Clarity 2 by Loretta Lost

Hampshire might have saved my skin for the time being, but it did not erase my problems completely. Instead, it exposed my home to infiltration from my attacker. If I had stayed, and pushed forward instead of caving in, I could have changed everything.
    I want to change everything.
    “It’s good to keep your enemies close,” Liam tells me, “so don’t worry. We’ll teach you what you need to do.”
    “And I have the perfect way to start!” James says happily. “Winter, how would you like to kick Liam’s ass a lot?”
    A laugh bubbles out of my throat. “Really? I think I’d love that.”
    “Darn,” Liam says in dismay.
    The teacher gets to work on showi ng me what to do if someone has placed a hand around my neck. He shows me where to place my thumb and how to twist my opponents arm until he is disabled. He shows me how to follow through until my opponent is on the ground. He has me try it gently a few times in slow-motion before turning to Liam.
    “Alright, son,” James says cheerfully. “I want you to grab Winter by the throat.”
    Liam hesitates. “Do you feel comfortable with that?” he asks me.
    “Just shut up and do it already,” I say with a smile. “I want to try this.”
    “Okay, here goes,” he says, before reaching for my neck.
    For a moment, I do feel a bit of fear. I do remember Grayson’s hand on my neck. For only a fraction of a second, as his hand comes into contact with my skin, I am paralyzed in terror. Then, as his hand clamps around my neck, I remember that he is now ‘visible’ to me. Comforted by the fact that this is a safe environment, and I have simple instructions, I grab his hand and twist it until Liam is on the ground, and my body is positioned over his, pinning him down.
    Liam laughs. “Ouch! I knew you’d be a fast learner. That was almost perfect, and it was only your first try.”
    I blush in embarrassment when I realize how close my body is to his, and I begin to pull away.
    “No,” James says, placing a hand on my back. “Touch is your weapon, remember? You want to move your knees closer to his body. If you pull away, he’ll get free and attack you again. Remember, you are not only blind, but you are a woman. Which means you will be much smaller than most of your opponents. Although you may not weigh much, if you position your body correctly, you can overpower someone who weighs twice as much as you do. Really press your body down on his and lock him down. Knees and arms closer! Closer!”
    “Okay,” I say nervously, pushing aside my modesty and focusing on the technique. “Like this?”
    “Yes! Yes! That’s it,” James says. “Now, Liam, try to break free.”
    Liam struggles against me, and I hold my position fast. A few times, he nearly breaks my hold and I am worried that I’m doing it wrong. After a few seconds of struggling, he gives up.
    “I’m down,” Liam says in approval. “She’s got me.”
    “Great,” says James. “Now let’s move on to the next technique.”
    The rest of the lesson passe s by in a whirlwind of energy and struggling to achieve perfection. I feel so honored by the way that James and Liam treat me; like I am truly capable of doing this. It really does strengthen my confidence in myself, and makes me want to try to do more and more. My muscles quickly begin to ache, having not been used very much in years. However, I welcome the feeling and push onward, feeling exhilarated from the exercise and motion.
    I feel like Liam has dumped me into a swift-moving river and demanded that I swim. I love it. I love the challenge, and I love being immersed in fast-paced new information. It’s intimidating, and it could certainly drown me, but I won’t be tugged under by the current. I’m going to swim.
     

 
    “You were really good,” Liam says as he drives me home. “Are you sure you’ve never done any martial arts before?”
    “No,” I say with a laugh, “I haven’t. Unless you count years of wrestling with my