The Anyway Stone.(Kevin Hughes) He hated being the keeper of the Stone. Thousands of people who didn’t listen to the briefing, or didn’t believe it, or ignored it; all filing by to touch the Stone. He would have to keep his guards on the move all day - again. For people touching the Stone thought they were gone for their whole lifetime. In reality, as soon as they touch the Stone, it is over.

Some people faint, and the guards have to take them straight to the pools and dump them in. Nobody knows why being put in water that is 37 degrees Celsius and slightly salty with just a dollop of sugar works…they just know that it does. Everyone goes in the pools. No exceptions. You couldn’t stay sane if you didn’t. That is assuming you were sane when you went in the pools.

Some people floated in the pools for just a moment or two, walked out smiling, and went about their lives. Those were the lucky ones, where the life they imagined and the one they will actually live, support each other. Others come out of the pool resigned to their fate. Still others stay in the pools for a long time. The record for staying in a Pool, held by a Mrs. Breyers, of South Medford, New Jersey, was one year, seven months, sixteen hours, and eleven minutes.

When she got out of the Pool, everyone applauded. She just bowed with a wry smile on her face.

“Mrs. Breyers, what did you experience, or learn, or find out about yourself in the year and half you spent in the Pool?”

She turned and looked at the Gaggle of reporters for a long time. An uncomfortable long time. A time so long, that some of the Reporters started to feel slimy, yucky, putrid curiosity oozing out of their very stances. That moment wasn’t wasted on anyone who was there.

“I was in the Pool for one year, seven months, sixteen hours, and eleven minutes. Not a year and half. If you want to be a Journalist, or Reporter, get your facts straight. (Every single Reporter blushed and looked down). Accuracy and Honesty are necessary for everyone, not just nosy reporters.

What I learned is this: All you have is today. If you want a better tomorrow, it starts today. Yesterday is irrelevant, you can’t get it back. You can’t change one thing you did, you can only change what you might do. So live in the Now, forget the past - except for lesson and loved ones, and build a better tomorrow - today.

One of the more persistent Reporters, still stinging from the Facts comment, doggedly tried to fish a story out of Mrs. Bryer's.

“But certainly something made you stay in the Pool. Something unforeseen. Something so drastic in YOUR future, that you decided to stay in the safety of the Pool.”

Her smile was not malicious, but it was deadly in its certainty.

“You have not touched the Stone, have you?”

“No. I know that it shows your whole life as it will actually be, at least that is what we are all told it does.”

“Then you know, once you touch the stone, you know every moment of your life from then on. That is why they call it the “anyway stone”. You might as well live your life out any way. If for no other reason, just to see if your life does turn out like you saw. “

“Does it?”

This time Mrs. Bryer's smile was bereft of all but one emotion - wonder.

“Yes. Yes, it does.”

“So why did you stay in the Pool so long?”

“Because I am going to die as soon as I leave this building. A Massive stroke in the Arms of my husband, as my children try to stand up to the shock of seeing me for the first time in a year, and then losing me before they could say Hello. But tell them I will hear their goodbyes, so make sure they say I love you. I will know.”

With that, everyone, including the Keeper of the Stone, followed her outside to her waiting family. Looks of joy and expectation were plastered all over their faces. Her husband’s look made her swell with loving appreciation. She had married the right man for her. She was glad that the last thing she would see in this Life, was that look. She fell into his arms. Dead before he lowered her to the Marble steps.

The Reporters all shouted at the family surrounding her:

“Tell her you love her! Say goodbye! She can hear you. She told us!”

Confusion gave way to the pressure of the urgency in the Reporters voices:

“Mom, I love you. Can you hear me. Can you really? I love you. Mom! Mom! Mom…”

The Keeper of the Stone sent out the Fate Squad. Her’s was one of the nicer ways to leave the Life you were going to have, or maybe she was supposed to leave. No one who hadn’t touched the Stone would know for sure.

About a third of folks who touched the Stone committed suicide within five years. Another third lived as almost a different person after touching the Stone. They even had a name for that kind of reaction: Quantum Change; and often it was like they had a whole new Life after touching the Stone.

The last third, well, they just went on with their lives, figuring they had to live it out anyway. Happy when they saw they would be happy, sad when they saw they would be sad. Surprised not at all. For they knew everything that was going to happen, but the emotions for those events were not dulled. No. Not at all. You just knew they were coming. Surprise was not an option.

They didn’t want to die, and even though they knew their fate, they figured they might as well live it out anyway. The Anyway Stone was named correctly.

The Keeper of the Stone had never touched it. Not once in the twenty years he was the guardian of the Stone. And it was probably a good thing. For the woman who just fainted while touching the stone as he passed by, he carried to the Pool himself. He didn’t know why. It wasn’t his normal procedure, he had the Guards for that duty.

When he got to the Pool, she pulled him in with her. She wouldn’t let go, so he just caressed her floating hair as he waited for her to wake up. One hand supporting her waist, the other stroking her hair. She had such a lovely smile, that he just stayed there, suit and all, sopping wet, holding her. Without opening her eyes, she reached around his neck with both hands, nuzzled gently into the nape of his neck, and sighed.

He had no idea what was going on.

She did.

She had touched the Anyway Stone.

So she might as well love him anyway.

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