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The Call - Eleven The Call - Eleven moved into the public eye, everything the Wallaces did was reported on television. So, unfortunately, was the news that Mrs. Wallace had been diagnosed with cancer. Before her term as governor expired, Lurlene Wallace died in office, and Ted sat by the television with the rest of his family to watch her state funeral. The sky that day was cloudy and rainy and cold. The TV camera zoomed in on the capitol building, showing the rotunda where an ornate casket stood. The American flag was draped over the coffin. The body of Mrs. Wallace was displayed for all to see. And the details of Ted’s dream flooded back with shocking reality, playing out on the news just as he’d seen them many months before. All those who had heard Ted’s description of the funeral dream were now forced to see him in a new light. He was truly a stranger to them, in some way, and they weren’t happy about the changes in the boy they had known. Psychic gifts were not welcome in the Rice family, they were not acceptable in his community, and they did not conform to the religious beliefs upon which they based their lives. No one was more disturbed than Ted. He was miserable in his recog- nition of the prophetic accuracy of his dreams. He didn’t want to know about disasters and deaths, but the truth of his visions was obvious. Although Ted had not been attending church at that time, after Lurlene Wallace’s funeral his mental state was so unhappy that he tried to find comfort and answers in reli- gion. He began praying fervently to have the burden of prophecy lifted from him. He started going to church with his family, hoping to free himself from what now clearly seemed to be an evil power. Jesus, he thought, was his only hope. But in spite of his new religious motivations, Ted was still plagued by his powers of foreknowledge. When he bought a new car, for instance, something inside told him that he shouldn’t let his father drive it, that something bad would happen if he did. But Mr. Rice insisted on borrowing the car shortly afterward and was injured in an accident. He had to be hospitalized, and Ted feared the worst, since his other dreams had predicted deaths that came true. Fortunately, Masquerade of Angels 104 however, Mr. Rice’s injuries were not severe, and for that Ted was grateful and relieved. His depression continued, though, and out of concern Mrs. Rice suggested that Ted should talk to their minister for Christian counseling. Ted complied but found it very difficult to tell the minister about his dreams and intuitions. The man listened considerately, however, and Ted hoped for a helpful response. Instead, the minister concluded his parishioner must be suffering from mental problems. At a loss for any other explanation, Ted visited a thera- pist. But he sensed that the man’s primary concern was Ted’s ability to pay for long-term treatment and didn’t think he would find any help there. Besides, in every other facet of his life, there was no sign of mental impairment. Whatever his problems might be, Ted determined to deal with them him- self. He also decided to get into an independent position, by moving out of his parents’ home. In Sun Valley he was accus- tomed to come and go as he wished, and now their parental restrictions chafed. Also, he felt their concern about his dreams and visions, as well as their disapproval. Whatever might be going on in his inner or external life, he didn’t want his parents watching every move. So with one of his buddies, Mike Stone, Ted moved into a two-bedroom apartment in the new Fountainbleu complex. Bachelor life was fun, and they never permitted each other to become bored, or boring. Between hosting their own parties and meeting the gang at the local hot spots, Ted and Mike were almost always on the go. Ted didn’t have a steady girl- friend, which was ideal. There were plenty of attractive, inter- esting women at the university, and Ted dated as often as his job and schoolwork would allow. In the new apartment, enjoying himself with his friends, Ted felt that his life was proceeding smoothly again. And to his great relief, the visionary dreams subsided. Months passed with no recurrence of the scenes of death or disaster that he had come to dread, and he felt that the worst was behind him. But prophetic, disturbing dreams are only one aspect of Masquerade of Angels 105