“That truck came out of nowhere. Like it magically appeared. One moment it’s a clear open road. Next there is an eighteen-wheeler coming straight for me. I didn’t have time to react. I began to serve and then I was at the bottom of the cliff. My head was gushing blood and my vision was becoming blurry. I don’t know how I was still alive but I was faced with one decision sit in this car and wait for it to blow up with me inside of it. I couldn’t get my seat belt to release even though I had pushed the stupid red button as hard as I could. I pulled out my pocketknife and cut the seatbelt. You may be asking why I had a pocketknife. I had it because I need it for work. I was finally released from the seat belt and I tried to open the door. It wouldn’t budge. I pushed it as hard as I could. I pushed my shoulder into the car door, and then climbed over to the passenger’s seat. I lay down and kicked at the door. It took me a few minutes until I kicked it open. I climbed out of the car. I could smell the gasoline escape my fuel tank. I could tell that my car was going to explode any time soon. I started to walk away from my car then I heard a sound and I began to pick up speed until I was fully sprinting. I was knocked off my feet by the explosion. I don’t remember what happened after that I must have hit my head or something. I swear to you officer all of this happened. I don’t how no one else heard the explosion.” “Sir, its not only the fact that no one heard the explosion it’s also that no one has ever heard of this mystical eighteen-wheeler”, The bald officer responded while taking notes. “Officer I promise this all happened, I was run off the road by a eighteen-wheeler” “Sir, are you okay? Do you have a history of mental problems? An overactive imagination?” The bald officer said while closing his note pad. “I’m fine. I’m not crazy. Don’t tell me I’m crazy. This really happened”, I said getting impatient. “Calm down. We are going to take you to a specialist to talk to.” The bald officer said placing handcuffs on my wrists and throwing me in the back of my squad car. The whole time I was in the back of the squad car I pleaded with the officers to believe me. They continued to say they did. When the squad car stopped I looked through the window and saw a dull gray building. It had a sign I couldn’t quite read it. From what I could see it said: Wringville Insane Asylum I’m not insane, why are they taking me here? This cop is a liar. As soon as the cops came to open the back door I threw myself forward and knocked down the officer. I got to my feet and ran as fast as I could away from the squad car. I didn’t know where I was running. I ran into a man in a robe. He had a far away look in his eyes. He stared at me blankly. “You’ve seen the truck. I can tell. Did it try to kill you too? Run away from this place. They will try to tell you that you’re crazy but you’re not. I saw it too. Go now before they catch you. If they catch you, you’ll never see anyone you love again. Go now.” The man said pointing east. “Thank you. But where should I run to?” I asked the man. “Run towards that way until you reach a red three story building. Once you get there say these three words. It is back. That’s all you say once you reach the front door,” the man pointed east again. I heard a siren. That must mean the officer woke up and alerted the asylum that I got away. “Go now, do as I say” the man said. I ran in the direction the man told me to. I ran for an hour or so until I finally reached the building. The building was beat up and the only red three-story building I had seen. I knocked at the door and two seconds later a man opened the door. He stared at me as if he was waiting for something. I thought about what he wanted then I remembered what the man told me to say. I simply said it is back. The man nodded and let me in. I stepped into the building it looked a lot better on the inside then the outside. It had just recently finished wood stairs. There were new hardwood floors. The man from the door tapped my shoulder and led me up two flights of stairs. He led me down a hallway to a room with French doors. He opened the doors. I looked around the room and saw monitors all across the walls, ceiling paintings, and desks topped with papers and computers. There were people all around the room talking in hushed voices about who knows what. The man from the door disappeared into another room and reappeared with an eighty something year old man. He wore glasses (not prescription but dark sunglasses); he wore khaki pants and an overcoat. When he walked into the room all the hushed voices came to a stop. It was silent, deadly silent. The man cleared and his throat. “Everyone we have a new person on board” he said and pointed to me. “Hi” was all I could muster up the strength to say. “Do you know why you are here? And what?” the man asked. “No.” “You are part of a special group of people. The people that can see what others can’t. You are an Eye” “An Eye?” “Yes, you saw the truck right?” “Yes sir” “No one else but only an Eye could have seen that truck. But you sir, aren’t only just an Eye. I can tell you are something special. Something that only happens every a hundred years. You aren’t just an Eye; you’re an Ear, a Brain, a Hand and a Mouth. You can do it all. You just need a little schooling.” “What are you talking about?” “You’ll see, Michael give him the tour” “Yes sir” the guy from the door said. Michael walked over to me. He walked in front of me and led me out of the French doors. We walked down a flight of stairs and he led me to a room with white walls. He pushed me into the room and locked the door behind me. For ten minutes there was nothing except blank walls and silence. Then I felt the room shift beneath me. I felt sick and off balance. I fell on the ground. I screamed for the room to stop shifting and it did. The room’s walls then changed into outdoor scenery and I was back on the cliff and that eighteen-wheeler was coming straight for me. I closed my eyes and cringed in the corner. I opened them a few seconds later and I was back in the room. I walked over to the door and put my hand on it. I closed my eyes and thought about an open door. When I opened my eyes the door was open. “Definitely a brain” “I get it now” “Yeah you’re definitely a brain” “Ha, take me back to the old man” Michael led me back to the room with the French doors. The old man was sitting at a computer typing away. When I entered the room he stood up from his chair and faced me. “I get it now” “You get what?” the old man questioned. “I get why I’m here. Only Eyes can see that truck. To normal people that truck doesn’t exist. Only Brains can absorb information in a millisecond. They can solve any problem within seconds. Ears can hear kilometers away. A Mouth can change reality and make anything they say reality. A Hand can make things appear and open any door. I am a master of all these traits.” “You learn fast. I like you. Now tell me the one thing you don’t know but would like to know.” “Why am I here?” “You will decide that for yourself.” the old man replied. “Let’s get started,” I said My life changed after that day. Like the man I saw outside of the asylum I now help people like me find their way. I keep them safe from that asylum. The asylum takes away our traits and makes us mortal. We help the confused find their way and we give them a choice. Stay with us and learn how to control their traits or they go to the asylum and have them take away what makes them special. We made a promise to give as many people a choice as possible. So, if you are one of us we will find you and help you. If you see the truck, you’re an Eye. If you can pass the GED in elementary school, you’re a Brain. If you can hear me right now, you’re an Ear. If you have lied to your parents and they never had a doubt in their mind that you’re telling the truth, you’re a Mouth or you’re a crazy good liar. (Most likely the latter one is true). If you can clean wave your hand and make a surfboard appear, you’re a Hand. So next time something weird happens and you just shake yourself back into reality. Think about what you could be missing. The traits open a new world. You can do amazing things. You can save people. I’m not saving we are heroes, probably the opposite. We care about our own kind. If you are our own kind and you use your traits incorrectly we will stop you. So be careful and remember we are all around. Watching you.