• 14 •

Training with the wooden dummy always is a practice of its own. Positioning, footwork and balance, the right techniques at the right angle and finally applying just the right amount of force to each attack – bringing together all these aspects in fluid motion is a highly complex affair. So I’m fully concentrated while I work out hard at it. The wooden arms protruding from it emit satisfyingly cracking sounds when they get batted, which sounds overall like an archaic drumset at the right rhythm.

A false move and I’m out of my flow. Darn! Time to pause…

Leah, also hammering away on another wooden dummy just opposite mine, halts and looks at me questioning.

“Backfist that should have been a slap.” I emphasize by rubbing my right hand.

“Ouch! You okay?”

“Yah. Chi Sau?”

Leah nods. We stand opposite each other and start our routine. The ‘sticking hands’ drill is a wonderful smoothly flowing counterpoint. For a long moment we roll our arms wordlessly against each other.

“I wondered if I restrained myself in sparring the last weeks. It’s been tolerable to me when my opponents got injured – this is combat training, after all, isn’t it? But sure I didn’t intend to cripple or maybe even kill someone.” Leah sounds casual and composed while she proceeds with our practice.

“If you did, you failed miserably! After all, Kimora spoke of very serious injuries to treat.” I see the gleam in her eyes and her mischievous smile, so I quickly add: “And don’t you dare to suggest that I’ve been the sole cause for those.”

“Fine, but I wonder what might happen in a fight with sincerely no holds barred.”

I shrug, which unbalances my movement. Leah’s arm snaps forward, her fist stopping a mere millimetre before my larynx. Serves me right, any lack of concentration in training means rightful punishment.

“That morning you asked me how I’d treat a shrunken guy… that’s been no hypothetical question, right?” Leah asks as we fall back into our routine.

I just stare in silence. What could I possibly say?

“C’mon, out with it! What was that question aimed at?”

“I pictured for myself how it’d be to have a tiny person at my hands, that’s been all.” I try to sound as indifferent as I could possibly be.

“Hah! Try again!” Leah laughs out. “You already confessed that you explore your powers without guidance, so I take you shrunk someone. Most likely by accident, therefore your question. How close am I?” She emphasizes her last words in a rapid series of attempts to break through my defense, but I counter all of them.

I yearn to share my secret so badly, it almost burns a hole in my stomach. I remain silent, though.

“Hey, you asked me to trust you entirely. Is it too much to ask for the same?” Leah keeps on goading me, yet there’s a tone in her voice indicating she’s sincerely hurt by my silence.

Well, of course she is! My refusal is plain mistrust to her. And maybe she’s right, she already knows what I’m able to do, so why conceal the details?

Am I able to make a person forget certain things? An affair to try out or, better yet, ask my tutor about once I meet him. But if I start trying to mess around with someone’s brains, it sure won’t be my best friend.

I can’t stay the grieved look in Leah’s eyes any longer.

“Well, yes, I shrunk someone. I didn’t intend to, but he… well, let’s say he pushed me way beyond my limits.”

“Who was it? What happened?” Leah’s voice is sober, but isn’t there some furtive curiosity in an undertone?

“It’s been some guy from the University, you don’t know him.” This is as much true as is it safeguard – for both of us. I’m going to withhold Justin’s name from her. The less she’s able to correlate this occurrence with a real person, the less the risk she prattles away one day.  Her expectant stare prompts me to speak on.

I tell Leah the story of Justin’s treachery until I shrunk him. “What did you do with him?” Her voice is barely more than a whisper.

“I simply placed my foot on him and crushed him.”

Leah’s gasping expiration shows she held her breath out of tension. “I see.”

“I’ve been so mad that moment…” I shrug and shake my head. “In hindsight I wonder, though, that I applied only so much force to finish him off. Given how furiously I longed to annihilate him, one would think I’d do my best to completely pulp him, but a part of me was fully sensible.”

During the last minute, our drill became more and more sloppy and negligible. Now both of us lower our arms and look at each other.

“What then?” Leah asks, trying to sound unfazed, but she can’t keep her curiosity from her voice. I tell her what I did to undo the damage Justin caused to our project, to make him vanish and to mask his disappearance.

“You sure have some secretive talent!” Leah nods grinning. “Your approach has some flaws, but for a spontaneous move it’s pretty good.”

“What’s been really strange, was, that he became conscious again later, though I’d swear I killed him.”

“Maybe you’ve been more restrained with him than you thought. After all, you never crushed a tiny guy undersole before, did you? Or are you going to tell me now you can resurrect the dead?” She seems easy, but again I sense some uninterpretable tension. “Now wait… does this mean you fed him to that dog alive?” She adds after a few seconds.

“Of course not. I trod on him again and that time I made sure he stood lying down.”

The way my closest friend stares at me makes me shiver. The fact she demanded to hear my tale doesn’t mean she likes what she heard.

“Are you disgusted, shocked, alarmed…? Say something, please!” I just can’t stand her silence any longer.

She slowly steps closer until we touch and wraps her arms around me. “The next time you shrink someone to have fun with him, I ask – no, I plead you… no, I demand you invite me to join you!” Her hot breath tingles pleasantly on my skin as she whispers in my ear. I return her embrace heartily. This is the answer I haven’t even dared to expect from Leah!

“How was it to have him at your mercy and just crush him like a bug?”

“It was the best, the greatest, the most marvellous thing I ever felt in my whole life!” I hiss, equally whispering.

With a heartfelt laugh, Leah overbalances me and sinks me to the ground. She straddles on my belly and pushes me down with a hand on my breastbone.

“You nasty beast!” she chuckles. “I envy you! That’s by far the coolest and most nonchalant way to get rid of one’s enemies.”

For a moment we laugh together. As I watch her narrowly, I know: no way in hell Leah’s going to betray me, that’s dead certain.

“I miss Marc. Yes, we’re together for quite a short time yet, but he’s always on my mind.” I don’t know why I said that, but it’s true and it just invaded my thoughts.

With a sympathetic expression, Leah eyes me for a moment. “Does he know about your abilities?”

I just shake my head.

Her grin is getting suggestive again. “So your boyfriend has no idea that his girl could subject him to her mercy completely with just a thought? Make him cringe before her feet and break him with the plainest of her movements?”

What the hell she’s insinuating? That I might subjugate Marc? I grab her arm and push it aside, simultaneously pulling up my legs and rolling to one side. In a quick and well-practised movement I wrap my legs around Leah’s body at the level of her lower ribs and apply an armlock. Then I press my legs together, squeezing her torso at the height of her false ribs, where even her well-developed muscles can’t provide much resistance. She responds with a constrained groan.

“Well, Marc knows that I could break him anyway!” I emphasize my words by squeezing her body a bit tighter. “But we’re coupled, not opponents, so what does it matter?”

I let go of her, but now it’s my turn to straddle on her back. “You see, it’s crucial to me that my friends know that I’ll always care for them and never pose a threat, even if we might quarrel or fight sometimes. I couldn’t stand if one of you’d dread me.”

I start to massage Leah’s back. Immediately she relaxes. “Yaaaaah! That’s divine…” she purrs. Inspired by her obvious comfort, I chuckle and carry on kneading her chiselled dorsal muscles.

“Maybe I should include massages and manual therapy into your schedule, hm?” Kimora closed in so silently, it almost seems she appeared out of thin air.

“I volunteer for being test subject.” Leah moans sensually.

“For now you should go to the house, Carl wants to have a talk with you.” Kimora nods and walks off. I stand up, help Leah to her feet and a few seconds later we enter the living room where Carl already waits.

“I came back this morning. First, I want you to know, you don’t have to worry. I found the guys camp and made it vanish. I doubt that anything of yesterday’s events will ever be found. If so, I made sure that everything’s pointing towards strife among them and a subsequent wild animal foray.” he explains matter-of-factly.

Leah and me eye each other. “Was their camp clear?” I ask neutrally.

Carl shakes his head.  “No. They left a sentry behind. He’s with his buddies, now.”

He has killed. For us. For our sake.

I eye the big man poignantly. I can imagine barely a greater proof of affection than this. I rush at him and embrace him gratefully.

Carl returns my hug, hearty but caring, then he gently pushes me at arm’s length. “My, my…” he mumbles bashfully, “All is well!”

Like triggered by a silent command, Leah lunges in laughing and enfolds him, too.

“Damn it, girls, we’re not on pets corner, here!” he grouses, but his broad smile belies his words.

“I want to have a word with Leah!” Kimora states with a smile at me. I exchange glances with my friend, then I leave and close the door behind me.

I stand about indecisively. Then I walk over to the three feet high stone wall dividing the area at the house from the lower surrounding landscape. I sit down on it in the shadow of a tree, let my legs dangle and watch the guys on the property doing various things.

One of the men sees me. When our eyes meet, he quickly looks away. Nonetheless, I notice him throwing sneaking looks at me again and again. What a kids’ stuff! I watch him and when he peers at me again, I flash a slight smile.

Before long, he hesitantly steps closer.

“Please, excuse me.” His timidity is either cute or annoying, I haven’t decided yet. I tilt my head a few degrees and look squarely at him. Either he takes a heart or he can just push off. Though I don’t know his name, I remember his face. I fought him twice. Or was it three times? Whatever, he wants to talk, not to fight, it seems.

“Are you okay?” he asks, then quickly proceeds “You looked kinda sad, so I thought I’d ask.”

Okay, apart from his clumsiness, he’s not overly bothersome. He may be in his mid-thirties, the average type of guy one wouldn’t notice in the crowd. I’ll find out what he’s up to and maybe have some fun with him. Somehow I’m in a slightly nasty mood for a play. 

“No, I’m okay.” I purr eagerly, then I add with a slight smile “But thanks for asking, you’re very attentive.” While talking, I put my hands close to my bottom, pull my shoulders back and straighten my arms, thus arching my back. The man’s blushing and uneasiness reveal I squarely hit the mark as intended. Body language can be so helpful!

“I wanted to have a talk with you for some time, but you’ve always been so busy and there was no real opportunity…” His Adam’s apple bounces excitedly as he obviously runs out of words. When I raise an eyebrow ever so slightly, he hastens to keep on talking. “I don’t know if you remember me, we had some sparring fights and…”

Now his nervous shifting from one foot to another starts to bug me.

“Please, take a seat!” I say in my most calm, generous tone while I point permissively on the ground before me. He stares down and hesitates, then he indeed sits down cross-legged. When he raises his head again, his eyes stick to my feet for some time longer than necessary. He manages to break his gaze free, finally, but I noticed only too well.

I lean back, cross my legs and slowly move my foot around a little bit, making the motion appear absent-mindedly. It’s a quiet delight to see him fight vainly for his composure, his eyes flicker down to my sneaker repeatedly. The same affection like Graham, obviously. Nice to know!

“What’s what you wanted to talk about?” I ask with my most enticing voice when he’s been mutely gawking for half a minute. As intended, his expression turns from moony to cringy and his face gets a pretty reddened complexion.

“Ah, well… I just… I wanted to… maybe learn to know you a bit better, perhaps…” Okay, his constrained stammer is somehow cajoling, given it’s my very presence that’s causing him to, but soon it annoys me.

“I see.” I nod and make my voice sound disappointed somehow. “Just talking and chatting…” The subsequent ‘or’  I leave hanging unspoken in the air as well as any continuation of my sentence, but with my tone I made pretty clear I meant one to be there. And my rhetorical trick works well.

The guy turns from blushed to deep red and his struggle for words make him appear like a fish on shore. Silly me, shattering his composure even further won’t help my impatience at all, no matter how amusing it is to behold.

“Okay. Calm down and try this: imagine the subject you wanted to talk about…” Tranquilize him, disarm him, delude him – this is almost too easy! “Visualize your interest…” Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr, purr, purr!

“… and just tell me!” I vocalize my demand placid but imperious.

“I want you to trample me relentlessly!” he blurts out and the way he saucer-eyes me half a second later proves he got carried away by his own courage.

Bäm! I aimed at him but he sure shot me from the saddle. I just won’t let it show through, of course. And again, a slightly raised eyebrow, a flat expression and frigid silence is all that’s needed to make him blather uneasily.

“I mean, I’m here to help you practice – we all are – and… maybe you… Well, I thought…”

Watching him flounder like a fish on a hook now, as he’s struggling to talk himself out of this, is priceless.

“I thought you might want to exercise with me. That’s what I’m here for.”

“Stepping on someone isn’t exactly a complicated move. At least not one I’d practice specifically.”

His Adam’s apple bobs nervously as he squirms and writhes to find a reasonable and unsuspicious reason for his proposal – and obviously a seemingly unselfish one.

“Ah, I see. It’s just, well… I guess the balance could be a major issue, especially when the opponent’s moving. Also, the effectiveness can always get improved, right?”

“I think you’re shadow-boxing.” I can’t take it any longer. “If you want me to trample you for your own pleasure, ask honestly and outright.”

“I would like you to trample me. Would you do this for me?” he asks sheepishly.

“Was that so very difficult?” I hop off the wall and point to the ground. “Lie down.”

“May I take off my shirt?” The timid way he’s asking, he apparently fears I might back off.

“Your choice, but I won’t take off my shoes, so there’s to be reckoned with imprints and bruises.”

Within a second he removes his tee and lies on his back. I step to his side and scrutinize him. Then I place my right foot on his midsection. I have to admit, it’s a gorgeous sensation to feel him under me, notice him shiver in excitement and feel my sole sink into his soft stomach before the tension of his abs stops the caving in.

“Before we start: even though you lay down voluntarily, you’re not in control. If you want me to do something specific, you may ask politely. If you want me to omit something specific, you may entreat me to. In both cases, I’ll decide, as well as I decide when this is over. Got that?”

His eager nodding comes too quick and eagerly for my liking.

“I mean it! Once I start you’ll have to take what I’m willing to deal out. No whining will persuade me to go easy on you.”

“I accept that.” At least this time he thought a few seconds about it.

Without further delay I shift more weight on my right foot, driving it deeper into his belly and provoking an increased response from his abs. I’ll break that resistance very soon! The idea of wearing out his abdominal strength, thus surrendering his tender innards to my mercy, makes me smile in anticipation.

I step on him and put my other foot unceremoniously on his chest. His face contorts for a moment while he gets used to my full weight on him. Yes, buddy, I’m not really a flimsy girl. Making him squirm will be so much fun…

“I’m not quite sure what an exercise this is, but it looks interesting.” Kimora’s voice from behind makes my head fly around, feeling caught in the act and embarrassed. Leah stands beside my teacher, leering.

“Alas, there’s no time to delve into this.” Kimora continues and points at the guy below me. “There’s another exercise waiting for you.”

When she walks off, assuming with certainty that I’ll follow her, I feel surprisingly disappointed. I’ve been really looking forward to trample him into submission. Yet, I still feel unpleasant, so I quickly follow her. Leah is chuckling, mightily amused at my embarrassment.

“Sorry! Another time, footboard!” she happily consoles the guy before her with a shrug. Then she steps unhesitatingly on his stomach and drives her full weight down emphasizing as she steps over him. The man is taken off-guard, his limbs jerking from Leah’s unexpected move, and doubles up with a gasped “Oof!”. Leah doesn’t look back as the follows us laughing.

Kimora leads us to the area where the calisthenics props are. She signifies us to start training, so Leah begins to perform pull-ups, a practice she’s easily doing impressive scores of repetitions. I do the human flag, an exercise I mastered only three weeks ago and which I extend to hold for longer periods. Meanwhile, I can keep it up for more than 30 seconds and I’m bursting with pride because of that. Even Kimora nods approvingly and when my arms begin to shiver from exhaustion, she steps in and supports my hips, so I can hold on a moment longer.

After this exertion, I need a moment to recover.

“We’re leaving tomorrow, girls. See that you pack your baggage today, so we can start early.” Kimora suddenly states.

“Is that because of yesterday’s incident? Honestly, that’s not necessary, we…” Leah says as she slumps down from the horizontal bar and turns towards us.

“No.” Kimora utters softly with a smile. “The time here’s simply over. You performed so incredibly well and made huge progress, you deserve to spend the rest of the vacation as you wish.”

Leah and me exchange glances. Something in me wants to stay longer, but now it got mentioned, the major part is looking forward to come home.

With a nod, Kimora walks away while we proceed to workout, yet our minds are already planning what to do when we’re back home.