his hands up under her shirt.

  “Ahem,” said Helen, appearing in the doorway. “Excuse me, but dinner will be ready soon. Would you care to join us for those gin and tonics?”

  Startled, Adam and Maddie released their embrace and stepped apart.

  “Thank you, Helen. We’ll be right there,” said Maddie as she straightened her shirt.

  Creepy.

  Dinner with Helen and Ian was different than dinner with Sancha and Mel. The conversation was superficial, even after a few gin and tonics. The food was delicious, but Adam was glad when Ian and Helen retreated to their wing of the house. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he just didn’t feel comfortable around them.

  Maddie said, “There are a few more things I want to show you. Follow me.”

  She led him down a dimly lit, concrete passageway that didn’t fit in with the rest of the house. Adam thought it resembled the entrance to the Bat Cave. At the end of the corridor, there were shelves that contained various types of helmets, boots, and motorcycle gear, and a clothes rack where a few leather jackets were hung.

  Light reflected off the large metal door as Maddie opened it. When they stepped inside, Adam got his first glimpse of Maddie’s vehicle collection. He froze and covered his open mouth with both hands.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” he said. “This is freakin’ awesome!”

  Maddie laughed and said, “Boys and their toys.”

  “Look who’s talking. You’re the one with a garage full of cars and motorcycles.”

  “They’re investments.”

  “You mean to tell me you don’t ever drive any of them?”

  She looked down and said, “Um, rarely.”

  Realizing his blunder, Adam said, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “It’s okay. Take a look around. Try them out.”

  “You mean I can touch them?”

  “Of course. Check out the interiors, too.”

  Like a kid in a candy store, Adam wove through the maze of rare Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, Mercedes, Kawasakis, Ducatis, and Harley Davidsons, pretending to drive each one. He had never seen any of them in real life. He couldn’t believe it.

  “I wish we could take them for a test drive,” said Maddie, “but I don’t think it’s a good idea at the moment.”

  Adam got annoyed every time he was reminded that Maddie was not free to live her life out in the open. He wished he could do something about it. As he was thinking, he saw something that caused him to stop in his tracks. There before him was a Harley Davidson Cosmic Starship and, not one but two 1962 260 CSX2000 Shelby Cobras—one red and one blue.

  Adam blinked, rubbed both eyes, and blinked again. His mouth fell open again as he covered it with both hands. Those were the exact models he had mentioned to Maddie when she was teaching him how to use RTP.

  “Well, what do you think?” said Maddie.

  “They’re incredible. They’re even more amazing than I dreamed they would be.”

  Maddie motioned for him to try them out.

  “Seriously? I don’t want to mess them up.”

  Grinning, she said, “I can fix them if you do.”

  He gingerly took a seat in the red Shelby Cobra, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

  “Do you like them?”

  “Like them? I’m in heaven. I love them.”

  “They’re yours then. The motorcycle and both cars.”

  Adam blinked and looked at Maddie sideways, not sure if he had heard her right.

  “Maddie, that’s very generous of you, but I can’t accept these.”

  “Why not?”

  “They’re way too expensive. I can’t afford them.”

  “There’s no cost. You manifested them. They are yours.”

  “I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, but I didn’t manifest them. They were already here. They’ve been yours all along.”

  “Don’t you see, Adam? You stated that you wanted them. Do you think it was a coincidence that you just happened to perfectly describe a motorcycle and two cars I already owned? I don’t think so. You thought about them, and no matter how they came to you, your thoughts became real things. You manifested them into your life, so therefore, they are yours. I told you that you are a strong manifestor.”

  “I can’t take them, Maddie.”

  “I insist.”

  “I can’t.”

  She crossed her arms and said more firmly, “I insist.”

  They stared at each other for a long moment, then Adam jumped out of the car, picked Maddie up around the waist, and swung her around.

  “Have I ever told you how amazing you are, Madeline Smith?”

  They both laughed like children as they spun around and around.

  Almost falling over from dizziness, Adam steadied them both and pulled Maddie close. He kissed her, gently at first, and then more passionately. She leaned against the car door as she put her arms around his neck and pulled his body closer to hers. Their kissing became more frenzied as their hands explored each other’s bodies. Maddie fumbled with Adam’s pants button and zipper. Adam paused and looked at her questioningly.

  “Here?” he whispered.

  She kissed him deeper as her hands slid into his fly and pulled his pants down. He moaned as she touched him, and unfastened her jeans as well. He gently lifted her by the waist until she was straddling him. He carried her to the front of the car, gently lowered her onto the hood, and finished removing her pants. She lay back on the hood and put her legs over his shoulders as he entered her. They both moaned as he lowered and kissed her deeply while their bodies moved together in the rhythmic love dance. Enamored by the house, the motorcycles, the cars, the woman he loved, Adam had never experienced anything so exotic. Hell, he was making love to Maddie on the hood of a classic Shelby Cobra, which he was now the proud owner of. He exploded in ecstasy as he felt Maddie’s body convulsing around him. This was a night he would never forget.

  He and Maddie spent the rest of the evening in the master bedroom suite making love, relaxing in the hot tub, drinking champagne, and enjoying her luxurious home.

  While they were sitting in the hot tub relaxing, Adam said, “I have to ask. What do you do when you’re alone and you live in a house with all this space?”

  She said, “That’s just it, Adam. That’s part of the reason I choose not to live here anymore. There was a time in my life when I thought this was what I wanted. When wealth and fortune and power were what motivated me. I wanted the mansions and fancy cars. I thought the material things would make me happy. And they did for a while—at least I thought they did. Then I realized that all these material things cannot make happiness. I would be in my house, surrounded by all of my material possessions, and I would feel so lonely. At times, it was overwhelming to be in here. So I decided to move out. It was actually a relief when I left. But it was also sad because I have so many memories here. This was my life for many years. It’s my museum—my shrine to myself. I need to visit every now and then to remember my
past life. Just being here a day or two is enough. Then I’m ready to go live in a little apartment in New York City.”

  She smiled at him and said, “I’m more comfortable there.”

  Adam tried to understand what she was saying. But at the same time he had never experienced what it was like to have the kind of wealth and power she had manifested. He still wanted a chance to experience those things and come to his own conclusion about whether or not material things could make him happy. He got the feeling Maddie would be open to either way of living as long as they were together, and he certainly hoped they would be. But deep down, he knew he was already beginning to understand what she was talking about. When she had left him, nothing else had mattered. Yes, the material things were icing on the cake, but the most important thing was to have her in his life. However, he decided that for now he would like to try to have his cake and eat it, too.

  Chapter 41

  Maddie had originally planned for them to stay two nights in her house, but the next morning she suddenly changed her mind and was ready to leave. Adam didn’t know if it was because of the car-parking incident, or if she was just feeling unsure about Ian, Helen, and the KTP. She said they were going to Los Alamos, New Mexico, so he could see some of the historic sites, ancient ruins, and nature and wildlife areas. He didn’t question her reasons for leaving so abruptly. She had been so secretive about the trip, she probably wouldn’t tell him anyway. He just let her run the show.

  As they were saying good-bye to Ian and Helen, Maddie handed Adam the rental car keys. He thought it was odd because she had always insisted on driving up until now. Again, he felt like it wasn’t the time to question her. When they had finished saying their good-byes and it was finally time to back out of the garage, he noticed that Maddie had adjusted her seat as far back as it would go and slumped down out of any passerby’s view. It made him feel uneasy. Maybe she really did believe KTP was nearby and watching. He looked at her, concerned.

  She shrugged and said, “It doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

  “Cautious?” he said, furrowing his brow.

  “I had a nightmare last night,” she said. “You know, one of those dreams so vivid that it seems real? I know this is going to sound crazy, but it just made me feel uneasy about being here.”

  “What was it about?”

  “Never mind. I don’t want to speak it into existence. I’m trying to forget about it. Let’s just focus on having an amazing time in Los Alamos. You’ll love it.”

  The drive from Santa Fe to Los Alamos was about fifty miles by way of the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway along Highway 14. It started at Sandia Crest and went through the mining towns of Golden, Madrid, and Cerrillos. There were some breathtaking views along the way, with long stretches of nothing but desert hills covered with brush and cactus, and the mountains were always majestically looming in the far distance. For several miles there were no trees to be seen, at least not the kinds of trees Adam was accustomed to. Being from the East Coast, he had never seen such wide open spaces, and he still marveled at the unique beauty of the high desert landscape.

  They were on a long stretch of road, with hardly any other cars coming or going, when Maddie started to doze off. Adam tuned to his favorite satellite station and sang quietly while Maddie drifted off to sleep.

  A little while later, a flash in the rearview mirror caught Adam’s eye—what looked like a police car in the distance, approaching rapidly with lights flashing. Their car was the only other car on the road at the moment, and he looked at the speedometer to make sure he wasn’t speeding. He was only going about five miles over the speed limit, but slowed down just in case. In a place like New Mexico, with long stretches of highway and nothingness, the temptation to speed seemed inevitable. He figured that if people didn’t speed, it would take forever to get anywhere.

  He didn’t alert Maddie to the police approaching because he was hoping they would just pass him by. There was no reason to wake her up. And besides, if they pulled him over, he figured she would know soon enough. The police car must have been going extremely fast because it caught up to them in no time. When it got close, Adam realized there was not just one, but two police cars—one right behind the other, both with their lights and sirens on. He wondered why they were in such a hurry. Had there been an accident somewhere?

  When they got closer, he decided to pull over, even though he really didn’t think they were after him. He was just going to give them room to pass. There happened to be a dirt road right off the highway, and he needed to take a leak anyway, so he made a right and drove until he felt he was out of sight. He stopped the car and looked at Maddie. She stirred and said, “Are we there?”

  “No, I just have to take a leak. I’ll only be a minute.”

  She adjusted her pillow and tried to go back to sleep.

  As quietly as he could, he opened his door and stepped to the back of the car to relieve himself. As he finished zipping his pants, he heard the sound of sirens getting closer. He looked up and was surprised to see the police cruisers had followed him. He could see the New Mexico State Police logo on the front of the lead car. Adam looked back at Maddie through the rear window. Apparently, she had heard the sirens too, because she was looking back at Adam, appearing dazed and confused. Adam returned to the driver’s seat.

  “What’s going on?” said Maddie, rubbing her eyes.

  “I was speeding a little, but they were way back there. I don’t know how they could have clocked me before I slowed down. And besides, I wasn’t going more than five miles over the speed limit.”

  “That’s strange,” she said while she rummaged around in the glove compartment to find the registration of the rental car.

  They sat in the car and waited for the police to get out of their cars and approach. Adam watched them in the rearview mirror. There were two officers in each car. Two of them got out of the car closest to Adam and approached the driver-side window. He noticed they were in full uniform with side arms. A man in plain clothes got out of the other car and was approaching on the passenger side, which was odd. He had never seen an officer approach on the passenger side like that. But he still didn’t think much of it. He just figured that maybe there wasn’t much going on that day and this was the only action the officers had to look forward to.

  Maddie was still looking in the glove compartment for the information and hadn’t seen the officers approaching the car. When she finally glanced up and looked in the passenger side-view mirror, she froze and uttered a single word: “Paul.”

  In that instant, Adam froze too as his blood ran cold. Maddie frantically tried to lock the door, but as she reached for the lock, the door flung open, and the man grabbed her and began pulling her out of the car.

  Adam shouted, “Maddie!” and tried to get a hold of her to keep her from being yanked out of the car.

  She was kicking and fighting, but Paul quickly pinned her arms and almost had her out of the car. Adam frantically grabbed for her feet, or anything that he could reach, to stop him, but he couldn’t get a good grip. He started to panic. If Paul got her into his car and took off, Adam may never see her again. They would disappear and she would be his hostage—or worse. Adam shuddered at the thought.

  In the next instant, Paul put a cloth over her nose and mouth. She suddenly quit fighting him as she lost consciousness and her body went limp. Paul finished jerking her out of the car.

  Adam was in full panic mode now. He started to jump out of the car and run after Paul, but the other two men were waiting for him on the driver side. Paul picked Maddie up, cradled her in his arms like a baby, and pulled a concealed weapon from under his shirt. He held the gun to her head as he carried her back to the car, where the driver waited.

  Adam didn’t know what to do. He was defenseless out in the middle of nowhere. There were no other witnesses around and Maddie was unconscious. He managed to lock
the doors before the other men were able to get his door open, but he knew that they had guns too, and he wouldn’t be safe in the car for long. In his panic, he wondered for an instant if he should try to make a run for it, but he would never leave without Maddie.

  Then something snapped in him. Just as suddenly as the panic had set in, an instant calmness came over him. He knew without a doubt that he was going to get Maddie back no matter what it took. He waited until the men reached for his door and then flung it open as hard as he could, knocking both of them to the ground. He jumped out of the car and ran toward Paul and Maddie as fast as he could.

  Paul was laying Maddie’s limp body in the back seat of the other cruiser. The other two men weren’t down for long before they were up and running after Adam. One tackled him and brought him down hard, while the other jumped on top of him. They had him pinned to the ground. He tried desperately to fight them off as they began to pummel him. He felt no pain, only concern for Maddie.

  He shouted in between blows, “No, Paul! Don’t do this. You’ll regret it.”

  Paul ignored him and jumped into the back seat of the cruiser beside the unconscious Maddie. The driver of the cruiser peeled out in the gravel as he spun the car around and took off. If ever there was a time to use Refined Transcendent Power, it was now. Up until now, Adam had only been successful at manifesting small things. He still doubted himself when it came to making things happen instantly. But he knew that if he didn’t do something quickly, Paul would get away, leaving him with the other two men, who were intent on killing him, and he would likely never see Maddie again even if he managed to escape.

  A sudden rush of anger coursed through his body. He decided he was not going to let this happen. Still struggling to fight off the men, he focused all of his thoughts, emotions, and energy on stopping the car that was speeding away with Maddie in it. He visualized the car stopping and repeated the same thought in his head over and over, “Stop that car. The car must stop.” He felt RTP surge through him.

  To his astonishment, the car started skidding out of control. It was almost as if it hit a patch of ice or something, but there was nothing like that out there in the desert. Adam wondered if he had actually done that, or if the driver had just lost control. The car skidded, turned sideways, and flipped over and over several times. It landed so hard that the front driver side of the car was crushed. The driver wasn’t moving. A new wave of panic rushed over Adam. Maddie was in that car. What if she was hurt—or worse?