Bind

Counterattack

David didn’t end our so called training until he was content that I was well fortified against whatever peril was to come. We practiced for what could have been hours; I had no way to know. I didn’t have my phone on me to tell me what day I was in or what time it might be. I didn’t mind the absence of the watching a clock. I was thrilled that I was able to block out what I used to call episodes. I didn’t have to blackout and wakeup minutes, hours, or days later. It was the plague of my life and now I was able to fight back. I tried to find a word to express my elation but I was at a loss.

David was happy with my progress as well. He said I was doing exceptionally good for someone who just started. He told me that it took normal people weeks to get it down. The information made me happy to know I wasn’t as dumb, and hopeless with the prospect as I first thought. As the sun crept out of the room, and the day melded into night, I was able to withstand David’s bombardments of my senses and I found I didn’t have to struggle so much with it. It became somewhat easy to repel the forces that leaked into my mind. It was like I had placed walls around the inside of my skull and as soon as I felt something try to climb over it I was able to banish the feeling, allowing me to withstand David’s most aggressive attacks. By the end of the day I was so happy with my triumph over my past demons that I almost jumped up and hugged David.

Almost.

I didn’t allow myself that closeness, I barely knew the guy after all.

He decided to call it quits since he was obviously tired from trying to force his way into my head, and I was pretty spent as well.

David explained that we would practice more tomorrow before we ventured out into what he called “my new world.”He made a space for himself under the desk, curling in a ball, and was out like a light. It didn’t take me more than a few minutes to pass out on my pile of cardboard. It was pretty cold at night but the hoodie was helpful. I didn’t have much trouble sleeping, until my body reminded me that I had neglected it.

Did I have to drink all that water? 

Gotta go.

I got up with bleary eyes blinking into the darkness. My hands fished around in the still room, trying to locate David’s form. My head found the desk before I found David.

“AH! Dammit!” I couldn’t help but curse, but it made it easier to find what I was looking for.

“Wha… huh? Tai?” He mumbled somewhere in front of me. Hmm, I never heard him say my name so casually. I’d have to consider that later, I had business to attend to.

“Hey, where’s the bathroom in this place?” I whispered in an urgent tone.

There was silence for a moment.

Come on! I got to go now.

“It’s out the door to the… right…” He yawned lazily. He must be aware of the trouble he was causing me, why else would he drag this out? “Oh, you’ll need this…” He fished out a pack of napkins from his pants pocket and found my hand in the darkness to place it in.  “It’s down the hall, two doors from the end on the left.”

Gone.

 I was out the door and stumbling down the dark hall before anything else could be said. I found the end where stairs led up to another floor and turned around to what was now my right and started to feel for doors.

One… Ah! Two! Yes!

I was more than thankful for the skylight above my head. I didn’t have to dread what I was going to be sitting in. I gave the toilet a quick flush to see where the plumbing stood.