VESSELS UNKNOWN

SEVENTEEN

       "The mind is a beautiful thing," She pointed out. "But yours is a racing fire. It travels at a speed of lighting."
I smiled nervously. She was right though. I could think a million things in a minute. Traveling to places I'd never been to in my head.

I believe it is termed imagination, but mine was way more than that.
          "Yes Ma'am, I try to stay engaged." Within another minute, I was off again thinking about everything and anything.

          "Unique?...... Unique?" I felt someone tug at my shirt. I startled, then scurried away, my balance was almost lost.

The glaring eyes of Mrs Adrian goaded me. "You looked a little lost there." She observed, squeezing her palms together.

A white lotion laced her fingers as she rubbed them in.

          "I'm sorry ma'am. So foolish of me to have wandered off into the depths of my thoughts." I answered, my heart racing.

  Something about her was putting me on edge.

         "You are alright." She raised her hand. Don't apologize for things that make you happy."

Her face turned towards me again, "Care to share?"

I shook my head."Oh its nothing. Nothing of interest ma'am."
Her eyes lingered on me for a while before she turned her focus to her fingers.

A wave of hot flashes hit me like lighting. Drops of sweat took turns to drip off of me. I wiped my face repeatedly, fanning off the heat that had suddenly descended on me.

        "Why don't you sit, you look a little pale," Placing her left hand on mine.
Dalu, get a cold wet towel immediately!" She called out to her maid.

As soon as her hands came on me, I felt a chill, A sudden coolness filled the room, calming me.

             "I'm fine." I managed to say.

             "Are we all not?" I glanced at her face, confused if she needed an answer to that question. Instead, she smiled broadly.

         Her maid reappeared by my side fussing over me with a wet towel. I took it from her and damped my head myself. 

           "You don't need to answer that."
I nodded slightly. The maid took a position behind me, making me uncomfortable.

          "Tell me a bit of your troubled day." She said sharply, adding a weakened sigh to it.
          "Well....That seems to be happening to me lately." I answered slowly, meeting her gaze.
            "And Mrs Abujan, I deeply apologize for my actions towards Jacob. I can't say that I knew what came over me.

          "Oh come off it!" Her fingers waved down my apologies. "What's done is done."
           "Please,..... I......was........."
          " Programmed. " She finished off for me, nodding.

My eyes quickly darted all over the room before settling back on her. A confused shock came over me like filth. She nodded slowly.
        "I see a lot of young people like you who approach me with problems that could have been easily avoided. They lose control over manageable issues, yet they are unable to remember why or how they got entangled in such situations."
       "No. I don't think that was what happened." I countered hysterically, struggling to get off the couch.
             "Please, stay." The pastor's wife pleaded.
             "I must........go." I spat out forcefully.

Images of my rage filled attack  on Jacob surfaced in my head like a web of thick red light. Rage suffocated and controlled my actions.
More importantly, I was absolutely helpless against what controlled me.
            "Now, can you see what I am talking about?" A furrowed brow met my whimpering self.
           "No, that can't be!" I blurted out, panting.