Obournion

Second Nature

Fiona tried using the knowledge without applying it to the tree.
"2-D, 5-D, 2-D," she said aloud. She grew frustrated. "Jaime I can't seem to grasp without the visual."
"That's just it Mejia, you have the visual, but you're thinking in 2-D. Remember the tree, you saw it, think about the bubble in your mind, think about it floating around you. Believe it or not you don't need a visual every time. That's the power of your mind, just apply the steps, and remember what you saw and felt."
Closing her eyes, she thought about the bubble, she thought about the swaying of the tree, and feeling the weight of the energy. Soon she heard the same buzzing in her hand, but the hair on her arm didn't stand up, and there was no swaying like wind in her hair. She opened her eyes and looked around.
"I'm not sure if the energy is around us, but I can feel it in my hand."
Jaime smiled, taking his hand he bumped her palm and the feeling disappeared.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?"
"Again, Mejia, you're overthinking it. Oh, and don't close your eyes, I want you to apply these techniques until you have them second nature."
"Well, how can I do that if you're going to bump my hand and break my concentration."
"Again, I did that because you are over thinking it. Let's try this, you felt the weight in your hand, correct?"
"Yeah, I could hear the buzzing too."
"Ok, you probably thought of every step one by one, from the bubble, to the tree, all of it. Correct?"
"Well yeah, like you said, I thought about the steps. One by one that's how I got that far."
"That's where you're overthinking it."
"What do you mean?"
"I said remember the tree, remember, I never said to think about the tree, the only thing I actually said to think about was the bubble and it floating around you. When I said remember the tree, it was only to stimulate your mind to the swaying so when you grew the bubble from your hand you would feel the recognition. The bubble was in your hand the whole time, Mejia, from the first time you tried, it was always in your hand."
"Wait a minute," she asked confused, "Then why did you have me bubble the tree?"
"For the visual effect so you could see your progress, but also for the expansion, so you can grasp the size. Make sense?"
"Oh, ok I get it now."
"See, like I said you were overthinking it, now try again, and this time keep your eyes open."
Fiona concentrated on the palm of her hand, instantly she could feel the air around her start to respond. She thought about the bubble as she could feel the weight return. With her eyes open, she glanced at the table and imagined the bubble to its scale. The hair stood up on her arm, and she could feel the energy move on the top of her head as well.
She smiled at Jaime, "I did it."
Jaime smiled back, and proceeded to hit her palm.
Fiona looked at him in shock, "Wha..."
"Again," he interrupted, "Remember Mejia, second nature. This is not going to be something you can do, and then not apply it, and have to struggle again, you know like you do with the water. This is going to stick, this is going to be as second nature as taking a shower. Now again."
Shaking off her hand she tried again. "You know, your reaction is making me think this is something important and there's something important you're not telling me."
"Yes, it is important, I'm not going to half ass it, only for you to struggle to pick it up later."
"Do you think that's what everyone who taught me did, just half assed it?"
"Not necessarily, they taught you what they could to give you understanding, what I'm doing now, is putting all those pieces together."
"How so?" She asked, the head on her hair began to sway again. As Jaime went to smack her palm, Fiona retracted her hand. She looked at him and smiled, "Let me guess, again?"
"You took the words right out of my mouth. Again." He chuckled. "I'm glad you're getting it, Fiona, now every time you get to that point and your hair starts feeling the energy, stop, retract, and do it again."
"Ok, but you didn't answer my question."
"What question?"
"You said everything that everyone taught me, you were putting it altogether, I guess with this move or something. Not sure, that's why I asked, how so? How are you putting all those pieces together?"
"Well, again I can't make you understand, that's going to be something you have to figure out. Think about the places you went, the people you spoke to. Remember the defining moments, one by one. You will understand, consider this layer just another piece of the puzzle."
"But, an important piece, right?"
"Exactly, the most important piece."
Once she felt the hair on her head start to sway, she retracted her hand, and applied the same technique.
"Still not sure how this is supposed to help me."
"You're very smart Mejia, in time I think you will know."
The hair on her head began to sway, Fiona closed her hand and restarted.
"Do you see that?" Jaime asked.
"See what?" She asked, puzzled.
"Notice how you are able to go faster and faster."
"Well yeah, it's cause I'm doing the same thing over and over again."
"Exactly, second nature, now it's time to kick it up a notch."
"What do you mean?"
"Well remember Mejia, this is just one step, now the next step would be to apply the other principle. Look at any of the tables and take us there."
"What if you get knocked down again?"
"Well then you have to learn moderation. You thought about moving fast, now just think about the move in general, from point A to point B."
"So, not as fast?"
"Let's try not to overthink it, ok?"
"Ugh, ok. I'm just not looking to give you whiplash." She giggled.
"I'll be fine, now concentrate, Mejia."
Fiona looked at the tables. She wasn't sure which one she should try for. "Jaime, one question, can I go as far as I want?"
"The great thing about utilizing this technique is yes, you can go as far as you want, and anywhere you can imagine. Because you are using the 2-D to pass through the 5- D and back to the 2-D, everything you've learned this far can all be connected."
"So if I wanted to go to Spain?"
"As long as you understand how to get to your destination, yes you can. You can go anywhere, so why would you want to go to Spain?"
Glancing at the table towards the corner of the lot, Fiona closed her eyes and applied the technique. For an instant, it went dark, light, and then dark again. She opened her eyes and saw she was at the table she desired.
She smiled broadly at Jaime, and answered, "Well I thought of Spain because of what you said. You know family drifts apart, I thought maybe it would be good sometime to learn about my Spanish heritage."
Jaime laughed. "Wrong continent, Mejia. We are from Mexico, we are Mexican not Spanish."
"Oh, they're not the same thing?"
"Not quite, now again."
Closing her eyes, she repeated the process thinking only of the table they originated from. Dark, to light and dark again, she opened her eyes and they were at their original table.
"Very good, but now I have a question," Jaime smiled.
"What?"
"You keep your eyes open for the first part, but when you go to change tables you're closing your eyes again, why?"
"Well, for that part, I have to close my eyes. So I can visually see the table in my mind and take us there."
Jaime looked at her sternly, he smiled.
"What's that look for?" She asked.
He proceeded to stare her down.
"Oh," she said. "Let me guess I'm overthinking it."
Jaime smiled, and nodded. "Precisely. When using this technique I want you to always have your eyes open, always be on alert. You wouldn't want to utilize this technique, and get cocky and run yourself into a tree would you?"
"Wait, that could happen?"
"I'm not sure, but anything is a possibility, so it's better to be safe than sorry right?"
"Yeah I guess so. Ok I will give it a try."
Applying the steps, Fiona was able to quickly resonate the energy in her hand. Expanding the bubble in her mind, her hair began to sway. She looked around at the tables. This time she would go for the one in the center, by the bar b que. As she imagined the bubble moving, she watched as the air became denser, then there was a flash and she saw she was in the lights, then another small flash and she was back out again, the dense air fizzled away and disappeared.
Sitting at the new table, she said. "I didn't realize there were two flashes of light."
Jaime chuckled, "Yeah, because your eyes are always closed. At least now, you see what happens. You start in 2-D, pass through 5-D, then back to 2-D. That's why it's mere seconds, as long as you use this technique it will always be a split second. No matter how far you travel."
"Even if I were to travel to Spain, or Mexico?"
"Exactly, as long as you always have your mind on your destination, remember time has no meaning there. So focus on what you want your outcome to be, you will always reach it. Understand?"
"Yeah I got it, is this what it is to fold time?"
"Yeah, that's why I said I thought Leonard was going to teach you. You guys just got too caught up in learning the travel part. That's ok though, because what you learned there, is why you have mastered what I've shown you here."
She chuckled as she began another round. "I don't know about that, what he showed me was way different than this."
Glancing at a table, she chose the ones closest to the outhouses.
"Not necessarily Mejia, he showed you about time and helped you understand it. Different process, true. But, because you were able to understand that, it brought you the understanding you have today."
Keeping her eyes open, she watched as the air grew denser, then the flash, this time she noticed a silhouette of a man before the second less blinding flash came, and then back to the dense air where it faded and disappeared.
"So what you're saying is because I understood the travel to the past part, I can pick up the travel through the seconds part. Correct?"
"Exactly, but I think you have picked up more than just this."
"What does that mean?"
"Forget it, trust me you're going to understand, as long as you always keep in mind, your destination is whatever you desire it to be. There are no limits."
"Ok, I understand. Basically don't overthink it and stop limiting myself right?"
"Precisely. Remember all the knowledge you have gained, is all connected."
"Yeah, I get it, should we go again?"
"Actually I think you have learned this very well, we should check on your friends. I am going to encourage you though, that you practice this at least once a day, just to keep it fresh in your mind."
"Well I thought I was already using it second nature."
"You are, but you have to understand learning this is a lot like learning math."
"Yuck, I hate math." She chuckled.
"I know, I remember. But, what happens when you don't use it?"
"Oh, I get it you forget the steps."
"Precisely, so use this technique at least once a day. We don't want it to end up like your math skills."
"What's that, failed miserably and non existent?" She chuckled.
Jaime laughed, Fiona laughed with him.
As she stopped, she looked towards the cabin. "Jaime, I know you can't tell me, but, what am I supposed to say to the press?"
"I think you'll know when the time comes."
"I don't know, it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders right now."
"How so?"
"Well, I have to talk about what happened and where I've been. I have to try and not sound like a raving lunatic in the process and at the same time, not be some sort of martyr for people to look up to. How can I explain anything? I really don't know what to say."
"Ah, again Mejia, you're overthinking it."
Leaning forward, she asked. "How?"
"Ok I want you to imagine you're on top of a hill."
"Ok, and?"
"It's snowing, so you grab a small handful of snow and you pack it together making a snowball. You take that snowball and let it roll down the hill, what happens?"
"Well, it gradually gets bigger obviously."
"Why?"
"Because the snow rolls over snow, and it sticks to it."
"Yes, and that handful of snow, the reason it all started," Jaime pointed, "That's you. You get the ball rolling that's all you do. Everything else will come into play after. Like the layers this is only the first step."
"I know that's supposed to help, but it just leaves me confused."
"Don't worry, you will understand. There's more than one part on the playing field, trust the connection and everything will reveal itself."
"Yeah, well I really hope so, cause I'm running out of time."
"Ah, there you go again. Time is irrelevant, and you're overthinking it." Jaime giggled.
Looking over at him she smiled, all she could do was trust the process and hope he was right.