'Why don't you start from the beginning Michael?'�
'I would prefer you refer to me as Dr. Kantz if you don't mind, Dr. Pierce. It's a courtesy I feel I've earned.'�
'Michael, I understand that this is difficult for you but'�'�
'I see nothing difficult about this at all Dr. Pierce. I've told you this story numerous times. I apologize if the rationale escapes you, but repeating it certainly isn't going to change that. What I do find difficult is despite the fact that I, such as yourself, have been through eight years of schooling, and have earned a doctorate, you find it so hard to offer me the courtesy that level of study deserves.'�
'Again professor,'� Dr Pierce said with an impatient sigh. 'I realize that this is hard for you. You must understand that you were committed to this hospital so that I can help you. Your outburst at the University frightened a number of students. My job is to determined what caused it, and if you're ready to be released. If you want to continue with these petty squabbles, I will be unable to do that. Now if you would be so kind as to tell me one more time, perhaps we can get to the bottom of your delusions.'�
'Delusions.'� Michael chuckled softly. 'Yes, I suppose I would have shared that same perspective once. After all, what I now know cannot be contained in the normal context of the term reality. That's the funny thing about reality though, it's really nothing more than popular opinion.'�
'How so, Michael?'� Dr. Pierce said.
'It was once considered fact that the world was flat, was it not? Darwin was considered mad when he presented the concept of evolution. Those who have challenged the concepts of reality have always been looked upon as mad. Why should I be any different?'�
'Michael, you have been teaching philosophy at the University of Colorado for fifteen years. You seem to be a sane and reasonable person, and I see no history of mental illness in your family. But this is not a lecture hall, and I am not one of your students. This is a mental hospital and I'm here to help you. Let's get back to what happened.'�
Michael took a slow drag from his cigarette and glanced around the stagnant office. He peered out the window, meshed with steel wire. Another patient walked by with a vacant stare. Michael watched as the patient peered into the window. In the center of his forehead was the number 21. It glowed a fiery red, flickering slightly. Dr. Pierce followed his gaze to the window.
'What do you see Michael?'� He asked. 'Does he have a number on his head as well?'�
Michael returned his gaze back to Dr. Pierce, smiling slightly. A large part of him knew that it was pointless to continue to try and explain to this man. Had he not been in such a panicked state when they brought him in, he probably would not have told him the story to begin with. Logically, there was no possible way he could make him comprehend. Now that the tale had been told, however, he only had two things he could hope for. Either this man would finally truly open his mind to his tale, and perhaps begin to see, or he would share the tale with others. Someone who might believe and continue his work. He was certain of one thing. If he could not convince this man to do either, the truth would end with him, and no one would be able to stop it.
'Ok, Doc.'� Michael said. 'But I have one condition. I want you to really listen to me this time.'�
'I have been listening to you Michael.'� He said with a patronizing smile.
'No Dr. Pierce, you've done anything but.'� Michael said. 'You've heard me with the detached arrogance of a medical professional. You have listened to me speak, and filtered my statements with everything you have learned from your eight years of medical training. Now I need you to listen. To open your mind and attempt to forget everything you know, or you will be unable to understand.'�
'I'll do my best Michael.'� He said.
'Well then,'� Michael said taking one last drag off his cigarette before crushing it out in the ashtray. 'Let us go back to the beginning.'�

* * * * * * *

He had been coming to my class for about a week. He stayed in the back of the room, and it was clear that he was homeless. He wore a red hunting cap, and a tattered brown raincoat. Perhaps that's why I let him stay as long as he did. His attire reminded me of the image J.D. Salinger paints of Holden Caulfield. He did not appear to have that vacant stare of your standard junky, and did not seem to be merely seeking shelter from the cold. Actually, he paid more attention to my lectures than any of my students did. I realized that I would have to speak to him today, I couldn't allow him to continue coming without paying tuition. I had considered referring him to the financial aid office to see if they could offer him assistance in getting into the local community college. After all, it did my heart good to see a street person attempting to do something with their life.
'Ok class, today we're going to be discussing the work of Charles Sanders Pierce. He was a philosopher in the 19th century and wrote a rather interesting piece on the concept of belief. Who can tell me the four methods by which we can reach relief from this?'�
One of my students raised her hand. She was a bit of a shy girl, though she seemed brighter than she often let on. I had been attempting to encourage her to speak up more often through the course of the class.
'Pierces four methods of belief were tenacity, authority, a priori, and science.'�
'Excellent Danielle'� I said. 'And which method did he find to be the most reliable?'�
'The method of science.'�
'Very good.'� I said. 'Do you agree that this is the most logical method?'�
'It certainly appears to be.'� Danielle said.
'What of the soul then?'� I said. 'Can we prove the existence of the soul through the scientific method? This one is open to all of you. What proof do we have, scientifically, that the soul exists.'�
'It's impossible to prove the soul exists.'�
'Really Stan?'� I said. Stan was a bright student, but he had a tendency to ramble on in class. He might make an excellent professor someday if he learned to be quiet and listen from time to time. 'Are you certain that there has never been any scientific proof of this?'�
'I'm absolutely certain.'� Stan said. 'The soul is nothing physical so how could they possibly ever show that it exists? Everything we have studies in this class shows that'�'�
'The soul is something physical. It weighs 21 grams.'�
The class turned to the back of the room. It seemed that our visitor had at last decided to make a contribution to the discussion. I was thrown off guard by this, as was the rest of the class. We had all made an effort to ignore our unauthorized guest. It appeared that he was willing to be ignored no longer.
'You sir, what is your name?'� I asked.
'My name is James sir.'�
'Well, would you care to elaborate on your point?'�
'Certainly, Dr. Kantz.'� He said. 'You see a study was done that proved the moment someone dies, they lose 21 grams. That's the weight of the soul.'�
'I see. Couldn't this be something else though James? How do you know this is not the body expelling natural gases? Couldn't this simply be the weight of the persons last breath?'�
'No.'� James said.
'How can you be so certain of this?'� I asked.
'Because I see it sir. I can see it on you right now.'�
The class went silent for a moment. Clearly I had a problem here. I was uncertain how to proceed. I gazed at the nervous faces of my students. For their safety, I decided to clear the room.
'Ah, well I would love to continue on with this, but it appears we're out of time. For the next class, please do the reading on Hume and'�'�
'Can't you see it Dr. Kantz?'� James called from the back of the room.
''�please remember your papers are due on Thursday.'�
My students came down the isles quickly, some of them shooting nervous looks to the back of the room at James. As Danielle walked past me, I could see that she was sheet white. She kept turning back towards him, as if he might fly down from the back row and attack her. James stayed in his seat waiting for the room to clear. Part of me thought I should flee with them, perhaps call campus security. My logical instincts told me this was the most reasonable choice, but something kept me from doing so. When at last the room was empty, James began descending the isle. He was thin, probably in his late twenties, and besides his tattered clothing, there was nothing to prevent me from believing he was just another student. He had a glimmer of intelligence in his eyes, and despite the fact that what he said last had rattled me, I wanted to hear more of what he had to say. He stepped close to the podium, a nervous look covering his face.
'You know what I'm talking about, don't you Dr. Kantz?'� He said. 'You've heard of the concept of 21 grams.'�
'You're not a student here, are you James?'�
'No, I'm not Dr. Kantz, but I had to come here. I've read your book, and I think you can help me. You might be the only one who can help me.'�
I was surprised to hear this. In actuality, I had written a detailed subject on the concept of 21 grams, though it was not required reading for my students. Most of them were undergraduates and the material was a bit too dense for them to understand in this early stage of their education. Usually it was something I discussed during my lectures to fellow philosophy scholars. To think that this young man had not only read, but had been able to comprehend this was something impossible for me to imagine.
'While I'm pleased to hear you read and enjoyed my work James, I can't allow you to continue attending my class. All students have to be enrolled here to attend'�'�
'I'm not interested in becoming a student Dr. Kantz. I need your help. I've been seeing visions. You're the only one who might possibly believe and understand what I've been seeing.'�
Now the alarm bells had begun to go off in full. Though the lecture halls were large, I began to feel the room getting smaller. I was alone with this man, and it was obvious that he had some very serious issues. I began to stuff my things into my briefcase quickly. As I started to turn to leave the room, I said.
'Son, if you're seeing visions I'm not the one to help you. This is the philosophy department, the psychology department is right down the hall. I'm sure they could refer you to a place where you can get the help you need.'�
'I'm not crazy Dr. Kantz!'� He said. 'And I don't need a damn shrink! You said in your dissertation that the soul weighs 21 grams for most, isn't that right? Your theory was that this was the weight the soul would need to be so that it would be able to stop at Heaven. You also hypothesized, though you haven't been able to prove it yet, that souls that were bound for hell would probably weight more, so that they would be brought down. Isn't that right?'�
Again, I was in a state of shock. He really had read and understood my book. How could someone this young, with no college education possibly be able to grasp something that some of my most advanced seniors had been unable to grasp? I turned slowly back towards him. So much of me wanted to believe that he was crazy, to walk out of the room and call security, yet something stronger held me there. Despite the fact that every part of my logical mind was screaming this could not be true, I felt I had to at least let him finish. I put my briefcase back down on the podium, rested my hands on it, and locked eyes with his.
'Ok James,'� I said. 'You've got my attention. What is it that you see?'�
'Ok Dr. Pierce. So you've established that the soul weighs 21 grams. Let's just say that the heavier souls weigh 26 grams. If a soul were to weigh less than 21 grams, what would happen then?'�
I paused for a moment, as the young man had an excellent point. It was actually something I had pondered quite heavily during the course of my dissertation. James stared intently at me, as if he had already come up with an answer to this question. It was clear, however, that he had come to me for my opinion on this subject. After much though, I finally stated.
'I suppose it is possible that the soul would continue to rise past heaven.'�
'And where would they go if this happened? What happens to the soul if it is no longer in heaven, hell or on earth?'�
'Well that is the main question, isn't it James?'� I said. 'We have always been taught in the theories of religion that there is a heaven, a hell and an earth. The concept of something beyond that has never really occurred to us. Now I have done my best to answer your questions James, now you answer mine. What is it that you see?'�
'You've led a good life professor.'� James said, stepping back from the podium, pacing nervously around the room. 'I can see that about you.'�
'James, you're avoiding my question.'� I said. 'What is it that you see?'�
'You have the number 21 on you Dr. Kantz. I can see it, burning bright red in the center of your forehead. Those who have led a good life, have 21 on their forehead. They will rise up into the heavens to the kingdom of god. Those who have led a bad life have the number 26 on their forehead, they will go down into the eternal fiery pits of hell. Something is changing the rules though. I can see a black cloud. They shift around from place to place, taking the life of the good. When this happens, their number begins to drop.'�
'What are you talking about James?'� I could feel myself getting nervous again. He started to pace around the room faster, making wild gestures with his hands.
'The cloud wraps around the person, and the number begins to drop. They can only take so much before the person dies, and for some reason they can't do that. I've only seen one person have that happen. He was an old guy at the shelter with me. His number dropped down to 15, and then he fell to the floor. The people at the shelter thought it was a heart attack, but I knew better. I could see the black cloud turn darker, a darker black then I've ever seen. It let out this screech. I tried to cover my ears to block out the sound, but since my physical eyes were not seeing it, I suppose that's why my physical ears could not be blocked. I could see his soul rising out of his body, and his soul seemed to take back what the cloud had taken.'�
'Ok James, just take it easy.'� I said, trying to slowly ease my way towards the door. I was beginning to feel I had made a huge mistake. 'Maybe we can go somewhere else and talk about this. How about we go grab a cup of coffee and...'�
'Wait Dr. Kantz you can't go!'� He said, he moved quickly across the room and grasped my wrists. 'I have to make you see. It's the only way you'll understand.'�
He grabbed my wrists tightly, and a flood of electricity went racing through my body. My head snapped back as an ocean of white light flashed past my eyes. I felt him let go, and my body was thrown back. I stumbled against the chalkboard, and slid gently to the floor. I may have lost consciousness, but after a moment I could hear James voice, sounding distant, but still there.
'Dr. Kantz? Dr. Kantz are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, but I had to make you see. Dr. Kantz please open your eyes.'�
Slowly, I managed to comply. My vision was blurred for a moment, and I could barely see the pale outline of his face. Glowing bright red in the center of his head was the number 21. As he came back into focus, I could see the concern slowly washing from his face, and a look of pleasure replacing it.
'You see now, don't you Dr. Kantz?'�
I stayed there on the floor for a moment, completely dumb struck. My body had been so drained a moment ago, but suddenly I could feel a rush of energy flooding through it. It took me a moment to realize something. James wasn't speaking, yet I could hear him anyway.
'It's part of the power, Dr. Kantz. We can communicate non-verbally. Go ahead, try it.'�
'How is this possible James?'�
'These are some of the questions I'm hoping you can answer. Come with me now. I have to show you. You have to see this for yourself.'�
We wandered through the halls of the school. On the head of each student, I could see a number. Many of them had 21, but far more than I had expected had 26.
'How could people so young have done things bad enough to be condemned to hell?'�
'You'd be surprised what people of this generation are capable of Dr. Kantz, but that is not our concern.'�
As we turned the corner, and exited out onto the main promenade, I saw it for the first time. It hovered in the air, a dark circle of smoke. It seemed to become denser towards the center and swirled slightly. I could see it moving slowly towards one of the students. It was Danielle! I watched as it swirled around her, and suddenly in its center I saw it gain a hint of red. Panic flowed through my body, and I began to run towards her. James grabbed my wrist.
'You can't help her Dr. Kantz.'�
I watched in horror as the number dropped from 21 to 20 then to 19 and 18. I yanked my wrist away from James and began charging towards her at full speed.
'Danielle, no!'� I said. I shoved her hard forcing her from the cloud, and finding myself trapped in the center of it. I felt as if my life was being drained from me. I could feel my soul dying. Suddenly, I felt a sharp shove from behind me and I stumbled to the ground. James was standing in the center of it now. I started to stand up to help him.
'Stay away from me Dr. Kantz.'�
'James I can help you!'� I said. I could see the number begin dropping, he had already hit 19.
'Don't try to save me Dr. Kantz, I don't matter now. You're the only one who can stop this. You have to try and find an answer. You have to try and understand what they are and how you can prevent this.'�
'James no!'� I said. His number had dropped now to 17.
'The only way to allow me to rise up to heaven is to let me die. 'You have to let me go.'�
'James.'� I said almost in a whisper. 'You can't leave me to face this alone. There's so much I don't understand.'�
'I've told you all that I can Dr. Kantz. It's up to you now.'�
As his number hit 15, I watched his body drop to the earth. Danielle scrambled over to him as I leaned back, watching in awe. The light from his soul rising was blinding. I could see the light seeping from the black cloud, back into his body. Then it let out the screech. The sound threw me back, and I curled up into a ball on the soft grass. When at last the sound ceased, I watched the ball of light that was now James soul begin to rise slowly up towards the heaven until at last it vanished from sight. I sat up, once again becoming aware of my surroundings. It was then that I noticed the crowd that had begun to surround me. The black cloud was gone, and as I searched for it, my eyes at last locked with Danielle's who had her arms wrapped around James, a look of terror in her eyes.
'What did you do Dr. Kantz?'� She said. 'What did you do to him?'�

* * * * * * *

'And that's my story Dr. Pierce.'� Michael said.
'I see,'� Dr. Pierce said. 'And you believe all this?'�
'I see no way of not believing it. I can't deny what my eyes have seen, what my ears have heard, and what my heart knows.'�
'Michael, when the mind is sick, we can't always depend on these things.'� He said.
'You haven't been listening.'� Michael said as he shook his head. 'You said that you would, but I suppose I knew I wouldn't be able to. It seems fitting to me that your last name is Pierce. Are you familiar with his work?'�
'I was never much for philosophy to be honest Michael.'� Dr. Pierce said.
'No, I suppose that doesn't surprise me much.'� Michael said. 'Pierce studied the concept of doubt and belief. He stated that doubt causes dissatisfaction, and that belief allows us comfort. There are four different methods that we are able to reach belief, and you seem desperate to hold onto the first one. Do you know what the first one is Dr. Pierce?'�
'No, I don't Michael.'� He said.
'The first is tenacity. We hold onto our belief even in the light of new evidence. We ignore the signs that might prove our current belief wrong so that we can hold onto our feeling of comfort. That is what you're doing now Dr. Pierce, and if you wish to keep your head buried in the sand, go right ahead, but I refuse to do so.'�
'Michael,'� Dr. Pierce said with a sigh. 'I think that I'm going to have to recommend you stay here with us for a while. It is my opinion that you could be a danger to yourself and others.'�
'Ah, so now we get to the second method of reaching belief. Authority. Your goal will be to attempt to force me to share your belief by making me stay in this wretched place. I've got a scary thought for you doctor, one that you've probably never considered.'�
'What's that Michael?'�
Michael leaned forward in his chair, getting close to drive his point home. He glanced again at the doctor's forehead, seeing the number 26 imprinted on it.
'What if the people that you keep locked up in here, are merely able to see the things that other humans are unable to see? What if they have merely evolved into something beyond normal comprehension? What if you are keeping the greatest minds of our era locked away because the new ideas they present are frightening to tenacious people like yourself? If that were the case, you would have some very hefty explaining to do on judgment day indeed.'�
Dr. Pierce let out another deep sigh, and pressed the pager on his intercom. Two orderlies came into the room.
'Please take Michael back to his room.'� Dr. Kantz said.
The orderlies lifted Michael out of his chair and escorted him out of the room. The Dr. waited until they closed the door and then removed a manila folder containing Michaels information. He opened to the page where he was to write his recommendation and wrote: Acute schizophrenia will begin treatment with fifty milligrams of Thorazine, minimum duration of stay, thirty days. He stared out his window, watching as some of the patients staggered around the yard, no longer able to use their gifts thanks to his 'help.'�
I only hope we can help this poor man to.'� He said.

* * * * * *
*
Michael turned towards the orderlies as they went to go, one with the number 21 on his forehead, the other with a 26. He pulled a pack of Marlboro reds from his pocked and lit a cigarette. He pondered everything James had told him, wondering if he had made it safely to heaven. Hoping that his theory was correct, and all of the six grams taken had been returned to him. What were these black clouds doing with the parts of the soul they had taken? Were they feeding off it? Gaining strength? If they took enough so that they to had 21 grams, would they be able to rise up to heaven? What would they do once they arrived there? If they gave five grams to those who were evil, would those people to be able to rise up to heaven? He gazed out the window, to see another black cloud slip slowly past it.
One thing was for certain. Until he found a way to convince them to let him out of here, he had all the time in the world to think about it.

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