Today turned out to be a very interesting day, rather than another boring day in the class room as I had been expecting. Llewella started the day by handing me one of the place trumps I'd been playing with the afternoon before. My instructions this time were that once I'd got contact and could see were I was going I was to widen the visualization to form a doorway in the air before me. As I concentrated on the card and the contact came, I felt her mental presence at my shoulder. I couldn't initially determine how to widen the contact, until it occurred to me to use a similar process to the Ninja technique of "Traveling Unseen".
As I built the doorway, Llewella commented that she'd not seen it done that way but it was effective, and now that I'd built it, I needed to materialize it and hold it open in front of me. I needed a little help with the materialization, but there hanging in mid air in front of me was a seven foot by 3 foot vision of what was on the card. Llewella directed the other two to step through. "You follow last. As you step through let go of the image as you would a balloon." She stepped through the doorway. As I stood the image wavered and I had to concentrate to maintain it. I stepped into the doorway, and let the image go. I felt Llewella physically yank me, as the rainbow doorway, for that is how it appeared on this side, collapsed. "You need to be a little quicker or maintain the image for slightly longer, or you'll leave part of yourself behind."
Llewella repeated the exercise with Isla and Archie in turn, giving each a different card. The card she gave Archie turned out to be a Parisian Restaurant, although I don't think we were on Earth, where we stopped for a long lunch and an explanation of what we were to do next. I was to go last this time. It became obvious why a short way into exercise.
Llewella started by giving Archie a trump of her. She told him to wait five minutes then call her. Pulling another trump from her pocket she activated it, and stepped through. Archie waited the allotted time then started concentrating on Llewella's trump, establishing contact after about 40 seconds. Then the problems started, whilst he could maintain the contact he couldn't widen it into a viable door way. I felt the tingling sensation that announces a trump call and opened my mind." It's dangerous to do that if you don't know who the caller is." Llewella started, "However, you're going to have to assist Archie. Here's what you need to do."
Doing as
instructed, I told Archie to maintain his concentration, and try not to
react to my touch or to attempt to fight what was about to happen. As
is the usually way of things, he did exactly the opposite and lost
contact with Llewella. We started again. I put my right hand back on
his right temple and felt for his mind as Llewella had shown me to do.
It took me a few seconds to establish contact, and he was squirming and
fighting. I let go breaking the contact. "There are two ways to do
this, the easy way and the hard way. I prefer the easy way, now stop
fighting me, or you'll never learn how to do it."
I put my hand back, and re-established contact. As soon as my mind
touched his he started fighting again. I did what Llewella had shown me.
There is a difference between being shown how to do something, even
mentally, and doing it yourself. Driving into his mind, the walls of
which offered no more resistance than rice paper, I was suddenly
swamped with sensations and memories. Fearing for my own sanity I
shoved up my own walls, losing contact in the process.
As I recovered, I realized Archie was shouting at me, accusing me of
violating him. He tried to punch me but I instinctively blocked it. As
he threw a second punch, I knocked his leg out from under him causing
him to fall on top of me and allowing me to re-establish contact. As he
physically struggled I searched his mind for the center of motor
control and paralyzed it, actually remembering to check that he was
still breathing and his heart was still beating. It took me a little
longer to solve the emotion, adrenalin, endorphin triangle and restore
calm, acceptance, and motor control once more. Maintaining the
necessary physical contact, and the lightest of mental contacts I
allowed him to stand.
Both he and I
knew now that I could control him anytime I wished, and that I was now
only maintaining sufficient contact to monitor his surface thoughts and
actions.
'Look Archie, I didn't want to do that but you left me little choice
and Llewella told me to help you. Now I suggest we start again. First
establish contact with Llewella. No you do it - I'm not going to do
anything other than watch, and relax I'm not going to hurt you, and I'm
not interested in your private life or past.'
I'd actually actually got a large chunk of his life story when I'd
first dived in, and a second larger chunk when I'd had to search his
mind to paralyze him. I could feel it sitting in my mind like a large
meal waiting to be digested. I made a mental note to ask Llewella what
to do about it. Archie had managed to open contact with Llewella and I
could sense her mind on the periphery of his. Having invaded Archie's
mind earlier I now realized what her comment about accepting Trump
calls without know the identity of the caller was about. I saw her
smile mentally.
'You've a lot to learn Cordelia. You're not even blocking your surface
thoughts. I suggest you come and see me later and I show you how to
deal with your memory meal and give you some exercises to practice to
improve your mental control.'
'Oh. If you can read my thoughts then Archie must be wide open. Why did
you need me to assist him. Couldn't you do it once he'd made contact?'
'Yes, but to ensure that he built the portal correctly I'd have to take
full control, or risk him dropping the connection. I also want him to
get used to using the trumps before I show him why he needs to be
careful. Now show him how to build the portal and I'll come through.'
'Ok, Archie, I'm going to exert a little control so I can show you what
you need to do'
Whilst he still tried to fight me I managed to show him what he needed to do, and after several of minutes he managed to form a doorway through which Llewella was visible. With the level of control I was now exerting I knew he couldn't keep the connection up much longer, but then again I wasn't sure how much longer I could maintain control either. I told him to offer Llewella his hand. As she took hold of his hand he pulled, and Llewella appeared next to us. I broke contact and Archie and the portal collapsed. Llewella checked him over and then turned to Isla.
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